Scan barcode
fragrant_stars's review
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I loved this book! Not a much as the first, but I still loved it nonetheless. I love that we got to learn more about Shiori's stepmother and her background. I already have Her Radiant Curse open on my kindle ready to be read.
I think my favourite thing was the relationship in this book. The romance between Shiori and Takkan was so beautiful- Such a breath of fresh air that there was no silly relationship drama between them! I wish we had more Seryu stuff, too. Romantic relations aside I love how all the characters interact with each other.
I think my favourite thing was the relationship in this book. The romance between Shiori and Takkan was so beautiful- Such a breath of fresh air that there was no silly relationship drama between them! I wish we had more Seryu stuff, too. Romantic relations aside I love how all the characters interact with each other.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, Violence, Confinement, and Blood
Moderate: Child abuse, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Pregnancy and War
eetishmeh's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
A thrilling sequel to Six Crimson Cranes and a nice ending to Shiori's journey.
I spent a little longer than I'd've liked to finish this book due to school and life stuff in general... but also because some parts of the book were a little bit slow. That might just be a personal preference, though.
I think Seryu's storyline ended to quickly. I felt robbed of an ending where he fought alongside Shiori, Takkan and her brothers 🥲 I loved him a lot and was super sad to see him go in just the first half of the book 😠The way they closed the curtains of his stage made it feel like it was the end of the book already, haha. Shiori's time in Ai'long and her time in Kiata felt like they were split into two different arcs, which overall wasn't the best pacing choice. (I think that's why it felt draggy in certain areas :'D)
I love Shiori and Takkan's relationship, but I think Shiori acts a little too mature in the romantic relationship aspect considering how she has no prior dating experience and she's only 17. Just a little pet peeve of mine that didn't affect my rating of this book; I know a lot of fantasy books have this type of characterisation anyway.
As always, I'd like to appreciate the worldbuilding, especially since I rarely see Asian takes on typical fantasy tropes (made-up names inspired by real-life things, mythological beings inspired by legends etc) that are usually used in Western settings. (I'm sure that non-English books must do this too, based on their own culture, but this is one of the first times I've seen this in an English book.)
I liked the conclusion to Shiori's journey. It was bittersweet, yet felt more sweet than bitter because of the character reactions and the nice little bows tied onto each character arc.
Overall, I preferred book 1 more due to its pacing and the plot structure, but I enjoyed this book as well. Goodbye, Lor'yan. I enjoyed traversing your land alongside Shiori <3
I spent a little longer than I'd've liked to finish this book due to school and life stuff in general... but also because some parts of the book were a little bit slow. That might just be a personal preference, though.
As always, I'd like to appreciate the worldbuilding, especially since I rarely see Asian takes on typical fantasy tropes (made-up names inspired by real-life things, mythological beings inspired by legends etc) that are usually used in Western settings. (I'm sure that non-English books must do this too, based on their own culture, but this is one of the first times I've seen this in an English book.)
I liked the conclusion to Shiori's journey. It was bittersweet, yet felt more sweet than bitter because of the character reactions and the nice little bows tied onto each character arc.
Overall, I preferred book 1 more due to its pacing and the plot structure, but I enjoyed this book as well. Goodbye, Lor'yan. I enjoyed traversing your land alongside Shiori <3
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Death of parent
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
Minor: Pregnancy and War
Please look up content warnings if you are concerned! It's possible that I missed a few. Stay safe!yaoipaddle's review
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I preferred the first book. I felt like the pacing was not as well done as the first book. Too much time was taken up by Shiori pining over her boyfriend or rehashing the same things she has done in the last book. The few new and interesting settings or concepts were far too brief.
I'm just a little tired of Shiori being head over heels for Takkan when he does not show himself to be outstandingly amazing in this book more than other characters. I do appreciate that there is no Twilight/Hunger Games level pandering over who has Shiori's love though.
The further exploration into Shiori's feelings over her stepmother are sweet and some of my favorite parts of the latter part of the book. I like how towards the end Shiori showed a lot of maturity and the theme of "what is 'home'" really came around neatly. So for general themes and concepts I felt a nice closure.
As for the actual nitty gritty details and actions...
The ending felt rushed and parts of it were poorly explained to the point where I had to stop reading and try to piece it together myself before continuing.
I would say this is an OK end to the series but could have been better. Feel free to pass on it and make up your own ending tbh.
I'm just a little tired of Shiori being head over heels for Takkan when he does not show himself to be outstandingly amazing in this book more than other characters. I do appreciate that there is no Twilight/Hunger Games level pandering over who has Shiori's love though.
The further exploration into Shiori's feelings over her stepmother are sweet and some of my favorite parts of the latter part of the book. I like how towards the end Shiori showed a lot of maturity and the theme of "what is 'home'" really came around neatly. So for general themes and concepts I felt a nice closure.
As for the actual nitty gritty details and actions...
The ending felt rushed and parts of it were poorly explained to the point where I had to stop reading and try to piece it together myself before continuing.
I would say this is an OK end to the series but could have been better. Feel free to pass on it and make up your own ending tbh.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Child abuse, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Death
Minor: Alcohol
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
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
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
More...