3.75 stars
I have actually enjoyed this book especially with the morally grey characters as well as the adventure and how action packed this book was. I was honestly not expecting how action packed this book would be, but this was such a wonderful surprise because I love action in books! I need to go and read her other books because I know this will be a great one!

𝗛𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲—This is a story about two sisters, Channi and Vanna. One is golden one and the other is monster.
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“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.”—chapter 31
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𝗔 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿'𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲.
It was a captivating prequel that I' ve ever read. I really enjoyed reading Channi and Vanna's story.
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5 reasons why you should read 𝗛𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲:
1. If you're looking morally grey characters in story, this one for you.
2. Such an adventurous and action-packed story.
3. A perfect standalone that enchanting you 'till the last page.
4. Adorable characters and their interactions are so entertaining.
5. I have mix feelings after reading the book. Maybe I'll re-read Six Crimson Cranes duology.
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If you're looking forward for sister's bonding and magical story, you can try to read 𝗛𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲.

I have a deep connection with the characters, but I don't see any of Elizabeth Lim's glorious writing in this book. 3 stars for the plot.

I already bought the physical book and would review it later after I reread this thoroughly.

I snuck in just in time to get an ARC of this, just days before it was published. I was beyond ecstatic, and though it meant reading this before I got a chance to read Dragon's Promise, I was so glad that I did.

Chanari clearly had secrets and a past before Six Crimson Cranes, and while some were revealed, so many others were left hidden. I'm so glad we were able to see her story, and now there are some characters I'm eager to keep an eye out for when I get back to Dragon's Promise. After I read Crimson Cranes again, of course!

Like I've come to expect from this series and Elizabeth Lim's writing, the mythology and world were above par. The blessings and unexpected results that having part of a dragon's pearl can bring to your life. The bond between siblings. All were handled so very well, and reading this was like a reward each time I got to pick it up again.

When Channi's mother lies dying after the birth of her sister, her father is given an impossible choice. To give up the new baby, the one with the radiant light spilling from her chest, and his wife will live. Instead, her father takes Channi to be sacrificed. But she is not the one Angma wants. Channari's life is saved when the snake god bites her, leaving her blood forever poisoned, but keeping Angma from eating her. Angered, Angma curses her face to represent the snake, and promises that she will return on Vanna's 18th birthday.

Channi has spent her whole life being hated and outcast. No one, not even her family, remembers that she wasn't born cursed. That she was once a regular girl. Not even Vanna, her only friend and the one that Channi would die for. She'll do anything to keep her sister safe, and she's remained ever vigilant for Angma's return.

Things are not as simple as Channi expected them to be. Despite managing to ensure that her sister is bought by a suitor who might one day grow to love her, Channi is soon separated. Now she must not only learn Angma's current identity, but also keep others who might do Vanna harm from finding her, and travel across foreign lands to find her.

Beautifully written, Elizabeth Lim is definitely one of my must-read authors!

Thank you to the publishers through NetGalley for the ARC!

Anything by Elizabeth Lim is an instant read for me. Her Radiant Curse was stunning! From the world building to each and every character the incredible attention to detail was classic Lim and so indulgent.

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 by Elizabeth Lim

432 Pages
Publisher: Random House Children’s, Knopf Books for Young Readers
Release Date: August 29, 2023

Fiction, Sci Fi, Fantasy, Teens, Young Adult, Prequel, Asian

Channari and Vanna are sisters. When Vanna was born, her father brought Channari into the forest as a sacrifice to Angma, the Demon Witch, to save his wife’s life. The Serpent King tries to protect her from Angma. As a last act, he bites her ankle turning her blood to poison. His last words are to find Hokzuh later in life because he will help her. When her father returns to the forest, he sees Channari is still alive but has been cursed. Vanna grows up and is known as the golden one because her chest glows. Kings and leaders from all the worlds come for her hand and things become heated. Now Channari needs to find out who or what Hokzuh is to protect her sister.

The book has a steady pace, the characters are well developed and it is written in the first person point of view. This is the prequel to the Six Crimson Cranes and explains a lot of the back story. I love the strength of the sisters’ relationship for each other. The book is full of so many emotions. If you like Asian folklore, you will enjoy this one. Once you are finished, make sure you read the next two books.

Elizabeth Lim knows how to spin a fairytale, she stands out as one of my favorite fairytale authors. I loved her writing what I thought was a standalone, and it sort of is! It’s a prequel to Six Crimson Cranes and I really really loved it. There’s not a whole lot I can say in detail that isn’t a spoiler but I will say I loved the sister relationship and Channi in particular so much. More dragon lore, more demons and deceptions! It was an excellent read, I hope Elizabeth Lim does more stand-alone type stories more in the future, I think she really shines in a more contained story. Though, she shines anyway so what do I know!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's/Knopf Books for Young Readers for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I almost forgot how engaging and compelling a storyteller the author is.
Coming into the book as a fan of the series, I wanted to hate Channari (being a fan of the Six of Cranes series - where she is written as one of the morally grey characters that cursed the protagonist), BUT my love for grey/flawed characters won over. This book is "her hero/villain story that gave me a better understanding of why Channari did what she did and made me appreciate this prequel much more than I expected.

Character development was spot-on for Channari. The author fully articulated the difficulty of Channari's life and the choices she faced in trying to save her family, especially her sister. It was impossible not to love Channari in this book! I am ashamed of my previous reaction to reading the sequel since learning Channari's life story, who won me over with her perseverance and resolve to protect those she loves and holds dear. She also empathizes with many other characters in the story, and ultimately, it broke my heart to see how much she had to give up to be where she was in the succeeding books. Channari had to do what she did with the life that was "fated" to her. It was not an easy path, but she dealt it all with grace, dignity, and bravery beyond any characters I encountered. Her determination to rise at impossible moments is beyond comprehension - an admirable trait that would determine her and her sister's lives.

The story's vivid imagery and exciting characters enhanced my reading experience. Every leaf and dragon scale described was I was holding on to that leaf or touching those scales that I could not help but relate to them. The plot to rescue Channari's sister and her family is captivating because these "predicaments" never seem to end! Just when I thought things were looking up, something grave happened, so I stayed put.

Overall, Her Radiant Curse is a fantastic journey with Channari and the wonder of magic. The author's world-building was beautiful and written in great detail, with so much love and emotion that it felt like the author lived through these lands. The story had many spine-tingling twists and non-stop suspense, and the "new developments" made the book an unputdownable page-turner from start to finish. If this doesn't convince you to read this book, let the heart-warming theme of sisterly love bring you to pick up this book!

After her father makes a desperate attempt to save her mother from death, Channi is cursed with a face of scales while her sister is born with radiance and beauty known the world over. Vanna has suitors vying for her hand but all she wants is to be in a safe place so her beloved sister can come with her, when a place is secured Vanna leaves and Channi is tricked right back into the hands of the Demon Witch that cursed her to begin with. “One sister must fall for the other to rise” and Channi will do everything to make sure her baby sister survives.

This was a beautiful prequel to the Six Crimson Cranes duology and I absolutely loved getting to know the sisters and know their full story since we only get a snippet in the duology that follows! Sooooo good!

Her Radiant Curse by Elizabeth Lim

This was a beautifully woven story with notes of classic tales like Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, and more modern YA books too!

It took my favorite story elements and blended them into a richly layered tale of strength, sacrifice, and becoming as we follow Channi on her journey to save her sister Vanna from the clutches of demons and dragons alike.

Channi was a really interesting character in Six Crimson Cranes as the “evil” stepmother and so it was fascinating to take a peek into her back story and see how she became that woman.

My heart broke for Channi as she loses the things she loves time and time again. Her bravery and strength were so moving.

The plot was fast paced and engaging. The dialogue was seamless and the characters were immaculately written.

I really really enjoyed this book! It was an amazing addition to the Six Crimson Cranes series.

Thank you to @elimpix @netgalley for an eARC of this book. All thoughts are my own.

I really liked Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim, so when I saw she had a new book I definitely wanted to check it out. I won't bother repeating the summary as its on the main book page and in countless other reviews. Readers who are already fans of this author will find more to like here. This story features more great sibling relationships, magic, expansive and beautifully-developed world building and an intriguing premise. It was a little slow at times but overall, another good story from Lim.

Channi first makes her appearance in Lim's duology, Six Crimson Cranes. Following in its footsteps, Her Radiant Curse spins a lush tale steeped in beautiful world-building and Asian mythology. I don't think you will have to have read anything else by Lim to enjoy this one. While it is connected to Six Crimson Cranes, it is a prequel and a standalone. Perfect for testing out the waters!

The sisterly love and friendships depicted in this book were so special, the magic system is well-developed, and the action sequences were fun. Channi and Vanna's bond is the main crux of the story, and it was so touching to see how these two girls are willing to do anything for the other, and how their relationship is shaped from childhood into adulthood.

This did not quite get five stars from me because the plot wasn't woven together as tightly as I expected. I absolutely devoured Six Crimson Cranes, even the soft 'fluffier' scenes really added to and developed that story more, and Her Radiant Curse did not quite live up to that. I think the abundance of travel sequences took some of the sense of urgency out of this for me, which is why I have given it four instead of five stars.

"Her Radiant Curse" by Elizabeth Lim is a mesmerizing addition to the world of fantasy literature. Lim's storytelling prowess is on full display as she weaves a tale of magic, curses, and courage. The characters are richly developed, and readers will quickly find themselves emotionally invested in their journeys. Lim's prose is elegant and evocative, painting vivid pictures of the enchanting world she has created. The plot is engaging and filled with unexpected twists, keeping readers on the edge of their seats. While the pacing occasionally slows, it ultimately adds depth to the narrative. "Her Radiant Curse" is a four-star gem that showcases Lim's talent for crafting captivating tales.

Cursed by a demon witch, Channi is tied to the snakes in her village. Though her sister, Vanna, is draws royalty from far and wide as suitors because of her beauty, Channi has the face of a serpent. Yet the bond between sisters is still strong. When it is time for Vanna to be married, Channi must dedicate herself to defending her sister even if it means putting herself into harm's way.
The background of this story was extremely well thought out. It is very apparent that the author put a lot of time researching and planning the narrative of the story. This made it much more enoyable to read.
I did feel like the pacing was a little slow. It took me about a month to read, which is a lot longer than I would typically take for a book of this length. Over the course of the story, it did not feel like as much happened as there could have been. Maybe some more action or intrigue could have made it a faster paced read.
I think for fans of books like Daughter of the Moon Goddess and A Magic Steeped in Poison this is a great option. Her Radiant Curse draws the same connections to actual legends and retells them in a new way. If you like that style of story, definitely give it a try.

This book was given to me for free in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley!

It took me a little while to get into it at first but after a couple of chapters the folk-fairytale writing style and plot really grew on me and I couldn’t stop reading!

Characters are well developed and the story is really nice. I also kind of appreciated that in places where I could tell the author could go into more detail, she didn’t always feel the need. While I know this will have a sequel - and ok ok with it! - it was nice to see someone write without feeling the need to stretch a plot over many many books just to make it a franchise (or at least that’s how it felt to me).

Xingying is the daughter of the moon goddess who is forced to flee from her home to the celestial kingdom, where she hopes to win the emperor’s favor in order to free her mother from her prison - the moon. Along the way she meets the crown Prince Liwei and the forge a close connection. She joins the celestial army and goes through many an adventure and I’m very happy more adventures are to come since there were some loose ends left at the end.

The whole book feels like the most magical Asian lore and honestly, my only complaint is that I think there could be more spice (if only! I never thought a look and a touch would get me so flustered in a book!) I also did end up liking the writing style - I appreciate when text has an underlying rhythm and flows almost like poetry - it gives the reading a pace of its own.

Anyway, when something works it works. This is a good book! - I recommend it.

"Butterflies celebrate all love, Channi, because every love is precious. And mine for you, above all. That love is forever."

MY HEART. I'm going to preface this with the fact that I haven't read SIX CRIMSON CRANES, and I don't know if that had any impact on my reception of this novel or not. That said, I absolutely loved HER RADIANT CURSE. It was extremely unexpected, but in the best way possible. This was an emotional book steeped in lore, love, and adventure. I couldn't get enough of Channi and Ukar, her snake companion.

I alternated between audio and the e-book, and I was impressed by Mirai's voice performance. She truly brought the characters to life. While I have plenty more to say, this is a book best read without spoilers. I'm looking forward to going back and reading SIX CRIMSON CRANES soon.

Imagine my surprise when Elizabeth Lim announces another upcoming book in the Six Crimson Cranes universe! You already know that I needed that book in my hands asap. And gladly, I was able to receive an early digital copy for review.

Her Radiant Curse brings everything back full circle. Before I go into any explanation, I will warn any readers who doesn’t want any spoilers for Her Radiant Curse to avoid this review. It’s hard to explain my thoughts regarding Her Radiant Curse without letting out a few details that can be spoilers. So avoid reading any further if you don’t want any spoilers.

Now, let’s talk about feelings regarding Her Radiant Curse:

-we finally get the full story regarding Channi (I have been waiting for her story ever since the truth was revealed in Six Crimson Cranes).

-didn’t expect to feel so much for Channi because I didn’t like her in Six Crimson Cranes universe. But reading her story, I can now realize how much she truly cared for those children. She just wanted to protect herself at all costs. She knew how magic can tear families apart.

-may get some hate for this, but I didn’t like Channi sister at all. I found her very selfish. She never cared to ask what Channi wanted. She always expected her to follow her. That’s not life for anyone.

-it's kind of funny how everything comes full circle. Channi always had a bigger role in fate than she expected. She never wanted to, but unexpectedly, she was going to play into a bigger hand.

-love Channi's determination to always protect those she loves the most. It was her best quality. It may frustrate you because you want her to find something for herself rather than protect her sister. But she cherishes her sister so much that she is always willing to protect her.

-thought we were going to have love interests in this book, but it’s more of a fantasy read.

-wasn’t into snakes in the beginning, and now I want a pet snake. They always had Channi's back.



Besides me ranting about my feelings regarding Her Radiant Curse, I will say that I did enjoy reading this book. It truly kept me entertained from the beginning. I couldn’t stop at all. I needed to know what Channi was going to do to stop her sister's demise.

My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

My Review:

I received a digital ARC of this book from the publisher via TBR and Beyond Tours in exchange for an honest review and place on this blog tour – thanks!

This was my first Elizabeth Lim novel and I must say, it certainly lived up to the hype! Lim has such an easy to follow prose, that keeps the story moving without rushing through the smallest details. I found myself easily enthralled in this story, in Channi and Vanna. I couldn’t put it down!

There were some elements of the story that were a bit confusing, mainly of the anthropomorphic dragon who I did not realize had human like features at the beginning and had a hard time picturing throughout the story. I do wish that the cover reflected more of Channi’s snake face, as the descriptions of it definitely did not match that.

This book was certainly a mash of many different story elements and they all worked so well together. I am glad that it chose to focus on the relationship between the sisters, as that was what drew my attention to this book in the first place. There are some romantic subplots. but the love between the sisters is at the heart of this story and it hurt my soul sometimes, in the best way imaginable.

The reason this book does not get the full four stars is definitely because of the ending, which I won’t get into in this spoiler free review. I just feel a bit icky about it, if I am being honest. And I thought that Channi deserved so much more than the constraints of this story allowed for her.

I believe this book will attract YA and non YA audiences all at once. It is a fantasy that is easy to fall into and whose light prose leaves very little room for confusion. Pick this one up if you’re in the mood for fantasy, but don’t have the energy for pages upon pages of world building and political intrigue.

Her Radiant Curse releases August 28th, 2023

Channi is cursed at a very young age when her father tried to sacrifice her in exchange for her mother. But the witch demon he left her to wanted her younger sister instead.
Channi's father claims that the younger sister is blessed by the gods because she glows and he hopes to use that to set up an advantageous marriage.
Nothing goes according to anyone's plan except maybe the witch demon who is still after Channi's sister. Channi has to do everything in her power to save her.

I really enjoyed this prequel to the Six Crimson Cranes duology and I look forward to finishing the series.
It was a little slow and repetitive in 0laces but I loved the characters and the story telling