#chinese  inspired fantasy

I received this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Thank you publisher!

4 out of 5 stars

The Descendant of the Crane is not your typical YA novel. It is a book which will make you stop and think and reevaluate your ideas about good and evil. It is not wasted on petty tropes of a typical YA novel and it is absolutely wonderfully written.

Our story begins with Hesina visiting a soothsayer in order to uncover who was responsible for her father death. Soothsayers and magic are outlawed and Hesina is risking a lot - while the soothsayer cannot tell her exactly who did it, she does confirm that her father was murdered. Now Hesina just has to find out who did it. And so we enter the world of intrigue, politics, twits and turns - and let me tell you - I did not see a lot of them coming. Not only that, but the author does not divide his world into good and evil, most, if not all, characters are morally grey and relatable and it makes everything feel so real! Furthermore, Hesina is a reluctant queen - she is thrust into the role and she has to learn how to make decisions which serve the greater good but which leave her questioning her own morality. All in all - just WONDERFUL!

My only complaint with the novel is that the themes of the book are NOT YA and I do not understand why it was put into the genre - I think it would have been a more successful adult fantasy novel. I saw some reviewers compare it to The Game of Thrones and while I agree that the political intrigue and the backstabbing is VERY a la Game of Thrones, I think it’s “cleanness” is actually a deterrent. Don’t get me wrong - I don’t want books littered with rape or sexual abuse or torture - but it is really hard to pull off a believable fantasy world and not mention any adult situations or violence. I also think that the characters would have been more believable if they were older, a general who is 16 years old? I don’t know…seems far fetched and I can swallow a lot.

That being said - I will still pick up book two of this series and I honestly cannot wait. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves GREAT fantasy and is looking for a book which will keep you on the edge of your seat.

~Iryna