Descendant of the Crane by Joan He: A Book Review

Descendant of the Crane
Author: Joan He
Genre: YA, Mystery, Historical Fantasy
Publisher: AW Teen
Release Date: 2019
Pages: 416
Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review
Synopsis: Tyrants cut out hearts. Rulers sacrifice their own. Princess Hesina of Yan has always been eager to shirk the responsibilities of the crown, but when her beloved father is murdered, she's thrust into power, suddenly the queen of an unstable kingdom. Determined to find her father's killer, Hesina does something desperate: she enlists the aid of a soothsayer―a treasonous act, punishable by death… because in Yan, magic was outlawed centuries ago.

     Using the information illicitly provided by the sooth, and uncertain if she can trust even her family, Hesina turns to Akira―a brilliant investigator who's also a convicted criminal with secrets of his own. With the future of her kingdom at stake, can Hesina find justice for her father? Or will the cost be too high?

      In this shimmering Chinese-inspired fantasy, debut author Joan He introduces a determined and vulnerable young heroine struggling to do right in a world brimming with deception.

My Review: Descendant of the Crane is a novel that is inspired by Chinese mythology and history. Hesina has always wanted to escape her duties as a princess. When her father is murdered, she becomes queen. Hesina has to manage her kingdom and find her father’s murderer through the help of Akira, a criminal. Can Hesina and Akira ever discover who the killer is?

     As a huge fan of Chinese historical dramas, I was excited to read this book! I find that Descendant of the Crane did not disappoint! It had all the makings of a clever Chinese drama, political intrigue - betrayal, mystery, and deception! The heroine was strong and complex. Within the first few pages, I feel like I had come to know Hesina. She is a young girl that feels trapped inside the palace. She knows that somewhere within the palace is a murderer. I really admire Hesina’s quest for justice as she tries to solve the murder. Therefore, Hesina is a determined heroine that readers will love to root for.

     Overall, this novel is about trust, justice, and responsibility. I liked all the characters. Akira was intelligent and mysterious. I also like her siblings, each of whom had different personalities. The world-building is lush and vivid in detail that is based on imperial China. The beginning started out slow but picked up pace halfway through the novel. I also did not like that it ended in a cliffhanger. Nevertheless, I’m excited to read the sequel! I recommend Descendant of the Crane for fans of A Forest of a Thousand Lanterns, Spin the Dawn, and The Magnolia Sword! This is not a novel to be missed!

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Blog Tour: A Trace of Deceit by Karen Odden

Image
A Trace of Deceit by Karen Odden Publication Date: December 17, 2019 William Morrow Paperback & eBook; 416 pages Genre: Historical Mystery/Victorian Synopsis: From the author of A Dangerous Duet comes the next book in her Victorian mystery series, this time following a daring female painter and the Scotland Yard detective who is investigating her brother’s suspicious death.      A young painter digs beneath the veneer of Victorian London’s art world to learn the truth behind her brother’s murder…      Edwin is dead. That’s what Inspector Matthew Hallam of Scotland Yard tells Annabel Rowe when she discovers him searching her brother’s flat for clues. While the news is shocking, Annabel can’t say it’s wholly unexpected, given Edwin’s past as a dissolute risk-taker and art forger, although he swore he’d reformed. After years spent blaming his reckless behavior for their parents’ deaths, Annabel is now faced with the question of who murdered him—because Edwin’s
Read more

The Seven Sisters (The Seven Sisters #1) by Lucinda Riley: A Book Review

Image
The Seven Sisters (The Seven Sisters #1) Author: Lucinda Riley Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance Publisher: Atria Release Date: 2015 Pages: 463 Source: My State Public Library Synopsis: Maia D’Apliese and her five sisters gather together at their childhood home, “Atlantis”—a fabulous, secluded castle situated on the shores of Lake Geneva—having been told that their beloved father, who adopted them all as babies, has died. Each of them is handed a tantalizing clue to her true heritage—a clue which takes Maia across the world to a crumbling mansion in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Once there, she begins to put together the pieces of her story and its beginnings. Eighty years earlier in Rio’s Belle Epoque of the 1920s, Izabela Bonifacio’s father has aspirations for his daughter to marry into the aristocracy. Meanwhile, architect Heitor da Silva Costa is devising plans for an enormous statue, to be called Christ the Redeemer, and will soon travel to Paris to find the right sculptor to
Read more

Blog Tour: Book Blast of The Bachelor's Bride by Holly Bush

Image
The Bachelor’s Bride by Holly Bush Publication Date: November 17, 2020 Holly Bush Books eBook; 244 pages Genre: Romance/America/Victorian Series: The Thompsons of Locust Street, Book One Synopsis: Meet the Thompsons of Locust Street, an unconventional family taking Philadelphia high society by storm…      1868 Elspeth Thompson is the middle daughter in a family with tightly held secrets. While she loves her family, she longs to break out from their overprotective hold, to find herself, to be noticed for who she is rather than as chaperone to her beautiful younger sister, Kirsty, or underling to her elder sister, Muireall. A chance meeting under scandalous circumstances offers her the opportunity to be seen for herself, but the repercussions could lead to the downfall of her family.      Confirmed bachelor Alexander Pendergast enjoys his position as the right-hand man of one of the most influential and powerful politicians in Philadelphia. Heir to the largest textile mill on the
Read more