A Crane Among Wolves

Seventeen-year-old Iseul leaves her village in 1506 and travels to the Joseon capital. Her older sister Suyeon has been taken by King Yeonsan, whose tyranny has filled the court with fear, censorship and cruelty. Iseul means to bring Suyeon home, though the two have been distant since royal soldiers killed their parents.

Getting into the palace is the obstacle. An assassin called the Nameless Flower is killing court officials, and a large reward waits for whoever catches them. Iseul decides that finding the killer will win her the king's favor and open the gates.

Her search brings her to Prince Daehyun, the king's younger half-brother. He carries survivor's guilt and is quietly plotting to remove Yeonsan from the throne, knowing that failure means death. Suspicion runs both ways at first, then loosens into an uneasy alliance against a ruler neither can bring down alone.

This is a young adult historical mystery, told in two voices: Iseul in the first person, Daehyun in close third person. The political intrigue is violent, and a slow-growing attraction runs alongside it. It is a standalone, and it follows the same author's The Red Palace.