salsaverde's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
3.5
Spoiler
I wish Caiyan's thoughts and revelations around him were another chapter, with a true epilogue touching on Hesina's returnanastasiacarrow's review against another edition
4.0
i have my problems with this book (the “romance” was meh, and the first half was pretty slow) but WHAT AN ENDING!!! THE PLOT TWISTS?? THE BETRAYAL!!!!
but wtf was that cliffhanger?? is there supposed to be a SECOND BOOK???
but wtf was that cliffhanger?? is there supposed to be a SECOND BOOK???
emieinspace's review against another edition
5.0
I had an inkling I was going to love this novel; I can tell you right now, that inkling was nothing compared to how much I actually loved Descendant of the Crane. When I finished reading it, at 11 at night, my heart was physically aching because of how much this book made me feel, think and how attached I was to the story. I was overwhelmed with emotions in the best way possible. When talking about it on Twitter, the word I kept using was incredible, because yes, it is an incredible novel.
From the beginning, I completely fell in love with Joan He’s wonderfully-crafted writing. The descriptions are absolutely stunning, giving vivid images of the world Hesina is navigating and adding a layer of atmosphere that was emotional, and also full of melancholy. I could picture everything perfectly, making the story really immersive. I also loved how in the middle of sadness and tragedy, there was still a bit of humour to be found in the words. Jokes in dialogue, in the thoughts of our main character that really resonated with me personally when dealing with grief as Hesina does. The writing gave Hesina a very unique voice, with her thoughts and dialogue alike and the same can be said for the other characters. While we see them through the lens of Hesina’s eyes, the way they spoke, acted in front of her was beautifully conveyed through the writing allowing us to get to know them at the same time as keeping the mystery going. The pacing of the novel is slow but it fits perfectly with the story and there was not any dull moments. And oh my, the plot twists during the third part? THE PLOT TWISTS. I was shaken after every single one of them. They were spectacular.
The plot of Descendant of the Crane is phenomenal. It was everything the synopsis promised but also so much more. It’s a story full of complexity, asking questions that made me think and wonder. There’s a strong emphasis on the politics of the world, and it was done masterfully. We are given the information as we go through the story, a piece of information here and there which made everything flow nicely. The history of Hesina’s country is woven into the present she lives and that history was captivating with its myths and implications. The political duties of Hesina are taken seriously, and I loved being able to see her in her duties as a Queen. Another part of the story I absolutely adored were the incredibly complex and emotional family dynamics between the characters. These relationships had so many layers to them, and I loved it immensely. It’s also a story very much about truth, its worth, the pursuit of it and how far someone is willing to go to uncover it but also about trust, trust in yourself and those surrounding you. The way Joan He crafted these subjects into her story was quite literally breathtaking for me because it was done with so much realness and emotion. I felt so much within these pages.
Hesina was a formidable main character; she was complex, multi-dimensional and flawed. I loved her curiosity, her desire and search for knowledge and truth even when it’s also part of what makes her a flawed character, even when it leads her down the wrong path. She makes decisions, sometimes the wrong ones but she strives to understand when she makes mistakes. She’s open-minded, stubborn and determined; she questions her world and her own knowledge. I simply LOVED her. All the other characters, from Caiyan to Akira, were all very distinct and unique from each other. They all have their story, their way of viewing the world and reacting to it and it shows very clearly. I loved Akira and I’m so curious to know even more about him in the sequel because there’s still so much mystery surrounding him. I loved how all these characters surprised me at some point in the story and their development throughout the novel. They made such a great ensemble.
Descendant of the Crane is absolutely one of my favourite books of the year and I highly HIGHLY recommend it; reading this novel is a wonderful journey and I cannot wait to see what this story holds in the sequel.
From the beginning, I completely fell in love with Joan He’s wonderfully-crafted writing. The descriptions are absolutely stunning, giving vivid images of the world Hesina is navigating and adding a layer of atmosphere that was emotional, and also full of melancholy. I could picture everything perfectly, making the story really immersive. I also loved how in the middle of sadness and tragedy, there was still a bit of humour to be found in the words. Jokes in dialogue, in the thoughts of our main character that really resonated with me personally when dealing with grief as Hesina does. The writing gave Hesina a very unique voice, with her thoughts and dialogue alike and the same can be said for the other characters. While we see them through the lens of Hesina’s eyes, the way they spoke, acted in front of her was beautifully conveyed through the writing allowing us to get to know them at the same time as keeping the mystery going. The pacing of the novel is slow but it fits perfectly with the story and there was not any dull moments. And oh my, the plot twists during the third part? THE PLOT TWISTS. I was shaken after every single one of them. They were spectacular.
The plot of Descendant of the Crane is phenomenal. It was everything the synopsis promised but also so much more. It’s a story full of complexity, asking questions that made me think and wonder. There’s a strong emphasis on the politics of the world, and it was done masterfully. We are given the information as we go through the story, a piece of information here and there which made everything flow nicely. The history of Hesina’s country is woven into the present she lives and that history was captivating with its myths and implications. The political duties of Hesina are taken seriously, and I loved being able to see her in her duties as a Queen. Another part of the story I absolutely adored were the incredibly complex and emotional family dynamics between the characters. These relationships had so many layers to them, and I loved it immensely. It’s also a story very much about truth, its worth, the pursuit of it and how far someone is willing to go to uncover it but also about trust, trust in yourself and those surrounding you. The way Joan He crafted these subjects into her story was quite literally breathtaking for me because it was done with so much realness and emotion. I felt so much within these pages.
Hesina was a formidable main character; she was complex, multi-dimensional and flawed. I loved her curiosity, her desire and search for knowledge and truth even when it’s also part of what makes her a flawed character, even when it leads her down the wrong path. She makes decisions, sometimes the wrong ones but she strives to understand when she makes mistakes. She’s open-minded, stubborn and determined; she questions her world and her own knowledge. I simply LOVED her. All the other characters, from Caiyan to Akira, were all very distinct and unique from each other. They all have their story, their way of viewing the world and reacting to it and it shows very clearly. I loved Akira and I’m so curious to know even more about him in the sequel because there’s still so much mystery surrounding him. I loved how all these characters surprised me at some point in the story and their development throughout the novel. They made such a great ensemble.
Descendant of the Crane is absolutely one of my favourite books of the year and I highly HIGHLY recommend it; reading this novel is a wonderful journey and I cannot wait to see what this story holds in the sequel.
alizah's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
blue_reader's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
amalyndb's review against another edition
4.5
Content note: Genocide and hate crimes towards (fantasy) marginalized groups
Ooh. The twists in this one. Definitely to reread again without low grade fever.
Slow start, initially skimmed a bit until i got into it.
Ooh. The twists in this one. Definitely to reread again without low grade fever.
Slow start, initially skimmed a bit until i got into it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Torture, Genocide, Hate crime, Death of parent, and Slavery
sydneylmeyer7's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Death
Minor: Slavery
vivianne's review against another edition
1.0
DNF @90%
I listened to this on audio and honestly I couldn’t have made it without it. However, on 90% it started to act weird and it didn’t follow the book correctly. I could have read the final 50 pages physically since I own the book, but I am just not going to waste more time and energy on this.
It was very typically ya in every single aspect of this book and I can probably predict how it will end. Nothing surprised me, there were no twists. I have just read this book 1000 x already, with different main characters and another author. I mean how many times am I going to have to read about a sad young queen trying to save a suppressed subgroup of people because they have magic? I am just over it. I DON’T CARE ANYMORE!
Nothing in this book got to me. I didn’t care about ANYTHING. And I found the whole plot very strangely paced. The beginning was very slow and then the end everything needs to be wrapped up, can’t imagine the ending will be satisfying.
The main character was annoying, the side characters were not rememberable (I kept getting them mixed up), the romance was insta love, based on nothing and weird. The world was underdeveloped. The magic was underdeveloped. I didn’t like the “reveals” that where there. The writing was basic. I didn’t care for the passages of ‘one of the eleven’ and found them weird and not adding anything to the story.
I give up on this book (and every book like this).
I listened to this on audio and honestly I couldn’t have made it without it. However, on 90% it started to act weird and it didn’t follow the book correctly. I could have read the final 50 pages physically since I own the book, but I am just not going to waste more time and energy on this.
It was very typically ya in every single aspect of this book and I can probably predict how it will end. Nothing surprised me, there were no twists. I have just read this book 1000 x already, with different main characters and another author. I mean how many times am I going to have to read about a sad young queen trying to save a suppressed subgroup of people because they have magic? I am just over it. I DON’T CARE ANYMORE!
Nothing in this book got to me. I didn’t care about ANYTHING. And I found the whole plot very strangely paced. The beginning was very slow and then the end everything needs to be wrapped up, can’t imagine the ending will be satisfying.
The main character was annoying, the side characters were not rememberable (I kept getting them mixed up), the romance was insta love, based on nothing and weird. The world was underdeveloped. The magic was underdeveloped. I didn’t like the “reveals” that where there. The writing was basic. I didn’t care for the passages of ‘one of the eleven’ and found them weird and not adding anything to the story.
I give up on this book (and every book like this).