Elizabeth Lim borrows from Hans Christian Andersen and East Asian folklore to breathe life into Six Crimson Cranes, the first book in a duology set in the same world as her previous book, Spin the Dawn, and its sequel.

In Andersen’s fairy tale, “The Wild Swans,” a wicked queen transforms her husband’s sons into swans, leaving their sister to break the curse. She does this by taking a vow of silence and weaving shirts of nettles that will transform her brothers back. Alternate versions of this story from the Brothers Grimm and others vary the number of brothers and type of bird. Here, Lim’s six princes are transformed into magnificent red-crowned cranes by their stepmother, a sorceress with a dragon pearl hidden in her heart. The nettle-weaving heroine is their sister Shiori, a headstrong princess with a secret gift for magic, which is forbidden in her kingdom of Kiata.

Trained by a dragon prince she meets by the water, Shiori keeps her magic secret even from her beloved brothers. All that changes the day she learns of her stepmother’s magic and her brothers are turned into cranes. Shiori is cursed, too. Her magic has been taken from her, and every word she speaks will mean the death of one brother. The final element of Shiori’s curse is the most bizarre. A large bowl is magicked onto her head as a hat, hiding her eyes from the people she meets, although she can see through it. The detail is so wonderfully strange that I was sure it was lifted straight from the Andersen fairy tale. I was half right—the girl-with-bowl-on-head story seems to come from Japanese folklore. (The book has a beautiful cover, but I almost wish the artist had committed to including the bowl-hat that shades Shiori’s face for most of the story.)

Her castle no longer safe, Shiori goes north to seek her brothers and find a way to break the curse. Like Andersen’s princess, Shiori must weave the painful, magical nettles she collects. Here, she must turn them into a net to capture the dragon’s pearl that belongs to her stepmother. As she pursues an end to the curse, Shiori makes new friends and enemies. She also meets Takkan, the northern boy to whom she was once betrothed. Shiori had always dreaded the marriage, but she finds herself falling for Takkan, even though he doesn’t know her identity.

Unfortunately, I think Lim was somewhat hobbled by the story she chose to follow. Six brothers is a lot! It’s difficult to make them stand out in the reader’s mind as distinct characters, even when the book is a hefty 464 pages. Shiori also can’t speak for about three quarters of the book. This means the story has some of the same problems Disney’s The Little Mermaid runs into in its second half. It’s hard to construct a believable love story when one person can only speak with gestures and the occasional written note. This is especially true when you remember that her head is also half-covered with a bowl in each scene.

Some readers might also feel unsatisfied by the plot twists that come near the book’s climax and set up the second book. Still, the take on the fairy tale is fresh and interesting, the world is well-imagined, and Shiori is a good character to spend a book with. I rate it six crimson cranes out of ten.

I read this book as part of the blog tour hosted by TBR and Beyond Tours. Special thanks to Knopf Books for Young Readers for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review! 4,5 stars rounded up.

I've been so excited to get my hands on Six Crimson Cranes ever since I heard about it, and I'm so happy to say that this anticipated read was every bit as wonderful as I hoped it would be! I’m gonna try to be as coherent as possible in this review but also, I just want to nonsensically gush about how much I loved it? So I’m sorry if this is a rambling and repetitive mess but at least you'll know that I really loved it! 😂

Though it had a bit of a slow start as we're introduced to the world and characters, it doesn’t take long for the story to pick up. It was so easy to immerse myself in this rich world full of enchantment and folklore. One of my favourite aspects of Lim’s books is her ability to spin a story combining Western and Eastern fairytales and folktales/myths. The writing is simply put: magical! It’s such a beautifully written story it’s almost poetic. Lim's words are infused with a whimsical yearning that's commonly found in fairytales, making it easy to be swept away into this fantastical world she has built. There's plenty of magic, mythical dragons, enchanted birds and snakes, frightening demons, oh my!

This book is set in the same universe as Lim’s first duology and I loved coming back and recognizing familiar elements in the world-building and storytelling—but you can also see how Lim has really developed as a storyteller! That said, even if you haven’t read her first duology, the world-building is pretty simple and it’s easy to picture the landscapes, and it’s atmospheric enough that you can almost feel the heat of those hot summer days and the chilling bite of the winter cold. Also, I dare you to not get hungry reading this because the main character, Shiori, had a great love for food that I could (really) relate to and all the times she talked about food had my mouth watering like nobody’s business!

There’s a wide cast of characters who were both easy to love and hate. There were so many heartwarming and heartbreaking moments between them which only served to make me that much more invested in their outcomes! The story is told through the eyes of Shiori, the princess of Kiata, the youngest of seven royal children and the only girl. I was admittedly worried that I’d struggle to enjoy this when we first meet her as she comes across as an entitled, spoiled and petulant princess. She’d say and do whatever she pleased and often with little thought for anyone but herself. However, her character development was one of my favourite aspects of the story. Shiori experiences a well-developed introspective journey as, once she's cursed by her stepmother, she can no longer speak or act thoughtlessly, which allows her to reflect on her past actions and attitudes, and her growth made me want to root for her all the more! What I really admired about her was that, despite being thrown into a completely life-altering situation where she had no one but herself to rely on, she quickly gathered her wits and fought like hell to make her way. A surprise character that I ended up loving was Kiki—who knew an enchanted paper crane could be so entertaining and sassy? Kiki's voice was surprisingly fun and I loved the friendship she developed with Shiori. I can't wait for more of these two!

Aside from Shiori, we also have her six brothers who were turned into cranes when their stepmother cursed them. As in Lim's first novels, she does a fantastic job in creating and exploring realistic sibling (and overall family) bonds. Shiori used to be close to her brothers but as they grew up, that close bond slowly faded. Despite their differences in both age and personalities, you can tell how much they enjoyed each other's company and how much love and respect there was between them as the curse bonded them again. Without giving spoilers, I also appreciated the relationship between Shiori and Raikama—it took a surprising turn and it was very bittersweet. What I really wanted was to learn a bit more about Raikama's past as I found the ending to be just a tad bit rushed!

Then we come to the romantic interest and the romance itself. A good portion of the story is spent in the north, in the home of Shiori's betrothed, Takkan. Y'know, I thought I loved the romance in The Blood of Stars but I think I loved this even more? Takkan was such a soft romantic and kindhearted young man! Ah, I loved him so much! I also really loved his spirited younger sister, Megari, and his sweet relationship with her! With his penchant for spinning enchanting stories, for writing love letters, for singing folktales to life, it's no wonder he easily wormed his way into my heart and had me swooning with his sweetness! ❤️ I think Lim really has a talent for creating heroes that are soft/sweet and charming, and full of strength and wisdom. I want more of this!

Overall, this was a thoroughly enchanting story that I didn't want to put down but also didn't want it to end! I did find the ending a bit rushed as things wrapped up so quickly, but there was a very unexpected tie-in to a character from the first duology that threw me for a loop, and I was shocked when I read that name at the end! 💀 But now I'm even more excited for book two because I have a feeling we can expect a helluva lot more magic, dragons, demons and (hopefully) more of that swoon-worthy romance, too!

Usually I'm not a fan of fairy tale or mythological adaptations. I think trying to extend those genres tend to make the characters and situations a bit silly, which can be hard to get past when reading a full-length novel. But Elizabeth Lim's "Six Crimson Cranes" uses a variety of myths, fairy tales, and other literary references to create a fantasy series that makes the reader have to read just one more page.

Shiori is the only daughter of her seven siblings of the emperor of Kiata, and as is her duty, she is preparing for her betrothal ceremony to Lord Bushian's son. Or as she likes to think of it, "the dismal end of [her] future". With a penchant for adventure and a hidden magical talent, she dreams of seeing the world beyond her city and having a life of her own. But in the span of a few short weeks, she crosses paths with a dragon who gives her a piece of his dragon pearl to save her life and her mysterious stepmother, Raikama, notices her magic and becomes increasingly suspicious. After Shiori follows her to learn more about her stepmother, Raikama curses Shiori and her brothers -- they will turn into cranes at sunrise until dusk every day, and you will not utter a word or else you will kill one brother with each utterance. What starts out as a relatively similar retelling of "The Six Swans" fairy tale, it opens up to a much larger conflict that made me excited to keep reading, and waiting impatiently for book two!

This book covered an enormous span of time, and every time a new conflict or plot point emerged where I could tell we were going to need to let some time pass before we got the answers we wanted, I groaned knowing there would be filler scenes galore. But I was pleasantly surprised to get those resolutions quite quickly, with speedy pacing that left me satisfied and engaged with the book every second. There were a few moments that I felt could have been slowed down just a bit, particularly at the end when things became "explain-y", but it was refreshing to not have to read 100 pages of side plot to get to the good stuff.

I loved the character development in this book as well. Shiori is well-developed, and when potential paramours take an interest in her, it makes sense, and vice versa. The only characters I wish were a bit more developed were the brothers. They all had their own characteristics, of course, but they all blended together for me. Honestly, I couldn't tell you all six of their names. To be fair, this would be difficult given the length of the book, and given that it is based on the fairy tale, it had to be done. (Again, this is one of the less successful elements of the retelling genre.) I also thought there were a few parts of the book that pulled me out of the story and had me literally laughing out loud. The most memorable for me was when Raikama curses her, and she has to wear a walnut bowl on her head until the curse breaks. In the original story, the daughter cannot speak, but is not encumbered with dinnerware atop her head. While I agree that something like this was necessary, I spent the entire book trying to picture what that looked like. Did the bowl conform to the shape of her head at all? Was it like a coconut? What was her hair like after wearing that thing on her head for months...

I'll be totally honest. I'm reading book two for the romance alone. Sure, the main conflict is interesting, and I'm going to pay attention, but I'm really here for the hopeless romantic character (and hopefully no love triangles...).

With a beautiful cover and a familiar plot that develops into something much more intriguing and complicated, you'll will definitely enjoy this one! I'll probably buy a copy for my classroom library :)

I was so excited to read this, as I have loved all of Elizabeth Lim's other books. This book was a bit slow to start and Shiori initially difficult to like, but as I got further into the story I came to love her and respect her. She went through a *lot* over the course of this tale, and I look forward to seeing her future adventures.

I really enjoyed getting a glimpse into the past and seeing Bandur's origin as a demon. I wonder if we'll see how he gets cursed to guard Lapsur in the future books?

I'm definitely intrigued by the dragons, and I'm excited to see what their world is like. Seryu was such an interesting character here and it was clear he was undergoing some changes off-page. I have a feeling there's a LOT for Elizabeth Lim to explore there.

I especially loved Shiori's relationship with her brothers, which the transformation into cranes improved, and her friendship with Takkan and Megari. There were definitely some characters that it's easy to hate, although by the end not all is as it at first seems.

All told, an excellent adventure that transforms Shiori from a thoughtless and selfish girl into an incredibly strong young woman who values the people around her as her younger self never did. I can't wait to get lost in the next one.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children's for providing an e-arc for review.

Sixteen-year-old Princess Shiori has a secret. Forbidden magic runs in her veins, and if it is discovered, she’ll be exiled from Kiata, royal daughter or not. On the morning of her betrothal ceremony, she jumps out a window to avoid what she thinks will be a loveless marriage. Her would-be fiancé, Takkan, leaves in a huff.

Shiori’s magic allows her to animate a paper bird, whom she names Kiki. When Kiki informs her that Shiori’s cold stepmother, Raikama, has magic too, Shiori follows her and learns the truth: her stepmother is some kind of snakelike monster disguised as a human.

Reeling from this revelation, Shiori tries to warn her brothers, but their stepmother casts a curse on them all. During daytime, her six brothers will be red-crested cranes. Shiori herself is banished to a distant island, stripped of her magic, and stuck with a wooden bowl over her head, forbidden to speak. If she talks, she loses one brother for every word that crosses her lips.

Penniless, voiceless, and alone (except for Kiki), Shiori begins searching for her brothers, meanwhile doing menial work at an inn to keep body and soul together. There, she meets a friendly sentinel who eventually is revealed to be her fiancé, Takkan, busy hunting for the missing princess Shiori. (True to fairy tale traditions, he doesn’t recognize her.) Finally discovering her brothers’ whereabouts, Shiori is reunited with them for a time, and they search for a way to break Raikama’s curse.

One day in the forest, soldiers of Lord Bushian (Takkan’s father) capture Shiori and take her to their castle. In the process of getting to know Takkan and the people there, she uncovers a plot to seize the throne from her father.

Shiori must work to uncover the true power behind the plot and stop the conspirators before they succeed. To do so, she must trust a shape-shifting dragon, her paper bird, and most of all, the magic she has struggled to accept.

Blending both Western and Eastern fairy tales, Six Crimson Cranes still manages to remain a wholly original work of fantasy. Headstrong and full of heart, Shiori makes for a relatable heroine — going from pampered princess, to tavern worker, to enchantress. Readers will look forward to taking that journey along with her.

SO YOU JUST GONNA LEAVE ME LIKE?

:Cracks knuckles: Folks I just spent the last two chaptere crying because Lim decided to be like "Oh Lexie you think you're sooo clever knowing all the fairy tales involved? SUFFER"

Because fairy tales are honest to god misery machines I swear it.

What starts as a story about a spoiled, if likeable, princess learning that curiosity does skin the cat weaves itself into a tale of family, friendship, jealousy and love...making it indeed worthy of the Tales it takes inspiration from.

Dragon Rights however.

In some ways knowing the principle Tale this book pays homage to, I felt a little impatient to get to my favorite bits of that Tale. That's a problem of MY OWN and no reflection on Lim's writing. She deftly moves Shiori through the seasons, teaching her humility as well as her own patience. We linger longest in the North (Iro), but as the pieces come together that makes sense.

I wished for more Seryu, but it looks like my wish comes true in the next book. For this one we wrap up the Curse, as well as mysteries about Raikama and Shiori's own magic.

And of course I CRIED for a character who deserves their OWN book if we're being homest.

This book was a case of at the wrong place at the wrong time. I am in a major slump, and I had hoped that this book would help to get me out of it. In the beginning I was completely invested, but my attention waned quickly, which was in no way the book's fault. I am definitely going to give this a reread, and I know I will utterly love it.

Gah! Elizabeth Lim does it again. I loved this book and I can't wait for the next one.

Shiori and her six brothers have been cursed by her step-mother and sent far away from the kingdom. If Shiori says a single word it will hurt her brothers who are now Six Crimson Cranes. Shiori is on a search to find her brothers and try to get back home to tell her father what happened. As the months go by she finds herself working as a cook in a small village where she meets a man who is searching for her. When he helps her with enough money to move on from the small village she doesn't think she'll ever see him again. Throughout her journey she'll get back in touch with her brothers and the mysterious man who helped her one day.

This book is filled with adventure, betrayal, family, friendship, and a little bit of love. I enjoyed this book from beginning to end and definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a good YA Fantasy. If you read Spin the Dawn and loved it like I did than you'll also love this one! I need book two now!

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.

Happy (slightly belated) publication day to this wonderful fairy tale of a book! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book for an unbiased review. I am so, so happy I got a chance to read this. It was such a wonderful fantasy narrative that constantly surprised me.

From the beginning, Shiori is established as this headstrong, amazing lead, and I loved her voice and conviction. Still, she isn’t without her flaws – she’s clearly a bit spoiled and selfish, and she doesn’t always think things through, but the development she has on her journey was so good. And her relationship with her brothers was so sweet and genuine, I loved every time they were on the page.

The pacing overall was just wonderful. The story was able to slow down and breathe at just the right moments, but there was always an undercurrent of tension with the knowledge of the task ahead for Shiori. And the way this adaptation subverted fairy tale tropes was absolutely amazing. For example, Shiori falling for Takkan, which hierarchy-wise would be marrying down instead of moving up as in a classic fairy tale progression, but it was really what her character needed. And of course, the best twist of all – how the stepmother, Raikama, truly loves Shiori, and their love and trust for each other saves the day. I admit I saw that coming from the beginning, but I was so excited for it throughout, that it just made the reading experience enjoyable rather than predictable.

I admit I’m a bit worried that there might be a love triangle next book after all the good stuff in this one because it seems so unnecessary, but it certainly seems to be building up to one with Seryu. But Seryu has been such a non-character other than to feed us information and be a plot device that I’m really not looking forward to it, even though I think the friendship dynamic has so much potential. Yet, the author is constantly subverting expectations, so I have my fingers crossed that everything is not what it seems with Seryu and Shiori quite yet.

Overall, the worldbuilding and storytelling was just amazing. The descriptions were so beautiful without being overwhelming, and I loved the magical feeling and the roles of the side characters and how the plot tied together. It is definitely a worthwhile fantasy read, and I’m looking forward to the sequel and checking out some more of the author’s earlier work.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Children’s for sending me this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars

Rep: East Asian (Chinese) Coded-Characters, based on the Wild Swans story and other legends and folklore, the main character is unable to speak for the majority of the book

TW: murder, death, violence, references to parental death

I am going to preface this by saying I was not a fan of Spin the Dawn , and this is only relevant because, if you felt like that book wasn’t for you I wouldn’t write off reading Six Crimson Cranes . I feel like where Spin the Dawn was younger YA, Six Crimson Cranes has a more mature voice and messaging, while still being very appropriate and meant for the YA audience. You can see the author’s writing growth as well, which is fun to see as a reader.

In this story, we follow the young Princess Shiori, who is known for her mischievous nature, kind heart, and adventurous spirit. With the opening chapter, Lim entices us with a scene showcasing Shiori in a dire situation involving a dragon. Initially, Shiori is both like and unlike many princesses you have read about before, however, when she happens upon information she wasn’t meant to be privy to, her world is changed and her beliefs shall be challenged. Whisked away from the comforts she has known her whole life, she has to grapple with her new existence and overcome a shocking betrayal.

This is a story about love, especially the bonds of family, the sting of deception, the importance of perspective, and the ability to keep having hopes and dreams. I didn’t know this story would steal my heart the way it did, or that Shiori, while reckless and naive, at times, would showcase such perseverance. I appreciated that romance felt more like a subplot in this story, and instead the focus was on familial dynamics, in particular those between Shiori and her brothers, as well as with her Mother and Step-Mother. Nothing in this story felt forced, each moment and symbol included felt purposeful. Therefore I didn't have to wade through unnecessary miscommunication or conflict just for the sake of drama, each action was propelling the plot forward. While I would consider this a character-driven story, the character development didn’t impede the plot's ability to progress. It felt like a very balanced story, in that regard.

There are also shape-shifting dragons, who are mysterious and have a magical underwater realm. I would very much like to see and learn more about this realm. Also, I didn’t think I would become so attached to a paper bird, and yet, here we are. Kiki was our small, comedic relief character, who also served as a wise voice of reason.

Bonus, the passage of time and overall pacing of this novel was fantastic. This story wasn’t rushed in an unrealistic two week timeline, oh no, instead we get to see time pass and how it creates urgency and exacerbates consequences. Typically, the relatively short timeline is one of my biggest irks in fantasy novels. It was refreshing to see something so wildly realistic and reasonable to this plot, in a world full of surrealism.

I am very excited for the sequel to this book, because there is still much to be explored and uncovered. For those curious, I wouldn’t say this ends on a cliffhanger. Like any well-written story, you’re going to want to see what happens next, but I felt like it ended at a natural division point.

I am screaming incoherently. This is a gorgeous gorgeous fairytale full a woman so strong, mischievous , and full of fire. There is a snarky origami bird sidekick, and strange dragon, and her betrothed who doesn’t know she is who she is.

It’s such a thrilling fun time!!! I was hooked from start to finish and that ending!!? If you have read her first duology you are in for a treat!!!

I also loved how this reconstructed the evil step mother trope! Such a cool concept and I can’t wait for the sequel!

Shiori, the beloved and only princess of Kiata holds a secret, she carries magic within her. Magic that was banished from Kiata along with the demons that used to roam free. Shiori has been very good about hiding her powers, but on the day that was supposed to be her betrothal ceremony, she loses the control she's had upon her powers. It may still have not been such a big ordeal, except Shiori's stepmother, Raikama, caught her.

Shiori quickly learns Raikama has dark magic of her own, but before she can do anything about it, Raikama banishes Shiori from Kiata and curses her brothers to turn into cranes. And for every word that Shiori speaks one of her brothers will die.

Alone and unable to tell anyone who she is, Shiori searches for her brothers, and along the way learns that with the now-missing princes and princess, Kiata - and her father - are in a dangerous situation. A situation that may cause Shiori to rely on the last person she would ever think to turn to.

I was not really familiar with the folktale in which this story is based upon, so reading Elizabeth Lim's author's note in the beginning was very interested and good to give things a context, but overall I was just happy to let Elizabeth Lim take me on a journey.

And I loved the journey.

It's a little easy, at first, to see Shiori's side of things. Seeing how she's been the beloved only daughter of the emperor, she's wanted for nothing her entire life. Now, when faced with a betrothal she doesn't want, she wants to rebel. But before any of that can happen, she's banished and all the privilege she's grown up with is taken from her. She has to learn to make her own way. And because she loves her family, her brothers, so much, she will not stop fighting to end the curse.

It was such a joy really to see Shiori go from this girl who was not unkind, but definitely needed to mature a bit, into this young woman who, by losing her voice, ends up finding it. Pretty much everything about the story supports Shiori's eventual and overall growth including her interactions with her wouldbe betrothed Takkan.

There were a few places where the story was close to dragging a bit and I think that's because this book is still setting up things that are to come in the next book. So there has to at least be a little bit of development to lend itself nicely into the next stage of Shiori's journey.

I will say that I loved the moments when Elizabeth Lim bucked more traditional conventions of fairy-tales. I'd say more but I want to avoid spoilers. Suffice it to say, I'm sure everyone can think of certain fairy-tale tropes - there's a big one in particular here - and Elizabeth Lim turns the tables a bit on it. I'm not sure if this is part of the actual traditional tale or if it's her own spin on things, but there are hints throughout that all is not entirely as Shiori sees or remembers and I think, also part of her growth story, it plays well into everything else.

Overall, I was really pulled into this story from the start. While this book definitely ends on leading readers into what comes next for Shiori it was a satisfying ending on it's own. I'm highly anticipating where Shiori goes from here.

This book started off with a bang and I was enthralled from page one! It was very fast-paced which made it hard to put down. I read this in one sitting and thoroughly enjoyed every last bit of it.

A reimagination of The Wild Swans by Hans Christian Andersen, Six Crimson Cranes had similar elements to the original tale. Elizabeth Lim made the book entirely her own creation by adding in Chinese and Japanese legends such as Legend of the White Snake, the story of ChangE the Moon Goddess, and Girl with the Black Bowl.

Cursed by their stepmother after Shiori discovered a devastating secret, the six princes and their only sister were separated. The princes were turned into cranes with crimson crowns while Shiori is forced to . One word spoken, one brother’s life will be taken. Though separated, Shiori reminisced the good times with her brothers often. Each of the princes is unique in their own ways. The sibling relationship was really sweet.

Shiori met Seryu, a dragon and the Prince of the Easterly Seas, as she drowned while trying to save her magical paper crane brought her new meaning towards the forbidden magic that she possessed. Nobody can know that Shiori has magic flowing in her. For readers who have read Spin the Dawn, you’ll absolutely love the connections since this is a prequel of that duology. The magic system is similar to that of Elizabeth Lim’s debut.

Her arranged marriage into the north where the cold lingers has caused Shiori to detest the pairing with the third lord of the barbarian north. During her journey while cursed, she encounters a kind and compassionate young man who turned out to be her betrothed. She realized that he wasn’t so bad after all. Takkan is the sweetest and softest love interest. Honestly, the things that he did for Shiori despite knowing how she felt about the betrothal were incredibly heartwarming.

I don’t know if this would become a love triangle, which isn’t a favorite trope of mine, but for now, Takkan is a more fleshed-out character as compared to Seryu who was gone for most of the book.

As the only princess of Kiata, Shiori has been pampered and spoiled by the people around her. However, her naivety changes into resilience and determination as she experienced hardships and injustices as a “mute” and as a bowl-wearer. Without being able to defend herself or communicate verbally, there were several instances whereby Shiori had to keep her anger in check. Propelled by her love for her six brothers, Shiori keeps her mouth shut while overcoming the obstacles thrown her way.

Elizabeth Lim kept me guessing until the very last word, and I truly mean the last word. That twist at the end got me all riled up. I never expected the author to do that and I’m excited for what might come in book two. Elizabeth Lim’s beautiful, lyrical prose added another layer of magic to an already magical setting. I loved the incorporation of Asian mythologies and legends.

If you’re looking for lovely sibling relationships, a sweet love interest, mysterious dragons, dangerous curses, and a princess who would do anything to undo the spell, you’ll need to read Six Crimson Cranes.

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim enchants readers right from the start. With exciting twists and turns at every chapter, the novel will keep you turning pages until you've reached the end. The relationships that Lim was able to develop were realistic and relatable, with familial bonds strengthening throughout. I highly recommend this book to fantasy lovers who are wanting to read something unlike any other.

Six Crimson Cranes follows Shiori’anma (shortened to Shiori), the only princess of Kiata, and her six brothers. Shiori is betrothed to a lord’s son - someone who she never wanted to marry. She has bigger dreams and wants control of her own life, her own destiny, and to keep her secret. See, Kiata is a land eradicated of magic, except that is untrue. Shiori has magic. She has brought a paper crane to life, whose name is Kiki, and who has become her closest friend. But Shiori is not the only one with magic. Her stepmother, Raikama, also has magic.

Shiori makes the mistake of catching her stepmother’s eye, and Shiori threatens to reveal Raikama’s magic to the emperor. Raikama punishes Shiori by banishing her across the continent and turning her brothers into six cranes. Shiori has nothing, except for Kiki and a bowl on her head preventing her from being recognized. Additionally, she cannot utter a sound or one of her brothers will die - one for every word she speaks or every noise she makes.

Shiori is determined to find her brothers, break her stepmother’s spell and return to her rightful place as the princess of Kiata, but that sounds easier said than done. She does not know how to begin, how to break the curse, and where to find her brothers. Through her adventures, she also uncovers a dark conspiracy to seize the throne, which spurs her on to break her curse even quicker. Shiori must learn to not only trust herself and her magic, but embrace wisdom from her magical paper crane, a dragon who may or may not be a friend, and the boy she fought hard to not marry. Only then can she save her kingdom.

How can you go wrong when you meet a dragon on page one? Six Crimson Cranes is another captivating tale from one of my favorite authors! Elizabeth Lim is such a masterful storyteller that weaves beautiful detailing into each of her stories, you immediately are swept away into her fantasy worlds. Her writing style is extremely reminiscent of classic fairytales, with whimsical qualities that do not get bogged down in explaining away the magic of the world she creates.

Our main character, Shiori, is a fierce protagonist that grows from a pampered princess with very little practical skills, to a determined woman willing to risk everything to save her kingdom. Throughout the book she has a hard time staying out of trouble, but it only continues to shape her resilience. She is extremely resourceful and able to figure things out on her own, making her an admirable heroine.

Complex relationships are a recurring theme throughout Six Crimson Cranes. While Shiori respects her father and her brothers immensely, she does not want to marry her betrothed and her actions are borderline defiant. Shiori also lost her mother when she was young, and she misses her fiercely - leading to a complicated relationship with her stepmother. While their relationship was once loving, it evolves to a less healthy one the more Shiori’s magic bubbles to the surface. Throughout the book, Shiori grapples with a love/hate relationship with Raikama. Shiori also struggles to reconcile her relationship with her betrothed. While it is easy to hate someone from afar it is not so easy once you know them.

While it is not required to read her previous duology, The Blood of Stars (which contains Spin the Dawn and Unravel the Dusk), Six Crimson Cranes is set in the same world. However, Six Crimson Cranes takes place on a separate landmass and several centuries before The Blood of Stars duology. Even though they are separate in location and timeframe, some familiar characters appear in Six Crimson Cranes which makes for fun easter eggs for the reader to engage with while reading.

Six Crimson Cranes is a must-read for those who loved The Blood of Stars series. There are a lot of similarities in not only storytelling but in character personalities, romance, and overall aesthetic. It is absolutely delightful continuation of Elizabeth’s world.

Six Crimson Cranes is a retelling of The Wild Swans that incorporates other legends such as Chang E the Moon Goddess and Madame White Snake. It reads as magical as a fairy tale with a headstrong princess, a kingdom in peril, and the deceptions of a stepmother. Lim's descriptive prose from the rendering of lush landscapes to the decadent food immediately transported me to Kiata. I've always appreciated this nearly dreamlike quality that accompanies Lim's novels that make them so enchanting. Familiarity with the stories does not take away from enjoying the book. Lim creatively weaves them effortlessly into each other. It was fun identifying details from the various stories as well as trying to figure out how different parts would play out. Six Crimson Crane has already become my favorite of Lim's novels.

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim blew me away! This is not the 1st retelling of The Wild Swans I've read so I had a general idea of what I expected to happen but Lim completely surprised me!

The story is rich with Asian culture and folklore and peppered with references to the Blood of Stars duology. Lim tackled the issue of building relationships and developing characters when the main character can't speak (or properly be seen) for a majority of the book so well! Takkan and Megari quickly become very endearing characters and I'm now very eager to try a persimmon. I can't wait to read more about Seryu and the whole dragon kingdom and finally penetrate the veil of mystery surrounding them.

Shiori's growth as a person on her journey to save her brothers is delightful to experience. She learns some hard truths along the way and takes them in stride with the help of cheeky friend Kiki.

I was more than a little shocked by the twisty ending that was simultaneously utterly heartbreaking. I am so excited for where the next book is going!

Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc!

Six Crimson Cranes is a beautifully told tale about family, love and magic. Elizabeth Lim has outdone herself again with this gorgeous fairytale-esque fantasy that grips you until the end. Shiori was such a strong female protagonist and I absolutely adored her strength, her loyalty and her determined nature to stay true to who she was. I loved the vivid descriptions of everything from the clothes, the settings, the food and the animals and the dragon. Lim's writing makes you feel like you're inside the book and living in Shiori's world. I loved that their was a dragon and of course Six Crimson Cranes. I absolutely loved this magical story and I am so eager to see what happens next in book two!