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tej_reads 's review for:
A Crane Among Wolves
by June Hur
A Crane Among Wolves is a Korean Historical Fiction Young Adult Novel set in the Joseon Era. It is based on Prince Yeonsan the 10th monarch of the Joseon dynasty, and one of the worst tyrants in Korean history.
ACAW is a must read, a histrocial political drama, with murder mystery and romance. I would liken it to ATLA in it's ability to discuss darker themes within a young adult genre, Hur makes the history behind the novel accessible it's clear how much work has gone into ACAW.
The story begins with Iseul searching for her older sister who has been taken by Prince Yeonsan, Iseul intends to bring her home. At the beginning and through I suppose a majority of the novel Iseul is a spoiled younger sister who has never undertaken any physical labour after being cared for by her older sister, she's finds manual labour below her. However, once her sister is taken Iseul leaves her home to find her and bring her back. Soon after Iseul is embroiled in a murder mystery: if she can find and capture the serial killer Namless Flower maybe she can bargain for her sister. Iseul is a complex character, I admit to being annoyed with her but that's just how well she was written, her entitlement and ignorance make it so easy for her to be slightly hated at the start. But then she starts to grow and you see her learn how to be a detective from Wonsik; brave the City for a glimpse of her sister; she becomes politically aware and tactical finally coming into her own.
ACAW is a must read, a histrocial political drama, with murder mystery and romance. I would liken it to ATLA in it's ability to discuss darker themes within a young adult genre, Hur makes the history behind the novel accessible it's clear how much work has gone into ACAW.
The story begins with Iseul searching for her older sister who has been taken by Prince Yeonsan, Iseul intends to bring her home. At the beginning and through I suppose a majority of the novel Iseul is a spoiled younger sister who has never undertaken any physical labour after being cared for by her older sister, she's finds manual labour below her. However, once her sister is taken Iseul leaves her home to find her and bring her back. Soon after Iseul is embroiled in a murder mystery: if she can find and capture the serial killer Namless Flower maybe she can bargain for her sister. Iseul is a complex character, I admit to being annoyed with her but that's just how well she was written, her entitlement and ignorance make it so easy for her to be slightly hated at the start. But then she starts to grow and you see her learn how to be a detective from Wonsik; brave the City for a glimpse of her sister; she becomes politically aware and tactical finally coming into her own.
“I swear,” he whispered in a low voice, as though to himself, “the next person to harm you will die by my own hands.”
Daehyun, is the Prince and is trying to conduct a coup to overthrow the King, there's just one problem: he needs support. We see Daehyun work with Wonsik and Yul to gather support. Daehyun is a well rounded character and his backstory is heart breaking. Hur does an amazing job showing his silent strength and love for Iseul. Whilst the romance is secondary, Daehyun falls first and harder and it's wonderful to see him grow to care for Iseul. He is thoughtful and calculating, and builds a plan around keeping Iseul safe.
A Crane Among Wolves broke my heart and put it back together again. I loved seeing the plan come together and both Daehyun and Iseul working together but also Iseul growing and solving mysteries. The ending was just heart clutching and I'm so glad to have read this.
A Crane Among Woves releases on the 14th of May 2024.
Thank you to Netgalley, June Hur and Headline for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.