inahreads's reviews
654 reviews
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh
The premise really had potential, but the execution was a bit lacking for me. Also, I didn’t know if it was just me but I had to remind myself numerous times that the book was a fantasy and not historical.
I still enjoyed the book despite the issues I had. Even though I liked the minor things better, it was a good read. While the romance was “not giving”, it’s still a great tale of love among family.
Read my full review on Fueled By Chapters: https://fueledbychapters.com/the-girl-who-fell-beneath-the-sea-by-axie-oh/
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
I was so excited to read The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea! From the very beginning, it was captivating and action-packed already and I knew that I was in for a treat. However, I wished it was consistent until the end.
The premise really had potential, but the execution was a bit lacking for me. Also, I didn’t know if it was just me but I had to remind myself numerous times that the book was a fantasy and not historical.
I still enjoyed the book despite the issues I had. Even though I liked the minor things better, it was a good read. While the romance was “not giving”, it’s still a great tale of love among family.
I guess what Axie Oh really captured in this retelling is the filial piety and themes of familial love which were the main point of the source material.
Read my full review on Fueled By Chapters: https://fueledbychapters.com/the-girl-who-fell-beneath-the-sea-by-axie-oh/
Love, Comment, Subscribe by Cathy Yardley
funny
lighthearted
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Love, Comment, Subscribe is an adorable book that features high school frenemies turned unwilling collaborators with amazing banter and chemistry!
I really enjoyed reading the book, despite some slow scenes here and there. I love how the story really valued the efforts of content creators and how it’s relevant in this digital age.
Read my full review here.
I really enjoyed reading the book, despite some slow scenes here and there. I love how the story really valued the efforts of content creators and how it’s relevant in this digital age.
Read my full review here.
Hotshot Doc by R.S. Grey
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
The Red Palace by June Hur
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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? Yes
5.0
I received a review copy of this book in exchange of a review. June Hur and I are mutuals on social media. All opinions are my own.
I feel like I’ve mentioned this a million times already, but The Red Palace is one of my most anticipated books of 2022! Having read The Silence of Bones and a few of Forest of Stolen Girls, I knew that The Red Palace will be quite the ride.
Also, I’m coming off fresh from finishing The Red Sleeve, a historical K-drama I recently became completely obsessed with. There were common characters in the book and the drama. The Red Palace features King Yeongjo, Prince Sado, and Lady Hyegyeong; The Red Sleeve has King Yeongjo, Lady Hyegyeong, and Lee San/King Jeongjo, who is Prince Sado’s son. These are actual people in Korean history, which made the premise more exciting. I was always fascinated by that era in Korean History, despite the tragedies that happened.
Dipping into my The Red Sleeve withdrawals, there was an actual scene in both stories where the female leads were both told they look like one of King Yeongjo’s deceased daughters. In the book, Hyeon was told that she looked like Princess Hwahyeop, Prince Sado’s favored sister; while Deok-im was told by King Yeongjo that she reminds him of Princess Hwapyeong, whom he favors.
I just feel like the similarities really elevated my reading experience!
A Haunting Mystery
I think The Red Palace is a suitable description of the violence and death that occurs within the palace walls, especially during that era. One of the things I love about June Hur’s writing style is the immersive and atmospheric storytelling. The build-up of the intrigue paired with her gorgeous prose really makes the story breathtaking. As a K-drama fan, the book’s world-building was easy for me to imagine, having watched a lot of historical K-dramas. But I still find myself looking forward to it because of Hur’s captivating writing style.
As always, the mystery is coupled with a bit of political intrigue. Although this time, it’s more serious as one of the prime suspects was the Crown Prince himself. The stakes are higher which makes it more exciting. I’m a big fan of thrillers/mysteries so there are times when I can easily guess the culprit but this one managed to surprise me! I enjoyed how unpredictable the culprit was. I really didn’t see it coming!
A Sweet, Slow-Burn Romance
A lot of thriller/mysteries I’ve read doesn’t contain a lot of romance, but this one brought us a subtle, yet very kilig-inducing one! The romance was another reason why I was so excited to read The Red Palace.
Romances in historical K-dramas are often portrayed as slow-burn and innocent because of Confucian beliefs, which honestly makes the tension more exciting. June Hur perfectly captured the romantic tropes I was hoping to see and managed to make me root for Hyeon and Eojin from the very beginning! I also think that the romance was a great palate cleanser from the mystery aspect of the book.
I hope the author continues to include some romance in her future books. Once June Hur actually writes a scene with the couple attending the Lantern Festival, it’s all over for me!
The Tragedy of Crown Prince Sado
Perhaps this was the biggest reason why I was excited to read this book. I’ve been familiar with the story of Crown Prince Sado since I consume a lot of Korean media. He’s been depicted in numerous dramas and movies, but I’m most familiar with the movie, The Throne. I watched it several years ago since I was a big fan of Yoo Ah-in, who played Crown Prince Sado. I’m planning on rewatching it sometime soon!
In the book, he is referred to by his formal name, Prince Jangheon (Sado was given to him posthumously by his father, King Yeongjo). Based on different publications about the Prince, he was mentally ill. Since mental illnesses weren’t all fully explored yet during that era, Prince Jangheon was just regarded as a violent man. He had a difficult and strained relationship with King Yeongjo, which also brought him a lot of political opponents. In 1762, he was ordered by King Yeongjo to starve inside a rice chest for eight days which led to his death.
The Red Palace was set years before Prince Jangheon’s death, but the book offered us a peek into Prince Jangheon’s issues. I like how the book took a lot of real aspects but remained a loose adaptation of his story. Since I knew a little bit of his background, I didn’t suspect him as the killer from the start, but I think it was also vital to the story that his grave acts weren’t erased.
Overall Thoughts
The Red Palace deserves all the hype it’s getting! I’m so glad a lot of people enjoyed this book and I think it’s June Hur’s best one yet. I really had fun reading this book!
The characters were fleshed-out, the intrigue was well-built and compelling, and the romance was just perfectly written.
Do I recommend The Red Palace? Definitely!
The Red Palace surely takes up a spot in my top reads for 2022! If you enjoy a great mystery with a little bit of romance and some real historical elements, you shouldn’t miss reading The Red Palace!
**
For more book reviews and discussions, visit Fueled By Chapters.
I feel like I’ve mentioned this a million times already, but The Red Palace is one of my most anticipated books of 2022! Having read The Silence of Bones and a few of Forest of Stolen Girls, I knew that The Red Palace will be quite the ride.
Also, I’m coming off fresh from finishing The Red Sleeve, a historical K-drama I recently became completely obsessed with. There were common characters in the book and the drama. The Red Palace features King Yeongjo, Prince Sado, and Lady Hyegyeong; The Red Sleeve has King Yeongjo, Lady Hyegyeong, and Lee San/King Jeongjo, who is Prince Sado’s son. These are actual people in Korean history, which made the premise more exciting. I was always fascinated by that era in Korean History, despite the tragedies that happened.
Dipping into my The Red Sleeve withdrawals, there was an actual scene in both stories where the female leads were both told they look like one of King Yeongjo’s deceased daughters. In the book, Hyeon was told that she looked like Princess Hwahyeop, Prince Sado’s favored sister; while Deok-im was told by King Yeongjo that she reminds him of Princess Hwapyeong, whom he favors.
I just feel like the similarities really elevated my reading experience!
A Haunting Mystery
I think The Red Palace is a suitable description of the violence and death that occurs within the palace walls, especially during that era. One of the things I love about June Hur’s writing style is the immersive and atmospheric storytelling. The build-up of the intrigue paired with her gorgeous prose really makes the story breathtaking. As a K-drama fan, the book’s world-building was easy for me to imagine, having watched a lot of historical K-dramas. But I still find myself looking forward to it because of Hur’s captivating writing style.
As always, the mystery is coupled with a bit of political intrigue. Although this time, it’s more serious as one of the prime suspects was the Crown Prince himself. The stakes are higher which makes it more exciting. I’m a big fan of thrillers/mysteries so there are times when I can easily guess the culprit but this one managed to surprise me! I enjoyed how unpredictable the culprit was. I really didn’t see it coming!
A Sweet, Slow-Burn Romance
A lot of thriller/mysteries I’ve read doesn’t contain a lot of romance, but this one brought us a subtle, yet very kilig-inducing one! The romance was another reason why I was so excited to read The Red Palace.
Romances in historical K-dramas are often portrayed as slow-burn and innocent because of Confucian beliefs, which honestly makes the tension more exciting. June Hur perfectly captured the romantic tropes I was hoping to see and managed to make me root for Hyeon and Eojin from the very beginning! I also think that the romance was a great palate cleanser from the mystery aspect of the book.
I hope the author continues to include some romance in her future books. Once June Hur actually writes a scene with the couple attending the Lantern Festival, it’s all over for me!
The Tragedy of Crown Prince Sado
Perhaps this was the biggest reason why I was excited to read this book. I’ve been familiar with the story of Crown Prince Sado since I consume a lot of Korean media. He’s been depicted in numerous dramas and movies, but I’m most familiar with the movie, The Throne. I watched it several years ago since I was a big fan of Yoo Ah-in, who played Crown Prince Sado. I’m planning on rewatching it sometime soon!
In the book, he is referred to by his formal name, Prince Jangheon (Sado was given to him posthumously by his father, King Yeongjo). Based on different publications about the Prince, he was mentally ill. Since mental illnesses weren’t all fully explored yet during that era, Prince Jangheon was just regarded as a violent man. He had a difficult and strained relationship with King Yeongjo, which also brought him a lot of political opponents. In 1762, he was ordered by King Yeongjo to starve inside a rice chest for eight days which led to his death.
The Red Palace was set years before Prince Jangheon’s death, but the book offered us a peek into Prince Jangheon’s issues. I like how the book took a lot of real aspects but remained a loose adaptation of his story. Since I knew a little bit of his background, I didn’t suspect him as the killer from the start, but I think it was also vital to the story that his grave acts weren’t erased.
Overall Thoughts
The Red Palace deserves all the hype it’s getting! I’m so glad a lot of people enjoyed this book and I think it’s June Hur’s best one yet. I really had fun reading this book!
The characters were fleshed-out, the intrigue was well-built and compelling, and the romance was just perfectly written.
Do I recommend The Red Palace? Definitely!
The Red Palace surely takes up a spot in my top reads for 2022! If you enjoy a great mystery with a little bit of romance and some real historical elements, you shouldn’t miss reading The Red Palace!
**
For more book reviews and discussions, visit Fueled By Chapters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Torture
XOXO by Axie Oh
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
We Can't Keep Meeting Like This by Rachel Lynn Solomon
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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? Yes
5.0
Crazy Stupid Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-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
4.0
Sweet, steamy, and a little sweeter! I am truly a sucker for the friends-to-lovers trope. While Undercover Bromance didn't give us much about Alexis and Noah, this book set them up well, considering they only met during the last part of Book 2.
Both characters are sweet gentle souls and I could see how they're perfect for each other. I totally dig the mutual pining (and lusting haha). Love the whole journey and the emphasis on forgiveness, but geez, why does everyone have daddy issues?
Also, some of the parts on the last act fell a little flat, maybe it's the pacing.
But overall, I really enjoyed this one! The Russian's wife is real!!! Can't wait to read the next one!
Both characters are sweet gentle souls and I could see how they're perfect for each other. I totally dig the mutual pining (and lusting haha). Love the whole journey and the emphasis on forgiveness, but geez, why does everyone have daddy issues?
Also, some of the parts on the last act fell a little flat, maybe it's the pacing.
But overall, I really enjoyed this one! The Russian's wife is real!!! Can't wait to read the next one!
It Goes Like This by Miel Moreland
emotional
funny
inspiring
medium-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
4.75
Dokkaebi: Vicious Spirits by Kat Cho
adventurous
dark
emotional
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? Yes
5.0
Hawkeye, Vol. 1: My Life as a Weapon by Matt Fraction
adventurous
dark
funny
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
5.0