Review: The Dragon's Promise

The Dragon's Promise by Elizabeth Lim
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Review of The Dragon’s Promise by Elizabeth Lim – ARC received by publisher from NetGalley

4 out of 5 stars (just barely hit the four mark for me!)

It sadly took me a while to finish this one. I was struggling with teaching this past month, and I’m not sure if it was the book or my spirit that kept me from reading.

I have to say that the ending of this novel made it a 4 for me. I enjoyed the beginning with Seryu and Gen, and LOVED when Shiori and Takkan were reunited. But I struggled getting through the descriptions and in betweens for this novel. I felt that a lot could have been cut to keep it going strong, though it seems like publishers these days have stopped cutting final drafts of novels completely.

The ending was so sweet, delicate, soft. I love the twist it took with folklore and I absolutely yearned for more of the epilogue. The cranes, the stars, the moon, the gods, the forgotten isles, the dragon heir….all of it swirls together to create so much more for me. Something almost magical. I easily spent 50 pages crying towards the end – not sobbing. Just those light delicate tears that are shed when you feel that the world is fighting against the things that should be fated. The ones you cry when you hope to see love and loyalty win by the end.

There was more that I had hoped to see though. I wanted more about the brothers. About the gods. About Seryu. I wanted MORE about Channari (maybe a prequel, even?) I know that the fates and folklore are never kind to all of the characters, but I would have liked to see more of a happy ending.

Nonetheless, I love Elizabeth Lim’s writing. I hope to read more by her soon and to see her grow as a writer.


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