Her Radiant Curse by Elizabeth Lim
From the New York Times bestselling author of SIX CRIMSON CRANES comes a tale of two sisters—one as beautiful as the other is monstrous—who must fight to save each other when a betrothal contest gone wrong unleashes an evil that could sever their bond forever.
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.
Weaving together elements of The Selection and Ember in the Ashes with classic tales like Beauty and the Beast, Helen of Troy, and Asian folklore, Elizabeth Lim is at the absolute top of her game in this thrilling yet heart-wrenching fantasy that explores the dark side of beauty and the deepest bonds of sisterhood.
Honestly, this was such a fantastic read and I was so engrossed while reading this one that I couldn't put it down for a single minute!
Channi is just a few years old when her mother gives birth to her sister Vanna - who is born with a captivating radiance, and their father leaves Channi in the jungle hoping to save their mother's life by offering her to Angma the Demon Witch. But, Channi ends up being cursed with the face of a serpent and shunned by the whole village. The only light in her life is the bond that she shares with her sister despite being opposites. And with her sister's seventeenth birthday approaching their father decides to marry off Vanna in a way that Channi despises - with a contest where kings compete for her hand by showing off their wealth. She is determined to protect her sister from these vile suitors and from Angma who had warned her that she'd be coming for Vanna soon. But how far will she be willing to go for the only family that she loves more than herself?
“You see? Even the gods know now that you two are bound.” Mama leaned back with a feeble smile. “A promise is not a kiss in the wind, to be thrown about without care. It is a piece of yourself that is given away and will not return until your pledge is fulfilled. Understand?”
Channi is such an interesting and complex protagonist because she's fierce and loyal to a fault. But at the same time, she gets angry very quickly and is hyper-focused on vengeance too. Though she's been treated unfairly for her entire life, she retains some goodness while making friends of the scaly variety as she can communicate with them. She isn't immune to betrayal or disappointment but she picks herself up quickly even if she's been defeated. But honestly, sometimes I just wanted her to slap her dad because he's the worst person in this whole story and I didn't like how she helped him at certain moments. I know that this is because she yearns to be a part of her family and has been conditioned to respect him at times but omg whatever was done to her was straight-up emotional abuse and she deserves better. I felt so sorry for her at times.
Another interesting thing is how Vanna comes off as naive and sheltered at first, but she has some hidden strength too. She was the only one who actually loved Channi unconditionally, so no wonder everyone was captivated by her. I loved discovering more about her slowly. There was no doubt about Channi's love for her sister but I wondered about how much of it was influenced by her promise to her mother and perhaps by Vanna's abilities too. I think that's what made this story very fascinating and complex, and I really enjoyed it! Elizabeth's writing is very beautiful and brings everything to life. I'm not ashamed to admit that I shed a tear or two at certain moments 😢
"But it is the hardest thing, saying no to Vanna. She is the root of all my suffering in that way, but she is also the bringer of my greatest joys. When she is happy, I am too."
Hokzuh and Ukar were such amazing characters too and I loved the bond that slowly developed between Channi and Hokzuh! I wish they could have spent more time with each other!
In the end, this is a spell-binding fantasy story that's centered around sisterhood and magic with some amazing characters! Though this is a prequel to Six Crimson Cranes it works perfectly well as a standalone and I think almost everyone would enjoy this!
You can also find this review on my bookstagram here
*I was provided with an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest
review*
ELIZABETH LIM grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she was raised on a hearty diet of fairy tales, myths, and songs. Before becoming an author, Elizabeth was a professional film and video game composer, and she still tends to come up with her best book ideas when writing near a piano. An alumna of Harvard College and the Juilliard School, she now lives in New York City with her husband and two daughters. Elizabeth’s internationally bestselling novels include Spin the Dawn, Unravel the Dusk, and Six Crimson Cranes. She is also a contributor to Disney’s "A Twisted Tale" series.
You can also follow the rest of the tour by checking the schedule here!
Comments
Post a Comment