Review of A Crane Among Wolves by June Hur
June Hur’s A Crane Among Wolves (Feiwel & Friends, 2024) is the fourth of this author’s books I’ve read and reviewed. And every time I think she’s written my “favorite” of the bunch, she knocks it out of the park with another amazing young adult Korean historical mystery!
Iseul’s sister has been taken away as one of the King’s concubines, and Iseul is determined to retrieve her sister. At the same time, Prince Daehyun, has been deeply traumatized by his half-brother, the King, and his ongoing and increasing debauchery and abuse. After a chance encounter in the woods, the two protagonists find their lives intertwining despite each of their strong intentions. But they are agreed that the King must be stopped, for the good of the people of the kingdom. At the same time, there is a serial killer targeting close confidants of the King, and the protagonists are in a race to solve that mystery as well.
A Crane Among Wolves has a significant amount of historical inspiration, with a number of characters based loosely on historical figures and a major plot point based on a historical event. Even so, Hur is able to create suspense and drama while working within historical constraints. The two protagonists are so fully realized and irretrievably woven into the plot that they seem like they were there all along. The chapters alternate between Iseul and Daehyn, with her chapters in first person and his chapters in third person, which works particularly well (even chapter 42, which you’ll understand if you read the book!).
If you enjoy historical fiction, mystery, and a light helping of romance, definitely check out A Crane Among Wolves and June Hur’s other books.
Content note: Given that the historical king on whom that character is based was chronicled to have committed unspeakable atrocities on his subjects, and particularly his countless concubines, the book has several content warnings, which are available in the Author’s Note. (As the Author’s Note is not available in the preview on Amazon, I summarize them as: sexual abuse in multiple forms, violence and murder (including animals and young humans), trauma, panic attacks, and other mental health conditions.)
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