I also liked her band of other characters, her brother, her half-brother, her adopted siblings and Akira, the convict. Hesina is flawed but she has a good heart and I liked discovering the world and story through her eyes. She’s sometimes impulsive, not listening to anyone else.

She tries to manage all of it while still following her gut and her own wishes. She’s young, just became queen and struggles through the loss of her father, court intrigues and a possible war looming at her borders. I was waiting for something to happen, the build up to the plot twist was great with subtle hints here and there and neither the protagonist nor the reader knowing who to trust.

It was hard to really see through the characters which made the story only more interesting. That said, I have to say that I really enjoyed this book! It’s a cool mix of crime and fantasy, with characters that are sometimes mysterious, sometimes too nice, sometimes actually nice. In the contrary, I was positively surprised by it and how much more into depth the book was able to go this way (and its sequel as well). That those were not met, is not in any case a bad thing. I thought it would be but it wasn’t, so I had slightly different expectations. With the future of Yan at stake, can Hesina find justice for her father? Or will the cost be too high? ( goodreads)īook: Descendant of the Crane | Author: Joan He | Publisher: Titan Books | Published: | Pages: 400 | Genre: Fantasy YA | TW: blood, death, loss of loved one, murderįirst of all, this is not a standalone. 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. Determined to find her father’s actual killer, Hesina does something desperate: she enlists the aid of a soothsayer-a treasonous act, punishable byĭeath, since magic was outlawed centuries ago. Her advisers would like her to blame the neighboring kingdom of Kendi’a, whose ruler has been mustering for war. 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. What’s more, Hesina believes that her father was murdered-and that the killer is someone close to her.

But when her beloved father is found dead, she’s thrust into power, suddenly the queen of a surprisingly unstable kingdom. Princess Hesina of Yan has always been eager to shirk the responsibilities of the crown, dreaming of an unremarkable life. *ADVERTISEMENT/WERBUNG: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Descendent of the crane