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Last Days of the Morning Calm
Korea, 1895: Court intrigue and foreign powers threaten the centuries-old hermit kingdom. In a prominent manor, Ji-nah, the young, sheltered ward of the master, and Han, the servant she sees as an older brother, are left in the iron grip of Tutor Lim’s power when Master Yi is called away. When Ji-nah and Han uncover the tutor’s broader conspiracy with the Japanese to overthrow Queen Min, they resolve to save the queen, whose fate seems tied to their master. In the last days of their fallen kingdom, they struggle to rebuild their lives and nation, and find hope in a new world order.
Steeped in the forms and rhythms of Korea at the turn of the century, Last Days of the Morning Calm is a dramatic coming-of-age tale whose tenor captures the spirit of the times.
Steeped in the forms and rhythms of Korea at the turn of the century, Last Days of the Morning Calm is a dramatic coming-of-age tale whose tenor captures the spirit of the times.
216 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
June 1, 2019
What a compelling read!
Korea isn’t something foreign to almost everyone in the world now. For me, at first, I was attracted to the country because of kpop. Yup, no surprises there. Luckily, I went through that phase and now, I’m attracted to Korea because of its own specialties. One of them will be its history – all countries have their own ‘behind the scenes’ before they actually begin, thus Korea isn’t an exception.
I will begin my review by showering endless praises for the book cover. This historical fiction book has a beautiful book cover! When I first saw it, I became instantly attracted and I knew I had to get it the moment I saw the lady on the cover itself, wearing a hanbok. The synopsis helps in persuading me to read this book as well. So, after all these praises, to what point this book reached to my liking?
For me, the overall story was well written. I loved how the story went from dramatic to even more dramatic, which made the story even more interesting and definitely made me to continue reading this book. The world building, as expected in a historical fiction book, was satisfyingly acceptable. One thing for certain, I loved the family relationships in this book. They were absolutely heart-wrenching yet pure at the same time. This book didn’t contain any romance, and I loved this book for that! I’ve been looking for a book with less romance or ‘romance-free’ in it. If you’re looking for something like that, too, then I’d highly recommend you to get this book.
Furthermore, the flow of the story was a bit fast paced, hence the short amount of pages. Nevertheless, the author still managed to put everything in to make this historical fiction even more captivating. I also loved the conflicts in this story – how Korea was threatened by foreign powers, how the country dealt with them, etc. This is a story where you would feel a sense of melancholy hug you tighter than it should. I appreciated the ideas this author brought up and managed to combine them together into this book. Overall, I simply believe the plot was well crafted, and auspiciously well written.
Let’s move on to the characters. One of the main characters that I dealt with was Ji-nah, and to be brutally honest, I didn’t really like her at first. Fortunately, she had some character developments and she eventually became better. Some other characters in this book were amazing with their very own ways. However, there were some of them who did not get their own lights to shine. I was a bit upset by some characters who didn’t appear positively well, and personally wished they could grow greater with better character growths. Nevertheless, they were all brilliant, and I loved them. The villains in this book were awesomely evil, too, which was definitely well-fitting. To close this topic, I was satisfied with the characters and how they turned out – except some of them who deserved to shine! – and I hope everyone will love them, too!
This author had an appropriately comfortable writing style, and it clearly showed in this book of hers. I didn’t have any difficulties to understand the story, thanks to her writing style. The writing style would be well suited for readers of all ages – the story becomes a lot easier for readers to indulge themselves into its world. This is something that I truly love. Thank you, author.
To wrap this up, this book now has a special place in my heart, as I’ll always remember how it gripped me every second to read it. I wish it could be longer, as I think it’ll be more intriguing and entertaining to have more conflicts and more unique ideas to be poured out. If you’re looking for a good book to let waves of melancholy and many different waves of emotions hit you with utmost indulgence, do take this book as a consideration.
My final rating for this book is 4 out of 5 stars. Highly recommend!
Korea isn’t something foreign to almost everyone in the world now. For me, at first, I was attracted to the country because of kpop. Yup, no surprises there. Luckily, I went through that phase and now, I’m attracted to Korea because of its own specialties. One of them will be its history – all countries have their own ‘behind the scenes’ before they actually begin, thus Korea isn’t an exception.
I will begin my review by showering endless praises for the book cover. This historical fiction book has a beautiful book cover! When I first saw it, I became instantly attracted and I knew I had to get it the moment I saw the lady on the cover itself, wearing a hanbok. The synopsis helps in persuading me to read this book as well. So, after all these praises, to what point this book reached to my liking?
For me, the overall story was well written. I loved how the story went from dramatic to even more dramatic, which made the story even more interesting and definitely made me to continue reading this book. The world building, as expected in a historical fiction book, was satisfyingly acceptable. One thing for certain, I loved the family relationships in this book. They were absolutely heart-wrenching yet pure at the same time. This book didn’t contain any romance, and I loved this book for that! I’ve been looking for a book with less romance or ‘romance-free’ in it. If you’re looking for something like that, too, then I’d highly recommend you to get this book.
Furthermore, the flow of the story was a bit fast paced, hence the short amount of pages. Nevertheless, the author still managed to put everything in to make this historical fiction even more captivating. I also loved the conflicts in this story – how Korea was threatened by foreign powers, how the country dealt with them, etc. This is a story where you would feel a sense of melancholy hug you tighter than it should. I appreciated the ideas this author brought up and managed to combine them together into this book. Overall, I simply believe the plot was well crafted, and auspiciously well written.
Let’s move on to the characters. One of the main characters that I dealt with was Ji-nah, and to be brutally honest, I didn’t really like her at first. Fortunately, she had some character developments and she eventually became better. Some other characters in this book were amazing with their very own ways. However, there were some of them who did not get their own lights to shine. I was a bit upset by some characters who didn’t appear positively well, and personally wished they could grow greater with better character growths. Nevertheless, they were all brilliant, and I loved them. The villains in this book were awesomely evil, too, which was definitely well-fitting. To close this topic, I was satisfied with the characters and how they turned out – except some of them who deserved to shine! – and I hope everyone will love them, too!
This author had an appropriately comfortable writing style, and it clearly showed in this book of hers. I didn’t have any difficulties to understand the story, thanks to her writing style. The writing style would be well suited for readers of all ages – the story becomes a lot easier for readers to indulge themselves into its world. This is something that I truly love. Thank you, author.
To wrap this up, this book now has a special place in my heart, as I’ll always remember how it gripped me every second to read it. I wish it could be longer, as I think it’ll be more intriguing and entertaining to have more conflicts and more unique ideas to be poured out. If you’re looking for a good book to let waves of melancholy and many different waves of emotions hit you with utmost indulgence, do take this book as a consideration.
My final rating for this book is 4 out of 5 stars. Highly recommend!
December 31, 2022
a book so good when i finished i felt like if i met this author's eldest daughter we'd become really good friends... kind of a crazy feeling idk...
January 14, 2020
Last Days of the Morning Calm was one of my favourite reads of 2019! The novel presents itself as a YA/teen read and makes itself accessible for a younger audience to enjoy, yet possesses beautiful descriptive language that readers of all ages will appreciate.
The plot is exciting, making the read addictive– I was able to finish it within two days. The story also sheds light on a part of Korean history that is not often taught to Western audiences, and gives the perspectives of both male and female characters. It's impressive how much a reader can learn– about Korean monarchy, Sino-Japanese conflict, missionaries in East Asia, and class struggles in Korean society (circa 1890s).
Overall I cannot recommend this book enough. It's painfully evident to the reader how passionate the author is about sharing a piece of her history through a gripping, stunningly written narrative.
The plot is exciting, making the read addictive– I was able to finish it within two days. The story also sheds light on a part of Korean history that is not often taught to Western audiences, and gives the perspectives of both male and female characters. It's impressive how much a reader can learn– about Korean monarchy, Sino-Japanese conflict, missionaries in East Asia, and class struggles in Korean society (circa 1890s).
Overall I cannot recommend this book enough. It's painfully evident to the reader how passionate the author is about sharing a piece of her history through a gripping, stunningly written narrative.
June 4, 2019
Pretty good story. A bit confusing at the end.. One small question unanswered.
It would be good if the author added an afterword to explain how much of the book is based on true events / people.
It would be good if the author added an afterword to explain how much of the book is based on true events / people.
June 14, 2019
Great book!
I loved the setting and I know nothing about the history of Korea so it was very interesting to read about the missionaries from the west But from the point of view of the native Koreans. Also to learn about the the pressure from the Japanese.
The main characters were both so lovable and the story was exciting with lots of twists and turns. The writing was very good with a nice mix of description and action. There was good attention to detail and obviously the book had been well researched but it wasn’t heavy-handed at all. If anything it was the other way as I think some of the scenes could’ve been longer. Perhaps cut back a little too much?
Overall a very enjoyable read and I would strongly recommend it.
I loved the setting and I know nothing about the history of Korea so it was very interesting to read about the missionaries from the west But from the point of view of the native Koreans. Also to learn about the the pressure from the Japanese.
The main characters were both so lovable and the story was exciting with lots of twists and turns. The writing was very good with a nice mix of description and action. There was good attention to detail and obviously the book had been well researched but it wasn’t heavy-handed at all. If anything it was the other way as I think some of the scenes could’ve been longer. Perhaps cut back a little too much?
Overall a very enjoyable read and I would strongly recommend it.
May 9, 2019
This is a beautifully written and compelling story set in a little-known part of Korean history, the end of the monarchy and beginning of the colonial period under Japan. Meticulously researched and full of action, told from alternating perspectives of a young girl and young boy navigating the chaotic period of change in Korea. Highly recommended!
March 13, 2020
This book had characters that constantly were developed, and the mystery was very interesting.
July 22, 2019
Very much enjoyed this book, as did my son and niece. Has all the ingredients of a satisfying tale -- quick pace, empathetic characters and good palace intrigue. It takes place in a little know period in history (late 19th century), in a little known place (Korea), which I found both refreshing and interesting. It made me want to learn more and I'm waiting for Tina Walton's next book!
February 14, 2020
An exceptional book for young adults and adults, too. The plot twists and turns in an exotic world that thrills the reader.
September 17, 2020
Korea, 1895. Ji-nah believes something very wrong is happening, but she can’t fit the pieces together. After a long absence, her guardian abruptly sends word he’s traveling to America and has left Ji-nah’s tutor in charge. It’s quickly apparent the tutor has sinister plans for the household and its staff. One servant, Han, uncovers a threat to the queen, but how can a powerless girl and servant boy convince anyone of the danger when their proof disappears overnight? And especially after Han is sold to foreign missionaries, leaving Ji-nah on her own?
Last Days of the Morning Calm is a quick read about the final days of Korea’s fallen kingdom. The narrative alternates between Ji-nah and Han as they discover clues within their spheres of influence. I enjoyed the way the author contrasted different cultures. Most strongly realized is Han expecting the foreign missionaries to be one way, but working alongside them, he discovers a different narrative to their story. That being said, character and plot development are somewhat predictable, and the second half of the story feels rushed as multiple clues are revealed in quick succession. While emotions and intrigue are light, the exotic landscape and culture are enchanting. The author possesses great knowledge of the time and place and utilizes it well to create a coming-of-age tale for young adults.
Last Days of the Morning Calm is a quick read about the final days of Korea’s fallen kingdom. The narrative alternates between Ji-nah and Han as they discover clues within their spheres of influence. I enjoyed the way the author contrasted different cultures. Most strongly realized is Han expecting the foreign missionaries to be one way, but working alongside them, he discovers a different narrative to their story. That being said, character and plot development are somewhat predictable, and the second half of the story feels rushed as multiple clues are revealed in quick succession. While emotions and intrigue are light, the exotic landscape and culture are enchanting. The author possesses great knowledge of the time and place and utilizes it well to create a coming-of-age tale for young adults.
June 30, 2020
*Score: 6/10*
Events take place in 1895 Korea, when lots of conflicts started within Korea and with foreign nations entering the land. The story is told from 2 prespectives, one is the daughter of the queen, and one is the servant who works in the manor to serve the daughter's father.
To be honest, I might not be the audience for this as its clearly aimed for YA audience, I was not aware of that prior to reading it so maybe this impacts my assessment a bit as it didnt meet the expectation i had in mind from a genre prespective.
That aside, the flow is very straightforward, and narrative is very simplistic with very much predictable plot developments and characters. Nothing is really bad here, its solid for the intended audience, but nothing memorable for me as well. The historical aspect was very minimal and used only as a setting, without much infornation provided on the period.
Given the unique time and place, the author could have utilized this to create a more atmospheric setting with a much more interesting prespective, but the focus was really just the simple story, with not much depth in the setting nor the characters.
For YA readers I would recommend it, especially as an introduction to historical fiction.
Events take place in 1895 Korea, when lots of conflicts started within Korea and with foreign nations entering the land. The story is told from 2 prespectives, one is the daughter of the queen, and one is the servant who works in the manor to serve the daughter's father.
To be honest, I might not be the audience for this as its clearly aimed for YA audience, I was not aware of that prior to reading it so maybe this impacts my assessment a bit as it didnt meet the expectation i had in mind from a genre prespective.
That aside, the flow is very straightforward, and narrative is very simplistic with very much predictable plot developments and characters. Nothing is really bad here, its solid for the intended audience, but nothing memorable for me as well. The historical aspect was very minimal and used only as a setting, without much infornation provided on the period.
Given the unique time and place, the author could have utilized this to create a more atmospheric setting with a much more interesting prespective, but the focus was really just the simple story, with not much depth in the setting nor the characters.
For YA readers I would recommend it, especially as an introduction to historical fiction.
April 7, 2024
The book's straightforward writing style and concise chapters make it easy to understand and follow. Though the simplicity of the plot leads to predictability, it also make the story feel a bit flat. I appreciate the closure provided for the characters' relationships, and would recommend this to history enthusiasts :)
Some of my favourite quotes:
'A mother's protection is fierce.'
'The only way to overcome fear is to learn.'
Some of my favourite quotes:
'A mother's protection is fierce.'
'The only way to overcome fear is to learn.'
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews