*4.5 stars rounded up for Goodreads scoring*
Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group/Feiwel & Friends for my arc in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

"A Crane Among Wolves" by June Hur is a historical fiction romance set against the backdrop of 1506 Korea under the tyrannical rule of King Yeonsan. He is a bloody king known for taking beautiful women for his own pleasures. When Iseul's older sister, Suyeon, is taken, she sets out for the kingdom's capital with the intent to rescue her sister. On the way, she becomes entangled with the king's half-brother, Prince Daehyun, who plots a coup against Yeonsan. Also, there's a serial killer.

I absolutely devoured this. Hur's prose is incredibly beautiful and masterful at creating atmosphere and providing foundations for the reader to visualize. And genuinely, it was like reading a historical Kdrama. On top of the research that Hur had to do to keep the book mostly true to what has been recorded in history, the fictionalized parts were weaved seamlessly into the reality. And normally, I find myself having issues with how romance is portrayed, especially in young adult books, but oh gosh, Hur did such a brilliant job with the romance between Iseul and Daehyun. I mean I was on the edge of my seat (actually just crouched over my Kindle in my bed). And honestly, everything felt earned by the end of the novel.

That said, I gave this a 4.5 because for a huge part of the book, I never really felt that I understood Iseul or Daehyun as characters. Like I felt like we were always held as a distance to them. This feeling went away by the end of the book but leading up to that, it made it difficult at times to really sympathize with either of them.

Overall, I loved this book. I don't often read Young Adult and enjoy it so this was such a pleasant surprise and it lived up to my high expectations.

My thanks to MacMillan/Feiwel & Friends/NetGalley for the eARC.

Overall this was enjoyable. June Hur has definitely carved out a specialty in writing Joseon-era stories and she has managed to hit that mark again - this reminded me a lot of her previous book The Red Palace, (which I also enjoyed).

The biggest strength here is definitely the prose - the author's writing is wonderfully atmospheric and does definitely convey the feelings of a well-made 사극 drama (loved how I could visualize the maple leaves and dense pine forests that are characteristic of autumn in Korea). The historical aspects were also very interesting, and the points where the tyranny of Yeonsan-gun was explored was definitely a highlight. The mystery at the center of the story was also well written.

Deducting one star however, as I felt that the characters could have been better developed. I'm not sure if this is intentional, but it felt like we were viewing the main duo from an arm's length, if that makes sense? Whilst this got better towards the end I still couldn't help but feel that I didn't know Iseul and Daehyun very well - there's usually something, such as the 'colour' of their dialogue, which indicates personality however I couldn't quite pinpoint what makes them distinctive.

Nevertheless, a good read! :)

⭐️ i received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review ⭐️

anyone who knows me knows that i am extremely particular about the kind of books i give a five-star rating to. it would take a very special book to deserve that rating in my eyes. with a crane among wolves, it did not take long for me to think to myself "goddamn i should have started this book sooner."

i am a fan of june hur's previous works. The Red Palace (TRP) for starters, is one of my favourite historical fictions. so, going into this, i expected that i would be captivated by the way the she weaves her words, and fortunately, i was. you can just tell the amount of work and research that went into creating this book, and the author is also transparent about her writing process on her socials!

iseul's world was a dangerous one, so i admired her courage and determination in finding her sister. the situations she was put into—let's just say that i did not have half her bravery when i was her age. therefore, following the story through her eyes gave me a case of premature hair loss (in a good way). despite her bravado, i liked that she was a very flawed character. she was rash, headstrong, and she did not always make the best decisions. regardless of that, you find yourself wanting to root for her.

the book is written in dual pov, so you also get a glimpse of the male main character's—daehyun's—thoughts and perspective. i loved him as much as i loved iseul. i don't know; maybe i am getting too old, but i always have a soft spot for young characters being put into impossible situations. you just want to protect them, you know? i was a nerve-wreck watching daehyun navigate his political life—evading/playing nice with the murderous rapist tyrant while grappling with trauma.

another thing i enjoyed was seeing romance develop between the two. especially from daehyun's pov. he definitely fell for her first! i would say that the romance between daehyun and iseul wasn't as prominent as the one in TRP. however, it made perfect sense considering the situation they were in, and i found it just as enjoyable.

unlike TRP, this book is even darker as it deals issues of rape, human trafficking, and even incest (minor), etc, so please heed the trigger warnings as listed by the author! overall, i highly recommend this book, and i hope you will enjoy it as much as i did!

Reading this book felt like an emotional rollercoaster, I knew before starting this book that it was based on history as the auhors social media presence showed her reserch into korean history (and like falling into multiple rabbitholes in random historical topics but like same). The main character Su Yeon seemed to have grown so much just from the begining of the book as we saw what kind of girl she was just from the flashbacks throughout. She of course then goes onto become a strong woman while serching for her sister who was kidnapped by the king (along with hundreds of other women) I enjoyed her developing new skills and perspective while admiting and reflecting on her past privilege.

I also enjoyed the realism and the dedication to stick to the history of the time, its bittersweet how the victims of the tragedies often have to pay the price for them as well but I feel like June Hur was able to get us a semi happy ending regardless without taking away from the realism and the tragic end of other "characters" (I put that in quotations since they are representative of real people of the past who went through the same thing depicted)

Lastly the depiction of sisterhood in the book hit me very deeply which is a bit weird since i dont have one but i almost feel i kind of sisterhood with this book insted, or perhaps with the author herself i dont know. I cant imagine reading this book while having a sister and what kind of emotions that would casue.

Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this book! It was so cool to find out that a lot of this was historically accurate and so much research went into the specific Korean king. I loved the romance but the story was quite brutal as well. It didn’t pull its punches but this idea of this beautiful romance blossoming in the midst of this awful time for their country was just so cool to read. I loved the characters and I definitely plan on reading other books by this author!

I was quite fortunate enough to receive an ARC of “A Crane Among Wolves”, especially as my friend will tell you, it has been the most anticipated read for me for 2024. I enjoyed the story and the suspense that Ms. Hur has built throughout the story. But before I talk more about what I loved, I just want to mention briefly what I didn’t enjoy as much and felt it could be stronger.

The relationship between the Iseul- our protagonist, and her sister had so much I felt that could have been explored. I was hoping for more character development with Iseul in that she went from being a spoiled bratty girl to growing (which was attempted in the story) to care for those around her. Her entire journey is to find her sister, but it was hard for me to feel the depth of their sisterhood bond. Because it sounds like Iseul’s sister did everything for Iseul out of love before she was kidnapped, and then Iseul just didn’t appreciate see the depth of that love till later. I wished there was more of an emotional punch to that realization and the profound bond of their sisterhood.

What I loved about the book was the pacing of the mystery. Iseul is thrown into the chaos of a kingdom in search of her sister who was kidnapped by a tyrant king who kidnaps girls for rape and torture. Not only is that already hard, Iseul learns there is a killer on the lose who murders those the kings seemingly favors to make a statement.

Along the way, Iseul meets some wonderful friends whom she is reluctant go grow close to, such as an uncle who helps her learn the ropes of investigating and seeing clues on her hunt for her sister’s traces, and Yul, a lovely innkeeper who becomes a great role model to Iseul as well. Then there’s Prince Daehyun, the love interest who is every inch upright and endearing, a complete opposite of his brother, the tyrant king.

I love the nicknames Iseul gives certain characters, because I would do the same for people. The story kept me guessing the whole time up until the 70% mark on who the killer was. In addition, the heavy topic here of girls gone missing and those fortunate to return home, come back to a place that does not want them anymore, because the girls are now considered tainted, damaged goods, was so hard to fathom. The author handled this topic with so much grace, dignity, care and compassion. I love that it was the females who rallied around each other especially and fought for one another. The women and their friendships were touching here.

There was a lot of care and research that went into Ms. Hur’s story, and it is woven in so wonderfully where the story never gets boggled down by the historical aspects. I am so thankful to have received an advanced copy of this book and June Hur remains an author I absolutely adore because she writes books that is not so common in the market right now—historic Korea that is so grounded.

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc! Following up the Red Palace, one of my fav books, June Hur did not disappoint in this standalone filled with intrigue, action, history, and romance. I loved the pacing of this novel, and I felt like we dove headfirst into a passage of history I was unfamiliar with and subsequently horrified by. The basis of truth that this novel has makes the relationships between the characters, and the development of political intrigue even more interesting. Not to mention the romance making me giddy several times - it hits on those key kdrama points of a conservative but heartwarming romance. Big fan!! Excited to reread!

This book reminded me how much I love women. Like god, women are just amazing.

A Crane Among the Wolves tells the story of Iseul, a young girl in 1500s Korea, who is willing to do anything to get her older sister back from the tyrannous King Yeonsan, who has kidnapped her to add to his collection of stolen women. She collaborates with Prince Daehyun, the king’s half-brother, to pull off a coup and to find a killer that threatens their goals. When their mutual disdain begins to transform into something more, their fates become irreversibly intertwined and something bigger than themselves, and their futures become perilously uncertain as change sweeps over Korea.

This story has everything that I love: political intrigue, dramatic romance, mystery and loveable characters. I truly loved so much of this book - especially how it celebrates female friendships and familial love. I will not spoil it for you, dear reader, but there are many wonderful scenes where I just stood there like Jo March crying during her ‘women are beautiful’ monologue. I just cannot begin to encapsulate how much I loved the women in this book, like women are amazing and I love how this book shows friendship.

The romance was also fantastic - if you are a lover of K-dramas (like I am via proxy through my friends and watching over their shoulders), you will not be surprised to see the slow burn and the BEAUTIFUL dialogue that happens in this book (I even used the highlighting feature in my kindle which I never do). The story itself also presents itself exactly like a K-drama, with its amazing prose and dialogue and dramatic twists and turns, and I truly couldn’t put it down partway through.

The epilogue was so sweet and tender as well. I really enjoyed this book, its raw and important subject matter, its unique voice, and take on romance.

A must for historical fiction lovers!

This was my most anticipated read of 2024 and it did not disappoint! June Hur is AMAZING. I stayed up all night reading the advanced readers copy (special thanks to NetGalley) and was blown away.

June is really good at bringing historical details come to life, and I think the way she navigated the atrocities during this period was well done. My heart truly broke for these women — and I am so glad that June highlighted these events for us to learn about them. I truly respect her not only as a writer/storyteller, but also as a historian.

I also loved how she was able to combine subplots/storylines/character perspectives into a coherent piece that didn’t cause any confusions (killer on the loose, tyrant going rampage, mystery solving aspects, the two main characters’ journey, side characters doing their thing, etc— cause that’s a lot going on).

And please, the romance ~~~~ the slow burn, the yearning, the small details of glances and slight touches — yo, mah heart was fluttering. Iseul and Daehyun are just too cute. I also love the character growth and you can definitely see it more in Iseul as she goes from sheltered little sister to a courageous badass.

Also, note to the author — you had my heart flipping in Chapter 42. Was about to literally call out work!

Now I can’t wait for my official copy to come in the mail. I preordered it back in December 2023. Can’t wait to put it on my bookshelf of top favorite reads— the book cover is also to die for.

Everyone — READ. THIS. BOOK.

If you like historical fiction (based on true events), slow burn romance, kdramas, mystery, and sisterhood — this is for you.

Okay— now I shall go back to rereading it a second time so I can write down all my favorite lines and quotes cause I swear, June writes really good ones that become rent-free in your head.

This is my third book by Hur and I'm happy to report it's another hit! Hun has created yet another compelling historical mystery set in Korea. I loved learning about Korea in the set time period and the mystery aspect was intriguing from the get go.

I'm not going to lie, I was really looking forward to what the author promised on Instagram to be an enemies to lovers romance. After having read A Crane Among Wolves I can say that Hur really delivered on the promised romance. I was rooting for Iseul and and Daehyun from the moment they encountered each other. Talk about a swoon worthy romance!

The book is around 360 pages which means the pacing is fast and there is never a dull moment. I loved the characters and the storyline had me glued to my kindle, with out a doubt one of my favourite books of the year so far!

I honestly can't wait to read more from June Hur!

June Hur is not allowed to write about siblings anymore because every time it is devastating.

Truly, June Hur is one of the most talented YA writers currently. She consistently delivers heartfelt characters and intense plotlines that keep me up long into the night. Her ability to weave character arcs, intricate mysteries, and untaught history into one novel is a skill.

This novel is based on the period of King Yeonsan, a tyrant who destroyed his subject's livelihoods and stole hundreds of women for his concubines. It follows Iseul as she tries to save her older sister, kidnapped by the King. It also follows Prince Daehyun, half-brother to the king, who lives in fear for his life. He is determined to dethrone his half-brother despite how impossible of a task it may be.

A Crane Among Wolves feels heavier than Hur's previous books, not just because of the content but because of the characters. Iseul is a bit spoiled going into this novel and, from the beginning, feels immense guilt for what happened to her sister despite their rocky relationship. She doesn't start likable, but she grows through the story. Her selfishness and spoiled tendencies fade as she sees the devastation throughout her country on her journey to find her sister. She goes through a lot of grief, and her connection to her sister is beautiful. I grew to love her strength and empathy.

I didn't get a good read on Prince Daehyun. Most of his character was developed before the story started, so he remains constant throughout the novel. Overall, I liked him but didn't feel as strongly about him.

June Hur, the woman she is, made an enemies-to-lovers I actually enjoyed. Isuel and Daehyun are on opposite sides of the spectrum in personalities, backgrounds, and goals. But Hur took her time building their connection and writing tense back-and-forth dialogue. They so gradually go from enemies to allies and friends. It's one of the most natural examples of the trope I've seen. Was it my favorite romance by her? No, but that's more a case of personal preference.

The mystery was clever and fun to piece together, but it didn't fit naturally into the overall story. I think between the intense emotional journey Iseul was going on and Daehyun trying to stage a coup, the murder mystery was too much for the plot. Technically, the mystery does relate to Iseul's and Daehyun's separate journeys, but I would've preferred a complete focus on the character's arc. Still, the mystery was written well; I don't know if it was necessary to the story.

Hur once again delivered a beautiful, atmospheric mystery that floats between great genres. I highly recommend this one if you love siblings, enemies-to-lovers, Korean history, and mysteries!

Check TW, especially if you find violence and talk of SA triggering.

The biggest thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

(Review has been shared on goodreads and storygraph as of February 18, 2024. Review will be reshared to Goodreads and Storygraph upon publication, and also shared to Barnes and Nobles. I will release at least one TikTok discussing this novel in the month of May, when it's published.)

Beautifully descriptive and well written. Great suspense and romance, with excellent historical context

firstly, i’m very grateful that i got a chance to read this in advance!

as someone who is a big history fan, i really enjoyed this! historical fiction based on different dynasties are always so interesting to me and i’m really glad that although this was fictional, it gave a better look into the dark period of korean history.
there definitely needs to be more books based around the reign of rulers in kingdoms and i think this author does it really well!

the historical facts weaved really well into the fictional plot and i felt very emotional just reading this book. there are definitely trigger warnings that should be kept in mind but overall, it was a compelling read. i think anybody interested in asian history will find this book insightful.

i have to say, i absolutely loveee books based on sibling dynamics and especially sisterhood, whether it’s a loose plot line or at the forefront on the book. this book delved into the complicated relationship between sisters so well and i absolutely enjoyed reading the strong bond and determination iseul had for her suyeon. their sisterhood was the driving factor of the whole story and i absolutely loved reading about the two of them.

iseul as a character was very naive and stubborn but i think her determination really blossomed well and contributed to her character development by the end of the book. i was a little annoyed at her complete obliviousness at times but considering her roots, i gave her some slack and ended up liking the person she was by the end.

daehyun was a lovely character to read about. he was full of complicated emotions which was warranted, but he was also such a kind soul deep down that i just kept feeling bad for him all the time. i enjoyed his pov chapters as it added a lot more plot context and i just thought he was a nice character to get to know overall.

iseul’s relationship with daehyun was a very nice slow burn and full of close proximity moments which i enjoyed a lot. after a while, their quiet and gentle moments became one of my favourite parts of the plot.
they were full of love and companionship and it was a refreshing change of scenery from the coup planning and general cruelty of the king.
also the epilogue had me cheesing so much. like what do you mean “wife”????? omg i love them so bad 😵‍💫

the mystery portion was evident but not too heavily touched upon as the book was smostly focusing on the historical events that actually happened so i didn’t mind that we didn’t see too much of it. i did kind of want to see yeongho and yeonsan reach their end instead of being told but that’s purely just personal preference. the mystery of who the nameless flower would be wasn’t too difficult to figure out as there was a limited amount of characters in the book overall but i’m still satisfied with how it was revealed.

overall, i enjoyed reading this book. both the historical and fictional elements melded well and was very accessible for anyone who has not been exposed to korean history before.
would definitely recommend this to anyone interested in learning more about different types of asian history, especially politically and based on reigning kingdoms.

and in the end, we got a happy ending for the two mcs with as least emotional damage as possible for a book based on history, so i count that as a win!!

Oh my goodness, what a beautiful story. I remember when June first announced this book, and I was really hoping that it wouldn't let me down.

In true June fashion, she crafted a story that not only horrifies you with Korean history, but also does so in a way that reminds you that everyone deserves to be loved. She doesn't shy away from the subject matter, and I really appreciate all the trigger warnings in her author letter to the reader in the beginning of the book about the king and the atrocities he committed. And as with her previous book, this also takes you along for the ride with Iseul as she tries to figure out who the murderer was. I felt everything was wrapped up so nicely and that June truly put in the effort to connect each point with one another.

I also quite liked the duo POVs in this book. While the romance wasn't prominent in the book, it was fun to see how the main characters become partners, even though reluctantly. I found that made the ending more satisfying to me, especially after seeing how each character grew from the beginning.

The book is highly atmospheric and immersive, which I find makes the pacing slower, but in this instance I really didn't mind. I hope June continues this trend of books that feel like historical Kdramas!

At first, I would like to thank to June Hur to send me this Advance Reader Copy to me as an exchange for honest review!

A Crane Among Wolves by June Hur is sUPER gOOD! Tells the story of Iseul, who attempts to save her sister, who was taken to the palace and forced to become one of the king's puppets. Making Iseul confront numerous challenges, one of which is her desire to find a killer named Nameless Flower in order to get a reward from the King, her sister is back home and she is involved with Daehyun. OMG. I also adore this Prince!

REVIEW: To be honest, I felt puzzled while reading this novel since it's not just about Iseul and her sister but more than that; it's also about an eventual Joseon revolution. This book serves as an example of how sacrifice is necessary for a revolution to occur. and because of this book, I went through five stages of grief. The bargaining with the betrayal of those closest to you, the sorrow over losing family, the anger over rape and patriarchy, and DUARRR I'm crying a lot because of June Hur's chapter 42. I was out of breath for a long time! It caught me off guard ;'( don't ask me about the romance, cause it serves well! AND THE PLOT TWIST IS A CHEF KISS!

"History moves its course, Young Mistress Iseul.... but it is the youth who point the current in its direction."

SO IT IS DEFINITELY 5 STARS BOOK FOR ME!

Link review: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/180633984-a-crane-among-wolves

i was so excited to read the first arc i've ever received and it did not disappoint me!! reading this was like a rollercoaster ride, and i had experienced five stages of grief! i enjoyed reading it, and it had me giggling.

- Contains Vague Spoilers -
Arc provided in exchange for an honest review.

I will first thank Netgalley, and especially the author for coming through when hope was lost and becoming my wish-granting godmother❤️ in privinding me with the arc.

➼ "“What is a prince but a title?... What is a flower but a plant?"

I wanted to read this book ever since I stumbled upon the author's tweets, early in the writing process. I swoon all over June Hur's writing and her detailed approach to putting history into her stories.

I started with hight hopes for the book. In the end, I wished there had been more to it and I will explain why.

The "Good":
This is YA and perfectly fits the genre. Gosh, you have to read June Hur's if you want to be transported to another place and time. There are little details about the world sprinkled everywhere. The hardships under King Yeonsan's rule are pointed throughout. If you get me to stop, google a term to see what it is about, and I fall down the rabbit hole of research - I will worship you.

The dialogue was delivered so naturally (apart from some cases - I will explain) that characters practically jumped out of the page.

The romance was oh-so-very-sweet, it got me giggling and wanting more. Daehyun was my favorite, and to my disappointment the only one I felt had a growth arc.

Iseul was and remained the strong-headed girl. We get a spectrum of her personality through memories when we see her as a brat, but this is not who you meet on the page. I found her dedication to save her sister the only endearing thing about her in the first third of the book. After that, Daehyun saved her.

The side characters are well thought through, especially Yul and Wonsik.

The "I wish it had been better":

The development of the book: there is a lot of telling from the get-go. We get lost in Iseul's memories and some of them are not necessary. It slows the pacing. We already care about her. And about her sister, especially after we meet her in the king's palace where she seems broken.

The crime subplot - at times it completely takes over the narrative and I became confused about whether I should root for the sister or solving the crime.

This might be on me, but the way the crime clues are delivered through dialogue felt a bit clunky. And this is why at times, the genius of June Hur's natural dialogue felt weight down. The silver lining for me when it comes to this subplot was having Wonsik. He delivers such thoughtful words.

Then there was the switch of POV from first to third between Iseul and Daehyun chapters. I found it a little jarring.

Overall I feel this book could have benefitted from another round of editing, but I did read an arc.

Historically it is rich, writing-wise it has its poetic moments, and it will make you feel all the feels. I recommend it for getting a glimpse at this time and place in history and if you love slow burn romances.

First of all, thank you June Hur and publisher for giving me the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

We’re starting this with things that I like about this book. I LOVEEEE how fast paced this is! I literally devoured this in one day so I have no problem with the pacing.

Iseul is one of my favorite characters because I love how resilient she is. And I felt her SO MUCh especially in her relationship with her siblings.

I also love her relationship with and Daehyun! How their relationship progresses from enemies to reluctant allies to lovers is just so GOOD.

Although I feel like there’s not much about King Yeonsan. I think it will be more interesting if we see more of him.

Also some parts were so sudden. The sudden jumps from one scene to another sometimes makes me confused.

Overall it was such a fun read and I LOVE it!! Will be buying the physical copy of this.

I will read anything June writes for forever — and that is a fact!

LIke June's other books, A CRANE AMONG WOLVES is atmospheric, gripping, and leaves your mind reeling by the time the killer is revealed. In addition, as many others have mentioned, the way June weaves in figures (like the cruel king Yeonsan) and events from Korean history adds so much depth and urgency to her stories. There is truly no one who writes like her!

I thoroughly enjoyed A CRANE AMONG WOLVES and flew through the story (even though I didn't want it to end)! If you love reading about sister relationships, mysteries, Korean history, strong character growth, and want all the K-drama vibes (it truly reads like a drama, and I can picture everything so clearly too!), I would highly recommend A CRANE AMONG WOLVES!

Sent in a blurb - OMG THIS BOOK IS SO FREAKING BRILLIANT! There were literally moments in this book where I forgot to breathe!