The premise of a whimsical fantasy wrapped up with tales inspired by childhood stories and legends I hold near and dear to my heart quickly made this one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and it did not disappoint.
There’s a lot of inspiration from old Asian folktales and mythology, which is something I grew up with so it was nice to see it incorporated into a piece that allow these folklore to reach a larger audience, especially people who grew up experiencing different cultures compared to mine.
One of the things that stuck out to me was the family relations in the book. The main character, Shiori, is the youngest daughter among six older brothers, but their interactions and relationship stays true to real life sibling interactions. Additionally, Shiori’s relationship to her stepmother in the past is very loving, which makes the story even more heart wrenching.
The romance builds up slowly over the course of the book, but it can’t be described as a slow burn. It’s also not the center point of the story which I also really enjoyed because it allows the reader to focus on the main plot point and conflict.
Overall, it’s a solid read and I’m definitely going to be preordering this book for an official physical copy when it comes out, and I’ll be looking forward to the sequel.
Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love a good fairytale retelling and Six Crimson Cranes delivers that and more. The basics: Princess Shiori is tasked with saving her brothers from a curse that has turned them all into swans. But there's also forbidden magic, dragons, gorgeous worldbuilding, an arranged marriage, and some of the most delicious descriptions of food I've ever read. The ending is satisfying in itself but I cannot wait for the sequel. I would also be remiss if I didn't mention that COVER!

A most beautiful retelling for Hans Christian Anderson's fairytale "Wilde Swans". Lim creates a magnificent world with magic, dragons, demons, and princesses who will do the saving. Shiori is a wonderful narrator she takes us not only on her journey to break the curse placed on her and her brothers but also on her own personal one to become a better person. She proves throughout the story that she is not only strong of character and observant, but also has a big heart.
Honestly, my heart is split between Seryu and Takkan. I can't wait for the next book to see what happens next and how much more Shiori will grow.

I have heard/ read so many good things about this book, but I ended up not finishing it. I may go back to it at some point, but the slog of the story was just too much for me to handle. I love the concept, but the story is soooo sloooow.

This was a very interesting book with a plot I enjoyed. I am not familiar with the fairytales and folklore references in the novel, but I really enjoyed it. I loved all the main characters, Shiori and her brothers. But especially Kiki. Kiki stole the show. This was a great fantasy novel and unlike other novels in the genre. My only complaint is that it read a bit younger than YA. Maybe it would be good for the age group at the very young end of YA. It had components that felt a bit middle grade to me, but the writing was YA. Overall, an interesting fantasy novel.

i loved this so much, i'm obsessed with elizabeth lim's writing. this book is fast paced, with amazing worldbuilding & characters. the plot twists caught me by surprise and i deeply enjoyed this


thank you to netgalley for providing me with an ARC

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

First off, as a reader of Asian descent, I was so happy to get approved to read this ARC! I have enjoyed Elizabeth Lim's books since I read Reflection, her retelling of Mulan for the Twisted Tales series, and I want to support #ownvoices authors of Asian descent in the book industry. As Lim writes in the foreword, it's very rare to see Asian girls on book covers. I wish that there were more books like this featuring Asian protagonists in the YA fantasy genre. Thank you again to the publisher for this opportunity!

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim is an exciting retelling of fairy tales that includes plenty of action and romance. As she writes in the foreword, she was inspired by fairy tales from all around the round, including East Asian stories but influences from Western countries as well. I think that the story that she draws the most from is The Wild Swans / The Six Swans, which happens to be one of my favorite fairy tales. I was immediately drawn into the gripping new Asian-inspired fantasy world that Lim creates.

The protagonist is Shiori, a princess who hides her secret magical abilities from those around her, and who is engaged to marry a lord that she hardly knows. The action kicks off when she discovers the true nature of her stepmother, Raikama. Raikama transforms Shiori's brothers in cranes, and she curses Shiori into silence. If she reveals her identity to anyone or even utters one word, her brothers will die. The story was intriguing from page 1, and I particularly enjoyed the second male character, Seryu, who is a dragon who can take human form. Even though she's supposed to end up with her betrothed, I was shipping her with Seryu the whole time.

Here is an excerpt from an opening chapter when Seryu is introduced:

"I was still staring at him, at the thick stripes of green wisped around his templates; it was a color I'd never seen before on anyone - even the pale-haired merchants who came from the Far West. His skin had little warmth to it, but there was a pearlescent sheen. I couldn't decide whether he looked bizarre or beautiful. Or dangerous.
Maybe all three.
"You're... you're the dragon! From the other day in the lake."
...
In his current form, he was a boy, a young man not much older than I. But with green hair and ruby eyes and sharp, clawlike fingernails.
"How are you human?"
"All dragons can do it," he replied, his grin widening. "I haven't practiced shifting into human form much until now." He blew at his bangs. "Always thought humans were boring.""

Overall, Six Crimson Cranes is a beautiful blend of fairy tales from many cultures, and it will appeal to fans of the world-building in Avatar: The Last Airbender. In fact, the whole time I was reading this, I was thinking of what a great movie this story would make - similar to Disney's Raya and the Last Dragon. I found myself wanting to slow down and savor each chapter, which is something I rarely do with books. If I had to complain about one thing, I would say that the majority of the book is at a slow pace, so when the last 1/3 introduced so many new magics and monsters, I felt confused. In particular, one magical rule that was established early on in the story was broken. I feel that magical rules should be kept intact because we as readers are already suspending our disbelief to "believe" in the author's fantasy world. I did enjoy the exciting ending though, and I will definitely be picking up the second book in this series. If you're intrigued by the excerpts above, or if you're a fan of the YA fantasy genre, you won't regret checking out this book when it comes out in July!

OMG, I loved this one so much!

Princess Shiori is the youngest sibling with six brothers. Shiori realizes that she has some magic, but she needs to hide it from everyone. Magic isn't allowed in her home and she'd be sent away. She's already upset about being betrothed to a young man from the north, Takkan. Shiori makes a paper crane and brings it to life. Kiki, the crane, becomes her best friend. They're able to communicate without speaking out loud. Shiori meets a dragon one day after almost drowning. No one believes her when she tells them though. Her stepmother makes a face that seemed odd, but even she told her that there were no dragons and that dragons are dangerous. Shiori practices magic with Seryu, the grandson of the dragon king. Seryu tells Shiori that her stepmother is a sorceress. Shiori started watching her and followed her one day. She sees things and thinks that her stepmother is actually a demon. After telling her brothers, stepmother tries to erase their memories. When that doesn't work, she puts a curse on them. Shiori has a bowl stuck to her head and she can't speak or make a sound out loud. If she does, a brother will die. The brothers all become cranes.

Shiori searches for her brothers and they try to find a way to break the curse. Luckily Kiki can communicate with them. Shiori is treated like a demon because of her appearance. She's given a job as a cook where she finally meets Takkan. After awhile, she saves his life and is given safety in his kingdom. She quickly adores his younger sister. But there are others there that do not treat her well. Every day is a challenge for Shiori and she finds out more about her magic. What she finds out isn't good and she now knows why she was told that her magic would be dangerous one day. Not everything is as it seems and there are some twists throughout the book.

I loved the relationship that started and loved the closeness between Shiori and her brothers. She was brave and strong. I loved her growth throughout the book. Shiori is definitely a new favorite character. Takkan, too.

I gave this book 5 stars.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my earc.

Warnings for captivity, fire, blood, poison, death.

**Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Children's/Knopf Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. This in no way changed my rating**

To start with, to the artist who created this cover: Bravo(a). This is beautiful and definitely a selling point of the book that will make many a curious reader pick it up from a shelf at their local book store or library.

In this book, Lim weaves together many fairy tales/folk tales, including The Wild Swans, Cinderella, the legend of Chang E, and the Tale of the Bamboo cutter. Not being familiar with any of these stories but Cinderella, the only other one I could for sure pick out as I was reading was the Wild Swans. However, having done some research into them, the influence of the other stories is definitely there for readers who are more familiar. I also would add references to Sleeping Beauty and the Little Mermaid.

While I enjoyed this book from an entertainment standpoint, I do think the attempt to mix so many stories together is a detriment. There are parts of the narrative that feel unnecessary or that seem to be there just for a plot twist. My hope is that these elements are there as set up for book two and that this feeling will be rectified then. For example, the dragon part seems like it will take more precedence in the next book, but in this one, Seryu felt a little like a deus ex machina who shows up kind of randomly. There are other ways that Shiori could have learned what she needed to learn without Seryu's inclusion, which doesn't work for me. There are also two side characters once she gets to Iro whose plot kind of drag and go on forever, which made the red herrings and reveal kind of a let down.

That aside, there are also side characters and relationships that work very well. I loved Shiori's relationships with her brothers, each of whom has a unique personality which makes them easy to remember despite there being six of them. I also liked her relationship with her paper crane, Kiki, and thought that was an interesting touch. It almost reminded me of the Baba Yaga stories in that the protagonist has a relationship with a supposedly inanimate object. Kiki was a lot of fun to read.

I would have liked more of the romance aspect from this book and I suspect a love triangle is being set up, which I'm not fond of. I really liked Takkan and Megari and thought the way Shiori interacted with both him and his sister was a stronger point of the book.

While I was entertained by this book, I'm unsure if I would continue the series. The elements that work don't outweigh the elements that don't for me. I'm sure there are many readers who will love this, but for me, the pacing was a bit off and made it feel like maybe there were too many stories being woven into this one narrative.

3/5 stars

Six Crimson Cranes is a beautiful retelling of Hans Christian Anderson’s classic tale the Wild Swans. When Shiori’s brothers are turned into swans by her stepmother and she is cursed to silence, lest one of her brothers die for each word, they must seek help from unconventional and unexpected allies to break the curse, all without being unable to reveal their true identity.

Shiori is a fun character, full of life, wit, and tenacity. The growth she experienced from a petulant child to a passionate yet responsible princess was done wonderfully. I also love how her relationship with takkan developed and was so natural and wholesome. He was a solace to her throughout her journey without ever taking away from the core familial theme of the story.

I do wish that Shiori’s brothers had been explored a lot more. Assigning a few traits to them whenever Shiori goes through her list of brothers did not seem sufficient to me, and although they were not with Shiori the entire journey, I think there was sufficient opportunity for their dynamics to be explored further, rather than them being predominantly plot devices. I also do think that some complications were resolved a little too easily, when they had the potential to add depth to the players in the game.

Despite these criticisms, Six Crimson Cranes was such an enjoyable read and I feel a strong warmth towards this book. The relationship between Shiori and her stepmother was beautiful and it’s complexity a clear highlight. I can’t wait for the sequel to see how Lim develops this world and these characters further.

Huge thank you to Knopf Books for Young Readers/Random House Children’s and Netgalley for providing this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. I was a huge fan of Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim so I was thrilled to see she was coming out with a new book! Six Crimson Cranes immediately grabbed my attention with that absolutely G O R G E O U S cover! I could seriously stare at it all day. Major props to the cover artist!

Overall, I really enjoyed Six Crimson Cranes! It is part fantasy part fairytale that features East Asian folklore and tells a truly beautiful story. Elizabeth Lim is a fantastic storyteller. My favorite part of Six Crimson Cranes was the imagery and setting. Every single scene . . . from the snowy mountain view in Iro to the nettles on Mount Rayuna and even Raikama’s garden . . . was stunningly crafted. I am in awe of Lim’s ability to create a scene and truly pull the reader in.

I also really loved Shiori’s interactions with the dragons plus her relationship with her brothers. I was initially a bit concerned about this story because there were several plot points that seemed to be very similar to those in Spin the Dawn. Both books feature a female lead with brothers + the female lead is on a mission to craft/sew/weave a magical object in order to save her family. I’m happy to say that the similarities ended there.

The reason that Six Crimson Cranes was only 3.5 stars for me was the pacing. The first part of the book was good, but it didn’t really capture my interest. It wasn’t until Shiori arrives in Iro that I was fully hooked by the story. The climax and last part of the story were so exciting and had me on the edge of my seat. I wasn’t surprised by any of the twists or the ending, but I still was totally captivated. However, the last line of the book totally blew me away because I did not see that coming.

Six Crimson Cranes was a really good story that featured some truly beautiful scenery. If you are a fan of Spin the Dawn then I definitely recommend this one. I can’t wait to find out what happens in the next book!

SIX CRIMSON CRANES BY ELIZABETH LIM IS SET TO BE RELEASED JULY 6TH, 2021.

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for sending me a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review (Review published @MorningStarlitPages on 6/18/21).

Synopsis: Shirori is the princess of Kiata who has forbidden magic running through her veins. She has a kept it a secret for a long time until she reveals it by accident on the morning of her betrothal ceremony. Her stepmother and a sorceress, Raikama, banishes Shirori and turns her brothers into cranes. A curse has been cast on Shiori: If she speaks one word, one of her brothers will die. Voiceless and alone, Shirori goes on an adventure to search for her brothers and uncovers a dark conspiracy to seize the throne. On the way, she puts her trust in a paper crane, a dragon, and even the boy she didn't want to marry. Will she also embrace the magic she has been hiding all this time? No matter what the cost?

This book is MAGICAL and the cover art is absolutely gorgeous. For those who are familiar with the fairytale, "The Wild Swans" and Hayao Miyazaki's "Spirited Away", you need to pick this up! Lim's lyrical storytelling is breath-taking with beautiful imagery, captivating characters, and a plot line filled with twists and turns you do not want to miss.

Shiori's character development stood out to me the most. I watched her grow from a stubborn princess to a resilient heroine who needs to survive and save her brothers. And as soon as I read the very last page, you bet a rush of emotions swept right through me for everyone in the story. But I can't wait for more!

Read this if you like:
-Arranged marriage troupe
- Sibling bonding (I wish there was more!)
- Amazing world-building

This book had major fairytale energy. Read this when you’re in the mood for something that will remind you of a classic folk tale. Apparently this is a retelling of the Wild Swans fairytale with many other elements mixed in. I believe I did read the Wild Swans tale in college, but it’s been a long time and I don’t remember. I did notice that this book had a lot of Cinderella elements. It also featured a strong heroine, sweeping plot, and a kind, gentle romantic interest (which is my favorite kind.) Loved this one!

I literally need time to recover from this one. Such beautiful writing, characters, and I could not put this down. Elizabeth Lim really can't ever go wrong.

The story was left me without words. We open to Shiori as a selfish teenager, and her journey takes us all on an adventure of personal growth. Listen, watch, and be patient. Stand up for what’s right. Above all, put family first.

I felt it was a positive portrayal of Asian culture and strength. I did not see issues in representation.

Wow I loved this book

The concept was so interesting, plus I liked the representation. The main character was great. She was very strong willed but not in an annoying way. Also, the romance was perfect. It wasn’t a main plot, but it was a subplot. If you mainly read for romance then I wouldn’t recommend, but I prefer plot to romance so this was so good. Plus it was arranged marriage !! (which I absolutely love) It wasn’t toxic and there weren’t any issues in the relationship. Slow burn too!

Overall I loved this book (a new favorite for sure) and recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy

Thank you Netgalley for this arc in exchange for a honest review

When her stepmother turns her six brothers into swans, a princess cannot speak until she has found a way to break the curse.

A one sentence summary cannot do justice to the complexity and beauty of this novel. The number of folktales Lim twists into this story could have been overwhelming, but every one serves the character development and relationship growth which drive the narrative. In addition to uniquely Asian folklore (such as the dragons), Lim incorporates the Asian variants of tales that are also common in the Western canon (e.g., the Chinese fish-girl "Cinderella" and more prominently, using cranes in her reinterpretation of Andersen's Wild Swans). The world she builds through this interwoven folklore is exquisite. For any reader who enjoys reimagined fairytales, this is a must-read!

*Review to be posted on my blog on 6/28/21*

I was hooked from the first chapter and never let go. This is the second series I’ve read from Elizabeth Lim and I will say it again, she writes beautifully. I love how her stories read like fairytales. The story is beautifully written and flows so nicely. As the author states, this is a reimagined story of “The Wild Swans” by Hans Christian Anderson but she wove other Asian folklore into the story which makes it so rich and such a fantastic adventure.

Shiori is the youngest of seven children and being the only girl, she’s been protected and indulged. She loves her family, her six brothers, her doting dad and once upon a time she even loved her stepmother. It’s this tense relationship with her stepmother that sets Shiori on an unexpected and challenging journey. Shiori really grows from being cursed – she sees how she took a lot of things for granted, and how much she loves her family. Now it’s her turn to do her part in saving her brothers. She realizes too late though the person who has betrayed her is the very one protecting her.

There is magic in this book and dragons, especially a dragon named Seryu who has a lot of personality. This is a story about family and the bond they share through thick and thin. There is betrayal. There is also an evil enchanter who wants to free the demons trapped in a mountain and events that take place to ensure it from not happening but the plan goes haywire. And of course there is romance which made my heart melt a little. This book really had everything and I could not put the book down once I started.

Random Notes:
Remember how the Spin the Dawn series had demons? This is set in the same world as Spin the Dawn! I loved Spin the Dawn but I didn’t love Unravel the Dusk so I am hoping so hard that the sequel for Six Crimson Cranes doesn’t disappoint me. The ending sets up another amazing adventure for Shiori and I can’t wait to see who the dragon pearl really belongs to!

Final Thoughts:
This is the kind of fantasy I’ve been craving to read lately and it checked all my boxes! An asian retelling of a western fairytale but with dragons, demons, brothers that change into cranes, family love, betrayal, a girl who has magic but is cursed, and a girl who is falling in love with the boy she had been avoiding all her life. I couldn’t put down the book and I already need the second one.

If I had to use one word to describe this book it would be: addictive. this book is so rich with culture and intrigue surrounding it’s world. There are so many small glimpses that Lim gives us at the world she has created, a world an island away from the lands where her other books, Spin the Dawn and Unravel the Dusk were set, and while there is some intersection of lore and a character or two, the book still creates a completely comprehensive and new world and mythology. There are so many enchanting bits of folklore and songs in this story that it’s incredible. The characters of this story are absolutely enchanting as well. Now the descriptions of say clothes or food or landscapes are not as vivid or finessed as the descriptions in the Spin the Dawn duology, which I thought was one of the finer points of the books, but if you prefer less prose and more simplistic writing, you’d prefer this book. Though if we’re comparing, I loved the plot of Spin the Dawn, less so with it’s sequel, but this book is on a whole new level plot and story wise. It is a wild ride with so many well done twists that I adored. The last 20% or so of the book is a rollercoaster and honest make the book, and when you hit the end your emotions will just be there like wait... what just happened.

Shiori is a spectacular heroine that subverted my expectations in almost every way, to be honest, in the first couple of pages I thought I would despise her, she was so reckless, rude, stubborn, and headstrong, traits ever present in YA heroines, and ones that irk me to no end as they create unsympathetic and selfish protagonists, but Shiori isn’t that. Through her curse and her harrowing journey she grows into this smart, strong, selfless, intuitive heroine who cares deeply for the people around her and considers her actions. She becomes considerate and the book doesn’t tell us this, it shows us this through her action, especially the ending (which admittedly made me tear up). The bond she has with her brothers is so strong and it makes her all the more resilient and motivated, and I’ll say that Takkan, her betrothed might be perfect in my eyes. He is so genuine and so sweet, and despite her ill-treatment of him in the past, they grow to love eachother and there is genuine forgiveness and regret instead of a complete brush over of the love interest’s feelings as there are in many books. They are truly strangers to betrothed to unknown identities friends to lovers excellence. Also for those of you who like your brooding powerful men, there’s a hot sarcastic, arrogant dragon guy so take him as you will. I do wish that Shiori’s brothers were more developed, as the bond overall with them was very strong, but with each brother, I could not differentiate by name or their relationship, there’s the one with an A name, the young one, the angsty one, the one that we’re told repetitively how handsome he is, and then 2 others that exist but I remember nothing about. However, based off pure enjoyment and plot this book is absolutely a 5 star.

Six Crimson Cranes follows the story of a girl named Shiori as she journeys through Kiata to try to break a curse her step-mother put on her and her six brothers. Shiori starts this book stubborn, obnoxious, and pampered, but throughout her travels she learns to hone her magic and save Kiata.

By the first few chapters, I knew this would be a fantastic read. The plot pacing is immaculate, not going so fast that you miss the world-building and story telling, but not so slow that you instantly want to put it down. The magic system in this book was fantastic and easy to understand. The author really nailed making the whole book feel like the reader was along with Shiori and her brothers with a lyrical writing style and amazing flow. I never felt stuck or like the plot was at a standstill and each twist was more exciting and intriguing than the last. The entire book had a distinct "folky" feel to it but still stuck to a highly descriptive, but not fluffy, writing style. I admit, when I first read the blurb of the book, I was a bit daunted by the amount of high fantasy world building, and I was unsure if I would be able to follow along. Despite this, I understood it all perfectly and I didn't feel intimidated at all once I got into the first few chapters of the book. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy and Asian legends.

Overall, the book was amazing and I look forward to whatever comes next in Shiori's story.