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shay3li's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
inspiring
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
littlelunaslibrary's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
alinamihaela's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.75
jndec's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
misfitotter's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
thebookedpath's review against another edition
3.0
Decent read. It gave Studio Ghibli vibes in regards to the wholesome and sweet storyline with good characters.
However, something was preventing me from falling in love with it. If this had been an audiobook (I read a physical copy), it was a great story but read by a crappy monotone narrator. I don't know if that means the way it was narrated was not grabbing or not. It felt slow despite the storyline having much going on in regards to plot points.
Sweet ending and I would recommend it for younger YA audiences.
However, something was preventing me from falling in love with it. If this had been an audiobook (I read a physical copy), it was a great story but read by a crappy monotone narrator. I don't know if that means the way it was narrated was not grabbing or not. It felt slow despite the storyline having much going on in regards to plot points.
Sweet ending and I would recommend it for younger YA audiences.
eab7680's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
spunglass's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for the digital ARC of 'The Dragon's Promise' by Elizabeth Lim.
The first book 'Six Crimson Cranes' I absolutely loved, and have been anticipating a sequel ever since I finished it. I unfortunately did not love 'The Dragon's Promise' the way I loved 'Six Crimson Cranes'. I enjoyed the first half of the story when she was in the dragon kingdom, but overall I felt a little bit let down by the outcome of the story.
Shiori's outcome was very much like that of my least favourite Greek tale, and her hasty decisions throughout the entire book seem to be the reason she's in that position in the first place.
In the first book I was rooting for her and Takkan, but quickly in book #2 that started to vanish. They were both so impulsive, which most of the time led them into bad situations.
The only characters I had any real sympathy for this entire book were Seryu, and Elang. I wanted all the happiness in the world for them, but by the end both their stories felt very unfinished. Anytime they were mentioned after Shiori left the kingdom it felt like it was just an afterthought.
Overall a 3/5.
The first book 'Six Crimson Cranes' I absolutely loved, and have been anticipating a sequel ever since I finished it. I unfortunately did not love 'The Dragon's Promise' the way I loved 'Six Crimson Cranes'. I enjoyed the first half of the story when she was in the dragon kingdom, but overall I felt a little bit let down by the outcome of the story.
Shiori's outcome was very much like that of my least favourite Greek tale, and her hasty decisions throughout the entire book seem to be the reason she's in that position in the first place.
Spoiler
Sure, you've restored magic to your kingdom - but now you're not living what some might consider a fulfilling life.In the first book I was rooting for her and Takkan, but quickly in book #2 that started to vanish. They were both so impulsive, which most of the time led them into bad situations.
The only characters I had any real sympathy for this entire book were Seryu, and Elang. I wanted all the happiness in the world for them, but by the end both their stories felt very unfinished. Anytime they were mentioned after Shiori left the kingdom it felt like it was just an afterthought.
Overall a 3/5.
sarahboudereads's review against another edition
4.0
4-/5
Hm. This review will be more complicated to write than anticipated. Potentiel spoilers for Six Crimson Cranes.
I loved Six Crimson Cranes and rated it 5/5 without a doubt. The fact that it is a retelling of my favourite fairytale, the East-Asian setting, the characters, the magic system... Everything was perfect until the ending and the cliffhanger. I did not expect a second story and I got into The Dragon's Promise with a lot of hopes.
This book felt a little bit messy, sometimes rushed. Don't get me wrong, I liked it a lot but to me, some plot points weren't necessery : all the first part in Ai'long, for example... It could have been shorter, maybe? In my opinion, the love triangle didn't add anything to the story either. That part scared me a bit because it's the beginning of the book and I really thought it was going to be a disappointment for me.
Then Shiori gets back to Kiata and as she is, I was reunited with all the things I loved in the first book. The characters are enchanting - and the strongest asset of this duology - the way this family loves is incredibly heartwarming. And Takkan! You don't know how much I loved this soft boy. His relationship with Shiori and her family is the sweetest and it's so easy to root for them.
I loved the lore and mystery surrounding Raikama's past (so much actually, that she was my favourite character even though she isn't properly in the book). I just think that for this story, less is more. It feels like it tried to do too much for only two books and lost its focus along the way.
Overall, I highly recommend this dulogy because it is full of qualities and absolutely entrancing. Yes, The Dragon's Promise is weaker than Six Crimson Cranes in terms of pacing and focus but it is a solid ending to a wonderful story that I'm so glad I read.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Hm. This review will be more complicated to write than anticipated. Potentiel spoilers for Six Crimson Cranes.
I loved Six Crimson Cranes and rated it 5/5 without a doubt. The fact that it is a retelling of my favourite fairytale, the East-Asian setting, the characters, the magic system... Everything was perfect until the ending and the cliffhanger. I did not expect a second story and I got into The Dragon's Promise with a lot of hopes.
This book felt a little bit messy, sometimes rushed. Don't get me wrong, I liked it a lot but to me, some plot points weren't necessery : all the first part in Ai'long, for example... It could have been shorter, maybe? In my opinion, the love triangle didn't add anything to the story either. That part scared me a bit because it's the beginning of the book and I really thought it was going to be a disappointment for me.
Then Shiori gets back to Kiata and as she is, I was reunited with all the things I loved in the first book. The characters are enchanting - and the strongest asset of this duology - the way this family loves is incredibly heartwarming. And Takkan! You don't know how much I loved this soft boy. His relationship with Shiori and her family is the sweetest and it's so easy to root for them.
I loved the lore and mystery surrounding Raikama's past (so much actually, that she was my favourite character even though she isn't properly in the book). I just think that for this story, less is more. It feels like it tried to do too much for only two books and lost its focus along the way.
Overall, I highly recommend this dulogy because it is full of qualities and absolutely entrancing. Yes, The Dragon's Promise is weaker than Six Crimson Cranes in terms of pacing and focus but it is a solid ending to a wonderful story that I'm so glad I read.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.