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.
The Novel Llama 