Thank you to Headline and NetGalley for providing me with a preview copy of Crane Amongst Wolves in return for a honest review.

TL:DR: makes all its characters do the heavy lifting resulting in a fairly engaging historical K-drama style story.

It follows Iseul, a girl hell-bent on saving her sister who was kidnapped by the King to become one of his numerous concubines. From there, her path crosses with the death-destined Prince Daehyun who is waiting for the golden moment to launch a coup and bring down his brother's reign. All the while, a killer hunts down the King's most loyal officials causing chaos and opportunity for our protagonists.

The premise is good but not fantastically executed. A lot of the mystery is overshadowed by the coup leaving both a little watered down and neither really progress the plot forward.

It was one of those books that for me eventually came to be all about the characters rather than plot.

Iseul is a motivated girl with so much rage she's ready to bring down the heavens to get her sister back. She grows from such a bratty character to a true heroine driven by not just by her love for her sister but rather her love for her fellow woman too.

Daehyun is a lot more understated. He's not loud on the page rather you get that sense that this is a man who has a lot things hiding under the surface, which of course, is exactly what is happening. All I wish with Daehyun is that we got a few more scenes with him and his brother to really explore that relationship.

The romance between the two is really beautifully done. I sometimes find "doomed lovers" really boring and melodramatic but here, it's done with such tenderness and care that on multiple occasions coming to the book's conclusion, a tear was brought to me eye.

In all, this book is great if you're the kind of person who loves character over plot, who wants a gentler romance that takes it time and has partners that mutually respect each other, and those who want a fairly good love story with a side of politics and murder to keep you entertained for a while.

Well, June Hur has done it again. Everytime i read her books, it's like i'm watching a historical kdrama rather than just reading words on a paper. I love her writing and how she manages to transport me back in time.

I really enjoyed this book and the storyline. I am always fascinated with how Hur manages to mix history with fiction without straying too far from the truth and i'm, constantly, learning so much about korean history from her.

The characters were great (Daehyun was my favourite) and i enjoyed reading about each one. I like how Iseul was fierce and wasn't afraid to do what needed to be done and can i just say, THE ANGST!!! I was swooning over the tiniest of moments.

This book is perfect for all the kdrama lovers. June never disappoints me and, in my opinion, always writes 5 star reads. I can't wait to add the physical copy of ACAW to my bookshelf.

Thank you so much netgalley and headline books for allowing me to read an early copy of one of my anticipated reads for an honest review.

Well, that was a disappointment.

This book sounded so good, it has a gorgeous cover and a good rating, so I had high expectations that were unfortunately not met.
But first a good thing, it didn't downplay the harsh reality (like human trafficking) in 1506. You should probably read the long list of trigger warnings before reading the book.
I also liked the small murder mystery.

But I really didn't enjoy A Crane Among Wolves. The characters fell flat, the story could have been more fleshed out and I feel like the author didn't pour their heart in this story. It was just very underwhelming.

2 ☆ stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review :)

"A Crane Among Wolves." It delves into the characters' growth, the enemies-to-lovers dynamic, and the intricate plot elements, offering readers valuable insights into the book's strengths. The evident excitement and anticipation, as seen through comments about checking NetGalley and the reaction to the cover reveal, reflect a genuine enthusiasm for June Hur's work. The breakdown of the plot, including its various components and the handling of historical themes, contributes to a comprehensive review that may resonate with others who share similar literary preferences.

As much as I liked the book's plot and it being based on history the writing was somehow tedious. And wasn't a fan of the murder mystery either. But otherwisenit was an interesting book to read if someone wants to learn something about Korean history.

Historical fiction is on a mission!

The history of Korea and King Yeonsan was new territory for me as a reader and in general, and reading this has encouraged me down more than a few deep internet searches. As fiction I think Jane Hur's character choices for the dual-POV's were really good, showing the corruption at a higher level and also how this trickled down socially for the people fighting against power.

However, I think the plot crosses the line between YA and adult fiction. Also, I found the writing style hard to be immersed in - very short and simple, when describing really heavy topics such as murder, SA, trafficking - I think was intended to make the topic more digestible but comes across as cold and unemotional.

The enemies to lovers subplot - delicious, tending to each others bandages? I'm in. However, the last quarter of the book (and the romance) did feel a little rushed, or convoluted even, where reveals that had been building up were lost in a list of wrap ups that sadly took away a lot of it's impact.

The girl searching for her sister clashes with the prince who wants to find a way to dethrone his tyrant half-brother? The two joining forces to launch the riskiest gamble the kingdom has ever seen? And all this from both of their points of view? Not to mention the gorgeous cover? As soon as I saw this book, I knew I had to read it, but unfortunately, as it turned out, it didn't work for me. Even though I really wanted to, I couldn’t get into this story. Probably because I couldn’t connect with the characters. If I'm reading a book and instead of being immersed in the story, I'm counting down the pages until the end of the chapter, I know that's not the best sign. I'm embarrassed to admit it, because I hate doing it, but unfortunately I skipped a lot of descriptions and boring dialogues to get to the end.

I hope it will be a "it's me, not the book" situation, because the book itself wasn't bad. I think some people will definitely love it because the writing was quite alright, the characters were likable, and the ending was satisfying. I think the author has a lot of potential, so if her future title looks promising for me, I will definitely give her a second chance.


Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

PSA: Please check the trigger warnings for this book before reading!

This book has made me a life-long June Hur fan. While I've only ready one other book by this author - The Red Palace - I can confidently say that A Crane Among Wolves is June Hur's best work. I devoured this story in one sitting and I'm caught between I-wish-I-could-read-this-for-the-first-time-again and I-need-a-K-drama-of-this-entire-book-now!

I am in awe of Hur's talent. She manages to create an intriguing plot with such a vast array of complex characters while expertly weaving in ancient Korean history in a way to make the story engaging and memorable.

The writing was absolutely stunning in this book and after learning that Hur studied Korean history extensively, I am unsurprised how atmospheric the setting was. I really did feel like I was watching a historical K-drama playing out in my head.

The romance between Iseul and Daehyun was wonderful. Their dymanic from strangers, to reluctant allies, to friends and finally lovers was fun to see and done very well for such a short book. I love how Hur highlights their differences - their motivations, their upbringing, their personalities - and despite it all, the romance that blossoms between them is very sweet and genuine.

June Hur is also able to evoke such a wide range of emotions with her work. She doesn't shy away from talking about very heavy issues such as violence, corruption, psychological trauma, sexual assault and sex trafficking. The way she expertly weaves these topics within her work - without using it for shock value - and creates a teaching moment for the reader, makes her story even more impressive in my eyes. I truly believe that she is overlooked in the YA genre. I know she only has 4 published works (I'm including this book) but as someone who reads YA fairly regularly, I wasn't even aware of her until October 2023 and after reading 2 books by her, I am shocked that her work isn't recommended more.

Overall, A Crane Among Wolves is a story full of heartbreaking emotion about a period of history that is completely unknown to the Western world. I believe that readers who enjoy historical K-dramas and those who are looking for a murder mystery in a lyrical setting will find this novel to be a beautiful, unexpected and heartbreaking surprise.

(CAUTION: SOME SPOILERS)

In 1506, Joseon, Iseul lives a privileged and sheltered life until she loses her sister to the King, thus forcing her to face the brutal and sad reality of her kingdom and all its turmoil. The King ravages the land like a hungry predator, and all his subjects are made to bow to his tyranny, including Prince Daehyun, who ultimately becomes entangled with Iseul in a strange but wonderful turn of events. To move the heavens, and bring the change that their land so desperately needs, Iseul bands together with Wonsik, Yul and Prince Daehyun; all of whom provide Iseul with the friendship that would allow her to open her eyes and heart farther than she ever thought she could. Their goal is to save Iseul’s sister, free the kingdom and bring the end of tyrannical rule once and for all - however, as with all great ambition, comes a great risk of ruination and even death. In this gripping tale of love, friendship, sisterhood and freedom, arises a story that ultimately sheds light on the harsh realities of life and the historical accuracies that were paralleled within the book allows readers a glimpse into Joseon at a time of great disquietude due to the tyrannical rule of a well-known real-life ruler, which I personally found so intriguing.

The characters -
My favourite character was Prince Daehyun because he was just such a softie underneath his veneer of pretend cruelty and coldness. Despite all the cruelty he has faced due to his oppressive and abusive brother, the King, Daehyun remained compassionate, humane and never once succumbed to the same cruelty he faced. He is a baby and needs to be protected at all costs. Not only that, but he is so observant, calculating, smart and strategic! He is honestly just the standard. As for Iseul, I felt that she was such a force to be reckoned with and I loved it! She felt very realistic because her flaws (being reckless and a little naive at times) make her feel very real and I liked that she strayed from the societal constrictions of her time.

The romance was beautiful and wholesome, and I giggled and laughed at some of their bickering and interactions, which were full of sweet youthful longing. Prince Daehyun is the greenest green flag and Iseul was the perfect storm to break his calculated calm and I just really admired their friendship and love for each other.

The Ending -
This book had some dark themes, with implications of abuse, rape, and death, and although I was devastated by the events that occurred, I absolutely loved getting stabbed in the heart by June Hur because she nailed this story to be perfectly hopeful yet heartbreakingly realistic. The characters who survived had their happy endings, but not in the way that we are used to seeing in books and films because this ending was raw, it was real, and I feel that it most certainly captured the reality of the Joseon that this book was based upon to such a great degree. For instance, some of the women may have been freed from the tyrant king – but there are still the women who were still traded as if commodities to those in power – which tragically encapsulates the truth that even the death of tyranny cannot eliminate all that is evil in the world. In fact, what June shows us is that sometimes, power is traded just as the women were traded amongst the still powerful government officials – and this is so cruel but so real.

Even Prince Daehyun, who suffered so much and who I would argue is the most important person who instigated the whole rebellion in the first place with Hyukjin, never got to claim the honour that I feel he so deserved. Instead, he was cast out and had to live life in exile despite all he has done for the kingdom. It breaks my heart, but I do appreciate the message that this conveys, which is that of sacrifice. His sacrifice ultimately led to Iseul and her sister’s freedom and because of this, Daehyun is arguably one of the best book boyfriends to have fulfilled the “would die for her” trope!! This ending was a HEA but with a heartbreakingly realistic twinge, and I absolutely loved it.

Overall, this was a wonderful story brimming with emotion, depth and insight into the darkness of pasts long gone and will most certainly resonate with readers who love k-dramas and historical fictions that combine the greatest elements of k-dramas in one big, beautiful tale of love, freedom and sacrifice.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

2.5 stars

After enjoying The Red Palace, I was very curious to read A Crane Among Wolves. Unfortunately, the book didn't live up to my expectations. From the blurb I expected a different kind of story, with more action and emotions. Instead, the pacing was slow and the characters a little bit flat. Iseul wasn't very likable, especially at the beginning, and I couldn't connect with her. Daehyun, on the other hand, was one of the few I liked. I also guessed who the assassin was, which came with no surprise. The historical setting was accurate, though. It's a pity because the book had the potential to be a great story.