Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

Descendant of the Crane by Joan He

2 reviews

lilifane's review against another edition

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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.
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emerynmader's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book is an absolute masterpiece. Although I found it a bit hard to fully immerse myself into the world and story, I was stuck incredibly deep in the end. No matter how much I though I knew what would happen, I kept being surprised and taken aback. Character driven, Joan He has crafted a wonderful debut that everyone interested in Fantasy should give a try.
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