Pages: 482
Published: 30th August 2022
Genre: Fantasy
The first half of this series was Six Crimson Cranes, which instantly became one of my favourite books. So of course I was so excited to pick this one up. It was the first of Elizabeth Lim’s duologies that I have read, so I had no idea at the time that Gen was a recurring character in her world…
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.
This is a sequel that shines with the ever-increasing radiance of its mostly delightful but occasionally dark fantasy world, bringing us bountiful lightness and intense jeopardy in equal measure. It builds on the stunning foundations laid in Six Crimson Cranes and while not quite as spectacular or emotionally compelling in terms of plot, still delivers an enjoyable, action-packed story to bring this duology to a fitting conclusion.
There was a great deal to live up to here, as the first book took us on the most incredible roller coaster of a ride with drama and high stakes, a sweetly burgeoning romance, and a phenomenal twist at the end which flipped everything we seemingly knew on to its head. However, with Elizabeth Lim’s vivid imagination and engaging writing chock full with characteristic wit, there was hardly any danger of this being a disappointment.
From the start we see an expansion in the world-building as the plot wastes no time in launching us straight into the dragon realm. This creates another dimension to Shiori’s adventure and it is fascinating to learn the complex and tempestuous hierarchies that exist among the dragons, which fosters an ever-present sense of danger and unease. But perhaps best of all, it gives us the chance to spend more time with the proud yet likeable Seryu, who really made an impression early in book one.
Events in the dragon realm take up the first third of the book, culminating in a moving goodbye scene between Shiori and Seryu. After that, most of the action flits between Shiori’s kingdom of Kiata and her ongoing battle against the demon Bandur, set against the backdrop of a fragile political climate. But it never gets too bogged down in all the serious stuff, as all the charm and whimsicality that makes this story so fun to read is still here in spades.
There is no stronger example of that than Shiori’s paper bird Kiki, whose sassiness and outbursts of panic during threatening situations remain an absolute highlight, providing the duology with a healthy dose of its character and personality. Then we have those shared moments between Shiori and Takkan, who are so cute together with their entertaining back and forth.
If the plot of Six Crimson Cranes just about perfect, the main criticism here is that it is slightly repetitive in places. There is more than one occasion where Shiori has to be lectured by her father and whenever the pacing threatens to slow down, a new threat materialises almost at random to get get things moving again. This does not in any way spoil the story, although it does hint that Lim was struggling for ideas to help it along.
Shiori is such a fun main character that you never really mind very much. She is a law unto herself at times, never more so than during the betrothal ceremony, one of the most dramatic scenes in the book. The most impressive thing about her development is that while she is a princess and carries an air of authority, she seems much more empowered to assert herself this time, especially when she encounters the exiled dragon Khramelan.
It is funny the effect some characters can have. Raikama made such a lasting impression in Six Crimson Cranes that whenever she was mentioned here it felt like I was going to burst into tears. Her legacy goes on here and serves much more of a purpose than Shiori’s six brothers, who are all fun but feel a little redundant when no longer in bird form.
The kingdom of Kiata perhaps could have been brought to life just a little more on the page, but the dragon realm is an incredibly immersive setting and the complicated dynamics of it feel very real despite being so obviously rooted in fantasy. Also, the writing throughout is just super engaging and easy on the eye; never too far from raising a smile.
Overall, this one does have its occasional struggle with maintaining the momentum from the first book, yet it is still a magnificent read in many ways. It bursts with optimism even when the stakes are high and the situation for Shiori looks potentially bleak, packed with personality, creativity, and sweetness that only Elizabeth Lim can imbue upon her writing. And ultimately, these are characters and a world that you are sad to leave behind.
Not quite as good as Six Crimson Cranes as some elements of the story border on the repetitive, but I still had a great time with this one as I loved the characters, the world, and the time spent in the dragon realm.
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
