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andelion's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body shaming, Violence, Abandonment, Animal death, Grief, and Death
Moderate: Physical abuse, War, and Sexism
Minor: Death of parent and Torture
pastelmeganes's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
When i read Six Crimson Cranes i remember saying “i need a full story in just channari” and boy was i excited when she announced this prequel. I preordered IMMEDIATELY and it did not disappoint. This story was a tale of Channari and her struggles with her sister’s(Vanna) fate as well as her own. It was beautifully written and Lim’s world building is so seamless and extravagant. coming from a brother whom was envious of his younger brother for similar things as these two really tugged at my heartstrings and struck a major cord with me. Although she was envious she adored Vanna and tried to defy her sister’s destiny as well as her own. The perspective of both gave a sense of “the grass isnt greener on the other side” which was executed flawlessly. Hokzuh’s part in the story didnt feel forced which was nice and his chemistry with Channa felt natural which was one of my critiques with Six Crimson Cranes. Although a dragon, Hokzuh had a lot of depth for the role he played. Lim has won me over again after her fumble with “The Dragons Promise” imo. I need her next work already!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Blood, Self harm, and Violence
Moderate: Bullying, Grief, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, and Murder
Minor: Body horror
tarfishy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Body shaming, Bullying, and Grief
Minor: Blood and Animal death
annaptobias's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
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
5.0
Fulfilled all of my expectations and then some. Six Crimson Cranes was one of my favorite reads from 2023, and this novel filled in a lot of the gaps and made Channi the most complex character in this entire series. It genuinely made me want to re-read Six Crimson Cranes all over again, knowing what this character went through before becoming Raikama.
Elizabeth Lim writes such a good balance of intriguing plot and complex character development. I've come to realize that I enjoy novels where stuff is actually happening, and not so much when the characters are doing a lot of navel-gazing. Her action scenes are so well-written and exciting and keep moving the book forward, thus making it really tough to put down at times.
Elizabeth Lim writes such a good balance of intriguing plot and complex character development. I've come to realize that I enjoy novels where stuff is actually happening, and not so much when the characters are doing a lot of navel-gazing. Her action scenes are so well-written and exciting and keep moving the book forward, thus making it really tough to put down at times.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Emotional abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Death of parent
emmiej's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Grief, Body shaming, and Death of parent
currant7's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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? It's complicated
5.0
I almost forgot how engaging and compelling a storyteller the author is.
Coming into the book as a fan of the series, I wanted to hate Channari (being a fan of the Six of Cranes series - where she is written as one of the morally grey characters that cursed the protagonist), BUT my love for grey/flawed characters won over. This book is "her hero/villain story that gave me a better understanding of why Channari did what she did and made me appreciate this prequel much more than I expected.
Character development was spot-on for Channari. The author fully articulated the difficulty of Channari's life and the choices she faced in trying to save her family, especially her sister. It was impossible not to love Channari in this book! I am ashamed of my previous reaction to reading the sequel since learning Channari's life story, who won me over with her perseverance and resolve to protect those she loves and holds dear. She also empathizes with many other characters in the story, and ultimately, it broke my heart to see how much she had to give up to be where she was in the succeeding books. Channari had to do what she did with the life that was "fated" to her. It was not an easy path, but she dealt it all with grace, dignity, and bravery beyond any characters I encountered. Her determination to rise at impossible moments is beyond comprehension - an admirable trait that would determine her and her sister's lives.
The story's vivid imagery and exciting characters enhanced my reading experience. Every leaf and dragon scale described was I was holding on to that leaf or touching those scales that I could not help but relate to them. The plot to rescue Channari's sister and her family is captivating because these "predicaments" never seem to end! Just when I thought things were looking up, something grave happened, so I stayed put.
Overall, Her Radiant Curse is a fantastic journey with Channari and the wonder of magic. The author's world-building was beautiful and written in great detail, with so much love and emotion that it felt like the author lived through these lands. The story had many spine-tingling twists and non-stop suspense, and the "new developments" made the book an unputdownable page-turner from start to finish. If this doesn't convince you to read this book, let the heart-warming theme of sisterly love bring you to pick up this book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Misogyny, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Body shaming
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