The Dragon’s Promise

Bound by promise, Shiori quests to reunite a broken pearl with the dragon who can make it whole again. But along the way, she will have to face a number of challenges. From dragons to demons and even members of her own court. Shiori will journey across the land, risking the lives of those she loves to fulfill her promise.

The Dragon’s Promise took a while to reach a steady flow of narrative. Shiori’s venture into the dragon kingdom promised a powerful start to the story, but not enough time was spent building the world around the settings. The ambitions of the King and his subjects were quite clear, but the lore and culture were not as in-depth as readers have seen in the first novel. This resulted in an action filled, yet rushed time in the kingdom. While this section of the story tied up loose ends from Six Crimson Cranes, it also seemed to be a distraction from the main quest.

The storytelling felt episodic as the plot progressed, reintroducing characters and then finding ways for them to take a step back and barely be mentioned once again. While it did prove to expand the reader’s knowledge of how various parties reacted to Shiori’s magic, it also felt disjointed. As if certain characters were only introduced to propel the plot forward instead of helping the characters develop. However, my favorite moments were with Shiori and Takkan. After everything readers learned about them in book one, it was wonderful to see them stumble along and realize what their relationship could be. As the story focused on them facing challenges together, I was thoroughly hooked.

And once again Kiki was my favorite part. The little paper bird is selfless and has no problem speaking her mind. Even if it may get her and Shiori in trouble because she has no filter. The bond Kiki and Shiori share is heartwarming. They will selflessly defend one another and do all they can to help each other. Kiki also knew when to break the tension of a moment or urge Shiori to think about her choices by speaking up. Kiki was Shiori’s greatest champion, pushing her to develop and become a better person.

If you have read Six Crimson Cranes, I still encourage you to read The Dragon’s Promise. There is a great mix of romance, action, and lore, it just takes the story a little while to uncover it. And while it has its downfalls, the story does come to a satisfying ending.