A wonderful book full of intriguing characters. One of the best historical novels I’ve ever had the privilege of enjoying written with deft talent and passion. Two very different young people, one a young noble woman in hiding, the other a low ranking prince, both suffer under a tyrant king’s maniacal rule that has them struggling to survive daily. Iseul , who lost her beloved older sister to the king as an unwilling concubine snatched away from their home, is determined to save her sister at all costs. Prince Daehyun has perfected a mask of indifference to the suffering around him to avoid the fate of his fallen brothers, but secretly plots the downfall of the king so he may finally know redemption and peace even if it costs him his life. Neither planned on meeting the other, year together they are fated to change the world, and each other. It’s impossible not to worry for them at the same time you swoon over their intense and beautifully unfolding romance. Excellent book.

Thank you to June Hur, the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC!

The chokehold this book had over me the entire time! I truly, deeply love June Hur’s writing style and her ability to bring life to historical fiction in ways I never dreamed. I don’t usually like historical fiction because I find it bland and boring… But every step of this tale was filled with a brilliance of color, affection, violence, humor and love. I so enjoyed every character and every plot point. I also appreciate ALL of the research that Hur put into this book. She is an inspiration!

Specifically, what I appreciated in this book was the delicate lines of romance and affection between Iseul and Daehyun. It truly reads exactly like a historical K drama and if you know them, you know that glances, touches, gestures… they can all convey this intimate feeling without the need for grand spicy scenes. And Hur has this special ability to bring those moments into her books!

Also, the side characters were fantastic?? What? I loved how each one had a purpose, each one brought something new to the plot and none were used as fodder. I especially enjoyed Yul - she made me smile.

All in all, if you enjoy historical romances, historical Korean dramas, or even just Korean culture in general, definitely give this book a try! It’s so precious and lovely. And go read The Red Palace too!!

This book had beautiful writing, a somewhat compelling story but something very VERY wrong with the pacing. I struggled immensely with reading it. It took me a month, gave me a reading slump and I dreaded picking it up everytime.
In my opinion, there wasn't much pushing me forward to pick up the book and continue reading. The use of some expressions such as "The Great Event" irritated me as it came off as a little childish compared to what was happening. However, maybe it is historically accurate as well and people were scared to call it for what it is.

I first discovered June Hur on Instagram after seeing some of her posts where she described her writing as historical K-dramas in book form. As sageuks (historical K-dramas) are a particular favorite of mine, I was intrigued. Her earlier title, THE RED PALACE definitely fit the bill and whetted my appetite for more, so when offered the opportunity to early read A CRANE AMONG WOLVES, I jumped at it.

This is, in a word, exquisite. It combines all the well-loved tropes of a historical K-drama (Court intrigue! Plucky friends! Longing glances! Back hugs!) with the grim realities of an especially brutal era of Korean history underscored by meticulous research that never feels heavy-handed or intrusive.

In Iseul and Daehyun June has given us a pair of leads who grow both as individuals and together, surrounded by a well-rounded cast of characters who exist as more than simple support for the leads. (*whispers to June* Wonsik was my favorite.)

If you’re a fan of K-dramas and you enjoyed series such as Haechi, 100 Days My Prince, or The King’s Affection, you’ll love this book. If you know nothing of K-dramas, but simply love historical fiction with a brave heroine, a dashing prince, and heart-pounding action, you’ll love this book.

Thank you Netgalley and June Hur for this ARC! I love June Hur so i knew this book would not disappoint! The romance was cute and the plot was fun.

June Hur is an amazing author, after reading The Silence of the Bones and The Red Palace I have felt the absolute need to read everything she writes.
I was kindly granted a copy of "A Crane Among Wolf" and I can only say that it has exceeded my expectations.
It's a historical fiction book set in Joseon during the reign of King Yeonsan, there's drama, angst, and characters that enter your heart and leave you shattered. It also has some great descriptions, definitely worth giving it a chance.

This K-Drama-esque historical YA novel follows a sheltered girl trying to rescue her sister kidnapped into a violent king's harem, only to meet a crown prince and former royal guard planning a coup. Iseul would do anything to save her sister from the king who is notorious for kidnapping young girls. She's willing to risk her life. But is she willing to risk treason? Hur always depicts historical events with such finesse, and I love reading her character-driven stories. Her writing is so vivid and the relationships between characters wonderfully complicated. I can't recommend her YA historical fiction enough.

<i>I received this ARC thanks to the Publisher and NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.</i>

<b><i>"There are too many sorrows in life to feel each too deeply."</i></b>
I hate it when I can't give the book enough attention due to having busy work life, but I'm glad I'm alas finished with the newest addition to June Hur's empire
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<b>"He did not want to care. Indifference was all that had kept him sane."</b>
I love the way June Hur is able to spin an amazing retelling of Korean history in a way that makes it an interesting tale, but also makes its pain and beauty approachable for an international reader. The research done is a masterpiece itself!
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<b>"History moves its course, [...] but it is the youth who point the current in its direction."</b>
Young Iseul was always pampered by her parents and sister. After their passing, the sibbling duo had its fallouts but always secretly cared deeply for each other. Once the terrible act of stealing girls of the street to king's own collection begins Iseul's sister is one of the victims. Feeling left alone on this world, Iseul tries to do everything possible to win her sister back, even leading her own investigation after a famous serial killer to win tyrant king's favour.
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<b><i>"We mortals exist for but a season, and yet we love as though we are bound by eternity."</i></b>
Prince Daehyun is the last brother standing to the current tyrant king, and though he's scared for he's life he wants to do all the best to the people of Joseon, existing in living hell himself he embarks on a mission to find a murderer gone loose, and find a way to make everyones lifes better. Having his alliance he stumbles upon a tiny but mighty girl, blinded with a pure love to her sister. As their objectives overlap, together they lead the investigation, planning a rebellion behind the curtains.
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<b>"Hwang Iseul, [...] if by any chance we do not meet again in this lifetime, then I will find you in the next - or as many lifetimes as it takes to see you again,"</b>
Hur's <i>The Red Palace</i> although written beautifully, felt too much like a dialogue between just two characters, making me feel like there's noone else important like the main leads. <i>A Crane Among Wolves</i> approached it differently, by having a vast cast of characters you slowly begin to deeply care about and grieve about their loss. Joseon setting, carefully woven into a terrifing but reality-based universe was an amazing bakground to the story of saving all the women and ones desire to live. I'm always so impressed with the way June Hur creates her historical fiction like noone else out there, a truly delightful read for both her long term fans and people ready to dive into the korean inspired literature.

A Crane Among Wolves is Hur's fourth book and it does not disappoint. It has her signature storytelling and atmospheric writing, mystery and political intrigue, and this time with added romance. The story was well written, and even though there are multiple storylines/plots happening simultaneously, Hur manages to convey them all clearly without convoluting the story. I absolutely enjoyed this one and look forward to more of her books.

I think June Hur has officially become an auto-buy author for me. This was such a compelling story and I loved how rich and vibrant the world was. I could not put it down. It's complex in unexpected ways and is just so satisfying story-wise!

Big thank you to Macmillan Publishing and NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book did not do it for me. I am a fan of east asian fantasy novels and have a decent basis of knowledge in Korean history (which drew me to this particular work) but i was just bored the entire time. I think this might just be an issue of me not being entertained by historical fiction. The characters felt a bit flat and I never felt like I had a reason to root for the mc (other than the fact that you would want her sister out of that situation). Again, it might just not be for me, so definitely check it out if you are a fan of historical fiction!

spoiler:
I also will never be a fan of “he’s dead!!” and then a chapter or two later he’s alive and it’s a happy ending. It’s honestly annoying.

First off, thank you to June Hur and netgalley for the privilege of reading this ARC.

I was so excited when I initially read the synopsis of this story, and it did not disappoint. June really did a wonderful job of blending the real history of Korea with her own creation. I appreciate that she did not shy away from the dark parts of history and instead shone a light on them.

Iseul is an amazing main character. She's flawed, tenacious, and interesting. The journey that she goes on throughout this book (physically and mentally) is outstanding. Her character development was so much fun to read. She grows so much throughout the course of the book.

I got so attached to so many of the characters in this book. June is amazing at writing characters that you can't help but connect with.

I would personally adore a spin-off book about Yul. She is such an amazing character, and I know there's so much more to her than we were able to see.

The ending of the book sent me on a roller coaster of emotions. I cried, I laughed, and I may have scared my neighbours by yelling at the book.

Overall, this is a brilliant read that I highly recommend pre-ordering now!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I just want to give the biggest thanks to Netgalley and especially the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this eArc!! in exchange for an honest review, but I'm just very grateful for the opportunity to have been able to read an e arc of my most anticipated read of 2024!!

This is my third book by June Hur, and I'm just realizing it's also my third five star lol. I absolutely loved this book. I was left feeling unwell yet settled, and also had the oddest urge to cry minutes after I had finished reading the book - whether because the story was over or because I was so taken by Iseul and Daehyun's journey and what they went through and their ending, but I have never felt so emotionally impacted by both the story and characters before.

Do not go into this expecting the same level of romance, or at the very least focus of romance, as in The Red Palace. However, do not let that deter you from reading this historical masterpiece. Something about June Hur's writing is just so gripping and engaging that, while I was under extreme stress of what is going on, I was just as equally invested. She is so good at setting the mood and raising the stakes and heightening the tension, that you just can't help but feel like you are in the moment with the characters, experiencing every emotion and high stake situation as them. Even while the romance like I said, is different from The Red Palace, but it's just as emotionally charged oh my word. The way their relationship develops, especially as the characters themselves develop and we get a better insight and understanding to their characters? Beautiful. While I found the foundation for their romance slightly weak, I ended up not minding and even getting invested in their relationship because of how well June Hur not only gave us insight to their characters, but also showed the way they develop as characters.

She's also so good at making everything that's happening not only make it make sense, but also work so well and be well-balanced with each other. Honestly, I had thought that maybe there was going to be too much happening in this book - a serial killer, the cruel rule of the tyrant, Iseul's and Daehyun's individual and combined journeys, and the overall brewing plot to overthrow the king. It sounds like a lot right? And at first, it did seem like it was, but not soon after, everything just clicked and then kept running like a well-oiled machine. Everything just becomes so smoothly connected, and it just felt natural reading everything that was happening at once.

Okay, back to the plot itself. Oh my gosh, is this plot gripping. The high stakes were high staking as I've never experienced high stakes before. Again, June Hur is so good at building tension and raising the stakes. It seems like things are going well, but there are little bits of information here and there that throws everything into doubt, and the way she writes the tyrant king and his awful attitude yet the sword he holds at the throats of those who can revolt and balancing the line between brewing revolt and fearful subservience is just so good.

The themes she also explores and writes about were also thought-provoking. It wasn't heavy-handed in its delivery, and while it did get quite heavy and dark and grim at times, I think June Hur approached and wrote about them in a really good way. I'm about to go and research this period of history in Korea myself!

In the end, ACAW was an amazing read full of tension and high stakes while also delivering a gripping journey of Iseul and Daehyun - both together and their own individual journeys. A story that did not shy away from the dark reality of history and of corruption, but one that still delivers love and hope and a light in that darkness.

Firstly, I was so excited to read this and very grateful that I was able to receive an eARC. This book has it all: a Korean historical setting, political intrigue, romance, mystery, drama, and death but it does not become overwhelming to read which I really appreciated. There are definitely serious and somber tones to the story but it is balanced out. I surprisingly found myself also enjoying its mystery and detective atmosphere and I was also definitely feeling the K drama vibes in this! I also love the fact that there are empowered women in this story. Overall, I had a fun time reading this and I can’t wait to read more books from this author.

Again, heartfelt thanks to the author and Netgalley for this eARC.

Want to suffer? Read ACAW! 5 Stars!

This book had me hooked from the start. It made me laugh, it made me swoon, it made me sob (you'll know when you get there).

While the romantic subplot has claimed a part of my heart, most of it feels for the sisterly love of Iseul and Suyeon based that felt very natural to me and made me cry in appreciation for my sister (and not just once).

This novel was captivating and got me curious about June Hur's other novels. I'll be reading them next.

I'd recommend this for late teens/early adults, please look up trigger warnings, though June Hur handles the heavy themes in ACAW very responsibly and sensibly.

Thanks to the author I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.5★

the plot of this story is a simple one: a girl wishes to save her older sister from being a concubine to a cruel and tyrannical emperor and in order to do so, joins a rebellion. there's a twist on the story, however, as there is a serial murderer on the loose, one that kills those close to the king and leaves messages in blood.

overall, the story and the writing are both good, but the book is simply too short, therefore too fast-paced. that's my only issue with it.

- spoilers bellow -

because the book is around 350 pages, lots of things happen really fast, sometimes so fast that i didn't even have time to get impacted by certain moments because different important things were already happening. an example is Wonsik's death - i had no time to feel sad, as the story was already progressing further.

the rush of the story is noticeable in the characters as well: certain characters relationships, especially Iseul's and Daehyun's, felt a bit unnatural and too intense for the limited amount of interactions they had. to put it simply, the got too close too fast. this book is supposed to be enemies to lovers, but the two of them were enemies for perhaps 50 pages. because of how fast paced the story was, i also didn't really connect to any of the characters - i didn't care much for them, therefore the impact of the story dropped.

another issue (which i believe is also the result of the book being too short and fast-paced) is that everything was served to Iseul and revealed way too fast. for example, i would've loved if Iseul figured out over time that Daehyun wasn't what the rumors had described him to be, instead of Wonsik simply telling her. she was also told about her uncle's betrayal, something i would've loved remained a secret until she figured it out somehow on her own.

the main plots of the story - Iseul finding her sister and the rebellion itself - get overshadowed as the story progresses by the murders that keep happening. the story becomes more a murder mystery than anything else, and when the rescue of the sister and the rebellion finally happen, they are described on perhaps 10-20 pages, and everything goes remarkably well. it feels like many things in this book were very convenient for the plot.

another thing i found odd was that Iseul's chapters were in first person yet Daehyun's were in third person. at first, the switch made it hard to get into the story but around 100 pages, i got used to it.

despite everything, i really enjoyed this book. i feel like if the book was perhaps 500 pages long, it would've most definitely been a 4 star read at least. still, i'd recommend it to everyone who enjoys fast paced books with political intrigue and rebellions where the romance is well written (even though here it is a bit rushed).

June Hur makes me like Historical fiction. It's never been my cup of tea but I've read a few books by her now and yeah. I guess I like it if she writes it😂 cause I couldn't put this book down. I love the way she crafts her mysteries and the world and characters she puts on the page scream how much work and research she put into making this story.

⊹ 𓏲࣪ 4 stars ★ 𓄹 ࣪ .
⤿ no spoilers in this review

⤷ “ you would brave a life with me ? ”
“ i would brave this life, and a thousand more. ”

HELLO ??? JUNE HUR WHEN I CATCH YOU. WHEN I CATCH YOU 😠

⇢ the plot. a crane among wolves is set in 1506 joseon, which is under the rule of the tyrant king yeonsan. (a historical note: king yeonsan is infamous for extensive purges, mass executions, bloodshed, and abusing women.) iseul, a sheltered teenager, embarks on a dangerous journey to save her sister, who has become a victim of the king. prince daehyun, who despises his half-brother's actions, wants to overthrow him. despite their initial disdain for each other, iseul and dahyun find common ground, leading to an unexpected begrudging alliance. i truly adore june hur for choosing to write about this topic. as someone who is familiar with it, i thought the author did a great job portraying the harsh realities that people faced during that period. the fact that june hur managed to write about such complex themes in such an emotionally devastating and gripping way amazes me ?? and i can't help but love her for it 😌
+ i love love historical fiction books, but it doesn't always necessarily mean it has to be a slog to read. it can be enjoyable, and this book is exactly what i mean by that.

“ i will be yours, and i shall be your ruin ”

➼ “ if by any chance we do not meet again in this lifetime, then i will find you in the next-or as many lifetimes as it takes to see you again ”

➼ “ iseul-ah. you have me, so use me ”
+ a part of me died 🫠

➼ “ my heart feels a little lighter ”
he felt undone


⇢ iseul + daehyun. i loved loved reading about these two characters ?? what i especially adore about daehyun is how sweet he is ?? a lot of the fictional men i've seen come off as toxic, but he was absolutely so precious, and i love seeing men who do justice to the "in a world of boys, he's a gentleman" lyric. he's mature, caring, considerate, and open-minded ?? can i have him ? please and thank you. AND WHEN HE TAUGHT ISEUL HOW TO PROPERLY STAB ??? *faints* iseul + daehyun's journey, both together and apart, is filled with pain, fear, and desperation, and i could not help but feel the emotions seep through the pages. even though i did feel that iseul's character and the buildup to their romance was kind of lacking, i still really enjoyed how vulnerable and resilient she was. really, my only complaints are that the pacing was uneven, and i was looking for a bit more character development, but please believe i still love them dearly.

⇢ the side characters. MY SWEET WONSIK <3 please i love him like a father 😭 i won't give away too much bc this is spoiler-free, but oh wonsik, ever the honorable selfless character 🥹 i have so much affection for him. he truly made this book 10x better.
+ the murder mystery. i somehow managed to be caught off guard once the killer was revealed. not me guessing every single character to exist in this book as the culprit, yet still managing to be wrong 😭 please you should have seen my desperate attempts to ingrid at figuring out who it could have been 😭 we were grasping at straws at that point.

“ one is imprisoned by a thousand rules as a woman, and no one will explain to me why such rules exist ”

➼ “ rape is about power; it is never about desire or love ”
+ never truer words said


⇢ the ending. CHAPTER 42 ?? OH MY 😭 JUNE HUR THE WOMAN YOU ARE FOR WRITING CHAPTER 42 ?? I GASPED, TEARS WERE SHED, LIVES WERE CHANGED !! if any part of this review will convince you to put this book on your tbr, LET IT BE CHAPTER 42, which alone deserves ALL STARS.
+ the epilogue was so fluffy too, and did justice to our favourite characters stories.

thank you june hur, for writing such an authentic and powerful book that will continue to haunt me entirely because of chapter 42.

thank you to the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review !

Welp, I continue to be a big fan of Hur’s books. I love the topics and settings she chooses to write about and the dark shift of this book is particularly excellent. I was surprised multiple times early in this book about how dark it was actually, but I appreciate that she didn’t shy away and gave us a full picture of this period and let this story be a heavy one. I do recommend reading the content warnings at the beginning though - I did and was then prepped to skip a couple paragraphs when I needed.

As a fan of historical dramas, this book played out like I was watching one in my mind. I could see everything clearly and it felt very atmospheric. I also find that Hur crafts really compelling characters - full of faults, annoying, sweet, and very real feeling. The pacing also stays consistent throughout the book, making it very compulsively readable.

My only note on this book is that, and this is a critique for almost every YA and new adult books I’ve read, I wish she had aged up the characters a bit. Them being teenagers didn’t add anything to this story, the dialog felt older than teenagers at times, and the seriousness with which middle aged men were working with teens on serious kingdom business felt a little tenuous. While Iseul’s character is meant to be very naive and pampered and young, she could have maintained these same characteristics a few years older. I actually feel like Hur could’ve explored more with slightly older characters. But again, I feel that about many YA novels. I would love to see Hur write an adult novel, she would absolutely smash it.

A Crane Among Wolves is a historical romance based in the ancient Korean times during the 1500s. I grew up watching a lot of Chinese and Korean dramas so it was very easy for me to get into. By chapter 3 I was already hooked. It was a very easy and fast paced read. I enjoyed the dual POVs from the main characters, especially when it came to the banter. I would recommend reading the trigger warnings before starting bring there are some rough gory scenes in the book. There were a few parts that seemed to jump a little to fast for me. Other than that, I very much enjoyed the book.