shadow_wolf's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Emotional abuse, War, Slavery, and Death of parent
andra_mihaela_s's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
"Descendant of the Crane" is such a promising first book in a series! Too bad we don't know when or even IF the author will write more in this world due to the unfortunate situation of it's initial publication... :(
Quick summary: Princess Hesina of Yan becomes queen after the death pf her beloved father. Her only desire...find the murderer!
To this simple (=personal drama) premise, Joan He blends very well chinese customs, culture and history (we have the first coin in the Chinese history mentioned here as the currency; we have a specific way of showing respect to the higher ups; we have traditional clothing and make-up,etc.) with a political plotline mixed with very little romance and a lot of mistery concerning the past of the kingdom (both religious and ideological).
I will not say that everyone will find this debut worthy of praise or anything like that, but I dare you to say it doesn't have great potential and a solid fundation for what it wants to be: a first person perspective in a world ruled by it's past. I really appreciate books that talk about misconceptions, fears, superstitions and plain beliefs based on "historical fundation" and perpetuated hate for "the enemy".
I'm happy to say "Descendant of the Crane" is such a book that not only explores the darker side of winners vs loosers argument, but it also evolves it with things that have a great impact in real life, like: <i>How a different nation respond/act/profit/involve itself with this issue?How can a ruler keep his/her throne in a deeply infected society AND change it at its core? How much power a ruler has in comparison to its vassals? etc. </i>
<b>Content warnings: violent murder, torture,discrimination based on historical motifs and fear of the unknown(which is horrible!); desecration of a grave;slavery</b>
Taking all this into consideration, I cannot help but point out the things someone else by find annoying and a deal-breaker for them: One such thing is the character work...you can see that this is a debut and the MC is the only one you can pass of as "well-rounded".
While Hesina is really naive and extremely focused on one goal (a conscious choice by the author), I had some expectations for the "villains", namely Xia Zhong and the Prince of Kandi'a due to the fact that a war is on the brewing because of them...and I wanted to find out WHY they do what they do..>..>
We have some family drama for Minister of Rites Xia, and the whole thing with a country without water..but sadly, the book did not expand on this.
As for the other characters...the king and queen are really fascinating! We have information only from Hesina's perspective when it comes to them..and I don't find that a bad thing! ^^ In the end, we find out some shocking information that was well foreshadowed (in my opinion) and THAT can be put to good use in an eventual sequel!
The rest of the cast was kinda there to serve Hesina in going through her journey...most obvious, the twins her father adopted: Caiyan- a great figure in the country's political stage, and Lilian - the imperial seamstress. Her blood brothers did not stand out to me either:(..both Sanjing and Rue (I'm not sure if his name is written correctly here...) are present for just a little part of the book and they have a major trait that takes up all the space for anything else...one is distant and passive-agresive due to lack of a real relationship as siblings; the other - a lamb..literary...>..>
The last character I want to mention...Akira...he has potential! In terms of his actual role in this story...he was between fine and great; as a love interest...not so much:( I wasn't impressed with his backstory, given the fact I was hoping he was more involved in the political and religious drama going on..,but that doesn't make him bad or poorly written..It's just a personal preference.
This book does well a lot of things, from the chinese inspiration mentioned earlier, to the beginnings of a political fantasy series with a lot of mistery added, to the discussion about stigma and discrimination, collective fear of something and REAL STAKES!
We lose people here! And the fantasy elements are integrated in a great way!
Yes, this book is slow on plot progression and world building, but I don't see that as a mistake, but more of a author choice/style.
Joan He decides to focus our first-person perspective to 2 very important subjects that, frankly, I enjoy reading about: how history affects people (discrimination, missconception, way of life, rules put in place,etc) and how and by whom it's written!(The Eleven are a clever idea to implement and I really hope I will get the chance to read more in this world, because we barely got some answers and another million questions! >..<)
So, yes! 4 stars for "Descendant of the Crane"! This one speaks to my reading taste!
I highly recommend this book to everyone liking a slow politial fantasy that really spends time showing the effects of history and a group of people! Don't expect "A Game of Thrones", but a young naive ruler that has the veil of ignorance ripped of her face page by page, and getting exposed to the real world.
Enjoy
Quick summary: Princess Hesina of Yan becomes queen after the death pf her beloved father. Her only desire...find the murderer!
To this simple (=personal drama) premise, Joan He blends very well chinese customs, culture and history (we have the first coin in the Chinese history mentioned here as the currency; we have a specific way of showing respect to the higher ups; we have traditional clothing and make-up,etc.) with a political plotline mixed with very little romance and a lot of mistery concerning the past of the kingdom (both religious and ideological).
I will not say that everyone will find this debut worthy of praise or anything like that, but I dare you to say it doesn't have great potential and a solid fundation for what it wants to be: a first person perspective in a world ruled by it's past. I really appreciate books that talk about misconceptions, fears, superstitions and plain beliefs based on "historical fundation" and perpetuated hate for "the enemy".
I'm happy to say "Descendant of the Crane" is such a book that not only explores the darker side of winners vs loosers argument, but it also evolves it with things that have a great impact in real life, like: <i>How a different nation respond/act/profit/involve itself with this issue?How can a ruler keep his/her throne in a deeply infected society AND change it at its core? How much power a ruler has in comparison to its vassals? etc. </i>
<b>Content warnings: violent murder, torture,discrimination based on historical motifs and fear of the unknown(which is horrible!); desecration of a grave;slavery</b>
Taking all this into consideration, I cannot help but point out the things someone else by find annoying and a deal-breaker for them: One such thing is the character work...you can see that this is a debut and the MC is the only one you can pass of as "well-rounded".
While Hesina is really naive and extremely focused on one goal (a conscious choice by the author), I had some expectations for the "villains", namely Xia Zhong and the Prince of Kandi'a due to the fact that a war is on the brewing because of them...and I wanted to find out WHY they do what they do..>..>
We have some family drama for Minister of Rites Xia, and the whole thing with a country without water..but sadly, the book did not expand on this.
As for the other characters...the king and queen are really fascinating! We have information only from Hesina's perspective when it comes to them..and I don't find that a bad thing! ^^ In the end, we find out some shocking information that was well foreshadowed (in my opinion) and THAT can be put to good use in an eventual sequel!
The rest of the cast was kinda there to serve Hesina in going through her journey...most obvious, the twins her father adopted: Caiyan- a great figure in the country's political stage, and Lilian - the imperial seamstress. Her blood brothers did not stand out to me either:(..both Sanjing and Rue (I'm not sure if his name is written correctly here...) are present for just a little part of the book and they have a major trait that takes up all the space for anything else...one is distant and passive-agresive due to lack of a real relationship as siblings; the other - a lamb..literary...>..>
The last character I want to mention...Akira...he has potential! In terms of his actual role in this story...he was between fine and great; as a love interest...not so much:( I wasn't impressed with his backstory, given the fact I was hoping he was more involved in the political and religious drama going on..,but that doesn't make him bad or poorly written..It's just a personal preference.
This book does well a lot of things, from the chinese inspiration mentioned earlier, to the beginnings of a political fantasy series with a lot of mistery added, to the discussion about stigma and discrimination, collective fear of something and REAL STAKES!
We lose people here! And the fantasy elements are integrated in a great way!
Yes, this book is slow on plot progression and world building, but I don't see that as a mistake, but more of a author choice/style.
Joan He decides to focus our first-person perspective to 2 very important subjects that, frankly, I enjoy reading about: how history affects people (discrimination, missconception, way of life, rules put in place,etc) and how and by whom it's written!(The Eleven are a clever idea to implement and I really hope I will get the chance to read more in this world, because we barely got some answers and another million questions! >..<)
So, yes! 4 stars for "Descendant of the Crane"! This one speaks to my reading taste!
I highly recommend this book to everyone liking a slow politial fantasy that really spends time showing the effects of history and a group of people! Don't expect "A Game of Thrones", but a young naive ruler that has the veil of ignorance ripped of her face page by page, and getting exposed to the real world.
Enjoy
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Antisemitism, Xenophobia, and Torture
Moderate: Genocide and Slavery
wolfje's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I feel like there were a few plot holes, but I didn't really care because the book just dragged me in and I just kept reading. Whatever flaws in the worldbuilding and plot, it makes up for in pace, tension, and by gripping you and not letting go.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Xenophobia
Moderate: Genocide
Minor: Slavery, Murder, and Torture
astoryofpages's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This is the first audiobook I listened to, and I liked it, although it was a bit complicated at first due to the format. I did this listening on Spotify, and I am delighted to have been able to discover this author. Descendant of the Crane is her first novel (if I'm not mistaken), and I think it's pretty successful! The plot is axed on politics, with lots of plot twists and stories of betrayals and alliances. Those who follow me know that I love these kinds of books, and Descendant of the Crane did not disappoint me on this point! It is also a gorgeous book in terms of worldbuilding. The story takes root in a universe that is inspired by imperial China. It addresses many themes, such as racism, justice or even the family. The way with words of the author is sumptuous. It was beautiful and calm to listen to!
The only point that could be negative is the characters, and more precisely Hesina. But it's pretty subjective. I really liked this image of a strong young woman who wants above all to rule her kingdom. But I gradually disconnected from her. And, in the end, I remained quite indifferent concerning her character, her decisions and what she was living. Admittedly the ending has an effect, but I ended up missing a little empathy for her. It was the same for Akira, who isn't, for me, extremely important to the story. I had more connections with Caiyan and Lilian. Lilian is full of life, and in a way, she reminded me of Genya Safin or Nina Zenik from the Grishaverse. Caiyan is more calculating, whereas Hesina is more empathetic. I had a little more trouble figuring out Sanjing. But I think he's still a great character, just as calculating as Caiyan but in a different way.
I really loved the relationship between the characters. I think that's a significant positive point too! And if some wonder if there is romance: yes, there is, but it is still very light. Besides, I haven't really noticed it. And I'm pretty happy because I find that there is no need to have some characters in a relationship, which changes from other YA books we are used to reading!
The only point that could be negative is the characters, and more precisely Hesina. But it's pretty subjective. I really liked this image of a strong young woman who wants above all to rule her kingdom. But I gradually disconnected from her. And, in the end, I remained quite indifferent concerning her character, her decisions and what she was living. Admittedly the ending has an effect, but I ended up missing a little empathy for her. It was the same for Akira, who isn't, for me, extremely important to the story. I had more connections with Caiyan and Lilian. Lilian is full of life, and in a way, she reminded me of Genya Safin or Nina Zenik from the Grishaverse. Caiyan is more calculating, whereas Hesina is more empathetic. I had a little more trouble figuring out Sanjing. But I think he's still a great character, just as calculating as Caiyan but in a different way.
I really loved the relationship between the characters. I think that's a significant positive point too! And if some wonder if there is romance: yes, there is, but it is still very light. Besides, I haven't really noticed it. And I'm pretty happy because I find that there is no need to have some characters in a relationship, which changes from other YA books we are used to reading!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Murder, Violence, and Torture
Minor: Slavery and War
Immolation, poisoningreading_gives_serotonin's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Injury/injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Death, and Grief
Moderate: War, Slavery, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
aidamaria_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book is honestly such a rollercoaster of plottwists, and I still need answers! If the author doesn’t write a sequel, there’ll be riots. It’s a great book if you’re looking for something that’s Asian-inspired, fast-paced and mind-blowing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gore, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Slavery, Torture, Violence, War, and Blood
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Injury/injury detail, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death
corvicore's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Vomit, and Slavery
Moderate: War, Torture, and Trafficking
Minor: Suicide and Medical content
veilchen's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Hesina is princess of Yan, a country that had ones been terrorized by the magic sooths, which are now outlawed. When her father, the King, dies, she is convinced that his death was not of natural cause and goes out of her way to find the real killer. But what she hasn't accounted for was the politics of the court, intrigues and betrayals playing their part in uncovering the truth.
First of all, this book is not a comforting, fun little fantasy book. It is Hurt/NoComfort, bawl your eyes out, talk about in therapy stuff. But it is a great book. My favourite part was without question the worldbuilding. The east-asian inspired setting of Yan, where the rules are dictated by eleven mysterious revolutionaries of the past is explored in depth, with all the lore, history of oppression and connecitons to its neighbouring countries, is what makes the sotry of Hesina so easy to get captivated by. Supported by a very pretty, descriptive writing style, I found myself speeding through the almost 500 pages in less than four hours.
I also fell in love with the characters. Hesina is a great protagonist with a lot of agency and not without faults. The rest of the cast mainly consists of her family, a wild mix of real siblings, bastards and adoptees, all of which got their moment to shine. Then, there is also the thief, who Hesina conscripts to help her uncover the Truth, Akira, with whom Hesina also develops a bit of a romance. Though there wasn't a lot of focus on that, I enjoyed their dynamic and would have wanted to see a bit more - maybe in the next book?
All in all, "Descendant of the Crane" was not at all what I expected. It was dark and sad, and very quick-paced, but it all took place in such a detailled world, with well developed character and in a beautiful style that I had no choice but to love it. It ended on a pretty open note - which I actually prefer, because now I can just pretend they all lived happily ever after. Nevertheless, one of the best endings I read in a while. I cried a lot.
First of all, this book is not a comforting, fun little fantasy book. It is Hurt/NoComfort, bawl your eyes out, talk about in therapy stuff. But it is a great book. My favourite part was without question the worldbuilding. The east-asian inspired setting of Yan, where the rules are dictated by eleven mysterious revolutionaries of the past is explored in depth, with all the lore, history of oppression and connecitons to its neighbouring countries, is what makes the sotry of Hesina so easy to get captivated by. Supported by a very pretty, descriptive writing style, I found myself speeding through the almost 500 pages in less than four hours.
I also fell in love with the characters. Hesina is a great protagonist with a lot of agency and not without faults. The rest of the cast mainly consists of her family, a wild mix of real siblings, bastards and adoptees, all of which got their moment to shine. Then, there is also the thief, who Hesina conscripts to help her uncover the Truth, Akira, with whom Hesina also develops a bit of a romance. Though there wasn't a lot of focus on that, I enjoyed their dynamic and would have wanted to see a bit more - maybe in the next book?
All in all, "Descendant of the Crane" was not at all what I expected. It was dark and sad, and very quick-paced, but it all took place in such a detailled world, with well developed character and in a beautiful style that I had no choice but to love it. It ended on a pretty open note - which I actually prefer, because now I can just pretend they all lived happily ever after. Nevertheless, one of the best endings I read in a while. I cried a lot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Death of parent
Moderate: Murder, Torture, War, and Genocide
Minor: Slavery 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, Torture, Slavery, and Racism
azrah786's review against another edition
4.25
[This full review can also be found on my BLOG]
**I was provided with an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
Descendant of the Crane is an enthralling debut novel full of vivid world-building and a mystifying plot. It’s a Chinese inspired fantasy full of complex familial relationships, court politics and a hell of a lot of twists. I’m honestly still struggling to put my thoughts into words.
The story follows Princess Hesina, who has grown up cherishing certain secrets of the palace that her father, the emperor shared with her.
Following her father’s death – or as Hesina believes, murder - she steps up to inherit her role as ruler as a means to find justice. However, this entails being thrown into a world of more secrets than she initially asked for. A world full of corruption and power hungry individuals. A world controlled through the words of the Tenets – an ancient text asserting the philosophies of the revolutionaries (the Eleven) who centuries back marshalled a new era for the kingdom. A world governed by a primordial prejudice against “soothsayers” – people who are able to wield magic, any association with whom is regarded as an act of treason.
In this world full of deception Hesina has to stand her ground and fight for what she wants. By her side are her siblings –Caiyan, Lilian, Sanjing, and Rou, a mysterious convict who goes by the name Akira and the lessons she learnt from her father.
He’s narrative does well in voicing the determination and naivety of the young queen from the start. Hesina’s overall character development - from a carefree, inexperienced adolescent to a persevering monarch set out to do what is right for all of her people - was GREAT! However, I did feel that some of Hesina’s decisions and indifference towards certain characters were unrealistic.
**I was provided with an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
Descendant of the Crane is an enthralling debut novel full of vivid world-building and a mystifying plot. It’s a Chinese inspired fantasy full of complex familial relationships, court politics and a hell of a lot of twists. I’m honestly still struggling to put my thoughts into words.
The story follows Princess Hesina, who has grown up cherishing certain secrets of the palace that her father, the emperor shared with her.
Following her father’s death – or as Hesina believes, murder - she steps up to inherit her role as ruler as a means to find justice. However, this entails being thrown into a world of more secrets than she initially asked for. A world full of corruption and power hungry individuals. A world controlled through the words of the Tenets – an ancient text asserting the philosophies of the revolutionaries (the Eleven) who centuries back marshalled a new era for the kingdom. A world governed by a primordial prejudice against “soothsayers” – people who are able to wield magic, any association with whom is regarded as an act of treason.
In this world full of deception Hesina has to stand her ground and fight for what she wants. By her side are her siblings –Caiyan, Lilian, Sanjing, and Rou, a mysterious convict who goes by the name Akira and the lessons she learnt from her father.
He’s narrative does well in voicing the determination and naivety of the young queen from the start. Hesina’s overall character development - from a carefree, inexperienced adolescent to a persevering monarch set out to do what is right for all of her people - was GREAT! However, I did feel that some of Hesina’s decisions and indifference towards certain characters were unrealistic.
What is power? Hesina had thought it was wielding the knife, or getting someone to wield it for her. Now she realised it was neither of those things. Power was yielding. It was taking the bloodstained knife out of a thousand frenzied hands and making it hers alone.
Towards the beginning I felt that the events occurring in the plot were progressing quite rapidly, but as the rich history and politics of the world were fed into the story it set a good pace. The case of the emperor’s death took centre stage hence the book felt more like a mystery with an air of historical fiction rather than a fantasy.
The fantasy elements to me felt slightly overshadowed by the happenings of the imperial court and the strong themes of trust and doubt, truth and lies. Nonetheless, this is not to say that the fantasy elements were lacking in any way. The soothsayers and their magic was really interesting! I just hope that if we are to get a sequel that we get to see more about them. It would also be interesting if we were able to learn more about the surrounding territories of Ning, Ci and Kendi’a. Other than a few scenes taking place at the borderlands and the mention of political agreements and commerce, the narrative doesn’t really focus anywhere other than the kingdom of Yan.
Knowledge is truth, Little Bird. Those who refuse to learn live in a world of falsity.
My favourite parts of the story were probably the flashbacks Hesina had of her father. Family was another very prominent theme within this book and the character relationships overall, in particular the sibling relationships, were really well written. The main thing I had a problem with understanding was the relationship between Hesina and Akira…
Akira intrigued me from the beginning with how he easily slipped into the role he was given but the confidence Hesina gave him didn’t entirely make sense to me. Also the romance?? It was never intense and had the impression of being slow burn but as I was reading I just felt that there was something missing in order for it all to work.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed Descendant of the Crane. It is a clever tale that you won’t be able to put down and will keep you guessing until the end! And let me tell you now that end was really something!
Final Rating - 4.25/5 Stars
----
I need to gather my thoughts to rate this but wOwsers
RTC
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Death, Violence, Torture, and Suicide
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