First of all, a thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was looking forward to reading this prequel after finishing the Six Crimson Cranes Duology.

Having been given a rough idea of what Channari's back story was from Six Crimson Cranes, aspects of this story were obvious. However, I wasn't expecting Hokzuh to play the part that he did. I also enjoyed finding out the initial part of Channi's story.

This book really picked up pace towards the end and I did enjoy the way that this story concluded. I particularly liked the friendship between Channi and Ukar. I also enjoyed reading about Channi's relationship with her sister as well.

Having read this, I find Channi's fate in Six Crimson Cranes even sadder. I enjoyed this book more than I did The Dragon's Promise and I would recommend this prequel to anyone who particularly liked Channi in Six Crimson Cranes.

Her Radiant Curse was a brilliant standalone and an amazing prequel from Six Crimson Cranes.

You don’t necessarily have to read Six Crimson Cranes before going into this as I did, but I will say that the experience of reading a tragic story when you know how it ends is very interesting and quite sad.

The writing was so great that made me care a lot for these characters, despite knowing the fate that awaited them. There’s a big sense of foreboding throughout the book and the author knew how to do it well.

This wasn’t a flawless book but it’s overall a very well rounded story that I would recommend.

maybe it was me or perhaps it was the story, I couldn't find it interesting, having read books by Elizabeth Lim I know she is a fantastic author so I know it's not badly written, it just wasn't for me.

Enthralled by Enchantment – A Review of "Her Radiant Curse" ARC by Elizabeth Lim

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)

"Her Radiant Curse" by Elizabeth Lim is an enchanting journey that captures the heart and mind, weaving an intricate tapestry of plot, magic, and profound themes. From its captivating storyline to the richly developed world of mythology and magic, this book is a masterpiece that leaves readers awestruck.

The plot of "Her Radiant Curse" is a mesmerizing dance between light and shadow, following the life of the protagonist, Channari, as she navigates a world of secrets and deceptions. The pacing is expertly crafted, effortlessly blending moments of tension and calm, keeping readers on the edge of their seats. Lim's skillful storytelling breathes life into the characters, making their struggles and triumphs deeply resonant. As the layers of the plot unfold, it's impossible not to be drawn into the characters' emotions, feeling their joys and pains as if they were your own.

One of the book's most captivating aspects is the magic, which is both innovative and rooted in folklore. The intricacies of the magical arts are unveiled gradually, allowing readers to immerse themselves in the wonder of the world Lim has created. The manipulation of energy feels natural and enthralling, making the magic as much a character as the protagonists themselves.

The mythology surrounding snakes and dragons adds a layer of depth that is both fascinating and symbolic. Lim masterfully incorporates these mythical creatures into the narrative, infusing them with significance beyond their appearances. The symbolism of transformation, rebirth, and hidden power draws parallels to the characters' personal growth, making every encounter with these creatures a revelation.

At the heart of "Her Radiant Curse" lies a powerful and relevant message: "Don't judge a book by its cover." As the characters navigate a world where appearances can be deceiving, including her own, they learn the importance of understanding, empathy, and looking beyond the surface. This moral underpinning resonates deeply, reminding us all of the value of seeing others for who they truly are.

In conclusion, "Her Radiant Curse" is a triumph of storytelling, blending an enthralling plot, a unique magic system, captivating mythological elements, and a poignant message. Elizabeth Lim's exquisite prose and world-building skills are on full display, creating a reading experience that is nothing short of magical. This book is a must-read for anyone who seeks a tale of adventure, self-discovery, and the power of sisterly love.

Thank you to the author for this ARC. I couldn't put it down!

I liked this. but some things were nagging at my mind co I couldn't give this 5 stars.

1. I'm just so tired of how the author torturing her MC without mercy YET AGAIN, where they're almost completely helpless and just followed the drastic plot. Let's focus on Channari this time because this is her story. For example: She was ambushed! sure she attempted to break free! But then something distracted her so the evil guy got her anyway!!
2. the annoying, arrogant entitled men who create the conflicts OMG and this book not only has 1 but THREE OF THEM.
3. the demons superstitions nonsense my God pls give it a rest.

But sure, the connections to Six Crimson Cranes duology were pleasant. The Epilogue made me weep a bit but that's that.

Danke an Netgally für dieses Buch ♡

Ich hab bis jetzt alle Bücher von Lim in diesem "Universum" gelesen. Six Crimson Cranes ist und bleibt dabei mein liebstes. Alle anderen habe ich ehrlicher Weise nicht sonderlich gemocht. Was mir vor allem nicht gefällt ist, dass Lim in ihren Dilogien in Band 2 nie etwas neues bringt. "The Dragons Promise" hab ich sogar abgebrochen, weil es mich so gelangweilt hat und quasi nur eine Wiederholung der Geschichte von "Unravel the Dusk" war. Lange Rede gar kein Sinn: Her Radiant Curse hat mir gerade deswegen gefallen, weil es ein EINZELBAND ist.

Nun zum Buch selbst. Klar haben wir auch hier die bekannten Strukturen aus ihren vorherigen Büchern. Drachen, Dämonen, Flüche, Drachenperlen etc. Was natürlich auch Sinn macht, da dieses Buch Raikamas Vorgeschichte ist. And i love a good villain origin story.
Hier stand keine Liebesgeschichte im Vordergrund, sondern die Liebe unter Geschwistern und das hat mir richtig gut gefallen. Raikama ist eine wirklich interessante Person und ihre Vorgeschichte bricht einem ehrlich das Herz. Vor allem, weil man das Ende kennt, wenn man "Six Crimson Cranes" gelesen hat und das macht beide Bücher umso trauriger. Im Nachhinein überlege ich "The Dragons Promise" nochmal eine Chance zu geben und es fertig zu lesen, weil ich jetzt weiß was dahinter steckt. Auch "Six Crimson Cranes" würde ich gerne mit dem neuen Hintergrundwissen nochmal lesen. Falls ihr die Bücher schon gelesen habt kann ich euch dieses hier auf jeden Fall empfehlen. Aber selbst wenn nicht finde ich, dass sich das Buch auch unabhängig davon lesen lässt. Bzw. ist es sogar besser zu erst das hier zu lesen und dann die anderen beiden :)

Her Radiant Curse starts off throwing you straight into the action, with the mother of Channari (Channi) having a difficult labour whilst giving birth to Vanna, her little sister. Channi’s father does the unimaginable, he tries to sacrifice Channi to try and save the mother’s life. So, we meet Angma, the demon witch, early and within the first chapter. She vows to return for Vanna, cursing Channi’s appearance at the same time.

From chapter two we get a pretty big time skip of 17 years, and Vanna has grown into a woman of renowned beauty, whilst Channi has been hidden by her father and stepmother due to the curse. In spite of their wildly differing upbringings, the two sisters love each other unconditionally and it’s clear that Channi especially will do whatever it takes to keep Vanna safe.

One cool thing that happened when Channi was cursed is that she gained the ability to talk to snakes, which leads to a prevalent side character of Ukar, her best friend who just so happens to be a literal snake. Ukar is an adorable addition, even though he’s small he does everything to protect Channi, and she protects him as much as possible also.

There is a bit of a romance element to Her Radiant Curse, but throughout the story the emphasis remains on family and, with Ukar and other snakes, it’s really found family. When human characters found her less worthy due to her looks, the snakes saw past this and accepted her as one of her own.

There is another character from the Six Crimson Cranes duology who we find out more about, and it makes the events of The Dragon’s Promise a lot more significant.

Ultimately, if you’re already a fan of Lim’s work then Her Radiant Curse adds more depth to the existing stories and you’ll also love this instalment into the world. If you’re unfamiliar with her work then it really is an excellent starting point, and I’d highly recommend investing in the other four books at the same time!

One of the best books of 2023. This was such an amazing read, I love the other books set in this world but 'Her Radiant Curse' finally tells the story I've been waiting to hear about since 'Six Crimson Cranes.' If you want something to tear your heart out and give you background to one of Lim's best characters, I highly recommend this one! Thanks so much to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review. 10/5 cups of coffee lolol.

Thank you Hodder & Stoughton, Hodderscape and Netgalley for the arc of Her Radiant Curse by Elizabeth Lim.

Her Radiant Curse is the prequel to Six Crimson Cranes, in which we discover so much more about the stepmother queen Raikama, from when she was a moon-faced child named Channari, who was cursed by a demon as a babe.

Once again Lim creates a breathtakingly beautiful world filled with myths, legends, dragons, magic and snakes. She tells Channari’s story, compelling the reader to empathise with her loss and pain, and rooting for her to succeed, despite this being a prequel of which, if you’ve read Six Crimson Cranes, you’ll be fully aware of the outcome.

Elizabeth Lim has achieved something quite marvellous, as she has expanded this world to encompass such an amazing duology and now a prequel. She has delivered a story that totally pulls you in and despite the end of the story being known, manages to pull the rug out from under your feet and surprise you.

My only critique is that I would have loved there to have been more exploration of the supporting protagonists, particularly Ukar and Hokzuh, both of whom are complicated and interesting characters on their own. I felt that the lack of depth and exploration of Vanna’s character was actually a deft approach, as there is a lot to this story told from Channari’s perspective ectove that lays its foundations on a lack of awareness of the perspective of others. Plus Channari’s is pretty damned amazing, she underestimates herself and is totally unaware of just how much of a hero and tal bad arse she really is!

Once I’d started, I couldn’t put this book down and if you loved Six Crimson Cranes, just wait Her Radiant Curse will have you in its grip!

Thank you Netgalley and Hodder & Stroughton for sending me a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

4,5/5 stars

Her Radiant Curse is a prequel to the Six Crimson Cranes duology. We follow Channi, who is cursed with a serpent’s face after being sacrificed to the Witch to try and save her mother. She spends the next years hiding in the jungle with the other snakes, her only friends. The only human who is nice to Channi, is her sister, Vanna. Vanna is the most beautiful girl of the country and was born with a golden light shining from her.

This book was so well written. I was hooked on this book from the start and couldn’t stop reading. The plot expands on the story that was first told in The Dragon’s Promise. The story was well crafted, and the characters were all enjoyable and well developed. Because it’s a prequel I personally wouldn’t say you need to read the Six Crimson Cranes duology first, but there are some moments that lead back to Six Crimson Cranes.

I can definitely recommend this book if you’ve read Six Crimson Cranes or other books inspired by Chinese mythology.

As a fan of "Sic Crimson Cranes" I had to read "Her Radiant Curse" of course and it made Elizabeth Lim's world even more magical.
The cover fits beautifully with the other covers and already sets the vibe for the setting. We follow Channi, the older sister who got cursed by a demon after the birth of her younger sister Vanna, on her mission to break the curse and protect her sister. Channi grows up on a small island, in a small village but since her curse she has been more of an outcast, even within her own family. Only her sister doesn't seem to see the monster Channi has become.

I loved the way Elizabeth Lim described Channi's thoughts and feelings while also not missing out on moving the story forward. Channi isuch a complex character and this backstory of hers really did her justice.
Was was equally interesting was her relationships with all the other characters, from her sister to her future husband. There was a lot of hints to Elizabeth Lim's other stories from the same world but also a lot of new aspects and information.

The first third of the main story could've had a little less action for my taste but it worked out in the end even though it didn't hook me as "Six Crimson Cranes" did, I enjoyed reading it overall as it greatly expands the world.

Note to the publisher who provided me with the earc: the pdf was really difficult to read on my e-reader since the file had the printing margins added, the text block was sitting in the middle with small font. The reading experience wasn't great due to this as the pdf format makes it unable to change the font to a comfortable size. Nonetheless, I'm grateful for being able to read this book prior to it's release!

Well, Elizabeth Lim did it again !
First of all, thank you Netgalley for letting me reading this book, I'm so happy about it.

For Her Radiant Curse it's not an obligation to read her previous series The Dragon promise but, in it you will say hello to Channari and that's our main character so it could be good to do it. And to be honest that's a wonderful duology so what are you waiting for ?

So ! Here's my review !
It's the perfect amount of fantasy, retelling, love and action. From page 1 to the last one, my heart was with Channari and I just so sad to let her go. When I talk about love is about love of two sisters and it's so delicate.
Elizabeth create a spin off of all her other works and she's doing it perfectly.

Just read this book, you won't regret it.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the eARC.

I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought it would- there were moments where I did not want to finish, only because I knew it would break me. Elizabeth Lim creates a world filled with wonder and builds the world and expands it, I enjoyed the build up from start to end.

This book is a prequel to Six Crimson Cranes, it explores the backstory of the stepmother, it begins with her childhood and it follows her journey in saving herself and her sister from the exploitation of the world. Her biggest fear is the "witch demon" who started the whole curse and pain she had to endure. Throughout this story we are introduced to a variety of characters and we explore the adventures of Channi and her friends.

Overall, I rate this book 5 stars due to the beautiful writing and world that was created alongside the emotions that were felt along the journey.

I absolutely loved this book. While it is telling the backstory of Shiori’s stepmother from Six Crimson Cranes, it can be read just as easily as a stand-alone. In some respects I actually feel it is the stronger story of the two and it is neatly and succinctly, satisfyingly tied up in one volume.

Channari and Vanna are both very sympathetic characters and I loved their character arc. This is a beautiful fairy story about both sister and motherhood, with dragons, competitions and witches.

A solid 4and a half stars, rounded up to 5.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

I love Elizabeth Lim’s writing: she is great at creating fairytale-like settings and characters.

While I loved the character of Channi and her relationship with her sister, overall I felt that the plot of this book was a little weaker than ‘Six Crimson Cranes’. However I would still definitely recommend this book for anyone who enjoyed that series (and it was great to learn more about Channi, who had always been a somewhat enigmatic character in the original series).

This was a really cute prequel, such a nice was to see more into stepmothers life. I really enjoyed learning more about this world.

This was AMAZING. Gave me the same feels as her first book Spin the Dawn and I was worried I wouldn't get those feels again (didn't much love Six Crimson Cranes duo) but this gave me faiiith. However I feel like I need to read these damn books backwards so they're in chronological order and things make sense. I was Googling so much stuff both in SCC duo and this book to make sure I was putting the pieces together again. I will however be re-buying the FL editions of SCC because I just love the way it pulls everything together.
This is super fun, this story. I loved the ending, the lack of romance, yet also how easy it was to read. Nothing complicated about it. Anticipating her other books!
Thanks to @netgalley and @hodderscape for accepting me for an early copy

Channi has been cursed to have the face of a serpent, unless she sacrifices her beautiful sister Vanna. But she adores Vanna and is determined to keep her safe, in this beautiful fantasy novel full of adventure.

Her Radiant Curse is a prequel to Elizabeth Lim's Six Crimson Cranes duology, but it can easily be read in any order or as a completely separate standalone. It is brilliantly written with detailed world building and a plot that sweeps the reader up right from the first page. I absolutely loved it!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Her Radiant Curse by Elizabeth Lim
This was a fantasy story set in the world of Six crimson cranes. I haven’t read Six Crimson cranes yet, but I did enjoy Her Radiant curse as a standalone.Am a huge fan of @elimpix books. This one was no exception. Most of them were coverbuys, (Her books have absolutely gorgeous artwork u guys!😍) and loving them after reading them.
This was the story of Channari and her beautiful sister. How a curse in childhood puts them in danger and how Channi overcomes it. It was fast paced and character centric and as usual was woven into a beautiful tapestry rich in colour and culture. Loved it!!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

A very interesting and fun story filled with magic and sisterly love. I do recommend reading Six Crimson Cranes duology first. It'll make more sense if you do.