Firstly, thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Six Crimson Cranes should have been a standalone novel. There. I said it. If you loved this sequel, I'm happy for you, but generally speaking it was pretty awful for me. Shiori has gone back to her petulant and selfish self that she started out as in book one. All of that character progress has gone down the drain. She's willfully ignorant and ignores everyone's advice. It's one of those "Shiori, no!" and then she goes "Shiori, yes!" She is standing in her own way so much of the time and after she grew so much in the first one it is painful to see. What makes her regression so much more painful is that all the other characters have basically been reduced to paper cutouts of their former selves. They only serve to further the plot, which honestly was a mess as well.

The plot is scattered across several different storylines and none of them done well. While I can appreciate a link back to Lim's other books, this whole demon plotline feels unnecessary and also uninteresting. The other plotlines don't fair much better. There is no stakes, no tension, no...anything. It was just so boring. Also, after the first 30% or so of this book, the title doesn't even make sense anymore. Why call it The Dragon's Promise if it's only going to be such a small part of the book? Seryu fans, that's why. Reel them in and then take them for a journey they neither wanted nor asked for.

I wish I liked this book. I was hoping for a solid conclusion to the series, but honestly, I wish this wasn't a series at all now. Whenever a sequel makes me wonder if the first one was bad too and I just didn't notice, that is not a good thing. But also, I just wish this wasn't a series because I also wish Lim's first duology wasn't a duology. I disliked the second book for that series soooooo much and now this! It makes me feel like the publishers are telling her to write duologies for stories that would be served so much better as standalones. If the end of Six Crimson Cranes had been tweaked just a little then it would have been a perfectly solid standalone. Or at the very least, tweak the ending so that the two books have a solid tie. Could the stepmother have survived in the first one and then... something? I don't know. I just feel like Lim's first books have so much promise, but then the sequels are abyssmal. It could be that Lim wants to write these as duologies and just can't quite figure out how to do it, but it feels more like they're being forced upon her for the sake of money.

Overall, I wouldn't really recommend this book. I know it sounds rude, but it was just so painful for me to read and basically destroyed my fond memories of the first one. When a sequel destroys your good vibes for the first book, and not because it was so well written it ruined you, then there is a problem. Is it a problem with me? Sure. Yes, let's go with that. I'm sure some readers are going to be perfectly happy and satisfied with where this went. As for me, I am questioning if I will ever pick up another novel by Elizabeth Lim. Maybe if she writes a standalone, but most likely I won't be picking up any sequels.

The Dragon Promise was a very solid conclusion of the duology. I can't say I like it better than Six Crimson Cranes, because obviously that was the superior book between the two, but this book had a solid ending that you couldn't help but adored anyway. Shiori's shenanigans under the sea was very fun to read. Cannot wait for our stepmother's prequel book!

Six Crimson Cranes was the second book I picked up in 2022, and I’m so glad to have had the chance to read its sequel. I missed Shiori so much!

This duology is one of the most tight-knight and wonderful young adult fantasies I’ve read in a while. It’s so perfectly whole, with a magic system contained in myths and legends that feel familiar and yet enticing. Lim is so good at weaving together a fantasy world, and she writes Shiori with so much love that it’s visible in every page.

I love how Takkan off sets Shiori as well. She’s reckless and altogether mischievous, and he’s brave enough to keep up while still tempering her with his patience. I think they’d both hate it if he dulled her light- instead he grounds her ambitions and magic to something more familiar.

And the dragons!! Oh my goodness, the dragons. I’m loving all the dragon stories from East Asia, specifically China that are coming out lately. I’m obsessed with the way the book crafts itself around creatures straight out of a children’s folktale. It feels like perfection for anyone like me, who’s spent a childhood gleaning every bit of magic they can out of myths and folklore

Home, love and sorrow are such beautifully explored emotions, and I adore how family is what drivers our protagonist. We’ve followed Shiori on such a ride from the moment she jumped in the pond- I’m happy to see her get the happily ever after. Elizabeth Lim’s books is what legend is made of- no wonder Shiori’s tale stays immortal in the stars.

Thank you to the publishers for the ARC <3

Let’s start with saying I LOVED Six Crimson Cranes and was sooooo thrilled when I received the ARC of The Dragon’s Promise from NetGalley! And the first 30% of this book when they are in the dragon kingdom is stunning and action packed and I loved every minute of it! However, from there I could not keep myself motivated to read… the plot and the characters were falling flat for me which was so sad! The only redeeming part was the very end of the book (I’m not going to spoil) but it along with the first 30% are why this book still ended up being 3.5/4 stars for me! Is it worth the read following Six Crimson Cranes — definitely as it wraps up the cliffhanger we were left with! Just be aware that it definitely didn’t live up to the first book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the eARC!

This story started off fantastic, but unfortunately it became dull and predictable about 30% in. It was a letdown because the first book was phenomenal. It felt unnecessary.

I reviewed this book as part of an article with The Honey POP. Overall I enjoyed the mythology, character growth, and atmosphere.

✨ 𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 ✨

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑫𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒐𝒏'𝒔 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒆 (𝑺𝒊𝒙 𝑪𝒓𝒊𝒎𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝑪𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒆𝒔, 2) 𝐛𝐲 𝐄𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐡 𝐋𝐢𝐦

𝑀𝓎 𝑅𝒶𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔: ★★★☆☆
𝒢𝑜𝑜𝒹𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹𝓈: 𝟥.𝟪𝟪/𝟧

Thank you so much to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for early access to this ARC!

Let me start off by saying that I read 𝑺𝒊𝒙 𝑪𝒓𝒊𝒎𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝑪𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒆𝒔 last year and absolutely LOVED it. It was one of my easiest 5★ reads last year. The writing, the story, Tekkan, and 𝐎𝐅𝐅 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐒𝐄 Seryu the Dragon--I cannot tell you how much I love dragons. They are by far my favorite mythical creature and you can be damn sure I will read any book where they shine. Speaking of shine, Shiori has been one of my favorite main characters and it was a joy to follow her story in the first 𝑺𝒊𝒙 𝑪𝒓𝒊𝒎𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝑪𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒆𝒔.

I 𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒅 that 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑫𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒐𝒏'𝒔 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒆 would be the 5★ sequel that I was craving and I felt that there was no way I would end up with less. Let me preface this by saying that of course I enjoy 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑫𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒐𝒏'𝒔 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒆, but was it 5★'s? Sadly no. I would rate this a 3.5★'s, the extra half star because I adore these characters so much.

I truthfully felt this was a such a lackluster sequel and ending. The plot slugged along at points and was a far cry different from 𝑺𝒊𝒙 𝑪𝒓𝒊𝒎𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝑪𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒆𝒔 where I couldn't put the book down. I think that this book would have done better as a standalone, a merge of stories, and a tie of both together.

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑫𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒐𝒏'𝒔 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒆 released on August 30, and I look forward to reading the reviews of others who wrapped up Shiori's story. I can't wait for what Lim releases next!

First of all I'd love to thank NetGalley for providing me and arc of this book!

I've decided to DNF this at about 30%. I'm really upset because this was my most anticipated read of this year and it has fallen so flat for me. It feels like a completely different book and characters from Six Crimson Cranes, which I adored. I did skim through the rest of the book quickly, but I'm considering this a DNF since I didn't fully read it.

First and foremost, the cover and title of the book confuse me and are misleading. It gave me the impression the the dragons, the dragon realm, and Seryu would play a big part in this book and we would get to learn more about them. But unfortunately, Shiori goes to the dragon realm with Seryu for about 20% of the book. She then returns to the mainland and then the dragon and Seryu are pretty much forgotten and play zero part in the rest of the book. This was so disappointing to me! and I'm not going to lie, I was rooting for Seryu, not Takkan. Also, Seryu's character was completely changed and her friendship with him (that was so sweet in the first book) changed into something toxic and off out of no where.

Which brings me to Shiori and Takkans romance. It was bland and tiring. For me, a good romance is all about tensions, and slow burn. Which is why the romance in the first book was so good! But in this book their romance just becomes so boring and uninteresting. I felt like both their character's were completely different from the first book.

Even the world and setting was different and lacked the magic it previously had. This book feels as if the author was rushed while writing it, the plot was everywhere and everything got so easily and conveniently resolved. It felt as if there were no stakes. This could have been an incredible duology and had so much potential, or maybe even a longer standalone. But unfortunately it was lacking, felt rushed, and was not well thought out or written.

Although not quite as charming or engaging as its predecessor, THE DRAGON'S PROMISE is a welcome return to Shiori's world. The characters are just as easy to root for the second time around, if not quite as interesting in regards to their arcs and relationships. Shiori in particular suffers from this; she feels noticeably flatter, navigating her obstacles with far more ease than expected.

This book also falls into the trap of feeling overwrought and unnecessary at times, serving primarily as a vehicle to wrap up the loose ends SIX CRIMSON CRANES left dangling. The conflict splinters during the first half, shifting from dragons to demons without much grace. I was surprised to find that the book never glances back at the dragons' realm and Seryu after our protagonist resurfaces. This seems like a wasted opportunity on multiple fronts, especially since Shiori's underwater visit is the most interesting portion of the story by far.

However, Lim's natural skill with prose and the surprising ending made this an enjoyable read overall, and a decent conclusion to the duology.

I enjoyed the beginning very much, the Ai’long the Dragon world and all the action that came from there, I thought the whole book would take place there, but she goes back home. I liked the interaction with her family, there were some tender moments and some comic relief. However, getting the “next piece of the puzzle” took too much time, found some of it unnecessary or could have been explained in fewer pages. It did not keep me from reading because I wanted to see how it would all turn out, and I was squealing with excitement when Takkan and Shiori finally kissed and every moment of those two together. I’m not sure I loved how it all resolved itself at the end, but it was still something unexpected. The characters will be living in my head rent-free, specially Seryu, I wished to see a little more of him, can we have a spin-off, please? I liked the first book more, I felt that Shiori had more growth there, but I loved the growth I saw in Shiori and Takkan’s relationship in this book. In general, it was a good wrap up and I can’t wait to add this to my library.

Six Crimson Cranes ended with Shiori making a promise after all she’s been through with her brothers: returning the pearl to its rightful owner. The Dragon’s Promise starts right after its predecessor, with Shiori journeying to Ai’long, the kingdom of Dragons, with Seryu in the hopes of finding some answers to fulfill her promise. Because after all, “A promise is not a kiss in the wind, to be thrown about without care. It is a piece of yourself that is given away and will not return until your pledge is fulfilled.”

Much like the first book, the second book in Lim’s sophomore duology is slower-paced, with a focus on world-building and characters. I’ve really enjoyed Lim’s writing style, and this book is no exception with its descriptions, especially the mouthwatering food, as we follow Shiori to Ai’long and Kiata as she works to return the pearl (and hopefully get some answers). Things turn out to be more dangerous than Shiori anticipated, though, because there are some very powerful people who would love to have the pearl for themselves no matter the cost, and there are others who think she’s the cause of all the issues in Kiata and wish to burn her because of her magic.

While character development played a huge part in Six Crimson Cranes, there doesn’t feel to be much development here, at least when speaking from a surface level. We initially meet her as someone who is loud, curious, and full of trouble that was charming and endearing, and she’s very much the same throughout The Dragon’s Promise (although at a deeper level beyond the surface, she’s changed, and I love this for her), full of mischief and a sense of adventure.

Regardless, character is still a huge part of the novel, and I think the relationships Shiori has with those around her play a stronger focal point compared to the first. We continue to see the bond she has with her brothers and paper bird, Kiki, but I do think her bond with her brothers does take a bit of a backseat and is more implied to be a strong bond (which is personally fine with me). I do think what we really get to see the most is her continued relationship with her stepmother, Raikaima. There’s a lot of exploration of how those around us affect us in both life and death (especially death), especially when it’s someone we have a close relationship with and have our fates intertwined with, and I loved seeing this throughout the book.

I do think that for roughly a good third of the book, it felt like Kiki tended to shine a lot brighter than Shiori, who kind of feels like she’s just existing. This may be because Kiki’s very opinionated or because she has a very distinct voice and personality, or even just that she’s actually my favorite character. I also personally felt the implied love triangle was mostly unnecessary but does play a role in the plot at the very least, and at times, it did feel like Takkan just existed, but barely? Sometimes I forgot he was around, though.

Overall, though, this certainly isn’t knocking any socks off or is a favorite (quite frankly, it had some of the same issues had with Unravel the Dusk, although definitely an improvement), but The Dragon’s Promise was a solid sequel to the Six Crimson Cranes duology. It was fun to go back to the same world as Lim’s debut duology, The Blood of Stars, and see the parallels and references between the two series. Whether there will be future novels set in the same world or not, I do enjoy Lim’s novels as a whole and will be keeping my eyes peeled.

After reading the wonderful Six Crimson Cranes, it unfortunately felt disappointing reading this sequel. SCC had all the elements that made it a thrilling and colourful story, and in my opinion, it should have ended as a standalone.

It's been a year since I read Six Crimson Cranes, so my memory about this world was a bit lacking. But it would have been better if the author had slightly included some more vital info about what happened in the first book, just to lead us readers on the right ways. I'm also disappointed with how the author decided to try to make a love triangle kind of thing out of it all, as I really never saw Seryu as a possible contender. Would have loved it to break the typical love triangle elements and just been platonic, since yes, platonic love do exist between friends.

Moreover, the plot was all over the place. I had no idea what was going on and how they connected, especially the first 30 % to the rest of the book. I remember reading and thinking we neared the end, just based, but then there was 15 % left of the book which I felt the author just added to make the book longer. The different parts unfortunately felt detached from the story. And I do wish we could see more of the various characters, and understand them truly. Her brothers didn't get as much spotlight as I hoped. And often, I didn't really understand Shiori's devotion to return the dragon's pearl to its rightful owner. The problem being, I never really understood her. Would also have loved to see her grow a bit since the first book, as she is still just as childish and reckless as before.

Based on my criticism some may believe I didn't enjoy this, but I did in fact. It was a solid book. But I just had too high expectations, especially as I usually love the books this author releases. The fantasy world is enchanting to read about, and I love the subtle nods to East-Asian mythology as I recognise the many tales. The romance was sweet and I am in love with Takkan myself.

Overall, it was a solid story with wonderful world-building and nods to mythology. But it did feel like a letdown after Six Crimson Cranes. And it did have a similar kind of ending to Unravel the Dusk thematically, so I wish we had a unique ending. I will, however, keep my eyes open for the next books by Elizabeth Lim.

Over & out. -Nora<3

The Dragon's Promise is the second book in Elizabeth Lim's Six Crimson Cranes Duology.

Following the events of Six Crimson Cranes, Shiori goes on a mission to the Dragon Kingdom and follow through with the promises she made her step mother.

I enjoyed the first probably 55% of this book. The time spent in the Dragon Kingdom was interesting seeing the politics and how everything works there. Seryu is such a great character in my opinion. Then following that having Shiori figuring out how she is going to keep her promises and Takkan just doing what he does (Which is be cute and say cute things!) was so fun to read about.

The last 40% lost me quite a bit though. There was just so much happening and there were two things that happened that I thought "okay the book is done lets wrap it up" and I still had 20% or more left. The ending was also kind of cheesy, but to be honest it wasn't bad. In a way it was super cute to end the way it did.

I was not totally captivated by this book, but I did enjoy most of my time reading it. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an e arc of this novel!

3.5 stars!

An excellent conclusion to this duology though it could have easily been a trilogy with all the plots inserted into this novel. Elizabeth Lim has such a talent for writing in an easy to read but extremely engaging way. I could do without the love triangle, but this book was fun, magical, and quite the adventure.

Recommended for anyone who enjoys strong female leads, Chinese mythology, or fast paced fantasy with a healthy dose of action!

This is a wonderful follow-up to Six Crimson Cranes-- and full of so much story. The first major event of the book could have been a book on its own. The writing is lush, our favorite character relationships are developed and deepened, and we learn even more about the lore and world that The Dragon's Promise inhabits. And Kiki 💜
All the love

Six Crimson Cranes and The Dragon’s Promise will be in my top 5 favs forever I swear. I was nervous about The Dragon’s Promise, but I was not disappointed. I was captivated by every page, every word. I love Elizabeth Lim’s writing in these two books. They are literally magic. Every character was a joy to read about. I loved everything about these 2 books. SO BEAUTIFUL. SO AMAZING. Thank you SO MUCH to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for a review.

I love the way the author makes this sound like a fairytale. The writing in beautiful and the story is wholesome. Plus...dragons!

Thank you Netgalley for an e-ARC

I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it but I think my favorite has to be the 1st one.

I am sad to say that I’m a little disappointed in this sequel. The first 30% was very enthralling. I loved the court politics. I love the dynamic between Shiori and Seryu. Their interactions always put a smile on my face.
When Shiori found her way back into her world that’s when the book started to fall a little flat for me. I didn’t think it was bad but I just was a little bored and found the plot slightly repetitive at times. I felt like it could have been about 100 pages shorter and it would have been perfect.
I think that Shiori and Takkans romance is cute. Maybe a little cheesy at times but overall I enjoyed their dynamic as well.
The ending of this book was something. I found it kind of anticlimactic after the big buildup throughout the book. The “villain” changed to many times to ever make me feel the stakes they were up again. However I’m kind of glad that everything didn’t wrap up perfectly. I’m glad the characters had some consequences to face in the long term.
Overall I’m sad this one didn’t quite live up to my expectations. I definitely would still recommend the duology. My rating of the series as a whole is 4/5 stars.

When I first started to read this book I was super excited. I’ve read the first one and loved it so I had high expectations for this one but I was kind of disappointed. It was pretty slow at some parts but then good paced at others, I did like the plot and the ending was super good I just expected more. So for me this was a 3/5 because it was good but not amazing.