"Find the light that makes your lantern shine. Hold on to it, even when the dark surrounds you. Not even the strongest wind will blow out the flame."
Channi is only five when her father takes her to be sacrificed to a demon so that her mother might not die after giving birth to her beautiful baby sister. The demon, which takes the shape of a tiger, makes a prophecy: one sister will fall so another might rise. But after her father leaves her in a forest, a serpent offers Channi his protection, which saves her life. In response, the demon curses her, giving her a monstrous face that looks like a snake's, and says she will come for the baby when she turns 17.

Years later, Channi's 17-year-old sister, Vanna is getting ready for a betrothal, their father arranging a kind of auction so she can be married off. Vanna is extraordinarily beautiful, with a radiant light emanating from her face and body. Channi doesn't think what her father is doing is right, but how can she help her sister when she's confined to their house because of her face? She promised their mother she would protect Vanna, but Channi feels helpless.

But when things go awry at the betrothal, Channi decides she'll stop at nothing to save Vanna. This results in a high-stakes adventure that features evil kings and queens, a dragon with a hidden motive, and an unexpected romance.

I adored Channi. She is so strong and resolute, a warrior with a beautiful soul. I bristled with anger over the way she was treated, particularly by those meant to love her. It's a credit to the author that I could feel her pain as if it were my own.

'Her Radiant Curse' is set in the same world as the 'Six Crimson Cranes' duology, and is also inspired by Asian mythology, but can be read as a standalone. I enjoyed this book more though, largely because I felt it was less 'sweet' and 'gentle' and more intense, raw and impassioned. Channi is a character you can back with all your heart.

A highly enjoyable fantasy.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers and of course the author for gifting me this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was SO GOOD. It is the prequel to her previous book, Six Crimson Cranes (which was amazing), and tells the back-story of Channari.
Full of emotions that have you on your rollercoaster throughout filled with love, heartbreak, tears and cheers. I cannot wait to read more by this author.

I don't know what to feel after reading this. I believe this is the most painful book I've read this year.

I was utterly gutted and devasted from the turn of the events. It was a fairy tale, but even a fairy tale ought to make me cry. This was such a heartbreaking story for Channi and Vanni — two sisters with undying love for one another.

It wasn't even a happy ending — only a pretend of sorts. Channi spent all her life protecting Vanna from a curse and a prophecy, fell in love only to banish it, and forced to live a lie.

I wasn't even happy while I was reading this because how can I when I shared Channi's pain like my own?

This was an amazing prequel — you'll learn to love snakes, accept love when you thought you don't deserve it, and feel that connection - be it with your family and friends - be strengthened.

I loved this book but it was painful to read it. I was sobbing at the very last pages — appalled, and baffled about everything.

Light fantasy reading that focuses on a sweet sisterly relationship, perfect for a younger teen audience.

If you weren't sympathetic for the stepmother character in SIX CRIMSON CRANES you'll definitely change your mind one you read HER RADIANT CURSE! Elizabeth Lim is a master at the fairy-tale-esque settings and stories. This is a perfect light fantasy read that focuses on Channari and her self-image, and the relationship with her sister. There is a romance but it's so barely present that you could take it out and nothing would change (I genuinely think it was included to fulfill a 'YA book romance quota', but it's not badly written or anything), and very nicely ties into the Kiatan duology.

WILL I READ MORE BY THIS AUTHOR? Obviously.

I just love an Elizabeth Lim book and this one was no different! I was nervous going in, after being disappointed by The Dragon's Promise last year... but I'm pleased to say that Her Radiant Curse was a worthwhile addition to this world! Elizabeth Lim's writing is so immersive and vibrant, I felt completely pulled into the world and into Channi's mind.

Channi is a really interesting main character to read from, particularly if you know the role she plays in Six Crimson Cranes. She's very fierce and determined, and you can really feel the love she has for her sister radiating off the page; Vanna is her main priority at all times and I thought that was really lovely to see. Despite knowing what must happen (if you've read the main duology), you still root for the sisters throughout and become gripped by their story, particularly the conflict with the demon witch Angma.

I really enjoyed this and I'm excited to see what comes next from Elizabeth Lim!

Elizabeth Lim’s writing is always easy to follow; the sentence construction and the use of language are easily understandable that it makes reading her work relaxing. The rating I gave of 3 out of 5 stars is therefore not a reflection of her work which is 4 out of 5 stars. I gave 3 stars because I read this story when I was in a reading slump and had to push myself to finish it, so my rating is a reflection of my emotional state not the work. This book and the Six Crimson Cranes duology are a great read, you can check out my review of the duolgy after this.

What a wonderful way of diving back into the World of Six Crimson Cranes. I've read a lot of books by Elizabeth Lim now and she has not failed me yet.

The way she writes about these worlds is something else and one I could only dream of being able to do.

I love the backstory and the easter eggs but I would definitely recommend reading Six Crimson Cranes and The Dragons Promise first.

I really enjoyed this prequel to Six Crimson Cranes! I loved getting the backstory for Channi to understand her actions better in the duology. The sisters relationship is the true focus the story, and I loved how fiercely Channi protects her sister! Once agian Elizabeth Lim’s writing was so magical and her world building is lush and interesting. I can’t wait to read more of her books in the future!

The book was well paced and had really lovely writing - it was a really enjoyable read. I loved Channi as a character and the strong sibling bonds in this book.

I haven't read the Six Crimson Cranes duology (but I really want to!) yet I didn't feel like I needed to enjoy this book, it works great as a standalone. I look forward to reading more books in this world and I love Elizabeth Lim's writing!

I also have to say that I love the cover of this book - it is stunning!

It took me nearly halfway through the book to realise that this is a prequel to 'Six Crimson Cranes', a work that I truly adored. Who wouldn't wonder about Shiori's stepmother after reading it? So it is with evident glee I delved into the rest of the narrative eager to uncover the fate that awaits the two sisters.
Channi is nothing like the future queen who commands everyone's attention with her regal presence. Instead, we find an impulsive girl who doesn't always make the right decisions. It is hard to like her but we also get to see the gruelling experiences that made her future self. The bond that she shares with her sister Vanna is even more admirable. Still, I can't forgive her for the way she treated Hokzuh. Looks like the time has come for me to finally dust off 'The Dragon's Promise' from the TBR pile.

This was such a good standalone. I love the world Elizabeth Lim has created and how reading the first page of any of these novels feels like dipping your toes in a fairytale.

In this stand-alone prequel to Six Crimson Cranes we follow Channi before she became Raikama and discover how she ended up with the pearl Shiori carries with her in The Dragon's Promise. But mostly, this is a story about sisters, about strength and loyalty, bravery and determination, about who you are on the inside and about finding your family.

I loved Channi as a character. Her and Shiori would have been the best of friends had they been kids at the same time. And Ukar, he's such a sweet cinnamon roll and I can't remember if he makes an appearance in The Dragon's Promise but I hope he does. Hokzuh, however, would have benefited from a little more character development, I think.

That being said, the plot was great, the pacing was spot on and I really enjoyed the whole thing. I just love how all these stories are connected to each other, it feels like exploring a fairytale world that has no end. I hope Elizabeth Lim never tires of this world and we can get to explore it more. I mean, Seryu needs an epic love story.

3.5/5

Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with a free e-ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book is a prequel to Elizabeth Lim's Six Crimson Cranes duology, and it follows Channari and her sister Vanna. Channari is cursed to look like a monster, whereas Vanna has been blessed with a radiant light that enchants all she meets. However, Vanna is in danger, and Channari is the only one who can save her.

I enjoyed this much more than I enjoyed Six Crimson Cranes, and while I do think you could probably read this without reading Six Crimson Cranes, there are a lot of fun little Easter eggs that make the story even more enjoyable.

As with most of Elizabeth Lim's books, this was a very slow-paced book with not a lot of plot, but a whole lot of gorgeous writing. I enjoyed getting lost in the world, and I also loved Channari as a character.

Even though I enjoyed this story overall, I do feel like something was lacking. It didn't go deep enough for me to care that much about the characters and their arcs, and I sadly think that this will be quite a forgettable read. However, for those who love Lim's books or simply enjoy sweeping, fairytale-like books with gorgeous atmospheres, I'd highly recommend this!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc of this title in exchange for this honest review.

This book was absolutely incredible. Elizabeth Lim has such a talent for creation beautiful fantasy books that feel like the perfect mix of a ghibli movie and a fairytale. What aa delight to read, truly.

Her Radiant Curse is set in the world of Six Crimson Cranes/ The Dragons Promise, although you do not have to read the duology to read this book, I would say, since this is technically a prequel, you have the added understanding of the characters and what comes after if you have read them first.
There is something very captivating about Elizabeth Lim’s writing, luscious world building and captivating story telling, and a strong sibling bond between characters is featured in all three books.
That being said I do feel as if this could have benefited being a little shorter, the pacing felt off and a little drawn out in parts. All in all, I enjoyed my time with this story and Channi.
I look forward to reading whatever Lim is cooking up for future books!

This book is both a stand-alone and a prequel to the author's 'Six Crimson Cranes' duology. The story is centred on Channari, whom I found (after some web searches) is called Raikama in the duology, the one who curses Shiori, the protagonist of 'Six Crimson Cranes'.

I haven't read the duology even though it has been on my TBR for a really long time, and now that I have read and thoroughly enjoyed this beautiful tale, I am excited to start reading the duology.

It is surprising to me that I actually finished reading this book in one sitting because I haven't done that in a long time. That is evidence enough of how engrossing and captivating this story is. I had missed the feeling of being submerged in eloquent narration, of losing track of time solely because I could not stop reading. Absolutely loved this book!

This book was so good. Honestly it's been a while since I read a book that I enjoyed so much. Honestly it was such a ride so many twists and turns I was mesmerised. But once I was half way through I saw that it was a spin off lol which doesn't matter much to be honest because the writing was so good that it wasn't confusing at all.

I will always love any book set in the Six Crimson Cranes world!

I wasn't sure about it, just cause prequels sometimes are not books that are needed.
But with this one, once again I fall in love with the characters and the magical aspect of the story.

I wanted to know more about this character from six crimson cranes and I was not disappointed.

First off, thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for allowing me the opportunity to get this book as an ARC.
I honestly went in with little to no expectations due having read the Spin the Dawn series before, so the entire experience with this book turned out more enchanting than I’d have hoped. There’s definitely an improvement in Elizabeth Lim’s storytelling and worldbuilding, and even more so in terms of her character’s relationships. This time around, you could see the sisterly love and affection even better than in her previous books, and the rest of the interactions were quite believable too.

Just a couple of thoughts before I refine them (on Goodreads, if I can no longer edit my post here):
- I was blown away by the progress EL made with her storytelling!
- There were quite a few spelling and grammar errors in the file I got and I hope the publisher got to them before printing the book (part of the reason why I gave this four stars).
- The world-building was done well, so it was easy to envision the small village, along with the other two countries, though it still felt a little bit rushed, the traveling bit. It seemed like the characters reached from point a to point b a bit too quickly, to me. I think with a bit more diverse interaction between the characters, it would have been better.
- EL’s covers are just amazing every single time and I love what the artists do with them.
- The theme was well executed and the sisterly love shone through (though there were a few contradictions at times);
- The descriptions can be improved (I saw so much blue green it made me mad lol).
- The title is well reflected, definitely!
- I think, even though this was not the focus of the story, the author could have flashed out the relationship between Channi and Hokzuh a bit more.

A really big thank you to Negally for allowing me to read this ahead of publication!

Her Radiant Curse was a really big surprise. I didn't expect Elizabeth Lim to delve into the "Evil Queen"'s backstory, and I didn't expect it to be so touching.

I've been a fan of Elizabeth Lim since I read Spin the Dawn, and her world has always been intriguing. It is important to note that these are not based off of any mythological tales, but are rather interpretations of fairy tales that have been adapted to reflect some Asian cultures.

Her Radiant Curse tells the story of Channi, who was cursed because of her father's rash decision by a tiger demon. And it follows her life, where she is the older sister to the most beautiful girl in the realm - who quite literally radiates light. Channi's curse has left her with the face of a snake - and the contempt of her father and all the other villagers.

When her sister is auctioned off for marriage, Channi sets out to save her and that's where her story really starts. On this adventure she will meet so many different characters that will influence her decisions and her heart for a lot longer than she would have liked.

I really enjoyed this story. I liked both of the sisters, although at times Vanna seems ignorant of what is at stake. This story doesn't need the Six Crimson Cranes duology to be understood, although I'm very curious how those will read after understanding where the queen originated from.

I look forward to reading more from Elizabeth Lim in the future! And seeing where her universe will expand to next!

4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the e-arc for an honest opinion.

Miss Elizabeth what are you putting in your books??? This was honestly good just like any other book you’ve written!

The story had everything I wanted. It might have been predictable at one point but that didn’t stop me from reading it. I liked the main character, she was such a bad ass.

I’ll definitely read any book she’ll write.