The Silence of Bones – Book Review

Second book review of the day!

I have a mouth, but I mustn’t speak;
Ears, but I mustn’t hear;
Eyes, but I mustn’t see.

1800, Joseon (Korea). 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.

No. of pages:- 327 pages

Date published:- April 21st 2020

Genre:- Historical Fiction/Thriller

I am a huge fan of Korean dramas and this includes historical Korean dramas, my favorites being Dong Yi and Empress Ki. So when I saw the blurb of this book and that it is based during the Joseon period, I wanted to read this book so badly that I didn’t even think twice and bought this book on Amazon!

This book is set during the 1800’s Joseon Korea and is told from the perspective of a Damo Seol, who is a servant and whose face was branded. She works in the police bureau and works alongside Inspector Han. Then a brutal murder of an aristocratic woman named Lady O with connections to the Catholicism changes Seol’s life.

As this is June Hur’s debut book, I do really like her style of writing. The vivid descriptions of the countryside and the mountains in Joseon period of Korea, the descriptions of capital and the palace all made me picture and felt like I was in this period with the character. Though initially, it started a little boring, soon by the middle of the book, the book piqued my interest and soon I got engrossed into the novel, wondering who is the actual killer. Though the story was a work of fiction, as mentioned by the author at the end of the book, the execution of Catholics and the police determined to catch and kill the Catholics was horrifying to read, as I realized these events did happen in real life. Overall, the ending was good and unexpected and I really liked the ending.

I didn’t honestly expect this book to be really good but it was good!! Worth five stars and looking forward to read more books from this author!

June Hur was born in South Korea and raised in Canada, except for the time when she moved back to Korea and attended high school there. She studied History and Literature at the University of Toronto. She began writing her debut novel, The Silence of Bones, after obsessing over books about Joseon Korea. When she’s not writing, she works as an assistant for the public library or can be found journaling at a coffee shop. June currently lives in Toronto with her husband and daughter.