A bittersweet tale of love, friendship and the lengths two sisters will go to protect each other.

I will start off by saying I have yet to read the duology for which this book is a prequel. But I don't think it affected my enjoyment of the story at all. I was able to follow along with ease. The writing for good and the pacing was quick but not overly so.

This was most definitely a story about sisterhood and destiny above all else. There were hints of romance but they were far and few between. I admit I wish there was a little more development in the romance department. And while I enjoyed the story, for the most part, I found things a touch too predictable. I also never quite connected with the characters. That lack of an emotional connection made it difficult to truly fall in love with this tale.

The ending, I would say, is the strongest part. Only at that point did I truly feel for the characters. The hurt and the betrayal. I truly found myself wishing things had turned out differently. Alas, by then it was a little too late.

Long story short, I liked the story enough to finish it but I would not say it was a stand-out book.

I’m a fan of Elizabeth Lim (Spin the Dawn, Six Crimson Cranes) so I was excited to get my hands on Her Radiant Curse. I was not disappointed.

One of the best things about Lim’s writing is her ability to drop you into an unknown world and make you feel at ease. Her world-building is on point and works seamlessly with her characters. And Her Radiant Curse is very much a character-driven fantasy.

The story unfolds from Channi’s point of view. Channi has a single-minded purpose — kill the witch and save her sister. Channi is cunning and bold. She’s imperfect and a bit dark, and you want things to work out for her.

As with Lim’s other work, Her Radiant Curse is an immersive read. It’s pacing is spot-on, and you won’t want to put it down.

Elizabeth Lim never disappoints me. I loved this book so much, especially since it is connected to her other books. I love how every single one of her books takes place in the same world. It's such a cool part! I loved the characters in this book and I especially loved the sister relationship in this. Sibling relationships are one of my favorite aspects of books especially when one sibling will do anything to protect the other. That's how Channi was and I loved it. I can't wait for the next book!

Channi's father tried to offer her to a witch as a child, only for Channi to escape. However, she was cursed with the face of a snake while her sister, Vanna, shines with luminous beauty (literally). To protect Vanna, Channi is pulled into a whirlwind of betrayal and struggle that will end with terrible loss, unless she can build alliances. Lim's writing shines and her characters are excellent, complex yet archetypal, heroes of a fairy tale that feels breathtakingly real. The novel reads like a fable, but one where logic and loss prevail. I was grateful for the lack of compulsory romance, and for the depth of the characterizations. A great choice for fans of Lim's Six Crimson Cranes series, or who like transcendent YA.

When SIX CRIMSON CRANES came out, so many of my bookish friends told me it was a must-read, and I’ll admit I slept on it. I vowed it would be a priority on my #backlistbooks23 picks & I was thrilled to listen to the audiobook before picking up this prequel.

I’m not normally an out of order reader, but I loved that each title could be read as a standalone, and had such a strong tie in — I’ll definitely be picking up The Dragon’s Promise ASAP! This story weaves together whimsical folklore with strong family bonds, thrilling adventure and the consequences of beauty and love. While I’m not familiar with Asian mythology I really enjoyed the backstory, and how Lim beautifully creates a world around these two sisters and their curse, I was hooked immediately with this intriguing story.

Thanks to Penguin Random House Audio, for the audiobooks of both titles, I loved being able to read and listen to this one and for TBR & Beyond Tours for having me on the book tour! I find it easier to follow along with fantasy titles when I can listen to and this was just such an exceptional title.

I was a little nervous about Her Radiant Curse because I'm generally not a fan of villain origin stories (and yes, I know Channi is more of a misunderstood antagonist-turned protagonist than a villain,) but I'm always wary of any anything that might have a "cool motive, still murder" kind of a story.

So no one is more surprised than I am when I say that I think I like Her Radiant Curse more than the Six Crimson Cranes duology.

Six Crimson Cranes might've passed the vibe check, but Her Radiant Curse delivered the more compelling story. I actually thought the worldbuilding was a bit lacking in this prequel, but what it was missing in vibes, it more than made up for in feels. Her Radiant Curse is the angsty Asian stories I love in a YA fantasy. At its heart, it's a story about two sisters willing to do anything for the other (and if you're familiar with C-drama tropes, you'll know to expect lots of sacrifice and heartache along the way.)


For a story centered around sisterhood, a good portion of it has one sister conspicuously absent for a good portion of it. I thought Vanna's character arc was a bit awkward and would've liked to see her developed more. In general, I think the pacing could've been better. The book got off to a slow start, and the best, most emotional parts (which coincidentally coincide with the heart of the story) didn't come until the end.

I am a huge Elizabeth Lim fan and will continue that streak with newest novel, Her Radiant Curse. Channi, cursed and monstrous, and her younger sister Vanna, blessed and beautiful, share many differences, but a similarity is the loving sisterly bond that makes them near inseparable. When they are forced apart, Channi does all she can to get to her sister, setting off on an epic quest to break her curse, battle demons and kings, and save the only person who cares about her. Lim weaves a tale of imagination, action, and magic that is easy to read as the reader will undoubtedly get caught up with the story. When the ending came I was not prepared and at first not happy, but I soon came to appreciate the true quest of the story for what it was, along with the realistic aspects that the author creates to make this a memorable tale.

Her Radiant Curse is easily a 5 star read for me. The hold Elizabeth Lim has on me is a ferociously tight one. Every book she writes, I'm counting down the days until it's released. The emotions I felt for Channi? Holy cow. I was rooting for her since page 1. My love for how she handled her emotions and knew how her relationship with her dad was bad versus how her relationship with her sister was codependent. Channi is quite possibly my most favorite book character of Lim's to date. Did I not like her in Six Crimson Cranes? Yeah, I hated her from Shiori's POV and now I just want to bundle her up. Maybe give her a cake. Vanna was so interesting to me because she had all the makings of a main character, but we got her from Channi's POV. Channi only ever wants to protect her and have Vanna be happy. To make her own choices.
Please read this book. I beg you.

This book had me from the prologue. Just that tidbit of information was enough to know that my emotions would be tossed everywhere. There’s so much to say and so much to love. Elizabeth Lim is a rare gem that can deliver a story with such eloquence. Channi, the demon sister, has faced adversity her whole entire life and you find yourself rooting for her the moment you get to know her. She is strong and so selfless that you just want to pour all of your love to her. While she has faced rejection, her younger sister Vanna has lived in glory and love. You would think she is vain because of it but the love and loyalty between these two sisters is so intricately woven together that nothing can come between them. She met the evil witch in her Tiger form when Channi’s father sacrificed her in hopes of saving their mother. Although Channi lives, she lives with a curse that will plague her throughout her life unless she sacrifices her younger sister whose beauty is radiant like the sun and pure like none other. Even with snake-like face, Channi never hesitates when it comes to her sister. She is willing to do anything to protect her and I think it is her loyalty to Vanna that makes this story so captivating. Channi does not have inferior complex, but she knows where she stands and that makes the beauty of this sisterhood even more incredible. Even though we don’t get to know Vanna as much, we see the love and bond between the two sisters is strong. When the witch goes hunting for Vanna, Channi stops at nothing to save her. On her journey, she befriends Hokzuh, a halfling – half demon, half dragon. Their dynamics with each other is comforting and something Channi has yet to experience. I can read about them all day long and not be bored. What they have with each other is special but witch Hokzuh being half-demon is already a red flag. Did that make me like him any less? Of course not. Haha. Elizabeth Lim told Channi’s story so well. I was entranced and there wasn’t a single moment where I felt I wanted to skim past. Every moment of the story meant something and the story itself was just so enthralling. I did not expect my emotions to be pulled every which way. It was heart-wrenching, bittersweet, and just oh so sorrowful in certain moments. I cried much more than I expected. Emotions running high and you just don’t know what to do with yourself. As previously mentioned, there is so much to love about this book. It makes you see Crimson Cranes in a new light and then your heart just wrenches again because you know now. I have read everything from Lim and while I love all that she has written, I would say this one has been one of her best if not THE best. Join the club and make yourself known to the Lor’yann world. You won’t regret it.

I have read both Six Crimson Cranes and The Dragon's Promise and I knew that Elizabeth Lim's amazing writing would take me on a journey into the same world with Dragons, Demons and Fight Scenes which I did not expect at all. I knew though at some point Elizabeth would tug at my heart strings but I did not expect it to start during the first Chapters of the story and I knew then that this would a special book. I was right and if you were expecting romance it is fleeting but for me it was about Sisterly Love and how powerful it can be.

I finished the book on the 10th August and had to take myself to bed a bit emotional and woke up with a massive book hangover and it is only now the day before my stop on the blog tour that I can actually put into words how much I loved this book.

For all the above reasons Her Radiant Curse scores 5 big fat stars

I enjoyed this book, however not reading the duology to this book I feel that I didn’t get the full experience out of because I wasn’t invested in the character that was in the duology. With all that being said, it was an enjoyable book regarding of not having read the other books. The story is very heartfelt and emotional. I appreciated the relationship between the sisters and how Channing was so dedicated to Vanna. The father in this book makes you so upset with how poorly he treats Channi. I would recommend this books, however I think it’s best to read the duology then Her Radiant Curse.

Thank you to Random House Children's, Knopf Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for an electronic ARC of this novel.

Her Radiant Curse by Elizabeth Lim is a well-written tale of 2 sisters, one cursed with a serpent's face by a demon witch when she is sacrificed to save her sister. Surviving only through the poisoned bite of the King Serpent, Channi grows up hiding her face in contrast to her beautiful sister Vanna, who literally has a heart light and has suitors visiting from all over the world.

When Vanna turns 17, there is a ceremony to pick her hand in marriage, and Channi is caught up in the lies from her father. She fights to rejoin her sister and to try to break the curse that the demon witch has put upon her.

I enjoyed this book and now want to read more, it sounds like it's part of a series so I'm looking forward to discovering more from this world.

I always have this habit of thinking the ecopy of this book is enough and every time it is an Elizabeth Lim title I end up buying a physical one anyway. They are just that good! It’s cozy, but there is still plenty of action and I think that is a hard medium to find. Its beautiful sisterly love made me ugly cry at the end. All in all an amazing prequel to our Duology. However, those who have not read the other books need not fret as this one stands on its own!

Her Radiant Curse is a prequel to The Six Crimson Cranes, is the ¨villain origin story¨ of the stepmother.

Channi had it all, loving parents and soon a sister, but everything is about to change, her mother has a difficult birth and to save her life, her father will sacrifice one of her daughters to the demon witch. She should be Vanna, but she's such a beautiful baby, she literally radiates light that her dad would rather sacrifice Channi. She is abandoned in the jungle, but instead of being eaten, both sisters were cursed; Channi will spend the next 17 years protecting her sister and trying to break the curse.

While Vanna is grace in person, Channi is the opposite, her face now has a scar similar to the scales of snakes which makes her father and the town despise her, they call her a monster, everyone except Vanna. Vanna is lovely, a little naive thanks to her beauty, radiance, and sister protection, meanwhile, Channi is more pessimistic and complex

Channi has many reasons to hate her sister, instead, they have a strong bond, they are different, but both want to protect the other, Channi seeking and killing the demon, Vanna marrying the highest bidder to get her sister out of town and both start a new life together and happy.

I love romance, but I adore that this story is focused on sister love and friendship, also is a little about accepting us as we are, Channi struggles with her appearance, she is smart and brave but what everyone sees is the mark on her face. I wanted more scenes with Channi and Vanna together, mostly Channi in the jungle hunting for the witch with Ukar her sassy and loyal snake companion, and Hokzuh a dragon who deserved better 🥺

This was a character-driven and emotional story, from the duology we already know how it ends, but that does not mean that it will keep you captive and you will empathize with the sisters. Love the setting, the world-building was magical, woven with folklore We have snake besties, sisterly love, dragons, witches, demons, princes, magic, curses, and prophecies. There's a lot of action too, we travel to different settings, all wonderful and we have a lot of fight scenes, it's a fantastic prequel (maybe can be read as a standalone) if you already read The Six Crimson Cranes you will love this one.

Read it if you want:
• A fairytale style story
• Asian folklore inspiration
• Sisterly bond and least romance
• Animal sidekick

Honestly, this was such a fantastic read and I was so engrossed while reading this one that I couldn't put it down for a single minute!
Channi is just a few years old when her mother gives birth to her sister Vanna - who is born with a captivating radiance, and their father leaves Channi in the jungle hoping to save their mother's life by offering her to Angma the Demon Witch. But, Channi ends up being cursed with the face of a serpent and shunned by the whole village. The only light in her life is the bond that she shares with her sister despite being opposites. And with her sister's seventeenth birthday approaching their father decides to marry off Vanna in a way that Channi despises - with a contest where kings compete for her hand by showing off their wealth. She is determined to protect her sister from these vile suitors and from Angma who had warned her that she'd be coming for Vanna soon. But how far will she be willing to go for the only family that she loves more than herself?

Channi is such an interesting and complex protagonist because she's fierce and loyal to a fault. But at the same time, she gets angry very quickly and is hyper-focused on vengeance too. Though she's been treated unfairly for her entire life, she retains some goodness while making friends of the scaly variety as she can communicate with them. She isn't immune to betrayal or disappointment but she picks herself up quickly even if she's been defeated. But honestly, sometimes I just wanted her to slap her dad because he's the worst person in this whole story and I didn't like how she helped him at certain moments. I know that this is because she yearns to be a part of her family and has been conditioned to respect him at times but omg whatever was done to her was straight-up emotional abuse and she deserves better. I felt so sorry for her at times.

Another interesting thing is how Vanna comes off as naive and sheltered at first, but she has some hidden strength too. She was the only one who actually loved Channi unconditionally, so no wonder everyone was captivated by her. I loved discovering more about her slowly. There was no doubt about Channi's love for her sister but I wondered about how much of it was influenced by her promise to her mother and perhaps by Vanna's abilities too. I think that's what made this story very fascinating and complex, and I really enjoyed it! Elizabeth's writing is very beautiful and brings everything to life. I'm not ashamed to admit that I shed a tear or two at certain moments 😢

Hokzuh and Ukar were such amazing characters too and I loved the bond that slowly developed between Channi and Hokzuh! I wish they could have spent more time with each other!

In the end, this is a spell-binding fantasy story that's centered around sisterhood and magic with some amazing characters! Though this is a prequel to Six Crimson Cranes it works perfectly well as a standalone and I think almost everyone would enjoy this!

The prequel to the Crimson Crane series, focusing on the origin story of Channi, who becomes Shiori's stepmother in Six Crimson Cranes. Channi was cursed as child by the Demon Witch to have a serpent's face and has been shunned by others ever since. Channi's sister Vanna was the only one to care about her and Channi is determined to protect her from the Demon Witch who has sworn to come back for Vanna when she's older. However things don't go as planned and Channi finds herself in the company of a dragon and she has to rely on him to help save Vanna. Overall, an engaging prequel to the series centered on the bond of sisters and the lengths they'll go to save each other. Fans of folklore and adventure stories will like this one. For readers who have already read Six Crimson Cranes, this will make them want to re-read it with a new understanding of Channi.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Children's for the advanced copy of this book.

To be completely transparent, it has been a hot minute since I read six crimson cranes so I thought I needed a refresher to get into it... but thankfully, I did not. This is a stand-alone/spin-off of Six Crimson Cranes and it was a lovely addition to the universe. The story follows two sisters in a far away land and excels in building their loyalty and friendship. I thought their bond was a really strong point of the novel.

Where it fell off for me, was pacing. I felt like it slowed down in all of the wrong places and then suddenly ramped up for that ending. It was great though, and that's a very minor fault for an otherwise great book.

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Her Radiant Curse by Elizabeth Lim was for me, almost entirely a cover buy/request. Not only did I pre-order this one but I requested a Netgalley copy based on that amazing artwork. I have to say, I’m not mad at it having read the book either! The other portion of my determination to read this was that I’ve been dying to try Elizabeth Lim and I thought this would be the push I needed. I am glad I picked it up, because -yes. She is worth the read.

Her Radiant Curse follows a young girl then young woman as she spends her life training to protect her sister. Her father, in a incredibly poor parenting moment, attempted to sacrifice Channi instead of her sister to a Demon to save his wife’s life. Instead Channi was cursed, and effectively a due date was placed on her sister’s life. She would die at 17, or Channi could hand her over. Through circumstances at this moment Channi’s face is twisted to appear as a snakes, and her blood incredibly toxic. She vows to her dying mother she’ll protect her sister against everything and everyone and thus kicks off her life.

The story has the feeling of a fable and by the end of the book that was my absolute favorite thing about this. It was fast paced, an easy and quick read and the ending seemed to present this setup of a world where more stories could be set and take flight. Not only is the ending wonderful as far as set up or a true ending, but it’s tragic and sad in a way that I didn’t see coming and one that I actually loved. For a YA Fantasy I’m impressed. Elizabeth Lim took a story that felt familiar and in the end gave it a profound and truly impactful feel.

If you enjoy fable style fantasy or YA fantasy in general this is one I can safely recommend.

I love Elizabeth Kim’s writing, it’s so lush and beautiful. A lot of her stories are from lores from her culture and I am obsessed. If you like stories with great setting, beautiful writing, amazing plot that will always leave you guessing for more, then you need to give this book a shot! Thank you so much for letting me read this and for the author for writing this!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the infusion of Asian folklore in this story. Channi was such an amazing character and I felt so sad for her and all the hardships she faced in life. The sisterly bond between Channi and Vanna was incredible and was really special. I look forward to reading the Six Crimson Cranes series next to see more taking place in this lush and exciting world.