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grets_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Xenophobia, and Grief
natashaleighton_'s review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
- 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
Elizabeth Lim’s gorgeous follow up (and conclusion) to the Six Crimson Cranes duology was another intricately crafted and vibrant tale of identity, family and learning to embrace your power that I genuinely fell in love with!
It picks up immediately after the events of Six Crimson Cranes and sees our Protagonist, Shiori journey into the watery realm of Dragons (Ai’long) and risk untold danger into the forbidden land of Spirits (Lapzur) to fulfill a promise to her stepmother —and the action is pretty much non stop the entire time.
If you’re familiar with any of Lim’s previous books then you’ll know just how dreamy and immersive her world-building can be and Shiori’s world of demons, dragons and magical paper cranes is no exception. But, if you’re not all that familiar then you’re in for a treat as this vividly detailed and sweeping, fantasy is chock full lush descriptions and loveable characters that fans of fairytale retellings and East Asian mythology will definitely adore. As this is a sort of prequel to Lim’s previous duology which references the events which take place here, I do think for newbies who haven’t read them —you’d be best starting out with this duology (Six Crimson Cranes, The Dragon’s Promise) to get the most enjoyment.
We don’t actually spend much time in the Dragon Realm (only about the first third of the book) but fans of Lim’s The Blood of Stars duology will be delighted to know we encounter a familiar fan favourite from that series during Shiori’s time there and his scenes were just soo delightful!
We also get to see more of Seryu, the dragon mercurial dragon prince Shiori befriended in Six Crimson Cranes and I loved getting to explore his character on a deeper level—and learn more about the dynamics and culture of the dragons.
Kiki (shiori’s magical paper crane companion) is still one of my favourite characters and loved her witty banter, antics and dynamics with a few of the other characters.
The opportunity to delve into Shiori’s stepmother’s past was really interesting and definitely added a poignancy and depth to her actions in Six Crimson Cranes. I truly felt for her here, and it seemed definitely help Shiori gain a deeper understanding too.
Overall, another spellbinding, fairytale inspired YA Fantasy that I urge everyone to check out—after you’ve read Six Crimson Cranes, that is!)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Torture, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Grief and Death of parent
shannasbooksnhooks's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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? It's complicated
5.0
"Twilight crept over the Holy Mountains. The Moon was a crown faint against the coal-black sky, but the breach glowed a deep, visceral red."
This was an amazing follow-up to Six Crimson Cranes, and I was absolutely in love. I couldn't set this book down for long - I kept picking it up to read another chapter or two. Seeing how much the characters grew - both in Six Crimson Cranes to The Dragons Promise and in The Dragons Promise on its own - was so endearing to read. Everything about this book was pure magic, and I definitely recommend it if you've read Six Crimson Cranes.
This was an amazing follow-up to Six Crimson Cranes, and I was absolutely in love. I couldn't set this book down for long - I kept picking it up to read another chapter or two. Seeing how much the characters grew - both in Six Crimson Cranes to The Dragons Promise and in The Dragons Promise on its own - was so endearing to read. Everything about this book was pure magic, and I definitely recommend it if you've read Six Crimson Cranes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief
Minor: Torture, Body horror, and Death of parent
madyou's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Kidnapping and War
lizgriffinwords's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Enjoyed for the most part - but the plot felt somewhat rushed and disjointed. Thankfully Takkan continues to be an amazing book boyfriend, even when Shiori is a bit of a disaster.
Those familiar with the Wild Swans inspiration will recognize a few additional details.
Overall, lovely sequel but didn’t quite live up to the first one, for me.
Those familiar with the Wild Swans inspiration will recognize a few additional details.
Overall, lovely sequel but didn’t quite live up to the first one, for me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Death of parent
Minor: War, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
azrah786's review
4.25
**I was provided with an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
CW: violence, blood, death, murder, confinement, torture, grief, injury, self harm
--
The Dragon’s Promise is a sequel that was just as fun and magical as the first book.
The story picks up exactly where Six Crimson Cranes left off and has us following Shiori on her mission to uphold her promise by travelling all over the kingdom.
I avoid revealing too many plot details when reviewing a sequel due to spoilers but honestly I wouldn’t even know how to summarise the storyline more here. This is one of those books that you won’t be able to guess what direction the adventure will take you next.
There is still a Studio Ghibli / fairytale adventure vibe overall but the scope is a lot broader. From diving deep into the depths of the dragon kingdom to voyaging across the seas to far isles Elizabeth Lim allows us to further explore this beautifully rich world she has imagined which was one of the things I really loved about this book.
Another was Shirori and Takkan. Rereading book one before picking this up made me become enamoured by their slow burn relationship once again and my heart was just swelling watching it continue to blossom here.
Alongside exploring new parts of this world there is a lot more emphasis on the political tensions particularly in Gindara, as well as how the opinions and superstitions of the people surrounding magic come into play. Themes of grief, fear and loss are deeply explored but also love and remembrance.
I felt there was a slight set back however, in that there were various new (and old) characters and lore being introduced which weren’t given enough time to be explored as the focus was very much on Shirori and her journey. The pacing was also quite fast so some of the action scenes felt a little bit rushed and over as soon as they started but it was all so entertaining through and through.
Final Rating – 4.25/5 Stars
CW: violence, blood, death, murder, confinement, torture, grief, injury, self harm
--
The Dragon’s Promise is a sequel that was just as fun and magical as the first book.
The story picks up exactly where Six Crimson Cranes left off and has us following Shiori on her mission to uphold her promise by travelling all over the kingdom.
I avoid revealing too many plot details when reviewing a sequel due to spoilers but honestly I wouldn’t even know how to summarise the storyline more here. This is one of those books that you won’t be able to guess what direction the adventure will take you next.
There is still a Studio Ghibli / fairytale adventure vibe overall but the scope is a lot broader. From diving deep into the depths of the dragon kingdom to voyaging across the seas to far isles Elizabeth Lim allows us to further explore this beautifully rich world she has imagined which was one of the things I really loved about this book.
Another was Shirori and Takkan. Rereading book one before picking this up made me become enamoured by their slow burn relationship once again and my heart was just swelling watching it continue to blossom here.
Alongside exploring new parts of this world there is a lot more emphasis on the political tensions particularly in Gindara, as well as how the opinions and superstitions of the people surrounding magic come into play. Themes of grief, fear and loss are deeply explored but also love and remembrance.
I felt there was a slight set back however, in that there were various new (and old) characters and lore being introduced which weren’t given enough time to be explored as the focus was very much on Shirori and her journey. The pacing was also quite fast so some of the action scenes felt a little bit rushed and over as soon as they started but it was all so entertaining through and through.
Final Rating – 4.25/5 Stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Blood, Violence, Death, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Torture, and Self harm
hollyk's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
slow-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
3.5
I think I'm in shock a little as I write this--I literally finished this book 2 minutes ago. I want to make it clear that I don't think this book was bad, but I do think it was underwhelming/disappointing. This picks up right after Six Crimson Cranes so I had to play some mental catch up in terms of what happened in the previous book. I also think that y'know, if you title the book The Dragon's Promise and then only about 1/4 of the book takes place in the Dragon Kingdom, and then we don't see another dragon for a solid 70% more of the book, the title may be a bit of a misnomer. I also didn't like the lack of Seryu, and I didn't understand why he didn't stick around?? Maybe I missed something .
In terms of plot, it's fairly straightforward--go to point a for the purpose of b, but there were a lot of unnecessary, small bits that added up over time to make the book drag. It also lacked a lot of the charm of Six Crimson Cranes, but that is in part due to the higher stakes in this book. Other reviewers have touched on the villain and the lack of nuance and development that the "antagonist" of the first book had, and I agree. I think that overall I'm just disappointed because this book didn't live up to Six Crimson Cranes for me. There were definitely some good parts, and Takkan is a gem, but there were just some elements that didn't gel together for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and War
chrisljm'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
4.5
i cried until i couldnt breathe
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Confinement, Blood, and Violence
Moderate: Self harm and Grief
adancewithbooks's review
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.0
Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for the review copy in exchange for an honest review. This does not change my opinion in anyway.
As I look at some of the reviews for this sequel to Six Crimson Cranes and I realize that a lot of people aren't quite as charmed with it as I was. That might be because I read this pretty close together and I didn't have to wait like some people. And perhaps because my expectations were different.
If there is one thing that I have learned with fairytale type of books as the first book of a series is that the rest of the books in the series never really keep up unless they dive into other fairytales. So I knew I was not going to get that from this sequel. And that was okay. We get a deepening of the world by seeing the world of the dragons and other islands.
This book is perhaps a bit more plot driven than character driven than I would have liked but there were just a lot of things that still needed to be resolved and discovered. There was more room for other characters than just Shiori and Takkan, and at the end of the day I think that is important.
There was some shouting about a love triangle, and while I am one that is not a fan of those, nothing about it bothered me. It was clear from the start that Seryu had feelings for Shiori even if she didn't see it herself. And it was also obvious that Shiori would never turn away from Takkan. So for me there was not a real love triangle. Shiori never gave Seryu false hope.
While we are on the subject of the dragons, aren't they a bunch of backstabbing court nannies, my gosh. There doesn't seem to be any fun reason to want to be apart of the dragon world if you constantly have to walk on your toes. But Seryu took a step in becoming his own self and I'm so proud of him.
Her brothers also seem to have grown during their time as cranes and even though we only get little bits and pieces it is still great to see the steps they are making. And I found the wizard entertaining but was sorry to see how little his role ended up being. He could have really helped Shiori since he knew more but of course all had to be done by her. I think that was a shame.
Regardless I enjoyed this duology for what it was and I can't wait to see what Elizabeth Lim will bring us next.
As I look at some of the reviews for this sequel to Six Crimson Cranes and I realize that a lot of people aren't quite as charmed with it as I was. That might be because I read this pretty close together and I didn't have to wait like some people. And perhaps because my expectations were different.
If there is one thing that I have learned with fairytale type of books as the first book of a series is that the rest of the books in the series never really keep up unless they dive into other fairytales. So I knew I was not going to get that from this sequel. And that was okay. We get a deepening of the world by seeing the world of the dragons and other islands.
This book is perhaps a bit more plot driven than character driven than I would have liked but there were just a lot of things that still needed to be resolved and discovered. There was more room for other characters than just Shiori and Takkan, and at the end of the day I think that is important.
There was some shouting about a love triangle, and while I am one that is not a fan of those, nothing about it bothered me. It was clear from the start that Seryu had feelings for Shiori even if she didn't see it herself. And it was also obvious that Shiori would never turn away from Takkan. So for me there was not a real love triangle. Shiori never gave Seryu false hope.
While we are on the subject of the dragons, aren't they a bunch of backstabbing court nannies, my gosh. There doesn't seem to be any fun reason to want to be apart of the dragon world if you constantly have to walk on your toes. But Seryu took a step in becoming his own self and I'm so proud of him.
Her brothers also seem to have grown during their time as cranes and even though we only get little bits and pieces it is still great to see the steps they are making. And I found the wizard entertaining but was sorry to see how little his role ended up being. He could have really helped Shiori since he knew more but of course all had to be done by her. I think that was a shame.
Regardless I enjoyed this duology for what it was and I can't wait to see what Elizabeth Lim will bring us next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Violence
Moderate: Grief and Fire/Fire injury
theespressoedition's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
The Dragon's Promise is the epic fairytale conclusion to the Six Crimson Cranes duology - an accompaniment to The Blood of Stars duology. It's filled with lots of high-stakes adventure, tons of incredible (dragon and demon) magic, and even a sweeping romance.
One thing to note before reading this review is that it will contain spoilers for all of the books in this collection (Six Crimson Cranes AND The Blood of Stars). I had to do a bit of digging to find out that these were all interconnected, which made some of the character arcs and a bit of the world-building a little more understandable upon finishing the story.
Before learning about the way the duologies connected, I was greatly confused by Bandur's presence in Six Crimson Cranes. Since he was such a huge part of The Blood of Stars, it immediately seemed strange that he was the number one "villain" in The Dragon's Promise. However, what I found to be true was that similar to The Grishaverse and the way each of the three series in that collection come together and share villains and characters, these books by Elizabeth Lim do something very similar. They're not only set in the same world, but you'll regularly see familiar names, magics, and other elements.
This book started out incredibly strong, with Shiori and Seryu getting into lots of trouble in the dragon's realm. There were some great fights, fantastic magic, and character introductions that led me to believe there will be more stories told in this universe over the coming years. Part of me wished that the entire book had taken place in that particular timeline. The dragons are so fascinating and I absolutely loved Seryu from start to finish. I didn't want to "say goodbye," so to speak. It almost felt as though that entire portion of the story could have been its own book.
However, that period of time was very necessary for the remainder of the tale. While I believed that we would have a bit of a love triangle (Shiori/Seryu/Takkan), I was grateful for the fact that our protagonist stayed true to the love she "left back home," returning to Takkan and cultivating a really wonderful relationship through the remainder of the book. There were so many moments where I thought, "you need to TALK with him," and then, rather than a terrible miscommunication trope, she actually did talk with him. I absolutely loved that. It made the romance something really enjoyable and sweet.
There were a few things about this book that really stood out to me and I loved:
- It was beautiful to learn more about Raikama/Channari's life. She's such a fascinating character and despite being the "villain" for the majority of the first book, this book allowed us to understand her so much more.
- KIKI! This paper bird is the love of my life, I swear. She's adorable, sassy, hilarious, and just so much fun. I love the impact she has on Shiori and the way she stepped up to the plate in so many ways throughout this book. She really is a star character.
- Shiori's brothers. We got to know so much more about each of them and I just adored their willingness to sacrifice for their sister and each other. They were so precious and Hasho is my very favorite of the bunch.
- The "I used magic and so my hair turned white" trope. It's niche, but it's a thing, and I kind of love it.
While this didn't necessarily hold the same kind of power the first book did for me, it was a really wonderful story and it had a strong finish. I really look forward to seeing what Elizabeth does next in this world. I think there are so many incredible tales to come from the land of dragons and demons, magic and myths.
One thing to note before reading this review is that it will contain spoilers for all of the books in this collection (Six Crimson Cranes AND The Blood of Stars). I had to do a bit of digging to find out that these were all interconnected, which made some of the character arcs and a bit of the world-building a little more understandable upon finishing the story.
Before learning about the way the duologies connected, I was greatly confused by Bandur's presence in Six Crimson Cranes. Since he was such a huge part of The Blood of Stars, it immediately seemed strange that he was the number one "villain" in The Dragon's Promise. However, what I found to be true was that similar to The Grishaverse and the way each of the three series in that collection come together and share villains and characters, these books by Elizabeth Lim do something very similar. They're not only set in the same world, but you'll regularly see familiar names, magics, and other elements.
This book started out incredibly strong, with Shiori and Seryu getting into lots of trouble in the dragon's realm. There were some great fights, fantastic magic, and character introductions that led me to believe there will be more stories told in this universe over the coming years. Part of me wished that the entire book had taken place in that particular timeline. The dragons are so fascinating and I absolutely loved Seryu from start to finish. I didn't want to "say goodbye," so to speak. It almost felt as though that entire portion of the story could have been its own book.
However, that period of time was very necessary for the remainder of the tale. While I believed that we would have a bit of a love triangle (Shiori/Seryu/Takkan), I was grateful for the fact that our protagonist stayed true to the love she "left back home," returning to Takkan and cultivating a really wonderful relationship through the remainder of the book. There were so many moments where I thought, "you need to TALK with him," and then, rather than a terrible miscommunication trope, she actually did talk with him. I absolutely loved that. It made the romance something really enjoyable and sweet.
There were a few things about this book that really stood out to me and I loved:
- It was beautiful to learn more about Raikama/Channari's life. She's such a fascinating character and despite being the "villain" for the majority of the first book, this book allowed us to understand her so much more.
- KIKI! This paper bird is the love of my life, I swear. She's adorable, sassy, hilarious, and just so much fun. I love the impact she has on Shiori and the way she stepped up to the plate in so many ways throughout this book. She really is a star character.
- Shiori's brothers. We got to know so much more about each of them and I just adored their willingness to sacrifice for their sister and each other. They were so precious and Hasho is my very favorite of the bunch.
- The "I used magic and so my hair turned white" trope. It's niche, but it's a thing, and I kind of love it.
While this didn't necessarily hold the same kind of power the first book did for me, it was a really wonderful story and it had a strong finish. I really look forward to seeing what Elizabeth does next in this world. I think there are so many incredible tales to come from the land of dragons and demons, magic and myths.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Murder, and Blood
Moderate: Torture, Violence, and Death
Minor: Death of parent
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