Elizabeth Lim is a writer that can do no wrong for me. One of my favorite duologies is actually in this same universe, The Blood of the Stars.

To know if this book is for you, do you like these things: (?)

-A fast paced story that is set in a very fresh fantasy landscape based in Asia and islands surrounding the area?
-Are you okay with bittersweet endings, not everything needs to be so so happy, tied with a gorgeous bow?
-Do you like when a female character is dead set on ending her lifelong enemy? Like she has a one track mind for revenge?

I love this. Everytime I read something by Elizabeth Lim in the the Legends of Lor'yan, I find my soul getting a bit lighter and much happier. Next stop: finally reading Six Crimson Cranes and Dragon's Promise, now that I have the context of a key character.

I highly recommend delving into this world, and I think this stand alone is a great place to start.

✨Book Review + Favorite Quotes: Her Radiant Curse ✨

We are introduced to the story of Channari, and how she, as an infant, was to be sacrificed by the gods in order to save her mothers life. Only this does not happen and a curse is cast, so on the eve of her sisters 17th birthday, “one sister must fall for the other to rise”. While her sister Vanna is beautiful, she will have a monstrous face unless she brings her sister back to the goddess. Channari will do everything in her power to protect her sister, even if that means sacrificing herself.

As always, Lim has a way to weave Chinese mythology and folklore into the story , and her world building unravels seamlessly without feeling like it’s too much to understand at once. I enjoyed this prequel origin story as the character we got to know in Six crimson Cranes. It feels like I got to understand her more and why how she came to be the cold hearted character we meet when we start the Six Crimson Cranes duology.

Here are my favorite quotes from the story:

✨ I was not born a monster. People forget that. The crueler ones sneer and tell me I'm demon spawn. They think words will hurt me, but they are closer to the truth than they know.

♥️My face, which has trapped me somewhere between beast and woman.

✨I am as monstruous as she is beautiful. Our power is equal in that way.

♥️For so many years, I've been focused on saving her life. I forgot how many times, in little ways, she's saved mine.

✨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.

♥️ The threads of past and present are already irrevocably stitched and cannot be undone. But the threads of tomorrow may yet weave a different path.

Thank you to @tbrbeyondtours & @elimpix  for a chance to read the arc, and participate in this tour. To view the full schedule please check my link in my profile.

#HerRadiantCurse #TBRBeyondTours #ElizabethLim

Thank you so much, Random House Children's, Knopf Books for Young Readers and NetGalley, for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

Channi is forever changed when her father offers her in sacrifice to the Demon King and now she's cursed with a serpent face. The only person who doesn't see her as a monster is her beautiful sister, Vanna. Now Vanna has to marry to enrich the coffers of the village leaders in a contest and with her cunning and intelligence, Channi is the only one who can protect her from her suitors' violence. But the bethrotal contest goes wrong and Channi has to fight to protect her sister and save themselves from a evil unleashed in the world, that could destroy their bond forever.

Her radiant curse is a brilliant fantasy novel, mixing elements from classic tales like Beauty and the beast, Asian folklore, The selection and more in a thrilling story about two sisters and their deep loving bond.
Elizabeth Lim is absolutely fantastic in writing an complex, rich and lush worldbuilding, with an enchanting atmosphere and wonderfully brilliant characters, who shine at every turn. Channi and Vanna have a beautiful bond and I loved how it was one of the main theme in the whole book, besides the complexity of beauty and its dark aspects.
The story is whimsical and intriguing and I loved it so much.

Vanna and Channi are sisters, but they couldn't be more different - while Vanna is blessed with a strange glowing beauty, Channi has been cursed with the face of a snake and poisonous blood. As Vanna's seventeenth birthday approaches, Channi grows desperate to prevent her promised death at the hands of the demon witch Angma.

I did not realize until about halfway through this book that it is a prequel to Lim's Six Crimson Cranes duology, an East Asian-influenced retelling of the Six Swans that's been on my TBR for a while now. However, this book stands alone well and I didn't lose out by not having read those first.

This is a straightforward YA fantasy adventure, with a sympathetic heroine who grapples with issues of identity and belonging. I liked the relationship between Channi and Vanna, which is complex and loving, as well as Channi's friendship with the snake Ukar and her relationship with Hokzuh. The world-building is lush and sweeping, and the climax was tense and emotional.

I guess the only thing I didn't enjoy was that some plot elements were left untied. Some certainly must lead into the duology, but others seem to be just dismissed as incidental, such as what will happen to Meguh's throne after the events of the story. Channi's final choices also felt a little unsatisfying after the journey she goes on, probably because it felt like she chose that path because it was necessary to link the ending up with the starting point of the duology.

This was an incredibly well-written prequel. I loved getting more of Channi's history and how she came to be in Kyata. I loved hearing about her sister as they were growing up. This was full of action and emotion and depth. Absolutely recommend!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my complimentary e-arc of this book. All opinions here are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House children for the E-arc!
I am a big fan of Elizabeth Lim's works and am always excited when I see another book coming out! Following two sisters, one who has fought and trained their entire life to break her curse. Her father makes a demon deal, and she is cursed with a serpent face and the ability to talk to snakes. The premise of this is fantastic! Lim has always created intricate and unique storylines to follow. This is so many of the elements that I love about her writing and so many new fantasy elements that i just couldn't put it down.

The book was wonderfully written and a breath of fresh air. The story was unique and fun. I have not read her other books but I now want to.

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.