Six Crimson Cranes

This is a retelling of The Wild Swans, taking place in the same world as The Blood of Stars duology. Shiori and her brothers were mentioned as a legend in Unravel the Dusk, so this is where we get to see her actual story. While I found the previous duology just okay for the most part, Six Crimson Cranes grabbed me by the neck right from the start. The world-building, the characters, the pacing are just so good.

Shiori, the main character, is the very picture of a spoiled, troublemaker princess at the beginning, but the writing is clearly aware of what she is and she has significant character growth throughout the book. Shiori is brave and quick to adapt to new situations. Even though she grew up pampered, she knows how to carry herself in order to survive. That's how you show strength, because being a strong main character doesn't mean you have to be a spitfire who's rude to everyone regardless of your station. I really wish more people would understand this.

Shiori's stepmother, Raikama, is another well-written character. While for a large part of the story Shiori is under the idea that Raikama is an evil monster, every now and then the characters around her (and later on, even Shiori herself) would question if their perception of her is right. It creates some really nice build-up leading to the climax, where the events at the start of the book take on a different meaning entirely. Some of the twists were predictable, and some I didn't see coming.

“I would wish your strand knotted to mine, always.”

Due to things I've heard from other reviews, I was actually expecting to be lukewarm towards the romance at best… but it was really cute? The relationship starts from solid friendship. All Takkan wanted was to know Shiori better but she never gave him a chance, until her predicament leads to them becoming friends. I really liked how she admits that she's been treating him terribly for years, a stark contrast to how stubborn she is in the early chapters.

It seems like Seryu is also a love interest for Shiori? At first I liked their dynamics, but it kind of fizzled out over time since he's absent for the majority of the book. I hope we get to see more of him in the sequel though, since she's going to the dragon palace with him.

Anyway, this has been such a delight to read. Shiori is an endearing lead who's really easy to root for, and by the end of the book I realized that I actually care for these characters. I want them to succeed in their quests and live happily for the rest of their days. Especially Kiki. Best girl.

I was very intrigued as soon as I first heard the title of this book and saw the US cover, but it was the gorgeous and stunning UK cover which made this a highly anticipated release for me, and I flew through it in just a matter of hours.

When I picked this up today, I had a feeling I could finish it in a single sitting and I'm glad my expectation wasn't misplaced. The writing is easy to follow while also being lush and vivid, especially the descriptions of locations and atmosphere making me want to teleport to that place, and the finger licking descriptions of food making me so hungry that I needed something to munch on while reading. The pacing is also pretty fast, which makes for an exciting read, but sometimes it also felt like we breezed through certain important plotlines or didn't get enough time to process the monumental revelations. But the overall imagery that the author weaves through this fairytale kind of story is very vivid and memorable and it'll remain in any reader's head for a while. The magic for the most part is simple and uncomplicated but as the story goes on, we get to learn more about the lore of this world in bits and pieces, but this book still is more of a setup in that aspect and I fell we'll get more of the magic, gods, dragons and demons in the sequel.

Shiori didn't endear me immediately as a character. I used to love YA fantasy a lot but I've also grown older now and having ventured more into the adult fantasy genre, I'm feeling more and more unattached to younger protagonists. In this one too, Shiori is reckless and impulsive initially and I had to remind myself that she is young and just needed to grow and learn restraint. But she is also resilient and curious and while this does land her in trouble, she is also strong enough to handle the hardships and the ordeals she goes through just makes her more inclined to fight for herself and her family.

Her relationship with her six brothers is sweet and their bickering only makes you feel more close to them. Her best friend is an absolute delight and what she might lack in empathy, she makes up for with her wittiness and also just being there as Shiori when she really needs someone. And while I was glad that romance wasn't necessarily a focus of this story, I thought the slow burn was beautifully written and it's development truly fits the “fated ones” vibe of the story.

To conclude, this was such a fun and adventurous ride. I don't know much about the original fairytale “The Six Swans”, so I couldn't tell you how close this retelling follows the storytelling. But it's a lovely amalgamation of western and eastern fairytales and folklore, which will mesmerize you with its stunning imagery and the endearing family bonds. And the reluctant arranged marriage trope is always fun to explore and I can't wait to see where this story goes next.

Following a strong character that Lim has obviously crafted with much care, Six Crimson Cranes follows Princess Shiori: a princess, the youngest out of her and her 6 brothers who does not want to marry and let go from the pleasures of royal life. Having been promised to a Prince from another kingdom, Shiori wants nothing to do with him. After a chance encounter with a dragon draws the unwanted attention of her stepmother. After being cursed to not speak or else her brothers will die and her brothers being turned into cranes during the day to then turning back to humans after sunset, Shiori makes a surprising alliance with the one person she hates, finds out the truth about her stepmother and the truth about her blood, this blend of The Wild Swans by Hans Christian Andersen and East Asian folklore makes for a stunning first book in a new series. Highly recommend for those that want a refreshing re-telling of The Wild Swans with hints of East Asian folklore featuring a strong main character who would do anything to break the curse on her and her brothers and protect her family.
Thank you to the author and publisher for sending an e-ARC

“Find the light that makes your lantern shine. Hold on to it, even when the dark surrounds you. Not even the strongest wind will blow out the flame.”

W. O. W. WOW. This book was so beautiful. I have been waiting for so long to read it and it was one of my most expected reads from 2021. It did not disappoint and it certainly lived up to the hype around it. Also, I'm glad I read Spin the Dawn and Unravel the Dusk before reading this book, because I already felt like I knew this world and the legends, I knew so many things that might be confusing for others. So I recommend reading The Blood of Stars duology first, even though it's not necessary in order to understand Six Crimson Cranes, but it's just nice to know some things. And if you already read Spin the Dawn, the ending of this book will hit you like a speeding truck. It's amazing and totally unexpected!

This is a story about the power of family bonds, about prejudice, about overcoming your fears and survival. It follows Princess Shiori and her six brothers that are turned into six cranes, cursed by their stepmother. Shiori isn't allowed to utter a word, or for every sound that she makes, one of her brothers will die. Separated, they try to find their way back to each other. Unable to speak, it's hard for Shiori to find her brothers. The six brothers only turn into cranes at dawn, so they spend each night in their human forms. Day and night, all they want to do is find their lost sister.

It's a very heart-warming book that made me both happy and sad and I gotta say: Elizabeth's writing style is so beautiful and lyrical and it makes you feel like you're part of a fairytale. This was even better than Spin the Dawn and I LOVED that one so much!

Princess Shiori has been gifted with the power of magic, a power forbidden in her lands. But that does not stop her from using it when she believes no one is watching. Until Shiori decides to spy on her stepmother, Raikama and discovers she isn’t the only one with magic. Raikama curses Shiori, locks away her magic and turns her six brothers into cranes. And if Shiori dares to speak, each word will kill a brother. Cast out from her home, Shiori must find her brothers and discover a way to break their curses.

With her magic kept under lock and key from her stepmother’s curse, Shiori learns the harsh realities of the world. No longer the spoiled princess, she toils night and day, learning how to survive. The amount of character development she goes through is astonishing. It also adds to her awareness of how differently people are treated based on their appearances. The very thing she once did. Watching a spoiled princess become a clever and resourceful woman was quite the read.

My favorite character, Shiori’s paper crane Kiki, was a delight. The small paper bird was a steadfast companion and a wonderful friend. Shiori could turn to Kiki whenever despair began to overshadow hope. And despite her small size, Kiki was quick to nip at any foe threatening Shiori. Not to mention her attitude and witty banter helped move the story along when a lighter touch was needed. Kiki was exactly the character to keep the story flowing, trying to keep Shiori on task and encouraging her to do better.

The way Elizabeth Lim builds the world and twists the plot right underneath readers was amazing. I never saw what was around the corner as the story unfolded. And this is just the beginning. While Six Crimson Cranes introduces readers to a world filled with Asian inspired myth and magic, there is so much more left to discover. And with the way this book ends readers will be eagerly awaiting book two. I know I am. A book for those who enjoy stories with a folklore feel and Asian inspired mythology.

This book was very joyful and the storytelling was really great.
The family bond between Shiori and her brothers were heartwarming.

I did really enjoy the twist at end as I had really thought the stepmother was evil and was the one orchestering everything so was pleasently surprised that I was wrong.

However, dragging down the stars due to that I'm not a big fan of it seemingly almost looking like it will be the classic triangle drama between the swooning boy and jealous dragon boy, it gets old quickly.

One of the best books I've read so far! Finished it in three days.

I loved how it really gave off the feeling of a Chinese or Korean legend without ever straying deep into cliches or the stereotypical stuff. It drew inspiration from Asian mythology without relying on it too much and not being afraid to use its own extremely creative twists.

I really liked the dragon dude, and Shiori was equally likeable. I'm a bit disappointed that she didn't use her magic more during the story, althought the beginning shows that her magic probably would have made her too OP. That Takken (Tekkan?) guy was likeable at first, but the more I read, the more unrealistic he seemed to me.

Overall, pretty amazing book. The whole crane curse thing with the stepmother was a captivating, creative conflict.

I started this with no expectations, without even reading the back cover, and it gave me more that I wanted. SO MUCH MORE. I didn't expect this to be as good as it was. I was scare at the beginning because I told myself that it was probably going to be hard to read, since is fantasy, and fantasy most of the times for me is hard to get into. But NO I WAS wrong, soooo easy to get into. I CANT wait to read book 2. This book is now on my TOP 5 books of 2022 no joke.