Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book! I didn't get that far in this one before I just lost interest. I love Elizabeth Lim, but it seems that her first books are more for me. Three stars because I'm not sure I'm the intended audience, and I can't pinpoint my disinterest.

Channi and Vanna are sisters, and for all their lives they've had each other. One beautiful, one cursed. Channi has trained her whole life in the forest with the help of Ukar, her snake friend, to kill the demon witch that cursed her and threatened her sister, and as they approach Vanna's birthday everything becomes more complicated. Demons, dragons, and evil kings are only a few of the enemies that Channi must defeat in order to save herself and her sister.

But the line between enemy and ally becomes hazy as Angma grows stronger and the sisters are separated. Working to find her way back to Vanna, Channi and Ukar make an unlikely ally in Hokzuh, who was prophesied to help her defeat Angma. Powerful magic is at work, and Channi will need to decide how hard to fight, and what for.

This author has such a beautiful way with words. I love her stories and the way she tells them. This is another winner!

I love Elizabeth Lim !!! Six of Cranes is amazing and I was so excited to read about the step moms back story! Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children's, Knopf Books for Young Readers, and Elizabeth Lim for the opportunity to read Her Radiant Curse in exchange for an honest review.

Elizabeth Lim is a brilliant writer. After how much I loved her Blood of Stars duology and her Six Crimson Cranes duology, I was thrilled to find out about Her Radiant Curse. While this is considered a prequel to Six Crimson Cranes, it is also an enjoyable stand-alone or an alternative way to begin the Six Crimson Cranes duology. I love how all of Lim's Alandi works tie together somehow, and long-time fans get the enjoyment of Easter eggs and cameos therein. This novel features Channari, before she becomes Shiori's step-mother. Before she travels to Kiata, where magic has faded. Before the fate of her sister is revealed.

Upon the night of her sister's birth, Channi's father is on the brink of losing his wife. He opts to make a deal with the demon, Angma, to trade his older daughter for the life of his wife and newborn. But demons aren't exactly worthy of deal-making or their word. Channi loses her mother, gains a sister, and is cursed with a serpent face because of her father. At least she can talk to snakes, which is the only benefit of facing the ridicule from her father and the villagers. Without her snake friend Ukar, and of course her loving sister, Vanna, Channi wouldn't know what to do.

Angma promises to come back for Vanna on her seventeenth birthday to claim the special radiant light that shines within her, making her unique and valuable, as well as her life. Channi promises to keep her sister safe, killing all tigers, as that is the form Angma takes. Perhaps one day the tiger she slays will be the demon, but deep down, Channi knows it won't be until her sister's birthday. At seventeen, Vanna is pitched to the highest bidder to be married, her radiant light making her a valuable prize. Where Vanna goes, so does Channi, but when her father sells her to a cruel king and collector of strange creatures, the sisters are split up.

Finding kinship and aid with the dragon, Hokzu, Channi has hope that she will find and save her sister from Angma before it is too late. A dragon's secrets will determine all of their futures.

In a testament to the strength of sisterhood, Lim crafts a fantastic tale of loyalty. Between dragons, witches, and demons, this novel is full of fantasy flare, action, and adventure. As a long-time Lim fan, it was an incredible journey to see Channi's past and how she eventually comes to live in Kiata.  An incredible journey and I can't wait to see what Lim writes next.

Following the story of Shiori's stepmother, Her Radiant Curse was an incredible prequel to Six Crimson Cranes, I was a little skeptical when I picked this one up because while SCC was one of my favorite reads of 2022, The Dragon's Promise was one of my biggest disappointments. Fortunately, HRC gave me everything TDP didn't.

Her Radiant Curse is a story about grief and loss, prejudices, overcoming circumstances, and most importantly, a sister's love. It is also a magical adventure, full of curses, magical creatures and evil queens. All in all, this was a beautiful story across the board.

My only complaint would be that the book started to slow down a bit around the 60% mark, but the ending more than made up for it. If you, too, find yourself struggling a bit towards the middle of the novel, listen to me when I say: please, stick it out. You won't regret it.

---4/5 stars

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Once again, Elizabeth Lim’s storytelling shows an incredible range in the prequel to Six Crimson Cranes, Her Radiant Curse. From the moment the story began, it was impossible not to get sucked into the story and become immersed in Channi’s world. From unforgettable characters to gut wrenching realizations, this book provides everything needed for a five star YA fantasy.

Having read the Six Crimson Cranes duology, it was an absolute pleasure to see the story from a new point of view. While this narrative takes place long before the events of Six Crimson Cranes, it was nothing short of fascinating to see how tightly the strands of the story were wound. A fast paced flow from event to event fit perfectly as it allowed the characters to grow quickly without losing their depth. Despite the fact that I have previously read other books in this series, I can easily imagine this book being read on its own. While the connections to other stories are fun to find, the story is also self contained and separate, which is refreshing as well.

The world is richly described and stunning in fact that even the small details are important. The connection between the characters and their homes is explored deeply and the results are a whole, well rounded story line. I would love to go into more details about the characters themselves, but I fear that any details I provide could end up being spoilers. I will only say that the characters and their relationships to others were full of inspiration, loyalty, and dedication. Watching each of them react to all of the hardships that were thrown at them was insight into who each of them were at their core.

5/5 stars for a book that absolutely made me go and reread the rest of the series the moment I was done with this one.

A huge thank you to netgalley and Random House Children’s for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

As a huge fan of Lim's previous works--especially the Six Crimson Cranes duology, of which this book is a prequel--I was excited for this new story. And it didn't disappoint! I do wish there had been a bit more time spent on describing the dfferent settings, as it was a bit difficult to imagine where the characters were and the places they traveled. But overall, the strength of the characters (even Vanna, whom I initially didn't connect to due to her static personality and weakness) and their arcs, along with the suspense created by the unexpected plotlines, made this one I was glad to engage with!



Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book for review.

I’m beginning to become a huge fan of Lim and her writing. The books she writes are so beautiful and I can never put them down.

I requested this book from Netgalley not knowing that it is a prequel to Six Crimson Cranes (which I have yet to read. It's on my TBR). However, this did not hinder my enjoyment of the book. Immediately within the first chapter, Lim's writing was so vivid and unique that it sucked me right into the story. I adored Channi's strength and her desire to protect her little sister. Dynamics between sisters in books always hook me, whether the dynamics are messy or not.

Overall, I loved the story, the main character, and the writing was absolutely beautiful. This book has definitely bumped Six Crimson Cranes up on my TBR list!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC

I absolutely adored Her Radiant Curse. Getting to experience Channi's story was heart-wrenching on its own, but even more impactful knowing how things play out in Six Crimson Cranes. Elizabeth Lim's writing is beautiful, the tale is gripping, and the world is lush. An absolute must-read for Six Crimson Crane fans.

Elizabeth Lim became an autobuy author when I read Six Crimson Cranes for bookclub, and every time I hear she is releasing a new story I do my happy dance! Filled with a fantastical adventure, readers of all ages can relate to the sisters and their relationship in this book.

Elizabeth Lim is such a fantastic writer you can't help but get swept away when reading her books, Her Radiant Curse included. Each time I read one of her books I can't help but feel like I am reading an original fairytale for a classic collection. The stories feel new but somehow like I've known them forever.

While not my favorite book of hers, Her Radiant Curse was still beautiful to read. Filled with adventure, love, and a surprising ending. (I was very thrown). I would recommend it to anyone who likes a good fantasy that feel like a fairy tale.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CwpGtJ6upmD/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

EL has been a staple author for me for her rich and vibrant Asian-inspired tales that immediately immerse yourself into a fantasy world full of magic and wonder. This story is just as beautiful as her others, with characters that have depth and beauty to them. Loved this!

This is my first Elizabeth Lim book, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Six Crimson Cranes has been on my tbr for ages, and reading this prequel has made me even more excited to read the rest of her books!

I absolutely loved Channi and Ukar and it is so refreshing to read a novel where the main "love" of the story is between sisters - where that love trumps all others, including romantic love. While Vanna was not my favorite character given her apparent passivity and spoiledness, she really grew on me during the final 1/4 of the book. Overall, this one was a fun, wild, ever surprising ride, and I'm immediately downloading the rest of the author's novels!

Lim's prequel expands on her already impressive worldbuilding, adding depth to an already intriguing and fascinating character

I enjoyed this fairy tale-ish book. Two sisters, one is blessed with extreme beauty and inner light, the other is cursed with the face of a snake and poisonous blood. While the plot is somewhat predictable, there are some twists and the world-building was good, as were the characters. Plenty of suspense, action, and emotion.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free e-ARC of this book.

Her Radiant is a prequel of sorts to Six Crimson Cranes, and it is a great expansion on the existing story. It is a beautiful, compelling read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC copy of this book, in exchange for this honest review.

I thought this was a unique and mystical story as usual from Elizabeth Lim but felt the setting changed so quick when they could’ve been explored more. It was a great intro to “Raikama” but it still felt like it was written after the fact rather than an actual prelude. It also was stagnant in parts that could’ve been expounded on and places we went into detail that we could’ve cut out.

This book is a prequel of sorts to Six Crimson Cranes, and it doesn't disappoint! This focuses on Channi's journey while being cursed with a serpent's face. Despite being shunned by her family, Channi still tries to protect her sister from being sold, What ensues is quite the story! I enjoyed the world building and getting to know the characters throughout the story. Pacing was a bit of an issue at times, but it didn't keep me from reading the wanting to know how it all ends.