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btwnprintedpgs's review
challenging
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
What an absolutely stunning book. I read this back in 2019 as an eARC, but I didn't have the words at the time to properly express how amazing I found this book, even more so today than I did back then.
At its heart, Descendant of the Crane is a book about morality. We all want to do the right thing, we all want to believe in the systems that have been put in place, and we all want to hope that the people around us are true, faithful, and honest. This book breaks down the concept of morality and truth and makes Hesina, our MC, question what is real and what is a veneer over a broken system.
What I love most about this book is that it showed the truth of humanity - no matter your position, your intentions, or your heart, humans are fallible and we make mistakes. Hesina makes choices that she believes are right and will lead her to the truth, but the brokenness of the system results in consequence after consequence, loss after loss. And she owns up to them, which is so rare to see, but you can see her taking accountability and bearing the weight of the losses on her shoulder.
The twist at the end still haunts me and I wish that we could've gotten a sequel for this one. Alas, not in the cards, but where it ends, there's hope for everyone left and I loved the potential we're left with.
Descendant of the Crane remains a favourite for me, and I definitely recommend picking this one up. I think it'll surprise you.
TW: death, grief, torture, violence, blood, injury detail, genocide, slavery, racism (of a magical group of people); mentions suicide, war, vomit
Plot: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
World Building: 4.5/5
Writing: 5/5
Pacing: 5/5
Overall: 5/5
eARC gifted by Joan He's previous problematic publisher, so I won't be thanking them, but acknowledging the gifted copy.
At its heart, Descendant of the Crane is a book about morality. We all want to do the right thing, we all want to believe in the systems that have been put in place, and we all want to hope that the people around us are true, faithful, and honest. This book breaks down the concept of morality and truth and makes Hesina, our MC, question what is real and what is a veneer over a broken system.
What I love most about this book is that it showed the truth of humanity - no matter your position, your intentions, or your heart, humans are fallible and we make mistakes. Hesina makes choices that she believes are right and will lead her to the truth, but the brokenness of the system results in consequence after consequence, loss after loss. And she owns up to them, which is so rare to see, but you can see her taking accountability and bearing the weight of the losses on her shoulder.
The twist at the end still haunts me and I wish that we could've gotten a sequel for this one. Alas, not in the cards, but where it ends, there's hope for everyone left and I loved the potential we're left with.
Descendant of the Crane remains a favourite for me, and I definitely recommend picking this one up. I think it'll surprise you.
TW: death, grief, torture, violence, blood, injury detail, genocide, slavery, racism (of a magical group of people); mentions suicide, war, vomit
Plot: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
World Building: 4.5/5
Writing: 5/5
Pacing: 5/5
Overall: 5/5
eARC gifted by Joan He's previous problematic publisher, so I won't be thanking them, but acknowledging the gifted copy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Genocide, Torture, Blood, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Racism, Slavery, Suicide, Vomit, and War
booksandtea997's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Death, Racism, Slavery, and Torture
lilifane's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
To be honest, I only purchased this book because of the beautiful cover. I didn't even read the whole synopsis (because I never do), so I didn't expect much. All I knew was that it's Chinese inspired fantasy. I didn't even know it was young adult. When was the last time I read YA fantasy?!
Anyway, I really really really enjoyed it.
The world building was super interesting, the plot was SO much fun. Because there is also a murder mystery and a court trial and sooo many secrets and twists. It's full of things I like. And although it is fantasy, it clearly dealt with important current topics like racism, prejudices and fear of the unknown. (There is a scene where the protagonist recognises her own priviliges and it's just SO good.)
You follow Hesina, the crown princess of Yan. At the beginning of the book her father, the king, is poisened and so she has to start her rule way too early. And not only does she have to deal with some political issues (foreign and domestic) right away, but she also wants to resolve her fathers death and find his murderer.
I really liked the setting of this, the beautiful palaces and gardens with secret passage ways. Loved how complex the politics actually were and the way Hesina handled the situation. Usually in this kind of YA story, where the protagonists have to take over responsibility earlier than expected, they tend to be really bad at it and have to learn the basics first (so annoying). But here, Hesina immediately knows what to do. You realise that she has been preparing for this moment her whole life and she knows her duties and the rules of the court very well. Of course, she makes mistakes, but as a reader you never get the impression these were some stupid (newbie) mistakes. You always understand why she acts the way she does and it makes sense. You get the pros and cons, you see the problems every decision might cause, because there is no clear right or wrong, no clear black or white. And all actions have consequences, and unexpected things might happen, so you never knew what will happen next. Even if you think you do, you really don't.
Absolutely loved the mystery and the way it was uncovered step by step. I mean, some of it was pretty obvious but I was still surprised a few times. And the way Hesina made some of the discoveries was just SO cool.
Although I really liked the characters and their relationships and interactions (the family and friends dynamics are amazing), they still felt like plot devices somethimes. The mysteries around them felt a little too forced sometimes. But I wouldn't have minded, if they werent revealed the way they were. Which is also connected to the ending of the book. The last 40 pages were a wild ride, I tell you, and then the ending was basically a slap in the face.
You know how sometimes when you read a book and think it's the perfect standalone but then the author decides to stretch the plot really thin at the end just to make it a trilogy? This felt like the opposite, like me finishing an essay in university. "Oh, I reached the minimum page count for the assignment? Okay, let's wrap this up really quickly. Ah, I haven't explained the backstory of this character. Let's just write it down on half a page to get it over with."
So yeah, the ending felt really sudden and rushed. But it was also kind of cool the way it was handled? I'm conflicted. But I love the questions that arise at the end so much. What is actually good and what is bad? What makes a hero and what makes a villain? Is it better to stick to your ideals or do ends justify the means? I like that it's up to the reader to decide at the end.
I did some research after finishing the book btw. And I found some confusing information. There are people that say, this is a standalone. Then there are some who claim this is a standalone but there are options for companion novels. But then I also found an article that mentions a planned sequel? I mean, there are still some unanswered questions, some open mysteries. And the characters and the world are way too good to give them up completely. So if there is a sequel or a companion, I will definitely read it. I just hope these don't ruin the impact this book made had on me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Grief