Descendant of the Crane by Joan He
Rating: 4.5 stars
Published: April 9th 2019
Goodreads Synopsis:
Tyrants cut out hearts. Rulers sacrifice their own.
Princess Hesina of Yan has always been eager to shirk the responsibilities of the crown, but when her beloved father is murdered, she’s thrust into power, suddenly the queen of an unstable kingdom. Determined to find her father’s killer, Hesina does something desperate: she engages the aid of a soothsayer—a treasonous act, punishable by death... because in Yan, magic was outlawed centuries ago.
Using the information illicitly provided by the sooth, and uncertain if she can trust even her family, Hesina turns to Akira—a brilliant investigator who’s also a convicted criminal with secrets of his own. With the future of her kingdom at stake, can Hesina find justice for her father? Or will the cost be too high?
This was actually wonderful. A courtroom drama that gave me Death Note vibes.
Hesina, now the Queen of Yan following her father's death, seeks to avenge the late king by seeking out his murderer. However, she slowly realizes that she might not like the answer the closer she is to the truth. She is accompanied by her loyal family - Lilian and Caiyan, her adopted siblings (Caiyan is actually her advisor), and Sanjing, her younger brother and general to the country's army. She is told by a soothsayer to seek the help of an imprisoned criminal who is more than what he seems - Akira. She pardons him, and he becomes her representative in a trial in search for the truth.
