I love Elizabeth Lim's writing style! She writes such beautifully intricate worlds with characters that have so much dimension. Six Crimson Cranes has such a beautiful fairytale-esque setting. If you have never heard of The Six Swans fairytale, this book is heavily based on this fairytale. And let me tell you... that is one of my absolute favorite fairytales. Shiori will now become on of my favorite characters. There was just so much packed into this book! Dragons, curses, prince and princesses, arranged marriages, magic and demons! I know that I will be picking up a physical copy the second that this book comes out.

From the first paragraph, I knew this book would be a good one. I immersed myself into the book from the first chapter and I cannot say enough good things about this book! Honestly amazing! The writing is incredible and the plot is just one to die for. I am absolutely obsessed with this book. My favorite part would have to be the character development throughout the book. Character development is something I look forward to and this book did not disappoint.

Six Crimson Cranes is a beautiful riches to rags story about magic, dragons, curses, quests, and touching familial bonds. It also is a reimagining of the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale “The Wild Swans” which draws inspiration from Chinese and Japanese folklore and legends.

More than that, I believe it is a story about perseverance, resilience, and survival. I enjoyed following the protagonist Princess Shiori on her journey throughout this novel that transpired as a result of the curse that has been put on her and her brothers and watching her grow and come into her own.

Even though there was some aspects of romance in this novel, this story seemed to put more of a focus on family, which I love. Shiori’s love for her six brothers (and her family in general) was what pushed her to keep going, even when things got tough for her.

As I said, there is some romance in this book and it involves the arranged marriage trope. Honestly I’m not too fond of that trope personally, but I didn’t mind it here.

Overall, I did enjoy this book and I will be looking out for the sequel! I may also be looking into Elizabeth Lim’s other books in the meantime

Even before reading Elizabeth Lim's previous duology, The blood of stars, I was immediately intrigued by her new release, Six crimson cranes.
The covers are something wonderful, I'm talking about both versions, but I'm not here to review the covers.

Shiori'anma has a secret, forbidden magic flows through her. It's something she's always managed to keep hidden, until the day of her engagement ceremony, Shiori loses control of her power.
This mistake of hers will cost her dearly, so much so that her stepmother, a sorceress in her own right, banishes the young princess and turns her brothers into cranes.
On top of that though, the stepmother forced Shiori not to talk to anyone about what happened, otherwise one of her brothers will die.
Well, from here it is very clear that, Six crimson cranes is a retelling based on the famous fairy tale of The six swans by the Grimm brothers, in a very modern key.
I didn't know what to expect from this novel, but reading around a bit, expectations were very high and I'm honest, once I read it I wasn't disappointed at all.
I'm usually one to devour books, but I enjoyed Six Crimson Cranes page by page, taking my time and digesting the story.
Poetic, bewitching and engaging writing, a touching and heartbreaking story of Shiori and her siblings.
The pages of this book filled my heart with sadness for what happens to the young princess, strength for her will to want to work things out and have the place in the world that she deserves, and joy for the incredible love that binds Shiori to her brothers.

Shiori, penniless, voiceless and alone searches for her brothers and discovers a conspiracy to take over the throne.
Only she will be able to put the kingdom back on track, but to do so she will have to rely only on a paper bird, a shape-shifting dragon, and the person she was supposed to marry.
She will have to embrace what she had always given up, which is magic.

Six Crimson Cranes is an extraordinarily wonderful book, honey for the soul, a story that fills your heart but empties it at the same time.
I can't wait to read the second book in the series and I can't wait to get my paperback in my hands.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Six Crimson Cranes is the first book in a duology inspired by East Asian folklore, and this book, in particular, is a reimagining of "The Wild Swans."

Princess Shiori has magic, which she keeps hidden since magic is forbidden in her kingdom. She also has six brothers, a stepmother she doesn't care for, and a betrothal to a northern warlord's son she would do anything to escape (including jumping into a lake where she meets a dragon who can also take human form). When her magic is exposed, and she discovers her stepmother is also a sorceress, Shiori is cursed to remain voiceless and her face hidden lest she risk killing her brothers who have been turned into the titular six crimson cranes. Thus begins Shiori's journey across her kingdom as a nobody who will take on the world to save herself, her brothers, and their kingdom from the curse.

This story felt very epic. Yes, it is over 400 pages, but the journey, and Shiori's character development is immense. I forgot on more than one occasion that this was meant to be a duology, so I thought to myself once or twice that the pacing seemed odd or that questions were left unanswered, but they were meant to be! The last chapter was enough to keep someone hooked to see where this journey could continue. And there was a huge hint (maybe not even a hint) for fans of Lim's first duology.

Aside from Shiori, Seryu, the Dragon King's grandson was probably my favorite character and I believe we will see much more of him in the second half of the duology. There are also several amazing descriptions of food throughout this book that made me very hungry and very jealous.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to love this but it felt so mediocre through and through. I can’t distinguish this main character from Lims other book. The pacing was so odd because we skip from one place to another. I couldn’t distinguish between any of the six brothers. And the stepmother as the villain just felt contrived and boring. I think that unfortunately Lims writing is just not for me.

June 5, 2021

“Find the light that makes your lantern shine.”

Six Crimson Cranes is the first Elizabeth Lim book that I’ve read and definitely won’t be the last because if there is a single word that I would use to describe what I felt reading this story, it would be LOVE.

A reimagining of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Wild Swans” mixed with Chinese and Japanese, folklore and legends, Six Crimson Cranes also reminded me of Cinderella. The story took me to Asia: the festival, food, scenery, traditions and big family! It is the kind of story you’ll want to see on the big screen, very Disney-ish theme. It was impossible to stop reading especially with the plot that was presented. One would be so intrigued on how the story will continue and how the conflict will get resolved. I kept on asking what kind of plot twist did Elizabeth Lim think of? I got the answer at the end and I may have screamed CLEVER!

There are quite a few lovable characters! The main character, Shiori is strong in her own way. Curious, bold, resourceful, resilient and has a penchant for trouble. I felt her pain and struggle and I had the urge to cry and punish those who wronged her. Her character growth is something to admire. Takkan on the other hand is kind, shy and adorable BUT he can slay assassins, now isn’t that cute?! Another favorite is Megari, she’s such a delight! I immediately loved her with her cheeky and brazen attitude.

I found my next comfort read in Six Crimson Cranes, it was lush, beautiful and magical. There is just something enchanting in Elizabeth Lim’s writing, it was an experience everyone should have. I laughed, giggled, I got angry, hungry, it made me sing but most importantly, it made me feel love in the purest way. I am so so so so excited (and a little nervous) for the sequel!

What you’ll find in Six Crimson Cranes:
-Asian representation
-Dragon
-Sibling dynamics
-Gorgeous cover and map
-Arranged marriage
-Magic
-Telepathy
-An unusual companion
-Arranged marriage
-Hate to love
-Lush world building
-Lots and lots of food

Trigger warning:
Parental death (happened before the beginning of the book)

Thank you so much to Penguin Random House Canada and Netgalley for providing me an E-ARC to review!

At a glance: After losing control and using forbidden magic, Princess Shiori and her brothers have been banished and cursed by her stepmother. Together they must try to end the curse and save their kingdom from their stepmother.

🌳 Family Focused
🌏 East Asian Rep
👑 Non-European Royalty
🔮 Magic

Read this if… you love fairy tale magic, strong sibling relationships / sibling bond, cute companions, forbidden magic, stories of a royal family not from Europe, dragons and paper cranes!

Diversity Representation: Chinese-American author, Chinese inspired setting and characters

Content Warnings: Banishment, burns, near death experiences, abuse, kidnapping, confinement

Book Review
Dreamy, action-packed, magical, fast paced, exciting, beautiful

Six Crimson Cranes has been on my radar for quite a long time. I read Spin the Dawn a long time ago, and fell in love with Elizabeth Lim’s writing. She has this way of writing that makes an entire novel feel like you’re floating through a fairytale. Even though the story is more detailed than a fairytale, it moves along so quickly, easily and naturally that it maintains that dreamy magical mood the entire time. It’s such a delight to read any of her books and Six Crimson Cranes was no exception.

Quick Summary: Shiori is the youngest sister of six brothers, the only princess of Kiata, and has forbidden magic running through her veins. One day she accidentally loses control of her magic and her stepmother, who harbors a dark magic of her own, curses and banishes her and her brothers. With a curse that prevents her from speaking, she must try to save her brothers and her kingdom from her stepmother.

The absolute best thing about this book for me was the writing. I adore how Elizabeth Lim writes. She weaves together stories, magic, and fairytales so well that it feels like you have fallen into a fairytale yourself. It adds a spark of magic to the prose to go along with her beautiful stories of about magic. She uses magical elements that always have an epic and mysterious connotation, so the magic always feels so much larger than life. It’s just so fun! I mean how beautiful is it to weave a net out of starstroke, a plant forged by the gods with strands of fate and the blood of stars?

I also really loved the focus on family in this book. It was really sweet the bond that Shiori and her brothers had. Despite any problems or sibling rivalries they may have had in the past, they adore each other and do whatever they can to protect each other. They trust each other, even when they are apart. It’s just such a sweet bond, I’m so glad to read it! I even enjoyed the relationship between Shiori, her brothers and their step-mother. The complex family dynamics that we got to see in this were just wonderful!

Last but not least, I absolutely adored Kiki. She was hands down my favorite character. I loved the sweet magic that brought her to life not only to Shiori, but to the reader. Kiki is a magical paper crane companion to Shiori throughout the whole book. She is her number one confidant and best friend. Where Shiori goes, Kiki goes. I adore stories where the main character has an adorable companion like this. It made me so happy! Although now I’m wishing I had a companion like Kiki!

Summing it all up
Six Crimson Cranes is another delight from Elizabeth Lim. Her writing is so beautiful that she makes you feel like you’re inside a fairytale. They are easy to read and fast paced, told like a folktale would be. Her stories are a delight to read and this is no exception, Six Crimson Cranes is lovely.

I was given an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.


I LOVED this book!! It was absolute perfection from start to finish. Beautiful storytelling, magical world building, and a seamless blending of fairy tales from across the world. I adored every character! This book was everything I need in a book: quick, easy to read, writing that flows naturally, a simple magic system, and artful entertainment.
This book was unique and creative and I loved every second of it.
10/10 will recommend this to everyone. One of the best things I've read this year hands down.

Thank you to Lili at Penguin Random House for sending me an eARC of Six Crimson Cranes in exchange for an honest review!

Shiori, the sole princess of Kiata, holds the secret of her forbidden magic close. However, Shiori's stepmother Raikama takes notice of her magic and places a curse on the princess and her six brothers. Her brothers are turned into cranes and for every word Shiori speaks, one of her brothers will die. Shiori must embark on a journey to locate her brothers and break the curse that has befallen them.

Elizabeth Lim has outdone herself with this book - if I could give it more than 5 stars, I would. This imaginative retelling of "The Wild Swans" features the arranged-marriage trope, morally-gray characters, magic, dragons, and so much more.

As a protagonist, Shiori is strong-willed and independent. She does not encompass any of the more repetitive (sometimes annoying) YA protagonist stereotypes, which makes her all the more lovable and realistic. Her motivations are often much more centered around family rather than romantic love which I feel makes her a much more realistic young adult character. You won't cringe at the things Shiori says or does throughout the novel, because you will feel as if you would have done the same thing in her position.

The writing is mesmerizing and the pacing of the story itself is brilliant. I never felt like the book moved too fast or dragged, it just seamlessly flowed. This book is proof that Elizabeth Lim knows how to craft a story, satisfying the reader while also leaving them wanting more. I genuinely cannot wait for readers to be able to experience Shiori's story on July 7th.

I can honestly say that this is the best book I have read thus far in 2021. I am SO excited for the sequel.

The main thing that I loved about this book was how well the European fairytales were woven with the Asian culture and folktales to produce a wholly new story that was just wonderful! The writing was amazing and at times you could really feel like you were there in the story going through the same hardships as Shiori.

Shiori was also a wonderful character. She went through so much growth, starting as a spoiled and head strong princess, to doing what she must in order to survive a terrible curse. She is the sole narrator and for most of the book we are totally in her head. Besides her being clever and creative, she was also able to see the good in people even when they maybe didn’t deserve it. I also loved her relationship with Kiki, a paper crane that she brought to life and is her friend and confidant throughout the story. Kiki was a times the only comfort that Shiori had and sometimes she was the comic relief we all needed.

I loved her relationship with her brothers, although they could be a problem at times. They did not allow her to grow as she should, trying to shelter her and protect her when she really didn’t need them too. We don’t see a whole lot of the brothers, and they did tend to be one dimensional, but that was ok. They were not the focus of the story.

The romance between Shiori and Takkan was well done. Slow and sweet, with a lot of misunderstandings at the start. I really liked Takkan and how he loved to tell stories. He was also wonderful with his sister. But he could be tough, as well, when he needed to be especially when Shiori or his sister were in danger.

I really liked Seryu, the dragon that Shiori befriends at the start of the story. I would have like to see more of him, but it looks like the second book will be more about the dragons and their role in this world. I can’t wait to see more of him and learn more about his world.

Lots of evil characters in this one, and some who turned out to not be quite what they seemed at the start. Raikama was really good as the evil stepmother, but there was way more to her than anyone suspected. I loved her story and how things were not what you expected.

As always the writing is just suburb, and you will find yourself totally immersed in this world. Although the characters are very much a part of the story and are what drives the plot, the overall story is what will captivate your heart. I just loved the mix of European fairytales with Asian culture and folktales.

Another stunning story from this very talented author. If you loved Spin the Dawn then you really need to get this book. You will end up loving it just as much or more as her first duology.

Thank you to Random House Children's for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Elizabeth Lim has done it again! I was obsessed with Spin The Dawn when I first read it last year, so I was incredibly excited to hear that Elizabeth Lim’s new YA fantasy novel, Six Crimson Cranes was coming out this summer! The story is filled with beautiful storytelling, fascinating mythology, and heartwarming themes of family and love. Overall, I would give this novel 4.5 stars!

Six Crimson Cranes follows Shiori, the only princess of Kiata, who is in possession of forbidden magic. On the morning of her betrothal ceremony, Shiori loses control of her magic and catches the attention of her stepmother, Raikama, who has dark magic of her own. In turn, Raikama banishes Shiori and turns her six brothers into cranes, warning Shiori that for every word that escapes her lips, one of her brothers will die. Shiori flees the kingdom in search of her brothers, and, on her journey, uncovers a conspiracy to overtake the throne. To save her kingdom, Shiori must place her trust in the very boy she fought so hard not to marry and embrace the magic she's been taught all her life to contain—no matter what it costs her.

The original fairytale of The Six Swans has been a story I have known since I was a child and it was really cool to see it adapted and intertwined with Chinese mythology. Elizabeth Lim always does an excellent job of embedding East Asian mythology into her fantasy stories and her lush storytelling is always so much fun to dive into. I also really loved following Shiori’s journey and seeing her relationship with her brothers progress from the beginning of the novel to the end. Even with Shiori’s relationship with Raikama, you can tell that one of the major themes of this novel is family, which I absolutely loved. The romance in this novel was also so sweet. It’s not the main focus of the story, which I think was the right decision because it’s evident that this story is Shiori’s story and hers alone. Nevertheless, I’m so excited for the next book in the series and to see more of Shiori and Takkan in Book 2!

Review to be updated closer to my tour date

A princess in exile, a shapeshifting dragon, six enchanted cranes, and an unspeakable curse... Drawing from fairy tales and East Asian folklore, this original fantasy from the author of Spin the Dawn is perfect for fans of Shadow and Bone.

"A dazzling fairytale full of breathtaking storytelling." --Stephanie Garber, New York Times bestselling author of Caraval

Shiori'anma, 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.

A sorceress in her own right, Raikama banishes the young princess, turning her brothers into cranes. She warns 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 uncovers a dark conspiracy to seize the throne. Only Shiori can set the kingdom to rights, but to do so she must place her trust in a paper bird, a mercurial dragon, and the very boy she fought so hard not to marry. And she must embrace the magic she's been taught all her life to forswear--no matter what the cost.

Weaving together elements of The Wild Swans, Cinderella, the legend of Chang E, and the Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, Elizabeth Lim has crafted a fantasy like no other, and one that will stay with readers long after they've turned the last page.

Princess Shiori is filled with forbidden magic, a secret she must not tell. On the morning of her betrothal ceremony, though, she loses control, which leads to Shiori being banished, her brothers being turned into cranes, and her voice costing a brother’s life. She must figure out how to get her voice back, embrace her magic, and work with her betrothed.

This book has the perfect balance of lovable characters and a captivating plot. Also, Elizabeth Lim has a gorgeous writing style that I can’t seem to get enough of. It took me only a few hours to read due to these elements. I highly reommend to anyone who likes fantasy!

5/5 stars

I received an ARC of this book, and I am voluntarily leaving a review. Also, I did purchase my own copy after reading it because of how good it was!

On the morning of her betrothal ceremony, Princess Shiori almost exposes the forbidden magic she possesses. The incident causes her wedding to get postponed, which she is thrilled about, and she also happens to meet a dragon. When Shiori sees something she wasn’t supposed to, she finds herself against her stepmother’s dark magic. Shiori’s brothers, the princes, are turned into cranes, and she is told that if she speaks, they will die. Abandoned, alone, and unable to explain her circumstances, Shiori struggles to find a way to save her brothers. However, she stumbles into a dangerous conspiracy that would bring harm to many. Teaming up with her former fiancé, Shiori will have to use her wits and her magic to save everyone.

It has been a long time since I have been this enraptured by a fictional world.

The fairytale aspect of this book is what drew me to it. The idea of a princess without a voice trying to reverse the curse that turns her brothers into cranes was fascinating to me! I wasn’t expecting the world-building and the writing to have me completely spellbound to the story!

My favorite things about this book:
- Unique fairytale that drives the story
- Sibling relationships
- Arranged marriage trope & slow-burn romance
- TAKKAN
- Dragons (who can apparently turn into hot guys)
- The paper cranes
- The descriptive and beautiful settings that transported me into another world (I genuinely want to live in this book)
- Shiori’s character development
- Plot twists
- Side characters (Kiki, Megari, the brothers, etc.).
Okay, that was a lot of favorite things, but this book was just really good! The magic system hasn’t been a huge part of the story yet, and I hope it gets explored more in the next book! I could easily see myself re-reading this book over and over again!

I don’t really have any actual complaints, but I wasn’t happy this book ended with a cliffhanger (I NEED BOOK 2 ALREADY!) I didn’t realize this was the first book in a duology, and I expected a standalone with an ending. As a result, the cliffhanger caught me off-guard, but I have every intention of reading book 2 and am hoping that it is just as spectacular as book 1!

I would highly recommend this to anyone who likes fairytale re-tellings and/or Asian fantasy/mythology! It was also rather clean; violence and death are the only content warnings I can think of.

I make no bones about the fact that DAUGHTER OF THE FOREST is probably my favourite book, from my favourite series, of all time. SIX CRIMSON CRANES is loosely based around the same fairytale, THE SIX SWANS. Marillier puts her own spin on the former and Lim does the same in her story. Comparing the two would be like comparing two different Beauty and the Beast retellings.. except for the fact that I am far more invested in this one!

I liked so much of this particular reimagining, from transporting the tale into an Asian-inspired setting, to the extra fantastical elements the author infused into it, the different direction she took with the main character, and, specifically, one thing I can't mention due the spoilers.

I did, however, find it was a struggle to imagine certain scenes, either because it was hazily described or there were just too many bodies and things bouncing around at once, and it got muddied, which would bounce me right out of the story. I've not read the author before so I'm not familiar with her writing in this way but this is also an ARC so maybe it's just one of those ARC things. That said, the big conflict flies by so quickly, particularly the one I'm familiar with from the story, and some of the impact is lost as a result. Which is unfortunate as I had really become invested up until that point and it was then that I lost steam and pretty much immediately knew I'd not be rounding up the rating.

Also, there's a certain condition of the curse that befalls our main character and the way it's described? I hope some character art gets made to give me a better idea of what that's supposed to look like as my brain struggled to picture something that wasn't.. silly. And even still I'm not entirely sure there's any way to salvage it.

Speaking of picture, though, that cover? S t u n n i n g.

So, yes, there's a lot of good here, and I'm probably biased, but it's not going to be a favourite. I am, however, very interested in reading on and seeing where the story goes as the retelling portion has concluded and it's all new territory from this point on (at least I assume! maybe there's a new fairytale inspiration for book two, who knows, not me). If you need more diverse fantasy for your TBR, I would definitely encourage this as an option.

Side note, to all my DAUGHTER OF THE FOREST fans? Reading this will only make you want to immediately pick up the Sevenwaters series for a reread, so. If you don't have room in your schedule for that kind of thing, beware (or be resigned, and excited, to have an excuse for such a thing).

3.5 stars

"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."


Shiori, the only princess of Kiata, has a secret. Forbidden magic runs through her veins. On the morning of her betrothal ceremony, Shiori loses control and catches the attention of her stepmother, Raikama who has dark magic of her own. 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.


Elizabeth Lim has done it again, there is just something about her writing. As soon as I started in on this one I knew I was going to love it, same as the Blood of Stars duology. Being back within this world was a delight. This book takes place within one of the kingdoms mentioned within the Blood of Stars duology, hundreds of years before that story takes place. You don't have to read that duology in order to read this book, but I did enjoy seeing the little Easter eggs within this one from having already read that one.
I really loved Shiori as a main character and I'm definitely rooting for her. Her strength, her relationship with her brothers, and even her sentient paper crane. Or should I say especially the sentient paper crane. Kiki was something.
I also want to touch on the romance within this book. Now, I am usually a sucker for a "betrothed against their will, ends up falling in love" story, but you can't just introduce me to a shape-shifting Dragon-man and expect me not to root for that. A lot of people were hoping this won't turn into a love triangle but I personally hope that is where it's going in the next book. Which I can't wait for!! That's the bad thing about reading an early copy, you have to wait longer.
I'm can't wait to have this in my hands come July. Multiple times, because let's be real.

An absorbing adventure story based around the Six Swans fairy tale, with inflections of Japanese and Chinese culture and myths. I enjoyed the characters, the twists, and the truly great descriptions of food 😋 I did not realize going in that this was the start of a series, so I was unpleasantly surprised when the story suddenly stopped on some cliffhangers! Will read the sequel

4.5 stars

I love so much about this novel, and if you have any interest in YA fantasy, fairy tale tie-ins, intriguing character development, and some very cool magical elements, you will likely agree!

Shiori, the m.c., is a moderately entitled young lady at first blush, but her adventurous spirit and important secret - magic! - make her fascinating almost instantly; she also has an awesome magical pal whose role in her life becomes vital as the story progresses. As Lim notes in the headnote, there are multiple tales at play in this work, but anyone familiar with "The Six Swans" will notice the prominence of that piece as Shiori has a similar sentence to that heroine, and her six brothers turn into cranes instead of swans. There's also a wicked stepmother, a strangely placed bowl, and a superhuman amount of self-control necessary to meet the requirements of her curse. There are hints of romance at times, but Shiori - and her personal development - remain the priority in this piece.

Because I teach "The Six Swans" regularly, I was particularly taken by the way that Lim adapts this tale, but I enjoy how Lim spins common archetypes and plot patterns in general. There are some unexpected twists, and the misdirections are genius (rather than frustrating). The sense of place and the descriptions of family bonds are also highlights.

While this is a longer YA novel, it is a quick read. The pacing and development work well here, and I cannot wait for future installments. If you're the kind of reader who appreciates a one and done situation, this is not for you as there is a clear sequel setup at the end. I, for one, will be in line to read that as soon as the dragons, cranes, and monkeycakes align! Recommended!