like the first book more but okay. still would die for the dragon boi.

- thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC.

As always, I provide a caveat at the beginning of my review of a sequel. The first kind of person who is looking at this is one who has read both books and is comparing notes. The second is someone who has read the first and is wondering if they should pick the next up. The last has not read the first, and the only thing in here for them is whether they can read this as a standalone.
Since this review, in its entirety, will help with the first kind, I will start with the next point. If you have read the first (or my review of it), you will know that it is a retelling of an older 'fairy tale', and it has its own whimsical voice. There was a lot to unpack towards the end of the narrative, and the romance at its centre was familiar but sweet. It would even make sense to be happy with that plot and assume there's a happily ever after and not read the second.
I am not providing that recommendation because the book is bad - it is unlike the first. The tone of the narration and the plot here felt more in tune with other fantasy books where a central figure goes on a quest for lasting peace. The quest is littered with hurdles, and the world under the sea is not friendly. Our princess spends a large part of the book trying to survive the dragons only to come onshore to find her being viewed with more suspicion than the events should have warranted.
There is a lot of travel, and a lot more ground (literally and figuratively) is covered in this tale. I actually found a physical copy of the book in the library, and it is definitely a treat. The cover draws you in.
For the last kind of person, I think this is a book where one can take a calculated risk. The emotional factor focuses on other people in this adventure, with a very different feel. So if one is used to plunging into a narrative and figuring out where they stand, this is one of the few sequels where it might just work. Especially since I have mentioned multiple times, the 'feel' of the tale works out in a different fashion than the first.
I would recommend this series to those people who have tired of the more generic tales in this genre! I would definitely pick up another book by the author.
I originally received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience of the physical book.

I started off with very high expectations for this book after six crimson cranes, which I truly enjoyed. I have to say that overall, I found The Dragon's Promise a little underwhelming in comparison to all the hype surrounding its release.

Initially, it was enjoyable being reintroduced into Elizabeth Lim's beautifully crafted world, and seeing the characters we had all missed. However, as the novel went on, the number of plot points introduced began to feel overwhelming and rushed. Rather than concluding each plot point and taking the time to properly build another, it felt like there was too much being shoved into the one book, especially as the final book to the duology.

Even so, the writing was amazingly carried out as Elizabeth Lim's past works, and the book proved to be another fascinating piece into her world.

A sweet ending to this duology that added new information and tied up the loose ends created from the last book. I enjoyed that we got to find out more about the dragons and the world under the ocean, as well as Shiori discovering more about Raikama and the magic of their world. However, I did feel that Six Crimson Cranes could have been made stronger if the main elements from this sequel were added to it to make it a strong stand alone. I felt like there were lots of extended scenes that didn't add a great deal to the story and Shiori often ended up in similar situations to the first book, attesting to a lack of character growth. Overall, I did enjoy it because it added to the detail that I wanted from book one, but it took awhile to get there!

I will genuinely read anything that Elizabeth Lim writes - THIS WAS SO GOOD!!!! I love this book so much and I can't wait for Her Radiant Curse!!!!!!! Shiori is one of my all-time favourite characters now, absolutely adore her.
Thank you for the eARC, I ended up buying both the Fairyloot and Waterstones editions because I really am unhinged and shouldn't be allowed adult money

I dnfed this one ! It didn't have the same effect or magic like the first book. I tried to push through it that much but I was not able to connect with the plot or characters that much and I felt like the story was dragging so much

“We are bound, remember? If you have no heart, I will give you half of mine. If you have no spirit, I will bind yours to mine.”

This book has my heart. It was a romance book, set in a beautiful fantasy world where family are just so important. I loved it.
I really enjoyed Shiori’s character in this. She got to reflect on her relationship with her stepmother, and we got to see how her discoveries shaped her decisions as the book went on. I loved how she interacted with her brothers (there was one point where she told a brother she absolutely would punch him *because* he was her brother), and even more so with Takkan. The interacted for so much of the first book, but they actually knew each other in this one and they fought to protect each other.
I also liked how she got to explore her magic, and then see how everyone else would react because of it.
The first quarter or so felt very different to the rest of the book. Don’t get me wrong, I liked seeing more of the world and different types of magic, but it felt like a big detour from the rest.
It’s a very… easy? book to read. It’s not uncomplicated, it’s a big world and a lot of high-tension things happen, but I still found myself able to relax when I read it.
Overall, I really enjoyed it. I especially liked the love story, I’m soft for Shiori/Takkan.

I loved the first book, but I lowered my expectations for the sequel in order to avoid disappointment.
I really appreciated this story, meeting Siori, Seyru and Takkan again was pure delight. The first part in the Dragons Kingdom was really good, but too short for my taste. The second part is slower and "expected" but I liked the connections to Spin the Dawn.

The relationship between Shiori and Takkan is really beautiful, such a cute couple ! Overall, a very good duology, that is a must read for me !

A really disappointing sequel, no real additional character development, in fact they all came across as one dimensional, and the plot was really repetitive and way too long

I absolutely love Elizabeth Lim's soft, whimsical world and her living, breathing characters. Six Crimson Cranes was unlike anything I'd read before, and I was so excited to get my hands on Dragon's Promise. Unfortunately I think after loving the first book SO much, my expectations were too high.

As happy as I was to be back in this world, I found Dragon's Promise a lot slower and therefore harder to stay engaged in. I think if Six Crimson Cranes had been longer, the plot could have been wrapped up in one hefty book.

Having said that, I love Shiori and Takkan so much - they're well worth staying invested in the series. Add to that an exciting and satisfying ending, and this is still a book I would recommend to fantasy lovers, if only so they can also experience the wonder of Six Crimson Cranes.

I really liked this book, it’s definitely more of a sprawling story with all sorts of little fairytale references throughout the book instead of the main plot covering a fairytale retelling.
I liked it for this bc the little references were fun and it felt like you really went on a journey with Shiori.
That said this wasn’t how I expected this book to go so I was a little surprised at first. But I cannot stress this enough I loved the ending of this, caught me off guard and I think it suits the themes so well.
I also think and *spoilers for the first book if you haven’t read it*, this story shines so much in the relationship between Shiori and her stepmother. The book really delves into it more and it’s just so endearing how the stepmother wasn’t used as a one dimensional villain character.
This is an easy, heartfelt read and I recommend. 😊

The Dragon’s Promise picks up right where Six Crimson Cranes ends. Shiori must head into the kingdom of dragons to return the dragon’s pearl to its rightful owner. Unfortunately, doing so is not as straightforward as she originally thought.

Shiori discovers a new world in this book and meets some new characters. Her journey turns on its side when it becomes intertwined with the fate of magic in her own kingdom. And not just the fate of magic, but the fate of demons. The first section of the book was spent in the dragon kingdom, and this felt very magical. As much as I love Seryu, I preferred Shiori with Takkan. I am happy to report there was no love triangle!

For those wanting a whole book set in the dragon kingdom, that is not what you’re going to get. Shiori’s journey takes her back to her brothers and Takkan, where they come up with a plan to save their own kingdom. I liked the continuing theme of Shiori and Raikama, and when you get to find out a bit more about her past and how she came to be Shiori’s stepmother.

I loved the continuing development of Shiori and Takkan’s relationship and would continue to read more books just for them!

I loved Six Crimson Cranes but this was one I didn't enjoy as much. I just felt this was a little lacking and disjointed.

There is a possibility that I might have left it too long between reading Six Crimson Crans and The Dragons Promise but I am willing to give it another go.

It took me a while to get to this, and even longer to try and process my thoughts and emotions! I absolutely loved Six Crimson Cranes, and I think my expectations were just a teesy bit higher than I should've had them at. It was still a good conclusion to the duology and wrapped most things up well, but I don't know, I think it was just missing a tiny spark for me! I think there was just a lot of things happening in this one, that probably could've been fleshed out a bit more had this series been a trilogy rather than a duology.

Such a beautiful story, loved this just as much if not more than the first one. The characters just keep getting better and better

Beautiful book. I was at first drawn in by the cover but after reading the book I realised its so much more than that! Highly recommend and I have gifted this book to others that will enjoy!

DNF Review - Crimson Cranes was really good, I liked that the story was connected to the swan tale and I could see where it was going, and Takkan is a great love interest for Shiori. The sequel though... it didn't feel connected to anything, and I started to get frustrated with the way the plot seemed to meander around, trying to fill up the (nearly 500!) pages before the conclusion. This should have been a standalone.

I was disappointed in this after Six Crimson Cranes, it at times felt disconnected from the over-arching plot and it felt like plot points were added to flesh out a second book instead of having a beautifully written standalone in the first novel.

3.5 stars

I may have left too much time between this one and the first, and same again from the first duology with this one. But I think I remembered enough. This one had the sweetest relationship between Takkan and Shiori, and we get a lot more of how Bandur became trapped in the Forgotten Isles from the first duology. I was shocked at how little a part Seryu played.

I didn't feel as though this book was as strong as the one before it. The major appeal of this title was the dragon aspect and how will that develop further with the world's acceptance of magic. But then the dragons just disappear and you find yourself 30% of the way through the book watching teenage mood swings