Author: June Hur
Genre: YA, Historical Fiction, Mystery & Suspense
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Book Release Date: 2024
Pages: 363
Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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.
My Review: Iseul was once an aristocrat. However, her father was executed for being a traitor to the king. She only has her sister. However, her sister is forced to become the king’s concubine. Iseul travels to the capital to take her sister back home. When she arrives, she encounters a murder. Iseul believes that by finding the murderer she will convince the king to release her sister. As she hunts for the killer, Iseul teams up with a prince.
At first, I did not like Iseul. She was a hot-head and was very reckless. Her impulsiveness caused her multiple times to run headlong into danger. However, Iseul gradually began to grow on me. While she is still very rash, she becomes smarter. She is able to rely on herself. She slowly becomes very observant and intelligent. I came to admire her as a protagonist. I also loved her romance with Prince Daehyun. I thought they were a great team and later a cute couple. Their romance was a slow burn, and I rooted for them to be happy together.
Overall, this book is about friendship, family, and freedom. I liked all of the characters and thought that they were well-developed. I also liked the mystery. I thought it was very complex. I thought the novel was meticulously researched. I also liked that Ms. Hur did an excellent job in portraying the darkness of King Yeonsan’s reign. The book had some dark themes but it was full of many cute moments! A Crane Among Wolves was a very fast-paced and engaging read! I found it hard to put down, and I did not want it to end! I recommend this book for fans of Descendant of the Crane, Spin the Dawn, and Forest of a Thousand Lanterns!
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
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