Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I absolutely loved Six Crimson Cranes, so I was very excited to read this, but honestly, I was underwhelmed by the sequel to such a fantastic book, and I think Six Crimson Cranes could have easily been a standalone, and it would've been stronger for it.

The Dragon's Promise picks up immediately after the end of Six Crimson Cranes, diving into the dragon realm - and this covers around the first 30% of the book, after which point it becomes a completely different story that is not connected to the first 30% in any way shape or form. It was so disappointing to have this magical underwater dragon city at your fingertips, only for it to be snatched away in favour of a demon plotline which was just pretty average.

I found the plot to be pretty repetitive, it felt like you were just going back and forth all the time. It felt like every single chapter ended with Shiori facing danger or being attacked or being betrayed, and it just got tedious after the first few. I also found the villain was nowhere as compelling as that in the first book. It just felt like the magic and wonder and whimsy of the first book was lost to some pretty repetitive action sequences. It was very fast-paced which made it easy to read, but I just found myself not wanting to pick it up, which I am absolutely devastated by, because I was really expecting to adore this sequel.

A Dragon’s Promise-Review

Author: Elizabeth Lim
Genre: Fantasy
Page Count: 496 pages
Age Ranting: YA 12+
Representation: Chinese inspired setting and characters
Publication Date:30th of August 2022 (UK)

Beautiful conclusion to the duology!!

Thank you to @netgalley for providing me with this e ARC before publication

Review;
The book started right where the first one ended which was great because I found the first one quite slow to start. I felt this book was a lot more to do with the world building than the retelling aspect of the story. But I adored this book simply because dragons, my love for dragons is never ending I will forever love them.

The relationship between Takkan and Shiori is so sweet and I loved reading about it so much they are so cute together. Shiori is determined and wants to do right for her stepmother. It was a great read and my favourite of the two books in the duology. I also enjoyed reading about her relationship with her brothers and family.

The only reason it wasn’t a fav was because the pacing just didn’t sit well with me at the start of the book is it was very dragon contently but towards the end of the book the pace picked up and changed out of the dragon world quite fast and not blended well together.

Overall, it was a good book and definitely worth a read but not one I’d reread. My favourite part was probably the dragon’s and the relationships Shioir had with her family.

Rating;
4 stars

TRIGGER/CONTENT WARNING
-Blood
-Grief
-Murder
-Death
-Violence
-Torture
-Death of Parent

THE DRAGON'S PROMISE has lost the charm that made the first one so enchanting, instead a watery, slow drag.

I think the biggest problem I had with THE DRAGON'S PROMISE was that it was set-up to begin a great adventure through Ai'Long, the underwater dragon realm, and follow Shiori's attempts to reunite the pearl with its dragon. Obviously they weren't going to spend the whole time in Ai'Long, not with the demon threat of Bandur and most of the other characters based on land. What I didn't expect was for Shiori to go, have her adventure there, and then return and leave all the characters behind. The first 30% of the book feels so disconnected from the rest of the story because of this. Seryu's family dynamic was much more interesting than Shiori's copy-paste brothers, but we never see them again. The trip to Ai'Long could've been another story in it's own right.

And actually, I think a love triangle here would've improved the story since Shiori and Takkan's romance was extremely dull. With little conflict between them there was nothing stopping them from being together (despite Shiori's best, and contrived, efforts). Takkan was sweet in the first book, but his flat personality isn't enough to carry through here.

Frustratingly this ultimately contributes to how slow the book is. Shiori spends most of the book making food, talking, meeting new people, and exploring places, instead of using the time to advance the plot. It was pure padding, and the villains were so poorly rendered, in a cartoonishly non-threatening way, that she got away with it.

Then when you think the book is over, the climax drags into another problem. I actually skimmed the last 40% in one go just to get through it. The only thing I can really say I enjoyed is the wonderful writing. Poetic, beautiful, and not too complicated.

I can forgive a lot in a Lim novel but this was really difficult to get through. Sadly SIX CRIMSON CRANES would've been better as a standalone.

WILL I READ MORE BY THIS AUTHOR? Yes.

Thank you Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This was one of my highly anticipated sequels of this year! I dove into this book with an open mind and no expectations since I do not know this mythology or where the writer was taking the rest of the story. This was a great follow-up to Six Crimson Cranes, and I greatly enjoyed it!

The story follows Shiori, the only princess of Kiata. It picks up immediately after the events of Six Crimson Cranes as she embarks on her quest to return the dragon pearl to its rightful owner. This book is the second book in the Six Crimson Cranes duology.

Just like with Six Crimson Cranes, I loved Elizabeth her writing. It was smooth and easy to follow, but with plenty of depth to the scenes and the characters. I did not know upfront what to expect from this book and where the story would go. Despite having no expectations, this did not disappoint! I loved how the story was set up: action-packed, exhilarating and interesting! I enjoyed this book and am excited to read more of Elizabeth her books!!

‘Dragons are bound to promises, not the truth.’

The Dragon’s Promise is the second part of a duology and follows directly on from the events of Six Crimson Cranes, and is more than just its gorgeous cover.

After making a deathbed promise Shiori must now keep it and return the dragon’s pearl to the dragons' realm, a feat that is easier said than done. Accompanied by Seryu and Kiki, Shiori’s path does not run smoothly, and it takes every ounce of her strength to defend the life she has fought hard to live.

Gripping action, political intrigue, adventure and friendship…this book has everything you’re looking for in a YA fantasy. I loved the development of relationships and the characterisation in this book, particularly Takkan and the back and forth between Shiori and Seryu, although Shiori was still as reckless as she was in book 1!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an E-arc of this book.

The Dragon's Promise is everything you could ever hope for in a sequel. Lim doubles down on the elements of epic adventure taking Shiori on another wild ride that twists and turns and at its core is full of heart. Picking up right where Six Crimson Cranes left off Shiori is bound to her promise to return the pearl to it's rightful owner and naturally it is more involved than she hoped for. I highly recommend both books in this series for anyone looking for a light fantasy full of adventure, minimal chaste romance and easy, plot-driven prose. It's great!

Spellbinding and utterly beautiful storytelling. This might be the best conclusion to a story that I've read in a very long time and I absolutely loved the time in the dragon world.

Shiori made a promise to Raikama on her deathbed to return the pearl to its rightful owner. Now Shiori must face the Dragon King, her father's council, Priestesses of the High Mountain and demons to fulfill her oath. With the help of her brothers, Takkan and faithful Kiki, Shiori must face her fate as the Bloodsake.

This... oh this book broke me in more ways that one by the end. Yes, there were actual tears. Shiori goes on one turbulent journey through this book, starting with the dragons and then the Holy Mountain then the journey to return the pearl and then back to the mountain - jeez! For a 400 page book I feel like I've been on journey to Hell and back.

Our favourite beloved characters are back - I freaking love Kiki being the sarcastic voice of obviousness, bringing some comedic value, and our Takkan; this story would not be the same without him. I just love him and our heroine deserves him!!

This world just took me by storm and I loved every single second of it and this book is just a treat. I loved it, it was just a fantastic book. Just love.

I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from netgalley, thank you Hodder and Stoughton
This book left off where Six Crimson Cranes ended, with Shiori following Seryu to the dragon's kingdom with the dragon's pearl.

Following her journey throughout the book was exciting because I didn't know how the events were going to turn out.
All of the characters had their own charm, personality, and morals that they stuck to, influencing the events that arose during the story.

I really enjoyed the story and breezed through the last 200 pages.
However, it took me a while to get into the story as the plotline under water seemed like a different story and had a different feel to what I remembered from Six Crimson Cranes, but by the middle, the writing had that fairytale and mythology kind of feel to it again.

There were two things that annoyed me: one was Shiori's attitude. She sounded really privileged, thinking everyone would be able to help her and acted like there were no consequences for her or the people who would help her. Like at the start of chapter 8. She completely ignores other people's instructions, such as (SPOILER) when Elang told her to drink the potion when it could have saved her from capture but instead she says that everyone betrayed her.

The second was the ending. I understand that it is supposed to reflect the myths and legends within the story and the genre that it is going for, but it felt a bit too much like plot armour to me.

*4.5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this arc.

I adore Elizabeth Lim's books and after the ending of Six Crimson Cranes, I couldn't wait to get my hands on The Dragon's Promise!

However for some reason it took me a while to get into this story. I found the part in Ai'long (the underwater dragon city) very rushed and overall it didn't even seem that integral to the story, other than to meet Gen. What I wanted to see was more Seryu but we didn't even get that, however I am glad that there wasn't a love triangle storyline.

After leaving Ai'long, the story picked up for me. Once Shiori reunited with her family and Takkan, and they were trying to solve their problems together, it reminded me of some of the many reasons I loved the first book.

This book almost felt like three shorter stories in one, there was cohesion but each one could've been a story in its own right.

I found the look into Raikama's past really interesting and loved that Shiori was able to really connect to her now that she has her memories back.

Also because this book is technically a prequel for The Blood of the Stars, you knew what some of the outcomes would eventually be, especially with Bandur, which did lessen the peril slightly.

This book was a solid 4 stars throughout but the ending made me give it that extra half star. It was utterly heartbreaking for me and very bittersweet. I love Takkan so much and the romance between him and Shiori was so refreshing and the ending felt very mythical.

I also love how Lim likes to flip your character expectations, especially for characters who are 'villains'.

There were some typos in my copy but it's an arc so that's to be expected.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and I think it's a good sequel. I can understand some people's views that Six Crimson Cranes could've been extended to be a standalone instead but I appreciated being able to spend more time with Takkan and looking into Raikama's story.

CW: injury, blood, imprisonment, fire

I loved Six Crimson Cranes and was really excited to be approved to read an ARC of the sequel. This takes place immediately after the events of the first book as Shiori is taken to the undersea Dragon Kingdom where she has promised to bring the broken pearl. Her life is in peril as Dragons hate humans and she is unable to trust anyone, even Seyru as she is unsure where his loyalties really lie.
The world building is superb and we can really visualise the glory of the Dragon King’s realm as well as the darkness when Shiori is imprisoned. Disappointingly, the dragon part of the story is soon over and we never really meet the dragons again which is a shame. Shiori returns to her family and then has to deal with her magic and the demon Bandur. Again, she has enemies on all sides, from those in her father’s court who believe that she is a demon to the demons themselves who just want to be free.
I loved the closeness that develops between Shiori and her brothers as well as the developing romance between her and Takkan. The paper bird, Kiki, also remains one of my favourite characters. The story builds to a satisfying conclusion which brought a tear or two. However, for me, this sequel did not quite have the intensity of the first book. I think it was possibly because a lot of the book was spent travelling from one place to another at the expense of developing the characters which was such a strength of Six Crimson Cranes. Also Bandur is not such a satisfactory villain as Raikhama and you never feel that Shiori is afraid of him in the same way as she was in the previous book.
However, it is still an excellent read and I am very grateful to Net Galley and the publishers for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Princess Shiori is determined to stick to her promise to her stepmother, and to return the pearl to its rightful owner. However, fulfilling this promise is fraught with danger.
She visits the dragon realm, and it is clear that the pearl holds more sway over those who desire it than she realised. The opening of the story took a while to recall exactly who was who, and how they linked to the story. Shiori is tempted to take up the offer to remain in the dragon realm, but her determination to return to Takkan and to fulfil her promise means that her time there is short.
Upon her return we realise very quickly that the people of her homeland fear her magic. Shiori cannot understand why, but she soon sees that the demon has become stronger and that she will have to call on an assortment of people to help her. Assasination attempts, desperate plotting and a perilous journey to return the pearl keep us on our toes.
I liked that Shiori comes to learn more about her stepmother, and exactly who she was. Shiori comes to find acceptance of her skills and talents, and finds the courage to follow her convictions even though they challenge what she has always been taught.
While there was a lot to like here, I felt at times that there were a lot of characters introduced and discarded once they'd served their purpose. The initial focus on the dragon realm suggested an influence that felt lacking by the end, though it does not get wholly ignored. I understand that this ties Shiori and Takkan to the stories of their past, but the ending felt like something of a hedge-better. However, I couldn't rate it 3 stars as there were many sections - namely those with Kiki, and the story of her stepmother - that were deserving of a higher rating.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this prior to publication.

*Full review can be found on Goodreads*

In this sequel to Six Crimson Cranes, Shiori goes to the dragon realm with Seryu to find the true owner of the pearl in her possession. However, things do not go as planned.

I must admit that I forgot quite some things from the last book and I definitely recommend doing a reread before starting this sequel. I loved the beginning of the story, where we travelled through the dragon realm, but it felt to me like a completely different story than the second part of the book. Certain aspects of the story felt like they came out of nowhere, but it is possible that I just forgot that they were mentioned in the last book.

The writing was once again beautiful in my opinion, I just love the way the words enlarge the magical atmosphere of the book. There were however a few mistakes in the ARC, so please do contact me if you want to know which ones stood out to me. Although I feel like this was again a very cute story, I also feel like it was missing some things. The beginning of the book felt like an entirely new story with new characters, who were then just written off and never appeared again. I don’t really like this, because many of the side-characters had a lot of potential that just wasn’t used at all. The ending was cute, but also a bit too convenient for me. All in all, this one wasn’t as good as the first book in my opinion, although I still really liked it. I definitely teared up in places, which I really liked. The romance between Shiori and Takkan was once again great, and I'm definitely going to miss them!

Loved it. It’s was exactly what I wanted after reading the first book. It gave me everything that six crimson cranes left in answered. I absolutely loved the character development in this one.

(REVIEW will be made available on my Instagram page and on Goodreads on the 1st of August I will add the link to the final posted review on the day of its publication.

This book has me on the fence. I really liked it, and I think it’s a fitting follow-up and end to the first. But also, I think it could have been shorter and added to the first to make a standalone.

I liked that the pace picked up from the first book, and it was much easier to get into.
I think it kept the magical elements of the story, the universe, and the characters. Shiori and Kiki were delightful, Takkan (<3) was just as charming as always. Seeing the MC grow and mature was phenomenal. I think no matter which point of the story I was at, there was always some magical element, character, or environment that kept it all incredibly beautiful and poetic.

I was worried about the seemingly incoming love triangle, but it really isn’t one, and whatever you would call it, it’s really tied up in a nice way, and I’m happy that the second book didn’t end up being some weird conflicting romances, but instead ended up being an adventure full of thrills and magic. I enjoyed the new characters that we got to meet, I LOVED the romance, and I was really drawn in by the complex plot and the adventure and action side of it.

Two things bugged me, a little:
- The synopsis is not fully honest, because it gives the impression that most of the novel happens in the dragon kingdom which in reality is only about 20% of the book, which I didn’t dislike, but I feel like the main plot wasn’t really clear at first, and the story kept pausing to explain what happened and what would happen now.
- The pacing, while good, did this thing where you would have singular plot lines with a beginning, middle and end, and repeat, to a point where I didn’t understand how we had 10 pages of complete peace and quiet knowing that another plot point was coming? It just had several plot points and between them moments where the characters were back to normal for a bit, and it felt like a bit of an exhausting yo-yo. But I think that’s me, I have an issue with pacing if it’s too much back and forth.

I think this is why I would hesitate between 4 and 5 stars, because I also think that the tiny details that didn't work for me won't be a problem for a lot of people. At the end of the day, the reason why it's 5 stars is that this is a legit great book, and as the first book had something new and different about it, the Dragon's promise continued on that streak and made a proper, magical finish. I really kind of want more, it's hard to say goodbye to Shiori and Kiki.

Overall, this felt like a fitting second book. It kept me on the edge of my seat (my heart won’t fully recover I fear, you’ll be hearing from my cardiologist). I read the two books immediately one after the other, and honestly, it’s kept me in a magic haze for two weeks. It probably will for a long time.

I really wnjoyed the first book in this series! This secobd one though I didn't enjoy as much as I thought I would. I can feel a love triangle is in there and I hate those,in general it was too focused on the love aspect when I was looking for more character development. However, I am looking forward the next book yo see if it occurs!

I enjoyed reading this book, Lim's writing style is easy to follow and it paints the world the story is set in bright colours. I would recommend this book to teens and YA

Six Crimson Cranes is one of my favourite reads so farof 2022 and I was so excited when netgalley accepted my request to review the much anticipated sequel 'The Dragon's Promise'... loved it!!!
The Dragon's Promise was quite action packed, Shiori continues to navigate her life's purpose and fulfill promises. The settings were enticingly dreamy, so vividly detailed, particularly loved how the author nourishes us readers with the most delicious descriptions. I felt the characters were developed nicely, Shiori'rama is a lovely selfless and determined main character, and the linked bonds she has with those around her were nurturing. I adored Kiki she's a little soul warmer. Seryu is such a great character and a solace role in Shiori's journey. Her six brothers love and support fluttered my heart. But the two characters that surprised me the most was the endearing Takkan and Shiori's stepmother. I loved the dynamics and love Shiori had with these two characters. Takkan is pure as the driven snow, I'm a little In love with him. The stepmothers background story wonderfully weaves together an engaging plot and an ending perfectly fitting. I did prefer the first book for it enchanted me that little bit more but this 2nd book is absolutely worthy of the same full star rating as it tied together a imaginative story filled with myth and magic.

Thank you Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for letting me read this book. I am grateful and my thoughts are my own.

Elizabeth Lim is successful grabbed me with her story since her debut. I am appreciating her skill to elevates oldies fairytales retelling become fresh story and interesting to read by younger generations. The Dragon's Promise is second book from duology Six Crimson Crane and readers is expected to read the first book to understand all the aspects without get spoilers. This duology takes same universe with Spin the Dawn but earlier periods. I can saw some younger version of well known characters from the first duology.

The Dragon's promise also offers several beautiful settings, each rich with details, high stakes trials and nonstop adventure. The storytelling style itself is amazing and fills with heartwarming quotes. All small plots contained several distraction that make this book feel so busy but actually not make big progress to main plot. I personally enjoyed the strong messages about family love and building trust between young couples. The romance scenes is cute and believable without improper scenes. I love saw how far Princess Shiori character growing in each challenges and trial, but I am feel the big battle of this book feel rushed. I still enjoy my reading time with this books and looking forward to read her next installment.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the arc! All thoughts are my own.

3.5 ⭐

First off, cover appreciation that is gorgeous 🥵😍👏🤌

First off, I think Six Crimson Cranes would have been great as a standalone. But, this didn't hurt. I could see how passionate the author is about this book through the writing, but for me, this one didn't get to it's predecessor's level.

The Dragon's Promise begins where SSC left off. Shiori is going to fulfill her promise to Raikama and give the pearl back to its rightful owner: The Wraith. But problem is she ALSO made a promise to Seryu to give the pearl to the dragon king.

The positives!!! 😍😍😍
- THE WRITING! Elizabeth Lim's writing is so great!!! It's descriptive but not TOO descriptive and it's so pretty and flows very nicely.
- SERYU!!! He's one of my favourite characters in the duology, so happy he got more page time in here. I felt bad that he did so much for Shiori only to get rejected 😭😭 but he's such a cinnamon roll i love him. THIS LINE MADE ME FAKE SOB THOUGH...

"Then I'll have to find you when you're reborn - before your strands have time to knot with his again."

- KIKI!! She is adorbs I love her.
- The plot was good, nice twists and turns.

The negatives 😞😞😞
- The biggest thing, it was just so SLOW! Honestly I was a bit bored. I think the author could have cut a hundred pages and made the whole thing more concise.
- Takkan and Shiori, I feel like Takkan has reason to love her and he does and he's totally romantic and all. But Shiori loves him just because?? It feels a bit wooden and stiff from her end. (I wouldn't have minded Shiryu 🥰)
- I feel like Shiori was almost dying every chapter. At the start it was like oohh cliffhanger!! But then it happened again... and again and it just felt boring.

All in all, good book! But it could have been a little shorter ❤️