I apologies for taking too long to review the book. I was in slump and stopped reading it in the middle because I don't want to dislike the book.

I am engaged with this book. I simply couldn't put it down. It was my first kind of reading this solving crime/mystery book and I like it a lot. I'm a big fan of kdrama and I love Korea. Reading this book made me felt like home. I legit participating in solving the crime. Who was the killer? I love the pacing and the author's writing. It was enjoyable.

I'll be the first to admit that I know almost nothing about modern Korean culture, much less about history. So this novel is a pretty interesting look at the larger world. That was, to me, the real selling point here. The mystery is fine. But the investigation introduces the reader to the intricacies of culture, to taboos and social rules. The roles of women and the careful class structures. The characters are decent and the plot wraps up in a neat and satisfactory way.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

I added The Red Palace by June Hur to my list after watching The Red Sleeve - a Korean royal love story set during the second half of the 1700s (a MUST-watch, especially if you enjoy historical dramas that focus on patriarchy and gender roles)

Having seen that drama and several other royal historical Korean dramas, I could picture the royal court setting of The Red Palace perfectly.

The Red Palace is about an 18yo royal palace nurse Hyeon whose mentor is accused of committing four horrendous murders in a single night. To prove her friend’s innocence, she launches her own investigation with the help of a young police inspector, Eojin.

I wholly recommend this book if you enjoy

- historical YA fiction (with a focus on the dangerous world of court politics during the Joseon period)
- a well-plotted murder mystery with a side of slow-burn romance
- books that examine gender roles and classism - the female protagonist’s struggle to come to terms with the way society and her father treat her were my favourite part of the book.

This one was a little outside my comfort zone, but I'm so glad I took a chance on it, because I was completely gripped by the story, and now want to read whatever this author puts out next. Also, I was rather surprised that within this historical fiction murder mystery, we also go a very sweet romantic subplot.

4.25 rounded to 4

I LOVE June Hur’s writing and her book The Forest of Stolen Girls was one of my favorite reads and just as that, The Red Palace did not disappoint. The main characters are so well written and thought out, they feel as if you have known them for so long. Also, hello slow burn romance *wink wink* — how can you to love a good slow burn?! I look forward to reading more work by June in the future as she never seems to disappoint.

4 stars!

I thought that this was a really good blend of historical fiction and mystery. I really enjoyed this and would definitely read more from June Hur.

This is such an interesting subgenre to read in, as I don’t think I’ve ever read a Korean historical mystery before. Hur wove a story together out of historical elements and her own imagination, and it was pretty cool to see it all come together despite the fact that I didn't necessarily 100% click with the writing style.

“To enter the palace means to walk a path stained in blood.” It’s 1758, Joseon (Korea). Seventeen-year old palace nurse Hyeon is drawn into the dangerous world of court politics when four women are murdered in a single night. Against all logic and evidence, Hyeon’s mentor and close friend is the prime suspect. Desperate to prove her friend’s innocence, Hyeon begins secretly investigating the murders, discovering that they may be part of a much larger conspiracy and cover-up. What she and Eojin (a young police inspector) discover places them both in peril. The Red Palace is an immersive historical mystery - with a spark of romance - that is perfect for days that get dark extra early!

Reading this feels like walking straight into a historical k-drama. The Red Palace was a fast-paced, exciting, adventurous mystery, and I loved every moment of it!

This was my second June Hur book, and I have to admit I liked Forest of the Stolen Girls slightly better, but this was another atmospheric, well-written historical murder mystery. I really liked the setting of this book, and I felt like it had an amazing balance between an interesting historical setting, a murder mystery you want to figure out, and a soft and sweet romance. I haven't watched any historical K-dramas yet, but this book is making me want to try one!

Thank you to Feiwel & Friends and Netgalley for a copy of this book for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rating: 3.5 stars

content warnings: death of a family member, parental death, parental abandonment, mental illness, murder, violence/torture, sexism/misogyny, blood, illness, gore/medical trauma, police brutality

The Red Palace follows Hyeon, an illegitimate daughter and palace nurse in Joseon (Korea) in 1758. Her only motives are to maintain her palace position and perhaps win her father's approval along the way, but things quickly go awry as Hyeon finds herself used as an alibi for a member of the royal family on the night of a massacre. Can Hyeon manage to discover the truth of the murders when her job, family reputation, and even her life may be at stake if she does not keep her head down?

I was drawn to this book as a lover of historical fiction, mysteries, court intrigue, and slow burn romance! I chose to read it for Bookopoly where the prompt was "favorite setting": a palace!

I think the best parts of this book for me were the writing and the logic. June Hur seems to have put a large amount of research into this novel, especially revolving around the Crown Prince. Her writing was also quite enjoyable and I have already added The Silence of Bones to my TBR. It was refreshing to read a standalone as well, after struggling through many tomes of series this summer.

My intrigue was high for a large portion of this book, but some of the scenes began to feel vague and repetitive. There was a fight scene (?) that I tried to re-listen to twice (I switched between physical, ebook, and audiobook for this read thanks to an old ARC and my library) and I still struggled to understand where the attacker had come from and what was happening. There are quite a few times where it felt like the plot was paused for an introspective Hyeon to wonder the same few questions over again which left me bored towards the end.

The ending was QUICK and I would have been upset if not for the longer epilogue that followed and tried to wrap the plot and side plots up neatly. I was still left wondering a few things, but am mostly satisfied.

I also really enjoyed the romance! Slow and subtle is a rarity these days, and I was drawn in by each scene between them!

I would recommend this book to fans of YA historical fiction, mysteries, court intrigue, and slow-burn/subtle romance.

This book was basically a murder mystery but set in 1700s Korea. The setting was really cool and it was interesting to learn about all the social norms of that time period, but unfortunetly the story itself fell flat for me. I was shocked when the romance was developed because it felt like it came out of nowhere. Also, the reveal of who the killer was wasn't very shocking to me but the reason why is a spoiler. I will continue to read everything June Hur writes though and I'm still looking forward to reading her one backlist book I haven't gotten to yet.

Another rich mystery that captures a little known time period and culture and brings it to the modern reader. I will recommend it.

This was my first June Hur book, and it has definitely made me want to pick up the rest of her backlist immediately! I loved the mystery of this book, the characters, and how she crafted this historical world. It was everything!!

Content Warnings: graphic depiction of murder, mentions of torture

Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4.5/5
Writing: 4/5

The Red Palace was an engaging young adult historical mystery set in 18th century Korea that kept me hooked throughout with a romance so sweet it will give you a cavity. I didn’t really know what to expect from it because I don’t usually read mysteries but I enjoyed it so much and now I definitely want to read June Hur’s other books.

The bloody palace full of spies and secrets where people either lost their lives or their humanity was the perfect backdrop for a murder mystery. It created this unwaveringly tense atmosphere that had me on edge the entire time.

What made it even more interesting was reading the author’s note and finding out The Red Palace is based loosely on the death of Crown Prince Jangheon (Crown Prince Sado). Reading more about his tragic story added a new dimension to the story for me and I love it when I reading a book leads me to read about a topic further and learn something new. In fact June Hur wrote a whole newsletter about this and it’s an interesting read I’d recommend you check out. The main character, Hyeon, was a uinyeo (a female nurse/ physician who treated women during the Joseon dynasty of Korea) and I also liked getting an idea of what medical practice was like at that time.

It really struck me in a sad way how for a historical book the themes of violence against women with little justice for them and the lack of accountability for those in power felt so relevant to our society today.

I found Hyeon to be really impressive. She was determined, smart and most importantly extremely adaptive in high pressure situations- she really knew how to think on her feet. I feel like her insecurities linked to feeling like she could never make her father proud no matter how excellent she was and tying her worth to her position in the palace would be relatable to a lot of people. That’s why I loved the growth she had in realising she defines her own worth and beginning to seek out the things that will truly make her happy instead of doing things just to receive praise and validation from others even if it puts her wellbeing at risk, I think it’s a good message to take away.

Hyeon’s relationship with her mother improved a lot over the course of the book and was one of the most interesting aspects of the book for me. I do wish this relationship was developed a bit better because the change in Hyeon’s mother seemed very sudden. I think the issue is the dissonance between the way Hyeon described her mother and her mother’s actual actions during the book and the reader is expected to read between the lines a bit too much.

The romance was so cute I am obsessed about Hyeon and Eojin I could read about them for hours without getting bored because they are just EVERYTHING. The slow development of trust and warmth between them was so beautiful and I love how thoughtful Eojin was. For example, when they ate together he gave her all the best bits of meat from his soup. I think it’s the little thoughtful things that make the most difference and that was what Eojin was all about.

I liked how the mystery unfolded in a satisfying way that all made sense. The only thing that annoyed me was how whenever Hyeon approached someone for information no matter who they were they just seemed to tell her everything she needed to know just like that, a lot of the time it felt too easy. I felt like her investigation realistically would have had more resistance and obstacles.

Overall, I would highly recommend The Red Palace and if you have read it and are desperate for more you can read the bonus epilogue which is truly the most adorable thing I have read in my life!

My historical fiction heart loved absolutely everything about The Red Palace. It’s definitely one of my favorite books I have read. I loved the mystery tied into actual history. It needs to be a drama.

There was a drama I watched a long time ago called Dae Jang Geum and it was probably the one that really solidified my love of historical K-dramas. The Red Palace actually reminded me of that drama a lot. Not because it’s the same story or anything but that same really well done, pull you in kind of historical fiction. I would absolutely love to see The Red Palace as a k-drama as well. So I think my love of this book is kind of two fold. I love the story for itself and also for that nostalgia it gives me to a favorite drama.

Absolutely love the characters. Hyeon is just so bright and resourceful. I love her fearlessness and depth. Eojin has that mysterious thing going for him but he is also kind. I enjoyed the slow burn of their relationship as it evolved.

The plot and the mystery is great. Another one that made me look up history, which I always think is a well written historical fiction, one that makes you want to seek more information about that particular time period.

I always find it harder to talk about books I love because really I just want to say. I love it, read it and then throw it into your waiting arms. So just read it.

Not usually one for a historical thriller, but I absolutely loved this book.

Set in 1758 Korea (Joseon at the time), this historical fiction pulls from the life of Crown Prince Sado. If you're like me and aren't familiar with this time in Korean history or the Prince himself - try not to spoil the story by looking him up! The author leaves an informative note at the conclusion with additional information regarding the Prince.

The main character, eighteen-year-old palace nurse Hyeon, finds herself pulled into the hunt for a murderer to clear her mentor's name. Along the way, she meets a mysterious and upstart young detective.

Hyeon is everything I love in a female lead: she has her own baggage and issues she's working through but makes every decision with common sense. The reader watches as Hyeon uses logic and intuition to track down the murderer and battle her inner demons. The personal growth of her character and her various relationship is well developed. I found myself rooting for her!

And for the romance lovers out there, there is a very slow-burn romantic aspect that should satisfy most people.

I consider this light historical fiction with a good thriller "who did it" mystery that kept me engaged. It made me want to learn more about this dynasty and the actual historical figures, making it an automatic five-star for me. My only complaint is that I wanted more!!

Loved it - of course. It's everything you love about a historical k-drama but in book form: setting, plucky heroine, swoon-worthy hero, danger, lots of secrets, close calls.

Stars: 4.5 out of 5

I am a big fan of Korean dramas in general and saiguk, or costumed period dramas in particular. I also love fiction books set in cultures other than European Middle ages. So this book was right up my alley.

I lived the rich world the author describes here, and as I watched a lot of period dramas, I could picture all the costumes and locations with perfect clarity, which only added to my delight with this book.

It doesn't hurt that the protagonist is very likeable as well. She is honest and good-hearted, but also full of flaws and insecurities. Life was hard for women in Joseon Korea, especially illegitimate daughters of noblemen who barely acknowledge them. I loved Hyeon's determination to make a life for herself and how hard she works to achieve it.

Granted, at first her motivation is misguided - she wants to prove to her father that she is someone worth loving. Frankly, if her father doesn't love her now, nothing will change that. And he even proves my point by recklessly wreaking her life in the middle of the book, just because she wouldn't obey him.

I was glad to see Hyeon's journey in this book. Her coming into her own strength and finally discovering what she wants to do with her life. What makes her happy. Her finally stopping to chase for her father's approval.

I also loved the low key love story developing between her and Robin. Their collaboration that evolved into mutual respect and trust, then affection. I even liked that the ending isn't a typical "and they got married and lived happily ever after". There is a lot more to Hyeon than just settling into the role of a housewife.

If I have one complaint it's that the intrigue itself felt a bit simplistic. I guessed the plot twists before we arrived to them. But that definitely didn't take away from my enjoyment.

This is a fast and delightful read, and I would definitely recommend it.

PS: I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.