A review by onthesamepage
The Red Palace by June Hur

dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

"We are women," she continued, "and nothing short of death stops us from doing precisely what we wish to do. That is what the laws and restrictions binding our lives breed: determination and cunning."

I wanted to pick this up on my vacation to South Korea for fairly obvious reasons, and while I didn't start it until I was on my way home, I still had a really good time with it. Reading historical fiction that's not set in Europe makes me realize that it's not that I don't enjoy historical fiction anymore, it's that I am done with European historical fiction. This felt like a breath of fresh air.

It absolutely doesn't hurt that the writing was engaging, that the mystery was plotted out really well, and that I was fully invested in Hyeon and Eojin. I loved the way their relationship grew, but I also cared a lot about Hyeon and her struggles between doing what is right, and making her absent father proud. I think the story had a very good balance of character growth and mystery solving. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings