4 ⭐

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐠𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐞-𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰

This second book takes place right after the end of the first, so it is not difficult to follow the chronology.

Once again the author creates a world full of magic and Asian mythology, which makes us feel in an unreal world. She continues to show us the close relationship between Shiori and her siblings, as well as the love she has for her loved ones; and although I felt that some parts were a bit messy and that she used too many characters, I enjoyed the book a lot and I quite liked Shiori's evolution.

Six Crimson Cranes is one of my favourite fantasy books so naturally I have been very excited for its sequel, The Dragon’s promise!

While Elizabeth Lim’s lyrical writing style, Shiori’s stubbornness and Kiki’s sharp wit remain, this fell flat in comparison to SCC.

This book felt a little drawn out, and definitely could’ve been a considerable amount shorter and still had the same impact, that being said, I also felt there were a few stones left unturned (minor, admittedly but there are still some characters I’m left guessing about). I would’ve loved to see a bit more of the dragon realm, and wholeheartedly hope Lim will give Seryu his own novel someday!

• • B O O K R E V I E W • •⁣
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The Dragon’s Promise by Elizabeth Lim was gifted to me via #netgalley, thank you! I read the first book a couple of months ago, if you scroll a little you’ll be able to see my review, in which, I talk about how much I adored the book. ⁣
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We follow on from the second book and dive right on in, no preamble or building up to drama (which I loved, because I just wanted to get in this book asap). Shiori made a deathbed promise and she is honour bound and kind of sort of curse bound, to make sure that promise is kept. We go with her into the dragon kingdom, under the sea no less, and balance act her duty with other kingdom politics she doesn’t understand. Going into the dragon kingdom was my favourite part. ⁣
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Unfortunately, this one was only a three star read for me. It wasn’t bad by any stretch of the imagination, but it just didn’t deliver what I expected it to. I wanted more more more. I don’t know if Lim is planning on writing a third instalment, but if she does, I do wonder if my undelivered wishes will come to fruition there instead. ⁣
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I know I’m kind of being unfair here, but what’s the point of writing a review if honesty isn’t a key feature? ⁣
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What didn’t work for me was the romance and the love triangle that we see building up. One element of the love triangle actually just fizzles, dies and we never see it again. And this is what got me, because that love interest WAS WAY BETTER. If you know, you know. The one she actually gets with is charged with boringness. I feel like we had an amazing opportunity to follow the triangle and explore the different worlds, but we didn’t. And much of the book was Shiori trying and fowling, trying and failing, trying and failing, and I’ll be honest I sort of got bored of the format. ⁣
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Have you read this one yet? What did you think?

Six Crimson Cranes was one of my favourite books from last years, so I had high expectations for this book but I wasn't disappointed in the slightest.

It took me a little time to remember what had happened in the last book (I was confused for a little while about why she had made the promise to Raikama until I remembered them reconciling), but it quickly came back to me and I fell back in love with the characters once more. Shiori is one of my favourite characters of all time and Kiki has a special place in my heart, so it felt very much like coming home again. I'm really going to miss these characters.

I loved how so many elements of Chinese mythology are bound up in this duology. From the dragons and their pearls to the red string of fate that connects Shiori and Takkan, it is full of Lim's take on these very Chinese elements while adding her own fantasy elements as well.

I also thought it came together in a very satisfying way. I definitely hope this isn't the last we hear from the characters as I know she's had cameos before.

I was so relieved that I still have the Spin the Dawn duology on my shelf to read as I'm so in love with Lim's writing.

I decided to give this a try after giving 3 stars to the first book but unfortunately this series definitely is not for me. I could not finish it and feel that Elizabeth Lim has gone from an auto buy author to one I won't even be excited for anymore which is such a shame. I loved her book Spin the Dawn but Unravel the Dusk was a huge letdown and then for me, this series was too.

Following Seryu, Shiori reaches beneath the mortal sea and into Ai’long, home of the dragons. Angered by Shiori’s refusal to give The Wraith’s pearl to him, King Nazayun imprisoned Shiori. In the dungeons, Shiori meets an enchanter boy who is cursed to turn into stone. Carrying Seryu’s pearl, Shirori was threatened with a binding ceremony, never to return home, forever losing the memories of her past including her loved ones. With a magic mirror, a harrowing sight appeared: Bandur, the King of Demons, is free.

Shiori’s trip to Ai’long brought her news of The Wraith and let her experience the dragon territory. The dragons aren’t the nicest creatures, though there are some like Seryu who helped Shiori in her journey. It’s a little awkward between the dragon prince and the human princess. Feelings are tricky things.

Regardless, Shiori knows that her heart is with Takkan. I won’t go too much into Takkan and Shiori’s relationship but know that they’re really sweet with one another. Always stepping in front of the other when danger approaches. Always find one another amidst the chaos. There’s nothing that will tear them apart.

Though she was only gone for one week in Ai’long, back at home, her family have been waiting for Shiori’s return for six months. As the bloodsake of Kiata, any drop of Shiori’s blood will unleash the demons. Returning back to Kiata with her streak go white hair invited whispers and rumors. With her brothers, Takkan, and Kiki beside her, Shiori braved the obstacles in her way. Shiori’s life is in danger every moment she stayed at the palace.

“Surround yourself with those who’ll love you always,” I began, “through your mistakes and your faults. Make a family that will find you more beautiful every day, even when your hair is white with age. Be the light that makes someone’s lantern shine.”

I adore the connection between this Six Crimson Cranes duology and Elizabeth Lim’s first duology, The Blood of Stars. If you’ve read her debut duology, you will know who Bandur is and how the demon is linked to the Forgotten Isles of Lapzur. With the ending, there were elements of certain legends and stories that readers are familiar with. Since I don’t want to spoil all the fun, you’ll have to find out what those are.

Instead of just having Shiori face the demons, the zealots, and the dangers by herself, everyone was with her all the way. In the dragon realm, there were Seryu and Gen. At home, Shiori has her six brothers, Takkan, and Kiki. Though she’s determined to not let anyone of them be in harm’s way, all of them rival her stubbornness and insisted on being with her. Shiori’s relationship with her father is really sweet as well. The father-daughter duo loves each other a lot, and it’s so obvious.

My heart is really full. Shiori’s not weak. She has her family and loved ones with her throughout the journey. She has ventured into the sea with dragons and roamed the land with demons. While doing that, she’s thinking about her stepmother and the promise between them. Shiori will do anything she can to keep that promise: Give the pearl to The Wraith. I’m sad that this duology is over but excited for what books Elizabeth Lim will write next.

I would probably rate this book a 6.5/10 – so to convert that into a 5-star rating I’ve made it a 3/5.

Let me start by saying that I did enjoy the book, and I have nothing terrible to say about it; I also, on the other hand, don’t think it was ground-breaking and won’t be blindly singing its praises.

I enjoyed the characters the most, it was lovely to see Shiori and Takkan grow together, and as always with Lim’s writing, I adore the sibling’s bonds.

Form this point on this review may contain spoilers for the Spin the Dawn duology (while I won’t be tagging these spoilers, I will try and keep them as isolated as possible so try to think of it as an “if you know, you know” kind of situation) and almost definite spoilers for Six Crimson Cranes and The Dragon’s Promise.


Let’s start with the negatives so I may leave this review on a high as I only feel it is fair to do so.
I am not a fan of the whole underwater/sea/pirate thing that seems so be taking over YA fantasy at the moment; it’s almost creating an entire subgenre. This isn’t an issue, if this is what you like you go for it babes, I fully support you in your endeavours and hope you enjoy yourself along the way. I, however, am not a fan – especially when it’s thrown upon you with almost no warning. When almost this exact scenario happened in the Cruel Prince trilogy, I really didn’t enjoy it, and the first third of this book felt like I was back reading Wicked King.

While Shiori was in Ai’Long, we didn’t get any kind of insight into what was happening on land. We have no idea what was going on with her brothers and Takkan, other than one tiny glimpse from the mirror that Seryu’s mother had, and considering the time moves slower in Ai’Long than it does on land (so for the full time Shiori was under water SIX WHOLE MONTHS PASSED) I would have liked some kind of way to see what the boys were up to (and just for the record, in case you were wondering, I also don’t like the whole, “time moves differently here” trope). Now don’t get me wrong, I know it’s difficult because the book is first person, but… idk. Maybe that point is a little unfair because I can’t think of a way around it, but it is something that annoyed me, so in the review it goes.

There were also writing inconsistencies in this part of the book that I picked up, and they’re literally a chapter apart.

On page 105 (of the ARC so it may be different in the printed book) we have the quote:

“ ‘I take it [this dragon] is the dragon that lured you to Ai’long.’
‘Very perceptive, Shiori,’ replied Gen as we sat. ”

And then on page 109:

“ Ever since we’d arrived, I’d been puzzleing over how [this dragon] had recognised Gen…
‘You’re the dragon who brought Gen to Ai’long,’ I cried. ”

Erm.. yes. We’d already established that less than five pages ago. You spoke to Gen about it, granted as part of a larger conversation, but this is not news to us.

The plot of this book also felt so similar to me, and I couldn’t put my finger on what it was until Bandur and The Forgotten Isles of Lapzur became such big contenders in the story; the latter part of this book is literally the same as the part of the Spin the Dawn duology that is spent on Lapzur. Like- so similar. To the point that both couples jump off the tower into the lake because it’s their only option. I don’t know if this was written in as a kind of easter egg, but – probably because I had literally just read Spin the Dawn to get myself back into this world – I picked up on it so easily and it grated on me. The whole time we were in Lapzur – with the SAME villain no less – I was making comparisons. It was annoying. And if I’m being brutally honest, I kind of expected better from this author because I had loved literally everything else by her so much, for this bit of the book to just be recycled from her other story really deflated me.


Now.

Onto the good.

Gen. Little baby Gen. Yes. Please and thank you Elizabeth Lim for little Gen. And we got to find out how he broke his nose, which honestly made be burst out laughing. Also, the fact that Gen saw through Shiori’s disguise the moment she came to the mountain dressed in Hasho’s clothes brought me so much joy; chef’s kiss.

Kiki kills me. I adore her. The way Lim writes her is with so much spirit, so much sass. The amount of personality that one little paper bird holds is incredible. She says what we’re all thinking and I love her for that. The relationship she has with Shiori and her brothers is so wholesome – she walks the line between pet, friend and family. She also shows that while she is literally a piece of Shiori, she has a mind of her own; they share a spirit, they are of each other, and yet they have differing thoughts and feelings.

I wish we’d gotten more of the brothers in this book because I just love them. So. Freaking. Much. I have a big brother, and let me tell you friends, he is nothing like any of Shiori’s brothers. Not one of them. They all love her and protect her so well. Its so wholesome and lovely to see.

And Takkan. Sweet, lovely, melodic Takkan. I’m so in love with him. I’m such a sucker for a soft boyTM and Takkan is everything. If you have to read about a bad boy or an enemies to lovers story line, this book is NOT for you, my friend. No way. Takkan’s character is so brave, so loving but he’s not irritating with it. So often when authors write about love interest (mainly in YA fantasy novels, I must say) they make the so freaking infuriating. They want to sacrifice themselves at every turn, they keep secrets, they make dodgy deals that never turn out right, they run away for “the greater good” or some other bs reason. Not my Takkan. Oooohh no, not our boy Takkan. They talk through everything, they communicate! And yes okay, there were some points where he’d do something a little reckless, but not annoyingly so; and I very much appreciate that.

One last point. The epilogue. The epilogue was so perfect. I loved it. Wholesome. Adorable. Everything I wanted. I would have liked to have seen the wedding, but we can’t have everything.


So, in conclusion, pals, I did enjoy this book. I did.
Did I find it frustrating at parts? Yes, 100%.
And do I wish parts of it had gone down differently? Yes, obviously, didn’t you not just read my review?

But I escaped into it. I lost myself in this world again. Lim has a way of writing that just consumes me. I wanted more, and that disappoints and upsets me. I feel if I didn’t love her other books as much as I do, I may have… possibly DNFed. But I didn’t. Because I loved the characters. Thinking about it now, as I write this review, right this second, that’s probably all it was that kept me going through this book.

Shiori. Takkan. Andahai, Benkai. Wendai and Yotan. Reiji. Hasho. Kiki.

It was their personalities, and their conversations that kept the book interesting for me. The love they all hold for each other, the way they all need to get a job done, but at the same time all have to protect one another.

Love. It was the character’s love for each other and my love for them that kept me going.


Thank you to Elizabeth Lim, the team at Hodder & Stoughton publishing and NetGalley UK for providing me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was one of my most anticipated reads after devouring Six Crimson Cranes.
Elizabeth Lim just creates such a magical world, steeped in culture.
I felt that the beginning was a little slow to get started, but after that it was action packed.
I loved getting to see more of each character, and I adore Kiki's cheeky playfulness.
All in all I thought this was a fantastic end to the duology.

The Dragon’s Promise is just as whimsical, maybe even more so than the first book in this beauitful duology. Lim has created such a vibrant world with developed characters and stakes. Cannot wait to see what she does next

After reading ‘Six Crimson Cranes’ I had high hopes for the second, and final, instalment in this duology.
Even though I got attached to the characters and really enjoyed this author’s writing style, ‘The Dragon’s Promise’ left me disappointed.

In the first book we had this intricate storyline, filled with mysterious characters, legends and a clear-cut antagonist. The plot was simple, but it was executed so well, that I was hooked from the start, and the ending left me wanting to continue immediately. ‘The Dragon’s Promise’ picks up exactly when the first book left off, but the plot in this one becomes a lot more convoluted. We have 4 different antagonists, and many unnecessary plot lines, that made the story complicated and frankly boring at times.

I would recommend this series overall. It is a magical young adult fantasy with a perfect amount of romance and adventure.

As I look at some of the reviews for this sequel to Six Crimson Cranes and I realize that a lot of people aren't quite as charmed with it as I was. That might be because I read this pretty close together and I didn't have to wait like some people. And perhaps because my expectations were different.

If there is one thing that I have learned with fairytale type of books as the first book of a series is that the rest of the books in the series never really keep up unless they dive into other fairytales. So I knew I was not going to get that from this sequel. And that was okay. We get a deepening of the world by seeing the world of the dragons and other islands.

This book is perhaps a bit more plot driven than character driven than I would have liked but there were just a lot of things that still needed to be resolved and discovered. There was more room for other characters than just Shiori and Takkan, and at the end of the day I think that is important.

There was some shouting about a love triangle, and while I am one that is not a fan of those, nothing about it bothered me. It was clear from the start that Seryu had feelings for Shiori even if she didn't see it herself. And it was also obvious that Shiori would never turn away from Takkan. So for me there was not a real love triangle. Shiori never gave Seryu false hope.

While we are on the subject of the dragons, aren't they a bunch of backstabbing court nannies, my gosh. There doesn't seem to be any fun reason to want to be apart of the dragon world if you constantly have to walk on your toes. But Seryu took a step in becoming his own self and I'm so proud of him.

Her brothers also seem to have grown during their time as cranes and even though we only get little bits and pieces it is still great to see the steps they are making. And I found the wizard entertaining but was sorry to see how little his role ended up being. He could have really helped Shiori since he knew more but of course all had to be done by her. I think that was a shame.

Regardless I enjoyed this duology for what it was and I can't wait to see what Elizabeth Lim will bring us next.

First of all, a huge thank you to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Dragon's Promise is the sequel to Six Crimson Cranes, and we follow Shiori as she undertakes her journey to fulfill her stepmother's last dying wish: return the dragon's pearl to its rightful owner, while fighting off those who desire to have the pearl for themselves, in order to return peace to Kiata.

This book was action-packed, full of surprises and made me feel a lot of emotions. As Shiori grows and comes off less likable in my opinion, I have grown to like Takkan and Seryu even more. I would have loved to get to know a little bit more some of the other characters like Elang and Gen. Takkan and Shiori's love story is really cute as they work together through the hardships, and according to me, the love triangle was not necessary or could have been better exploited. Kiki is still one of my favorite characters as Shiori's trustworthy companion and I loved her importance despite the fact that she is a little paper crane (and she is really hilarious). Like in the first book, Elizabeth Lim's descriptions are amazing, her writing is really easy to read and understand, and they made me want to live in their fictional world. Additional East Asian legends and myths have been added to this fantasy duology, including the Chinese legend of Chang'e (the Moon Goddess) and the East Asian myth of the Red Thread of Fate (which is one of my favorite myths). The dragon's underwater kingdom also seemed to be inspired by the Japanese tale of Urashima Tarô. Unexpectedly, I also found some references to the Blood of Stars duology, also written by Elizabeth Lim, and was happy to understand some of the elements and events happening in this duology thanks to The Dragon's Promise. I would recommend reading Spin The Dawn and Unravel The Dusk after this book.

In conclusion, I loved reading this book and I give it 5/5 stars! I love anything Asian-inspired (and such a pretty cover is a real bonus), and Elizabeth Lim is now one of my auto-buy authors, so thank you for writing this book and I can't wait to see and read what she'll write next!

I loved this book! I really enjoyed where this story went, all the twists and turns made me want to come back for more and more! Shiori is a badass! She’s such a strong female lead character

It’s not a massive secret that I absolutely adored Six Crimson Cranes. It was one of my top reads from last year. The Dragons Promise was one of my most anticipated reads for 2022 🐉

It did not disappoint at all! It followed on from SCC, and focuses on the dragons more, which I loved. Shiori travels with Seyru to Ai’Long, the dragon realm to fulfil her promise to Raikama. Elizabeth has such a beautiful way of describing the world she’s dreamed up, I’m in awe!

My favourite thing about this series is the beautiful connection Shiori has with her brothers. It’s truly heartwarming. I also adore Takken, what a beautiful person he is inside and out.

At this point I think Elizabeth Lim can do no wrong. I adore everything she writes!

I very much enjoyed reading this action packed sequel to Six Crimson Cranes - I actually preferred this instalment. I’ll definitely be checking out this authors backlist.

Although, this sequel felt vastly different in tone and pacing to book 1 - the dragons promise has much more action, political machinations and fantasy elements than in six crimson cranes, in my opinion. The stakes were much higher and the although it is the same story that follows on from book 1, it felt a lot darker. This is all to say that I definitely enjoyed the dragons promise more.

However something I found interesting was that by the time I finished the book, I was left feeling as though I had read more than one book. The amount that happens in this novel is simply overwhelming; I felt as though there were so different many aspects and pieces to the story that I think I’ve since already forgotten some details that happened at the beginning. It probably could’ve been a trilogy.

Something I loved was the author’s beautiful descriptions and imagery, making the atmosphere of this book feel so immersive and alive; the various places from the world explored in this book notably tangible for the reader.

I was invested the entire time reading - I couldn’t wait to see what happened next for our characters. There was never a dull moment in this book making it very hard to put down.

Aside from a few pacing issues, some difficulty in following the plot as it seemed to get more complicated as time went on and some moments of predictability/convenience, this was a solid book.

The Dragon's Promise is the conclusion to the Six Crimson Cranes duology and I really liked it. It is a sweet, heartwarming story that combines Asian mythology with romance and some high stakes.
The book picks up where Six Crimson Cranes has ended and we follow Shiori as she tries to fulfill her promise to Raikama as well as saving Kiata and her people.
I really like Elizabeth Lim's writing and I love the world, which is magical (and also has dragons). The story reads like a fairytale and it also has its twists and turns. It is well paced and has the necessary action.
I also really liked that a character from Spin the Dawn takes part in this one too.

The most important thing I have to say about this book is that Takkan is undoubtedly still paving the way for YA fantasy love interests, because really, who is doing it like him?

As one of my most anticipated sequels of the year, I couldn't wait to get back to Shiori's story (and takkan), and easily finished it within a day. This was a fun and easily binge worthy sequel, introducing new realms and characters yet still packed full with familial love, friendships and totally swoon worthy romance moments. The appearance from a certain blood of the stars duology character was also a very welcomed gift!!!

Although, I have to admit that this was slightly underwhelming in contrast to the first book, and even though I still enjoyed the read, I was disappointed with how rushed and disjointed the ending felt. Perhaps my expectations were too high after how much I loved six crimson cranes, but some of the plot points just felt a little too much?? Regardless, this was still an entertaining sequel, and Shiori, Takkan and Seryu will all remain very close to my heart <33 I can't wait to read whatever Elizabeth Lim writes next !!

I hadn’t read six paper cranes before finding this book, so I read both in a few days. I could put neither book down. The author is a master storyteller, the worlds she weaves come to life so vividly, I felt like I was reading an actual legend.

Character development in both books is so well done, but in the dragons promise, we the reader are given more insight into why the characters behave the way they do. All of the characters we are introduced to are somehow supporting but also characters in their own right. All felt real, as if they were actual people who lived long ago. The growth from the central characters though, Shiori and her brothers, was expertly done. We see the change from playful princess to fierce warrior.

I loved how this story was wrapped up. It felt so bittersweet but I was glad that not everything was wrapped up in a neat bow with the main character receiving everything with ease. I don’t think that would have done justice to the struggles the characters had faced across the two books.

I would read again and recommend to a friend.

I have I soft spot for this duology. I don't know what it is exactly, maybe it's the fairy tale vibes, the dragons, the magic, the reckless MC, or the fact that it's inspired in Asian folklore. Maybe it's how all of that is brought together with writing that feels magical, befitting a fairy tale.

The story picks up right were we left it, with Shiori having to fulfill her promise to her stepmother. In order to do so, she travels to Ai'long (home of dragons), Tambu (home of her stepmother) and The Forgotten Isles of Lapzur. I won't say much more because spoilers, but I will say that in Ai'long she meets a certain future enchanter who I was not expecting to see there (if you've read Spin the Dawn then you know).

I'll admit I was scared going into this. I mean, I've had an arc of this since february and it is now august, so there's that. I was scared of disappointment, of it not living up to my expectations and falling flat. At the beginning I thought that was going to be the case, until the story picked up and I couldn't put it down.

Also, I just really love the characters in this book. I adore Kiki and Hasho, missed Megari and, most of all, gave all my heart to Seryu. Just so you know, I would’ve chosen you, Seryu, damn the strands of fate and all. Maybe it's just the timing of me reading this, but I couldn't stop crying at certain points, not just the ending (which I absolutely loved, btw). I'll just say chapter 15 broke my heart.

My thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for a review copy of this book.

The Dragon’s Promise is the second and final part of the Six Crimson Cranes duology by Elizabeth Lim, a fantasy–adventure which takes us to many magical kingdoms in East Asia. In the first book, a loose retelling of the Wild Swans fairy tale, but with its own spin, we meet the Shiori, the princess of the Kingdom of Kiata who has six older brothers with whom she is very close. Her mother is dead and her father, the Emperor, is married to the beautiful but cold Raikama, who has snakes for pets. Unknown to her family, Shiori has magic, something that is abhorred in the kingdom. Soon she finds herself cursed by Raikama having to wear a bowl stuck over her head and in an unknown part of the world, not allowed to speak or her brothers will die, while her brothers are turned to crimson cranes, who change to human form at dusk. The story was very well told, using the basic template of the Wild Swans story and some familiar tropes, while also giving some other tropes their own spin and weaving in folklore and legends from the East.

Keeping this spoiler free for the first book, in The Dragon’s Curse, Shiori who has managed to break her and her brothers’ curse in the first book is tasked with returning a dragon’s pearl (the ‘heart’ of a dragon) to its owner, but to do that she must first discover who he is. This entails a journey to the Dragons’ realm underwater with her friend, a dragon, Seryu, and then a further journey to find the owner of the pearl. As the bearer of the pearl and wielder of magic, Shiori must bear its weight and things are not made easier by the fact that the monsters that had been released in her last adventure, especially their menacing leader Bandur covet the pearl for themselves. And if that weren’t enough, the Kiatan people are now aware of her magic, and many in and outside court wish to see her ‘sacrificed’ to save the kingdom.

This was an enjoyable read but much less so than the first book, for unlike that this didn’t feel like one tale but the combination of a few—three to be precise with a few other threads also tied up. We have a part of the adventure in the Dragons’ realm, a beautiful and dangerous place with its own court and intrigues; the journey to restore the pearl to its rightful owner which involves Shiori turning her brothers into cranes once again; and then addressing the problem of the monsters she’d unleashed back in Kiata. While these segments are definitely connected, and we’re also following along the romance thread with Takkan (her betrothed from the previous book) and to which a triangle element is introduced, they still feel a bit disconnected from each other.

There are secrets and revelations in the book, and some of the themes taken up and lines along which the author develops the plot as to the monsters towards the end, in Raikama’s story, and then also with the humans who have taken against Shiori in Kiata are very relevant, as is the end in its own way a very pretty one, but still it didn’t feel like everything fit together. Perhaps a longer series to do justice to each segment or some editing out to restrict this to a more cohesive story would have helped. This isn’t to say that these elements or plotlines are bad in any way but just that they needn’t have been stuffed together. I did feel the author wrapped up each segment in a fairly satisfying way, and found the fairy tale element that formed the end a lovely one.

The book is well paced and easy to read with some great descriptions of the different realms through which they travel—the splendour and danger in the land of the dragons, the small village in which they find themselves and which was once Raikama’s home, or the home of the pearl’s owner with its very dark towers and well of the blood of the stars. There’s also the close bond between the siblings, and her relationship with her father, who loves and protects her despite being stern when he needs to be as well.

A satisfying read, fairly enjoyable, but one that could have done with some toning down in terms of the number of threads developed.

3.75 stars