Scan barcode
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
notapenguin's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
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
5.0
it’s the second time i cried.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Violence, and Grief
Moderate: Bullying, Physical abuse, Blood, Death of parent, and Death
Minor: Animal death and Animal cruelty
morininung's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
a romance that broke my heart & a sisterly bond that helped put the pieces back together
going in knowing exactly how this story was supposed to turn out did not help. i cried through most of the book anyway and had to look back through SCC and DP hundreds of times just to connect all the tiny details, which only hurt me more.
channi and vanna possess a special kind of connection, and their shared empathy makes them a fun pairing to read about. no matter how far her quest takes her, no matter if she found a piece of her heart in someone else, channi proves, time and time again, that her sister comes first. it's a selfless act that lost her the one person, besides vanna, who understood and accepted her as she was, in all her flaws and all her wrongs, but it's a necessary sacrifice. it's expected yet refreshing, even if i am incredibly torn about the fate of her lover.
the chokehold EL has over me grows stronger each day, and i am now confident that if she ever wants me to rake all my life savings over to her, all she will need to do is ask. i wouldn't even blink. i would die defending this woman and her books.
anyway, this is, by far, her best work. i take no criticism.
quotes that made me want to gouge my eyes out
going in knowing exactly how this story was supposed to turn out did not help. i cried through most of the book anyway and had to look back through SCC and DP hundreds of times just to connect all the tiny details, which only hurt me more.
channi and vanna possess a special kind of connection, and their shared empathy makes them a fun pairing to read about. no matter how far her quest takes her, no matter if she found a piece of her heart in someone else, channi proves, time and time again, that her sister comes first. it's a selfless act that lost her the one person, besides vanna, who understood and accepted her as she was, in all her flaws and all her wrongs, but it's a necessary sacrifice. it's expected yet refreshing, even if i am incredibly torn about the fate of her lover.
the chokehold EL has over me grows stronger each day, and i am now confident that if she ever wants me to rake all my life savings over to her, all she will need to do is ask. i wouldn't even blink. i would die defending this woman and her books.
anyway, this is, by far, her best work. i take no criticism.
quotes that made me want to gouge my eyes out
Is it the cage that makes them admire him and revile me? Would I be an attraction like the dragon if I were chained and imprisoned?
"Are we enemies then?"
A muscle ticks in his jaw. "Enemies want to hurt each other. I don't want to hurt you."
Never will I apologize for being the monster they made me.
"Butterflies celebrate all love, Channi, because every love is precious. And mine for you, above all. That love is forever."
"She didn't love me until the end. She loved you from the beginning."
The snakes will be your family no matter where you go. From this life to the next, they will remember you. Ukar dips his head. Lady White Snake.
quotes that made me kick my feet
We're a breath apart, and it's an odd sort of intimacy: how well I know the chart of his veins, the throbbing pulse points across his body, the lean muscles cording his arms. How much I want to best him in a fight.
"Finally, you admit you like me."
"I didn't say I liked—"
"You're going to be the doom of me, aren't you?"
"What?"
He winks. "It's those snake eyes. I can't resist them."
"Why did you come back?" I ask.
Another bite. He takes a sudden interest in his plate and I almost think he won't answer. Then he says: "Isn't it obvious?"
I hold my breath as our fingers uncurl at the same time, palms flat against each other. It's as intimate as a kiss, standing like this, locked by our hands.
"Did I ever tell you that green is my favorite color?"
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Self harm
Moderate: Blood, Bullying, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, and Grief
Minor: Child abuse, Animal cruelty, Death of parent, and Domestic abuse
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
rosemaryandrue's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
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? It's complicated
4.25
Vanna and Channi are sisters, but they couldn't be more different - while Vanna is blessed with a strange glowing beauty, Channi has been cursed with the face of a snake and poisonous blood. As Vanna's seventeenth birthday approaches, Channi grows desperate to prevent her promised death at the hands of the demon witch Angma.
I did not realize until about halfway through this book that it is a prequel to Lim's Six Crimson Cranes duology, an East Asian-influenced retelling of the Six Swans that's been on my TBR for a while now. However, this book stands alone well and I didn't lose out by not having read those first.
This is a straightforward YA fantasy adventure, with a sympathetic heroine who grapples with issues of identity and belonging. I liked the relationship between Channi and Vanna, which is complex and loving, as well as Channi's friendship with the snake Ukar and her relationship with Hokzuh. The world-building is lush and sweeping, and the climax was tense and emotional.
I guess the only thing I didn't enjoy was that some plot elements were left untied. Some certainly must lead into the duology, but others seem to be just dismissed as incidental, such as what will happen to Meguh's throne after the events of the story. Channi's final choices also felt a little unsatisfying after the journey she goes on, probably because it felt like she chose that path because it was necessary to link the ending up with the starting point of the duology.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Bullying
fragrant_stars's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
tense
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
Of all the books in the Six Crimson Crane series, this one has my heart. I loved SCC but this book? I adore this book. I feel like Elizabeth Lim was able to show off a bit more of her creativity for storytelling in this book compared to SCC and she really really did not disappoint. I will be thinking about this story universe for days.
I initially picked up SCC because I'm always eager for a good East Asian fantasy- and I was very much delighted by the world Lim described in books one and two. My heart skipped a beat in book two when I realised that Raikama's-- Channari's-- home was inspired by Southeast Asian culture, and now there's a whole book's worth of story about it? I could have jumped for joy. As a Chinese-Indonesian, I'm so happy to see snippets of both my cultures in this story.
Don't get me wrong, Shiori is a plenty loveable character in her own right, but my favourite has always Raikama, so learning more about her in this book was basically everything I wanted. I can't help but feel that Channari was the real protagonist all along, over these last three books. I love her so damn much.
I initially picked up SCC because I'm always eager for a good East Asian fantasy- and I was very much delighted by the world Lim described in books one and two. My heart skipped a beat in book two when I realised that Raikama's-- Channari's-- home was inspired by Southeast Asian culture, and now there's a whole book's worth of story about it? I could have jumped for joy. As a Chinese-Indonesian, I'm so happy to see snippets of both my cultures in this story.
Don't get me wrong, Shiori is a plenty loveable character in her own right, but my favourite has always Raikama, so learning more about her in this book was basically everything I wanted. I can't help but feel that Channari was the real protagonist all along, over these last three books. I love her so damn much.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Violence, Abandonment, Blood, Body horror, Grief, Self harm, Death, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Bullying, Kidnapping, Animal cruelty, Sexual harassment, and Slavery
Minor: Alcohol
aformeracceleratedreader's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Oh I've been waiting for this and it did not disappoint!! I loved this as much as Six Crimson Cranes. It's also far better than The Dragon's Promise for me. It was what I was hoping for- the expansion of Raikama/Channi and her story leading up to being Shiori's stepmother. I cried towards the end reading this. I thought Raikama/Channi was the most interesting character of this series and this book further cemented my thought. I also enjoyed seeing how her relationship with Hokzuh began and how her relationship with her sister was so ingrained in her. Great prequel 100%.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Death of parent, Grief, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Violence
robin_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Bullying
queen_melliott's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
fast-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? No
4.25
Even though I didn’t love Six Crimson Cranes and therefore never picked up The Dragon’s Promise, I knew I had to read this because I really liked Reikama in SCC.
Channi experienced so much character development. From a happy toddler to a frightened yet inherently fierce girl , to a badass warrior and kingslayer to a grieving elegant lady one would never suspect to have such a past. Throughout the stages of her development she always combines opposites; a fierce heart and fears, a deep love for her sister and a profound loneliness. She is such a tragic but strong character, losing her mother, her father’s love, her face and thus the chance at a normal life, her sister and her potential lover and lastly, her old life and best friend. I adore her and am tempted to reread SCC to analyze her character there and see what clues I missed.
I may even have warmed up to snakes and was incredibly sad when Ukar and Channi had to part.
Channi experienced so much character development. From a happy toddler to a frightened yet inherently fierce girl , to a badass warrior and kingslayer to a grieving elegant lady one would never suspect to have such a past. Throughout the stages of her development she always combines opposites; a fierce heart and fears, a deep love for her sister and a profound loneliness. She is such a tragic but strong character, losing her mother, her father’s love, her face and thus the chance at a normal life, her sister and her potential lover and lastly, her old life and best friend. I adore her and am tempted to reread SCC to analyze her character there and see what clues I missed.
I may even have warmed up to snakes and was incredibly sad when Ukar and Channi had to part.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Physical abuse, Murder, and Bullying
Minor: Animal death, Animal cruelty, and Death of parent
gossameralbum's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Murder, Self harm, Blood, Dysphoria, Grief, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, and Violence
Minor: Confinement