Publishers have described Joan He's debut novel "Descendant of the Crane" as a Chinese "Game of Thrones," but it’s like "Game of Thrones" if the action never strayed far from King's Landing (while this "Game of Thrones" reader thinks the most interesting bits and characters are stationed in Winterfell, the Dothraki sea and far up North at The Wall.)

That's to say: Don't expect "Descendant of the Crane" to be "Game of Thrones." At least "Game of Thrones" gave us Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen, Arya Stark, Tyrion Lannister and other characters that made our blood boil or freeze. Hearing their voices and stories gave us reason to suffer through the scorching never-ending summers and nonsense going on at King's Landing. (And the alternating and multiple points of view in George R.R. Martin's books helped us keep skimming even if we despised some characters.)

He, who began writing "Descendant of the Crane" in 2013 while a senior in high school, doesn't offer the same courtesies.

Instead, we're stuck with one protagonist who's like a stranger who seems nice enough: inexperienced too-young child-queen Yan Hesina (the last name comes first in Chinese) of Yan, whose promotion came at the expense of her father's sudden and mysterious death. She isn't as insufferable as other child-rulers we know (like Joffrey Baratheon), but that's because despite a 416-page journey where she's the protagonist, you still feel like you hardly know 17-year-old 殿下 (pronounced "De-Anne Sa" and translates to "Highness") Hesina (鹤斯那, whose name translates to "Is the crane dead yet?" and sounds more like Hauck-Say-Na in Cantonese), even by the book's end.

Part of that distance and lack of voice may be due to the fact that He's ruler doesn't seem to know herself and spends the entire novel trying to figure out who she is and why her father died (Yes, this is one of those books about finding yourself). Or maybe that reserve and distance stems from culture (which finds hugs and intimacy foreign). But to the detriment of the novel (it's hard to care about the book when you're not invested in the main character), "Descendant of the Crane" is a book built more on forced plot twists than characterization — as if it was a serialized T.V. soap opera that relied on cliffhangers to keep running.

Rather than explain how her fictional world works at its introduction, He hides her mahjong tiles, playing keep-away with necessary information like the meaning of words and how to properly pronounce characters' names (sometimes until she can make a big move or reveal). In Twitter threads, He explains it's not for lack of trying; she didn't know how to properly articulate Chinese words and their meanings and expects Western audiences to automatically pronounce words wrong anyway.

Still, she could be better. Words are important. 

Because like a sentence lacking punctuation, her book lacks clarity. When you're pronouncing things wrong the whole time, words lack meaning and you don't realize until the very end that a phrase like "ONE of the ELEVEN" isn't a random statistic or any one person out of a peoples called the Eleven, but that "ONE of the ELEVEN" is actually a title that refers to one very specific and important god-like person who supposedly invented a kingdom's rule of law 300 years ago. Those differences matter. (A lawsuit has arose from the lack of an Oxford comma).

It's not just words that aren't explained (if at all) until much later than necessary (perhaps during a plot twist when you're trying to grasp what's going on?), but entire concepts that couldn't have been the fault of lousy Chinese-to-English translations. This is a book that would do well with tonal accents on Chinese pinyin, footnotes, an appendix, glossary, map and family tree. Perhaps these items are included in the published book, but these were not included in the advanced reader's copy of the novel.

The result is an advanced reader's copy that feels more like a promising first draft than a finished, soon-to-be published Asian-inspired YA fantasy novel.

Still, there are signs of better things to come. Just as a ruler learns to rule by ruling, a writer learns to write by writing. "Descendant of the Crane" may be a flawed first book containing messy and lazy writing, but beneath the words and concepts lost in translation is a world of characters (like Hesina's adopted brother Yan Caiyan, the intriguing voice in the book's epilogue) and neighboring kingdoms (like Kendi'a) we want to better understand.

I foresee a possible sequel to "Descendant of the Crane" in He's future.

Joan He's "Descendant of the Crane" will be published April 9, 2019. I received a free eARC of “Descendant of the Crane” from NetGalley in exchange for this honest review.

Descendant of the Crane is about Princess Hesina, soon to take on the role of Queen, who is on a mission to find out who murdered her father. Her investigations start to reveal more and more political turmoil within and without her kingdom, and more traitors among her own advisors than she thought.

I love love love the world building of this book, even within the first twenty pages itself. There is a rich history just beneath the surface that has me itching to pick up and finish this book at odd and inappropriate times of the day and night. The character relationships read as strong and deep, with complex familial and political bonds to bolder and destroy them at a moment's notice.

I find that the comparison to Game of Thrones sells this book short. While the far reaching political and fantastical network has the breadth of Game of Thrones, the culture puts Descendant of the Crane in an entirely different stratosphere. Culture is the core of this book and that is what feeds into the narrative of this book, not the other way around.

I have thoroughly enjoyed what I have read of Descendant of the Crane and cannot wait to finish this book!!

Descendant of the Crane is one of the most hyped books of spring 2019, and let me say this: it totally lives up to the hype. This is one of the most tightly-plotted, well-characterized, and beautifully written books I've read in a while. I read Descendant of the Crane in almost one sitting; I became so absorbed in Hesina's story that I was disoriented for the rest of the day. Also, my neck hurts from the whiplash I got from this book's plot twists.

Hesina was such a wonderful character. She's a seventeen-year-old girl thrown into a mess of court intrigue and power dynamics she wasn't ready for, and it shows. A lot of YA shows their strong female characters as decisive and powerful, yet Hesina manages to be a pillar of stability while doubts plague her and everyone around her seems to be trying to undermine her position as queen in some way. She keeps stubbornly on the path she eked out for herself despite all the challenges and self-doubt and she doesn't give up even when it's offered, which is what I adore about Hesina.

I really liked all the other major characters too, and I'm so excited for my five character cards to come in the mail after this. I think my favourites are Akira and Lilian, but Caiyan is definitely the most fascinating character and the one I was most drawn to throughout the book. The shades of moral greyness that Descendant shows in its characters is so complex. Hesina, Caiyan, Lilian, Akira, and Sanjing all do great things that turn out terrible, and terrible things for the pursuit of greatness. All but Akira are related to each other, and I loved the intricate and often tense family dynamics. Big screwed-up families are a trope I love, and Descendant's was so well written.

The plot took a bit to get rolling, but once it did, it didn't stop--it was a snowball of a plot, collecting secrets and plot twists and betrayal as it went. I've heard many people say they were completely blindsided by the plot twists. I guessed many of them (because there was adequate foreshadowing, but not because it was predictable), but there were still parts that had my mouth dropping open in shock, and my brain was constantly throwing out predictions. This book kept me on my toes while reading. I had to be absorbed in it, or I couldn't keep up with everything that was going on.

Joan He crafts such a complex, beautiful, and creative world, and ties it all together with gorgeous writing. I loved all the Chinese-inspired aesthetics, mythology, and history. The sooths were so fascinating to read about, especially because it was approached from the perspective of a non-sooth. The lore behind the world also had me hooked, and I'm not usually a person who pays attention to the lore. Hesina's world--Yan, Kendi'a, the sooths, the Imperial Palace and its court--was all so vivid and lively.

Descendant of the Crane is a definite must-read fantasy and should not be missed. If you like political intrigue, interesting family dynamics and a cast of morally-grey characters, and well-crafted fantasy settings, you'll love Descendant of the Crane.

Holy moly the plot twists in this book are unreal. This book was not what I was expecting at all, it was so much better. I thought this was a standalone but with that ending I don't know how there cannot be a second book... I need answers!

Hesina is a little too trusting, which is probably her biggest flaw. However she has so many qualities that makes her character so likable. For one she's a 'sympathizer' which literally just means she's a decent person who doesn't discriminate. I liked how her various relationships with her siblings are shown. She has a very strained relationship with her brother Sanjing, distances herself from their half brother Rou (the outcome of an affair her father had), but is very close to the brother and sister her father adopted - Caiyan and Lillian.

I want to talk about romance in this book, and this part may be a little spoilery so feel free to skip this next bit if you don't want to know. As a person who hates (but secretly loves) cringey romance in any book, I was a little happy (but secretly disappointed) that there wasn't much romance in this book. Enter Akira, sexy convict who Hesina blushes around quite a lot. I was waiting for that 'falls in to bed moment' (I obviously read too much fanfiction with more sex than storyline) but the moment never came in this and while I was a little disappointed, it was refreshing for the main character to actually talk to the hot guy and go no further than kissing.

"This fate had chosen her. It was only now, seventeen years later, that she chose it back"

* * * * 
4 / 5

I love books like Descendant of the Crane: rich in political intrigue, soft, and beautiful and strange. Books full of myth and legend and mystery. Books with a main character that is somewhat unusual; Princess Hesina of Yan is willing to take up her crown, rather than being a rebellious and slightly bratty teenage girl, and she takes the advice of her advisors and trusts in her friends and siblings. It was a refreshing read.

"Her, against a seasoned court. Her, against the tides of war. Her, against the king's assassin"

The country of Yan has an interesting history. It used to be a land of magic, populated by soothsayers who can read the future and, when their skin is cut, their blood burns into flame. Then the Eleven came. Men and women who changed the country, who brought religion and order and rebellion and outlawed the existence of sooths. They wrote their tenets that dictated how society should operate and created a religion of sorts. The King of Yan was wise and beloved and then suddenly dead in a flowerbed, leaving behind Hesina, her younger brother, her half-brother, and two other children plucked from poverty and raised on the orders of the king.

Hesina valiantly and passionately believes in the processes of Yan and she seeks the truth via a court trial. But she also does something desperate, seeking the help of a sooth who leads her to the dungeons and a man called Akira to present her case in court. The trial leads us on a wild and peculiar journey to the truth and the truth itself is bizarre. At one of the big reveals, I put my Kindle down and just thought: “what”. It was clever and unexpected and straight up whack and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

"It'd never been about her. Not all stories were hers to narrate"

Descendant of the Crane is a slow read, ambling through political intrigue, murky truths and half lies, through the difficulties of family and loyalty, through the pain of betrayal and a desperate need to know the truth and the shock of realising that nothing is as you thought. It is steeped in myth and felt like a new, original take on a classic YA fantasy trope.

My thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for an ARC of Descendant of the Crane.

Rating: 5/5 stars
I love books that focus on magic and political intrigue. It makes for some good drama when done right.
I literally sped through this book and could not put it down. It is that good.
Something else that I really love about this story is that it isn’t just about magic, royalty, and political intrigue, but it focuses on a mystery that the Queen must discover. And once she discovers the layers, could it ultimately break her?
The world building, the culture, and the characters were just done very well. The writing was amazing, and I just really, really loved this book. Definitely one of my favorites of 2019.

recently i’ve been reading and reviewing a lot of asian-inspired fantasy books, and there’s so many more on my anticipated releases list, which brings me so much joy! to see all these new voices tell stories from their own cultures and have their characters be heard and seen by the world, especially by those who can finally see themselves in fiction is truly wondrous, and i’m so glad this is happening. i, myself, am not of asian descend, but i still really appreciate this small but important step in the publishing world and i hope that it continues to make way for more and more new voices to emerge and tell their histories and stories for the world, because it’s what they deserve.

i really wanted to include that in my review, because i’m not often so vocal about the topic of diversity, but i feel like i, along with everyone else, should be speaking up. there’s a long way to go, and i know that i also can be doing a lot more to support books by authors of colour, so i will continue trying to do better.

anyway, this blog post is about my humble onion (opinion, for those who are not on twitter) on joan he’s debut novel – descendant of the crane. it is a chinese inspired fantasy novel that comes out on april 9th and you should hurry up and pre-order it because it’s amazing.

descendant of the crane tells the story of a young princess, hesina, whose kingdom is shaken after the sudden death of her father, the king. hesina is certain that it was murder, not a natural death, thus, she pursues the truth through legal actions by opening up a trial. during the course of the trial, she uncovers devastating truths about her kingdom and her family, and her notion of truth and justice are thrown into a whirlwind as hesina struggles to regain balance with her emotions, and her unstable kingdom.

i know that description sounds pretty generic, but trust me on this – there is so much to this story that no synopsis can ever capture. i truly did not do it justice, as the book truly unfurls and blossoms as you’re reading. joan he has an incredible talent to keep your eyes glued to the page by providing you with just enough bits of information to tide you over while simultaneously teasing you with what’s to come.

we’re thrust into hesina’s world straight away, which was quite shocking at first, but it is done really well i must say. the way the author hands out information feels natural and everything is revealed gradually as we explore more and more of the world instead of it all being dumped onto us as a giant landfill of information. there is some confusion, at first, as there is with all fantasy books where the world is unfamiliar for the reader, but what’s important is that it does not appear unfamiliar. personally, i much prefer being thrown into a world with no context whatsoever, and then gradually learn what’s happening – which is exactly the case with descendant of the crane.

characters are all introduced in the same way – gradually and well spaced-out. as we’re at the mercy of hesina’s navigation, we meet the cast through her whenever the need arises for her to meet someone new. none of them felt flat or one-dimensional, as everyone had their own purpose to serve and own gains to pursue, which is quite important for a character – just because they’re not the protagonist of this story, does not mean they’re not protagonists in their own. we are slowly introduced and acquainted with all the people that hesina crosses paths with, and despite the third person limited, we see them grow and transform throughout the novel.

the same can be said about hesina herself – she changes radically from the beginning of the book, yet still manages to be true to who she is. i have to admit, at first she felt very detached and quite passive as a narrator, but as the story progresses, hesina, too, relaxes into the page. if at the beginning, you’re being kept at a distance, by the end the walls have crumbled and you’re allowed to step inside through the rubble.

another thing i really want to mention is how refreshing it was to finally see a princess who isn’t a rebellious teenager whose dream was never to rule a country. despite what the official synopsis says, hesina accepts the weight on her shoulders and accepts the responsibilities of the crown – something not often seen in ya fiction! she is unapologetic in her title, which i’m so here for.

supporting characters are usually not my forte and for the most part remain underappreciated by me, but i have to say, i fell in love with lilian. she was bubbly, but also sharp when she needed to be. her strength was subdued; joan he masterfully shows it through her clothing, which was such a nice touch – it teaches you that power is not only how you yield your swords, or your words. i just loved her character so much.

let me take this opportunity to also subtly hint at my intrigue by the crown prince of kendi’a and poorly concealed hopes we see more of him. if there is more. there has to be. (please)

the writing in this book is gorgeous and so well-done? i’ve mentioned previously how everything is revealed gradually, and the same applies to the writing style itself. it also manages to be quite straight-forward and incredibly poetic at the same time, which made is all the easier and more enjoyable to read. i sped through this book in a week – in between lectures and assignments, otherwise it would have been a day or two at most, it flowed that well. i don’t usually bookmark anything other than angsty ship moments, but i’ve so many highlights of truly amazing quotes from this book, just going through them makes me want to quit university and go beg joan he for writing advice instead.

as a political intrigue ho, i have to say i fell for all the complex threads of plot. honestly, a surefire way to make me like your book – make it angst and political. hesina is one bad b*tch when it comes to this, and i loved how she handled her court – especially xia zhong, that rat. akira, too, was awesome in his prosecutor ways that it almost made me want to pursue a law degree instead. joking aside, i really really enjoyed how joan he handles the politics in this book; it’s clear she has a knack for threading intrigue.

(i’m not going to talk about all the plot twists, i will need at least fifteen to thirty business to even begin the recovery process.)

overall, descendant of the crane is an incredibly powerful debut with a strong voice that is sure to take your breath away. the world is lush with richness, culture, politics, and compelling characters you’ll be able to connect and empathize with. i cannot recommend it enough, honestly, it’s real good. trust me on this and go add this book to your collection.

Thank you to Netgalley and Albert Whitman & Company for sharing a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Descendant of the Crane gets ALL MY STARS. Everyone else can GO HOME. This is the only political fantasy I want to read for the rest of my life, and I need the next one STAT.

First: That cover. I left the image huge so you all can see the gorgeous detail in the artwork. That color palette, the crane's beak intersecting the N, the Chinese-inspired style, ugh! It's so atmospheric and matches the book perfectly. Look, I'm not an artist, but even I know this is DAMN GOOD.

Let's talk book! To put it bluntly, there's not a thing I didn't love.

Characters: All so real! So, so fleshed out and I cared about all of them. I didn't know the pitch was Chinese Game of Thrones, so when someone got hurt, I was genuinely surprised and sad. Caiyan, Lilian, Akira, Sanjing: I MUST PROTECT. Excellent side characters, and usually I hate side characters, but these ones found their way into my heart. Their relationships to Hesina, each other, and to their kingdom were great to read about.

Hesina was an amazing main character. I respected her so much as a queen and as a daughter, and reading from her perspective was such a treat. The most important part about Hesina, though, was that she isn't righteous. She seeks justice in ways that bend laws sometimes. This whole book was an excellent exploration of morals, and how nothing and nobody is black and white.

Plot: The political intrigue and mystery aspects were incredibly well-done. I loved the courtroom drama, and how clever everything was. Also, the plot twists! I was constantly surprised by the plot, and I was just along for the ride. I loved it. Predictable fantasy is the worst, and Descendant of the Crane is so inventive and refreshing. It sped up towards the end, and the beginning-middle is a bit slow, so that's my one quibble, but it doesn't affect the storytelling that much. Otherwise, it's a fantastic read.

World: I want to read so many stories about these kingdoms. I liked the foundation on the Tenets, which made the legal system super interesting, as well as social dynamics between the sooths and everyone else. Speaking of, I'd love to see more exploration of the sooths' powers. I found what was in the book fascinating and I think it'd be awesome to read a book focused on a character who was a sooth. I'd also like to see different kingdoms! I don't have a physical copy of the book (yet?), but a MAP would be fantastic. Basically, everything explored in Descendant of the Crane gave me twenty more questions and a burning desire to read everything by Joan He.

Overall: Descendant of the Crane is in the running for my favorite fantasy of 2019. I love everything about it, and it hits 5/5 stars for me.

First of all, can we take a moment to appreciate that cover? It is gorgeous! It is as gorgeous as the story. Young adult fantasy with a murder mystery twist. This book is indeed a Chinese inspired Game of Thrones. Hesina is a striking character. The cliffhangers and the twists will for sure keep you on your toes. Bottom line, I was not expecting the outcome of this book. I was utterly blown.

Wow, this book was great. So many twists. A chinese fairy tale, something I probably wouldn't have normally read, but Joan He is a wonderful writer. Hesina, a daughter to a king, finds out that her father (king) didn't really die from natural causes and that she has to be Queen to find the truth. She hires an ex-convict to help her find out the truth behind her father's mysterious death. I do have to point out that some of the chapters are a little slow, but I still enjoyed it. The book just gets better and better, and let me tell you, this is not the end of this book, but rather another book to be written. Will I read the next book? Yes, I enjoyed this book. Thank you #netgalley for an ARC to read. #DescendantOfTheCrane

I liked the concept of this book, the idea of a Chinese inspired fantasy world was great and I obviously loved the diversity in this book. I also thought the writing was nice and I did enjoy some of the characters. However, I found the main character and her love interest quite bland and I also felt the plot fell kind of flat, it was incredibly slow going for a lot of the book, and whilst there were some good twists towards the end, it was a bit too little too late for me. I also would have liked the world building to be a bit more fleshed out.

Review as posted on my blog:

I read this book in a buddy read with my Discord server friends high five friends! The buddy read was already planned when Netgalley approved me for an eARC. I was so excited to start! DotC is described as the ‘Chinese Game of Thrones’. While I’m not actively participating in YARC (Year of the Asian Reading Challenge), I do want to read more books by Asian authors, and Asian inspired stories, which is why DotC came on my path at exactly the right time.

Trigger warning: gore, graphic injury, death (including parental death), torture, slavery, suicide

This book promises you magical family secrets, deep world building and intricate palace politics. And oh boy, it delivered.

If you know me, you know I love worldbuilding. This world was unlike I’ve read about, definitely not comparable to Game of Thrones. He’s descriptions of not only the world that Hesina lives in, but the objects, the smells, it’s the perfect amount. I haven’t had one moment where I felt it was too much information, never felt like it was just infodump. What He wrote is what the reader needs. There are sentences that seem unimportant, but the information will come back to bite the character in the ass.

Now, the characters and their relationships. The most prominent relationship in the story is between Hesina and her father. Hesina carries the burden of becoming queen of an unstable country while mourning the death of the one person that loved her as much as she loved him. He really captured Hesina’s feelings, whether it was anger or happiness or sadness. Not only in the emotions directed towards her father, but also towards Lilian, Caiyan, Sanjing and Akira. Every relationship was so fleshed out, it was explained who they were, how they felt about eachother, what they would do for eachother. You can’t help but love every one of them. Which is exactly what I did. It was like my feelings were stashed into a small box, which was then thrown off a cliff into a ravenous river that ends in a thousand waterfalls, because damn, you keep getting plottwists and then there this HUGE THING THAT HAPPENS that makes you fall off whatever you were sitting on when reading. I can usually smell a plottwist a mile away, but this one was such a surprise.

Something I absolutely loved about DotC is that Hesina’s fears aren’t diminished. She’s still a young girl, suddenly queen of a country, trying to solve her father’s death. Her feelings of ‘what if this goes wrong, what if I make a mistake and everything falls apart’ is so recognizable, for me it was during college regarding exams.. For Hesina it’s keeping the people she loves alive. Her fail of failure gave her an extra dimension and made her so much more real to me. The fact that Hesina does make mistakes and she needs to face the consequences are even more intimidating when you consider her mistakes have consequences for the entire country, not just herself. I needed this as a teen, to know that it was okay to make mistakes, that yes sure you need to face the consequences, but in the end, it would be okay.

This book was amazing. I have to admit that it was a bit hard for me to get into it at first. I was a bit held back by some words I didn’t understand. Admittedly, I started reading when I had a sick pet and she wasn’t going to get any better. She was put down a few days ago and after that, I needed to distract myself. I started reading and within minutes I got sucked into the story and couldn’t put it away. It’s good I started reading during the weekend again, because it was 2 am when I finished it. I don’t regret one bit of it.

It's so odd to me that half the time I was reading this book, I was stopping to think about why I was still reading. In the end, I'm very glad I stuck through the stiff bits in order to see the wonderful twists. But it was really hard for me to slip into the narrative.

I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into this book. The cover itself is a work of art, and I do love me an Asian-influenced world with a strong female character and great murder mysteries. But something was missing, and I can't put my finger on it. it might have been a case of 'it's not you, it's me', since so many people absolutely love this book.

After the death of a king, his daughter is convinced it was murder. Hesina is determined to learn the truth, though now that she is a queen, solving a mystery comes with a lot of red tape. Quickly after the exciting beginning, which I was excited to read as I needed to know what happened, I found myself losing interest. I became less invested in it due to the one-dimensional characters and... the slow, slow plot.

The characters slowly grew, but I never connected well with them. There were moments when the story started to get really exciting, but then the event was over and it slugged again. But then there came the twists: every one was brilliant and showcased just how skilled the author is at leading us on. The twist at the end made me excited for the sequel, despite all those slow moments.

The worldbuilding was pretty brilliant as well, though there were little nitpicks that drew me out of the tale. it was the names: the "Investigation Bureau," for example, just had a weird ring to it. Maybe it was a direct translation of something that actually exists? But then the characters themselves had names that didn't fit the world, some being rather western. I mean it's fine, but when so much effort is put into crafting a world, it really sticks out.

I'm honestly interested to see where book two takes us - I just hope it's a little faster paced than book 1!

**Thank you NetGalley and Albert Whitman & Company for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.**

Descendant of the Crane is an absolute must read for 2019. It's a melange of complex characters, fiery story line infused with Chinese history and culture. The descriptions are so vivid and pay homage to the Chinese culture.

The plot is so complex, and the character development even more in depth. From one plot twist to the other, readers are left sitting on edge until the very end.

As a Chinese Canadian, I found this an interesting read that really made me realize the necessity of more Asian representation and authors. Joan He astounds reader with her amazing debut.

Poised to ascend the throne after her father's sudden death, Princess Hesina of Yan suspects that his death was in fact a murder. Desperate to find more information, she consults a soothsayer - an act considered treasonous in Yan - who tells her that there is a convict who can help her find the killer. Meanwhile, even as she opens an investigation into king's death, the kingdom is much more unstable than Hesina realizes. The neighbouring kingdom of Kendi'a appears to be preparing for war, and there are traitors in her own court who might be working to incite conflict. As the investigation unfolds and some surprising and shocking facts begin to come to light, Hesina realizes she has opened a whole other can of worms that challenges everything she thought she knew about her father, her family and the very foundations upon which the country is built.

Despite the blurb, courtroom drama was about the last thing I expected from this book, but it was a pleasant surprise, just like the rest of it. It is far more sedately paced than the plot would suggest and consists of a lot of political maneuvering and court intrigue in a welcome departure from the action-packed fantasies that seem to have become the norm. Descendant of the Crane manages to build a complex world in a limited timeframe without taking away from the story itself. The background and history is beautifully crafted and it's clear how much thought has gone into the world building in particular which is largely inspired by Chinese culture.

Due to us getting only Hesina's POV, the element of mystery is enhanced as we try to figure out who can be trusted and where things are going right alongside her. The trial scenes in particular, were very well done and surprisingly intense. It was also very interesting to see Hesina try to balance her personal need for justice along with the task of being the queen the people need. I do want to point out though, that this might have been better off as an adult novel. It's a very heavy story in general for YA and in such a setting, it feels a little unrealistic to have seventeen year old generals and queens. I would have also liked to see more character development for Caiyan and Lilian, Hesina's adopted siblings. What little we got to see of their dynamic, I really liked, particularly how they are always there for and so supportive of Hesina. Finally, there was something missing in that romance, especially since the story revolves around Hesina, and Akira, despite being such an intriguing figure, has limited character development. It just didn't click and hopefully that changes in the sequel.

Overall, I was very impressed with this book, more so considering that it is a debut. The unexpected turn of events at the end completely took me by surprise - there had better be a sequel because it can't be left hanging like that! Descendant of the Crane is a wonderful debut with a very interesting setting and fascinating characters. The unexpected plot twists will keep you guessing right until the end in this refreshingly different fantasy novel.

An absolutely breath-taking debut, Descendant of the Crane is a book that tugged at my heart-strings. Joan He doesn’t pull any punches at all, and just when I thought it couldn’t get worse, it does. Not to mention, her writing as absolutely gorgeous. She is definitely a talent to watch in the coming years.

The world-building is incredible, and even better, Hesina’s core beliefs are tied in so completely to the world-building. And then to watch every thing that she thought she knew challenged. To see her brought literally to her knees, and then keep trying—it was an unforgettable ride.

The characters were larger than life, especially Hesina’s father. Though he is dead throughout the book, his legacy and the mystery around his death are just so larger than life that it is impossible to not think of him as a main character, even more as you learn just how much his character is filtered through Hesina’s perceptions of him and how that breaks down over time—masterfully done.

Anyway, this book is stunning and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves fantasy and likes a little bit of court intrigue, and of course needs an unforgettable and incredibly tenacious heroine in their life.

This has got to be one of the best fantasy books I have ever read! The world building is so vivid that it’s easy to picture the details in my mind. The characters so life-like that I’m sure if authors could create real people, these would easily leap off the pages of this book.

The chapters flew by as I had a difficult time putting this book down. At times, I was disappointed that work interfered with my reading time, and I couldn’t wait to immerse myself in the pages during lunch breaks. There is so much going on here, and going wrong, that I couldn’t help but worry about the main character, and hope that she would figure out what to do. It seemed like all her plans, while sounding good in theory, ended up thrusting her deeper into the problems that went along with helping the wrong side.

All I can say is, if you love fantasy books, read this one.

This book would be good for adults who want to give their readers a new cultural perspective. I love China and historic fiction that draws on that culture, but I could never find myself engaged in the book or caring what happened. The plot never picked up enough for me, and while I understand that the culture and royal position would create a careful distance between the protagonist and everyone she speaks to, even those she felt intimate with were cold and disengaged. There were a lot of threads in this novel which never really came together for me.

"I wonder . . . if you will go down as a villain or a hero."

I... don't even know what to say or how to process all that went down, but the one thing running through my head is just "hell yes." This was such a refreshing start to a YA Fantasy series, and I am dying for the sequel.* Based on the premise, it honestly sounds fairly run-of-the-mill, but holy crap is it not. I was almost certain of the traitor(s) the entire time but kept doubting myself. This is such a juicy book, with so many twists and turns. SO GOOD.

*although on the book's Goodreads page the author says it's a standalone with potential for companion novels and I'm... ???

Thank you to Albert Whitman & Company and NetGalley for the eARC! This review will be posted on Goodreads, and on Barnes and Noble's and Amazon's websites at the date of publication.

This book is rather difficult to review because I thought of setting it down several times, as some parts were boring, but other parts were so amazing that I would expect this to be a 5 star read. I think my main issue is that I didn't feel much of an emotional connection to the characters or story, but the book's plot is so incredible that it should definitely be given a chance. This isn't a novel to be devoured quickly like I am used to as a book blogger, but rather it should be slowly savored so the true implications of some of the plot twists can really shine through.

I found the main character Hesina hard to relate with. I think part of the reason she was difficult for me to relate with is because there were many times where her actions were different from her internal thoughts, so I felt like she was a hypocrite. Since I felt such a disconnect there were times that I couldn't bring myself to care what happened to Hesina or the other characters. For most of the first two thirds of the story I found myself bored and waiting for the next exciting thing to happen. There were some really exciting scenes sprinkled throughout the book and they drove the entire story for me.

The plotting was incredible. There were so many great plot twists that really blew my mind. Some of the scenes were written so well and kept me reading throughout the first two thirds of the book. Once I hit the last third of the book I couldn't set it down, where in the first two thirds I had to push myself to pick it up. Once the pace finally picked up the book became absolutely mind blowing. I was glad that I had pushed myself to the end because all of the sub-plots came to fruition and the plot twists were revealed. The plotting aspect of this book was the best part and if my rating was purely based on the plot it would be 5 stars.

I had so many mixed feelings that made this book really hard to review because I really didn't relate Hesina or even like her that much despite the fact that she had a great character arc. I didn't feel very emotionally invested in the story and almost set it down at points. I'm glad that I continued on through because the plot twists and the climax of the book made the boring parts worth the read. A lot of this book dealt with political plotting, betrayal and issues of the country which I think is part of what really bored me, but all that plotting was necessary for the way the story was laid out. It is certainly worth powering through dull parts because the end was really worth it. 3.5 Stars

This book is rather difficult to review because I thought of setting it down several times, as some parts were boring, but other parts were so amazing that I would expect this to be a 5 star read. I think my main issue is that I didn't feel much of an emotional connection to the characters or story, but the book's plot is so incredible that it should definitely be given a chance. This isn't a novel to be devoured quickly like I am used to as a book blogger, but rather it should be slowly savored so the true implications of some of the plot twists can really shine through.

I found the main character Hesina hard to relate with. I think part of the reason she was difficult for me to relate with is because there were many times where her actions were different from her internal thoughts, so I felt like she was a hypocrite. Since I felt such a disconnect there were times that I couldn't bring myself to care what happened to Hesina or the other characters. For most of the first two thirds of the story I found myself bored and waiting for the next exciting thing to happen. There were some really exciting scenes sprinkled throughout the book and they drove the entire story for me.

The plotting was incredible. There were so many great plot twists that really blew my mind. Some of the scenes were written so well and kept me reading throughout the first two thirds of the book. Once I hit the last third of the book I couldn't set it down, where in the first two thirds I had to push myself to pick it up. Once the pace finally picked up the book became absolutely mind blowing. I was glad that I had pushed myself to the end because all of the sub-plots came to fruition and the plot twists were revealed. The plotting aspect of this book was the best part and if my rating was purely based on the plot it would be 5 stars.

I had so many mixed feelings that made this book really hard to review because I really didn't relate Hesina or even like her that much despite the fact that she had a great character arc. I didn't feel very emotionally invested in the story and almost set it down at points. I'm glad that I continued on through because the plot twists and the climax of the book made the boring parts worth the read. A lot of this book dealt with political plotting, betrayal and issues of the country which I think is part of what really bored me, but all that plotting was necessary for the way the story was laid out. It is certainly worth powering through dull parts because the end was really worth it.