The Red Palace by June Hur is without a doubt one of the best books I've read this year and I'm glad I had the opportunity to read an eARC.

As you can read in the description, The Red Palace is a historical mystery set in 1758, Joseon (Korea). Now, I don't read many mystery books because I always end up disappointed with the characters, stupid plot twists, and things like that (which is a shame because I love watching mystery movies/TV series) BUT this book was just a chef's kiss in every way.

June's writing is so atmospheric and captivating, it makes you forget about the whole world around you. You start reading and suddenly you are the character in the book, you are living in 1758 and trying to solve a murder case. It's simply genius and I cannot wait to read whatever she writes next.

Interesting fact: I have a huge whiteboard in my room and I usually use it when I study but this time I decided to write clues about murders and possible suspects on it. Let me tell you, it felt fantastic! The way all the clues, evidence, character's motivations, and politics were tied up together was stunning.

What I loved the most was that the whole story wasn't just wrapped up around murders and looking for a suspect, it was so much more.

Example 1: Hyeon is the illegitimate daughter, she is so brilliant and determined to become a nurse, to become a person worthy of her father's approval (which is not easy at all, especially for a woman in that period). As a person whose parents are divorced and who spent half of their life trying to get parent's attention and acceptance, I could relate to her very much.

Hyeon is such a strong character, she doesn't rely on Eojin to magically solve everything, even when her life is at risk. No, she steps up and does it herself. A true queen.

Example 2: The Red Palace deals incredibly with themes such as grief and loss. It shows us how different people are and how they behave in such situations.

I know that a lot of people will say that they want this book to be adapted as drama when it comes out but honestly, I wouldn't trade this masterpiece of a writing style for anything.

There is so much more I want to write about this book because it's THAT incredible but I also don't want to spoil anything for you folks so I guess that's it.


The Red Palace - 10000000🌟

"'Follow me,' Physican Nanshin whispered, 'and ask no questions.'" and so began my return to the Joseon era.

I've been hyped about The Red Palace since it was announced. I honestly didn't even know what it was about, but I absolutely fell in love with June Hur and her gorgeous prose after reading The Forest of Stolen Girls. When I saw the early copy sitting in my inbox, I did a little happy dance and pretty much sustained that emotional high the whole time I was reading this book. (I feel like I should be slightly concerned that a book about brutal murders made me smile so much, but I just love June Hur's writing so much.)

June Hur is a masterful storyteller. Her writing is immersive and evocative and all the slightly pretentious adjectives I like to avoid when writing a review, but in this case, there's no other way to describe Hur's writing style. The Red Palace is simply transportive. One minute I'm sitting in the middle of a heat wave and a haze of wildfire drift smoke, and the next, I'm in a land of snow, shadows and secrets. The Red Palace whisks you off and immerses you in its world. The setting is painted in such vivid strokes you feel like you've been transported to Korea in 1758.

"Atmospheric" is a word I personally think is thrown around way too much, but there really is no other way to describe The Red Palace. There's a lyrical, haunting aspect to Hur's storytelling, and the tone adds another layer to the rich world she's built. It's a chilling historical mystery, but there's also such complexity and depth that make it so much more than a well-written whodunit. The race to catch the murderer propels the story forward and gives the plot its urgency, but there are also some great moments of self-discovery, strength and identity. The flawed characters and complex family relationships are honestly some of my favorite parts of the book.

I'm taking off half a star because there are a few things that need a little bit of cleaning up (I think a lot of it will be addressed in the final version of the story, though.) and I'm totally nitpicking here. Some of the themes felt a little too modern for the time period. In the end, it's not a huge deal for me because I'm not here for historical accuracy, I'm here for the vibes. I love some of the familial tensions and some of the complicated relationships and wish they were developed even more. There are also a few minor plot hole-ish type things that kind of bug me if I think about it too hard, so I'm giving this a gushing four and a half stars instead of the full five. BUT that being said, I still really love this book and want to go out and rave about it to everyone.

There are so many other things I want to say but can't because my mush brain has lost the ability form coherent sentences, but read The Red Palace. I don't even know how to describe it, but I want to gush incoherently until A Crane Among Wolves comes out. It's stupid good. If you want beautiful sentences, go pick up the book because I'm just going to be babbling on about the mood and the vibes.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Through years of study, seventeen-year-old Hyeon has finally earned her place as a palace nurse, having worked through every obstacle an illegitimate daughter could face. But everything she’s worked for is threatened when four women are murdered in a single night, and the only suspect is Hyeon’s personal mentor. And Hyeon cannot do anything without jeopardising her position, and any mistake will have her father’s sight set squarely on her. Determined to prove her teacher’s innocence, Hyeon risks it all and in her hunt for the truth comes Eojin, a police inspector with his own hidden agenda. As their search begins to point the blame to the Crown Prince, the two find themselves uncovering the dark secrets behind all the bloodshed.

In her newest release, June Hur returns to the Joseon era, now following the life of palace maid Hyeon. The Red Palace was gripping and mysterious as Hur paints a memorable image of Joseon Korean in another historical mystery. Hur has a knack for highlighting the lives of women in the Joseon era. I felt really immersed in the lives of these women who were considered lower class while playing a pivotal role in running the government. In a similar vein to The Silence of Bones, Hyeon must think on her feet to discover the truth. As an illegitimate daughter, her position is both a hindrance and an opportunity to find information that no one else can. While I found Silence of Bones to be more emotional, Red Palace was far better plotted and well-crafted.

The plot was fascinating, and I loved how the mystery grew as Hyeon and Eojin involve themselves in dangerous business. Not everyone can be trusted, and even Eojin brings an air of danger around him, but Hyeon can’t help but be enticed by his mystery. The romance between them was unexpected but so sweet.

If you’ve read any of Hur’s previous works, then you’ll already know that this one cannot be missed. Hur has improved in her craft, and it shows. The politics and intrigue keep you gripped for hours—a well-developed mystery within a vivid setting of 1700s Joseon Korea.

Hyeon is the bastard daughter of a lord- she is unrecognized in her family and has earned a position as a palace nurse through hard work, but this is threatened when she has to choose between her duty and following her morals, even if it ruins everything she worked for.

If I had to pick one word to describe this book, it would be atmospheric. Author June Hur has a way of setting the tone so that the reader is fully immersed in the action. You are fully along for the ride as Hyeon and Eojin unravel a mystery that raises the stakes as more people are murdered around them. I devoured the book in a matter of hours because while the stakes were high, I wasn’t stressed out following Hyeon because she explained her motivations well. This historical fiction was thoroughly detailed and added to the social and cultural pressures that Hyeon experienced.

What I truly love is that Hyeon is flawed, and fully recognizes the fact. She desperately wants to be loved by her parents: a father who doesn’t acknowledge her as his daughter, and a mother who wanted a son, and yet she is willing to defy the rules in order to save her mentor. She is motivated to free the woman who truly raised her, and we see her grow throughout the story. Each supporting character received an ending that suited them and I was highly satisfied with how her family situation concluded.

The romance isn’t shoved in your face, even though Hyeon expresses to the audience that she desires to be loved, and sometimes that’s what you need. She doesn’t rely on Eojin to move the story forward; rather they are on equal footing when it comes to solving the mystery. It’s popular these days to have a male protagonist be an alpha jerk and cruel to drive tension in the story, so it’s nice to have this change where not only is he kind, but also with his own motivations for being in the story other than as a supporting role. Eojin doesn’t save the day, but rather Hyeon steps up to face the murderer in her own way. I appreciate any book that gives girls agency and the power to solve conflicts with their head rather than aggression. Hyeon is truly a strong, well-rounded character, and I absolutely adored her mind and flaws, for that is what makes a story worth reading.

This book is STUNNING. A Kdrama in book form. Perfection! I screamed more times than was probably healthy reading this, and the plot twists guys. THE PLOT TWISTS. I am----June is the master of atmospheric writing and stories with deep characters that you can both relate to and scream about. 5/5 stars and I am so glad I was able to read an early arc.

The Red Palace by June Hur was definitely a 5 star read for me. Page turning plot and intriguing characters makes this book hard to put down. June Hur's writing is so atmospheric that I felt transported. I cannot wait for publication day!

**The quote may change before publication date**

I was so excited when I got the email from the author saying I had early access to this title! I have read her two previous books and they are so intriguing. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, she makes historical fiction a thrilling adventure and I love that she tries to incorporate actual historical events with more information about the specific event at the end of the book. Plus, this was my favorite by far! Her writing gets better and better with each book.

The book is told through one point-of-view: Hyeon. It all begins when her and her friend, Jieun, are handpicked to become nurses in the Red Palace. The name for the palace is quite accurate and this quote is quite fitting for the book:

Uneasiness settled into my bones, and the warnings I’d been given echoed through my mind.
To enter the palace means to walk a path stained in blood, our medical teachers had whispered. There will be bloodshed. I only hope it will not be yours.

It definitely doesn’t seem like a welcoming place or even one I would want to work at, ha. But, due to Hyeon’s own background, being a vulgar commoner and bastard, Hyeon very much wants to make a name for herself and not be seen by her class or as an illegitimate child. She has put in a lot of hours of studying to be a good nurse. I can respect that! I also respect her willingness to help secretly with the solving of the crime even when it puts her in danger. She has guts!

Like with any book there are characters that I liked less and that award would go to her father and the commander of the police bureau. They were just big dillweeds and I couldn’t stand them. I will say that her father became less of a pain by the end but still not enough to make me feel sorry for him though.

There was one character that did surprise me the most and that was Hyeon’s mother. There is a lot between them as mother and daughter and it puts a strain on their relationship. Hyeon does go through a lot of growth when it comes to this relationship and I loved seeing her realize that the way she perceived her mother wasn’t entirely the truth.

This book is quite intense when it comes to the plot and I do think it is her most gruesome book that the author has written. It does talk about murder and goes into detail has to how they died. Some books can be too much when it comes to things like this but I think the author did it well and it wasn’t over the top. A lot of the characters have secrets so the plot also keeps you intrigued as everything starts to unravel.

Many of the plot twists were surprising and I didn’t even guess who the killer could be! After it was all explained it made so much sense. I do like how the killer was painted it led to some thinking on my part as to the why’s and reasoning behind committing such heinous acts.

Even though this book can be heavy with the topics about murder, there is a slight romance between Hyeon and another character. I did like the moments they shared together as it gave the reader some hope.

The book also wraps up nicely and gives us a taste as to what happened to a lot of the characters that were present throughout the book.

Overall, this was a fantastic read! As always, this author writes historical fiction well and even though it’s not my favorite genre I will literally read all of her books, haha. If you haven’t tried any of her books yet, I’d recommend you at least try one!

June Hur’s writing is atmospheric and engaging as always and I quickly became immersed in this world. The mystery was captivating from the beginning, and I became so invested in the story. I love how strong and resilient the main characters in Hur’s books are and Hyeon was no different- she was fearless and determined to save her mentor and the ones she loves no matter the price. I found her story so powerful and endearing.

One of the aspects I was very interested in was Crown Prince JangHeon story (posthumously Crown Prince Sado of Joseon). As a lover of history, I was so fascinated by the story and theories around the murderous prince and eager to learn more. However, I personally felt that not enough time was dedicated to aspects of the Crown Prince, the royal family, and the palace in general to justify a more meaningful connection and engagement to the prince’s story, and so I did find that aspect somewhat disappointing.

That aside, I found overall story very solid and excellent. THE RED PALACE delivers fantastic historical fiction full of murder and suspense, perfect for lovers of both genres.

To put it simply, The Red Palace is an incredible book. I simply could not put it down; I ended up finishing it in one sitting. June Hur's writing is stunning and she succeeded in creating an atmosphere of suspense and mystery. The mystery at the heart of the plot was so well done, and I thought I had guessed the culprit, but it turned out to be someone completely unexpected. And that just made love this book more; I enjoy books that subvert your expectations in someway. Hyeon was such a great character; she was determined, headstrong and ready to prove the innocence of her mentor. And her dynamic with Eojin was wonderful. There was romance, but it was very subtle (i mean very subtle) and did not take away from the actual plot.

Overall, I highly recommend this! Can't wait to own a physical copy!

I have only read one other book by June Hur and that is ‘The silence of Bones’ and I loved it so much that it made into my top 10 books of 2019. Next, I have been wanting to read other books by her and between ‘The forest of stolen girls’ and ‘The Red Palace’ , I chose the later one because I got approved for the ARC.

‘The Red Palace’ is a YA historical mystery set in Joseon (Korea) 1758 by June Hur. After a massacre involving palace nurses takes place and the crown prince is framed for it, a 17 year old palace nurse Hyeon and 18 year old police inspector Eojin come together to unravel the case and clear up Crown Prince’s name.

The most interesting thing about this book is that it is inspired from the real life story of Prince Sado of Joseon and the tragic relationship he had with his father.

The one thing I must say is that June Hur definitely knows her work ! The setting is so vivid that it immediately transports you, the murder mysteries are always twisted and difficult to figure out who the real killer is. The red palace delivers in a similar fashion. I felt immediately transported to the palace full of conspiracies and betrayals.

And this is also the first book where June Hur has incorporated romance and I didn’t hate it? I am not a big romance fan but I could definitely see it working out here.

Overall, the book is fast paced and addictive, I read it in two days ! But despite that being said, I think I liked ‘The silence of Bones’ a little more than this one. I really can’t point my finger as to why but yeah, hence I will be removing a star from my rating.

If you like secrets and court intrigue, murder mystery and Korea based historical setting than definitely check this one out !