What makes Her Radiant Shine is its lyrical story about the bond between sisters. As a child Channi was betrayed by her father, who took her to the forest and offered her as a sacrifice to the demon witch for her mother’s life. But the demon witch didn’t want her, she wanted her sister and so Channi’s curse came to be. All who looked upon her sister saw a beautiful golden light and all who looked upon Channi were fear struck and called her a demon. But she made a promise to her mother to protect her sister and so she will. As she grows older she works hard to fight for her sister, the only person who has shown her kindness and love. This was when I was struggling to understand Channi a little because her identity revolved so much around protecting her sister I wanted to know who she truly was and what she could do. I truly loved the introduction of Hokzuh because he not only was a much needed ally to Channi but he also tought her to let go of the word of other and just be herself. So much of this book shined and I really want to read six crimson cranes now.

4.5/5 stars rounded down.

My relationship with Lim's books has been confusing, to say the least. I absolutely adored Six Crimson Cranes but despised her Blood of Stars duology. It's because of my experience with Lim's first two books that I have yet to read SCC's sequel. But then I snagged this book's ARC and didn't know how to define my expectations when I started reading.

I'm glad to say this was a really good one.

I really adore Channi's strength and devotion to her sister, the lengths and feats she would go through in order to protect her sister. I love that's ultimately what's at the core of this book: Sisterhood. Yes, there is a brief romance, but it's really the relationship between Channi and Vanna that shines inside this book's heart.

The side characters got a lot of attention, too. I particularly loved Ukar, a snake and Channi's most loyal, and sarcastic, companion. Even the villain, the witch who cursed Channi, is explored in depth and is made to be sympathetic; luckily she isn't redeemed and is allowed to be bad until the very end.

The writing is very gorgeous, with lush descriptions and great dialogue between characters. The only gripe I had was that it stretched out a bit too long at some points, making the plot drag a bit, but it didn't deter my enjoyment too much, otherwise.

Overall, this is a great book. I think this would need to be read after SCC, otherwise some major plot points will fly over your head.

This book was such a great read! I loved the Southeast Asian setting and the storyline about two sisters and sacrifice and what one would do for family. I loved the character of Channi especially, who showed a different side of herself at home and out in the jungle and the tension between those two parts of herself. Highly recommended for teens and adults alike.

This was incredible. "Her Radiant Curse" was fast-paced and utterly compelling. There's a lot to love - and hate - about Channi; she's loving, loyal, clever, and strong. Frustratingly, she's also spiteful, stubborn, impulsive - and intensely relatable. I loved being in this world.

Though enjoyable as a standalone, I wish I had known this was a prequel to "Six Crimson Cranes."

ARC Review

Story: 4.5/5 ⭐

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The prequel to Six Crimson Cranes follows the story of Channari who has been cursed with a serpent's face and poisoned blood. Forever shadowed by her beautiful younger sister Vanna, Channari must fight to protect Vanna from the hands of the one that cursed her.

I loved this book by Elizabeth Lim much more than the Six Crimson Cranes duology. While a prequel, it is not necessary to have read the duology before Her Radiant Curse as it follows another character's timeline. Channari's character is unwaivering and strong. Despite her serpentine face she shares an unbreakable bond between her and her younger sister. Their relationship is so heartfelt and endearing. This narrative of this story was so smooth and well written compared to Six Crimson Cranes. The story is well developed and picked up at just the right points. At first I was a tad worried that this would end in a cliffhanger despite having read the duology, but Lim does a fantastic job of wrapping up Channari's story so that it times perfectly with the start of Six Crimson Cranes. The ending, while not a super happy ending, fit the story of Channari and Vanna. It left me a little sad that it was over but content.

***I received this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you to the author/publishing company and netgalley for this opportunity!

Thank you to NerGalley and Random House Children’s for this opportunity to read,rate and review this arc which will be available August 29,2023.

This is my personal opinion.

It is a tale of 2 sisters, Channi who is cursed with a serpent’s face due to her father offering her as a sacrifice to Demon witch and the beautiful canna who is the only person in the village who looks at Channi and doesn’t see a monster.

Oh my god y’all. This is a story of sisterly love in its purest form. I was invested, consumed and left sobbing. I will definitely be buying this book. Channi is my favorite of the sisters. I empathized with her so much.

This was a tough one to make my mind up on. Rating-wise, I think it's roughly a 3.75/5—it's a solid Elizabeth Lim story, but it does feel very reminiscent of every other book I've read by her. Once again, we have a cursed heroine, strong family dynamics, a journey, and a dash of romance. There is nothing wrong with knowing your strengths and writing to them—God knows plenty of other writers have built their careers off of it—it just stood out to me quite a bit with Her Radiant Curse for some reason.

Of all the books I've read in this universe, the worldbuilding felt the weakest here. The southeast Asian cultural inspiration was a nice touch, but the lack of development regarding the governance and function of these island nations felt off? Religious figures also play a major role in the story, but the role of their religion in society and their belief system felt murky. This book felt quite slim and could have used a little more work to make Channi and Vanna's world feel more solid.

However, one of the reasons I stuck with this book to the end was Channari's character. She's hardly complex, but she's strong-willed and tragic in a really interesting way, given her complex relationship with her sister. I enjoyed her arc, and the outcome of her story felt refreshing as well. There was just enough in here to keep me reading, but at the end of the day, I don't think this will be a standout book for me this year.

This book just reaffirms what i knew while reading Six Crimson Cranes. Elizabeth Lim is an automatic must read/buy for me. I adored Channi and loved her relationship with her sister and with the snakes. I adored Urka her bff as well and seeing her relationship with all snakes and learning about the history/ about snake magic and the rivalry between snakes and dragons was very interesting. I need a book just full of these snake history and magic. This book focuses more on Channi and her realtiosnhip with her sister Vanna and her desire to keep her safe which utlimately leads to her being cursed and friends with the snakes. Vanna and Channi have a very unique realtionship with Vanna seeming to be the only one to continue to accept her after she is cursed. The curse placed on channi and the her quest for revenge against the demon witch is hugely entertaining and interesting. This is a definately a young adult book with fairy tale quailties especially once we get into Vanna’s betrothal and the quest for revenge. The demon witch and Hokzuh were both super interesting and complicated characters and I so desperately want more of Hokzuh and to see what happens to him now. It was also fun seeing the characters from Six Crimson Cranes and their little cameos and seeing how the relationship between Channi and her future husband works.

I'll admit that this book made me weep.

Elizabeth Lim is a fantastic storyteller, and her writing pierces you right through the heart. Her Radiant Curse is a beautiful prequel to Six Crimson Cranes that follows Channi's path to becoming queen. Along the way, she encounters all manners of struggles in an attempt to save her sister's life.

More than anything else, Her Radiant Curse is about the love between sisters and the love for oneself. At the beginning, I was ready to dislike Vanna because she is naive and blind to the pain of her sister but I think that is by design. Channi is not a saint who doesn't view Vanna's faults, and neither should we. But Channi's love for Vanna is both in spite of and because of those faults. No character in this is solely good or solely bad, it's much more complex than that. I have a special place in my heart for the love between Channi and Vanna, as well as between Channi and Ukar. These relationships were so well mapped out and beautiful.

Whatever Elizabeth Lim writes next, I'll be first in line for the next copy.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5 stars. Steeped in folklore this was an intriguing and heart pounding adventure. I love Channi and her dedication to her sister was as heartbreaking as it was empowering. Family is everything and the bonds between siblings can never be broken. This was beautiful and sad but so so worth it.

Elizabeth Lim's books are all so unique. I loved this return to the world of Six Crimson Cranes, and the worldbuilding here is just so well done. Well written and engaging. I couldn't put it down!

Content Warning: violence

I don’t know what I was thinking when I started reading this book, or I wasn’t thinking and just wanted to read an Elizabeth Lim book because she is an amazing storyteller. But this is the prequel to Six Crimson Cranes and I didn’t realize it until halfway into the story! This is Raikama’s (Channi) story, Shiori’s step-mother who was such an intriguing character in Six Crimson Cranes. Now we get her backstory.

The story telling as always with this author is magical. It just seems so effortless! The story takes us on an adventure through what feels like South East Asia. The climate is tropical, with tigers and snakes and food ingredients that I recognized because they are used in Filipino cooking like, pandan! That was a nice surprise!

Channi is cursed with a snake face, whereas her sister, Vanna shines like a jewel. When the witch/demon who cursed Channi comes to claim her sister as promised, Channi fights like hell to save her with a few allies. This was such a beautiful story about sibling love, it broke my heart in the end.

And I love Ukar, Channi’s snake friend! He was such a loyal friend and I love Channi’s connection to him and the snakes. The message of the book was beautifully conveyed too. Channi was cursed with snake scales on her face and she lived a life of struggle because of it. And Vanna is born with beauty but she too endures a few personal struggles even though she’s given everything. So they both were unhappy, beautiful or not. Also, Angma’s story is heartbreaking, even though she is the villain. It goes to show be careful what you wish for because the consequences of it can be unknowingly devastating.

I wanted more romance between Channi and Hokzuh but that’s just because I love romance in my fantasies. Their story is a bit of a tragedy though, which was sad.

Why you should read it:
*the sibling love between Channi and Vanna
*beautiful storytelling

Why you might not want to read it:
*you didn’t read or like Six Crimson Cranes

My Thoughts:

This is a wonderful prequel to Six Crimson Cranes! If you wanted to know more about Raikama, Shiori’s stepmother, then here is your chance because this is her story when she was just a girl named Channi who loved her sister Vanna so very much.

I could not wait to release this! There are different aspects of fairytale, mythology, and fantasy that just blended together so well to make this book happen. If you're a fan of Elizabeth's other books, trust me you'll want to read this one too.

This was my first ever book from this author so I really wasn't sure what to expect. This book is set within the same world as Six Crimson Cranes, but as someone who didn't read that story I would say that this is stand-alone enough. I can tell there are some small things that having read that work would unlock for me, but overall it is something I would say you could read independently. This was a beautifully written and twisty-turny tale of two sisters with Channi growing and reflecting in such a compelling way. I loved getting to know her through-out the story. Every moment of this was steeped in beauty and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I had never read Six Crimson Cranes because the synopsis didn't quite draw me in, but I have added it to my TBR just to get more from Lim's writing! I also think that whoever designed this cover needs a raise because it is *chef's kiss*

Her Radiant Curse was actually my first read by Lim, and I'm thrilled to add her to my must-read list! She's an absolute creative genius who will have you immersed into her world into just a few pages.

Channi's story is no different and will have you reflecting upon many of her struggles and challenges as your own. Her character has endured so much, and her growth is so courageous and inspiring in many ways.

When I started reading Her Radiant Curse, I hadn't realized it was meant to be a prequel, and I don't think I came to the realization until closer to the end. But this can be read as a standalone.

So I don't know how to review this book without ruining all the secrets and amazing twists, but I am going to try! This book is set within the same world as the author's prior series 'Six Crimson Cranes' and brings a whole new view onto that story and what it means to live within the world. It tells the tale of two sisters, one beautiful and the other cursed. The relationship between them was beautiful to see, and the growth of the main character was such a journey, and I loved every step of it. It made me smile and get teary-eyed at parts.

Shout out to my favorite character, the snakes!

This was definitely one of my favorite ARCs received and I will be buying the hardcopy to go along with the other books of hers that I already own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Childrens and Elizabeth Lim for my copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

If you know me, you know I loved Lim's Six Crimson Cranes duology. It reminded me of Sailor Moon and the story just enthralled me. So when Lim announced that they had written a prequel following Shiori's stepmom, Raikama/Channari, I freaking knew I needed to apply for an arc. Firstly, I would recommend that if you're interested in reading this, please read the Six Crimson Cranes duology first as this is a prequel that contains direct spoilers for the duology.

Okay, first and foremost, Lim shows off her gifts of world building and creating a narrative that draws your attention and holds it. Lim has done such a beautiful job of creating a tragic foundation for Raikama's motivations in the original duology. Channi in this is a young woman who I just loved. She's so brave and self-sacrificing and so loving in spite of how her father had treated her since her mother's death. The relationship between Channi and Vanna is central and it's so heartbreaking, especially having read the original duology.

Speaking of, I think I spent the last 20-30% crying and sobbing.

I loved every second.

As a huge fan of Lim’s duologies, I was really excited to read her new standalone. Especially since it’s an origin story for a character introduced in Six Crimson Cranes (my favorite Lim book). She has beautiful prose and knows how to deliver a rich, vibrant story.

Even though it is a prequel, I absolutely recommend reading this after SCC. It spoils the best twists from that duology since this story basically leads to SCC and Channari is a very pivotal character in that. Her Radiant Curse expands on Lim’s worldbuilding and adds some great insight into who Channi is as a character. Channi is an extremely selfless heroine who would do anything for her radiant younger sister, Vanna. I found her to be an easy character to root for and loved how she always remained strong in the face of adversity. Plus, it’s just a fantastic backstory steeped in rich mythology and is beautifully tragic. Like, super tragic. I have felt incredibly glum since finishing. Which personally is a vibe I love when I finish a book, masochistic tendencies and all that. Overall, this was a fantastic story about the love between two sisters and the lengths one would go to protect their family.

Unsure who cried more in the last few chapters, me or Channi.

From the first chapter, I was obsessed. Everything just fit together so well. This is my first taste of Lim's writing and I NEED MORE. Screw the TBR list I'd set out for June, SCC is going to the top of it. My only complaint is that I got an eARC so I can't display this beautiful cover on my bookshelf (but I will buy it for a reread).

The characters were my favorite part of the book. Channi and Vanna specifically, but they also made me cry the most. Their sibling relationship is so well woven into the story, and I rooted for/loved each in their own ways. I want my own Ukar, his commentary and friendship with Channi was adorable. And the romantic tension with the (somewhat obvious) love interest, oh I was there for it, squealing with excitement when their fingers brushed. The villains are masterly crafted. You have the obvious demon witch but a cast of fantastic "everyday" villains. The prejudice, the hate, the fear, it all gut-punched me. And no one was evil for the sake of being evil, each was complex with their own contradictions.

And if I wasn't already in love with the book, the storytelling left me speechless. It is a bit flowery, but so gorgeously done that I didn't mind. I was sucked into the world, in awe from the start of the everything Lim crafted. I read this in one day, only put it down long enough to wipe my tears away so I could actually read.

10/10 recommend to EVERYONE.

I have received a free arc in exchange for a review.

Everything here is obviously my opinion, and I still dearly love this author. But I am so disappointed. Spoilers ahoy.

I had coincidentally been reading Six Crimson Cranes again when I saw this book on NetGalley. I had gotten approved almost instantly but I decided to read both the SCC and The Dragon's Promise (which I had never read) before reading this. I did not know this was the prequel and Raikama's story.

In order to know how I felt about Her Radiant Curse, you have know my sad story of the series.

I beyond loved SCC. It was the best book I've probably ever read getting a better score than even Fire by Kristin Cashore. It had heart, hardship, realistic characters, no happy endings, only realistic endings. I tried Spin of Dawn but hated the change of the story near the middle so I DNF'd it. I hear it shares the same universe.

Now I thought the TDP had no possible way to be bad. This author is great at storytelling, and plot, so how could it go wrong?

But it did. I slogged through TDP, hated every moment except for the near end for some bits. The first third of the book was ok, but too easy for the character. And any character changes that happened in SCC? GONE! This is Shiori of the past. Annoying, and she made no sense. Why save Gen? Because he's a boy--a child. Why risk the rest of her life and never seeing her family again? Because he's so wittle.... OK. She never did this in the first book. And they butchered Seryu and he was pitiful and a pushover now. His mother let Shiori get away with stuff, as well as Shiori's entire family.

The brothers lost all their character and the married one was only brought on to talk about the wife. And then suddenly we are talking about Raikama again. She was such a mystery in SCC that was the brilliance of it. We didn't NEED to know about her.

Khemelan in this book was made to be remorseful, and then suddenly we are UNLEASHING ALL THE DEMONS ONTO KIATA. And they SWEAR NOT TO KILL ANYONE. What?

Now let's go to HRC...

It destroyed Raikama's character. Raikama in SCC was a homemaker. Liked the simple life. Was so strict on Shirori.

But here, apparently she is now a rough and tumble tomboy snake girl who just wants to be in the jungle...

No. No. no. no. no.

The whole first chapter should have been omitted. It was unneeded and everything was explained in the prologue.

Vanna was a naive girl and WHY DID SHE HAVE THE PEARL? The worldbuilding is so all over the place and it explains things with Gadda and Nuir that we don't even need to know. Makes me think that she is setting up a different book. BUT NOTHING ABOUT THE DANG PEARL.

And apparently Hokzah is Khemelan. He was ok enough. But he was so wishy washy he didn't feel real. Just kind of went with the plot. Everyone goes with the plot.

This book was obviously a different book, that sort of fit into Raikama's story so the author changed it. But it doesn't fit. Oshli in TDP didn't know that Vanna was the one buried. He knows almost from the beginning of the change in HRC. Khemelan said he betrayed Channari. But he didn't. HE WAS A DEMON HUNGRY. That was literally not how it came across in the book. and Lim had the nerve to make him feel like he was at fault. Channari was totally in the wrong.

And it makes Shiori in the wrong for LETTING OUT THE DEMONS if they apparently don't have any self control.

Hokzah cared for her. He did want to help Vanna. He promised. It was all wrong. And to through a love story in it is so gross.

Vanna getting the mind control aspect only explains stuff in SCC. It doesn't do anything in this book. I feel like everything in this book makes sense only if you have read SCC. It doesn't make sense if you've read both the other books. And it doesn't make sense that Raikama would feel bad for him after all the time and call him the Wraith because he... looked like a wraith in the sky... She would call him Hokzuh.

And I love how the Serpent King literally led her to the person that would kill Vanna. Makes sense.

Angma was fine until they gave her a "sad backstory". She is the perfect villian, just leave her evil. But then they had her transform into Vanna but then she needed Vanna again... Why didn't she just kill Vanna. It makes no sense honestly. Hunting Angma would have been a fine story, it didn't need anything like this dragon pearl or anything. Honestly, if this was just a spin off, without Raikama and Hokzah it would be great.

I love how also Vanna really loved Oshli and would leave a prince for him... but only when she was dead.

There's way more but it was an interesting read for the original parts. All the inconsistencies and the bad motivations really killed it for me. I will leave it at a two star, because the writer can still write nice scenes and Uzar was great.