A review by cortanasreadingnook
A Crane Among Wolves by June Hur 허주은

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Thanks to June Hur and Feiwel & Friends for sending me an ARC through Netgalley! This does not affect my thoughts about the book in any way. Out on May 14, 2024! 

This was a remarkably heart-shattering high-stakes tale of mystery and treacherous court politics with a longing-filled slowburn romance. Iseul and Daehyun reminded me a lot of The Red Palace trope wise, but this was unexpectedly a tale of violence and tragedy and is a historically accurate story that serves as a reminder of Korea’s darkest periods. 

A Crane Among Wolves transports a reader back into the beauty of the ancient Joseon Dynasty of Korea while narrating an equally dark murder mystery behind the scenes with bits of romance on the side and lots of little twists. Not only does June give us a new romantic pair to be emotionally invested in (with a handsome and clever prince by the way), but this story also concentrates on the bravery and strength of women, especially that of the main character, and openly challenged misogyny and sexual abuse. The characters were day I say, all strategically placed like game pieces on a board, with their own peculiarities and flaws to complement each other that fueled this story to the end. I would, with no hesitation, always recommend this! 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings