REVIEW|| Descendant of the Crane-Joan He // A beautiful, engrossing and creative fantasy with top notch characters

Synopsis: Princess Hesina of Yan has always been eager to shirk the responsibilities of the crown, dreaming of an unremarkable life. But when her beloved father is found dead, she’s thrust into power, suddenly the queen of a surprisingly unstable kingdom. What’s more, Hesina believes that her father was murdered—and that the killer is someone close to her.

Hesina’s court is packed full of dissemblers and deceivers eager to use the king’s death for political gain, each as plausibly guilty as the next. Her advisers would like her to blame the neighboring kingdom of Kendi’a, whose ruler has been mustering for war. Determined to find her father’s actual killer, Hesina does something desperate: she enlists the aid of a soothsayer—a treasonous act, punishable by
death, since magic was outlawed centuries ago.

Using the information provided by the sooth, and uncertain if she can trust her family, Hesina turns to Akira—a brilliant investigator who’s also a convicted criminal with secrets of his own. With the future of Yan at stake, can Hesina find justice for her father? Or will the cost be too high? (Goodreads)

Release Date: April 2,2019 

Genre: YA, Fantasy 

Ratings: 5/5 

 Descendant of the Crane is my first 5 star read of the year and deserves all the love and hype. This book is absolutely amazing with a beautiful well-written story and super engaging characters. It is a very creative fantasy with a lot of themes in the story: family, friendship, sibling bond, political intrigue,deceit, murder mystery and drama. All of this makes it an absolute treat and a book which stays with you long after you read it.

The Characters 

The story follows Hesina ( one of my most favourite protagonists ever) navigating her life as the new queen after the death of her father, the king. All the characters in the story are so good and important to the story in some or the other way. The story keeps you hooked continuously and there is not a single dull moment in the book. All the characters are multilayered and all of them are morally grey characters which gives the whole plot a really good realistic touch. I loved Akira who is convict turned lawyer and Hesina’s dynamics with her siblings, Sanjing, Caiyan and Lilian, was so different but yet full of care.

The Writing

The writing was exquisite, interesting and vivid and is one of the reasons for the story being such a great read. It is definitely a book which I will be re-reading because it is just that good. So if you like intriguing fantasies with great characters, a superb story and an amazing protagonist, Descendant of the Crane is a must-read.

Overall, this is a top notch book which you must read if you’re a lover of fantasy. The writing and the characters are all so well written and it will definitely win you over with its smart and creative premise. 

Pre-order this book as soon as possible because this book deserves all the love and hype.

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