DESCENDANT OF THE CRANE draws concepts from East-Asian culture (specifically, Chinese!), which immediately made this at the top of my TBR list. Unfortunately, my hopes were probably too high, as I found the story dragging on and on, and was indifferent to Hesina’s struggles and journey. Although DESCENDANT OF THE CRANE has stunning narrative and writing, the slow plot and lack of action made it almost a miss for me. It took me quite a while to start appreciating Hesina’s growth, even though I thought it was well-paced and well-written. Must be a case of “it’s-me-not-you” over here. The real exciting part came when all the plot twists became exposed near the end, so ultimately, I do believe that slow build-up got the anticipated reaction from me.

“She wasn’t a princess anymore. Power wasn’t wielding the knife on her own but having someone else wield it on her behalf.”

The book starts with the sudden death of Princess Hesina’s father, the king of a nation thrown in tumult. She herself is thrust into the role of a queen, which she is NOT ready for. What’s a girl gotta do but adapt? And adapt she does. Hesina learns how to play the power game, amidst the politics of the court and intricate relationships that begin to develop. All the while, she remains obstinate that her father’s death was murder, rather than by natural causes. Soon enough, she’s balancing this investigation AND her control of the throne. What could go wrong?

I love the folklore written within the pages of DESCENDANT OF THE CRANE, and I think the author did a brilliant job in setting it up. What the book lacks in action is definitely made up for by the exposition and writing. Hesina’s character development was also stellar, although that brings me to another point… I thought these characters were exceptionally mature for their age (for context, Hesina is 17 years old). Hesina’s narrative is filled with thoughtful introspection, her younger brother Sanjing has assumed the role of the leader of warriors, and the prisoner Hesina hires as her lawyer, Akira, is very quick-witted and sly. Joan He really introduces a complexity to these characters and their actions, that I don’t see often in Young Adult books, which made for a surprising analysis.

“We believe the things we want to believe. - ONE of the ELEVEN on human nature”

From the complex characterizations to the detailed exposition, DESCENDANT OF THE CRANE makes for an intense and thoughtful read. My main complaint would definitely be the lack of action and dragging pace of the plot in favor of the character narrative throughout the middle of the book. It definitely provides more depth, but recently I’ve been craving more action in my stories, and this was one aspect the book disappointed me with. Other than that, it’s a spectacular fantasy read that I really recommend to fantasy readers. Hesina may not be a spitfire warrior heroine like the popular ones that dominate YA fantasy, but she’s intelligent and resourceful and has exceeding depth, which is why I’m definitely sticking with the rest of her story.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Trigger/Content Warnings: oppression, loss of a loved one, grief, cutting
Thank you Albert Whitman & Company and Netgalley for the review copy!

This book gave me so much whiplash--especially at the end! Part magical fantasy, part courtroom drama and part murder investigation, there's a lot of plot in this one.

The question of who killed the king is dangled over us as the new queen has to attempt to navigate her country's legal system as well as the court of public opinion. Hesina additionally goes up against her own advisors, ministers and even her own people. There's a complex political structure in Yan that did away with the 'unquestioned tyrannical king' that usually exist in stories like this, which I really appreciated. There's also a religious cult-like mindset that invades the population and mimics some of the abuses of power and widespread fear & animosity that parts of the world are dealing with today. Both the audience and the characters are asked, is it better to try to appease a mob or to dismantle it?

"In trying times, truth is the first thing we betray."

Hesina has a pretty large and complicated family, with an adopted brother and sister, a half-brother and a full brother along with her father, mother who doesn't live with them and the courtesan mother of said half-brother. There's resentment and anger bubbling beneath the surface at all times, and it at times was difficult to follow people's motivations. Sometimes even after the explanations of some characters' actions, I was still left confused on why.

I don't know if this is a theme with the fantasy books I've read lately or just in general, but it seems like the endings are always set up for a sequel. Which is fine, but I like to know that going into the book, so I can rate it as a stand-alone or one of a series. If this was a stand-alone then I feel like it left me with some questions, but if there's more coming, then the epilogue was the perfect post/mid-credits scene like out of a Marvel movie. You'll be itching for more!

It's rare that I find myself so completely infatuated with a book. I gush about a few, sure, but I mean this one was the sort that from the first chapter you knew you were reading something quite amazing. Not only does it engage you in the first chapter but there was not one character that I wasn't completely interested in, there were no slumps or any boring filling, it was pure gold from start to finish. Usually, I do a pros and cons list when I write a review on my blog and this time the cons will be superfluous ones. I'm sure there are faults but anything that might have stood out to me didn't due to beautiful prose and quite talented world-building skills. But more than anything, Joan He had a way of making you feel for her characters in a way that I really hadn't in probably over a decade of reading. This isn't a 'Chinese-inspired Game of Thrones.' This is an amazing work of fiction all on its own, He's story is her own with no shadows of GoT and she can clearly stand on her own two feet without such a comparison needed. I felt honored in being able to read an eARC of this and I'm grateful for the chance to read such an amazing book. Of course, this is all my own opinion and others will not feel the same but, I stick by what I've said. It's quickly been shelved on my favorites on GR and I will be closely watching for anything else Joan He will come out with from now on.

I very much admire the complexities that went into writing this deeply intricate political fantasy. It's definitely the kind of tale that relies on the reader keeping up, reading between the lines, and appreciating the Chinese #ownvoices culture that's woven lovingly through every chapter. Total admiration for the author!

The world was very intriguing, although it left me with many questions on the politics of how things ran (why it was so controversial for Hesina to launch an inquiry and trial about her father's death, I'm still not sure). But the amazing setting and descriptions were beautiful and so carefully written. You can tell so much thought and planning went into this novel.

My comprehension of the lot was a little scattered, unfortunately, leaving me lost. But I'd definitely recommend this book to everyone who craves epic fantasy that's about plot twists and court politics and the backstabby trickery of not knowing who to trust in your own home. And the ending definitely drops you off a cliffhanger that you desperately need answers to!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I read the description for this book and I was hooked. I put the release date on my calendar and prepared myself to wait. But I ended up not having to wait. I put in a request for an arc on NetGalley, fully expecting not to get it, but I am very grateful that I did. This is my first ever arc and my second (If you don't include Michelle Obama's audiobook) five star read of 2019.

Tyrants cut out hearts. Rulers sacrifice their own.

Princess Hesina of Yan has always been eager to avoid her responsibilities of the crown and dreams of an unremarkable life. But when her father, the king, is found dead, she's thrust into power. Now that she is the queen of a surprisingly unstable kingdom she has the power to take to trial the one thing on her mind; Her father didn't naturally die, he was murdered and the killer is someone close to her. Hesina's court is packed full of dissemblers and deceivers eager to use the king's death for their own political gain, each as plausibly guilty as the next. Her advisers would like her to blame the neighboring kindom of Kendi'a, whose ruler has been mustering for a war. Hesina is determined to find her father's actual killer and does something desperate: she gets aid from a soothsays - a treasonous act, punishable by death, since magic was outlawed centuries ago. Using the information provided by the sooth, she finds Akira, a brilliant investigator who's also a convicted criminal with secrets of his own. Hesina is unsure whether she can trust her own family and the future of Yan is at stake, can Hesina find justice for her father? Or will the cost be too high?

I can't get over how much I love this book. I bet I'm not the only one that struggles to express emotions after reading something that makes you full of them. Everything about this book is amazing and it deserves so much more than what I will say about it. The characters all have so much depth, I felt connected to all of them. The backstories and relationships between all of them are so delicate but deep. None of the relationships felt forced, they were pure and real, like Hesina and her mother or her (blood) brother. The world was also very intricate and I built up Yan in my head with all the details I was given within the book, it was as beautiful as it was written to be even though it was falling apart at the seams as the book went on. There were magical family secrets and twisted political games that were intriguing and irritating all at the same time. However the one thing that really made me mad, in the best way, were the plot twists. There were things I never expected to happen and right after reading one, another one happened! It was almost too much (it wasn't, but it had me triggered a lot).

There was really only one thing I didn't like about the book and it was the very very beginning. It seemed the beginning started out abrupt and I was very confused about what was happening and who was who. It seemed like an odd place to start, but of course that's my own opinion. Once I understood what was happening and who everyone was, I started on the path of a phenomenal book.

I received an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review

I can see this is a good book. I loved the world building. I really enjoyed the references to Chinese history - especially since I have studied it. This is a wonderful diverse novel and from what I've seen of the author on social media, she is super smart and has really thought out her writing and narratives, especially with regard to language. I just didn't really engage with the characters. The narrative just didn't capture me. I am certain that this is me failing as a reader rather than the book because objectively I can see that it's a good story, well written. For some unknown reason it didn't connect for me. Highly recommend for those looking for diverse fantasy reads though.

Although author Joan He says DESCENDANT OF THE CRANE is a standalone novel, it absolutely begs to blossom into a series. This lush fantasy tale takes inspiration from Chinese history and legends and features political intrigue, murder, magic, and a fantastic heroine in a world steeped in deception and danger. An astonishingly assured debut, and I hope to read more from He very soon.

3.5/5 stars

This was one of those books for which I was extremely excited in 2019. The cover is GORGEOUS, the plot sounded super interesting, and I was keen to read something Asian-inspired (I haven't read many of those yet). I struggled trying to rate this, and I was pretty certain I was going to give it a higher rating until I got to the end. We'll get to why I found the resolution of this book to be quite weak.

Overall, I enjoyed this. The main character, Hesina, is one of those characters who's soft and hard at the same time. She is kind and wants what's best for her loved ones and her kingdom, but she is also ruthless about protecting them. I liked that she was clever, and that she was a very active character - i.e. things weren't just happening to her, rather, she was a driving force behind the plot.

From the summary, I assumed Hesina's enlisting the help of a soothsayer would play a major part in the plot, and that the soothsayer would be a major character. Thus I was quite surprised when the book begins with Hesina talking to the sooth, and then they're out of the picture shortly after. That wasn't at all what I had been expecting, so it all felt a bit too quick for me. Nonetheless, I was content to settle in and see where the rest of the story went.

The story revolves around the fact that Hesina's father (the king) has died and she (his heir) wants to uncover the person responsible. In order to do this she must hold a trial and, according to the sooth's predictions, find someone to represent her in that trial. This representative, the sooth says, will be a convict with a rod.

Yes, a rod as in a big stick, I guess. Though I must say I appreciated the number of jokes Hesina's adoptive sister, Lilian, made about wanting to see the convict's "rod." Ha. That said, I found this a bit confusing, since I wasn't clear on the importance of the whole convict/rod thing in general. It's possible I was just reading too fast and missed something, but I wasn't clear on how the sooth's prediction actually helped Hesina in the end. Yes, Akira (the convict) was a good investigator but...I feel like that needed to be revisited near the end of the book so that I could make those connections.

Moving on.

The major plot points of this book are going to be difficult to explain without spoilers, because the story is essentially about Hesina uncovering bits and pieces of information about her father, his death, the sooths, and her kingdom in general. The kingdom's laws revolve around 'the Tenets' written hundreds of years ago by a group called the Eleven, and it is those laws that declare the sooths dangerous and sentences them to "death by a thousand cuts." But Hesina is convinced someone murdered her father and goes against the Tenets to get to the bottom of the mystery.

It was interesting to see her uncover the pieces of her father's past, but there were quite a few things that confused me.

For example, in the middle of the book Hesina travels all the way to the middle of somewhere to meet with the High Prince of Kendi'a. She's accompanied by a swordswoman named Mei who essentially pops out of absolutely nowhere and then ends up having an important role in the story (?). Then there's a showdown with the High Prince that involves a very brief conversation followed by some revelations.

Why did Hesina travel all the way to meet him in the first place, just to come all the way home again? It seemed like a way of filling pages. He could have written her a letter. He could have come to her instead. That's also the only scene the High Prince actually appears in throughout the entire book, and it felt very out of place to me. I don't know, man. It's hard to explain, but it just didn't work for me.

I did enjoy all the tidbits of culture in this novel. It was interesting and I felt immersed in the setting even if I didn't quite feel immersed in the characters and their relationships. Overall, I had a good time reading it. I just needed more. More conversation between Hesina and Akira, who becomes the love interest. Their interactions weren't deep enough for me to feel anything, with the exception of one actual conversation they have near the end of the book, and even that kind of just skims the surface. And though I liked Hesina, her reactions to things were...odd. There were many revelations that should have had her (and me!) feeling ALL TYPES OF WAYS. Although her feelings were explained, I didn't feel it. I should have been horrified and heartbroken and etc., etc. along with her. But I was just...there. It's hard to describe.

Stop reading here if you want literally NO spoilers. I'm not going to spoil the ending or anything, but I am going to go into a little more detail in this next part so you can understand why the resolution didn't work for me.

So. Over the course of the story Hesina finds out the truth of what happened to her father with Akira's help, but very little is actually resolved. By the time we reach the ending, her kingdom is more out of control than ever. Things are more chaotic than they were at the beginning of the book. War is still looming, and the High Prince is still a threat. The sooths are still hated, and so is Hesina. She's betrayed numerous times by numerous characters, except that some of these betrayals are real, and some aren't. Or are they? Or aren't they? Honestly, it's just confusing. I felt like the rug kept being pulled out from under my feet and then the author was all, "Just kidding! Here's the real shock. Or maybe not!"

It reminded me of the end of Caraval, where there's too much happening and you can't figure out anyone's motives and you just give up on trying to determine what the heck is going on. And then once I finally thought I'd gotten to the REAL, actual betrayal, the epilogue came along and made me second guess THAT, too. It tried to spin it so that everything that happened in the earlier half of the book was part of some "grand plan" where the manipulators knew exactly what Hesina would do and what the outcomes would be. This annoyed me because I don't think it gave Hesina enough credit as a character.

Sorry if this was confusing, but it was really hard to write this given that some of the most important plot points of this book would be considered major spoilers. Hopefully I communicated my confusion enough that you understand what I'm talking about. I wasn't as profoundly lost in this book like I was in Wicked Saints - hereafter to be referred to as surely the most confusing book I will read in 2019 - but I was left questioning the logic of many things. I know a lot of this will likely be resolved in the next book, but considering this book isn't even out yet, I feel like it should have provided at least SOME closure instead of leaving every. single. conflict. hanging.

That said, I did enjoy reading this. Joan is a very good writer and I'll read the next instalment. I just think this book would have been better if some of the less-important scenes in the middle were cut and some actual resolution was added, so that the reader isn't left feeling so yanked-around for no payoff.

WHat A BOOK !!! I think it has been a perfect hell of a ride reading this Game of thrones inspired Chinese story. I am huge fan of fantasy stories and I cant help saying but I absolutely adored this book. Especially the second half of the book was just so great , with betrayals, deceptions and what not to complement the story line .
I cannot wait to read more of the story .

Thank you to Albert Whitman Company and Netgalley for the Arc copy.

Honestly this was a complete cover request for me, it’s utterly gorgeous and this is definitely a case of DO judge a book by it’s cover as the words inside were just as beautiful. It’s not often that books leave me lost for words with where to start but truly Descendant of the Crane is something pretty special. Every time I thought I had the genre pegged in this own voice story the tables turned, from YA fantasy, to thriller, to mystery, to court room drama; Descendant has a bit of everything and they are all seamlessly woven together in a delicate tale of intrigue and misdirection. It would be remiss of me however to let the brilliance of the last 2/3 gloss over the fact that it wasn’t the easiest book to get into. It must always be a hard decision to find the right place in the story to start but given the mythology and magics in play, some detailed background early on would have helped as I often felt like I was on the back foot in the opening chapters. The story does fall into place by the conclusion of the first of the three parts though, however, the quotes from the Tenets at the start of each chapter never flowed well for me.

Descendant celebrates all that is good about standalone novels. Does it have the potential to expand; yes, but I’m glad it didn’t as I absolutely adored the ending and the trust was put in the reader to consider the future. It would have been easy to spread such a intense tale over 2 or 3 books but by being a standalone it means that there are just wave after wave of twists and turns really bringing the reader into Hesina’s world where the feelings of confusion, elation, and betrayal are acutely felt.

The characters are wonderful though and I felt like I had really bonded with Hesina by the end, so much weight on her shoulders and the distance and indifference of her mother really tugged at me as I’m a parent myself. Akira is a really complex character and we are left guessing for much of the time but he’s effortless in all he does, and his Atticus Finch esq approach to trials was jaw dropping at times. All the characters are layered though and that’s what helps Descendant really pack a punch, so much mystery surrounding so many of the players both large and small, the comparisons to Game of Thrones is well founded and means I will say little else about them!

Despite the shaky start once everything had fallen into place in my mind I found it a difficult book to put down. The attention to detail from the clothing to the buildings, the descriptions about books and engravings felt alive in my mind, like I could almost reach out and feel them. Despite this though Joan He created a world that felt very muted (not dull!) but it was clearly against a back drop of mourning and it was a really subtle way of reminding the reader that actually everything is not okay. The magic system was wonderfully simple and the way it walked side by side with Hesina growing with each discovery left the lines feeling blurred.

Descendant of the Crane is a great stand alone read which will leave your head spinning and your jaw on the floor, just give it the time to get there!

Joan He writes a compelling tale full of intrigue and heart. Descendant of the Crane tackles the realities of palace life and rulership all in a coming-of-age story. He's characters are relatable and authentic, while the plot moves with purpose. I can't wait for the next book!

When Princess Hesina's father is murdered, she knows her destiny involves finding his killer and brining them to justice. Supported by her brothers, sister, and a mysterious convict, Hesina dives into a life-changing investigation and political intrigue. Hesina will need bravery and loyalty in order to surmount the challenges that lay ahead, as nothing is as it seems.

I am happy to be reviewing it on Women's Day because one of the main things i absolutely loved about this book is that it imposes no gender expectations or roles on its characters.
You can rule, you can go to war, you can study, just do what you do best - whether you are a man or a woman.
It is very refreshing, especially so for YA, and i think we need more of this for teenagers, both male and female.

Figure who you are as a person, what you stand for, what are your beliefs, what is important for you and what can not be sacrificed - these are basically the main questions Descendant of the Crane places in front of the characters and in front of you.

I like books where the characters are not all good or all bad, that only makes them one dimensional. Joan He manages to paint her main character quite thoroughly in this regard but i felt that maybe a bit more was needed on some of the supporting characters. Or at least i would've wanted that and i don't think it would've robbed anything from how their stories developed.

I am also hoping for if not continuation but at least more books in the same universe! :)
No pressure, Ms. He ;)

All in all i am thoroughly impressed and have already mentioned it as a recommendation to my friend's daughter :D

I went into this book being assured that it would wreck me. And I can’t say that was wrong – I am wrecked. Because this book is probably, at heart, about a family falling apart. It’s not really an epic fantasy in terms of scope – there are parts that extend beyond the family and the city, and they’re hinted at becoming more important – but the focus is really on the king’s death, his daughter’s investigation, and the city.

Descendant of the Crane starts off with Hesina, the king’s daughter, opening an investigation into the death of her father, because she believes that there is no way his death was natural. But in delving into this mystery, she opens a whole other can of worms – who was her father and how can she stop the rot that’s set into the city and country?

The best part of this book was the characters. I don’t really know how to describe how much I loved them. They were so well fleshed out and developed and their interactions caused me so much pain (in a good way!). Especially Sanjing and Hesina. And [redacted] and [redacted] at the end.

And the twists! God the plot twists in this were so good. I may have had little issues with how they were spaced out (most of it happened in the last quarter of the book), but each twist came so suddenly and made you think back to how could I have seen this coming. Yes, I picked one or two, as is always going to happen, but others just hit me out of nowhere. And then the last one! The cliffhanger! God.

I guess, ultimately, there were two small things that means that I only gave this four stars rather than five. First, it gets fairly slow at points. After the halfway point and the twist there, there’s a kind of lull until the last quarter. I lost a bit of momentum reading it then (because I’m impatient). The end did bring it back but it was just that little slowness that got me. Second, I didn’t like the romance, really. I could see where it might come from, but I felt it was maybe underdeveloped? Or less that and more there wasn’t much chance to spend time developing it so it ended up that they became friendly and never really felt like they ought to progress beyond that. I don’t know if that makes any sense, but yeah. I wasn’t a huge fan, but it didn’t really play that much of a role so it didn’t matter.

Putting that aside though, I don’t think I’ve read such an intense ending to a book in a while. I was so tense while reading it (and hoping that what had just happened wasn’t real, then being sad because you know why but [redacted] doesn’t). And the cliffhanger? With no news of a sequel yet? That’s mean.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the Publisher for the ARC.

This book was stunning. The writing was flawless to me. The world was great. The characters were amazing. I highly suggest this read.

Not suitable for curriculum but will definitely reccommend to students for a diverse Asian inspired fantasy read. Full of action and intrigue!

WOW! Descendant of the Crane is everything I didn't know I needed in YA right now. Successfully blending elements of the mystery, thriller, court intrigue and fantasy genres. Fantastic world building combined with a fast pace make this a YA debut not to miss!!

Recommended for advanced readers 12+
Plot twists Galore
Clean Language
Minimal Romantic themes, these are innocent
Triggers for depictions of violence

I will admit I was going into this book with thinking that it would be good. But I ended up LOVING IT! I cannot wait for this book to come out so that I can bask in all it's glory! Diffidently a five star read!

At its barest bones, Descendant of the Crane is much like many other fantasy novels. An abnormally young Queen (Hesina) ascends to the throne on the heels of a conspiracy (the death of her father), and sets about unraveling said conspiracy along with the help of an assorted crew of other teenagers.

However, where most of the other books that follow this blueprint blend together, Descendant of the Crane shines. Hesina is an immensely relatable narrator and every time she hurt, I hurt. When she cried, I cried. The rest of her motley crew (her brother, her adopted siblings, and a convict) is fleshed out to perfection, making their sufferings throughout the book very affecting. (If it seems like I'm focusing too much on the sadness, it's because this book absolutely broke my heart in the best way, and boy am I still feeling it.)

The plot takes turns that are unexpected and never extraneous. The setting is beautiful and vividly depicted. Relationships grow believably and emotionally. Hesina struggles with her country's persecution of the sooths (a magically gifted subset of people) and this exploration of what to do when your sense of morality conflicts with seemingly everyone else is at the core of the story.

Hesina has just become a monarch, but I loved that, unlike most of these characters, she was extremely competent. There were many forces at play that she had little control over, but her promise as a ruler is never clearer than during her interactions with the Crown Prince of a rival nation. The backbone of the plot of the book is the mystery of the death of Hesina's father, and although other plotlines make up the heart of the book, this mystery's twists and turns keep this book engaging.

As genres, I love period dramas and fantasy for their court intrigue plotlines, and Descendant of the Crane featured enough of this to make me happy, while still being more of an action/adventure type fantasy novel than I was quite expecting. Nonetheless, the action was exhilarating, and I wouldn't change a moment of it.

I think I may never recover from this book. I will be eagerly awaiting its sequel and I highly recommend it to lovers of fantasy, incredible heroines, and mystery.

DNF, stopped in Chapter 2.

Honestly, I am really disappointed. The cover is beautiful, the idea is great, and who doesn’t love a Chinese inspired setting?? Unfortunately, the first chapter failed to grip me, and the second chapter just made me frustrated. I feel like we were just dropped into the story and expected to care without given a reason why.

Hesina mentions the Eleven, who overthrew the previous dynasty, and says that she disagrees with the way they handled the Sooth, but not what her actual relationship is to them. I’m assuming they are her ancestors since she’s the princess, but it’s never explicitly stated, and she describes them so distantly that I don’t care.

Everything, actually, was delivered in these confusing snippets of information that was almost all historical background, but not much about the characters. I know that Hesina is going to be queen (and has always known this, even though the synopsis implies otherwise), that she has twin siblings that her father adopted, a blood brother, and that she wants justice for her father’s murder. Except, as the king, this shouldn’t be that hard to investigate? She literally has all the resources of the kingdom at her disposal, and it makes no sense to me whatsoever that the death of THE KING wasn’t investigated further in the first place. The whole premise does not make sense.

And her solution, the big plan to get justice for her father?

Litigation. She needs to find her representative...for a court case…..the very idea has me bored out of my mind, and I cannot continue.

I’m sure this is going to be an unpopular opinion, and maybe it gets more exciting past chapter 2, but I refuse to give a book my time if it isn’t interesting after at least the first chapter.

Descendant of the Crane sounded amazing, and I was so excited to receive an arc for it. I love Chinese historical dramas with all the court intrigue and scheming, but this book really let me down. To start, it just was confusing. You’re dropped right into the aftermath of Hesina’s father’s murder with very little explanation of what is going on or the world in which it’s set. Also, the pace is incredibly slow. Sometimes a slow build up works, but in this case it did not. The main character, Hesina, is pretty uninteresting, and I never could connect with her or any of the other characters. I thought this would be definitely up my alley, but it decidedly was not.