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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
a romance that was as fulfilling as it was heartbreaking & a sisterly bond that helped put those pieces back together
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, and though the fate of her lover was not a happy one, it paved the way for the hope and the life yet to come.
i bear no shame in admitting that Elizabeth Lim has always had me in a bit of a chokehold and that i am, therefore, incredibly biased. still, this is, by far, her best work.
quotes that made me want to gouge my eyes out
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, and though the fate of her lover was not a happy one, it paved the way for the hope and the life yet to come.
i bear no shame in admitting that Elizabeth Lim has always had me in a bit of a chokehold and that i am, therefore, incredibly biased. still, this is, by far, her best work.
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: Self harm, Violence
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Death, Misogyny, Blood, Grief, Murder, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Death of parent
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Death of parent
Minor: Animal death, Blood
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
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: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Slavery, Kidnapping, Sexual harassment
Minor: Alcohol
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
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: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail
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
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: Bullying, Physical abuse, Grief, Murder
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death of parent
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Self harm, Grief, Death of parent
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Confinement
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Violence
Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Blood, Grief, Death of parent
Minor: Child death, Torture, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
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:
Yes
“Frozen” meets “Moana” in this stunning tale of sisterly love and adventure!
Channi was a normal, human girl until her father offered her as a sacrifice to the Demon Witch and she was cursed with the face of a snake. She became the polar opposite of her beautiful sister, Vanna, regarded by all to be the kindest and most beautiful girl on their island and possibly the world.
Vanna is the only person who doesn’t see a monster when she looks at Channi’s face and for that, Channi loves and treasures her. That fierce love is what motivates Channi to defend her sister against the cruel suitors who bid for her hand. In doing so, Channi puts herself at risk, becoming the target of the cruelest suitor. She finds herself launched into a quest across land and sea and allying herself with enemies, all to protect protect her sister.
Elizabeth Lim’s prequel, “Her Radiant Curse” is an amazing adventure story sea that features a sisterly bond at its heart. The love that Channi and Vanna have for each other is equal heartwarming and heartbreaking.
This might be a hot take, but I enjoyed “Her Radiant Curse” more than “Six Crimson Cranes,” and I really enjoyed “Six Crimson Cranes.” Channi has so much depth right off the bat and we see her struggle to accept the curse put upon her by the Demon Witch but also continue to hope that her curse might someday be broken. I loved that Channi wasn’t fully committed to either outcome but instead vacillated between between hope for the positive and resignation for the negative.
All of Lim’s characters, not just Channi, are so vibrant and interesting in their own right. I saw somewhere that Lim has been working on “Her Radiant Curse” for years—before “Six Crimson Cranes” even came out and it really shows. The level of thought clans care put into each scene is evident and made it such a wonderful read.
I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail