Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: August 30th, 2022
Pages: 400
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
IMPORTANT: This book is the sequel to Six Crimson Cranes. If you have not read this first in this duology, you may not want to read this post so as not to spoil anything.
My review of Six Crimson Cranes:
I loved every minute of this book and I can’t wait for the sequel! The mythology was exquisite. The plot was a thrilling, gripping adventure, with twists and turns that keep you hooked on every page. Dragons, curses, magic, romance, family bonds, and quests – this book has it all. The writing is gorgeous and fits enchantingly well with the theme of the book. It is dark in a way that keeps you emotionally immersed. The characters were well-developed and relatable. The whole story was a fun experience. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves fairytale, folklore fantasy.
The Dragon’s Promise Synopsis:
Shiori made a promise to her late step-mother that she would return the dragon’s pearl to its rightful owner. She must weave through the dangers that other’s pose in the pursuit of taking the pearl’s dark power for themselves. All the while, demons are threatening to destroy the world of humans and magic is vying to return to the kingdom of Kiata.
My Review:
Yep, my synopsis is truly only two sentences. If it sounds bland, it’s pretty much on par with the story too.
Being able to sum it up as such just goes to show how unfortunately un-layered this story really becomes, even while at the same time being so needlessly action-sequenced as to give you whiplash.
From one scene to the next in a matter of a few pages, it makes it difficult to truly connect with the overall theme.
I am SO incredibly grateful for the opportunity to read this book and review it! I absolutely LOVED the first book in this series.
☝️This is what I wrote in my notes when first given this book. I am saddened to say those same feelings didn’t remain by the end of reading it.
I didn’t love this one as much as the first book. And I really had to think on it for several days to sort out exactly why that happened.
In general, it just lacked the spark and magic of the first book that captivated me so well.
The first half is definitely better, it feels more real and the stakes feel higher, but then things start to dull for me.
The plot is wandering and overly-convenient. It lacked a flow, as we are taken from place to place. It felt almost like an outline sequence rather than one continuous blending of events.
The villain is… not very villainous. The consequences just aren’t represented strongly enough.
I think part of that has to do with the lack of connection to the characters in this sequel. I just didn’t love Shiori as much as I did before.
The characters and dialogue in general were bland. There really aren’t any arcs or further development.
We are introduced to some new characters that I loved but that shortly disappear for the remainder of the story.
The romantic aspects of this book also frustrated me. It felt too mild and childish in comparison with the first book, rather than growing through their experiences.
And I can’t even lie y’all, I’m still on team Seryu. 😢 I felt their connection in this book was much more heated than Shiori and Takkan.
I feel like the title is a little misleading in this case as well, to be honest I’m still not entirely sure what the title is supposed to be referring to.
I do love this author and her stories. I still recommend reading this sequel if you loved the first one but just be prepared to not be as fulfilled by the end of it.
It’s still an okay read. Even though my review seems largely negative, it is only due to the disappointment in comparison with how much I loved the first book.
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Children’s for giving me an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!
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