Lilibet Bombshell's Reviews > The Red Palace

The first thing you need to know about this book is that it is INTERESTING. It’s unlike any other book I’ve read in this genre and in the YA category in general for as long as I can remember. For that alone, this book would bring this book three stars, simply for attempting something outside the status quo and putting the time and effort into researching this era in Korean history and these historical figures enough to create an interesting historical fiction mystery around them.

The second thing you need to know is that it gets to five stars by being utterly EXCELLENT at telling this story. The prose is elegant. The characters are well-developed and easy to identify with. The mystery is intriguing and well-plotted. The culprit is well-hidden. The subplot romance is understated the right amount and developed organically. The pacing and editing is well-done. There seem to be no plot holes and little to no loose ends. The book is neither too long nor too short. It’s all just so well-told and interesting I couldn’t find it in myself to put it down.