From the moment I saw the cover of "Six Crimson Cranes," I knew I needed to read it. I had absolutely no clue what it was about but was captivated by the gorgeous cover. And, I'm so happy that I read it! If you like fantasy stories and fairy tales with magic, dragons, and strong female protagonists as well as strong family dynamics then this is the book for you. Why do I have to wait for the second book?!

"Six Crimson Cranes" is a fairy-tale-like fantasy story that follows Princess Shiori of Kiata who, after discovering that she has magic, which is forbidden in her kingdom, is cursed and banished by her stepmother, the Nameless Queen, known only as Raikama. The queen's curse also extended to her six brothers, who were transformed into cranes. Now magicless and alone, Princess Shiori cannot utter a single sound, for, if she does, one of her brothers will die. Thus, Princess Shiori journeys to lift her curse and her brothers' and save her kingdom.

While the beginning of the story was a little bit slow, the lyrical and fairy-tale-esque writing style made me continue reading and want to learn more about Shiori and her family. This story presents elements of different fairy tales like "Cinderella" and "The Little Mermaid." It also reminded me of the film "The Swan Princess."

The plot was interesting, and I loved reading about Shiori and how resourceful and clever she was. Kiki was also a highlight of the book, particularly how she served a little bit as Shiori's sassy conscience. In terms of the romance, it was so sweet, and I really enjoyed reading how they fell for each other. However, my favorite part was the family dynamics throughout the book in all their forms: Shiori and her stepmother, Shiori and her brothers, Shiori's brothers among each other, and Takkan and Megari.

The book also features discussions about prejudice (how we make assumptions about people), the importance of family, and discovering new strengths and virtues, which could be useful to integrate into an English class.

I'm looking forward to Book #2 and reading more from this author! "Six Crimson Cranes" came out today, Tuesday, July 6, 2021!

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim 4 stars

Princess Shiori is the only princess of the Kiata and with six brothers that spoil her she's a bit of a brat at the beginning of the book. She is betrothed to a northern prince and at the ceremony she insults the entire delegation by diving into a lake. She is hiding the fact that she can do magic by animating paper cranes. Unfortunately for her, she attracts the attention of her stepmother, Raikama. She discovers something about her stepmother and in order to silence her, Raikama changes all the princes into cranes and exiles Shiori from the palace. She is told that for every word she speaks, one of her brothers will die. Can she break the curse on her brothers and free herself and her land from her stepmothers machinations? You have to read the book to find out.

I read the other two books set in this world, The Blood of the Stars duology and was impressed. This book was an enjoyable read and I can't say enough about the fabulous cover. Shiori starts out a spoiled brat and progresses into a heroine you can root for. I loved the way that Ms. Lim wove several folktales and gave it an Asian twist that is more than a retelling of old stories. There has to be another book with these characters because the author left it with a cliff hanger.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Children's for this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC! I really enjoyed this book. I loved the world, it’s truly unique. I loved the writing style too! Shiori was a childish at the beginning, most likely due to her environment. I loved seeing Shiori grow throughout the book. Her brothers were not distinctive enough in my opinion, and I got confused sometimes. Overall, this book really captivated me and I can’t wait for the sequel.

I loved Elizabeth Lim’s Spin the Dawn and enjoyed its sequel, Unravel the Dusk, so I was excited to see what she’d come up with next. Six Crimson Cranes exceeded my expectations. It’s my favorite of her books to date.

Six Crimson Cranes has a Shannon Hale-esque feel to it with fairy tale, characters and settings all sharing the spotlight. Shiori is the central character — strong, smart and loyal. I particularly enjoyed her growth after she loses her ability to speak. Equally important, though, are her six brothers, the dragon, and the people who take her in when all seems lost.

The story unfolds throughout the kingdom of Kiata, and because of that, readers are transported to several different climates and landscapes. You quickly find yourself in places that are weighted in reality but have a little something else, too.

There’s a charm to Six Crimson Cranes that wasn’t present in Lim’s Blood of Stars duology. Perhaps this came from writing two books in the Disney universe — Reflection: A Twisted Tale and So This is Love: A Twisted Tale. Or perhaps it’s just natural progression. Either way, it makes for immersive text and engaging plot. I can’t wait for the next book in this duology.

I absolutely loved this book! This story begins with an arranged marriage, and unscaled power. I adored the theme of undying love between family, and the willingness to do anything for each other. If you like magic, dragons, talking paper cranes and more, this is the book for you!

“We all have our secrets. One day, Shiori, you’ll have your own.”
ARC provided by the publisher Knopf Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

An enchanting story of an exiled princess and her six brothers cursed by their step mother after they discover her true identity. Princess Shiori is Kiata’s only last hope to unraveling the wicked conspiracies that threatens the throne all the while silenced and her identity hidden.

First and foremost I would like to thank TBR and Beyond Tours for choosing me as one of the many amazing book bloggers for Six Crimson Cranes tour from July 5th to July 11th. Thank you as well to the author and publisher Knopf Books for providing an ARC (Advance Readers Copy) as part of this blog tour.

“But not all poison is bad. Sometimes it’s a medicine in disguise.”

Towards the end of 2020 there were many announcements of new books releasing in 2021, one of those books that caught my eye with a STUNNING cover is Elizabeth Lim’s first book to a new series, Six Crimson Cranes. Following up Lim’s success with The Blood of the Stars duology, Spin the Dawn and Unravel the Dusk, she is back drawing inspiration from a classic fairytale story The Wild Swans by Hans Christian Andersen and East Asian folklore. I have never read a book by Elizabeth Lim so this will be my first ever experience reading a book by Lim. Going into this book I went in completely blank and throughout reading the book I had zero expectations. I surrendered myself fully to Elizabeth Lim’s writing and story telling.

Before I dive deeper into my review I want to put a spotlight to both the UK version and the US version of the book. The US version is done by award winning Vietnamese-American illustrator Tran Nguyen, the same cover artist that made the covers for Elizabeth Lim’s The Blood of the Stars duology. Cover design is done by Alison Impey and lettering by Alix Northrup. OH MY GOD! It is so stunning and it is done with acrylic and colored pencil, you can see the strokes in every inch of the illustration. To check out more of Tran Nguyen’s art visit her website here. For the UK version I can’t seem to find info on it but it is as equally as stunning as the US version. The UK covers for Spin the Dawn and Unravel the Dusk is also has the same design as the covers of Six Crimson Cranes so all three books will look so good on your shelf.

“One day you won’t say that. One day, you’ll despise me.”

Six Crimson Cranes is an enchanting story that takes place in Kiata, Kingdom of the Nine Eternal Courts and the Holy Mountains of Fortitude. In the story we follow Princess Shiori’anma, the youngest child and only daughter of Emperor Hanriyu. Princess Shiori is no ordinary princess, she has a secret that will doom her life to exile. That secret is magic. Magic is deemed non existent and evil in Kiata. Because of this Shiori tries her best in hiding this secret from her family, especially her father the Emperor. Since she was a child, Princess Shiori is betrothed to the son of a third ranking warlord. Adamant about her future of being married to a stranger Shiori lives her life in the castle to her fullest by eating good food and sometimes skipping her lessons. Even though Shiori’s life turned out to be more lonely with her six older brothers : Andahai, Benkai, Reiji, Yotan, Wandei, and Hasho; becoming more occupied with their duties, Shiori finds company in an enchanted paper crane she made. On the day of Shiori’s betrothal ceremony Shiori lost control of her magic causing a bit of trouble that could possibly expose her magic. Divided between her father’s ire by abandoning her betrothal ceremony and being exiled because of magic, she chose the former. These series of events caught the attention of her stepmother Raikama. Which lead to Raikama cursing her brothers by turning them into cranes and Shiori being cursed to silence for with every word that escapes her lips, one of her brothers will die. Voiceless, alone, and stripped of her privileges as a princess, Shiori goes on a journey to find her brothers and figure out a way to lift the curse that fell upon her and her siblings. During her journey Shiori uncovers a sinister and deceitful plan to overtake the throne. The only hope for Kiata is Shiori and her brothers with the help of the boy she’s suppose to marry and been avoiding all her life.

My stepmother had broken me. She’d cast me away from my brothers, my family, my home. Even from myself.

Lim’s writing is magnificently enchanting and carries a melancholic beat to it. It is riveting, precise, and simple. I adored every single page I read and I liked that I didn’t need to overthink anything going into the story. From the first page I can easily slip into the world and conjure an image of the world. Me and my friend Sasha both agree that Six Crimson Cranes is a type of book that grows on you the more you read. Lim skillfully structured the plot and delivered the simple premise so well that I didn’t even think about it until after I finished the book. Maybe this is one of those instances where I completely lost myself. I kid you not I finished 70% of the book in a day and that says a lot for me as a slow reader. What I love about Six Crimson Cranes is how Elizabeth Lim designed the story, she took a western fairy tale story, The Wild Swans, weaving in East Asian folklore, myths, and legends into it. Some of the stories that became inspiration for the book are : folklore about the Chinese dragon, Madame White Snake (about a snake spirit who turns into a human), the myth of Chang E the Moon Goddess, the Tale of the Bamboo Cutter (about a radiant girl who discovers her true heritage), and the Girl with the Black Bowl. The stories that is weaved by Lim enriches the whole story giving it a fresh new take that serves to give readers, especially readers of East Asian descent, more representation in books.

But I knew it wasn’t enough for just my skin or my voice to be strong. All of me had to be, if I wanted to break our curse. My heart, especially.

The world building in Six Crimson Cranes is straightforward, fairy tale like, and carries a nuanced atmosphere in the changing seasons throughout Shiori’s journey. In the story it starts of in the middle of summer which progressed to autumn then by the end of the story to the last remnants of winter heading towards spring. It also helps that the seasons can give readers a time window of how long Shiori’s journey is. The harsher Shiori’s journey got the more cold the season is, it is as though the season reflects Shiori’s own emotions. Each scene is well intentioned and carries a cinematic flare that I’m itching to see an adaptation of. Each setting of the story left an impression but none can beat the Rabbit Mountain, a mountain with peaks resembling rabbit ears when covered in snow near Castle Bushi’an. I keep imagining the place where the rabbits are similar to the back mountain of the Cloud Recesses in Mo Dao Zu Shi by MXTX. The magic in the book is straight forward as well, it is some sort of spoken evocation magic. Where words can imbue enchantments on things or make people act a certain way. It isn’t overly complicated anyone can definitely grasp it. Though I hope we can see more of the magic in the sequel because it didn’t leave a strong impression on me.

“If fate is a bunch of strings, then I’ll carry scissors,” … “My choices are my own. I’ll make them as I please.” Easy for a princess to say, but I was a princess no longer.

Let’s discuss the characters and relationships in Six Crimson Cranes. The strongest point of Six Crimson Cranes is the characters, the thing that got me to keep reading is seeing the development of the characters and how their relationships intertwine. Personally I am genuinely impressed by Lim’s ability in creating lovable characters with very well fleshed out personalities. Spear heading the story is our lead and main protagonist Princess Shiori’anma. The story is told mainly from her perspective. Shiori’s character during the start of the story didn’t leave an impression on me. She is a sheltered, spoiled, and sometimes careless princess. Being the only daughter, youngest child, and the Emperor’s most favored, she has always done things her way. Though Shiori is charming, brave and true to herself, she lies a lot to the point that she gains the title Princess of Liars. I understand that all these traits isn’t the most ideal but it gives room for character development. Shiori is stripped of her privileges as a princess after she is exiled and cursed. Pushing her to grow up and fend for herself with nothing, not even her voice. I love it when characters are pushed to their limits because their development will a thousand times more satisfying (yes, I like seeing characters suffer). Shiori’s overall development came to a full circle, with each incident or predicament she grows to be a stronger character which by the end of the book she becomes a different Shiori.

We were seven, and seven was a number of strength. An uneven number that could not fold unto itself, large enough to withstand many threats, yet small enough to stay devoted.

The other supporting characters in Six Crimson Cranes are also well written, believable, and has a strong presence. The six princes plays an influential part in the plot of the story, as the book is titled Six Crimson Cranes. Though most of their development are done off page it contributed to the plot though not as significant as Shiori’s. For me only three of the six brothers stood out to me and they are Andahai, Benkai, and Hasho. They are probably the brothers that have the most presence of all. Andahai and Benkai are the two eldest brothers they are the grown ups of the bunch, with Andahai taking role as the leader which could be said is a birthright role for him being first born. Benkai is much softer, compassionate, and loving towards his siblings. Hasho is the closest to Shiori, he has a stronger bond with her having a closer age gap and being the brother that will always have Shiori’s back no matter what. Deep down I’m a bit sad Lim didn’t show more sibling interaction in the story but I still adore the times when the brothers pop up.

“The rabbits have told me that past the light you shine, your eyes are dark with sorrow. I have no gold, and I have no kingdom, but I would give this comb to hold up your hair so that I may see your eyes and light them with joy.”

Next let’s talk about the dragon and the betrothed. The dragon, Seryu, is another character that will play a huge part in the future books as hinted in this first book. Seryu is entertaining, boastful, proud, and confident especially in front of Shiori. Though his scenes were relatively minimal he manages to leave an impression. There is one scene when Shiori reunites with Seryu and for some reason Seryu was acting “funny” *wink wink*. The interaction is just so cute! I had a good chuckle out of it. Lastly, Takkan the betrothed. Takkan will have to be my favorite character in the story. Something about his loyalty, humility, and overall heart melting devotion is truly remarkable. His personality and gestures isn’t out of this world, Takkan is actually very believable! I am thoroughly impressed by Takkan’s characterization. There is no other leading man that can fit the mold for Shiori. Ugh and the yearning between Takkan and Shiori! Such small scenes that left me breathless.

All I wanted was for this night to last forever. To find that our strands had been crossed and knotted all along. Ironic, wasn’t it, that I—a girl who always wanted to make her own choices—now wished for nothing more than to surrender to fate? I chuckled quietly at myself.

Final thoughts, Six Crimson Cranes is a well written story with a staggering amount of impactful and lovable characters that will surely pull you in the more you read the book. Everything from the plot, premise, and overall structure is executed beautifully by Elizabeth Lim. Lim’s writing has an addicting qua lity to it in it’s simplicity and clearness in her storytelling that is captivating that left a huge impression on me. Rest assured the ending is satisfying and didn’t leave me crippled with a cliff hanger. Overall the Six Crimson Cranes is a fun read and a well done first book to a duology. Hopefully the sequel will live up to it’s predecessor. I highly recommend this book for readers who are looking for something light and immersive please do pick up this book! By the time this review is up the book will be officially released so get your hands on a copy right now!

The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

Title: Six Crimson Cranes
Author: Elizabeth Lim
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 5 out of 5

Shiori, the only princess of Kiata, has a secret. Forbidden magic runs through her veins. Normally she conceals it well, but on the morning of her betrothal ceremony, Shiori loses control. At first, her mistake seems like a stroke of luck, forestalling the wedding she never wanted, but it also catches the attention of Raikama, her stepmother.

Raikama has dark magic of her own, and she banishes the young princess, turning her brothers into cranes, and warning Shiori that she must speak of it to no one: for with every word that escapes her lips, one of her brothers will die.

Penniless, voiceless, and alone, Shiori searches for her brothers, and, on her journey, uncovers a conspiracy to overtake the throne—a conspiracy more twisted and deceitful, more cunning and complex, than even Raikama's betrayal. Only Shiori can set the kingdom to rights, but to do so she must place her trust in the very boy she fought so hard not to marry. And she must embrace the magic she's been taught all her life to contain—no matter what it costs her.

This was a fantastic read! I love that it’s a retelling of a fairy tale, set in a completely different—and vividly drawn—culture. Some of the brothers kind of blurred together for me; not a surprise, as for the most part they sort of played one part, but the other characters were distinct and believable.

Shiori herself was great. Her journey to realizing and embracing her strength was wonderful, and I loved how she thought for herself and didn’t just go along with what everyone told her. I was up late finishing this because I just couldn’t put it down.

Elizabeth Lin lives in New York City. Six Crimson Cranes is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Random House Children's/ Knopf Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog link live 7/13.)

This one ALMOST hit 4.5 stars. I just kind of lost a little bit of interest in the middle of the book.
To be honest, I requested this one because I had seen it all over Instagram. I hadn't read the synopsis, I hadn't read Lim's other duology. But I figured, why not give it a go?
I loved the characters, Shiori was such a spitfire at the beginning and it was very interesting to see how she changed, but her personality was still able to show even after she was cursed and could not speak. Shiori's brothers were good, since they were not in the book a ton and even when they were, they were cranes a lot of the time. Since there were 6 of them, it was hard to keep track of who was who except for Hasho because he was Shiori's favorite. My two favorite characters were Kiki, the paper crane Shiori had enchanted to life, and Megari, (Shiori's betrothed's sister). Megari was so open minded and accepting and also a spitfire like Shiori. And Takkan (Shiori's betrothed) was pretty nice too (winky face).
The plot was a little bit weirdly paced, which is mostly why I knocked off a star. It started with a bang, Shiori almost drowning, meeting a dragon, getting cursed. But after Shiori and her brothers are cursed, it slows down a lot. Once Shiori knows how to break the curse, those parts where she is doing what she needs to do (trying not to spoil anything) are barely mentioned in between Shiori's time at Iro doing a lot of nothing. There's chapters of what happens in Iro and then one sentence saying that all of the sudden, Shiori is done with this part of the curse breaking. Then at the end it picks up in a huge way and the ending was such a fantastic whirlwind of this and that and everything! It also lead perfectly into the second book without feeling like a strange place to stop or leaving it on a gigantic cliffhanger. A lot of the things at the end I actually didn't see coming, and there was a lot of what felt like the changing of the main goal of the book which really kept me on my toes throughout a lot of the book.
This is one I will definitely be recommending!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

Six Crimson Cranes is a retelling of a beloved fairy tale set in the same East Asia-inspired fantasy world as Lim's previous Spin the Dawn duology. We follow Shiori, beloved princess of Kiata, as she's finally confronted with something she's been dreading most of her life: her betrothal to Lord Takkan. But the morning she is to meet him for the first time, she loses control of the magic she's been hiding most of her life, setting off a string of events that eventually leads to her getting cursed by her mysterious stepmother along with her six brothers. Shiori must find her brothers, and uncover exactly what her stepmother is plotting in this richly woven fairytale.

I loved Spin the Dawn, but SCC totally blew it out of the water! The magic system was intriguing with the introduction of dragons and Kiata itself, a magic-less land. Speaking of dragons, Seryu was one of my favorite characters and I can't wait for the next book because I know there's going to be more of him. 2022 please come faster!! The other characters were complex and compelling as well, from Raikama, the stepmother hiding a secret or ten, to Takkan, the soft-hearted lord willing to do anything for Shiori. Overall, an exciting start to a new series and I absolutely cannot wait for more!

Shiori lives the happy carefree life of a rich princess, her only worry that anyone discover she can wield magic. Until the day she discovers her stepmother's true nature, and Shiori and her brothers are cursed. While Shiori can't speak without killing her brothers, her six brothers are cursed to spend their days as cranes. Banished by magic far from the palace, Shiori and her brothers search for each other and for a way to free themselves from their stepmother's curse.

This book was an immersive experience. The writing, like others by this author, consists of a lush prose that's very easy to read and really pulls you into the story. It's set somewhere in Asia, and the plot is based on the fairy tale of the princess and the six cranes. I'm not overly familiar with that tale, but I know enough to say that this presented a unique and wonderful spin over the original.

Shiori had a good character arc throughout the story, maturing nicely through her trials. I especially enjoyed the plot twists presented within. Not everything or everyone turns out based on first impressions. Additionally, hers wasn't the only character given a voice. All of her brothers (six of them, if that wasn't obvious), while only side characters, each had their own personalities. And I loved the complex relationship Shiori and her family had with their stepmother. It wasn't the simple wicked stepmother story from every fairytale. There was so much more to their relationship, like you'd expect with a real stepparent and their new family.

The writing was really good. It had me blinking back tears at some points.

I've only read one other book by this author, and while I loved the prose there too - it was hard to dislike the book with that prose - I thought it too YA with too much of a romance focus. There is a romance in the Six Crimson Cranes, but it's more mature, and I enjoyed the slow build-up to their relationship, which has more in common with a deep friendship than with a relationship based on physical contact. Plus, it didn't overtake the main plot, it merely enhanced the overall story as a wonderful sub-main plot. That's not to say this can't be a YA book. It can appeal to both a teen and older audience.

This was a great Asian inspired fantasy book. Most of the issues were wrapped up in this first book, but several new problems cropped up at the end, paving the way for a sequel. I expect that will be worth the wait.

Thanks to Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this E-ARC. I will publish this review on my blog (A Bookish Star), Amazon Canada, Barnes & Noble, and Instagram (@ABookishStar).

Six Crimson Cranes is hands down my favourite read, so far, of 2021. I could not put this novel down. Lim spins a retelling that is addicting, fast pace and gorgeously fleshed out.

The characters, and their relationships/interactions with one another, really solidify this story. I loved Shiori's, the MC, relationship with her brothers, a certain dragon and various members of the Bushian family. The main character grows a lot in this book. I loved how determined Shiori is as a character.

I'm super excited to see how the romance develops in future books. I have a feeling that this series will involve a love triangle. If so, then I'm totally on board. I liked both possible love interests. However, I was fangirling over Shiori's relationship with Takkan (heart eyes). Takkan is 100% book-boyfriend material.

The plot was fast-paced, and I always wanted to know what happened next in the story. I did not find the various story threads hard to follow in this book. This story will take readers on an adventure. Readers get to see different parts of the world Lim has created in Six Crimson Cranes. I loved the inclusion of foods and festivals.

Overall, this is by far my favourite read of 2021. I could not put down this novel. It was fast-paced, and I loved the characters. The world-building is well fleshed out. I hope this book is one day adapted for film or television. This retelling is one I would highly recommend for fans of fantasy retellings.

Oh my goodness, Elizabeth Lim has done it again. Another absolutely stunning story with a main character I can't help but love. I absolutely ADORE Shiori. And Takkan. And Seryu. And all of Shiori's brothers. Basically I love everyone.

I wasn't sure what direction I expected this book to take, but it definitely surprised me (in the best way)! It's a bit of a journey book (similar to Spin The Dawn) but it's significantly darker in terms of what our main character endures. This book takes place in the same world as Spin The Dawn, and while it's not required to read the books together, there were lots of small easter eggs to pick up on!

The growth in this book was just *chef's kiss*. Seeing Shiori deal with and overcome her obstacles was fantastic to read and I was cheering her on every second. I'm super interested in this magic system and while I have the gist of it, I want so much more (meaning I want the sequel ASAP please and thank you).

In addition to the amazing world, plot, and character development, one of my favorite aspects of this book are the family relationships. It's one of my biggest grievances that YA doesn't have more family storylines so I'm an absolute sucker for any familial ties. The way Shiori feels about her brothers and how she's quite willing to do anything for them hit so close to home, and I love it.

Do me a favor and get this book. And everything else by this author. Trust me.

Shiori is the only princess of Kiata, but she doesn’t want to do what’s expected of her. One day she dives into the Sacred Lake and meets a dragon, who turns out to be a boy able to transform into a dragon. He tells Shiori that she has the rare ability to wield magic and he promises to teach her how to use it. Shiori uses her magic to enchant a paper crane to make it fly by itself, who she names Kiki. One day she discovers her stepmother, Raikama, is a powerful sorceress. She changes Shiori’s six brothers into cranes and curses Shiori so that with every sound that escapes her lips, one of her brothers will die.

I didn’t really like how both Zairena and Raikama were written as being irredeemably bad. People are not all good or all bad, and their being written that way made them both feel very flat to me. I also got all six of Shiori’s brothers mixed up because there are really no distinguishing factors between them all. One is a little nicer than the others and one is a little meaner than the others, but there’s not much characterization beyond that. Shiori herself was fine, but honestly, none of the characters stood out to me, and I truly just didn’t care about anyone. I did, however, like Shiori and Takkan’s relationship. I liked Takkan the best of all the characters in the book.

Six Crimson Cranes has a similar feel to Spin the Dawn. It could just be Elizabeth Lim’s writing style, although these two series do take place in the same world. (If you look at both books’ maps though, it’s a little confusing because the maps have some of the same places but not in the same locations.) There are quite a few similarities between the two books, especially in the beginning. For example, Shiori enchants a needle to sew for her, which is uncannily similar to Maia’s enchanted embroidery scissors in Spin the Dawn, and both books even have a walnut with magical properties that can hold items inside it. Also, both books are fairytales. I don’t know if all these crossovers were intentional or not, but it was kind of weird. I almost felt like I was reading the same book, as Shiori and Maia are very similar protagonists and there were lots of references to the Blood of Stars in both books, but I know this is a completely different story.

This book reads rather young to me. I don’t know what it is but I’ve been feeling this way about every young adult book I’ve been reading lately: they all feel like they’re so simply written with a clear good and a clear bad with predictable twists and common plot beats and a protagonist who is special unlike anyone else. I don’t know if this is just the specific books I’m reading or if this is the generic structure for young adult novels, but I’m seeing the pattern repeated over and over. It keeps happening to me and I really am tired of it because I feel like I’m constantly reading the same book that I just read, with just a few differences to the setting and magic. It makes for a lackluster reading experience, unfortunately.

I wish I could say this book brought something fresh and new to the genre, but it really didn’t. Even though the plot is different from her previous duology and the setting and characters are new, I felt like I was reading Spin the Dawn again. There are so many similarities in writing style and story beats but also in random details throughout the narrative that I couldn’t stop comparing the two novels during my entire time reading Six Crimson Cranes.

I liked the Asian influences on the story and I’m always interested in reading more stories with Asian cultures and settings, but that wasn’t enough to make this novel feel new and fresh to me, especially with the huge amount of telling instead of showing. So many scenes were quickly glossed over because there was no depth given to the narrative, which I didn’t enjoy.

For how much I liked Lim’s Spin the Dawn, I’m really disappointed I didn’t like Six Crimson Cranes better. It’s not that this book was bad, but I just didn’t care about the story whatsoever. I didn’t like the first 30% or the last 20% of the book, but I did enjoy the middle 50% to some extent, mostly because of Takkan. I think this book would be good for teens on the younger side, especially those interested in Asian culture and folklore, or for anyone looking for a quick and easy read that also feels familiar and fun. I also think fans of Spin the Dawn would enjoy this book if they liked Lim’s fairytale-esque writing style.

This book feels pretty forgettable to me and I was glad to be finished once I finally read the last page. I currently don’t have any desire to find out what happens next as it’s pretty easy to guess where the story will go from here, so unfortunately I don’t think I’ll be reading the sequel to Six Crimson Cranes, but I encourage you to check out the series if it sounds like something you’ll enjoy. There’s nothing inherently wrong with it, but it turns out it’s just not quite my type of novel.

Perfect for those who love fairy tale retellings. It has magic, dragons and an arranged marriage trope. I do like the main heroine - she is brave, curious and full of life. Definitely recommend.

“No longer was I the girl who rolled her eyes at her brothers or squealed over rice cakes and sugared animals on sticks. Now I carried a dagger everywhere, even in my dreams.”

Princess Shiori, the only daughter of the emperor of Kiata, does not want to get married. She doesn’t want to be confined to a cold castle in the far north of the empire, nor does she want to leave her family—particularly her brothers. And she definitely does not want her supposedly future husband to discover her hidden, and forbidden, magic. So when she accidentally loses control of her magic on the morning of her betrothal ceremony, forestalling the wedding, Shiori thinks her luck has turned—until Raikama, her stepmother and a woman with dark magic of her own, discovers Shiori’s magic. Raikama banishes Shiori to the far corner of the empire and transforms Shiori’s six brothers into cranes, leaving Shiori penniless and alone. And the worst part? Shiori cannot speak to anyone, for with every sound that passes her lips, one of her brothers will die. With only her magical paper crane for company, Shiori must traverse the empire to find her brothers and a way to break the curse. Because a twisted plot to overtake the throne is on the rise, and if Shiori can’t find her way home in time, there may be nothing left of her beloved empire—or of the family she loves.

Elizabeth Lim’s newest fantasy entrances the mind and captivates the senses, ensnaring readers in a stunning world that is both recognizable to lovers of fairy tales and original as a breath of fresh air. One of my absolute favorite elements of this sensational story was the rich world-building. I could picture every part of the empire that Lim describes in remarkable detail. Every time I opened the book, I never wanted to leave! As a self-proclaimed lover of fairy tales, I also greatly enjoyed how Lim mixes the Hans Christian Andersen story of the wild swans with East Asian folklore, combining the two to create something entirely new. As for the characters, spunky Shiori is a fantastic heroine, but I also loved reading about the fun and fascinating side characters like Kiki and Seryu. I mean, what’s not to love about a sassy magical paper crane and a mysterious shape-shifting dragon boy? Plus, the slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romance was to die for! I enjoyed watching how it developed over the course of the book, and I can’t wait to see what happens in the sequel. With lots of twists and turns, loveable characters, and mesmerizing magic, Six Crimson Cranes is the next big YA fantasy.

Content Warnings: Animal death, some graphic descriptions, violence, bullying, death of a parent, murder, blood, fire

(Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication.)

Best book of the year? It just might be!
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There is magic, dragons, lush world building, fascinating magic systems, complex characters, and a captivating plot that keeps you hooked! I want more. I NEED more!
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I literally can’t wait for the buzz that this book is going to get. I see this being on many “Best Books of 2021” lists. Just you wait!
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Six Crimson Cranes comes out July 6th, 2021! Go get your copy now! Thank you Random House and NetGally for providing me with an arc.

Elizabeth Lim has written another whimsical story. As with Spin the Dawn, her talented writing brings a dreamy quality to this fairytale retelling. Six Crimson Cranes is an Asian-inspired retelling of The Wild Swans and I was very impressed how the author was able to create something wholly unique while still staying to the bones of the original story.

While I was interested in the overall story, there was a lot going on in Six Crimson Cranes. There are multiple different plot threads and storylines that were all happening simultaneously and, unfortunately, the book seemed to suffer for it. The many different elements and plots made it hard for the story to feel coherent or seamless.

This is actually the first book of a duology. I honestly feel like Six Crimson Cranes would have been better suited as a standalone. Most (although not all) of the plotlines were tied up by the end of the book. I’m not totally against a sequel, it just felt like conflict was fabricated to allow the story to continue when there was a perfect opportunity to wrap the entire story up nicely.

Wow, just wow.
I'm having trouble finding words to express exactly how amazing this book is without it sounding like overexcited drivel. But the truth is that I just might be overexcited after reading such a page-turning fantasy that reads like a dream of princesses, curses, magic, and, best of all, dragons.
There is so much to enjoy in Lim's story. From the feisty princess at the core of the story to the masterful way in which she wove a tale that includes elements of Asian lore and legends into what reads like a wholly original story.
I'm even wary of discussing anything about the story too deeply because I really did find the slow unraveling of events and revelations to be the major point of enjoyment for me. Just know that there is never a dull moment. And even though it does follow a bit of a formulaic princess must break curse plotline, it is an enjoyable tale from beginning to end.

Many happy thanks to NetGalley, Knopf Books for Young Readers, and Random House Children's for the fantastic read!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

Six Crimson Cranes is the first in another beautifully imagined YA fantasy series from Elizabeth Lim. Drawing equally from Western and East Asian folklore, Lim utilizes recognizable story archetypes in a refreshing and original way.

Shiori is an engaging and sympathetic heroine. She’s adventurous and has an independent streak that gets her in trouble. And I loved the strong focus on her relationships with her family. Her brothers care deeply for her, and she finds herself fighting for them when they are cursed and turned into cranes. Her relationship with her stepmother was equally compelling, as it takes the “evil stepmother” trope in a very unique direction, as this character has her own secrets.

I enjoyed this book a lot, and can’t wait to see what comes of this new series, especially as I really enjoyed Elizabeth Lim’s previous duology. If you love fairy tales/folklore influences in your fantasy, I recommend looking out for this one!

I loved Lim's Spin the Dawn series, and this book was equally as vivid and magical and wonderful! The characters were so real and lovable, and I'm sorry, but as soon as she brought in a DRAGON I was hooked. The lore was so captivating and I just had to keep reading and find out what happened next! The villain is also a top notch villain, the reader should be able to really hate a villain and we definitely get that with Shiori's step mother. I loved this book and can't wait to pick up a copy with that gorgeous cover!