Scan barcode
A review by katykat3
Descendant of the Crane by Joan He
3.0
3 wistful stars?
It was just OK for me, but I wanted it to be more. Part of my personal issues were that I read this over way too long a time period, and it was really easy to set it down and not want to pick it up due to it being a different genre than I normally read and the fact that there were a wide cast of characters that were difficult to remember after an extended break. I also I also was under the impression for some reason that it was a solo book but the author actually hopes to make this into a series, so please keep that in mind! (as in the ending doesn't necessarily feel like an ending, but the publishing status of future book is uncertain right now)
Due to my break in reading, I just had a hard time really getting into the book. This book is trying to separate itself from other YA books with teen queens by having many morally complex decisions/situations, a small journey that didn't take the whole book, inquests/legal court drama, and magic, but I think they all the plot points didn't necessarily meld very well together and then the pacing was off (it was easy for me to set it down for so long). And while I liked that Joan He was trying to differentiate this book from other YA books, it was then difficult to get through because every plot or next focus was not what I expected, and there is something nice about knowing what to expect while reading. Also the magic in the world got more and more important as the book got on but still wasn't explained all that well, and that frustrated me. I also probably wouldn't have picked it up if I had known that there was this much magic, due to my own personal reading preferences.
I did like how it was different from other YA books in that romance took a back seat overall and it was very clear that Hesina was focused on being queen and was thinking about her people quite a lot.
So basically if it sounds like it's up your alley, pick it up! Otherwise I don't think I can really give a strong recommendation, except that you should probably read it a little quick so characters and events stay close in your mind. Joan He seems like a really lovely person and I wish her the best in getting the rest of the series published! With a better idea of what this world feels like after reading this, I would definitely think about picking up future installments~
It was just OK for me, but I wanted it to be more. Part of my personal issues were that I read this over way too long a time period, and it was really easy to set it down and not want to pick it up due to it being a different genre than I normally read and the fact that there were a wide cast of characters that were difficult to remember after an extended break. I also I also was under the impression for some reason that it was a solo book but the author actually hopes to make this into a series, so please keep that in mind! (as in the ending doesn't necessarily feel like an ending, but the publishing status of future book is uncertain right now)
Due to my break in reading, I just had a hard time really getting into the book. This book is trying to separate itself from other YA books with teen queens by having many morally complex decisions/situations, a small journey that didn't take the whole book, inquests/legal court drama, and magic, but I think they all the plot points didn't necessarily meld very well together and then the pacing was off (it was easy for me to set it down for so long). And while I liked that Joan He was trying to differentiate this book from other YA books, it was then difficult to get through because every plot or next focus was not what I expected, and there is something nice about knowing what to expect while reading. Also the magic in the world got more and more important as the book got on but still wasn't explained all that well, and that frustrated me. I also probably wouldn't have picked it up if I had known that there was this much magic, due to my own personal reading preferences.
I did like how it was different from other YA books in that romance took a back seat overall and it was very clear that Hesina was focused on being queen and was thinking about her people quite a lot.
So basically if it sounds like it's up your alley, pick it up! Otherwise I don't think I can really give a strong recommendation, except that you should probably read it a little quick so characters and events stay close in your mind. Joan He seems like a really lovely person and I wish her the best in getting the rest of the series published! With a better idea of what this world feels like after reading this, I would definitely think about picking up future installments~