Scan barcode
kittydumpling's review
5.0
I think Elizabeth Lim has earned a spot on my instant-add-to-TBR list. After finishing Six Crimson Cranes and the Dragon’s Promise, I was excited to find that she wrote a prequel. I found this standalone heartbreakingly beautiful and flew through it in a day. I hope Lim writes another spinoff in this world, whether it be a standalone or duology, that revisits some of the other characters in this world.
This book has:
- Strong female main character
- Slow burn romance (wholesome/minimal spice)
- East Asian mythology, magic, and curses
I would definitely recommend reading Six Crimson Cranes and The Dragon’s Promise before reading this book!
This book has:
- Strong female main character
- Slow burn romance (wholesome/minimal spice)
- East Asian mythology, magic, and curses
I would definitely recommend reading Six Crimson Cranes and The Dragon’s Promise before reading this book!
christianraether's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
iris_sel's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
in my opinion, this prequel is the best of the three stories from the ‘six crimson cranes’ universe!!
Channi is an incredibly compelling main character. from the start, you sympathize with her and understand her motivations, and sooner rather than later, you’re stuck to your seat as you follow her adventure across this magical universe. her troubled relationship with her (absolutely horrendous) father, her conflicting feelings about Vanna, the issues with the villagers, it all came together to create a character full of personality and contradictions!! one of the best YA main characters I’ve read about in some time…
my favorite character, though, was undoubtedly Hokzuh. I’d just read about him as an antagonist in ‘the dragon’s promise,’ where I’d also found him very fascinating, but every morsel of information i learned about him in this novel, just made me want to dig for more. the dragons as a whole are very interesting, and the conflict of being half-dragon and half-demon was particularly interesting to watch unfold.
the plot felt well paced throughout for the most part, and reading this while knowing it wouldn’t be a “happy ending” was heartbreaking. i did feel there were some weaker moments with the story, including the inclusion of the blood sucking demons that felt kind of out of place, but other than that, it was a really fun read!!
Channi is an incredibly compelling main character. from the start, you sympathize with her and understand her motivations, and sooner rather than later, you’re stuck to your seat as you follow her adventure across this magical universe. her troubled relationship with her (absolutely horrendous) father, her conflicting feelings about Vanna, the issues with the villagers, it all came together to create a character full of personality and contradictions!! one of the best YA main characters I’ve read about in some time…
my favorite character, though, was undoubtedly Hokzuh. I’d just read about him as an antagonist in ‘the dragon’s promise,’ where I’d also found him very fascinating, but every morsel of information i learned about him in this novel, just made me want to dig for more. the dragons as a whole are very interesting, and the conflict of being half-dragon and half-demon was particularly interesting to watch unfold.
the plot felt well paced throughout for the most part, and reading this while knowing it wouldn’t be a “happy ending” was heartbreaking. i did feel there were some weaker moments with the story, including the inclusion of the blood sucking demons that felt kind of out of place, but other than that, it was a really fun read!!
dmiraculous's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
lanimartinez's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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
3.0
sowhitemocha's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5