Review by Valkyrie9 -- The Vanished by Pejay Bradley
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Review by Valkyrie9 -- The Vanished by Pejay Bradley
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Vanished" by Pejay Bradley.]
“...our duty is to fight and to hope, to hope for the independence of our land.”
Born in a tumultuous period in Korea’s history – a time when Korea is losing its independence to Japan – Embon grows up amongst the privileged high-class society. His grandfather is Prince Aansoon, a trusted advisor to King Gojong, the beloved ruler of Korea. His mother dotes on him, while his estranged father only ever visits when he needs even more financial assistance than usual.
When Embon is accepted into the prestigious Hokkaido Imperial University, he welcomes this great honour and makes the journey to Sapporo, Japan.
In contrast to the sheltered life and ideals Embon has known for most of his childhood, he is soon exposed to Western ideologies, such as social equality and democracy. He quickly joins a group of resistance fighters, determined to free Korea from Japanese rule. Will he return to his mother and his homeland, or will he, like so many others who stood for what they believed in, become one of The Vanished?
Split into four parts that mostly alternate between the first-person perspective of Embon’s mother and Embon’s third-person perspective, The Vanished by Pejay Bradley is a historical novel set in the early 1900s. These years marked a difficult time of change in Korean history. The Korean dynasty and social structure all but collapsed when Japan invaded, but the loyal Koreans refused to accept Japanese rule. Many Koreans became resistance fighters or secretly supported these patriots in any way that they could.
Bradley is an exceptionally talented author. From the careful detail of life in those times - where she describes things like make-up made from crushed leaves and beeswax - to the depth of each and every character, it is clear that she has done a great deal of research before penning this novel. The natural authenticity of the writing instantly captivates the reader and holds their attention to the very end.
Occasionally Korean words are interspersed in the paragraphs. While this adds to the authentic feel of the narrative, an accompanying English translation would have been a valuable addition. In this way, the reader would feel more included. There was not much that I found to dislike in this book, but if I had to pick something, it would likely be this.
The author has indisputably taken great care while creating her characters. Even on minor ones, such as Mr Seoh’s maid, enough detail is given to foster a connection, thereby ensuring that the reader cares about the character, even if only for a moment. This was, by far, my favourite aspect of this novel.
This book contained very few grammatical or typographic errors. Those that existed did not in any way detract from the enjoyment of reading. It is thus my opinion that this book was professionally edited.
I would recommend this story to high school students and adults who enjoy historical fiction and to those who relish fictional accounts that speak to one’s humanity, duty, and honour. This book was so beautifully written - I feel even those who do not necessarily enjoy historical fiction would feel a connection to the characters and appreciate the skill of the storyteller.
As a whole, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel. There were very few errors, the story was gripping, and the characters showed immense depth. It is with great pleasure that I award The Vanished by Pejay Bradley 4 out of 4 stars.
******
The Vanished
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
“...our duty is to fight and to hope, to hope for the independence of our land.”
Born in a tumultuous period in Korea’s history – a time when Korea is losing its independence to Japan – Embon grows up amongst the privileged high-class society. His grandfather is Prince Aansoon, a trusted advisor to King Gojong, the beloved ruler of Korea. His mother dotes on him, while his estranged father only ever visits when he needs even more financial assistance than usual.
When Embon is accepted into the prestigious Hokkaido Imperial University, he welcomes this great honour and makes the journey to Sapporo, Japan.
In contrast to the sheltered life and ideals Embon has known for most of his childhood, he is soon exposed to Western ideologies, such as social equality and democracy. He quickly joins a group of resistance fighters, determined to free Korea from Japanese rule. Will he return to his mother and his homeland, or will he, like so many others who stood for what they believed in, become one of The Vanished?
Split into four parts that mostly alternate between the first-person perspective of Embon’s mother and Embon’s third-person perspective, The Vanished by Pejay Bradley is a historical novel set in the early 1900s. These years marked a difficult time of change in Korean history. The Korean dynasty and social structure all but collapsed when Japan invaded, but the loyal Koreans refused to accept Japanese rule. Many Koreans became resistance fighters or secretly supported these patriots in any way that they could.
Bradley is an exceptionally talented author. From the careful detail of life in those times - where she describes things like make-up made from crushed leaves and beeswax - to the depth of each and every character, it is clear that she has done a great deal of research before penning this novel. The natural authenticity of the writing instantly captivates the reader and holds their attention to the very end.
Occasionally Korean words are interspersed in the paragraphs. While this adds to the authentic feel of the narrative, an accompanying English translation would have been a valuable addition. In this way, the reader would feel more included. There was not much that I found to dislike in this book, but if I had to pick something, it would likely be this.
The author has indisputably taken great care while creating her characters. Even on minor ones, such as Mr Seoh’s maid, enough detail is given to foster a connection, thereby ensuring that the reader cares about the character, even if only for a moment. This was, by far, my favourite aspect of this novel.
This book contained very few grammatical or typographic errors. Those that existed did not in any way detract from the enjoyment of reading. It is thus my opinion that this book was professionally edited.
I would recommend this story to high school students and adults who enjoy historical fiction and to those who relish fictional accounts that speak to one’s humanity, duty, and honour. This book was so beautifully written - I feel even those who do not necessarily enjoy historical fiction would feel a connection to the characters and appreciate the skill of the storyteller.
As a whole, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel. There were very few errors, the story was gripping, and the characters showed immense depth. It is with great pleasure that I award The Vanished by Pejay Bradley 4 out of 4 stars.
******
The Vanished
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
"Doors are for people with no imagination." Skulduggery Pleasant, Derek Landy 
Latest Review: From a burned charcoal, a diamond is born by Carlos Bonilla
