Reviews with content warning for Murder - Her Radiant Curse

When i read Six Crimson Cranes i remember saying “i need a full story in just channari” and boy was i excited when she announced this prequel. I preordered IMMEDIATELY and it did not disappoint. This story was a tale of Channari and her struggles with her sister’s(Vanna) fate as well as her own. It was beautifully written and Lim’s world building is so seamless and extravagant. coming from a brother whom was envious of his younger brother for similar things as these two really tugged at my heartstrings and struck a major cord with me. Although she was envious she adored Vanna and tried to defy her sister’s destiny as well as her own. The perspective of both gave a sense of “the grass isnt greener on the other side” which was executed flawlessly. Hokzuh’s part in the story didnt feel forced which was nice and his chemistry with Channa felt natural which was one of my critiques with Six Crimson Cranes. Although a dragon, Hokzuh had a lot of depth for the role he played. Lim has won me over again after her fumble with “The Dragons Promise” imo. I need her next work already!

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morininung's review against another edition

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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

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?"

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fragrant_stars's review against another edition

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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.

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queen_melliott's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional sad 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? No

4.25

Even though I didn’t love Six Crimson Cranes and therefore never picked up The Dragon’s Promise, I knew I had to read this because I really liked Reikama in SCC.
Channi experienced so much character development. From a happy toddler to a frightened yet inherently fierce girl , to a badass warrior and kingslayer to a grieving elegant lady one would never suspect to have such a past. Throughout the stages of her development she always combines opposites; a fierce heart and fears, a deep love for her sister and a profound loneliness. She is such a tragic but strong character, losing her mother, her father’s love, her face and thus the chance at a normal life, her sister and her potential lover and lastly, her old life and best friend. I adore her and am tempted to reread SCC to analyze her character there and see what clues I missed.
I may even have warmed up to snakes and was incredibly sad when Ukar and Channi had to part.

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gossameralbum's review against another edition

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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

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shainalite's review against another edition

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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!

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