"Six Crimson Cranes", the first book of this fantasy duology, was one of my favourite fantasy reads of 2021. I just absolutely adored the world, the mythology, the characters, the romance, the sheer creativity and fairytale-esque wonder of it all. I was, thus, incredibly excited to read the second book and big finale of the duology, "The Dragon's Promise". A little apprehensive too, maybe, because I actually think Cranes could have perfectly worked as a standalone with just some minor adjustments, but hey, more of Shiori's adventures? I'm not gonna complain.
Let's just say, I probably should have lowered my expectations just a little. "The Dragon's Promise" is a good book - but it's also a very disappointing one.

The world is as beautiful and wondrous and lush as before and I especially enjoyed our time in the dragon's kingdom. Lim once again shows how beautifully she can paint a picture with her words, making these different settings come to life beyond the pages. I loved reconnecting with Shiori, who I still adore with all my heart, and Kiki is still my baby. I enjoyed the whole demon conflict in theory, too.

My main criticism is that this whole book is just absolutely stressful to read. It's so incredibly HECTIC. there are so many things happening in such a short time, giving the reader absolutely no time to just breathe for a moment and enjoy the characters. We don't really spend much time with the dragons and don't get to know their kingdom at all (which is a shaaaaaame, I needed so much more!), leading to superficial descriptions and a certain emotional detachment when it comes to this whole fantasy race and Seryu as a character.
About every chapter ended with a small cliffhanger (and then Shiori fainted. And then Shiori was catapulted out of the room. And then Shiori only saw black. You know the gist...), which just added to this overall feeling of restlessness, of being rushed from one plot point to the next. Shiori also gets imprisoned and freed and imprisoned again a ridiculous amount of times. This didn't help. I feel like a lot of this novel was kind of rushed.

The romance of Takkan and Shiori was way more focused this time around, which I generally enjoyed. I did have the feeling that Takkan only existed to be the love interest though, as he really doesn't have much else to do than confess his everlasting love and run to save Shiori. The brothers were there, but really didn't have much to do beyond helping Shiori out. The antagonists remain boring and lack depth and actual complex motivation for what they do, which was my one complaint about the first book as well. The demon plot, including the ending, could have been absolutely great - but because of the way the story unfolds and the generall rushed-ness of it all that ending feels weirdly tacked on. For it to really work, the focus and theme of the book should have been a different one. As in: There is absolutely no logical reason for the reader to suddenly sympathise with the demons and their plight when nothing before that point suggests they're anything but evil monsters. It was just really not well done.

In general, "The Dragon's Promise" lacks the wonder and charme of the first book and trades it in for action sequence after action sequence after action sequence, with no clear underlying theme and way too much stuff going on. I wished we would have spent more time with the dragons, fleshing out that whole storyline instead of dropping it for a lackluster demon antagonist and then dropping THAT for yet another storyline, this time about cultists and the overarching demon problem.

I sadly cannot give this more than 3 stars, though for me it's more of a 2.5. I still love the protagonist and the world, but especially compared to the first book of the duology, this second installment is overall disappointing.

Elizabeth Lim's work is truly the peak of ya fantasy, these stories are so wonderful written, reading her books always feels like the greatest adventure

The Dragons Promise starts of exactly where book 1 ends, & the reader is expertly woven back into the story! I can tell you this friends, there is no sign of second book syndrome with this one haha 😂

This was such a perfect end to the dulogy and I truly can not wait to read everything this lovely author will be writing in the future!

There really is truly something to be said for the epic characters and world building she's created!

This book was a rollercoaster of emotions. I was first a little bit disappointed by the first 30% of the book; I thought I would absolutely love the dragon kingdom part, but it turns out that it was the part I liked the least. I felt like I didn’t find the relationship between Shiori and Seryu as I had loved it in the first book, and I was a little tired to see that she kept thinking everyone was betraying her. That part felt a little slow and redundant.
However, from 30% on, I once again fell in love with the sweet romance with Takkan and the comforting banter between Shiori and her brothers. I adore these characters and was fully invested in them finding their happiness.
There might have been too many twists and turns for my taste, and I sometimes felt they were a little too much and redundant, but at least my frustration kept me on the edge of my seat because the rhythm was relentless.
The biggest strength of this story was how the enchanting mythology was mixed with characters with purpose and heart. I was moved to tears several times and each goodbye tore a little bit at my own heart. Even though the ending had a bittersweet tinge to it, I found it to be very satisfying and fitting with the rest of the story. I will miss these characters for a while.

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest and fair review.

I fricking ADORE this book: it didn't let me down and I was so sure of it! Thank you again to the publisher for sharing it with me, I feel so honored!

This book starts where the first book left off: Shiori has to go to the realm of dragons in Ai'long because she promised to bring the Wraith's pearl to the Dragon King, Seryu's grandfather (mind you, to bring and not to give). As soon as she arrives and refuses to give the pearl as she wants to give it back to the rightful owner in order to keep honor of her last promise to Raikama, she gets imprisoned and she meets a young enchanter named Gen (small hint: we have already know him from EL's The Blood of Stars duology). Once freed, she has to overcome many obstacles until she gets back to Kiata, her homeland, where her new enemies are Kiatan people as they are scared of magic and believe Shiori'anma is an evil sorceress. Through her hardships in order to reach the Wraith and save her world, she is with Takkan and her six brother and she also has the opportunity to get to Raikama better and to finally learn part of her past.

I really loved this book, even though I found some "difficulties": e.g., the beginning was pretty slow-paced and Seryu sometimes felt a bit out of character, but maybe it was just me. Moreover, I felt like we didn't get to see (and hear) much from Shiori's brothers and I actually wanted them to partecipate even more. Lastly, I really expected something more and I felt a bit saddened here and there, but no big deal.
I am going to miss all the characters so very much, especially Hasho, Seryu, Takkan, Benkai and Andahai (ILY).
I also really like Lim's writing style and her "fairy tale like" stories, even though in this particolar book I felt like it wasn't really there. She writes so beautifully I could read anything she writes. Furthermore, she always makes me cry: I cried so much at the ending as it was a bit bittersweet and my heart wasn't really ready fo it.

"Be it bright or dark, you are the light that makes my lantern shine."

My rating: 4/4.5!

Ps: I really hope we get from the author a book/duology on my baby Seryu, I NEED it <3

This book commences right as the first book finishes which really helps pull you straight back into the story. I loved the beautiful writing style that really captivates you with its magical descriptions and fast pace. It was a really easy read that I found hard to put down and wrapped the duology up nicely. At times, the plot seemed somewhat basic compared to the first book, but was still very enjoyable.

The Dragon’s Promise picks up soon where Six Crimson Cranes ended, and we follow Shiori and Serhyu as they travel to the underwater Dragon Kingdom.

Shiori is set on restoring the broken pearl to its true owner, and all the while she must prevent the demon Bandur from escaping his prison.

I loved the scenery in this book. Everything was described beautifully, and I enjoyed how we discovered even more of the world. Elizabeth Lim also didn’t disappoint regarding food descriptions; prepare to become hungry while reading this book!

I enjoyed the plot a little less than the one in the first book. The beginning was very fast-paced, but it felt a little too cramped and rushed. After this, the plot felt more smooth and reminiscent of the ease of Six Crimson Cranes. I did like their challenges and the emotional moments, but I think I was a little less gripped as Bandur was a rather lacklustre villain after Raikama.

All in all, The Dragon Promise does stick the landing for the duology and I definitely recommend it for fans of the first instalment.

A lovely conclusion to the duology! I wasn't quite as engaged as I was when reading Six Crimson Cranes, but overall it is still a greta read

Many thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for providing me with this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. This opinion is my own.

Let's say that was an interesting choice to end a duology to say the least.

I adored Six Crimson Cranes and since I finished that book, I have been waiting endlessly to have this one in my hands, but now that I have finished it, I can't help but be bitterly disappointed. This book follows the events at the end of Book 1 (iykyk) and Shiori has to visit the dragons' realm, Ai'long in order to save her country. She is accompanied by Seryu, her friend, but also a prince of the realm.
The first part of the story I really enjoyed. I love seeing Shiori, Kiki, and Seryu navigating the complicated politics and the unexpected problems in Ai'long. The action was thrilling, and I was very excited to see how the rest of the book would play out (spoilers alert: I was disappointed).
To sum up, this part of the book was a solid 4-stars but the rest was barely a 2-stars, and I want to explain why.
First of all, the characterization in this book has gone completely off-railed. Reading about Shiori, whom I loved and loved in Six Crimson Cranes, just annoyed me to no end in this book. You might think that with all she had experienced in Book 1 and in this book, she would have acted differently (or at least, more thoroughly, because, despite everything, she is still a 17-years-old princess). But TDP feels like reading about Shiori acting recklessly all over again with no repercussions, which brings me to my next point.
Everything in this book is so damn convenient it feels like an old-time Disney movie. This universe has HUGE stakes, but somehow everything is resolved so smoothly despite poor planning and very, very reckless actors. And the ending oh my god. I was so angry at the end because it was so convenient it seems impossible (right intervention at the right time)
Moreover, this book has SO MUCH potential with the new plotlines, but everything is wrapped up so quickly that we barely have the time to thoroughly enjoy the fresh elements. For example, we meet a new character who appeared like three times, and then they are gone, while if explored thoroughly, they could have been such a good character and a key element to the intrigue. Additionally, there is also this new plotline concerning a cult, and I really think that it would have been a wonderful addition to the story if it were developed sooner.

I want to mark this as a spoiler although it isn't really one, to be honest, I don't really get the title and the cover. Seryu appeared for like 30% of the book and then he just left Shiori alone on the mainland. Is it because of that ending?

To sum up my thoughts The Dragon's Promise was a very disappointing read for me considering how much I loved Six Crimson Cranes. I only give this 3/5 because I love Takkan (he deserves the world) and Seryu (the one the only the bitch). Otherwise, this is an underwhelming conclusion to a duology with a lot of potential but was unfortunately torn up by bad choices from the author.

4.5 stars
When I read Six Crimson Cranes last year, I absolutely adored it. It was a book that had everything I wanted, from stunning descriptions, great world-building, well-developed characters and of course, an adorable romance (with an almost love triangle). So, when I got my ARC of The Dragon’s Promise, I had high expectations from the book. For the most part, it definitely met them.

Stepping back into this world after such a long time felt wonderful. Returning to just Kiata was nice, but the fact that we got to see other locations in the story was amazing. Lim’s beautiful prose takes us on a journey across many places as we follow Shiori along her perilous path to return the dragon’s pearl to its rightful owner. Like in SCC, I adored Shiori this time as well. Seeing her determination and her strength, it was hard not to fall in love with her all over again. I love how she is caring and kind and how she doesn’t lose sight of her goal. I also enjoyed seeing her interact with the other characters, especially Kiki. The little paper bird and Shiori make for perfect companions and the best of friends.

I also loved Seryu in this book. TDP made me fall in love with him more than I did in the first book. I was fully charmed by him. The Dragon Prince is a strong character on his own and sometimes, you can’t tell what he will do. While I loved him and Shiori together, I don’t really ship them and I think they’d be such good friends. But Takkan…god, Takkan. I love him. This book contains all the reasons why I think he and Shiori make such a perfect pairing. I loved their romance and I loved everything about them in general.

In terms of the plot, I felt it was a little bit average in comparison to SCC. Book one felt more action-packed and the stakes felt quite high and the pacing was also really well-done. Here, I felt as though the stakes stayed somewhat minimal in comparison, at least for the first couple of chapters of the book, only to spike up later. On a personal level, I felt as though it made the pacing a bit jarring but the second half just elevated the book for me. And the ending? The ending was just perfect. It made my heart race. Made me emotional. Made me feel so much for all the characters.

The Dragon’s Promise is a stunning, spell-bounding conclusion to Shiori’s story. I am going to miss this world a lot.

Having survived as an outcast, saved her brothers from their feathery fate, and learnt the truth about her step-mother, Shiori now has a new challenge: return Raikama’s dragon pearl to its rightful owner. With Seryu willing to take her to the dragon realm, it seems simple enough. But nothing about the dragon realm is simple and returning the pearl may be only the beginning. Her magic is no longer a secret and many in the kingdom blame her for the restless demons in the mountain. Fortunately she has Takkan to help her, not to mention six very grateful brothers.

This book was even better than the last, in part because all the world building had already been done. Instead of easing us in to the plot, this time we were thrown straight into the dragon realm and all the mystical mysteries and politics that come with it.

Shiori was alone or unknown for much of the first book, which didn’t leave much room for exploring her relationship with other characters. So it was nice to see that her relationship with Takkan has had a chance to progress and it is surprisingly empowering to see how confident Shiori is about her love now. Her relationship with her father also adds an endearing touch to the narrative. He had quite an air of patriarchal power in the first book, whereas in this one his strength is shown more through his love of his children and his openness to accept them for who they are. Another shift from the first book is seeing Shiori’s brothers treat her as a leader rather than someone who needs to be protected. This shift is reflected in the increased opportunities that Shiori has in making her own decisions and using her own power. Something that, once again, is empowering to see.

In my last review, I commented that the previous book had more of a rushed ending than I would have liked and, whilst things did move quickly, this book made much more of a point to wrap things up neatly and lead us to a satisfying ending.

The book follows our beloved protagonists Shiori, Takkan and Seryu and their journey. I really enjoyed the first book and was looking forward to reading this one. Unfortunately it fell flat for me. Since it's titled as "The Dragon's promise" I expected more Seryu content, but he is barely there. The plot felt uneven, the pacing was awful and it made it hard to focus on the story. I still recommend this to fans and fantasy newbies! But it was not for me.

𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚛 ?⁣
𝚃𝚘 𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚜𝚞𝚛𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚗’𝚝 𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚊 𝚍𝚎𝚖𝚘𝚗. ⁣
𝙳𝚎𝚖𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚍𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚋𝚕𝚞𝚜𝚑 ⁣
⁣
First at all I would like to thank for this arc. This book had been one of my most anticipated on this year tbr. ⁣
And I am so happy I’ve got to read it before it came out. ⁣
⁣
Let’s start by saying that I loved “Six Crimson Cranes” so much and I was not expecting that at all. ⁣
I loved the Blood of Stars duology and I didn’t think this would top it, but apparently I was wrong.⁣
⁣
I loved the world created in this books and the characters so much. ⁣
I loved Takkan, Shiori and Seryu so much and how they developed from book one. ⁣
Shiori made an amazing journey in two books, I’m super happy about them I don’t think there is anything I would change.⁣
⁣
Let’s talk about how the ending broke me in the most perfect way and I was not expecting THAT at all.

Thank you NetGalley for gifting me this book in exchange for an honest review. This book picks up exactly where the last one left off. Shiori now has the task of dealing with the new threat of Bandur and the pearl. Her journey will take her to the dragon kingdom and to the kingdom of demons. There were a few points within the book where I thought “did that really need to happy?” Or “what was the point of that bit?” However, the book still had that same fast, exciting pace SCC had with all the twist and turns I’ve come to love from this author and that ending!! I haven’t read a book recently with a better, well suited ending!! 5 star read for me and a beautifully written duology.

"So this was Ai'long, home of dragons"

The plot picks up immediately, where it's left in Six Crimson Cranes🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅. Shiori🪢 made a promise🦪 and she's not going to break it.

"Dragons are bound to promises, not the truth."

As the title promises there is more about the dragons then in the first book🐉🐉🐉 I really enjoyed reading about them and their world🐲🌊 Also Seryu 😏 Ily ♡˖꒰ᵕ༚ᵕ⑅꒱

"Enchantress Heedi used to say humans are their own worst enemy"

Shiori🪢 needs to battle🤜 not only demons🧟 from the mountains🏔️, but also people🧍 who do not want magic✨ in Kiata.

"A promise is not a kiss in the wind, to be thrown about without care"

ANDAHAIIII😍 he was maybe in 5 scenes, but I love him. He's the best >>>>>

"It was the profoundest magic how Takkan could cast away all the darkness that plagued my mind"

Also Takkan was so sweet plsss
They were all fine😏🤌

"Be it bright of dark, you are the light that makes my lantern shine."

Overall it's a good book. I couldn't really get into it on the beginning, but the last 100 pages I couldn't be disturbed 😌🤜. I really like scenes with Shiori🪢 and her brothers ☺️🦅
4/5⭐

Thank you NetGalley for providing digital advanced copy in exchange for honest review.

I really want to thank Netgalley for an advanced copy of Dragon's Promise by Elizabeth Lim.

Dragon's Promise has been a book that I've been waiting for since I read Six Crimson Cranes, and I was ecstatic to be approved for the ARC! I've fallen in love with Elizabeth Lim's writing since Spin the Dawn, and that was partly why this book took so long for me to read.

Since this is a sequel I don't want to give away any spoilers, but the plot centers around a promise that Shiori makes in the first book. This promise takes her, her (poor) betrothed, Kiki and her brothers on the biggest whirlwind adventure they could ever imagine.

For this book the setting and some characters overlap heavily with the Spin the Dawn sequel, Unravel the Dusk. It actually made me slow down reading it as I was scared it would just be a copy of the events from the earlier novel. However, pushing through paid off. The plot only expanded from that point onwards

I ended up loving this book, although Six Crimson Cranes will still be my favourite. I cannot wait to see what's next from Elizabeth Lim!

CW/TW: torture, violence, captivity

WAIT, WAIT, WAIT. What?!

So after practically inhaling the phenomenon that is Six Crimson Cranes (Book #1), The Dragon's Promise picks up right where SCC left off. We're with Shiori, she's in trouble, and there's a love triangle brewing (mixed feelings about this one between I'm #teamtakkan forever) between her, The Dragon Prince Seryu, and her betrothed, Takkan. Shiori spends the first third of the book trying (and trying) to escape from the Dragon King, before proceeding to spend the next two thirds alternating between doubting her magical capabilities and telling herself she needs to be strong for her brothers and beloved. The villain - compared to the one in SCC - was also underwhelming, appearing at the most inopportune moments, as if they would remember that they needed to keep up appearances and remind the reader that there was, in fact, a villain. Compared to the tight-knit and Grimms' Six Swans inspired-plot, charming banter and incredible characterization of the first instalment, The Dragon's Promise felt a bit strained at times, with irregular pacing and a repetitive capture-Shiori-free-Shiori narrative.

Don't get me wrong! - I loved this sequel immensely, though I wonder how much of it was because I was riding in the high from having recently finished SCC a few days prior. Lim's storytelling is beautiful, steeped in Japanese mythology and lore, and the exchanges between Shiori and Takkan endearing. (It's always WYD, and never "If you have no heart, I will you half of mine; if you have no spirit, I will bind yours to mine." Alas, the sequel felt more like an extension - an exploration, if you will - of Six Crimson Cranes, rather than a robust, standalone sequel. An enjoyable read for existing fans.

Thank you Elizabeth Lim, Hodderbooks and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Like with her previous duology, i prefer the first book to the second one. this book, while enjoyable, lacks the magic that the first one had. i liked a lot the first section of the story, the dragon realm and the dragons but everything gets resolved pretty quickly and we're back to the land. and... the story goes on like that. a lot of things that get resolved quickly. one thing i did like, the continued presence of raikama, of her story, and her past, she's the one who keeps guiding us and she was my favorite character in the first book, it was good to see that she was not forgotten. i would love to read a short story with her as the main character.

Unfortunately I am dnf-ing this book at 12% in. I understand this is still very early on but I am finding it a chore to read this book. I loved the first one so much and I am so disappointed in this sequel’s beginning. Shiori has become an uninteresting, repetitive, blatantly immature and wilfully ignorant character whose “spirit” comes across as petulance. As a result I care very little for the plot, which whilst it makes sense, feels unnecessary. The actual workings of the world below the sea aren’t explained in a way that makes much sense and I’m relying on the vague assumption that magic just does the job more often than I should. Six Crimson Cranes could have been a standalone. On the bright side, the writing was beautiful, the imagery absolutely incandescent.

2.75 stars

The Dragon's Promise is the sequel to Six Crimson Cranes, and as a huge fan of six crimson cranes I had high expectations for this book and was unfortunately left a little disappointed. I don't think it's a bad book by any means it just doesn't quite live up to it's predecessor.

We continue to follow Shiori on her adventures - the first 1/3 takes us to the underwater dragon kingdom where she travels with her dragon friend Seryu and there she encounters the ruthless politics of the dragon court and is trying to restore her broken pearl to it's original owner. She is also trying to prevent the evil demon Bandur from escaping his mountain prison and must pull together all her magic, family and lessons learnt to defeat him.

I think this book fell a little flat for me because it felt very generic in plot (especially if you have read the authors other series), compared to scc which I think benefited from its retelling aspect and hence had a stronger narrative voice.

I still really like Shiori as a main character, she is very sweet yet determined and slightly dorky but I did feel like her characterisation didn't feel as strong in this instalment. The same thing with Shiori and Takkan's relationship - I still like them and there was nothing wrong per se I just feel like we didn't get the chance to really explore or expand on their relationship that much.

One character I did really enjoy the edition of was Gen - I always love the cheeky little kid character and he was probably one of my favourite parts of the story (also I'm not sure but I wonder if he is the love interest in the spin the dawn duology?).

I have been quite harsh so far so I do want to say I did still enjoy the book and I did like how everything wrapped up, especially the way Shiori and Rakkami's (I did also miss my fave milf :'() family histories tie into the story and shape current events. I also really enjoy the setting and magic of the world and I liked exploring how magic which is seen as bad and Shiori is ostracised for having it may not be as evil as everyone thinks it is and Shiori's desire to prove that.

Overall I would still recommend this duology, book 1 especially is fantastic but I think maybe lower your expectations for the sequel.

After Six Crimson Cranes ends, I know I have to pick the sequel as I was expecting more adventures and thrills before this story came to a conclusion. While I was so grateful for the ARC, I was surprised to see how the sequel felt a bit underwhelming compared to the first one.

Here's what I thought on the premises of the book:

Settings : Not gonna lie, I love the whole scenery, the places they went... It was described beautifully that I wish I could be there to experience living in Kiata (excluded the dangerous place, I mean 😅). The foods mentioned and described in this book are a hungry-trip, so make sure you eat plenty before reading this 😂

Plot and pacing: Ok, here me out. Do not be surprised by the paces of the book cause it's a bit confusing (?) and unfortunately I read this when I'm in the middle of a reading slump so somehow it affects my moods and reading experience with this book. The beginning of The Dragon's Promise is quite fast-paced, I liked it! But then it slowed down abruptly only to spike again in the middle of the plot. And it goes up and down, up and down. Yeah, emotional damage. But I liked the idea of the plot. I like the challenges, the tricks, the twists and turns; they made the story lively despite a few shortcomings. The ending kinda a 50-50 for me, I like it, it touches my heart, but it was also a bit too... comfy? But im not complaining though. This book still rocks, but I wish it surpass the good vibes I got from reading the first book.

Characters: This section gets a bit tricky. It could be a hit-or-miss to some readers, so brace yourself if you have expectation for this book. If you want a love triangle, please remove that notion away; you wont get it. This is where it truly demolished my mood. I like the characters; including Shiori. I know a lot of readers kinda 'dislike' her for some reason, but I grew to like her for who she is. Yes, she's stubborn and made a lot of clumsy and dumb mistakes, but that's human, which I relate so much to her. Seryu is one of my favourite characters in this book, and I must say it was kinda disheartening to see less of him. I wish the author writes another story solely on Seryu cause that dragon deserves his own story 😂. Then we have Takkan; ever the romantic and loyal Takkan. I got no complain about him, whoever trash-talk him will be facing my gun soon (jkjk). If you love Takkan, you will fall harder for him in this book, trust me.

Overall ratings: 3.5/5