Book Title: A Crane Among Wolves
Author: June Hur
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Number of Pages: 359
Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult, Mystery, Fiction, Asian Literature, Thriller
Release Date: May 14, 2024
Goodreads Synopsis:
June Hur, bestselling author of The Red Palace, crafts a devastating and pulse-pounding tale that will feel all-too-relevant in today’s world, based on a true story from Korean history.
Hope is dangerous. Love is deadly.
1506, Joseon. The people suffer under the cruel reign of the tyrant King Yeonsan, powerless to stop him from commandeering their land for his recreational use, banning and burning books, and kidnapping and horrifically abusing women and girls as his personal playthings.
Seventeen-year-old Iseul has lived a sheltered, privileged life despite the kingdom’s turmoil. When her older sister, Suyeon, becomes the king’s latest prey, Iseul leaves the relative safety of her village, traveling through forbidden territory to reach the capital in hopes of stealing her sister back. But she soon discovers the king’s power is absolute, and to challenge his rule is to court certain death.
Prince Daehyun has lived his whole life in the terrifying shadow of his despicable half-brother, the king. Forced to watch King Yeonsan flaunt his predation through executions and rampant abuse of the common folk, Daehyun aches to find a way to dethrone his half-brother once and for all. When staging a coup, failure is fatal, and he’ll need help to pull it off—but there’s no way to know who he can trust.
When Iseul’s and Daehyun’s fates collide, their contempt for each other is transcended only by their mutual hate for the king. Armed with Iseul’s family connections and Daehyun’s royal access, they reluctantly join forces to launch the riskiest gamble the kingdom has ever seen:
Save her sister. Free the people. Destroy a tyrant.
Favorite Quotes:
“… I did love my sister. The same way I had loved my parents, the same love that had left me bedridden with grief and depression, the love that left me haunted and sleepless many nights still. More that ever, now, I was afraid of this love for her, afraid of the intolerable agony that came with loving anyone at all.”
“His fingers then held my chin, tilting my face upward, his gaze fixed on my lips as he pressed me against the bookcase.”
“” Pause and look around you,” he pressed on. “Do not forget to notice the smaller things. Each day, try to notice if things have changed and remember how they were before.””
“”if by any chance we do not meet again in this lifetime, then I will find you in the next-or as many lifetimes as it takes to see you again.””
“” Do not expect me to share what I know if you have no intention of even trying to find it for yourself. Such people, I have observed, have no genuine interest in the truth.””
“The world had fallen into a hushed stillness, closing around me and the prince with eyes that offered glimpses into his painted world-of private thoughts and memories and dreams.
“Our gazes locked in the stormy gray half-light, our breaths intertwining. There were moments, I knew, when the earth and stars eclipsed each other. Yet I had never thought it possible that my heart and mind could move in such a way, shifting within the expanse and centering my attention on the man before me.”
My Review:
4/5 stars
This was my first Korean/Korean historical fiction book. Overall, I did enjoy the book. In general, I do have a hard time with historical fiction genre because it is challenging for me to picture the setting during that time period. since I love k-dramas (Korean dramas) so much, I enjoyed the romantic plot between the two main characters.
It was a challenging to keep up with Nameless Flower and the coup. It is a little tricky for me to picture what was going on throughout the story. I appreciated how the main female character fought to save and protect her sister. I also liked the author wrote the perspectives between Daehyun and Iseul.
I liked that the author wrote in a historical notes section to explain how much research she put into the history of this time period and how important it is to learn from our history. She says “however, I was reminded by readers that books that confront disturbing historical events are crucial. It is imperative to confront history because it repeats itself when ignored.”
I recommend this book to those that really love historical fiction and to those who want to branch out to try something new. I am looking forward to reading more of June Hur’s historical fiction books.
About the author:
June Hur (허주은) is a Korean-Canadian author known for her historical fiction novels, often characterized by their atmospheric mysteries and a focus on Korean history and culture.
June Hur (허주은) is a New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award-winning author of YA Korean historicals, including The Silence of Bones, The Forest of Stolen Girls, The Red Palace, and A Crane Among Wolves. Born in South Korea, June spent her formative years in the USA, Canada, and South Korea before studying History and Literature at the University of Toronto and working at the city’s public library. Her work has been featured in Forbes, NPR, The New York Times, CBC, Vogue Korea, and KBS. She resides in Toronto with her family and can be spotted writing in coffee shops.
Author Websites:
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