Soh Kam Yung reviewed Dragon's Promise by Elizabeth Lim (Six Crimson Cranes, #2)
On handling dragons and demons to fulfill a promise.
4 stars
The second book (or part) of the Six Crimson Cranes series, this one has Shiori facing a series of challenges as she sets out to do what she promised her stepmother at the end of the first book: return the dragon's pearl she holds back to its owner. But standing in her way are a Sea Dragon King who wants the pearl, a Daemon King who wants the pearl and her blood, and parts of her kingdom who don't like magic and only want her reduced to ashes.
While the first book developed the character of Shiori, as she struggled with her task to free herself and her brothers from a curse, this one is more action-packed with Shiori facing task after task with not much room for her relationship with her father (the Emperor), her brothers or with the prince who is her betrothed. We do get to see …
The second book (or part) of the Six Crimson Cranes series, this one has Shiori facing a series of challenges as she sets out to do what she promised her stepmother at the end of the first book: return the dragon's pearl she holds back to its owner. But standing in her way are a Sea Dragon King who wants the pearl, a Daemon King who wants the pearl and her blood, and parts of her kingdom who don't like magic and only want her reduced to ashes.
While the first book developed the character of Shiori, as she struggled with her task to free herself and her brothers from a curse, this one is more action-packed with Shiori facing task after task with not much room for her relationship with her father (the Emperor), her brothers or with the prince who is her betrothed. We do get to see more of the world and the role that magic and demons play in it. One of the things that Shiori has to struggle with is whether her kingdom should continue to do without magic (and demons), or to restore the balance but on her own terms.
The ending is both expected and unexpected, with divine intervention playing a role. But on its terms, it is perhaps a proper ending to the story, leaving the characters to deal with their world on their own terms, instead of continuing with the way things were.