An absolutely jaw dropping and unique entry into the YA Fantasy World. If your like me and you are tired for reading the same story retold over and over again under the YA genre then this book will knock your socks off. Not only is the story uniquely beautiful it will stick with you for YEARS to come!! This is not a story you will soon forget!

I loved The Blood of Stars duology from Elizabeth Lim so I was so excited to hear that Lim was coming out with another duology set in the same world!

Six Crimson Cranes follows Shiori, the only princess of Kiata who is on a quest to break a curse placed on her and her six brothers by her stepmother. This is a whimsical story with magic, family, dragons, and romance that is perfect for YA fantasy lovers. The strong sibling relationship and Shiori's character growth were some of my favorite parts of this book! The ending was an unexpected twist and I cannot wait to read the second book to see where Shiori's journey takes us next!

Thank you Knopf and NetGalley for an advanced reader's copy of this book!

Thank you to Knopf Books for Young Readers (Random House Children’s) and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book.

Six Crimson Cranes is the first book in a new YA Fantasy series by Elizabeth Lim- great for fans of The Kingdom of Back and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue!

The book follows Shirori, Princess of Kiata, as she quests to break the curse cast on her and her six brothers. In a twisted adventure that begins with the forestalling of her own arranged marriage, Shirori discovers there are more sinister conspiracies in her world than meet the eye.

Lim’s ability to craft a first-person narrative, which effortlessly resonates with the reader, is unparalleled; she gives voice to Shirori, who has been silenced by telling the story through her thoughts. Shirori’s internal struggles of trust, patience, and wit are brought to light as the reader gets to experience her inner dialogue.

The plot is expertly-paced and action-packed from the first page. It’s as if the reader’s reading speed must almost match Shirori’s running speed. Her determination to save her brothers is inspiring and forces the reader to keep turning the page, as if pausing between chapters would result in Shirori slipping away.

My only critique is that some explanations come a half-second too late. In those moments, I felt confused and had to go back and reread to make sure I didn’t miss a critical detail. I hadn’t actually missed anything, and my confusion was dispelled a few lines later; however, these instances briefly took me out of the story and into my head because I was waiting for clarification.

Overall, this is a fantastic first novel in Elizabeth Lim’s new series! Readers will be eager to read what becomes of Shirori and her family; Book Two can’t come soon enough!

4.5/5.0

I’ll be honest this book definitely started out a bit slow for me. It took me until about 40% into the book before I was fully interested and invested in where the book was going to go.
I felt like the characters in this novel were interesting. I really liked how you could see the character development of our main character Shiori. I think part of why it took me so long to really get invested in the novel is because we didn’t really get to know her brothers before they were cursed so I just didn’t fully care about her saving them.
I liked the little bit of romance that developed throughout the 2nd half of the book. I liked that it wasn’t the main focus of the book but it felt present enough and gave me something to root for.
The world building was fine, things slowly got built up throughout the book vs a major info dump. That being said I thought there could have been more description of what the various places looked like. I would have also liked more of the magic in the world. That being said she couldn’t use her magic throughout most of the book so I can give a pass on that.
Now there was a twist that I won’t go into detail because spoilers. Once things started getting revealed I thought things happened kind of quick, to the point where it felt slightly rushed. Overall I really like how everything played out and I like the setup for future books in the series. I think some of the things were kind of a little confusing because they weren’t really explained in details
I really ended up enjoying myself while reading this book. I would recommend it!

*I am choosing to leave an honest review after receiving a free copy from Netgalley*

Elizabeth Lim does it again with this Asian folklore-inspired fairytale.

At its heart, this is a book about siblings. Shiori’s entire motivation is to break her brothers’ curse—and the interactions we get with all of them are complex and beautiful. Shiori herself is a completely different character than Maia, Lim’s Spin the Dawn mc, and I’d be hard pressed to choose which one I love most. Her character transformation is achingly beautiful, and her relationship with Takkan is delightfully slow-burn and sweet. Kiki the paper crane adds much comic relief and gives us insight into Shiori’s head when she can’t speak.

I’m hoping in Book 2 we get more of everything—understanding of how magic works, more of the brothers, and a heck of a lot more shapeshifting-dragon—the synopsis seemed like Seryu would be a big part of the book, but he was barely in it. Give me more dragon! I’m submitting a motion that we surrender the exclamation marks in payment for more Seryu.

After that ending, I think we may get that wish, and I couldn’t be more excited. If you’re looking for a fresh fairytale with unique roots, a sweet and wholesome romance, and strong sibling bonds, look no further than Six Crimson Cranes.

Special thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc of this delightful book!

-Ande

📚 DON’T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER 📚

I’ll be honest upfront and say that I judge books by their cover and when I saw this one, I knew I had to read it before its release because a book with THAT cover had to have an AMAZING story inside it right? (swipe to read blurb!)

My instincts never lie. As my first Elizabeth Lim book, I think it’s safe to say I’m a fan for life. Her storytelling is out of this world and her ability to seamlessly infuse Chinese/Japanese culture into her retelling of “The Brothers Who Were Turned to Birds” and bring it to life in a whole new way is truly remarkable.

Some highlights of the book are:

- it’s an enchanting YA fantasy filled with magic, family, and hope 💜
- a retelling 🦅
- Shiori's character arc 🏹
- the strong and realistic sibling bond gave me LIFE 😍
- prose is lyrical, lilting and I just want to soak in her words 🤩
- There are dragons, quests, adventure, and peril 🐉

I mean, what more could you want in a book? I’m not a huge fantasy fan, but this one took me by the hand and took me on a journey that stole my breath until the very last page. Oh, and did I mention it’s a duology? Also, the Asian rep was just *chef kiss*


🌟🌟🌟🌟✨ 4.5/5 stars!

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Children’s for a digital ARC of Six Crimson Cranes!

I know this book is actually based on a fairytale but Lim somehow manages to make this book feel as though it is a fairytale in its own right with her whimsical and lyrical writing. The storytelling transports you into this world, joining Shiori on her quest and uncovering each twist right alongside her. This book is full of curses, dragons, a devoted family, a strong protagonist, a compelling love story and So. Much. Food. The food made me so incredibly nostalgic, I absolutely loved seeing the cultural representation in this book.

Once again, I went into this book not realizing it was the first in a series and now I NEED BOOK 2! I can’t wait to see Shiori’s continued growth in the next installment of this series.

I can’t get over this book and how amazing it was. Honestly I could not put this book down. The writing style was also beautiful. A few more things I adored about this book are: the world building and mythology, the main character and her relationship with her family, the magic system, and of course the romance and how it didn’t overshadow shiori and her main plot line.

I can’t wait for the second book!

This book is pure freakin magic. First of all, I have an unhealthy obsession with Grimm Fairytales, so all you have to say is “Hey Meghan, this book is a retelling of a Grimm Fairytale” and I’ll read it without a second thought. The Six Swans itself is a brilliant tale, and i was so excited to see what Elizabeth Lim would do with it; and she absolutely blew me away.

Part of the brilliance of this tale is that the main character, Shiori, spends the majority of the story not be able to speak. I was a little apprehensive about this, how do I get to truly know a character who doesn’t really talk? But between her inner monologue, her mental conversations with her paper bird Kiki, and her own unique ways of communicating, I was able to absolutely fell in love with Shiori.

This is a truly enchanting tale of a naive, cushioned girl who must survive a new type of life that she never could have imagine. I loved watching Shiori transform from the spoiled trickster princess, into a thoughtful, caring, and strong willed mute “nobody”. Every step of her journey felt natural and real.

Parts of Shiori’s journey were a little troupe-y; magical quest, only one who can save everybody, evil stepmother, but every time it seemed like the story was going to follow the usual alignment of a certain troupe, it veered off into a new and surprising direction. I found myself audibly gasping in surprise at multiple twists, and when it was time for the biggest twist of all, I was truly shocked and in awe.

In addition to Shiori, we have her six brothers, who since they spent the majority of the story as cranes, we didn’t get to know quite as well as i would have hoped. We got small glimpses of their different personalities and traits, but not enough for me to truly know who was who.
There was also Kiki, the paper bird who acted as Shiori’s moral compass and close friend. I never thought I would read a book and fall in love with a piece of paper as much as I did, but she was truly an incredible character.

Then there is Seryuu, the dragon/boy that Shiori meets and befriends, who helps her in some ways through her journey, and Takkan, the boy she was supposed to marry, and the unexpected surprise in her story.

My favorite thing about these two boys is that although I suspect a bit of a love triangle is forthcoming, the relationships she had with them in this book was mostly platonic. Even as feelings developed and lines blurred, there was no cases of insta love, mad dashes of declaring undying love for an almost stranger, the relationships form slowly and over the course of the entire book, and it was so refreshing to read a story where the main character’s journey was their own and not dependent on the love of another. (Although, familial love plays a huge role in the story) I didn’t realize how much some stories depend on the romance aspect before I saw how amazing it is for a story and character to grow without it.
I’m not sure how either of these relationships will continue, if it will be a love triangle, no love story, or just one, but I love not knowing yet. I can’t wait for them to develop further and see what happens next.

Overall, I thought this story was absolutely incredible. Shiori’s journey to save herself, her brothers, and her kingdom was so well done and truly magical. It was a pretty straightforward journey, without too much action or crazy plot twists, but every step of her journey just felt so necessary and right, there is truly nothing more I could have wished for in this tale. The story also wrapped up so nicely that it almost could be a standalone, but I’m still anxiously awaiting the sequel.

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

OMG this book is breathtaking and beautiful! The characters are well written and I LOVE the interactions between Shiori and her stepmother.

The world that was created, the kingdom, the magic and the legends are absolutely stunning. The entire book had me enthralled and I finished it in one sitting.

I love the ending between Shiori and her stepmother and the resolved issue with the brothers. This is a very beautiful take on the goose girl.

I cant wait for the second book!!

3.5 stars

This was a unique retelling of the six swans fairytale. Shiori, a headstrong princess of Kiata, is exiled by her evil stepmother after being discovered as a magic user. Her stepmother turns her brothers into cranes, and Shiori is forbidden from speaking, because with every word she utters, one of her brothers will die.

This is a light, fast read. The world was unique and well-built, but the writing itself was nothing to write home about. It felt simplistic. I also wished the other characters had more depth and personality. I felt that only Shiori was properly developed - her brothers had no personalities, really. We were told about their likes and dislikes, their relationships with Shiori, etc. but we were never shown any of that. So it lacked development to me.

However, if you like a plot driven book and read fantasy mostly for the world building and not the characters, I think you'd enjoy this book. The plot was a bit weirdly paced at times and had some things that I think could have been edited out to tighten up the writing. But regardless, it was an enjoyable read, if maybe not a memorable one.

Elizabeth Lim has written some of my favorite Disney Twisted Tale stories, so I was so excited to read another of her original works! Six Crimson Cranes builds such a beautiful world and has such rich characters, I couldn't put it down. The twists and turns on Shiori's journey to save her brothers and return home kept me glued to the page and I loved her growing relationship with her former betrothed. The use of math and folktales to help build this world are weaved into the story beautifully and is just another reason Elizabeth Lim remains and auto buy author for me. The way this builds on the world we were introduced to in The Blood of Stars duology is wonderful, and I loved the little hints of details, that, if you read the other series, you can connect the stories, and that makes the read so much more fun! I cannot wait to see where Shiori's journey takes us next!

Shiori is a mischievous princess with forbidden magical powers. When she accidentally draws the attention of her stepmother, a beautiful and dangerous sorceress, Shiori is banished from her home. Even worse, her six brothers are turned into cranes and Shiori is warned that, for every word that crosses her lips, one of her brothers will perish.

Far from home and unable to speak or use magic, Shiori must use her wits and hard work to free her brothers and stop an insidious plot to seize the throne.

This is a lovely tale that features cute animal allies and a light romance that should be popular with a wide range of readers. It ends on something of a cliffhanger, so expect more volumes.

Lim's other work, Unravel the Stars, was a fusion of Project Runway and Mulan. Lim once again combines elements in this work but sticks to fairy tales and legends. While the book draws most heavily from Aarne-Thompson type 451, or "The Brothers Who Were Turned into Birds"( where a young woman labors to save her brothers who have been transformed into birds) the book also includes elements from a number of other Western and Eastern stories. I enjoyed the mix of tales a lot here.

An enchanting retelling of folk tales with magic, love, dragons, serpents, politics and families. There is lots of adventure and intrigue. I am looking forward to the second book.

Reading Six Crimson Cranes felt atmospheric, expansive, and lyrical all at once. Lim manages to not only interweave the elements of the "Wild Swans" into the story seamlessly, but also other stories as well! I was entirely captivated by the magic, family, and dedication of Shiori. While it's a story of embracing ourselves and the bravery and love of Shiori, it's also about family and protection. About surpassing everything we ever thought we were capable of, to become something else entirely. Six Crimson Cranes is full of secrets, quests with dragons, and thrilling adventures.

My nostalgic heart loved witnessing the original elements of the story in Six Crimson Cranes as well as Lim incorporates new stories and angles. One of my favorite elements was how Lim examines motherhood and family. Lim goes deeper into the relationships not only with Shiori and her brothers, but also with Shiroi and her stepmother. I can't talk extensively about what I loved - because spoilers - but Lim truly brings another level to this retelling. At the same time, there's a fabulous romance which had me swooning.

Features Princess Shiori, whose story was considered a legend in the The Blood of Stars duology. Although both stories are set in the same universe, not reading the previously published duology does not affect plot or understanding of events. It does make it a much more enjoyable experience since I love searching for Easter eggs, such as the fact that A'landi is known for its silk and embroidery--Maia, the protagonist of The Blood of Stars, is a tailor known for her skill in embroidering silk.

Very fairytale-like. There's something so magical about Lim's writing style that draws you in and bewitches you to stay for hours in the world she has created. She weaves together the fantastical and the mundane so well that enchanted nettles seem ordinary and that humble radish-carrot soup seem magical.

It includes many of the elements central to fairytales and folktales: an evil stepmother, a forced betrayal, an eccentric tutor, a hidden identity, a lost princess. But I love how Lim breathes life into these classic archetypes and reimagining them in ways that are fresh and new, but still connected to literary traditions from which it borrows.

Though it hinges on the usual curse breaking plot, it doesn't feel like the characters are carried by plot armor from Point A to Point B. Everyone has agency or willpower to shape the story, and Shiori, in particular, shines in her way of rallying readers to cheer for her until the very last page.

The one thing that I could not stand in this book was the bowl over her head thing. That just was terrible and could have been done so much better. I understand it was a part of her curse but it was just dumb. She had a bowl over her eyes! She could magically see through them but people couldn't see her eyes. Didn't the wonder how she functioned so perfectly? That was just, ugh. The story itself was also a bit long for a book meant for the younger YA side. Way too much happened that wasn't truly necessary or just seemed like a filler. I liked the idea of the dragons, of course, but then suddenly she became this person who had the magic and blood that could unleash the demons from the mountain. Her stepmother wasn't the true enemy in the end and while that is fine, she of course died at the end. I liked how the cranes were her brothers and helped when they could, but we had that entire time where she was the cook while trying to find them. That could have been cut in half as well. Her character was your typical princess who doesn't want to do princess things, but it worked fine enough for this story. Now we are left with a kingdom asleep and her having to return the pearl but will have to wait who knows how long for the next part of the story

The Quick Cut: A princess hiding her magical talents finds life gets complicated when her stepmother finds out and curses her. Struggles ensue as she tries to undo the magic done to her and her six siblings.   

A Real Review: Thank you to Knopf Books for providing the ARC for an honest review. 
 Could you imagine what it would be like if the words you spoke hurt those you care about in a deadly way? It's a tragic thought, especially when you consider how much words can make a difference in our lives. How would you adjust to that reality? Would you find a new way to communicate that couldn't harm those in your life? Or would you instead try at all costs to undo the damage done to you? This is the struggle for Shiori - the princess of Kiata. 
 Shiori very much does not want to get married to the boy her father has betrothed her to. As the only girl of seven siblings though, it isn't much her choice. However, when her betrothal ceremony comes, her usually well hidden magic chooses to make itself well known and attracts the attention of her stepmother - someone with dark magic of her own. Her stepmother turns around and curses Shiori - along with her seven brothers. She turns all seven brothers into cranes and tells Shiori that she must remain silent - or for each word she speaks, one of her brothers will die. How will she adapt to her new reality and can she undo what's been done to her family? 
 This book has such strong worldbuilding that it's hard not to get wrapped up in the scenery that the author created. I could really imagine each moment and with the storyline being what it is - the entire book has a very strong folklore vibe to it. The plotline itself keeps making me want to compare it to Cinderella. They have similar setups and it's hard not to see this as a more diverse version of the Disney movie many of us have seen. 
 It's difficult not to root for Shiori. She gets separated from her family, has to track down her transformed siblings, and do what she can to stay silent in order to keep them safe. All while knowing that her father is still side by side with the stepmother that did this to her. How could anyone not feel at least a little bit heartbroken by that?!?! I wanted to see her succeed in the end and get back the family she had in the beginning. She also does go through quite the transformation personal growth wise. The more she goes through, the more that she matures as a character and learns what it's like to do the hard work to have what you want. 
 The only downside to this book is the other characters. There are so many characters in this story and outside of Shiori - it's hard to really define any of the other characters. This is especially true for the seven brothers. They play such an important role to Shiori and yet by the end I still had a hard time telling them apart. I feel like the author either should have cut a few characters or spent more time defining them. Even if they aren't the main character, they should still feel like well rounded players in the story. 
 A cute tale with a need for more character definition. 
My rating: 4 out of 5

Absolutely promising, fairy-tallish, dreamy, magical start to brand new fantasy series!

A well-executed, creative, original, Eastern mythology meets action packed adventure with dark fairytale vibes definitely put this remarkable book on your radar.

If you already enjoyed Blood and Stars duology and became fan of seamstress Maia, it will be easier for you to adore Princess Shiori and her dark magical adventure!

Shiori is the princess of Kiata, the seventh and only girl child, 16 years old, spoiled by brothers, having hot and cold relationship with her stepmother Raikama : the nameless queen, engaged to be married with third lord of barbarian North named Takkan.

But she neither wants to get marry nor wants to know more about her future husband. And she has a big secret to keep: she can do magic by giving lives to paper birds. This is small scale but it’s still threatening when you’re the princess of an empire who forbids the magic.

Her destiny changes the day her groom to be visits her alongside his father. During her own betrothal ceremony, she finds herself chase after Kiki( paper crane she’s created) and she jumps into palace lake fully clothed to catch the Crane and the last thing she sees before getting drowned is a sea dragon who saves her life.

But her only problem is not getting house arrest to sharpen her sewing skins with her stepmother. Takkan and his father perceived her attitude as an insult and they left the palace urgently.

But Shiori barely stays out of trouble. When she attends Summer Festival, she meets the human form of sea dragon. His name is Seryu and he offers her to teach magic.

And later she finds out she’s not the only magical entity at the palace. Her stepmother is also a snake-human who can perform dark magic and as soon as she catches Shiori who learned her secret: she curses her by putting a bowl magically glued to her head, even her eyes are covered by bowl so nobody can recognize her.

Shiori finds herself exiled to farther village and the bowl is not the only curse she has to deal. Raikama also forbids her to talk or write anything about her situation: if she opens her mouth to form a word her brothers will start to die one by one. She also turns her brother into six cranes and cursed their own father not to remember his own children.

As her six brothers fly around the empire to find her, poor Shiori is caught by merciless woman to work at the kitchen of a dilapidated inn. Now she’s a poor maid, humiliated by the kitchen crew, trying so hard to her way back to her home!

As soon as one kind and charming soldier arrives to the inn to borrow her money and his dagger, her fate will change and she will get a chance to find her brothers and break the curse her stepmother put on them.

But this is the only beginning of her compelling adventure and nothing as it seems. As she learns more about herself, the curse, she slowly finds out how naive she is from the beginning and she is the only one to change things radically at the empire!

Overall: interesting, intriguing, riveting start of epic series! I loved Shiori and her complicated love-hate relationship with her stepmother.

Takkan was one of the sweetest heroes I’ve ever read. He can sing, draw and read poems. Yes, he’s adorable cinnamon bun!

I’m looking forward to read the second book! This is one of the most amazing fantasy reads of 2021!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children’s / Knopf Books for young readers for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC

This book was exciting in premise but it failed for me. I'd neve read anything by the author previously and I was hoping this would give me a new name to put on my shelves.


Instead what I read was awkwardly paced with weak characters. Our main character is the only girl out of seven children. She has six brothers and I couldn't tell any of them apart.


I'm not new to books with large casts of characters. What makes those books work and this one fail is the depth of the characters. How different they are and how they stand out from one another.


Even when the brothers were being named, I still had no idea who they were after they were off the page.

There are characters I feel are under utilized. We're introduced to one at the beginning of the story who seems like he'll be integral to the story and that fizzles out. Then we meet the love interest and he's just flat. I can't root for a couple if half of it is just a boring piece of cardboard. </p>


When it comes to the author's style, it isn't difficult to read. If anything it's fairly simple. Her worldbuilding was decent. I could really see some of the things and got a decent enough understanding of the world at some points.

However, I'm not reading books for the worldbuilding. I want story, character growth, characters I can root for and cheer when they fall in love. And none of that happened.


It has a decently handled ending but that doesn't make up for anything else. If I have to keep reading because "well the ending is good" that means the rest of the story isn't. And the structural flaws alone made it difficult to get into.

I wanted to love this book but I just couldn't. It had so much promise.

Maybe I'll give Lim's other works a shot at a later date.

All in all? 2 stars.