The Dragon's Promise: Six Crimson Cranes, Book 2

This riveting finale to the East Asian fairy tale-infused duology will hook you with the underwater dragons and permanently hold you in its thrall with its demons, enchanters, and sweet love story. The Dragon's Promise is three robust adventures in one book. First the intrepid Princess Shiori must face the dragons in their watery kingdom. She's barely home when she must travel to a cursed faraway island filled with demons and ghosts. And back in her country again, she faces more demons along with zealots who want to kill her because of her magic. The dragon realm gets the most props for pure imaginative wonder. Readers may want more and more described in each scene, from the dragons themselves in their dragon and human forms to the opulence surrounding them, but the setting still wows regardless. And the nail-biting underwater escape feels like the ending of a saga.

But back on land, we've still got two big adventures to go! And there's Princess Shiori's love life to salvage. She can't run out on poor Takkan again, or can she? Regardless of whether the wedding is on or off again, the couple's devotion to each other makes for one of the sweeter love stories you will encounter in any realm. Shiori's desire to protect Takkan from all the danger she knows is coming adds to the conflict, but not in an overly dramatic way that draws them apart for long. After Shiori deals with the dragons alone, the couple face all those demons, ghosts, and zealots together with the help of Shiori's brothers. Each danger they encounter seems like it will be their last, and just when you're sure they will be divided forever, you're reminded of the power of fairy tales. Author Elizabeth Lim weaves real magic into the marvelous conclusion. It's a shame this is only a duology, but there were enough adventures in the short series, enough myths and fairy tales woven together, that it feels like many wondrous volumes.