This book hooked me right from the beginning, which was no surprise since I loved the Six Crimson Cranes duology so much and was really looking forward to getting the backstory story of Channari and her sister. It was fast paced, full of action and intrigue and such a great cast of characters. I absolutely loved Channari and Vanna’s relationship. They truly loved each other and did their best to keep the other safe. I thought the Helen of Troy vibes were really interesting, especially with the selection of suitors. Channari herself was such an incredible character. Her resilience, her strength and also her desire to be loved and accepted made her so compelling. Also, I loved Ukar and how fiercely he loved Channari. This book definitely tugged at my heartstrings several times, but there was also some great humor and of course, amazing food descriptions. This was a beautiful story of sisterly love, friendship and magic. I highly recommend it and also the Six Crimson Cranes duology.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s Publishing for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

Channi's father sacrificed her to the Demon Witch, causing her to be cursed with a serpent’s face. Channi is now the exact opposite of her beautiful sister, Vanna. At seventeen, Vanna is to be married off in a contest that will enrich the village leaders. Channi, plans to defend her sister against the cruelest of the suitors, but that makes her his target. A grisly battle ensues, creating a quest over land and sea, forcing Channi to make an impossible choice.

Featuring another gorgeous cover by Tran Nguyễn, this book is full of details. Exploring beauty and sisterhood, Elizabeth Lim weaves Asian folklore into a Beauty and the Beast type of tale. Vanna sees marriage to a king as the only way out of their tiny village, but they literally bid on her and don't intend to make her queen, only a concubine. They plan to exploit the divine light emanating from her, so Channi steps in. Cursed and full of venomous blood, she spent her time in the jungle when not hiding her face or getting beaten. Trying to keep Vanna safe sets in motion the prophecies that were laid when Channi was a child: one sister will rise as the other falls. The Witch is searching for the other half of a dragon’s pearl, which gives it magic and enables it to truly fly. The dragon in question is cursed to never see it, and the reader will figure it out before he does.

The book is very much an adventure story, with the sisters' love for each other at its heart. Vanna wanted a better life for Channi, and Channi just wanted Vanna safe. Channi certainly has the more difficult part of the story, battling the dragon, demons, and creatures along her path. The Witch has allies borne of fear, after all, and Channi has too little to work with. She tries and continues, even when she feels like all is lost; the end was not one that I predicted at all. It's a beautiful and compelling read, where I had to continue to the end. Like Elizabeth Lim's other novels, it's well done, finely crafted, and will leave you with a book hangover.

Her Radiant Curse tells the story of sisters Channi and Vanna — one cursed with a serpent’s face while the other is graced with beauty beyond compare. Despite their opposite fortunes, both sisters love each other completely with a bond that can’t be broken. When Vanna is offered up in a marriage selection, Channi knows she has to protect her sister from the cruelest suitor setting off a chain of events neither sister could have predicted. Now, they must fight together to destroy the evil that has been unleashed on their world.
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Lim is well know for creating rich world building with a well developed cast of characters, and Her Radiant Curse is no different. This story was quite simply enthralling. I loved the tidbits we glimpsed of Channi in the Six Crimson Cranes duology. I couldn’t wait to delve into her backstory and learn about the events that led her to Shiori’s family. Channi is every bit the fierce FMC I expected her to be. I adored her relationship with Ukar. The banter between them was top notch and probably my favorite part of the story. I enjoyed seeing how Channi came to have a relationship with snakes that’s alluded to in Six Crimson Cranes. I also loved how Channi’s character continued to grow through her relationship with Hokzuh even if I already knew how that storyline would play out. I did find certain elements repetitive, particularly where Vanna was concerned. Overall, this story was well worth the read and highly recommended for those who enjoyed the Six Crimson Cranes duology.

I just want to hug Channi, give her a snack and a snake squishmallow, and slap away anything even remotely negative that gets within 50 feet.

In other words, I had some big feelings reading this book. I actually had to read this in stops and starts because it's intense.

As a prequel, Her Radiant Curse has to tell a compelling story to readers who already know the end. In this case, almost all the major plot points were revealed in The Six Crimson Cranes duology. But you get invested in the characters and their relationships and how/why they end up how they do. The duology sets you up to feel sympathy for Channi because you know her story is sad. The dramatic irony carries a sense of dread through the narrative. It's almost like a horror story in that way.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book, and I've preordered a physical copy for myself. (I was lucky enough to receive and read an e-galley.)

This is a prequel to Six Crimson Cranes so it would probably help if you've read that book first. I'm so happy we get a villain POV. It is so rare to see that in books. I got tired hearing about Vanna being so beautiful. Yeah i got it the first time. This book is good if you've read Six Crimson Cranes and enjoyed it.

Her Radiant Curse
Elizabeth Lim

⭐5⭐

I adored this book, as I’ve adored all of Elizabeth Lim’s books. A gorgeous story of love, sacrifice, acceptance, family, and friendship. I laughed. I cried. I’ll never stop recommending this.

Some of favorite quotes from this book:

“Yet great beauty is not always a gift; it can be as much a curse as great ugliness. Better than anyone, I understand the burden she bears”

“Fact is that you’re a snake girl, immune to venom. Why do you let a few poisonous words hurt you?”

“‘I don’t have a heart,’ Hokzuh replies matter-of-factly. ‘I don’t care whether people like me. You, on the other hand, do have a heart. And it isn’t as strong as you pretend it to be.’”

“‘Seventeen years ago on this day,’ Vanna is addressing the court, ‘I was born with this light inside me. It has brought me great happiness–-and great distress. A radiant curse, I’ve always thought it.’”

“I wrap my arms around her back, press my cheek to hers, scale to fur. ‘Find the light that makes your lantern shine,’ I say softly. ‘Hold on to it, even when the dark surrounds you. Not even the strongest of wind will blow out the flame.’”

“A mother’s love is special; it is the purest love. Boundless, unconditional, unyielding. It is the love that I’ve missed most”

“All the riches and power in the world cannot buy someone who loves you truly.”

“‘Butterflies celebrate all love, Channi, because every love is precious. And mine for you, above all. That love is forever.’”

“‘Gadda says that this life is merely a stepping-stone to the next. I have faith that in your next one you will find each other again. The lanterns will guide you.’”

I adored this book, as I’ve adored all of Elizabeth Lim’s books. A gorgeous story of self discovery and self worth,

And, best of all:
“This is an island of idiots, I decide”

Review copy provided by the publisher.

This is a stand-alone prequel in the world of Six Crimson Cranes; if you know the characters and the events of that book, some events of this one will be enhanced, but this is a perfectly reasonable entry point to this world and its people.

Channi's life revolves around her amazing and beautiful sister Vanna, and it always has. When she was a toddler, Vanna was born with a special magical glow--perfect, beloved, amazing. Her father attempted to sacrifice Channi to the jungle witch Angma to save his wife, and it failed--she was cursed with the face of a serpent and poisonous blood, and her mother died anyway. In all the years since, Channi and Vanna have grown up together, each other's polar opposite in looks--but always the best of friends.

Now their father is choosing a suitor for Vanna. Kings from all around will come to bid on her hand. Her sister Channi, however, is more concerned about her sister's happiness than about their cruel father's wealth. Her friends the snakes of the jungle are willing to try to help her protect her little sister--but the entire endeavor gets, as one would expect, quickly complicated, with dragons, demons, and armies pursuing them around the island landscape.

The relationship of sisters and snakes is devoted and charming, and this book serves well either to add dimension to a world already known or to introduce the reader to its environs.

Thank you to Random House Children's / Knopf Books and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I will preface this by saying, I didn't read the first two books. Now having said that, I hadn't even finished this book and was in my local Barnes and Noble to make sure that when I was done I had a copy of those books because this was so, so good. This isn't a book where I will say there were laughter and tears because only half of that was true.

It was so emotional towards the end, that I was brought to tears at least twice reading the book and choked up more then once. The story built into this incredible ending and that I just found myself emotionally ripped open with these characters. Is it a happy ending? I don't know, I haven't read the first two books and this was only the prequel. So I have no idea what will happen in the end for this character, what will come for her. I hope this isn't the end of Channi, I who identified all too easily with her isolation from those around her and the world want to see what else is in store for her.

The pacing I found to be good, when I finally sat down to read the book I was able to finish it in about 2-3 sittings but I found myself constantly looking for excuses to steel away and read more. I wanted to continue to exist in this world with these beautiful characters and myths. With dragons and witches and tigers oh my. This is a great fantasy read full of love and revenge and heartbreak.

“But a promise is a promise, 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.”

If you loved Six Crimson Cranes and Dragons Promise then this prequel will absolutely stand on its on while still being just as beautiful and immersive as her Cranes duology. This story was beautiful but heartbreaking, which comes as no surprise since we know Channari's story was not a happy one.

This story is about two sisters who love each other deeply and that love is tested again and again throughout this story. Not only do we have two strong female characters in Channari and Vanna, but we also get to see some familiar faces and get some new loveable characters along the way.

As always with Lim, this story is steeped in intricate Chinese Mythology and reads like a Lucius fairytale. I really loved seeing how Channi became Lady Green Snake and what exactly happened with her beloved sister. Its a sad and heartbreaking tale but it was an immersive journey from start to finish. There were so many beautiful quotes in the story and so much discussion about what it means to be a monster, to learn to love yourself and to fight for what you love.

This is a very worthy prequel for this duology and I am so beyond grateful I got the chance to read it early via netgalley!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC for this book!

First and foremost, I adore Elizabeth Lim's style and writing. She never fails to create unique, beautiful, fantasy novels inspired by mythology.

This novel is a fantastic prequel to Six Crimson Cranes. The story centers on Channi, and establishes her backstory.

Overall, the novel succeeded in slowly building tension, which culminated in a shocking plot twist. I was captivated from beginning to end.

10/10 recommend!

After reading and...not totally loving one of the author's books, I decided to give her another go as the description for this one sounded awesome. And you know what? For the most part, it was awesome, so I'm glad I tried it.

The book follows Channi, who was left in the woods by her father as a small child as a sacrifice to a demon witch. Instead of dying, the king of serpents saves Channi, but she still ends up cursed with the face of a snake and poisonous blood - along with the prophecy that on her sister's 17th birthday, one sister will rise, and one will fall. So, since that ill-fated day, Channi has been trying to protect her sister and track down the demon witch to end the curse once and for all.

Channi eventually becomes verrrrrrrrrrrrry bloodthirsty, and I love a bloodthirsty hero with righteous anger, so all of that was really working for me. Channi's a great character - her sister, Vanna doesn't get much development and more or less just exists to move the story forward. There's not much romance (yay!) but the sort-of love interest is a dragon, so we love that, but by FAR the best character was Ukar, Channi's best snake friend. I also gotta say that I loved the way snakes were portrayed here - snakes are often misaligned, but I loved how the author presented them here (basically just kinda grumpy). My only real problem was with the end, which didn't make sense or really seem to match up with our characters and their motivations. So, horrible ending aside (it's bad), the book is worth a read for sure.

Until the last 10% or so, this was a 5 star read, but I really hated where the characters ended up SO 4 stars - widely recommend to YA fantasy readers, especially those that enjoy East Asian mythology.

Thanks to Knopf & Netgalley for the eARC, which I received in exchange for an unbiased review.

review ♥
her radiant curse m- elizabeth lim
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
🏮🐉✨🐍

“You were the light that made it shine brightest, Channi.”

This book. I thought I loved Six Crimson Cranes when it was released, but this is Elizabeth’s best book yet. My heart was with Raikama at the end of the first novel, and I had craved her backstory for so long. Finally learning the story of Channari and Vanna was so beautiful and heartbreaking. It truly made me connect to Channi and her transformation into the “evil stepmother” in Shiori’s story. Her life was never great, and she always had to struggle and fight for what she wanted. Channi is a testament to true love and the strength of a bond between a sister. I loved every minute of it! Being an older sister myself, I connected deeply to fighting for my sister and doing anything possible to keep her safe. O loved Channi’s fierceness to fight for what she loved and her selfless nature. She truly deserved happiness, and I am glad she found some solace and comfort in Shiori.

I was obsessed with finding the easter eggs in the original duology. From the beginning with Emperor Hanriyu to the love story with Hokzuh, this was the prequel of my dreams!!! I am so grateful to have read this book in advance, it tore my heart apart but filled a place that desperately needed this story. Thank you for letting me ball my eyes out. It was completely worth it for Channi and Vanna.

Two sisters, both cursed. Channi bears the face of a serpent, marked as such when her father attempts to sacrifice her to the Demon Witch in order to save her mother. Vanna stumbles under the weight of incredible beauty and glimmering radiance. While Channi is forced into hiding, Vanna is paraded around in the hopes of fetching the family and village great wealth. However, when Channi is forced to step in to protect her sister from some of the suitors, she starts a great battle, spanning across countries and oceans. In the end, Channi will have to determine if her undying love for her sister is enough to save them both.

What I really loved about this book was the focus on sisterly love. This is an intense love story, but not typical in nature. Vanna and Channi would truly do anything for each other, but both find themselves incapable of doing enough. It is heartbreaking, and while I don't think you need to have read Six Crimson Cranes in order to understand this prequel novel, it adds a deeper layer to an otherwise fairly simplistic message.

"Her Radiant Curse" is an exciting read centralizing Asian mythology and the lengths sisters will go to protect each other. The emotional depth of this book draw you in for thrills and heartache alike, so by the end you're shocked at how swiftly you've found yourself at the end.

What didn't work for me personally was the inconsistent nature of character motivations and the worldbuilding. Some things felt like clear callbacks to an earlier work by the author, which is fine, but did leave me a touch out of the loop. Not too much to see lost, but enough it was clear I was missing out.

What a phenomenal prequel! This book reminded me of everything I love about Six Crimson Cranes and it made me appreciate Channari's character immensely as we read about how her character came to be. The author does an amazing job setting up the context in this book to connect with everything that happens in the Six Crimson Cranes series; I absolutely loved the whimsical and beautiful language that was used.

This was a very character-driven story. Channi is a very strong character to follow and we get to see just how complex she is. Through her love for Vanna and her desire to protect her sister from the Demon Witch, she does everything she can to save Vanna, despite all the demons, curses, and consequences. The bond between the sisters was such a heartbreakingly beautiful part of the story and I wish we got to see more of Vanna, though I was still very satisfied with how everything was portrayed towards the end. As for the other characters, I quickly grew very attached to all of them - Ukar, Hokzuk, and even Oshli, and it was both an exhilarating yet emotional journey to see how these characters transform.

Her Radiant Curse gave me a new perspective on Six Crimson Cranes (which I am very tempted to re-read). The storytelling is lush and compelling, and all the beautiful and bittersweet moments left me extremely emotional. I also love that I read this after I read the Six Crimson Cranes duology because it added such an emotional layer to the entirety of this world and though this ending did leave me sobbing, I have a greater appreciation and understanding for certain moments that happen in Six Crimson Cranes.

Her Radiant Curse is, ultimately, a novel about family, about a girl's desire to save her sister by taking her sister's curse upon herself. Because of this curse, Channari - or Channi, more familiarly - has the face of a snake, with no nose, scaly skin, and slitted eyes. In an effort to be ready when Angma, the entity that laid the curse, returns, Channi spends her free time fighting beasts in the surrounding forests, and most especially tigers, because Angma appeared to her originally as a tiger. Channi's sister, Vanna, is everything that Channi is not: beautiful, kind, and most of all, radiant - quite literally radiant, as she was born emitting a glow from her chest than has continued to shine for the nearly 17 years of her life, a shine that has brought many to believe that Vanna is the descendant of the gods, and that her intercession can bring them the fulfillment of their wishes, and therefore they bring offerings that have significantly improved the family's life. As Vanna approaches her 17th birthday, the date that Angma promised to return, their father opens negotiations for her to be wed - or at least to be given to the king who can bring the greatest treasure to the family before taking Vanna away with him. This is where the novel begins, and Channi, as she has done all of her sister's life, is trying to ensure Vanna's safety from those who would purchase her from their father. But things go awry almost immediately.

This is a wonderfully written and engrossing novel, totally different from the author's previous novel, Six Crimson Cranes, and yet the writing evokes the same type of wonder in a unique and fantastic world. Suitable for middle school to adult, this novel is recommended to anyone who enjoys fantasy, especially those who enjoy fantasy based on mythology.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Obsessed with this series ! If you loved six crimson cranes and dragons promise then you will absolutely adore this book as well .

Thank you NetGalley for the arc .

This was an excellent young adult fantasy! This book tells the story of sisters Channi and Vanna. Vanna is extremely beautiful and Channi is cursed with a serpent’s face. Elizabeth Lim has a beautiful and captivating writing style that had me completely invested in the characters and the storyline. I really enjoyed this reading this one!

Although this is a prequel to the Six Crimson Cranes duology you don’t need to read it on order to read Her Radiant Curse. I haven’t read the duology yet, but I definitely will be picking it up soon after reading this one! I definitely recommend picking up this book, especially if you like fairytales, sibling stories and emotional reads.

A tale of two sisters, one who was sacrificed by their father to save the other and in doing so was cursed with the face of a monster while the other was given a beautiful face and golden light... but one of them must fall for the other to rise. This story serves as a prequel to the Six Crimson Cranes book and follows Channi and Vanna. While her mother was giving birth to Vanna and dying, her father had taken her to the woods to sacrifice her to save his wife... but the witch in the woods only wanted the beautiful sister... she only wanted Vanna, and instead let Channi live but cursed her with a monstrous face that horrified anyone that looked at her and her only true companions were the snakes who named her their queen. On her mother's dying breath she made Channi swear to protect Vanna... and that is the only reason years later she still endures her father's physical and mental abuse, being outcasted and treated like a monster by all, all so she can watch over her beautiful sister who is in turn loved by everyone and is their father's favorite. Yet the time has come for Vanna to be married off, whether she wants to or not, and in an attempt to free Vanna, Channi finds herself facing off against a vampire, making unlikely alliances, and traveling to strange places in order to save her sister. This one started off great but then fell off for me unfortunately. I adored the Six Crimson Cranes books and this one definitely had potential but really fell flat at the halfway point. Channi's love and obsession with her sister didn't really connect with me. Channi herself just wasn't that likable or made me care about her with her bad decision making. She didn't learn from her mistakes and she was just so frustrating at times. I found that I just didn't care all that much for her by the end of the book and I still felt bad for Hokzuh, and the whole love interest/resolution by the end of the book did not feel satisfying at all. I really liked the first half of the book but was left disappointed by the end. You could read this as a standalone but I think it would be a good one to read with the rest of the series as well.

*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Children's, Knopf Books for Young Readers for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Absolutely delightful.

I loved the first duology so I was thrilled to be getting a spin off in the same world and that worked as a prequel.

As usual, the wiring is excellent, the pacing is perfect and the storyline is divine. The characters are wonderfully developed and it was so nice to delve into the story of Channi. It was great to see what led her to becoming who we see in Six Crimson Cranes and this was the perfect addition that readers didn’t know we needed.