Thank you NetGalley for the eARC of The Dragons Promise.

This book was absolutely stunning, and I'm so glad I got to read I got to read it early. Lim's whimsical style of writing and inclusion of Asian mythology/folklore made the read delightful.

Lim's construction of the romantic interests will leave the readers please, and people need not worry about Shiori's choice as I felt she could not have justified her match better.

The final chapter and epilogue is where my highlighter came in most, with Lim's writing poetically and resonating the plot of her other duology, The Blood of the Stars.

Rated 4.5/5

#TheDragonsPromise #NetGalley

I absolutely loved and devoured Six Crimson Cranes so I was really excited to read the sequel. Unfortunately for me, it did not live up to the expectation.

This book picks up where we left off in Sox Crimson Cranres with Shiori entering the kingdom of the dragons with Seryu.

What can I say about this book except I was bored through half of it. From the set up from the first book and where we start in the second book it’s sets up a love triangle, which intern goes nowhere. Not to mention that I’m so excited to be in the kingdom of dragons and we’re only there for a short period of time before Shiori’anma leaves to in fact return the Dragons pearl to its rightful owner… WITHOUT SERYU! I get sad loosing such an important character and my favourite character so soon. It just felt like we were jumping from one plot point to another to eventually get to the end and it was not interesting getting there.

I don’t think this is a bad book whatsoever. I just felt like it was a lot of filler to get to the ending and the filler was not interesting. I think Six Crimson Cranes could’ve been a longer standalone.

I was really excited I got an e-arc for The Dragon’s Promise, as I loved Six Crimson Cranes! However, I have to say this sequel fell a little flat for me, and I kinda wished Six Crimson Cranes had been expanded a little to be a standalone.

We start off exactly at the cliffhanger, where Shiori will travel to the underwater world of the dragons, and wow, that was absolutely amazing! I loved all the twists and turns and Seryu was epic, he kept me on my toes! It was really intriguing and I wished we would stay there for longer, but at 30% the plot changes entirely, and Seryu and the dragons vanish from the story. For me, it felt too abrupt and a little bit weird. There was a second turn which caused the same feeling, like this story is made out of three separate short stories. We do get back to Takkan and the brothers, which is always a good thing, as I loved the brothers, I do wish they’d gotten more dialogue and action though, because sibling relations are the best. And we find out more about the queen, which was lovely. And even though the middle was a little slow, I was entirely taken in by the beautiful writing style and epic world building. Honestly, I really would have loved this book if I weren’t thinking half of the time “ok we’re apparently doing this new side plot now” and “please Shiori just think it through for once”. Because while I loved Shiori’s character in book 1, in this book her impulsivity was a bit too much at times, but I do still really like her character. It’s a delicate balance. However this evens out a lot around Takkan as they are a perfect balance for each other, even if they don’t know it yet. Their relationship was very realistic and very sweet.

This story is a bit a mix of a fairy tale and YA fantasy novel, with clever characters and twists, and beautiful writing which makes up for when the plot is a bit chaotic. I did like it though and I give it 3.5 stars. I would recommend it to readers who have read book 1, as this still is amazing and the ending is perfection, even though I think duology this would’ve worked better as a standalone.

I received an e-arc from the publisher through Netgalley, but it hasn’t influenced my opinions.

Thank you Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for the ArC of The Dragon’s Promise by Elizabeth Lim in exchange for my honest and unbiased review

I adored Six Crimson Cranes and was so pleased to be able to read this arc and continue with Shuori’s journey. I would describe this as a tale with 3 acts, not all of which are fast paced, but do all contribute to the sum of a sequel and conclusion to Shuori’s story and the duology.

I have seen reviews that critique the choice to produce this as a duology rather than a trilogy and others that complain about the pace and repetition. Personally I’m glad it was kept as a duology and it was actually refreshing to have more than one key to a plot, albeit all running toward the same objective.

There is a lot to live about the story, in particular the characters, the romance between Shuori’s and Takkan, and I’ll be honest this is the first book to make me cry in a very long time.

If you loved Six Crimson Cranes, then this will bring you the conclusion to the story your heart needs. “Your heart is your home. Until you understand that, you belong nowhere."

The Dragons Promise by Elizabeth Lim is the second book in the Six Crimson Cranes series. It follows on from the first book in which protagonist Shiori, a Princess who discovered she has ancient magic, must travel across land and sea to save her people and herself.

In this book the plot is quite slow in a way because there is so much back and forth and progress that is made only to be immediately undone which I found to be quite frustrating at times. Obviously there can’t be immediate conclusions to the problems but I did feel like some of them were unnecessarily dragged out or continuously came back to. However, it’s a great Young Adult book and a fantastical spin on a classic tale.

I really liked how much Shiori’s relationships to her brothers were highlighted and the closeness of them all. It added to the warmth of the book and also made the stakes higher. Furthermore, I liked Shiori herself. She’s a great, strong female character for young girls in particular to look up to.

Also, in this second book there was a lot more romance which I enjoyed. Although I wasn’t overly invested in them as a couple, I did like them together and definitely wanted them to end up together.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending but it tied the books up nicely and satisfyingly ended it . Overall, this was a good read and definitely one that I think many young people will enjoy!

I adored Six Crimson Cranes but was rather dismayed by the sequel.

Despite my disappointment due to certain repetitive plots, The Dragon’s Promise was an interesting and spellbinding ending to Shirori’s story. Filled with hope, love and grit, the characters experienced phenomenal growth and bravery.

I liked the plot of Shirori and the dragons and hoped to learn more about them with additional appearances in the book. However, I was also disappointed that the dragon plot line only lasted the first 30% of the book. I wasn’t a huge fan of the romance and felt like it could’ve done without it. For some reason, I just didn’t buy it.

Furthermore, I found the plot was similar to Unravel the Dusk as it features familiar characters set in the same universe and felt like a setup to Maia’s adventures in the Spin the Dawn duology.

I highly recommend that you read the Spin the Dawn duology first before starting on The Dragon’s Promise as a certain character makes a special appearance and I was delighted when I read it!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Heartbreakingly average. It tried to do so many things all at once but still didn't manage to proof itself a sequel worthy of the excellence that Six Crimson Cranes was. Still, the romantic undertone, the sibling love, and the beautiful writing managed to keep this afloat, even though the bittersweet ending felt simply forced and unnecessary. Full review to follow soon.

I really think this story would have been better told as a standalone, it would have made Six of Crane's an even better book and we wouldn't have needed this largely repetitive, pointless sequel.

3.5 stars.

I loved Six Crimson Cranes, so I was super excited to get into this one. My favourite aspect of this book, as with the last one, was the incredible worldbuilding. I was so intrigued by the lore and some of the locations, particularly the dragon realm, even if it was quickly left behind as the plot progressed. The writing style made this book easy to read and was mostly why I managed to fly through it in a day. I really enjoyed reading about the central relationship - the romance was super cute - and it increased my enjoyment of the ending, especially from Shiori's point of view.

The biggest disappointment for me in this book was the villain, who wasn't as compelling as I would've hoped. I found that this lessened the stakes somewhat, especially as I wasn't convinced by the danger that the characters were in. I would've also liked to see more of some of the side characters (including a certain character who seemed to have been sidelined after the first third) as I felt they weren't as developed as some of the characters in the first book.

Overall, whilst I preferred the first book, The Dragon's Promise was a mostly satisfying end to the duology, and I'll definitely be picking up anything that Elizabeth Lim writes in the future.

Princess Shiori's journey in the dragon's promise carries on the adventure that was left unfinished at the conclusion of Six Crimson Cranes. It was an adventure wrapped up in a big heart. The first half of the book was incredibly enjoyable and heartwarming; I couldn’t help but smiling and grinning the whole time (shoutout to Edan from The Blood of Stars duology’s cameo fr).

The characters’ growth in the first book is good, but their development and relationship progression in this one is just as excellent. Same it was in the first book, the dialogues are still so seamless and appear natural. I love the banter between *coughs* Shiori and Seryu. I miss them so much! This also has its own moments of courageous actions where you find yourself rooting for certain characters, especially in the final chapters, I cried so hard I pulled a muscle in my back.

That isn't to say the story is absolutely perfect. There are some parts of the plot that flow more naturally in some places than others. the main conflict in second half felt a bit dragged on to me (the same issues I had with Unravel the Duak). And for those who anticipated seeing more of a certain character (everyone knows who I’m talking about), while you may not find it entirely satisfying, it was still executed very well, it felt natural, and it was... beautiful.

I think many of Six Crimson Cranes readers & enjoyers would love this especially because so many elements paralleled one another. The finale was brilliantly brought together by the ending. This book serves as a strong capstone to the duology. May the adventures of Shiori, Kiki, Takkan, Seryu, and the six cranes princes will continue to be the light to your lantern or make it shine even more brightly.

An amazing sequel to the first book of the series and like that one it didn’t disappoint.
The plot is still gorgeous and keeps you hooked.
Another great book by Elizabeth Lim!

An amazing sequel! Once again Elizabeth Lim doesn't disappoint with her books. I enjoyed everything - the world and character building, the atmosphere, everything. It is absolutely beautiful writing, everything written by Elizabeth Lim is just beautiful.

Pick up this duology, as well as everything else she has written. You won't regret it.

So excited to read this after loving the first book.
The author definitely maintains the world building well and the writing is very familiar. It tells us more about an adventure Shiori must make with the dragons Pearl and the dangers that come with it.
It was an enjoyable read with familiar characters from book one and some new faces. Definitely a recommended read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for the eARC in exchange for an honest review
Opinions:
After finishing Six Crimson Cranes I was insanely excited to get to this one and although it wasn't really what I expected it was going to be, I still really enjoyed it! I can't say that it was as good as the first book and I do have some issues with it that I'll go into further detail on below, but overall it was a very enjoyable read and a good sequel.

The book started off quite well, and without getting into spoilers, it was pretty much what I thought the book was going to be about, considering how the last book ended etc. It was a bit repetitive at times and it kept on recounting things that happened in the previous book, I'm going to give it the benefit of the doubt though because I read the books back to back so maybe that's why I found certain stuff very repetitive.

Then there's the biggest issue I have about this book. I still love the book don't get me wrong but... I personally think that it should've been split into two books to make the series a trilogy. From around a bit before the midpoint of the book, the story, setting and plot change quite a lot and I would have preferred that this book focused on the first half a bit more in detail and then another book could focus on what happens from then onwards. I think that in this way both of the major plots in this book could have been given more importance and maybe it wouldn't have felt as if the author tried to cram all her ideas into one book to close the chapter on this world.

The best part about the whole book, apart from the characters and their dialogue because similarly to the first book these were impeccable, has to be the ending. The series closed off in a very beautiful way, I cried obviously because honestly it's rare that I don't, and I really wish the ending could have been longer because of how good it was.

All in all, I can't really be specific with my criticism without getting into spoilers and that's not something I want to do. I still loved this book and think that it is a worthy companion for its predecessor, however, I just expected more from it.

Quotes I liked:
"Your heart is your home. Until you understand that, you belong nowhere."
Final rating: 4.5⭐ rounded down
Picking up more books by the author?: I'm considering it, maybe I'll pick up Spin the Dawn...

The Dragon's Promise picks up right after Six Crimson Cranes, so this review may have a few spoilers for that one.

Where the first book is solidly a retelling, this one ventures into its own path. Shiori has promised to return the dragon's pearl, so she sets off with Kiki and Seryu into the dragon's realm to do just that. But the dragon's pearl is a finicky thing, and its owner is not where, or even who, Shiori expects it to be. At the same time, Bandur is gaining power - and is angling to become the Demon King who will release the demons from the holy mountain and destroy Kiata (obviously by killing Shiori). So cue another adventure to return the pearl, save Kiata, and destroy the demons. And get married to Takkan.

I ended up liking The Dragon's Promise more than Six Crimson Cranes and it's not because I dislike retellings. I do love a good retelling, and I have done some myself. But where SCC just felt flat to me (I still don't get why everyone was raving about it), what I really loved about TDP was this parallel journey of discovery and redemption. As Shiori journeys to return the pearl, she uncovers the truth behind who her stepmother was and her motivations in setting up all that she did in SCC.

What I really hated about TDP was Shiori, because MY GOD DID SHE REGRESS. As I said immediately after reading the book: Super absorbing read but omg Shiori is SO annoying in this one. I liked her better with the bowl over her head.

So if you do read Six Crimson Cranes, it's really gotta be for this one. Which is mostly villain stepmother redemption, if you ask me.

Note: I received a digital ARC of this book from Hodder & Stoughton via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Will be crossposted to blog on 13 July.

A incredibly well put sequel. I loved everything about this duology but especially the universe, the atmosphere and the characters which are absolutely exquisite. If you're looking for a great dose of escapism with a well crafted plot line and a beautiful writing, this book is for you. No this duology is for you, as well as every other book series written by Elizabeth Lim.

ARC provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Elizabeth Lim is with no doubt one of my favourite authors, loved every single book I have read of her so far, and hope to keep up with her work, and to read so much more from her.
“Six crimson cranes” was a fantastical and atmospheric read, I love the way Lim plays with mythology and fantasy, the characters she writes, and the relationships she wovens. I do feel that the second, “the dragon’s promise”, was a bit of a stretch of the first one, the first one could have been a stand-alone. I did like to read it, but it felt that there was no need for a whole second book for the things left.
BUT I still loved to know more of the intricate fantasy world Lim built in the blood of the stars duology and the references to that first duology.
I will keep recommending Elizabeth Lim books to everyone that likes fantasy and romance, but bare in mind that this one was not my favourite so far.

Epic quest after epic quest and a great way to end! Kiki will forever have a place in my heart and feel I need to learn how to fold a paper crane now! :)

Copy provided by NetGalley.

A beautiful sequel.

I read ‘Six Crimson Cranes’ and ‘The Dragon’s Promise’ back-to-back as the narrative follows seamlessly on and it didn’t disappoint. Shiori continues to be a character with strong morals, unshakeable loyalty to her family and a delight to observe develop. Her brothers and Takkan provide many opportunities to highlight her qualities, their ties growing ever more unbreakable through the trials they face.

There are many things that I love about this book from the magically far off island, so beautifully created it would make anyone wish it were real, the interwoven East-Asian influences, and the tender relationship between Shiori and Takkan. While I do enjoy reading about the broody male characters in other books, I found Takkan’s kindness and positivity a breath of fresh air.

The narrative has a very fast pace which suits the desperation within the storyline; however, I would have enjoyed longer pauses to provide a welcome release in tension. This is the reason why I would give it 4 stars instead of 5.

‘The Dragon’s Promise’ is certainly a book I would recommend if you enjoyed ‘Six Crimson Cranes’.

This book is a solid 3.75 stars, it was great (but not as good as the first) - whilst the start felt kind of disconnected from the first book at times, it was absolutely amazing. As the book continued to progress, the story however started to weaken.

Lim's writing is absolutely magical, dragging you right into the center of the realm, created by her absolutely stunning world building. Shiori improved a lot from the first book, now being an amazing main character who was MUCH more likable (but she still acted so so recklessly which was such a big fat NO NO as she hadn't learned from her past experiences or mistakes, which as a reader is an amazing parallel to find. )

However, I stand by the fact this could have been a fantastic stand-alone, and whilst the ending of the first was such a WTF it could have been resolved in a longer first....anyway this was still pretty good.

ALSO THAT COVER IS STUNNING AND SO SO PRETTY !!

The ending was ~interesting~ to say the least, and for me, at least, it was slightly disappointing - not the ending I expected to receive, anyway still read this!