Descendant of the Crane by Joan He
(eBook Review)
I am a picky
reader, and I have encountered stories with a nice synopsis or a beautiful book
cover but the plot does not lure me into its world. Descendant of the Crane was
one of the rare gems that has piqued my interest from its title and book cover,
to its synopsis, and towards the story itself. It may not be 100% accurate to
Chinese history yet it gives you a glimpse of it through rich cultural words (mandarin
terminologies) and imagery.
The written piece may be complicated
for first time readers (including international readers) of written works set
in China but with internet one could google those words to find the meaning or
image. In addition, the author used adjective words to accompany the
word or in short “context clues” to visualize what it is or what it means.
Visualizing and understanding may take time but I will assure you that it is worth
it because it has caught my full attention to read it until the end –I was
hesitant to finish it, like some readers, it was too soon to end the journey.
“A dead king," said the
convict. “A deceived populace. A truth seeker. Sounds like a story that could
end very well or very poorly, and I want to spectate. Believe me now?”
If you are a truth seeker or a spectator, join Hesina in her journey
towards finding the truth –unlock chests that should have never been opened for
sacrifices and regrets are made.
“This is how you try to
pass as a sprightly nineteen-year-old in search of a romp? What are you, a
broke scholar?”
The book evokes mild to strong emotions –one moment you are
laughing and the next you are angry.
“You hate courts.”
Lilian raised a finger. “But I like muscular warriors and threatening people.”
Witty lines and lovable moments between characters lighten up
the serious mood of the story.
“Knowledge is truth.”
“No human shall be owned by another.”
It contains wonderful lines
on topics such as truth, oppression, and freedom.
Finally, Descendant of the Crane presents its own strong
female lead. I love the fact that there is room for character growth. The
author did not make Hesina an all-powerful-female character-who
kicks-every-person’s ass but presents her as a human-being with weaknesses and
mistakes –in which the character acknowledges.
I hope my honest review has given you a taste of what you
might find or expect in Descendant of the Crane. The book’s debut will be on
April 02, 2019. Do check out her book and do support other Asian authors and
works. Happy reading!
I recommend
this book to:
- Truth
seekers
- Readers of
stories with strong female leads
- Readers who
love a challenging thought
- Readers who
love to dive into a fantasy world filled with controversy, deceit and deception,
and political scheming
- Readers who
love watching or reading Chinese drama
- Anime lovers
and manhua readers
- First time
readers of written works by Asian authors
I would like to thank Joan He for sending me an eARC copy. I
hope to acquire the book itself in the future (once I have a job and earn some
money) for I really love it. Good day!
