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homulucy's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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? Yes
5.0
Before I say anything else, I have not read Six Crimson Cranes and I did not know until about 5 minutes ago that Her Radiant Curse is a prequel to it. I’ve slightly pieced things together that will probably connect the two books such as Channi being the mother of Six Crimson Cranes’ protagonist who’s name I can’t remember.
The characters in this book were definitely a highlight, specifically Ukar. I never thought that my favorite character in a book would be the animal sidekick but he was fantastic and hilarious.
All of the characters were well developed and had reasons for their actions, even the worse actions that betrayed everyone that they cared about *cough cough*
The characters in this book were definitely a highlight, specifically Ukar. I never thought that my favorite character in a book would be the animal sidekick but he was fantastic and hilarious.
All of the characters were well developed and had reasons for their actions, even the worse actions that betrayed everyone that they cared about *cough cough*
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Self harm, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death of parent
morininung's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
a romance that broke my heart & a sisterly bond that helped put the pieces back together
going in knowing exactly how this story was supposed to turn out did not help. i cried through most of the book anyway and had to look back through SCC and DP hundreds of times just to connect all the tiny details, which only hurt me more.
channi and vanna possess a special kind of connection, and their shared empathy makes them a fun pairing to read about. no matter how far her quest takes her, no matter if she found a piece of her heart in someone else, channi proves, time and time again, that her sister comes first. it's a selfless act that lost her the one person, besides vanna, who understood and accepted her as she was, in all her flaws and all her wrongs, but it's a necessary sacrifice. it's expected yet refreshing, even if i am incredibly torn about the fate of her lover.
the chokehold EL has over me grows stronger each day, and i am now confident that if she ever wants me to rake all my life savings over to her, all she will need to do is ask. i wouldn't even blink. i would die defending this woman and her books.
anyway, this is, by far, her best work. i take no criticism.
quotes that made me want to gouge my eyes out
going in knowing exactly how this story was supposed to turn out did not help. i cried through most of the book anyway and had to look back through SCC and DP hundreds of times just to connect all the tiny details, which only hurt me more.
channi and vanna possess a special kind of connection, and their shared empathy makes them a fun pairing to read about. no matter how far her quest takes her, no matter if she found a piece of her heart in someone else, channi proves, time and time again, that her sister comes first. it's a selfless act that lost her the one person, besides vanna, who understood and accepted her as she was, in all her flaws and all her wrongs, but it's a necessary sacrifice. it's expected yet refreshing, even if i am incredibly torn about the fate of her lover.
the chokehold EL has over me grows stronger each day, and i am now confident that if she ever wants me to rake all my life savings over to her, all she will need to do is ask. i wouldn't even blink. i would die defending this woman and her books.
anyway, this is, by far, her best work. i take no criticism.
quotes that made me want to gouge my eyes out
Is it the cage that makes them admire him and revile me? Would I be an attraction like the dragon if I were chained and imprisoned?
"Are we enemies then?"
A muscle ticks in his jaw. "Enemies want to hurt each other. I don't want to hurt you."
Never will I apologize for being the monster they made me.
"Butterflies celebrate all love, Channi, because every love is precious. And mine for you, above all. That love is forever."
"She didn't love me until the end. She loved you from the beginning."
The snakes will be your family no matter where you go. From this life to the next, they will remember you. Ukar dips his head. Lady White Snake.
quotes that made me kick my feet
We're a breath apart, and it's an odd sort of intimacy: how well I know the chart of his veins, the throbbing pulse points across his body, the lean muscles cording his arms. How much I want to best him in a fight.
"Finally, you admit you like me."
"I didn't say I liked—"
"You're going to be the doom of me, aren't you?"
"What?"
He winks. "It's those snake eyes. I can't resist them."
"Why did you come back?" I ask.
Another bite. He takes a sudden interest in his plate and I almost think he won't answer. Then he says: "Isn't it obvious?"
I hold my breath as our fingers uncurl at the same time, palms flat against each other. It's as intimate as a kiss, standing like this, locked by our hands.
"Did I ever tell you that green is my favorite color?"
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm and Violence
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Death, Misogyny, Blood, Grief, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Death of parent
fragrant_stars's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
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? Yes
4.5
Of all the books in the Six Crimson Crane series, this one has my heart. I loved SCC but this book? I adore this book. I feel like Elizabeth Lim was able to show off a bit more of her creativity for storytelling in this book compared to SCC and she really really did not disappoint. I will be thinking about this story universe for days.
I initially picked up SCC because I'm always eager for a good East Asian fantasy- and I was very much delighted by the world Lim described in books one and two. My heart skipped a beat in book two when I realised that Raikama's-- Channari's-- home was inspired by Southeast Asian culture, and now there's a whole book's worth of story about it? I could have jumped for joy. As a Chinese-Indonesian, I'm so happy to see snippets of both my cultures in this story.
Don't get me wrong, Shiori is a plenty loveable character in her own right, but my favourite has always Raikama, so learning more about her in this book was basically everything I wanted. I can't help but feel that Channari was the real protagonist all along, over these last three books. I love her so damn much.
I initially picked up SCC because I'm always eager for a good East Asian fantasy- and I was very much delighted by the world Lim described in books one and two. My heart skipped a beat in book two when I realised that Raikama's-- Channari's-- home was inspired by Southeast Asian culture, and now there's a whole book's worth of story about it? I could have jumped for joy. As a Chinese-Indonesian, I'm so happy to see snippets of both my cultures in this story.
Don't get me wrong, Shiori is a plenty loveable character in her own right, but my favourite has always Raikama, so learning more about her in this book was basically everything I wanted. I can't help but feel that Channari was the real protagonist all along, over these last three books. I love her so damn much.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Slavery, Kidnapping, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Alcohol
aformeracceleratedreader's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Oh I've been waiting for this and it did not disappoint!! I loved this as much as Six Crimson Cranes. It's also far better than The Dragon's Promise for me. It was what I was hoping for- the expansion of Raikama/Channi and her story leading up to being Shiori's stepmother. I cried towards the end reading this. I thought Raikama/Channi was the most interesting character of this series and this book further cemented my thought. I also enjoyed seeing how her relationship with Hokzuh began and how her relationship with her sister was so ingrained in her. Great prequel 100%.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
robin_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
gardens_and_dragons's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
This as a good addition to the basic Crimson Cranes universe. I liked being able to see the history of Channi and her sister. I wish that there was more time spent at the end with the romance with Hanriyu since she ultimately does marry him and become his children’s mother .
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexism
Dismorphia: The major part of this book is you guessed it, a curse. So some of the themes are about how to cope with the curse.gossameralbum's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Confinement
leaflit's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm and Violence
Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Blood, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Child death, Torture, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
camiandkitread's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
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
5.0
“Frozen” meets “Moana” in this stunning tale of sisterly love and adventure!
Channi was a normal, human girl until her father offered her as a sacrifice to the Demon Witch and she was cursed with the face of a snake. She became the polar opposite of her beautiful sister, Vanna, regarded by all to be the kindest and most beautiful girl on their island and possibly the world.
Vanna is the only person who doesn’t see a monster when she looks at Channi’s face and for that, Channi loves and treasures her. That fierce love is what motivates Channi to defend her sister against the cruel suitors who bid for her hand. In doing so, Channi puts herself at risk, becoming the target of the cruelest suitor. She finds herself launched into a quest across land and sea and allying herself with enemies, all to protect protect her sister.
Elizabeth Lim’s prequel, “Her Radiant Curse” is an amazing adventure story sea that features a sisterly bond at its heart. The love that Channi and Vanna have for each other is equal heartwarming and heartbreaking.
This might be a hot take, but I enjoyed “Her Radiant Curse” more than “Six Crimson Cranes,” and I really enjoyed “Six Crimson Cranes.” Channi has so much depth right off the bat and we see her struggle to accept the curse put upon her by the Demon Witch but also continue to hope that her curse might someday be broken. I loved that Channi wasn’t fully committed to either outcome but instead vacillated between between hope for the positive and resignation for the negative.
All of Lim’s characters, not just Channi, are so vibrant and interesting in their own right. I saw somewhere that Lim has been working on “Her Radiant Curse” for years—before “Six Crimson Cranes” even came out and it really shows. The level of thought clans care put into each scene is evident and made it such a wonderful read.
I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
shainalite's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
This is the first book from Elisabeth Lim I read. Six Crimson Cranes is still in my TBR, however I can easily follow the story and world building in Her Radiant Curse. I love the different vibes between the childhood and the current days told from the main character's POV. It showed her improvement and growth so well. I don't really love the adventure part of this book since it goes back and forth among places, even though I really love seeing how different kingdoms/lands are told. The friendship between main character and the snakes is my favorite even though the sisters' relationship seemed not as cool as them, for me. Everyone who loves Six Crimson Cranes, YA fantasy adventure with a little bit romance in it, dragons, curse, and durian trees need to read Her Radiant Curse!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Physical abuse, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail