The royal decree states that the king passed naturally, but Princess Hesina is willing to commit treason to prove he was murdered. She does so by seeking out a hidden, magical Soothsayer to see if the sooth’s future sight can give her a clue into her father’s death. While Hesina receives the information she needs, it sets her down a path that will uncover the many lies that her kingdom was built on. Hundreds of years ago, a mysterious group of heroes called the Eleven successfully dethroned the corrupt royal family. The Eleven established a rule book, known as the Tenets, where they condemned the Soothsayers for lending their magic to the selfish ruling party. Hesina must navigate the kingdom’s deeply held belief system while sorting out the truth in her heart as neighboring kingdoms, political advisors, and her subjects threaten everything she’s known.
It took me a hot minute to adapt to Descendant’s quick pacing. The story’s cadence doesn’t let you linger on any one event for long. I felt a little off balance at the start because there’s never a moment where the story zooms in and explores the story arcs deeply. The pacing is so quick that it doesn’t allow you to meaningfully contemplate the intricacies of Hesnia’s reign, the motives of the people around her, or her kingdom’s overwhelming fear of the Soothsayers. But He’s voice is so powerful that the story flourishes. Her writing is incredible and emulates an unassuming, death-by-a-thousand-cuts type of style. She moves quickly, but her prose is intricate, detailing the world and people with such purpose that every small moment reverberates and impacts the story deeply. It’s incredibly impressive and is one of the latest stories that has stayed with me long after I closed the book.
He continued to enrapture me because the Descendant’s plot and characters are so unique and unpredictable. Here is where her quick pacing really packs a punch because we don’t even realize the traps she is placing for the reader, both in terms of the plot and character development. The characters consistently surprised me over and over again. He does a fantastic job playing into tropes, and she feeds you all the information to help the reader slot them into that expected role before she makes them feel like a fool. She expertly crafts the narrative she wants you to believe and then finds a way to deliver a blow that changes everything you knew up until that point. These fluctuations happen throughout the story, so my beliefs about the people and events were challenged and changed constantly. This made the story feel so big and robust because it’s constantly stripping away what you know, only to build it back up again.
Lastly, Descendant shines because of Princess Hesina and her courageous heart. Hesina is a steadfast protagonist who may waver under the pressure of her tumultuous reign but never succumbs to its brutal onslaught of challenges. She is a reluctant ruler, but instead of shunning her duties, Hesina actively pursues her right to rule after her father’s death and never once shies away from the hard decisions before her. I admired her strength and the painful lengths she would go to to protect everyone she loves. Hesina often does this to the detriment of her relationships, but she would rather they hate her and be kept safe above all else. I love that she is untested but undeterred, and pushes forward with a hopeful heart that she can make a difference for the good of her people.
Descendant of the Crane by Joan He is a powerful standalone with strong prose that tackles everything from a murder mystery to political intrigue to a kingdom on the brink of chaos. There are no easy answers in this story, but you’ll be compelled to follow Hesina as she carves a path that is truly her own.
Rating: Descendant of the Crane – 8.0/10
-Brandee
