The Dragon's Promise by Elizabeth Lim

Title: The Dragon's Promise

Series: Six Crimson Cranes #2
Author: Elizabeth Lim
Source/Format: NetGalley; eARC
More Details: Young Adult Fantasy
Publisher/Publication Date: Knopf Books for Young Readers; August 30, 2022

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

From the New York Times Bestselling author of Six Crimson Cranes comes a thrilling new adventure! A journey to the kingdom of dragons, a star-crossed love, and a cursed pearl with the power to mend the world or break it... Fans of Shadow and Bone will devour this soaring fantasy. 

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, Takkan. It will take every ounce of strength Shiori can muster to defend the life and the love she's fought so hard to win.

One of my most anticipated sequels of 2022 was Elizabeth Lim’s follow-up to Six Crimson Cranes, which was one of my favorite reads from last year. I appreciated everything that story did to reimagine the original tale, The Six Swans—with dragons, a wisecracking paper crane, actual cranes, and more—it was one of the best kinds of retellings out there, but it was also just a good story in its own right. And after the way it ended, I was more than looking forward to The Dragon’s Promise.

The Dragon’s Promise picked up where Six Crimson Cranes ended with Shiori undertaking a quest, to keep the promise she made to her late stepmother. I admired her determination to see it through to its end, despite the dangers it posed to her as well as everyone she loved and cared about.

I liked the story. Some parts lagged for me, or were a little repetitive in what happened. That being said, the main conflict of the story was really good. There were slight political and superstitious angles to it (partially fueled by fear) and, given the world building done prior in book one, it was understandable. It was far more pronounced here, and it added even more stakes to the story.

There weren’t too many new characters here, and they didn’t stick around long once their part of the story was over. While they were present, I liked them, even the ones that were on the more antagonistic side of things.

Shiori’s brothers were great as usual, and I liked them for the fun sibling dynamic they had going on, as well as how dependable and supportive they were.

Shiori’s tale has always been a highlight of these books for me. During the events of Six Crimson Cranes, I sympathized with her a lot of the time. She was still herself here but more confident, especially when it came to her love life (it was cute), and I appreciated the loyalty and devotion between Shiori and Takkan. It was also great to see her more assured in her duty as a princess. She had her mistakes, of course, but she also had her moments.

All-in-all, I liked The Dragon’s Promise. It tied up all the loose ends in a way that made sense and offered a satisfying payoff for everything that happened. And as a whole, I enjoyed the duology.

 

About the author....

Elizabeth Lim grew up on a hearty staple of fairy tales, myths, and songs. Her passion for storytelling began around age 10, when she started writing fanfics for Sailor Moon, Sweet Valley, and Star Wars, and posted them online to discover, "Wow, people actually read my stuff. And that's kinda cool!" But after one of her teachers told her she had "too much voice" in her essays, Elizabeth took a break from creative writing to focus on not flunking English. Over the years, Elizabeth became a film and video game composer, and even went so far as to get a doctorate in music composition. But she always missed writing, and turned to penning stories when she needed a breather from grad school. One day, she decided to write and finish a novel -- for kicks, at first, then things became serious -- and she hasn't looked back since. Elizabeth loves classic film scores, books with a good romance, food (she currently has a soft spot for arepas and Ethiopian food), the color turquoise, overcast skies, English muffins, cycling, and baking. She lives in New York City with her husband.

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Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Knopf Books for Young Readers) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you! 

Music Monday (212): Lady Gaga, Les Friction, Olivia Newton-John, Chloe Latanzi, Avery Dixon

 Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

Breana: Over the weekend, I finally checked out Lady Gaga's sixth album, Chromatica. I like it, and one of my favorite songs is Plastic Doll.

 

Adri: This week I've had Les Friction's No Remorse No Regret on repeat.

Andrea:  Hi all! I hope everyone is doing well. This week I am listening to Window In The Wall by Olivia Newton-John & Chloe Latanzi and Versace On The Floor (Saxaphone Cover) by Avery Dixon.

Have an amazing week!

What are you listening to this week?

I Listened to Supernova by Nova Twins

I first listened to Nova Twins shortly after their debut album, Who Are the Girls? was released. My first real thought was I like the noise, and I like it loud! It was this thought that came back when I heard the singles they released from Supernova; especially Antagonist, Puzzles, and Choose Your Fighter. I just knew I was going to love the album.

With the exhilarating intro Power, most of the album consist of their typical hard hitting guitar and bass (plus drums). Also typical are their grungy vocals for their dark and somber lyrics. Just take a look at K.M.B or A Dark Place For Somewhere Beautiful. And then it ends with the softer sounding  Sleep Paralysis. Over all, I really like Supernova. And while I know who the girls are now, I’m definitely excited for whatever is in Nova Twin’s future.

The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd

Title: The Cartographers
Series: n/a
Author: Peng Shepherd
Source/Format: Purcahsed; Hardcover
More Details: Contemporary Fantasy
Publisher/Publication Date: William Morrow; March 15, 2022

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

What is the purpose of a map? Nell Young’s whole life and greatest passion is cartography. Her father, Dr. Daniel Young, is a legend in the field and Nell’s personal hero. But she hasn’t seen or spoken to him ever since he cruelly fired her and destroyed her reputation after an argument over an old, cheap gas station highway map. But when Dr. Young is found dead in his office at the New York Public Library, with the very same seemingly worthless map hidden in his desk, Nell can’t resist investigating. To her surprise, she soon discovers that the map is incredibly valuable and exceedingly rare. In fact, she may now have the only copy left in existence... because a mysterious collector has been hunting down and destroying every last one—along with anyone who gets in the way. But why? To answer that question, Nell embarks on a dangerous journey to reveal a dark family secret and discovers the true power that lies in maps...

Peng Shepherd’s The Cartographers was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. Right from the start, I was intrigued by the premise—the maps, the reason for Nell’s firing, and what it had to do with her father’s eventual death. This book gave me everything I was looking for; the kind of slow moving story where the details are in the history. Told through alternating chapters, set between the past and present, The Cartographers is a new favorite.

In a way The Cartographers kind of reminded me of Piranesi. Both were contemporary fantasies set in modern times, heavy on secrets, light on magical elements, but thoroughly engrossing reads. The magical aspects tweaked reality in minute ways—just enough to give the story something of an edge, and explained just enough to be logical for the book—but it wasn’t a hard magic system (and it didn’t have to be) for the story to work.

Peng Shepherd’s writing style offered an easy entry into the book, and my instant intrigue toward the synopsis carried over to when I actually started reading. There was something of a somber tone to the story mixed in with a mystery and academic themes. But, with as many secrets the characters had, I knew pretty early on what kind of story I was in for. And it was great!

Part of what made the story for me were the characters. Nell had every right to be angry over what happened, but I could easily see how her suspicions and the mystery of the map could end up consuming her life. And I know the story was laser-focused on Nell, her family, and lots and lots of maps (some far more important than others). But the secondary cast was an interesting bunch, and I wished there was a little more about their lives outside the main events of the story; particularly for the time skip—I was so curious about what they were up to too. That being said, it didn’t impact my overall enjoyment of the story.

The Cartographers was a book about ambition, secrets, lies, broken bonds, and maps. The synopsis asks, “What is the purpose of a map?” The characters and the story grappled with that question. The conclusion, I think, provided an answer that brought the story to a satisfying end.

 

Music Monday (211): Kelsey Lu, Alice Francis & Gene Stovall x Geenpool, Tom Holkenborg

Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

Breana: Recently, I've been listening to Kelsey Lu's music again. I realized I never mentioned her stuff before. One of my favorite songs is Foreign Car.

Adri: At the end of Club Noir there's this (what I assume to be) bonus track. It's different from the rest of the album, but I like it. It's Not so Well Hidden Track by Alice Francis and Gene Stovall x Geenpool.

Andrea: Hi all! This week I'm listening to Blue Menace by Tom Holkenborg.

What are you listening to this week?