I thought the way He portrayed Hesina’s sort of tumble and crash built up really nicely, and is part of why I loved this story so much. Hesina thinks she knows how the world works, she thinks that she has an understanding of her kingdom thanks to the teachings of The Eleven, a group of revolutionaries that changed her country three hundred years ago and built a fairer, better society. Well, unless you’re a Sooth and have magical powers, then you’ll be slowly murdered on sight. Hesina thinks she understands how searching for the truth about her father’s death will play out because of the laws put in place by The Eleven. But then she begins to see that despite these teachings, despite people seeming to follow this way of life, there are corrupt people not just in the world, but within her own palace, who will use this investigation to further their own political and financial ends. Pacing is also on the slow side. Honestly, I didn't start getting invested until the last 20% when almost all the secrets are out. It took me almost two months to finish this.

I just adore this book so much and it’s one of my favorites of all time! I want to hug the characters to my chest and make sure they’re all happy and thriving. Here is the question that I can answer: there is no sequel. There is no story left for me to tell in this particular world, with these particular characters. Their arcs are fulfilled, their themes belabored upon. The publisher could offer me a contract for the sequel and I’d turn it down. That’s how strongly I feel about TOWMTF being a standalone, as a creator. What is truth? Scholars seek it. Poets write it. Good kings pay gold to hear it. But in trying times, truth is the first thing we betray. in all seriousness (updating this as e-arcs go live), this book gets dark. I've you haven't seen the full extent of zephyr's ruthlessness yet why am i crying in the club right now????? how dare you joan (i think this might be one of my favorites of 2019) (it was)

CWs (spoilers may follow, and I may have missed some pls lmk if I have): war, torture, blood, death, ennui (verging on depression), character death, suicide (a vision/dream of one), cruel and unusual executions (not limited to multiple beheadings), fires, burn wounds, identity theft, alcohol consumption, starvation/famine, vomiting, kissing (the max sexual content in this book) Let’s walk,” said Lilian, as if reading Hesina’s mind. She linked their arms. “You can try to get rid of me on the way.” Whatever the reason, murder was murder. The dead were dead. Hating the sooths, as the people continued to do, made little sense to Hesina. But occasionally, like now, with the beggar barking ominous warnings, her pity for the sooths spawned into fear, eating away at her conception of a sooth until it collapsed and a new one rose in its place: a faceless head attached to a charred body, an eyeless, toothless monster straight from the Ten Courts of Hell. Hesina’s fingers closed around the glass vial dangling from her silk broad-belt. They could. She could let her resolve fade like the wisp of poison bottled in the vial. That would be easy. Figuring out how to live with herself afterward … not so much.

do I need 3kingdoms knowledge to read the book? the short answer is that you do not; people like my editor with zero 3kingdoms knowledge have read the book and enjoyed it enough to publish it. the longer answer is that reading 3kingdoms may give you some additional context to certain story elements, such as the midpoint twist, which is my textual response to how Luo Guanzhong, the frequently accredited author of the classic, elevated real historical figures to characters of mythical proportions, with names such as Zhuge Liang looming large in the Chinese consciousness to this day. understandably, YMMV with the twist (here's why I chose to write it to the audience I did). If you are looking to get into the classic, I would highly recommend the abridged translation by Moss Roberts. It covers about 80% of the plots involving the main cast in a fraction of the words, compared to the 800k unabridged text. Throughout my time reading this book, I've debated on how I would accurately describe my reaction to it. I have determined that Descendant of the Crane is fairly average for the most part, yet it has the potential to be something amazing. I was initially drawn to this story by the premise of a fantasy novel set in an Asian-influenced world with a strong female character and plenty of intrigue. To my disappointment, I never felt like this book delivered on this in a satisfying way.

She stared out into the sea of flame-washed faces. It took all her strength not to look away. But we were monsters. What is truth? Scholars seek it. Poets write it. Good Kings pay gold to hear it. But in trying times, truth is the first thing we betray.”

Caiyan made a strangled sound. Lilian laughed. Hesina watched their shadows lengthen under the moonlight. For me, the strongest stories have well-developed and realistic characters. Yet I never felt a connection with any of these characters as most of them came across as very one-dimensional - particularly at the beginning. While there was improvement for a few of them during the second half of the novel, it was too late for me to develop a strong interest in them at that point. Kissing between a boy and girl. Brief references to sex (A man hastily summoned to court complains that he hates to leave a partner unsatisfied.). Moreover, Joan He's debut is a beautiful story. Lush, symbolic, and profound, resulting in a clever tale of breathless twists, sharp turns, and a stunning conclusion that will leave you scrambling for more. DESCENDANT OF THE CRANE is a novel to watch.

About Kasey

I think my favorite part of the story is the way the author has crafted her characters. There are lots of complicated characters and relationships, and who’s good and who’s bad, isn’t always obvious. Morally gray characters abound, which always makes for a great read for me. There’s also some interesting sibling dynamics within Hesina’s own family that I very much enjoyed reading about.