She has studied and worked hard to become someone her higher born father, Lord Shin, will hopefully be proud of. Hyeon is a palace nurse, the highest station that she can achieve as a common born female in 1700's Korea. While there's nothing wrong with them, I'm just happy to branch out and explore HF that features ancient Eastern cultures, rather than solely Anglo-Saxon and American history that is relatively new compared to the rest of the world. After reading many similar WWII historical romances, it felt like that was all I was seeing promoted on my feeds. I've determined that I'm indeed not averse to historical fiction, I just wasn't finding the right books for me in this genre. Historical fiction is definitely not my go to genre, but something about the premise involving a murder mystery drew me in. I decided to quietly start The Red Palace on a whim after a friend told me how wonderful it was, and it's the best reading decision I've made in January.
While we do know these things, I wish we got more than just being told about them, I think that would have strengthened her as a main character."To enter the palace means to walk a path stained in blood, our medical teachers had whispered. I loved following her journey but I do wish the book went more into her backstory and aspirations. The only thing I found lacking was Hyeon herself. This might deviate from other readers’ thoughts, but I found the pacing for The Red Palace to be slower – and I really liked that! The author spent so much time creating a rich world and showcasing Korean culture in this time period that it really helped amplify the mystery and other story elements. And as we learn more and more, the suspense can very much be felt with each chapter, as we ask ourselves – can this character be trusted? Instead, we slowly uncover the fears and power that lie in those secrets that motivate each character’s actions.
It’s very easy for this kind of setup to fall into unnecessary miscommunication, but that’s avoided in The Red Palace. From the beginning, you can tell how many secrets are being kept and how untrustworthy many of the characters are. The palace setting (and the mystery that lies within) is so intriguing. But if you’re looking for a well-researched historical fiction novel with incredible world-building, I recommend this book to you. With the combination of a historical fiction novel and murder mystery, I wasn’t sure what to expect going into The Red Palace.
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