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thecaptainsquarters 's review for:
The Plotters
by Un-su Kim
Ahoy there me mateys! This tale be described by Goodreads as “a fantastical crime novel set in an alternate Seoul where assassination guilds compete for market dominance. Perfect for fans of Han Kang.” I love Han Kang. I love assassins. I love translated works. I love the cover. I loved Fiction Fan’s awesome review which led me to this fun read. She said:
There is no doubt that this book is odd and quirky. I highly enjoyed it. This is the story of an assassin named Reseng who is part of a specialized group of assassins whose existence is a thinly veiled secret and whose trade was governed by an elaborate system of rules under the old dictatorship. But the new democracy is here and with it a change of the societal norms. The assassin code of ethics is over and someone is out to kill the competition.
Reseng is skilled as an assassin but is rather naive when it comes to the rest of Seoul and how normal people work. That’s what happens when ye be raised from childhood to kill. So when he finds himself a target, he chooses to figure out why and how he ended up becoming the contract. It is this deeper look into Reseng’s life and the world of assassins that became fascinating. The fact that a very unusual library is used as front for the business was a big bonus. It was also interesting that Reseng is a sympathetic character despite his stance on killing.
I can’t really explain more than that about the plot. For all the complexities of the world-building and assassin lifestyles, this was a well-crafted book that was not difficult to read. There were many wonderful and memorable characters. I absolutely loved the resolution and Reseng’s journey. I think that both the author and the translator, Sora Kim-Russell, deserve a lot of praise for their work. If the idea of this book intrigues, then I suggest ye give it a chance. Arrrr!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
I’m not sure if I’ve made this sound as appealing as it deserves. I found it compulsively readable and, despite the apparent bleakness of the subject matter, full of humour and emotional warmth. I highly recommend it as something different from the usual run of things – well written, well plotted and ultimately strangely satisfying.
There is no doubt that this book is odd and quirky. I highly enjoyed it. This is the story of an assassin named Reseng who is part of a specialized group of assassins whose existence is a thinly veiled secret and whose trade was governed by an elaborate system of rules under the old dictatorship. But the new democracy is here and with it a change of the societal norms. The assassin code of ethics is over and someone is out to kill the competition.
Reseng is skilled as an assassin but is rather naive when it comes to the rest of Seoul and how normal people work. That’s what happens when ye be raised from childhood to kill. So when he finds himself a target, he chooses to figure out why and how he ended up becoming the contract. It is this deeper look into Reseng’s life and the world of assassins that became fascinating. The fact that a very unusual library is used as front for the business was a big bonus. It was also interesting that Reseng is a sympathetic character despite his stance on killing.
I can’t really explain more than that about the plot. For all the complexities of the world-building and assassin lifestyles, this was a well-crafted book that was not difficult to read. There were many wonderful and memorable characters. I absolutely loved the resolution and Reseng’s journey. I think that both the author and the translator, Sora Kim-Russell, deserve a lot of praise for their work. If the idea of this book intrigues, then I suggest ye give it a chance. Arrrr!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/