Her Radiant Curse

CHAPTER ONE


There was no moon or moonbow when my sister was born. Contrary to the stories, she arrived late in the morning, close to noon. I remember, because the sun was in my eyes, and its glaring heat needled my skin until I bubbled with sweat.

I was very young and playing outside, poking the ants crawling up my ankles with a stick, when the sun suddenly receded--and I heard screams. Mama s screams.

They were faint at first. Thunder had begun to rumble, swallowing the brunt of her cries. The loud cracks in the sky did not frighten me; I was already used to the island s fickle winds and the low howls that rolled from the jungle at night. So I stayed, even as rain unfolded from the sky and the chickens ran for cover. The dirt under my toes became mud, and the warm, humid air chilled. The ants drowned as the water climbed up my ankles.

Adah had told me not to come inside until I was called, but the rain was getting harder. It came down in sheets, soaking my shirt and sandals and drumming against my skull. It hurt.

Kicking off my sandals, I clambered up the wooden stairs to our house and ran inside to the kitchen. I shook my hair free of rain and tried to warm myself by the fire, but only a few embers remained.

Adah? I called, shivering. Mama?

No answer.

My stomach growled. Up beside the cooking pot was a plate of cakes Mama had steamed for me yesterday. They d made her hands smell like coconut and her nails shine, sticky with syrup.

Channi s cakes are ready! she would always call when they were done. Don t eat too much at once, or the sugar flies will come sweeping into your belly for dinner.

She didn t call for me today.

I stood on my tiptoes and stretched my arms high, but I wasn t tall enough to reach the plate.

Mama! I cried. Can I have cake?

Mama had stopped screaming, but I heard her breathing hard in the other room. Our house was very small then, with only a curtain separating the kitchen from Mama and

Elizabeth Lim

Every page of Elizabeth Lim s masterful writing shimmers with beauty and emotion. With characters who steal your heart, a rich world of legend, and a gorgeous romance, this is a journey you ll wish had no end. Alexandra Bracken, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Silver in the Bone

"Her Radiant Curse glows from start to finish. An origin story that stuns even knowing how it will end, bringing new beauty and darkness alike to Raikama s tale. Elizabeth Lim s writing is a marvel." Chloe Gong, #1 New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights

Elizabeth Lim s worlds and words are always magical. Xiran Jay Zhao, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Iron Widow

"It is.... Lim s best and most cohesive work yet mixing the rich world-building of her previous stories with a tightly focused tale of two sisters and the curse that has divided their lives."  Paste Magazine

A fantasy to savor.... Artfully rendered, precisely paced, and piercingly true. Against the rich folkloric backdrop, Lim's complexly rendered characters come heartbreakingly alive." Booklist, starred review

"[A] thrilling fantasy adventure...lush storytelling evokes East Asian folklore mixed with Helen of Troy vibes, culminating in an intriguing tale about one sisterhood that endures against all odds."  Publishers Weekly

"Action-fueled fantasy deepened by a compelling setting and well-constructed cosmology." Kirkus Reviews

"A spellbinding adventure that focuses on the bond between sisters and the strength it takes to be our true selves." School Library Journal

"A high-stakes fantasy with a fully realized world, heart-pounding action, and a hint of forbidden romance....Lim's tantalizing world and empathetic characters come together in this captivating yet heartbreaking story about sisterly love and facing adversity." Shelf Awareness