A Crane Among Wolves

The year is 1506, the place is Joseon. Iseul has had a privileged existence even though King Yeonsan has made life unbearable in many ways. When her sister is kidnapped, Iseul leaves the safety of home, determined to go to the capital and rescue Suyeon. Little does she know that her quest is virtually impossible, given the power of the king and the treacherous natures of the courtiers who serve him.

Meanwhile, Prince Daehyun, half-brother of the king, is desperate to dethrone the tyrant and return the land to a happy and peaceful place for all. If only he knew how to do it – and whom to trust!

Iseul, one of the two main characters, is only 17 in the novel and so has some growing up to do. Once her mind is made up, she is stubborn to the point of being brash and often fool-hardy, taking chances at every turn. The metamorphosis from pampered child to fearsome warrior is astounding and stretches readers’ imaginations. However, readers cheer her on as she desperately seeks to save her sister and atone for her past errors in judgement.

When readers meet him, Prince Daehyun appears cool and calm on the surface to the point of being somewhat callous. However, as the story moves on, readers discover that he is passionate about his country and the freedom of those around him. Even as he plans a secret coup to oust the king, he has time to help Iseul as much as he can in order to set her sister free.

The story is told from the alternating points of view of these two characters. The pair begin with an evident dislike of one another which turns into acceptance and later romance, the typical hate turning to love trope of so many romances. The ups and downs of their relationship mirror the roller coaster of the plot. Her romance is only one facet of the novel and leads to what, for this reader, seems a rather contrived ending to the story.

There is a large cast of minor characters, and the one who is most interesting is Wonsik, a wise and intelligent man who teaches Iseul to be more focused and independent. The two of them are involved in yet another subplot in which they try to find a killer who is on the loose in the kingdom.

The novel is filled with this mystery and the suspense of whether or not the political coup will be successful. A Crane Among Wolves is also wonderful historical fiction as author June Hur transports her readers to a cruel and tragic time in Korean history.

The title perhaps needs some explanation and this is found within the story. On page 153, Iseul mentions being reminded of a memory of seeing a crane surrounded by hungry wolves, and she comments: “The truth reminded me of that crane; the truth was strong. It held the courage to strike out, no matter how ferocious the oppression.”
While younger readers might enjoy the historical political intrigue and also the romance in the novel, I have chosen to suggest high school young adults as the audience for this book. In her author’s note, Hur mentions several content warnings, including misogyny in various forms, violence and murder, the mention of suicide and infanticide, psychological trauma and panic attacks. Thus, the story could be triggering for some younger young adult readers and so is recommended with caution with these things in mind.

Thank you, Jane Hur, for taking your readers into a past era that many might prefer to forget. As you point out in your historical notes, it is only by confronting history that we can learn from it.