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A review by nikolinaza
The Silence of Bones by June Hur
5.0
Trigger warnings: violence, misogyny, murder, death, animal abuse (mentioned), suicide (mentioned).
As an indentured servant, Seol is tasked to assist the respectable young Inspector Han to handle a murder case of a noblewoman. The two formed an almost friend-like bond along the way, but when the evidences turned against him and the tangled thread of her past started to unravel, Seol's loyalty is tested to its limit.
This book was as cold as how the cover portrayed it to be.
The era of Joseon, surrounded by cold mountains and misty forests, with a sadistic killer on the loose, June Hur's beautiful phrases did an excellent job to complete its iciness. I don't usually like books with overly long explanations of the settings, but I'm making an exception for this one.
The historical aspect is well researched and written. It was not an usual info-dumping, as a lot of hisfic books does, but it was a great mixture of real historical person and Hur's very own character. It was the first time I've read the explanation of this part of history, written by the author after the epilogue, because it was so intereseting. If only there are fictions about Lady Kang too....
There was no romance, but the Seol's relationships and dynamics with other characters were hard to miss. Safe to say there were no filler characters—even if they only appeared for two seconds, I'm warning you, they have their own important role in the whole mystery. So if you're reading this, watch out.
I don't think I'll ever stop thinking about this book for weeks.
As an indentured servant, Seol is tasked to assist the respectable young Inspector Han to handle a murder case of a noblewoman. The two formed an almost friend-like bond along the way, but when the evidences turned against him and the tangled thread of her past started to unravel, Seol's loyalty is tested to its limit.
This book was as cold as how the cover portrayed it to be.
The era of Joseon, surrounded by cold mountains and misty forests, with a sadistic killer on the loose, June Hur's beautiful phrases did an excellent job to complete its iciness. I don't usually like books with overly long explanations of the settings, but I'm making an exception for this one.
The historical aspect is well researched and written. It was not an usual info-dumping, as a lot of hisfic books does, but it was a great mixture of real historical person and Hur's very own character. It was the first time I've read the explanation of this part of history, written by the author after the epilogue, because it was so intereseting. If only there are fictions about Lady Kang too....
There was no romance, but the Seol's relationships and dynamics with other characters were hard to miss. Safe to say there were no filler characters—even if they only appeared for two seconds, I'm warning you, they have their own important role in the whole mystery. So if you're reading this, watch out.
I don't think I'll ever stop thinking about this book for weeks.