Descendant of the Crane by Joan He

Descendant of the Crane

by Joan He

"Deep world-building, magical family secrets, and intricate palace politics―Descendant of the Crane soars from page one. Its twists and treacheries kept me guessing until the very end." Rachel Hartman, New York Times bestselling author of Seraphina

Tyrants cut out hearts. Rulers sacrifice their own. Princess Hesina of Yan has always been eager to shirk the responsibilities of the crown, but when her beloved father is murdered, she's thrust into power, suddenly the queen of an unstable kingdom. Determined to find her father's killer, Hesina does something desperate: she enlists the aid of a soothsayer―a treasonous act, punishable by death… because in Yan, magic was outlawed centuries ago.

Using the information illicitly provided by the sooth, and uncertain if she can trust even her family, Hesina turns to Akira―a brilliant investigator who's also a convicted criminal with secrets of his own. With the future of her kingdom at stake, can Hesina find justice for her father? Or will the cost be too high?

In this shimmering Chinese-inspired fantasy, debut author Joan He introduces a determined and vulnerable young heroine struggling to do right in a world brimming with deception.

Reviewed by Veronica 🦦 on

2 of 5 stars

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C-/D+ | While this book has a great premise, its execution was choppy and poor. The book’s saving grace is the writing. However, beautiful diction can’t hide the fact that there was no structure to this book, that the pacing was all over the place, and that the characters and their relationship didn’t feel genuine.

Full review does contain some spoilers.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 28 February, 2020: Finished reading
  • 28 February, 2020: Reviewed