4-/5

Hm. This review will be more complicated to write than anticipated. Potentiel spoilers for Six Crimson Cranes.

I loved Six Crimson Cranes and rated it 5/5 without a doubt. The fact that it is a retelling of my favourite fairytale, the East-Asian setting, the characters, the magic system... Everything was perfect until the ending and the cliffhanger. I did not expect a second story and I got into The Dragon's Promise with a lot of hopes.

This book felt a little bit messy, sometimes rushed. Don't get me wrong, I liked it a lot but to me, some plot points weren't necessery : all the first part in Ai'long, for example... It could have been shorter, maybe? In my opinion, the love triangle didn't add anything to the story either. That part scared me a bit because it's the beginning of the book and I really thought it was going to be a disappointment for me.

Then Shiori gets back to Kiata and as she is, I was reunited with all the things I loved in the first book. The characters are enchanting - and the strongest asset of this duology - the way this family loves is incredibly heartwarming. And Takkan! You don't know how much I loved this soft boy. His relationship with Shiori and her family is the sweetest and it's so easy to root for them.
I loved the lore and mystery surrounding Raikama's past (so much actually, that she was my favourite character even though she isn't properly in the book). I just think that for this story, less is more. It feels like it tried to do too much for only two books and lost its focus along the way.

Overall, I highly recommend this dulogy because it is full of qualities and absolutely entrancing. Yes, The Dragon's Promise is weaker than Six Crimson Cranes in terms of pacing and focus but it is a solid ending to a wonderful story that I'm so glad I read.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC!

THIS IS SO BEAUTIFUL!!!!

After reading some reviews, I decided to lower my expectation of this book and actually I also worried what I was afraid while read the first book will be happen in this book. But, this book didn't disappoint me at all.

Let's talk about the plot first. The conflict in this book much more complex than the first one. There are many conflicts, one after one, didn't stop until the end of the book. We will follow Shiori from dragon realm, to the palace, her stepmother island, demon island until Holy Mountain. It really is a long journey, you can imagine how busy Shiori is to resolve all the problems. But thanks to the author, I'm not bored or tired while following Shiori in this book. Because each problem link to the others and it deliver very well. I really love the dynamics of the conflict here.

How about the characters?
The more I read this book, the more I'm in love with Takkan!! He is absolutely my favorite here. He is kind, smart, brave and love Shiori so much. Read about his struggle and everything he did for Shiori made me really love him so much!

Shiori is a great characters, brave, smart but one thing I hate is how she tried to push Takkan from her problem. It is sad and reading it made me hurt. I really don't like this kind of attitude "I hate to see you hurt so I must push you out of my life", without knowing it will hurt the others much more.

But, if you see their relationship here is so good, so sweet and lovely. We really can see how much they love each other. I love to see their interaction in happy, sad and trouble. Their love is superb!

The thing I dislike in this book?
The thing author trying to Seryu and Shiori. I already said that I hope no love triangle in this book. I'm afraid Seryu will be hurt. It also not really make sense to see him like Shiori while the time they spend is really short. I wish it could be platonic and they become friends. There's not much airtime of Seryu in this book, the same as the previous book. It a little be waste I think.

full review will be on my blog: tikbookholic.com, upload near published date.

4.5 to 5 stars. The Dragon's Promise is the second and final instalment of the Six Crimson Cranes duology, which is inspired by The Wild Swans and has Japanese influences. We pick up immediately where we left off at the end of the first, with Shiori journeying to the kingdom of dragons, Ai'long, for the first act, before returning to Kiata to regroup with her brothers and going from there to fulfil her stepmother's dying wish.

The first act is pretty solid, which as I said is set in Ai'long. I was simply dazzled by the amount of detail Lim poured into the magical kingdom, and all the worldbuilding surrounding the dragons, their rituals, their pearls and more! But once the second act hits, the story flounders a little, but the third act brought the momentum back. Just like with Unravel the Dusk, my heart nearly gave out at the climax of the book. Note: if you did not like how Unravel the Dusk ended, you will not enjoy this one. Me? I like it; it goes along with the fairytale vibes Lim has with her stories. It cements the fact that what her main characters have done is extraordinary, and as such, there will be some sort of divine recognition. The cherry on top is that, due to what they've done, they will transcend time as legends, but the truth of what had happened to them will only be preciously known by them and a few beloved others. A truth that, funnily enough, is also shared with us, which gives you that giddy feeling of being trusted with a special secret.

Shiori's a bit of a wild child, meaning that she gets into a lot of trouble for her actions and words (especially with her lies), but she's passionate and determined to fight for what she believes in and who she cares for, especially if it's for the sake of her family or her country. That kind of passion makes you want to swell with pride.

In the first book, Shiori went through a 180-degree arc on her perception and feelings for Takkan, and in this book, we see them in the role of lovers who're fighting to stay together despite the dangers they go through, the public pushback against Shiori having magic and Shiori's fear of losing those she loves, including Takkan. I love that Takkan is (of course) a balanced match for Shiori and doesn't easily back down from her attitudes or tendency to act without explaining. He already won my heart back in SCC for being a romantic marshmallow, and he still is here.

We see how Shiori is still coming to terms with Raikama's past, wanting to know more about the stepmother she loved, then resented, then loved again. Her presence is sorely missed by Shiori, and it's fascinating to see how prominent her presence was in this book and touching to see how Shiori's feelings have changed towards her since the beginning of SCC.

Ever since I heard that a certain character was making his appearance in this book, I was jumping up and down on my toes, and boy when he made his appearance I was laughing with glee from recognizing a familiar face! While he does have a small role in the story, I love that we get to see a small part of his backstory. What I wasn't exactly expecting, was to see another character from the Blood of Stars duology, and unlike the other BOS character, he had slightly bigger role. Once again, we got to see more of his backstory, and we finally understand HOW he got to his status quo during Spin the Dawn!

It's so cool to find out that Shiori's and Maia's tales are knotted in more than one way, even though their stories are set centuries apart. It got me thinking: what other character would I like to see leading their own story? I'd definitely be up to reading Seryu's! The poor guy didn't get to spotlight in this book as much as I thought.

Overall, a delightful read!

Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton for providing me with the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Dragon's Promise picks up right after the ending of the Six Crimson Cranes. I was very excited for the conclusion of this duology and although it was satisfying, ending all the storylines, it wasn’t as good as the first book.

The ending wasn’t the best for me, didn’t like the plot twist, even though everyone got their happy ending.

Arc generously provided via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers first and foremost as always.

The Dragon's Promise follows Shiori into the dragon realm following her promise of bringing her stepmother's, Raikama, pearl to the dragon king. The dragon king is sure she'll give it to him, but Shiori has other ideas. She intends to reunite the pearl with it's rightful owner, the Wraith, but first she must find him. Before all of that she must escape the Dragon Realm for the Dragon King has no intentions of letting her go free with the pearl.

With the help of her friends, and some newfound ones, Shiori finds a way back to Kiata and her family, and more importantly, Takkan, so she can make plans to find the Wraith. She's faced with further problems when it becomes apparant that Bandur is able to escape the confines of the mountain she once trapped in, and is able to possess the people around her. How can Shiori find the wraith and reunite him with his pearl when she can no longer trust her loved ones?

(4.5 stars) After reading the first installment of the series in February, I was delighted and grateful that I was able to review the second one in advance in exchange for an honest review. The second book picks up right where the first one left off, introducing the reader to the dragon realm.

The book picks up right where the first one ended, introducing the reader to the dragon realm. It was refreshing to learn more about the dragons and their customs, as this plot point was only touched upon briefly in the first book. Observing Seryu over a longer period and in the context of his political and family roles has given his character new depth, which I'm sure I wasn't the only one wishing for, since we only got glimpses of the cheeky dragon prince in the first book.

I have previously read the author’s “Blood of stars” duology which is set in the same world albeit many years later, and with a focus on another part of the world. I love discovering new landscapes, but revisiting old ones makes for a good surprise as well. I also loved that in this book the author gave us a glimpse of the past and beginnings of a beloved character from her previous duology. Also, I love how there is a characteristically whimsical and fairytale-like touch to Lim’s writing that distinguishes her from other authors I have read.

I highly enjoyed the author’s exploration of the meanings of home and the fear of estrangement as well as the answer the protagonist finds for herself along the way. Along those lines, we also get a wider picture of the first book’s most intriguing character’s life and back story. The way the protagonist’s relationship with this mother figure is woven into the story’s plot was lovely to read. Also, I really enjoyed the mythology Lim constructed for this world as well as its consistency throughout the story. Other than that, this story also offers a comforting love story and realistic and heart-warming depictions of family - especially regarding the dynamics between siblings -, as well as mouth-watering descriptions of food.

The only thing that bothered me at times was the perceived inconsistency of the pacing, as it was harder to get through some parts of the book than others. I was also sad that with the amount of action happening in this book I got hardly any time to process farewells and impactful events as the next danger was already lurking behind the corner.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed this book very much and would certainly recommend the series as well as Lim's work in general. I am very satisfied and content with the way this story wrapped up in the end.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing an advanced copy in exchange for honest review.

I really liked this book. Yes, there were parts of it that meandered a little, and yes, some of the characters felt a bit flatter than they had in Six Crimson Cranes. BUT, I really liked the internal journey that the author took the characters on, and the exploration of what is right and wrong, what is worth sacrificing for, figuring out who you are. A solid 4 stars from me

The Dragon’s Promise picks up immediately after the events of Six Crimson Cranes: with Shiroi, Kiki and Seyru journeying to Ai’Long for Shiori to fulfil her half of the deal with The Dragon King. Or so he thinks. Rather, Shiroi seeks answers in her quest to find the long lost dragon, the Wraith, and vanquish the demon uprising in Kiata…

When reading a story there’s nothing more sacred than the feeling of knowing you’re in safe hands: the feeling of knowing I’m about to fall deeply in love with every facet of the story. This is how Elizabeth Lim and her books have made me feel. I’ve felt a similar trust with Stephanie Garber and Laini Taylor, but truly, Lim’s style of writing has always had my complete trust.

I stress that, because it was and remains true, but I cannot deny The Dragon’s Promise was a rollercoaster read. The pacing didn’t feel as smooth as Six Crimson Cranes, making some chapters (predominantly in the 50%-60% region) feel choresome to read. I really don’t know how else to explain it, other than, between 35%-65%, the book lost its magic. At 75%, I was enchanted again, but I was still sore from the strange blip previously. Additionally, I felt Shiori’s character was very up and down - especially in the middle. At her worst, she read very much like she considered herself as the “I’m the special chosen one” type, which was off-putting. Sometimes I felt her actions were reckless and weren’t really rational (even in fiction) and they felt almost regressive on a scale of character growth. Also, I’m mindful of giving spoilers, but I really wish a particular character wasn’t sidelined so quickly. I understand this is Shiori and Kiata’s story, but I really think the story suffered from the lack of the series arguably most loved character.

There are some new characters; Seryu’s family, Qinnia (one of Shiroi’s brother’s new wife) and a sorcerer called Gen. I really enjoyed most of the new characters, especially Seryu’s grandfather, mother and other relatives, as they brought more of the world building to life. Although, I did have issues with the character, Gen. He didn’t feel substantial in any meaningful way. I kept reading scenes with his presence or dialogue, thinking, “why isn’t this the sidelined character [doing X, Y, Z] … when it could have been more on page time for the sidelined character?”

But the heart in this story genuinely took my breath away. The love between Shiori and her brothers, the sweet love between Takkan and Shiori and the love Shiori has for her kingdom… It really hit me in the feels.

Takkan is the softest gooey marshmallow of a love interest. He was sweet and supportive, yet when necessary, he spoke sense - although he even did this with delicate care. I still love how the romantic strands of Shiori and Takkan are secondary to their friendship. Even though there’s been suitors and betrothals, this is a story very much rooted in love, primarily that of family and friendship, which doesn’t change in The Dragon’s Promise.

One of my favourite things was the undercurrent of Raikama’s presence throughout the book. It was an emotional journey to see Shiori process and embrace all of her feelings toward her stepmother; the love, resentment and grief. I could feel every turmoil Shiori experienced; of wishing things had been different, of being flooded with so much regret it chokes you. Of appreciating the importance of something when it’s too late. This is a testament to how fantastic of a writer Lim is. Alongside these feelings, we explore more of Raikama’s history and where she originated from, which I really enjoyed.

Also, I loved how exquisite the world building was. With octopuses blowing trumpets, shark sentinels, demonic animals, ghosts and bird armies, The Dragon’s Promise was vividly imaginative. I loved the connections to the Spin the Dawn duo with both stories taking place in the same world (fans of both series will recognise a certain person and venture to lands they’ve seen before!). In a nutshell, those who love the world of both series won’t be disappointed.

All in all, The Dragon’s Promise didn’t deliver the conclusion I hoped for, which leads me to stress I think it will be a love/loathe ending for many, but it was nevertheless magical and adventurous. The ending was whimsically bittersweet, and even though I slightly disliked it, I nevertheless found it charming and entirely in line with the fairytale spirit of the entire duology. I love the world Lim’s stories take place in and Lim’s writing is always wondrously illustrative.

Moreover, a massive well done and a show of appreciation to all at Hodderscape involved in this acquisition of this series, the formation of it and the breathtakingly beautifully covers. And thank you so, so much to Hodderscape for an e-arc of this book in exchange for this honest review.

I absolutely loved this book. I haven't read Six Crimson Cranes and this is the sequel so I was a little nervous that I wouldn't fully appreciate the storyline and whilst I think reading the first instalment would help me with a little back story, I actually think this book does well as a standalone.
The descriptions of Ai'long was breath taking, tell me why I want to go and live in the dragon realm?!
Shiori was the perfect strong female lead character, I absolutely adored her. Kiki was also a firm favourite of mine, I think the sassy paper bird needs her own book. I have a big soft spot for Seryu and Takkan so I really wasn't swaying for Shiori to be with one or the other. The brothers seemed like the kind of brothers everyone needs.
The world Elizabeth Lim has created is so beautiful and I need to read Six Crimson Cranes immediately as I'm craving more.
Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read and review this arc.

Elizabeth Lim's descriptions are to die for, she beautifully described the Dragon's Realm and completely sold me on her writing for this reason alone. On top of this, The Dragon's Promise follows a nice fast pace and didn't feel info dumpy even as we learned more about the world Lim created. All in all, it was a nice, fun, easy read.

However, I am giving it three stars instead of five, as I felt a bit like this duology could have easily been a stand-alone. I'm also not a fan of the love triangle trope and whilst there isn't specifically a love triangle in The Dragon's Promise, it does tease one (which turns out I dislike just as much as a love triangle). However, both of these comments are completely based on my personally preferences, so I do still recommend picking up this book and despite my aversion for these aspects, Lim very much remains an instant-buy author for me.

We pick up where Six Crimson Cranes left off….Princess Shiori has to return the dragons pearl to it’s rightful owner but has to go on an epic journey to do it!

We follow her down to the kingdom of dragons where she has to try and foil the dragon emperor himself! I enjoyed this part as there we so many twists that I didn’t see coming and it kept me reading on the edge of my seat!

From her adventure down with the dragons we go on another adventure to reunite the pearl with its rightful owner, but it’s a lot harder than it seems and trouble is always following Princess Shiori, but with Takkan and her family helping her she may just make it out in one piece!

The romance between her and Takkan is lovely and I love their relationship together.

I really enjoyed reading The Dragon’s Promise and thought it was just as good as Six Crimson Cranes! A perfect read for adventure, romance and Chinese Myths fans!

Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Staughton for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

"When you look into the sea, think of me sometimes."

We rejoin Shiori, Kiki and her dragon friend Seryu where we left off at the end of Six Crimson Cranes - journeying to the kingdom of the dragons, beneath the waves. At times I felt like the time underwater drifted too slowly, with not enough action. But it gradually built on the narrative, adding little tendrils to the plot that would become more important later on.

"You are the light that makes my lantern shine."

Fear not, lovers of Takkan - he and Shiori's brothers will return as well once the Kiatan princess steps foot back on dry land. This is where the real story begins, and where the adventure starts to take flight.

Although it felt like a slow start for me, especially when left on the cliffhanger at the end of SCC, I really got pulled back into the story again and was delighted to see a familiar face from Lim's other work (Spin the Dawn). That was a nice little easter egg for readers and I loved the addition.

All in all, a great read and a solid 4 stars. Can't wait to have the physical copy on my shelf next to the first book - the covers are to die for.

I absolutely LOVED Six Crimson Cranes last year, so it was a real shame that the sequel didn't exactly live up to it.

Still beautifully written with characters I adored, the plot was nevertheless quite disjointed and didn't flow as easily as the first book. It felt too long and there parts that just confused me, which overall make it a difficult book to properly enjoy.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Such a beautifully woven fantasy that kept me hooked to the chapters. I love the fantasy elements of dragon, power, magic etc. The characters are well bult and compelling!

OMG, I loved this book. Everything was perfect from beginning to ending. Elizabeth Lim does not disappoint and deliverers a magnificent book. Dragons, demons, magic, gods, angry cultists.. Just all I want in a fantasy book. There's no love triangule (thanks for that \o/). Takkan and Shiori are just the loveliest couple, her brothers have her back and Kiki is the perfect sidekick! Oh, I loved this book so so much!

I just finished this Book and I can absolutely say that I completely fell in love with it. This was amazing.
All the twists and turns this story took kept me wondering how this would end. And I loved alle along the way. Shiori is such a compelling character that I just wanted her to be okay.

As a fan of the first novel in this series I had high hopes for this book. Sadly, while the style of writing is still just as wonderful I found the storyline just wasn't on par with Six Crimson Cranes. At points the plot got quite repetitive and characters I'd really enjoyed previously just didn't evoke the same emotions. Genuinely disappointed as Six Crimson Cranes was such a highlight - think it would have been better to make it a standalone novel

Following on from the last page of 'Six Crimson Cranes' this sequel feels like a continuation rather than a sequel - in the best possible way. There's no time-skip or overly detailed and unnecessary re-cap (which I hate in sequels) but Elizabeth Lim reminds the readers of what came before with more subtle dialogue and internal monologue.

There's a lot to pack into this book - lots of mysteries left to discover and worlds left to explore. I think everything gets covered in the end but I would have enjoyed a book more centred in one place. Rather than sticking to the capital and the snow-covered north Shiori hops between continents, realms and landmarks with a fluidity that made it difficult for me to truly get a grip on where I was.

I have to say that altogether I found 'The Dragons Promise' a much 'looser' novel than its predecessor. Maybe because it's doesn't have a fairy tale 'backbone' to add structure? Shiori seems more reliant on chance and there are many more characters without time to really see who they are. There are a few characters who we could probably see more of in spin-off novels or sequel novellas that I would definitely be interested in; the world that Lim has crafted is of infinite interest to me.

One thing that I did find satisfying is that in the original 'The Six Swans' tale one of the princes is left with a reminder of the curse which never made it into 'Six Crimson Cranes'. Well, that reminder does make it into 'The Dragon's Promise' which made me feel like the tale really did come full circle.

I truly enjoyed the first book and this one was no different! I loved the story and it flowed lyrically. These books follow such a beautiful story! Thank you to netgally and the publisher for allowing me an early copy of this book.

3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ I loved this and was extremely disappointed in it at the same time. Revisiting Shiori and Takkan made me extremely happy. But everything that was right with book 1 was missing in this sequel. The first section where we are plunged into the dragon realm promised an exciting and engaging story but it was completely disconnected from the rest of the story and there was not enough of Seryu. And the ending just left me so underwhelmed I feel the need to reread it and hope there was a mistake. Still, I’m glad I read it and was able to finish the story and have more time with Shiori, seeing her growth and relationships.