Release Date: January 25th, 2022 

Genre(s): Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Mystery

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Pages: 336

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Thank you to FierceReads and NetGalley for giving me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis

Joseon (Korea), 1758. There are few options available to illegitimate daughters in the capital city, but through hard work and study, eighteen-year-old Hyeon has earned a position as a palace nurse. All she wants is to keep her head down, do a good job, and perhaps finally win her estranged father’s approval.

But Hyeon is suddenly thrust into the dark and dangerous world of court politics when someone murders four women in a single night, and the prime suspect is Hyeon’s closest friend and mentor. Determined to prove her beloved teacher’s innocence, Hyeon launches her own secret investigation.

In her hunt for the truth, she encounters Eojin, a young police inspector also searching for the killer. When evidence begins to point to the Crown Prince himself as the murderer, Hyeon and Eojin must work together to search the darkest corners of the palace to uncover the deadly secrets behind the bloodshed.

Review

With the combination of a historical fiction novel and murder mystery, I wasn’t sure what to expect going into The Red Palace. But if you’re looking for a well-researched historical fiction novel with incredible world-building, I recommend this book to you.

The palace setting (and the mystery that lies within) is so intriguing. From the beginning, you can tell how many secrets are being kept and how untrustworthy many of the characters are. It’s very easy for this kind of setup to fall into unnecessary miscommunication, but that’s avoided in The Red Palace. Instead, we slowly uncover the fears and power that lie in those secrets that motivate each character’s actions. And as we learn more and more, the suspense can very much be felt with each chapter, as we ask ourselves – can this character be trusted?

This might deviate from other readers’ thoughts, but I found the pacing for The Red Palace to be slower – and I really liked that! The author spent so much time creating a rich world and showcasing Korean culture in this time period that it really helped amplify the mystery and other story elements.

The only thing I found lacking was Hyeon herself. I loved following her journey but I do wish the book went more into her backstory and aspirations. While we do know these things, I wish we got more than just being told about them, I think that would have strengthened her as a main character.

But The Red Palace was a very solid read overall, and I Look forward to checking out more of Hur’s books!

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