A review by catburglar_
Her Radiant Curse by Elizabeth Lim

adventurous dark emotional 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

knowing the aftermath from the events of this prequel book due to the ‘six crimson cranes’ duology makes this a tough yet necessary read to understanding raikama/channi as a character. however, this book can still be read on its own and i guarantee it’ll be equally as enjoyable especially as channi as a character is very compelling. 

we are given sprinkles of her backstory throughout the prior duology. in the first, she is portrayed as the “evil step mother”, the villain for the majority of the book (if you know, you know) and in the second, characters from channi’s past are introduced as they meet shiori. things are mentioned by them, of course, about the story of the 2 sisters: channi and vanna. being able to read from her point of view is such a wonderful experience especially as she was easily one of, if not, my favourite character due to her complexities and who doesn’t love a good villain origin story? 

the writing is beautiful, everything is paced well, the characterisation of everyone is incredibly strong. i knew i would be left heartbroken by the end of it yet i couldn’t help feel so attached and still hope for a happy ending, which never came. there’s lessons she learns such as: “poison can be medicine in disguise” which she mentions to shiori in the future. there’s plenty of moments like that which adds to the heavy hitting emotional impact. 

unforgettable and hard to put down. i already want to re-read ‘six crimson cranes’ (not ‘the dragons promise’ though. don’t want to torture myself) also can i admit that i bought this book last year while knowing nothing about it all because it has pretty sprayed edges and the author’s signature? now i’m beyond thankful for my random purchase. 

six crimson cranes - 5⭐️

the dragons promise - 2⭐️

her radiant curse -  5⭐️