Joseon (Korea), 1800. Homesick and orphaned sixteen-year-old Seol is living out the ancient curse: “May you live in interesting times.” Indentured to the police bureau, she’s been tasked with assisting a well-respected young inspector with the investigation into the politically charged murder of a noblewoman.As they delve deeper into the dead woman's secrets, Seol forms an unlikely bond of friendship with the inspector. But her loyalty is tested when he becomes the prime suspect, and Seol may be the only one capable of discovering what truly happened on the night of the murder.But in a land where silence and obedience are valued above all else, curiosity can be deadly.
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The Silence of Bones is a YA historical mystery set in Korea during the Joseon period (roughly 1800's) and follows a young servant girl, Seol, who has been indentured to the police bureau. She is a damo, a servant who handles the female criminals and corpses that the male officers are forbidden to touch. When her natural (and dangerous) curiosity brings her to the attention of a renowned police inspector, Seol is entangled in an investigation rife with political intrigue and tension between factions and religious groups in the palace. It's up to Seol to navigate the treacherous path to the answers that she very much wants to find.
As a history nerd and a lover of detective stories, this was right in my wheelhouse and I ended up having a very difficult time putting this book down. It does have a little bit of debut clunkiness in terms of the writing and some of the relationships are less satisfying than readers might wish, although that did end up lending it some realism for me.
What really won me over about the story is the character of Seol, whose curiosity I definitely shared and I very much wanted to protect her from a world that clearly didn't value her. She was certainly a bit more curious than sensible but it was endearing to me. And I really loved the atmosphere and how well June Hur integrated historical details and brought the religious and political tension to life.
If you're a fan of historical mysteries, I definitely think Silence of Bones is worth picking up and I'm looking forward to trying the rest of June Hur's books, I'm excited to see more.
CAWPILE Rating
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Characters: 8/10
Atmosphere: 10/10
Writing: 7/10
Plot: 7/10
Intrigue: 10/10
Logic: 9/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Overall: 8.7/10 = 4.5 stars (rounded down for writing/plot)
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