Thank you so much, NetGalley, Random House Children's and Knopf Books For Young Readers, for the chance to read and review this book!

Shiori'anma is the only princess of Kiata and she has a secret. She has magic, forbidden magic. Usually she's able to conceal it, but on the morning of her betrothal cerimony, she loses control and the wedding, a wedding she never wanted, is forestalled. Her mistake also catches her stepmother's, Raikama, attention. The woman is a powerful sorceress and she banishes the young princess, turning her six brothers in cranes and warning Shiori that she mustn't speak, for with every word she says, one of her brother will die.
Alone, penniless, voiceless, Shiori is determined to find her brothers and break the curse and in her journey she discovers a dark conspiracy to seize the throne. In order to prevent it, she places her trust in her magic paper crane, Kiki, a mercurial dragon, in her brothers and in the same young man she didn't want to marry. That also means facing and embracing her own powers.

Six crimson cranes is a spellbinding fairytale, narrated by Shiori's POV, full of intriguing characters, thrilling story and fascinating worldbuilding, where reality, gods and myths are woven together.
Drawing inspirations from "The wild swans" and East Asian folklore, this fantasy is original and really well written, focusing on Shiori's journey, both physical and psychological in finding her brothers, breaking the curse and saving her kingdom.
Shiori is a very complex main character and the reader follows her growth, from a young and careless princess, protected and loved by her father and brothers, to a strong and able woman, willing to do anything in order to protect her family and those she loves. Her journey is intense and Shiori finds herself without money, voice and family, but she's brilliant and resourceful and won't let anything stop her.
If the main character captures the reader's attention right away, the side characters are also wonderfully written. Shiori's brothers, Takkan, Seryu, Megari, Raikama, Zairena, Hasege add layers to the story, each of them complex and with their own stories and motives and intricacies.
I really enjoyed reading Shiori's relationship with her brothers, because it's wonderfully strong and moving. Also reading how slowly she gets along with, love and trust Seryu, Megari and Takkan, even though very different from one other, was so lovely to read.

The worldbuilding is interesting and fascinating, with talking dragons, princes turned into cranes, gods and magic, demons and curses and in this world Shiori faces adventures after adventures, finding, in her quest, also romance and love.
The storytelling is absolutely brilliant and I devoured this book, because I couldn't stop reading it and it was so compelling. Shiori, Seryu and Takkan are awesome characters and I can't wait to know more about this world.

First of all, I am in love with that cover. More Asian girls on covers, please!

Second of all, WTF Elizabeth, I did NOT expect that!

This is my first book by Lim and now I'm itching to get her other books asap. Not only was this magical and lyrical to read, but it also felt like watching a beautiful Disney film or losing yourself in a fairy tale that is both unique and yet familiar. I loved Shiori as the main character. She might have been a bit childish and naive in the beginning, but her growth was amazing and the relatability present was astonishing. Even though her journey consisted of more lows than highs, I appreciated how each change turned her into someone who is stronger, wiser, and better. It didn't hurt too that she was the kind of heroine who would do literally anything for her family.

I think the middle section of the book can be a bit dragging to some, but for me, it was the slow-burn I needed and gave me a clearer picture of the events taking place and made me enjoy guessing who's the real enemy. It was enchanting the way Lim described 1. the food, 2. the festivities, and 3. the legends and folklores. It was all woven together wonderfully.

Lastly, the romance. If you're looking for a new book boyfriend, trust me when I say, YOU HAVE TO READ THIS. I'm not going to mention any names because spoilers, but the cliffhanger ending had me on the edge of my seat. I AM TERRIFIED. Please don't ruin my ship, Elizabeth. I'm too fragile for that kind of pain. But also, GIVE ME MORE DRAGONS.

Lush and lovely moisture of fairy tales. The redemption arc in the background was lovely to read. I really enjoyed this.

I received this arc for free but I will tell you that my opinions are totally me own. I have no problem giving this four stars, 41/2 really because I really enjoyed the book! I am a sucker for fairy tale retellings anyway but this was done so well it was a joy to read! I have already got several friends putting it on their "want to read" lists and I am anxiously waiting for what I believe will be a sequel. Bravo Ms. Lim for a great read!!

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Review copy provided by the publisher.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>One of the things that I feel like adult readers and particularly adult reviewers have to be careful of in reviewing books in MG and YA categories is remembering that young readers will be encountering tropes for the first time that are old hat to many adults, so the amount that one should "ding" a book for having them is quite different. And in this case I was very glad that I stuck around, because basically everything that made me say "oh this again" or "this is going to hit all these beats, is it" was expanded, undermined, or unraveled in the middle of the book.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>This is a six swan brothers story, told by someone who wants her own Asian cultural heritage to inform and inflect her work. Which is, okay, pretty cool to start with. But then it's got other things stirred into the mix--other fairy tales, from other places, and which of them you spot will depend on which kind of fairy tale nerd you are, who's been telling you stories, whose stories you've gotten to hear. And it's got...oh, some questions about the fairy tale villains, the shape of their villainy, and some interesting answers.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>And the ending...this is a first-book ending. This is not a stand-alone ending. These characters, with their politics and their families and their crafting and their demands, have miles to go before they sleep. Don't let the very genre-central beats of the first few chapters deter you from going with them.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

Yessssssss. Please judge this book by the cover because the inside is just as dazzlingly gorgeous as the outside.

Elizabeth Lim knows how to create an atmosphere and weave a story that is both consuming and easy to understand and follow, which is such a difficult balance. You really feel immersed in this story of magic, family bonds, and secret machinations on machinations. The romance is crafted with a light touch which I loved. The relationship between Shiori and her family is wonderfully believable and *every single character* is well-drawn and multi-dimensional. And there's even a freaking adorable paper bird sidekick named Kiki who I am absolutely obsessed with.

One of my favorite YA fantasies of the 2021. I'm already excited for the next installment.

When I got this ARC - I literally screamed! Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children's
Knopf Books for Young Readers for sending me an ARC of this lovely book!

ELIZABETH LIM IS A QUEEN, ALLOW ME TO BOW DOWN.

Six Crimson Cranes follows Shiori, who keeps her magic abilities hidden, until the morning of her betrothal ceremony. Her stepmother, Raikama, is mortified. With her own magical abilities, she curses Shiori and her six brothers. Her six brothers are turned into cranes, and Shiori is cursed with a bowl on her head and the knowledge that if she speaks one word, one of her brothers will die. Determined to warn her father about their evil stepmother, Shiori sets out on an adventure to reverse this curse and gets some help from some unlikely friends along the way.

I loved this book. I loved it. Elizabeth Lim is 100% one of my favorite authors. I have now read three of her books and have been enchanted by each one.

Shiori is so different from Maia (main character in Spin the Dawn), and I loved her. She starts out more juvenile, more hard headed, and immature but as the story progresses, you get to watch her grow and flourish and mature. I loved watching her grow and come into her own with her magical abilities that she had tried so hard to hide. I love when strong women write strong female main characters.

Kiki is the cutest little sidekick I have ever read. I love her sarcastic banter, and that she always kept Shiori grounded. Who knew you could love a little paper crane so much?

TAKKAN - my wholesome, sweet, kind hero. I loved him. I loved watching Shiori fight her feelings for him.

The plot took a direction that I really did not expect! I was expecting more of the brothers and Shiori together, and was pleasantly surprised that Shiori was left to her own devices.
I really enjoyed the pacing of this book, and I was never bored. Elizabeth Lim does a great job of being descriptive and explaining the magic system, the history of the world without info dumping. I DID NOT WANT TO LEAVE KIATA. And the way she describes food?! I was hungry for 90% of this book. Shiori is a teenage girl and I think that Lim perfectly captured how a teenage girl would speak.

The romance in this book is so subtle, and slow and sweet and heartwarming - I found myself smiling while reading more than once!

The ending was a perfect setup for a sequel that I am already impatiently anticipating!!

Engaging, Asian-inspired retelling of the fairy tale "The Six Swans." As the youngest child with six well-loved older brothers, Princess Shiori is self-assured and determined to control her life. This means NOT being forced to marry some Duke's son from the edge of her kingdom, but continuing to live blissfully under the adoring eyes of her father and brothers, as well as the cold eyes of her stepmother, Raikama. A chance encounter with a dragon boy gives Shiori the chance to develop her recently discovered, and extremely forbidden, magical abilities. At the same time, Shiori becomes increasingly suspicious of her stepmother. When she realizes Raikama is using magic on her family and warns her brothers, the result is banishment. Her brothers are turned into cranes while Shiori is sent to the other end of the kingdom, with most of her face covered by an unremovable bowl, plus the promise that for each word she speaks aloud, one of her brothers will die. Unrecognizable and unable to reveal her plight, Shiori must use her wits, her determination, and her compassion to be reunited with her family. My favorite part of this book was the protagonist's personal growth - she begins the story as a spoiled teen princess, though a good-natured one. But through hard work, as well as attention to the people around her, Shiori grows in wisdom, and finds romance. The books ends with a set up for a sequel. Highly recommended for ages 10 and up.

5/5
Spoiler free!
I LOVED this! Six Crimson Cranes is a fairytale retelling set in an East Asian inspired fantasy world. This is the first book in a series, and it follows Princess Shiori on a quest to save her brothers after all of the royal children fall under cruel spells. It felt different and fresh for the genre while still retaining elements that I love. I think what made this really different for me was that this perspective felt true to the narrator as a teenage girl in a fantasy world, the voice of this storytelling was fantastic. There are no wasted words in this book, the author has found that golden balance between saying enough and describing too much, and even though this is a dense story, it’s fast moving— I found myself looking back for major passages and being surprised that they had only taken up half a page.
Who do I recommend this for?
I think this could be a great read for a wide age range of fantasy readers, it’s age appropriate for -18 and even though the mc is a teenager, I found her story enjoyable at 23. If you like adventure, magic, dragons, family centered stories, with romance on the side, you’ll like this!

I am a huge fan of Elizabeth Lim's works and her fairytale retellings—and Six Crimson Cranes was no different! I absolutely LOVED it—and dare I say it might be my favorite of her books?

It begins a little quieter than Spin the Dawn (although don’t get me wrong, it is packed full with action and is wonderfully executed!) and slowly eases us into the world and story. As always, Liz’s writing has this gorgeous, rich and warm voice reminiscent of the old school fantasy books I used to read as a child, which as you know are my favorite.

To no one’s surprise, the romance was my favorite part of this book! It was so beautifully done—achingly tender and sweet—and reminded me of the romances of my favorite fairytale retellings including Daughter of the Forest and The Goose Girl.

Of course, I won’t give anything away, but the ending made me even more excited for the sequel, as it promises more magic, world, and adventure. I cannot wait to see what Liz does with the story and I will very much be looking forward to reading the rest of Shiori’s tale!

I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it to lovers of fairytales and fans of Liz’s previous works!

This is a magically enchanted adventure that is just perfect for YA readers that are wanting to step into fantasy novels, and one I will likely recommend!

Thank you so much to #NetGalley, Random House Children’s and the author for the electronic arc in exchange for my unbiased opinion!

Elizabeth Lim is one of my favorite authors, and the Spin the Dawn duology one of my favorite series, but Six Crimson Cranes might be even better than Spin the Dawn. Shiori, the main character, is spunky and witty, but she also has an absolutely huge heart and will do anything for her older brothers. When her brothers are turned into cranes by her stepmother and Shiori herself is told she will kill her brothers if she speaks a single word, Shiori risks everything to save them. There are so many layers to this story: dragons, magic, paper cranes that come to life, and above all, unconditional love for family. The plot never drags, and I loved all of the characters. I'm already so excited for the sequel, and if I could give this more than 5 stars, I would.

Lim did it again! Her writing is as flawless as always. The whimsy and magic in her fantasy worlds always reminds me of Dianne Wynne Jones.

This story is a fairy tale Mashup that becomes original and exciting all on its own. Shiori is a wonderful heroine, whose determination to learn to he strong comes across beautifully on the page. Her growth feels organic and relatable, in ways that are important and not often found in today's YA world.

Romance light, but adventure heavy, I would recommend this book to younger teens, just stepping into adventure fantasy.

4.7 stars


THAT.WAS.AMAZINGLY.GOOD!!!!!! Like effingly wow!

That was a whirlwind of emotions! This put me into a rollercoaster ride of emotions!

During the second half, it almost gave me a heart attack!

I tried my best to make this spoiler-free, but just read it at your own risk

I actually did not expect to love this very much! Mainly because Lim's Spin the Dawn received so much love but also disappointed SOME readers. I did not want to get my hopes up and this is the first book I read written by her. Very slowly as every page I turned, I came to accept that this was better than I wanted to admit.
1. I felt a little dread and fear when I started,
2. ALMOST halfway through I decided with a few nods that this is good,
3. reaching the second half of it I was fixated with a rollercoaster ride of emotions (frustration, anger, restlessness, kilig,sadness), kilig means romantically happy or giddy in Tagalog
4. upon reaching its end this book is slowly crawling inside my heart and wanting to settle itself in my 'Favorite' shelf despite my stubbornness of not considering it 'one of my favorites'. I am still contemplating if this is a Favorite, but so far I am leaning towards yes.

There was no dull moment and I still couldn't quite perceive how all of that happened in just one book! I felt like I read two books already with everything that happened.

The vibe was magical and enchanting for me, like it's a fairy tale story intended for YA readers! With the world-building, the festivities, the landscapes (geographically and the man-made buildings), stories, legends and folklores. There are thousand of stories with all the things I just mentioned, but I can't help think that Lim was able to maintain that magical atmosphere for me despite the perils and threats that she wove into the story. I also liked the romantic chemistry of
Shiori with both two guys actually. The romance here was not that excessive but deep enough to make you swoon and excited. Though just a bit lacking because it did not progressed to an extent that I had hoped for. It was like interrupted intentionally by Lim and we will get to know in the next book and I have a feeling I will be swooned again in second book by another love interest.

And that bowl! That wooden bowl! I found it frustrating and ridiculous at first, but then I got over it.

My doubts toward Raikama kept turning ON and OFF over and over again throughout the story. In the end, what my gut initially told me at first was really the deal and it made me happy and sad.

During the early parts, I can't decide who to ship with Shiori. Then I was slowly shipping her with Takkan, but I felt a little lacking on the romance department. But I guess Lim is still not finished yet with the romance department especially after that ending.

I am also contemplating whether to buy this book or not. (Don't get me wrong! This book is freakingly amazing!) It's just that I have already accepted in my heart that I can't buy ALL the books I want since I am not rich. So I have just decided to spend on books I so dearingly love! We booklovers have our own Favorites. Up to now, this book is still crawling into my heart to be pre-ordered and be included in my Favorite shelf.

Thank you to Penguin Random House for the e-ARC thru Netgalley. This review is based in an advance reader's copy, so there might be some changes in the published book. I am having an urge right now to pre-order a copy which is so unlike me since I don't really do pre-orders

Elizabeth Lim's retelling of the Six Swans is everything you could want in a YA fantasy. The lead character, Shiori, starts out as a spoiled brat, but through her trials becomes a strong woman who will do anything to save the people she loves. The East Asian aspects made the details of the story rich and added cultural elements to the story that made the plot and characters really come to life. I loved the twist at the end of who the real villain was, and the ties to Lim's The Blood of Stars duology. While several of the major plot points were resolved at the end, there was still enough story left to take the reader into the sequel. I am really looking forward to the continuation of Shiori's adventure and what that means for her and her kingdom.

I highly recommend this book to other fans of Elizabeth Lim's books and anyone who loves fairy tale retellings. You will not be disappointed.

This book was just as exciting as the last series by Elizabeth Lim. Her love of mythology shines through and gives the reader a really great main character and love interest to follow.

I was excited to read this book as a fan of Elizabeth Lim, from reading Spin the Dawn, and a lover of fairy tales. The story Is predominately based on the Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale, The Wild Swans. But, as the author explains in a really great forward, the book draws on Chinese and Japanese stories and legends. This led to a fascinating fictional country inspired by Eastern Asia and other magical details like dragons and living origami.
Shiori, the main character, is a princess and the youngest of six bothers. Her life is quite idyllic but for the fact she is betrothed and soon to be married to a stranger. She does not wish to leave her home and family. Like many fairy tales, Shiori also has a stepmother. Stepmothers are not always evil, but in a fairy tale the odds are not in their favor. This is true in the story and it is at the hands of her stepmother that Shiori, and her brothers, are cursed and cast away from their home. They then must find a way to survive, reunite, and figure out how to break their curse and defeat their stepmother. There is of course much more than this to the story, like subplots of political scheming and war. As a whole it makes for a very well rounded tale.
The story is very well written and despite the set up, I found myself shocked by the turn of events toward the end of the story. The cast of characters had good depth and did not feel shallow. I appreciated the fairy tale aspects woven through the story. There are a lot of fairy tale retelling out these days but an interception of The Wild Swans felt fresh, especially with Lim’s interpretation.

Following a strong character that Lim has obviously crafted with much care, Six Crimson Cranes follows Princess Shiori: a princess, the youngest out of her and her 6 brothers who does not want to marry and let go from the pleasures of royal life. Having been promised to a Prince from another kingdom, Shiori wants nothing to do with him. After a chance encounter with a dragon draws the unwanted attention of her stepmother. After being cursed to not speak or else her brothers will die and her brothers being turned into cranes during the day to then turning back to humans after sunset, Shiori makes a surprising alliance with the one person she hates, finds out the truth about her stepmother and the truth about her blood, this blend of The Wild Swans by Hans Christian Andersen and East Asian folklore makes for a stunning first book in a new series. Highly recommend for those that want a refreshing re-telling of The Wild Swans with hints of East Asian folklore featuring a strong main character who would do anything to break the curse on her and her brothers and protect her family.
**Thank you to the author and publisher for sending an e-ARC**

This story is intriguing from the beginning to the end! It's emotional yet action packed, frustrating yet loveable and it definitely does not leave your thoughts after finishing it. The mental development of the main character feels realistic, which makes if easier for the reader to feel connected. It sometimes feels as if you are watching a movie, since it the chapters are written so vividly. The writing style is pretty straightforward which helps you turn the pages more swiftly, which is always helpful during exciting scenes!
A few notes: sometimes it could feel as if important moments come and go in an abruptly manner. This does not influence the reading experience much though, as a reader you can still feel involved to the story.

Six crimson cranes was one of my most anticipated reads. With the extraordinary cover, it did live up to the expectations. Compelling, beautiful and intriguing this novel is such a great and enjoyable read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me this arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.