The Dragon’s Promise is the sequel to Six Crimson Cranes and the final book in the Six Crimson Cranes duology by Elizabeth Lim.
Look out – there are spoilers for Six Crimson Cranes below!
Shiori promised her stepmother before her death that she would return her broken dragon pearl to its rightful owner. And now, Shiori is determined to fulfil it—even if it means risking her life when she enters the underwater dragon kingdom, Ai’long, with the full intention of outwitting its infamous ruler.
There, she must navigate a complex web of politics, relationships, and powerful magic which could doom her to a fate worse than death. But above the ocean’s surface, a far more disastrous challenge is brewing, and it will be up to Shiori to escape the dragon’s kingdom, return her stepmother’s pearl, and defeat a powerful force of evil once and for all before it destroys her homeland forever.
The Dragon’s Promise was an unusual but satisfying series-closer which tied together the myriad threads from Six Crimson Cranes and its own story. As before, Lim’s settings and descriptions are highly atmospheric, and I particularly enjoyed the sections set in Ai’long – the dragons’ world and society felt distinct and unique, and I liked the complex interpersonal and political conflicts there. The plotline surrounding Shiori’s stepmother was also excellent and one of my favorite parts of this duology; the ‘wicked stepmother’ trope is so common that Lim’s thoughtful and interesting reversal of it was definitely a highlight, and gave this book a deeper emotional core. I recommend The Dragon’s Promise and the Six Crimson Cranes duology to readers ages twelve and up.