A Crane Among Wolves

Every page propels the mystery and intrigue forward to create an exciting adventure with more than a few dark undertones.

Iseul is determined to save her older sister after the king nabbed her from the village and dragged her to the capital to join his ever-growing circle of concubines. The entire kingdom suffers under the tyrant's cruel rule, one which has left Iseul parentless after the king's last 'purge' on his government officials. With no money and no allies, the task is dangerous and impossible, but even if it means her death, Iseul won't let her sister suffer. When she's set face-to-face with a series of murders which is threatening the king, she realizes that finding the criminal might be the only chance she has to save her show more sister. But that brings her to the prince, and he will either be her undoing, her greatest ally, or both.

When I picked this up, I was expecting an historical read...which this is but not with as many details as I expected. Instead, the setting radiates through the little things, which demonstrate the aspects of the daily life, ideologies, and cultures around 1506. This was a tumultuous time in Korean history, where the king lost his mind in greed and power. The author doesn't numb the cruelty, which also means there are more than a few triggers in this read. Still, it doesn't settle into the gore of details, but rather, lets the situations hit with the seriousness and emotions they deserve.

It's a darker read, which even goes beyond the cruelty of the king and heads into a string of murders and mystery. There's quite a bit of intrigue thrown in, which when mixed with the planning of a coup, creates a heavy weave that thickens and thickens. There's a lot to work through, and that in just this one novel. It creates a quick-paced read with little time to take a breath before the next twist arrives. The general world building does slide back in terms of scenery and surroundings, and this will be an easier read for those who have already sunk into Asian culture before. But it's a tale, which grabs and stays tense the entire way through.

On the character end, the author has placed the leads in two, very different realms before bringing them together. The tale switches back and forth between Iseul and Daehyun, and they don't meet until several chapters in. This gives the reader time to get a feel for both personalities as well as gain the needed foundation of life inside and outside of the palace. When the two meet, it's not insta-attraction by any means. Romance isn't high on the list when lives are at stake on so many levels. It was refreshing to see the main issues remain in control over the romance in a YA read. This strong flow of plot did mean less on character depth and reflection, but that also makes it a lighter read...if it can be called that.

While this didn't have as much of the historical flair as I expected, it is an exciting read. The intrigue, mystery, and dangerous situations drive each moment forward and add many tense moments. The characters are determined and easy to root for as they try their best to turn everything around. Add the powerful ending, and it's well-worth a read for those who enjoy darker adventures set in historical times. I received a DRC and enjoyed reading this one quite a bit. show less

Enjoy historical K-dramas? This one would be right up your alley.
Historical fiction situated during the Joseon dynasty in Korea.
Lots of political intrigue under an EXTREMELY cruel ruler.
Romance as well. Not quite Cupid's arrow causing love at first sight, but there IS an arrow involved!
And a whip smart young woman who takes matters in her own hands when her sister is abducted and sent to the royal palace.
Told in alternating voices of Iseul, the young woman searching for her sister, and Daehyun, the king's brother.

Trigger Warnings: murder, violence, death, kidnapping, mentions of rape, suicide

Set in Joseon, Korea, 1506, when the people of Korea are suffering under the rule of the cruel tyrant King Yeonsan. He takes their land for his own recreational use, banning and burning books, and kidnapping and abusing thousands of women and girls as his personal playthings.

When seventeen-year-old Iseul’s sister, Suyeon, becomes the king’s latest pretty, Iseul leaves the relative safety of her sheltered, privileged life to reach the capital in hopes of stealing back her sister. But she soon discovers that to challenge the king is certain death, so she must be strategic.

Prince Daehyun has lived his whole life in the shadow of his half-brother, the king. show more Forced to watch King Yeonsan abuse his power with executions and abuse of his people, Daehyun wants to dethrone him once and for all. When the idea of a coup is raised, he knows failure is fatal and he’ll need all the help he can get.

When Iseul’s and Daehyun’s paths cross, they join forces to save her sister, free the people, and destroy the king.

Yet another novel written about a time in history I was not taught about in my American public school.

I loved both main characters, but I had a hard time with Iseul - she was very bratty (in general) to her sister when they were together and then she suddenly was going through all these challenges to get her back. She was privileged in a way that you kind of hate, so I totally get that was her character. She did have redeeming qualities throughout the book.

Overall, the writing in this novel is more on the serious note, and reads on the slower side, so as long as you’re not looking for something super action packed and that’s about history not usually touched upon, this is for you.

*Thank you Feiwel & Friends and NetGalley for a for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review show less

Do you ever come across a book and just have a feeling that you’re going to love it? That was me with this one. First of all, the cover is absolutely stunning. The second I laid eyes on it, I was intrigued. And then I read the description. I was further interested. But this was before the book had even come out. So I immediately added it to my book wishlist. I waited months to buy it, but still haven’t the chance to buy a physical copy. I couldn’t wait any longer, so I ended up reading it digitally.

I’m so glad I did. Because this book was even better than I had ever expected. The setting, the plot, the characters, the writing. Everything was so, so good. I couldn’t put it down. I even ignored my assignments and stayed up late show more to finish, too captivated to put it down 😭. Never has a book ever exceeded my expectations like this.

Before going into it, I expected it to be a little juvenile and less intense, since it’s a young adult book. But it was so raw and deep. The atrocities and the cruelty of the setting were portrayed completely. There was so much depth to the plot, the politics, and the characters. It was so well-developed that I felt as though I was living during that time with the characters.

This book also reminded me of k-dramas, and that was a total plus. I felt like I was combining two of my hobbies into one. And the writing was eloquent and beautiful. I usually don’t pay much attention to writing style, but I loved the writing here.

This book was such a rollercoaster of emotions in the best way possible. But, most of the time, I felt hope and despair at the same time. It was devastating 😅.

Well, it’s safe to say June Hur has become an autoread/buy author for me! Time to go read her other books 😊.

Also, if it hasn’t been obvious, I completely recommend this book. If you like history, mystery, politics, and romance all together, then this is perfect for you.

If you’ve read this book, I’d love to know your opinion and if you have any similar recommendations, I’d love to hear those, too. If you haven’t read this book… please read it 😋. show less

I think this is my favourite of Hur's so far. It reads almost like a kdrama but with none of the cheesy parts. I really felt for our MC as she tried to steal her sister back from the king. It was a fairly dark book if you remember that a lot of this happened in real life but it was also a pretty quick and easy read so I enjoyed myself.

This book was everything I would wish to witness in a K-Drama, the quarrel between characters, the relationships that are built, and the journey of self-fulfillment for the main character Iseul. As well as the plot of the storyline, especially with character relationships. Which is based on actual historical moments in Korean History.
The only thing about this book is that I wished it was a duology or at least a thick book to leave more room for the author to explore the relationship of Iseul's internal self - her confliction of how much she allowed herself to get away with things and how much that has impacted her relationship with her sister, and her relationship with Deahyun; specially in adding more moments of internal confliction show more of their emotions and more yearning and questions for each other, as it felt a bit rushed. I also wished that we were able to get more moments with side characters for their moments to have a greater impact to the reader.
But overall, this story had SO much potential, and is a great read, I just wish it's potential was fully used for how great it would have been. show less

This was so beautifully written, i felt like i was fully immersed in the book.

I really liked the main character although had grown up pampered she had alot of grit and drive and that really drew me to her.

The pacing could be slow at times between inner dialogue and suspense building

The suspense never seemed to end and never truly knew what was gonna happen next.