ARC Review: A Tale of Two Sisters

Her Radiant Curse by Elizabeth Lim

Publication Date: August 29, 2023

Summary from NetGalley:

One sister must fall for the other to rise.

Channi was not born a monster. But when her own father offers her in sacrifice to the Demon Witch, she is forever changed. Cursed with a serpent’s face, Channi is the exact opposite of her beautiful sister, Vanna—the only person in the village who looks at Channi and doesn’t see a monster. The only person she loves and trusts.

Now seventeen, Vanna is to be married off in a vulgar contest that will enrich the coffers of the village leaders. Only Channi, who’s had to rely on her strength and cunning all these years, can defend her sister against the cruelest of the suitors. But in doing so, she becomes the target of his wrath—launching a grisly battle royale, a quest over land and sea, a romance between sworn enemies, and a choice that will strain Channi’s heart to its breaking point.

ARC provided by Knopf Books via NetGalley for an honest review.

Confession:

This is a beautifully written prequel to the Six Crimson Cranes duology, that will capture your heart with its tale of love and loss. If you are familiar with the duology than you already know the characters and their stories will be heartbreaking. If you have not read the books, don’t despair. This is a book that can be read as a stand alone, but once you are done you will want to read the other two.

The narrator of this story is Channi and this is her story. It is all about how she became Raikama, the stepmother in the duology. It is a very sad and heartbreaking story, but it is also full of love and bravery. Channi is cursed by a demon witch at an early age, to have a face like a snake. She is forever perceived as a monster by both her father and the villagers. She learns to hide her face or herself when others are around. But her sister Vanna is the only one who sees her for who she is, brave, courageous and strong. Channi’s journey in this story helps her to see these qualities in her self and by the end she is able to shed her mask and stand up to those who have bullied her. Both sisters will do anything to help and save each other and the love they share is certainly evident in every interaction.

Vanna was also a well written character, although we do not see as much growth in her as in Channi. She at times appears weak, as she goes along with whatever her father demands of her, but many of her decisions go back to her desire to protect Channi, even if they are a little misguided and not what she really wants. She does eventually realize her mistakes and tries to right them, but by then it is too late.

This is also a little bit of the story of Hokzuh and Channari. Hokzuh is a dragon that we meet in the second book, A Dragon’s Promise, and I just adored him in this book. He is broody, and sarcastic and there were times when I thought he would kill Channi just out of sheer frustration with her, but he doesn’t. They are very much alike, in that they have both been unloved and unwanted for most of their lives. Hokzuh has also been tortured and forced to do things he didn’t want to. They start off as enemies, but end up with an unlikely alliance and as something more than friends. It was very hard to watch Channi betray him at the end because of their bond. Even though I was excited to see more of Hokzuh in this story, it still left me wanting to know more about him and his journey, both before and after this book.

I have to give a little shout out to Ukar, Channi’s best friend and companion. He is a snake, but he is so much more. He stays with Channi through thick and thin and protects her with such ferocity for a snake. There were times I forgot he was a snake because he has such a great personality.

This story is well thought out with some good twists throughout. It is wonderfully written and the main characters are well fleshed out. I love the setting and the world that is built here. It is well paced with lots of action and sweet moments between all of the characters.

This book is such a great prequel with themes of love and sacrifice, grief, and learning that you are so much more than what people see. It is a wonderful standalone as well and even though it doesn’t end happily, it is the beginning of another story that does.