Name: The Dragon's Promise
Rating: 3.915441176470588 (68 reviews)
ISBN: 9781529356786

Elizabeth Lim

Shiori's adventure continues in the stunning follow up to Six Crimson Cranes.

The Dragon's Promise

Elizabeth 

I didn’t hate it…….. but I was a little disappointed….. I expected more of a seryu and shiori adventure packed novel.

Anjorin Molayo 

I AM NOT OKAY!!! 

i absolutely love this series! this is the first series i read by this author and it was totally worth it. all the characters were endearing and, going back to Six Crimson Cranes, loved the villain to protector role that Raikama played. her backstory was perfection.

Shiori did frustrate me at times, but in the end i couldn’t help but loving her. everyone just felt like a real family. not picture perfect, just right.

Krys C.

this was weird — there were several sudden plot lines crammed, the setting changing every few chapters (making it feel fast-paced), and the ending was cute but felt like it was forced to be reminiscent of the myth. :// shiori and takkan were everything tho 🫶🏻

Princess Shiori made a deathbed promise to return the dragon's pearl to its rightful owner, but keeping that promise is more dangerous than she ever imagined.
She must journey to the kingdom of dragons, navigate political intrigue among humans and dragons alike, fend off thieves who covet the pearl for themselves and will go to any lengths to get it, all while cultivating the appearance of a perfect princess to dissuade those who would see her burned at the stake for the magic that runs in her blood.
The pearl itself is no ordinary cargo; it thrums with malevolent power, jumping to Shiori's aid one minute, and betraying her the next—threatening to shatter her family and sever the thread of fate that binds her to her true love. It will take every ounce of strength Shiori can muster to defend the life and the love she's fought so hard to win.

nina 

2.5 stars

this book gave me absolutely nothing except for shioriedan besties

"Princess Shiori’anma embarks on a journey to the underwater kingdom of Ai’long, risking her human life to return the pearl in her possession to its rightful dragon owner. As she navigates this delicate task, the pearl takes on a life of its own, sometimes helping Shiori and other times causing chaos. She must keep it contained by any means necessary, but her magic is still a secret, any use of power a danger to her and her loved ones. Her friend Seryu promises to try and keep her safe in his grandfather’s kingdom, but his personal feelings for the princess are clouding his judgement. When Shiori finds herself bound to the royal family, the circumstances feel insurmountable, and she fears she’ll never return to the surface. Will she be able to keep her promise and survive to tell the tale? Will she make it back to her family and finally marry Takkan? Perhaps forbidden magic and the fate of a kingdom is too great a burden for a teenage princess . . ."

*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from Knopf Books for Young Readers, imprint of Random House Children’s Books, through NetGalley in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

For the optimal reading experience, I reread “Six Crimson Cranes” as an appetizer to the entree of “The Dragon’s Promise,” the duology finale and my most anticipated book of 2022. Chapter one begins right where we left off, Shiori following Seryu to his grandfather’s ocean kingdom. I spent much of my childhood pretending to be a mermaid princess with a castle at the bottom of the swimming pool so the idea of spending some time underwater thrilled me, even as an adult reader. Out of nowhere, the dreaded reading slump got ahold of me, and my reading came to a complete halt. I pushed myself to read here and there but made very little progress, taking one whole month to finish a story I initially thought I would devour in one week at most. Yes, the slump did affect my reading experience, but I know for a fact it wasn’t the sole roadblock because I tried my luck with another book and flew through the chapters. Plain and simple, this sequel left me feeling disappointed and wishing the duology was, instead, a standalone book.

There was a lot of ground to cover in order to wrap up Shiori’s tale, and nothing flowed, instead feeling like three separate sections that happened one after the other. It read like “We’re in this place. Now we’re here. Lastly, we’re at this location.” The first book took me on an adventure that felt like a whirlwind, and the sequel took me on a guided tour that made me hyperaware of the seconds, minutes, and hours ticking by. I found Shiori incredibly annoying, even more so than before; I understand that her immature mistakes were meant to grow the character, but at some point she has to stop making those same mistakes to show growth, and I never felt that shift. I also didn’t like her use of the word “snitches”; maybe I’m being too picky, but it felt out of character and out of place in this particular fantasy. 

I was rooting for Shiori and Takkan as a couple, but there were too many unnecessary twists and turns. One specific thing that transpired in the underwater kingdom didn’t need to happen, but I would’ve been fine with it had there been some sort of significance; it ended up affecting nothing and was, therefore, a waste of pages. Just when the romance seemed to be back on track, Shiori herself sabotaged the happy ending not once but twice. When I say I felt frustrated with her, I don’t mean the good feeling of frustration while reading that feels like part of the experience; I mean the bad kind of frustration that negatively affects your opinion of a story.

I’m struggling with the intensity of my disappointment, but I’m going to push through that wall and give you a positive: I love the moment when Takkan gifts Shiori with a simple wooden comb painted with memories they’ve shared. He parallels their quiet moment with the hunter who won the Lady of the Moon’s heart with a simple comb amongst suitors gifting her gold and jewels; he gave Imurinya a comb to put up her hair so he could see her eyes and light them with joy. Swoon! That moment gave me everything I was craving from their romance, not to mention their continuous quoting of these words inspired by Shiori’s stepmother: “You are the light that makes my lantern shine.”

I am very open to rereading “The Dragon’s Promise” after a period of time and giving it a second chance with a fresh mind. For now, I’m settling on a 3 star rating and walking away. If you’ve read the first book, please give the sequel a chance and read it for yourself. Just because I had a “meh” experience doesn’t mean you will; I’ve seen reviews from readers who enjoyed it so it does have an audience. I would also recommend you look into Elizabeth Lim’s “Spin the Dawn” duology because there are many connections to the “Six Crimson Cranes” duology, especially after the events of the second book. I’m considering a reread myself which is a relief because obviously my heart still loves this world Elizabeth’s created.

Content Breakdown: Abuse, Alcohol, Animal Harm, Blood, Bullying, Claustrophobia/Drowning/Seasickness, Death, Language (very minor), Loss, Magic, Prejudice, Religion, Romance, Self Harm, Sensual/Sexual Situations (very minor), Spirituality, Suicide, Superstition, & Violence

* Detailed content breakdown on my blog LaurenMicheleLifestyle * 

Lauren Stewart

"Princess Shiori’anma embarks on a journey to the underwater kingdom of Ai’long, risking her human life to return the pearl in her possession to its rightful dragon owner. As she navigates this delicate task, the pearl takes on a life of its own, sometimes helping Shiori and other times causing chaos. She must keep it contained by any means necessary, but her magic is still a secret, any use of power a danger to her and her loved ones. Her friend Seryu promises to try and keep her safe in his grandfather’s kingdom, but his personal feelings for the princess are clouding his judgement. When Shiori finds herself bound to the royal family, the circumstances feel insurmountable, and she fears she’ll never return to the surface. Will she be able to keep her promise and survive to tell the tale? Will she make it back to her family and finally marry Takkan? Perhaps forbidden magic and the fate of a kingdom is too great a burden for a teenage princess . . ."

*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from Knopf Books for Young Readers, imprint of Random House Children’s Books, through NetGalley in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

For the optimal reading experience, I reread “Six Crimson Cranes” as an appetizer to the entree of “The Dragon’s Promise,” the duology finale and my most anticipated book of 2022. Chapter one begins right where we left off, Shiori following Seryu to his grandfather’s ocean kingdom. I spent much of my childhood pretending to be a mermaid princess with a castle at the bottom of the swimming pool so the idea of spending some time underwater thrilled me, even as an adult reader. Out of nowhere, the dreaded reading slump got ahold of me, and my reading came to a complete halt. I pushed myself to read here and there but made very little progress, taking one whole month to finish a story I initially thought I would devour in one week at most. Yes, the slump did affect my reading experience, but I know for a fact it wasn’t the sole roadblock because I tried my luck with another book and flew through the chapters. Plain and simple, this sequel left me feeling disappointed and wishing the duology was, instead, a standalone book.

There was a lot of ground to cover in order to wrap up Shiori’s tale, and nothing flowed, instead feeling like three separate sections that happened one after the other. It read like “We’re in this place. Now we’re here. Lastly, we’re at this location.” The first book took me on an adventure that felt like a whirlwind, and the sequel took me on a guided tour that made me hyperaware of the seconds, minutes, and hours ticking by. I found Shiori incredibly annoying, even more so than before; I understand that her immature mistakes were meant to grow the character, but at some point she has to stop making those same mistakes to show growth, and I never felt that shift. I also didn’t like her use of the word “snitches”; maybe I’m being too picky, but it felt out of character and out of place in this particular fantasy. 

I was rooting for Shiori and Takkan as a couple, but there were too many unnecessary twists and turns. One specific thing that transpired in the underwater kingdom didn’t need to happen, but I would’ve been fine with it had there been some sort of significance; it ended up affecting nothing and was, therefore, a waste of pages. Just when the romance seemed to be back on track, Shiori herself sabotaged the happy ending not once but twice. When I say I felt frustrated with her, I don’t mean the good feeling of frustration while reading that feels like part of the experience; I mean the bad kind of frustration that negatively affects your opinion of a story.

I’m struggling with the intensity of my disappointment, but I’m going to push through that wall and give you a positive: I love the moment when Takkan gifts Shiori with a simple wooden comb painted with memories they’ve shared. He parallels their quiet moment with the hunter who won the Lady of the Moon’s heart with a simple comb amongst suitors gifting her gold and jewels; he gave Imurinya a comb to put up her hair so he could see her eyes and light them with joy. Swoon! That moment gave me everything I was craving from their romance, not to mention their continuous quoting of these words inspired by Shiori’s stepmother: “You are the light that makes my lantern shine.”

I am very open to rereading “The Dragon’s Promise” after a period of time and giving it a second chance with a fresh mind. For now, I’m settling on a 3 star rating and walking away. If you’ve read the first book, please give the sequel a chance and read it for yourself. Just because I had a “meh” experience doesn’t mean you will; I’ve seen reviews from readers who enjoyed it so it does have an audience. I would also recommend you look into Elizabeth Lim’s “Spin the Dawn” duology because there are many connections to the “Six Crimson Cranes” duology, especially after the events of the second book. I’m considering a reread myself which is a relief because obviously my heart still loves this world Elizabeth’s created.

•

Content Breakdown: Abuse, Alcohol, Animal Harm, Blood, Bullying, Claustrophobia/Drowning/Seasickness, Death, Language (very minor), Loss, Magic, Prejudice, Religion, Romance, Self Harm, Sensual/Sexual Situations (very minor), Spirituality, Suicide, Superstition, & Violence

* Detailed content breakdown on my blog LaurenMicheleLifestyle * 

Unfortunately after reading more than half of the book I found myself no longer invested in the plot. Shiori started getting on my nerves. A lot of her actions in this book were dumb. Luckily for me Takkan had enough patience to put up with her. Kiki was amazing as ever. I didn't really see the point in the love triangle with Seryu. It seemed as if that (and helping her out of Ai'long) was the only reason he even existed as a character which is a pity. He had potential. Too much was crammed into the book as some things felt rushed and resolved a bit too easily. Brotherly and sisterly love was probably supposed to be one of the main themes. That aspect wasn't done quite well. Yes we're told how much they love each other. But that's pretty much it. Her brothers are more of a backdrop. They aren't very developed and don't have any distinct personality that would differentiate them from each other. Readers do not get to know them the way Shiori does. The relationship between Takkan and his sister Megari was portrayed better. Unlike Shiori's brothers, Kiki is an amazingly developed character and I absolutely adored her. Now for my thoughts on the duology as a whole, Six crimson cranes left a really good impression on me but the sequel was a miss. The first book would have been near perfect were it a little longer with a different conclusion to make it a standalone.

Characters: 6.5/10
Enjoyment: 6/10
Plot: 6/10
Worldbuilding: 7/10
Writing: 10/10

Unfortunately after reading more than half of the book I found myself no longer invested in the plot. Shiori started getting on my nerves. A lot of her actions in this book were dumb. Luckily for me Takkan had enough patience to put up with her. Kiki was amazing as ever. I didn't really see the point in the love triangle with Seryu. It seemed as if that (and helping her out of Ai'long) was the only reason he even existed as a character which is a pity. He had potential. Too much was crammed into the book as some things felt rushed and resolved a bit too easily. Brotherly and sisterly love was probably supposed to be one of the main themes. That aspect wasn't done quite well. Yes we're told how much they love each other. But that's pretty much it. Her brothers are more of a backdrop. They aren't very developed and don't have any distinct personality that would differentiate them from each other. Readers do not get to know them the way Shiori does. The relationship between Takkan and his sister Megari was portrayed better. Unlike Shiori's brothers, Kiki is an amazingly developed character and I absolutely adored her. Now for my thoughts on the duology as a whole, Six crimson cranes left a really good impression on me but the sequel was a miss. The first book would have been near perfect were it a little longer with a different conclusion to make it a standalone.

Had some troubled thoughts about how I thought Seryuu was literally going to kidnap Shiori and forced/trapped her to spend the rest of her life with him at the Dragon Kingdom, but thank God the answer was no.

It was an enjoyable journey once again, though Shiori’s act in the ending did appalled me. I mean, it’s not always a thing for a protagonist of any kinds of genre to release and free the demons, but once again, this book was 

! I loved every second of it. But it could be shorter because it got kind of boring at the middle. Or, even better, it should have been a standalone.

nindy

Had some troubled thoughts about how I thought Seryuu was literally going to kidnap Shiori and forced/trapped her to spend the rest of her life with him at the Dragon Kingdom, but thank God the answer was no.

It was an enjoyable journey once again, though Shiori’s act in the ending did appalled me. I mean, it’s not always a thing for a protagonist of any kinds of genre to release and free the demons, but once again, this book was it! I loved every second of it. But it could be shorter because it got kind of boring at the middle. Or, even better, it should have been a standalone.

Enjoyed for the most part - but the plot felt somewhat rushed and disjointed. Thankfully Takkan continues to be an amazing book boyfriend, even when Shiori is a bit of a disaster.

Those familiar with the Wild Swans inspiration will recognize a few additional details.

Overall, lovely sequel but didn’t quite live up to the first one, for me.

Liz Griffin

Enjoyed for the most part - but the plot felt somewhat rushed and disjointed. Thankfully Takkan continues to be an amazing book boyfriend, even when Shiori is a bit of a disaster.

Those familiar with the Wild Swans inspiration will recognize a few additional details.

Overall, lovely sequel but didn’t quite live up to the first one, for me.

I am actually sobbing right now, that ending has destroyed my soul. 

Emily

Delaney LaFalce

I think I'm in shock a little as I write this--I literally finished this book 2 minutes ago. I want to make it clear that I don't think this book was bad, but I 

 think it was underwhelming/disappointing. This picks up right after 

so I had to play some mental catch up in terms of what happened in the previous book. I also think that y'know, if you title the book 

 and then only about 1/4 of the book takes place in the Dragon Kingdom, and then we don't see another dragon for a solid 70% more of the book, the title 

 be a bit of a misnomer. I also didn't like the lack of  Seryu, and I didn't understand why he didn't stick around?? Maybe I missed something. 

In terms of plot, it's fairly straightforward--go to point a for the purpose of b, but there were a lot of unnecessary, small bits that added up over time to make the book drag. It also lacked a lot of the charm of 

, but that is in part due to the higher stakes in this book. Other reviewers have touched on the villain and the lack of nuance and development that the "antagonist" of the first book had, and I agree. I think that overall I'm just disappointed because this book didn't live up to 

 for me. There were definitely some good parts, and Takkan is a gem, but there were just some elements that didn't gel together for me.

Holly

I think I'm in shock a little as I write this--I literally finished this book 2 minutes ago. I want to make it clear that I don't think this book was bad, but I do think it was underwhelming/disappointing. This picks up right after Six Crimson Cranes so I had to play some mental catch up in terms of what happened in the previous book. I also think that y'know, if you title the book The Dragon's Promise and then only about 1/4 of the book takes place in the Dragon Kingdom, and then we don't see another dragon for a solid 70% more of the book, the title may be a bit of a misnomer. I also didn't like the lack of  Seryu, and I didn't understand why he didn't stick around?? Maybe I missed something. 

In terms of plot, it's fairly straightforward--go to point a for the purpose of b, but there were a lot of unnecessary, small bits that added up over time to make the book drag. It also lacked a lot of the charm of Six Crimson Cranes, but that is in part due to the higher stakes in this book. Other reviewers have touched on the villain and the lack of nuance and development that the "antagonist" of the first book had, and I agree. I think that overall I'm just disappointed because this book didn't live up to Six Crimson Cranes for me. There were definitely some good parts, and Takkan is a gem, but there were just some elements that didn't gel together for me.

“surround yourself with those who’ll love you always, be the light that makes someone’s lantern shine”

The Dragon’s Promise picks up right where Six Crimson Cranes left off, jumping straight into action and of course Shiori was instantly getting herself into trouble in the dragon kingdom. unfortunately, this sequel left me feeling quite underwhelmed 😬

I enjoyed the start of the book, the world building in Ai’Long was magical, and Lim definitely has an illustrative touch when it comes to describing the kingdoms she creates. I also enjoyed seeing the relationship between Shiori and our main love interest grow in this book, the mention of ‘strands of fate binding two souls together’ was very sweet. I also enjoyed getting more insight into Raikama and the history of how she became the Nameless Queen.

I did, however, feel that although a lot of new plot lines were introduced, they didn’t seem to be fully explained and some characters were pushed aside too quickly and seemed to be forgotten. I also felt that we lost a bit of character growth in The Dragon’s Promise, which felt disappointing after it was one of the things I enjoyed most about book one. I would’ve loved to see Shiori learn more about her magic too.

The ending felt quite rushed for me and sadly it left me with more questions than when I started. Sad I didn’t love this one as much as Six Crimson Cranes, but a huge thank you to Hachette for gifting me this gorgeous book!

Larissa Kirchberger

BOOK REVIEW

The Dragon’s Promise / Elizabeth Lim

Rating ⭐️⭐️✨

“surround yourself with those who’ll love you always, be the light that makes someone’s lantern shine”

The Dragon’s Promise picks up right where Six Crimson Cranes left off, jumping straight into action and of course Shiori was instantly getting herself into trouble in the dragon kingdom. unfortunately, this sequel left me feeling quite underwhelmed 😬

I enjoyed the start of the book, the world building in Ai’Long was magical, and Lim definitely has an illustrative touch when it comes to describing the kingdoms she creates. I also enjoyed seeing the relationship between Shiori and our main love interest grow in this book, the mention of ‘strands of fate binding two souls together’ was very sweet. I also enjoyed getting more insight into Raikama and the history of how she became the Nameless Queen.

I did, however, feel that although a lot of new plot lines were introduced, they didn’t seem to be fully explained and some characters were pushed aside too quickly and seemed to be forgotten. I also felt that we lost a bit of character growth in The Dragon’s Promise, which felt disappointing after it was one of the things I enjoyed most about book one. I would’ve loved to see Shiori learn more about her magic too.

The ending felt quite rushed for me and sadly it left me with more questions than when I started. Sad I didn’t love this one as much as Six Crimson Cranes, but a huge thank you to Hachette for gifting me this gorgeous book!

Aditi

** spoiler alert **
           Thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc in exchange of an honest review

This was fun. The writing is very easy to get through and I really needed that amidst some of the more demanding books I was reading along with this one. It picks up right where the first one ended and I really like the new setting of the Dragon’s realm. Its beautifully written and as someone who struggles with picturing stuff in their head and is usually bored by descriptions of places, I actually enjoyed reading the descriptions in this one. 

That being said, the plot and the characters weren’t that impressive to me. There was no growth in Shiori from book 1 to this one, and even from the beginning to the end of this book itself. The side characters were only there to drive the plot forward and I wasn’t particularly attached to anyone. I didn’t like the sort of but not really love triangle situation that was going on. I wish the author had either committed to it or left it alone entirely. The plot twists rely heavily on Shiori being naïve and making the same mistakes repeatedly and that got tiring to read about. I liked the first half but as the book went on I was just waiting to be done. 

Overall, I’m not likely to remember this as anything more than a quick read to balance out my reading.

Merve A. 

this story picks up where six crimson cranes left off, with shiori and seryu going to ai'long. the depictions of the dragon's realm were beautiful, and it was interesting to see how shiori fared there. a lot happened as she encountered many challenges in her pursuit of fulfilling her promise to raikama. we see her development clearly and there's a stark difference between the dragon's promise shiori and six crimson cranes shiori (at least in the beginning of scc). i think my favorite thing about this book was how much importance takkan and shiori's brothers played in this story. their continuous love and support for her made me so emotional. especially shiori and takkan together have my whole heart. i enjoyed the new characters as well. if you've read lim's other duology, the blood of stars, there's the introduction of a beloved character here, which made me feel like i'd met an old friend.

overall, this was a great sequel to six crimson cranes. although i must admit that at parts, the many things happening at once made me feel the lack of the fairytale vibes that made me fall in love with six crimson cranes in the first place.

The Dragon's Promise

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