In 1758, Hyeon has achieved her life's dream of working as a palace nurse. In spite of the fact that she's illegitimate, and a "vulgar commoner," Hyeon plans to make her future a bright one. When four women are massacred at the Hyeminseo, where she received her education as a nurse, her mentor Jeongsu is arrested for the crime -- and Hyeon, determined to save her, finds herself deep in the mire of deadly court politics. With the help of a young police inspector, Eojin, and the rumors circulating that suggest the Crown Prince himself may be responsible, Hyeon will stop at nothing to uncover the truth.
What sets June Hur apart from the crowd, for me, is not merely her ability to transport you back into the historical period she's covering, but also the fact that she dares to write something that is not your "typical" historical fiction or mystery. I can't tell you how much I tire of reading the same overused mystery tropes -- I used to absolutely love domestic thrillers, but they've become so dime-a-dozen I can barely bring myself to be excited for them anymore. Instead, in The Red Palace (as well as in Hur's other works) we are allowed to explore a period and place rarely seen in English-language fiction, and it's nothing short of a marvel.
The accuracy and detail that Hur inserts into all of her works shines brightly here; as we journey through the Joseon kingdom and palace with Hyeon, we learn a bit about her daily tasks in the palace as well as her extensive medical knowledge. I loved the descriptions of clothing, the palace courtyards and pavilions, the discussion of the caste system, and so much more. It goes beyond a mere mystery with its insight into historical life.
Our heroine, Hyeon, who is the bastard daughter of a highly-ranked man who sees her as little more than an annoyance, is intelligent, compassionate, and often cool-headed. She's extremely stubborn -- which lends itself easily to her dedication in finding out the truth, no matter the cost -- and although she does begin to find herself growing closer and closer to Eojin, the police inspector, she never strays from the path she's set for herself. Many romances in young adult books leave me rolling my eyes, as they seem to take something away from the main story or plotline, but in this case, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself rooting for Eojin and Hyeon both separately and as a future couple.
The mystery itself actually kept me on my toes, although by the end, I kept thinking I should've seen it coming! I enjoyed that Hur provides a nice number of suspects, each seemingly with their own motives and histories, and keeps us guessing throughout the entirety of the novel. The only other novel I've read of Hur's is The Forest of Stolen Girls, which I also enjoyed greatly, and I plan on reading The Silence of Bones as well, but I must say that in my (admittedly rather limited) knowledge of Hur's works, this one has been by far the best and my personal favorite!
Beautifully realized, with a main character who you will find yourself loving and rooting for, I highly recommend this fascinating fictional portrait revolving around the real-life story of Joseon's Crown Prince Sado that employs its own twists to the narrative. Her next novel, A Crane Among Wolves, will be out in 2023 -- and I'll be so happy when I get to read that first page!
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