A crane among wolves

It's 1506 and 17-year-old Hwang Iseul's older sister Suyeon is kidnapped by tyrannical, murderous King Yeonsan, who wears a "black patch tied over his right eye." Despite the sisters' contentious relationship, strained by their parents' death by royal soldiers, formally sheltered Iseul travels to Hanyang near the capital to save her. Meanwhile in Gyeongbok Palace, Prince Daehyun, the king's younger half brother, grapples with survivor's guilt and must contend with the king's paranoia of betrayal. An already fraught rule is made tenser by an assassin at large called the Nameless Flower. When the king offers a "grand reward" for the Nameless Flower's capture, Iseul hopes that apprehending and turning in the killer will win her favor with the king and free her sister. During her investigation, Iseul crosses paths with Daehyun, who has been biding time for the opportunity to overthrow his brother. In this searing historical fantasy, Hur (The Red Palace) skillfully alternates between Iseul's first-person and Daehyun's close third-person perspective to develop the duo's growing attraction and presents the king's abuse of power as well as numerous violent action sequences in a way that is gruesome but never gratuitous. A historical note concludes. Ages 13--up. Agent: Amy Bishop-Wycisk, Trellis Literary. (May)

Gr 8 Up--In 1506 Joseon, 17-year-old Hwang Iseul walks three days to the capital with one goal: save her older sister Suyeon, who was kidnapped by the tyrant King Yeonsan and added to his harem. After their parents were executed for treason, Suyeon and Iseul grew estranged as Iseul refused to give up on the aristocratic life their parents promised her--leaving Suyeon to shoulder the burden. Upon arriving, she learns a serial killer called Nameless Flower has been taunting the king, and any information leading to his capture will gain a royal favor. If Iseul can help find Nameless Flower, she can ask for her sister back. Prince Daehyun is hunting for the Nameless Flower, too. As the king's favorite brother, he lives on a knife's edge as the king's paranoia forces Daehyun into senseless acts of violence to prove his loyalty. He knows the chance to overthrow his brother is approaching, but not if the Nameless Flower kills him first. The final pieces of the coup elude him--until he meets Iseul. Alternating perspectives between Iseul and Daehyun ramp up the tension as readers wait for Yeonsan's end with bated breath. The romance and found family elements offer moments of hope to balance the darkness. Yeonsan was a real king, known as Korea's worst tyrant, leaving his people to suffer and starve while he imprisoned hundreds of women as concubines. Hur does not shy away from the horrors of his reign, nor does she exploit them. Characters are Korean, and a content warning precedes the story. VERDICT An intense mystery and slow-burn romance that highlight a historical moment. Recommended for all YA collections.--Emmy Neal

An immersive tale of unlikely allies coming together for a common enemy. In Joseon dynasty Korea in 1506, 17-year-old Iseul has one goal: to find her older sister, Suyeon, and bring her home. Although they didn't have the best relationship after the trauma of their parents' execution by royal soldiers, Iseul bravely travels through forbidden territory. Her enemy is King Yeonsan, a vile man who abducts women, but after hearing of a serial killer--and the king's obsession with finding him--Iseul decides that capturing the murderer could be the way to get her sister back. She's not alone in her hatred for the king; his half brother, Prince Daehyun, is secretly plotting treason to stop Yeonsan's reign of terror. Calling Daehyun his favorite brother, the king demands he carry out increasingly extreme acts of cruelty in order to prove his loyalty, but the prince is determined to not become a monster himself. After a fateful encounter with Daehyun, Iseul is left with even more disgust for the crown, but she doesn't yet know the full story behind Daehyun's intentions. With such a powerful shared enemy, the pair might find that becoming allies is the smartest way to achieve their objectives. Award-winner Hur's latest historical intrigue is well researched and doesn't shy away from depicting elements of this real king's brutal history, and the resulting tale is immersive, intense, and engaging. A page-turner. (author's note with content warning, historical note) (Historical thriller. 14-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.