Solid, entertaining adventure. I enjoyed the Asian-inspired setting, and the prose was more than competent—easy to read without being too simple. Romance was cute, and the love interest was actually pretty decent (I'm incredibly picky about love interests)! While some plot points seemed a bit contrived/occasionally cliched to me, and I had a few minor quibbles that popped up along the way, I found myself ultimately satisfied with the way the story ended. My pandemic-addled brain has made reading fiction difficult for me lately, but this story managed to keep me consistently turning the pages. I'm looking forward to the sequel.

I loved Spin the Dawn, so I was so excited about Six Crimson Cranes and it didn't disappoint! From Hans Christian Anderson to Chinese and Japanese influences, this book draws from quite a few fairytales and folktales and I think we all know I love a good fairytale retelling! I loved that Shiori was stubborn and strong-willed but also showed growth throughout the story. Six Crimson Cranes could have easily had a very cliche evil stepmother villain, but Raikama was so much more complex and nuanced than that, which was amazing. This story is full of magic, dragons, talking paper cranes, and fairytale goodness, so if you love a good retelling, do yourself a favor and give this one a try!

Six Crimson Cranes, a fairytale reimagining by Elizabeth Lim that mixes Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Wild Swans” with Chinese folktales and legends is an amazing story filled with magic and the power of family. I absolutely loved how Lim wove together Western story elements with the legends of Asia.

Shiori, the princess of Kiata has magic (something that is taboo in her home country). She’s been able to control it for most of her life but loses control on the day of her betrothal ceremony, angering her father and stepmother. One day, after discovering her stepmother’s secret and that she also has magic, Raikama puts a curse on Shiori and her brothers. Her brothers are transformed into cranes (hence the “six crimson cranes” title). In my opinion, Shiori’s punishment is much worse. For every word or sound that passes Shiori’s lips, one of her brothers will die. Shiori is then banished from the palace, and she has to go on a journey with her loyal magic paper crane Kiki to save her brothers and break the curse (without money, supplies, or the ability to write or make sounds to communicate).

Elizabeth Lim did a great job in making me care about in the characters in this book. I was beyond frustrated for Shiori when she couldn’t speak. Given how easy of a character she is to get behind, I was rooting for her to break the curse the whole time. I thoroughly enjoyed how Shiori and each of her brothers all have very distinct and unique personalities. It would have been very boring if the brothers were cookie-cutter copies of each other. The interactions between Shiori and her brothers were authentic and emotional – I found myself amused and chuckling at the different oldest sibling vs youngest sibling vs middle child interactions. Their interactions reminded me of myself and my sibling. If they weren’t so close to each other, I don’t think I would have bought into the lengths that Shiori goes to save them.

The imagery in this book was one of my favorite parts. I live for books where an author makes me forget that I’m reading and simply whisks me away to the world of their imagination. From descriptions of the effects of magic spells to simple physical characteristics, Lim paints a picture easy for any reader to envision in their mind. Also, what story is not made better by the inclusion of a dragon?

There was no dramatic cliffhanger (thank God – those are always painful), but I’m still very invested in finding out what happens next for Shiori in the second half of the Six Crimson Cranes duology. Overall, I enjoyed every aspect of the book and look forward to more fairytale retellings from Lim in the future.

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim was so beautifully done! This was definitely a change of pace in what I usually read but it did not disappoint. The world-building and magic system is incredibly descriptive and unique. This book truly felt like I was reading a fairytale. I would say that this book was on the younger side of YA.

I absolutely loved the relationship that the female main character had with her brothers. They were all so close and protective over their youngest sister. I love seeing strong family bonds between characters within a fantasy setting!

The relationship between the female and male main character was super sweet. He was a total cinnamon roll and I loved it!

Elizabeth Lim effortlessly weaves together a beautiful novel of family, magic, and sacrifice in this whimsical story about a young woman with forbidden magic and the stepmother who betrays her. While reading this book, I couldn't help but feel as though I were reading traditional folklore; a tale that was fraught with danger, but comforting all the same. If you are looking for a new fairytale retelling, specifically Hans Christian Andersen's The Wild Swans, look no further than Six Crimson Cranes.

This book was the perfect blend of folklore, fantasy and imagination.

I completely fell in love with this book and adored the blend of several folktales including The Black Bowl and Wild Swan. While it is clearly inspired by several fairytales this story is filled with plenty unique twists. The author’s writing style is descriptive and easy to binge. I was immediately pulled into Shiori’s world but she wasn’t the most likable character for me in the beginning. As events unfold and Shiori is banished by her stepmother, her character undergoes a lot of growth and quickly became a character I enjoyed and connected with.

The book’s pacing was great through most of the novel. I was engaged in and found myself surprised several times by unexpected twists. I also found myself invested in seeing how things would unfold between Shiori and the man she is supposed to marry. I did feel like the end of the novel was a bit rushed at times but it seemed that some of those choices were related to setting the story up for the book’s sequel. I will definitely be picking up that novel to continue on Shiori’s journey.

Thank you to @knopfteen and @Netgalley for my ARC of Six Crimson Cranes!

😍 Mini Review ✨

Six Crimson Cranes was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. I absolutely loved Lim’s Blood of Stars duology and knew I would love this one as well. I definitely wasn’t disappointed.

Not only is Shiori the only princess of Kiata, but she also is full of magic that is forbidden in the lands. She loses control of her magic on the day of her betrothal ceremony and her secret is found out by her Stepmother. Shiori finds out that her Stepmother is full of dark magic when she and her brothers a cursed. Shiori has to find her brothers, figure out how to break the curse, and expose her Stepmother. Throughout this journey, Shiori makes unlikely friends and may even find love in a place she tried so hard to get away from.

I absolutely loved this book. It took me a minute to get into it because I was having trouble picturing Shiori, which kept distracting me for some reason. But after a few chapters, I was hooked. I guessed a few things early on, but I had no idea how they would develop and be exposed.

I loved these characters so much! I couldn’t get enough of them. Lim has a way of creating lovable characters and does an amazing job writing sibling relationships. This was probably one of my favorite parts of the book, the love Shiori and her brothers had for one another.

I gave this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. If you love Asian folklore and fantasy, this book is for you. And if you read The Blood of Stars trilogy then you have to read this book… trust me.

Slow start but became increasingly better with each page. Twists and turns unexpected. A character who cannot speak having to save herself and her brothers. What will she do and can she? Definitely a good story. The ending leaves you wanting more.

Six Crimson Cranes sucked me in from the start because of the writing and description of the magical world we're in. Elizabeth Lim really has a way with words and the way she tells stories makes you feel wrapped up in the world with these characters If I wasn't reading this as a buddy read I definitely could've finished it in a day!

Our main character Shiori is a princess that isn't happy about her upcoming betrothal ceremony and having to move somewhere with someone she assumes she won't like or love. If I'm honest I wasn't a fan of Shiori in the beginning. It's clear she's pretty spoiled and is used to getting her way. This changed as the story went on and I appreciated the person she became. She started thinking about more than just herself, but even the people she didn't know well. This journey definitely changed her and I'm curious to see how this growth continues in the next book.

This book is filled with amazing mythology and culture. I loved the magic and the way the author made this story her own. Like I said I'm not really familiar with the original story, but how it's done here is amazing. Six Crimson Cranes has a good balance of world building and character development. I loved all of the details and just couldn't get enough. We get a story filled with magic, fantasy, determination and love. Six Crimson Cranes is a magical story that definitely went in a different direction than I was expecting a few times and I love that the author surprised me in many ways. The only aspect I wished was different was how fast the ending went. It took some time to get the story to that point and it felt a bit rushed at times as the story wrapped up.

Besides the amazing magical adventure, Six Crimson Cranes also has an amazing cast of side characters that also surprised me in many ways (some I didn't see coming). I was also hit in all the feels and got very attached to the characters. There are some lighthearted moments as well and I laughed quite a few times. I really think that Elizabeth Lim is now an auto-buy author! All in all, I really enjoyed Six Crimson Cranes and can't see where this story goes next.

Six Crimson Cranes is a lush and magical new duology-opener from one of my favorite YA authors, Elizabeth Lim. Once again, the author stuns with her creative fusion of a fairytale and East-Asian folklore. If you’re looking for something fresh in YA fantasy, this book is not to be missed.

SHIORI OWNS ME
With any fantasy novel, I look forward to character growth the most and Six Crimson Cranes delivers an impressive character arc for our protagonist, Shiori. When the book opens up, she is the testy, stubborn, and rebellious princess of Kiata who is hiding a big secret – she can manipulate forbidden dark magic. When she accidentally loses control of her magic, her stepmother Raikama banishes her and turns her six brothers into cranes. Shiori’s banishment comes with a curse. If she speaks to anyone about her magic, one of her brothers will die. This leaves Shiori voiceless and lonely as she navigates a conspiracy-filled world to find her brothers.

As Shiori struggles on this path while showing an incredible amount of resilience, she easily settled into my heart. I love rooting for characters who start off as careless, impulsive, and naive but who eventually are forced to grow up due to unforeseen circumstances. Shiori is an endearing character. It’s obvious that she grew up spoiled rotten as she’s the only girl among 7 children, but she has a good heart on her. Her love for her brothers is what drives her throughout this book. The teasing (hooray for all the sibling bickering!) but loving bond she shares with them is soft and entirely too heartwarming for words.

A BOOK WITH STRONG FAMILY BONDS
Six Crimson Cranes is very much a family-driven novel and it explores good family dynamics beautifully. I particularly loved what Elizabeth Lim did here with the evil stepmother trope. I won’t dwell too much into it because it’s a major spoiler and one that genuinely surprised me. You just have to know that it’s a refreshing take and I loved it.

A SWEET ROMANCE
I also love how Elizabeth Lim writes the most gentle romances. She did it in The Blood of Stars series and she does it here again. Shiori finds a surprising romantic connection with Takkan, the boy she was betrothed to and was trying hard not to marry. She had preconceived notions about him being a barbaric prince, and he completely shatters her misconceptions. He may be a warrior, but he had a very gentle soul to him. I was moony-eyed over the fact that he was so kind and sometimes, flirty, with Shiori while the girl couldn’t say a single word to him and had a bowl fused to her head! I’m all aboard this ship because I’m a sucker for romance between two soft characters who see the kindness in each other.

THERE ARE DRAGONS!
There’s so much I can say about the world and magic system that Elizabeth Lim has created in Six Crimson Cranes. I always say this in my reviews for fantasy books but I have a hard time with complicated worldbuilding and I really do appreciate authors who present their worlds in a way that’s easy for readers to digest. There’s lots of goodness here in this book but I was particularly engrossed with how the author took bits of a fairytale and meshed it with East-Asian folklore. It makes for a fascinating read!

As with most fantasy novels, the book is filled with treachery, politics, and conflicts. Six Crimson Cranes is an adventure and one that I had a great time being on with Shiori. There’s even a sassy shape-shifting dragon as well as an adorable, sentient paper crane that Shiori whips up with her magic. There’s much to learn about this universe and I’m excited for more in the next book! Six Crimson Cranes ends one arc of Shiori’s journey, so the book thankfully doesn’t end on a cliffhanger.

TDLR: IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A FRESH STORY, TRY THIS
All in all, I am really pleased with Six Crimson Cranes and it’s made me an even bigger fan of Elizabeth Lim. This book is magical!

Content notes: mild-violence, deaths

Relationship disclosure: None

Fantastic YA fantasy! Loved the retelling and integration of dragons/cranes/mythology. Can't wait for Book #2! I had to stay up late finishing it.

"𝙉𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪," 𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙨𝙖𝙮, "𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙨 - 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧."

❀•𝄢••❀

'𝐒𝐢𝐱 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐬' 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰

When I was a little girl, I used to dream of being a princess: beautiful, bright vests, makeup and a tiara. In fantasy world, you have a huge variety of tales such as this. However, not one tale would come near the princess and her 6 cranes.

'Six Crimson Cranes' is a book about family and sacrifice. It's about self-discovery and fear and how to overcome it. 🪶 Shiori is an asian princess (props to the asian representation, we love and stan that), who's family is complicated: her stepmother happens to be a sorceress and curse her and her brothers.

Together, they learn what true power is: it's not the magic that you wield from your fingers - instead, it's the magic that comes from your heart when you feel love. ❤️ Elizabeth Lim brought this asian story to life so beautifully and her writing is so whimsical! I haven't read her other books, but I especially loved her mention to "The Blood of Stars" around page 290.

I loved the aesthetic and Shiori's point of view. I loved the whole book and the friendship with Kiki, absolutely fabulous! This book is just extraordinary, just perfect! Congratulations Elizabeth, on this incredible new release! 🎊


𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

❀•𝄢••❀

𝗛𝗮𝘀𝗵𝘁𝗮𝗴𝘀:

#elizabethlim #sixcrimsoncranes #youngadult #netgalley #netgalleyarc #penguinrandomhouse #arcreview #bookreview #author #favoriteauthor #bookstagram #books #bookstagrammer #booklover #bookworm #bookphotography #bookcommunity #bookobsessed #aesthetic #aestheticfeed #booksbooksbooks #booksofinstagram #reader #writer #bookstagramportugal #youngadultfantasy #asianfantasy #asianrepresentation #fantasybook #newrelease #newbook

*I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
This was a breathtaking fairy tale retelling set in a lush, Asian-inspired landscape. Shiori's quest to free herself and her brothers from her stepmother's curse unfolds in the most surprising of ways. Definitely a must-read!

I just finished Lim's Blood of Stars duology earlier this year and was so excited to see another book coming out. I immediately fell in love with Shiori, she is an amazing main character that you can really get behind and want to root for her to succeed every step of the way; she had such great growth throughout the story and really came into her own. I also loved the family bond in this story, I always love a good sibling story that can show those intense bonds between them. The world building was smooth and though we only get bits and pieces throughout the story, I didn't ever feel like I was really lost or missing anything, just wanting to know more. The romance element was a nice addition, it developed naturally and didn't take over the main themes in the story just melded in and wasn't forced. I thoroughly enjoyed this whole journey and can't wait for the next book!

Huge thanks to Netgalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an adventure. This beautiful fairytale follows Princess Shiori, as she embarks on a journey to save herself and her six brothers from her sorceress step-mother's curse. (I feel like this is such an understated summary.)

This was wild ride! There is so much going on in this story and it was beautifully executed. The main character, Shiori, is witty, smart, clever and the perfect amount of naive for a young girl. She's a strong female protagonist and I loved everything about her. The male protagonist, Takkan, is a soldier and gentleman. I loved that he did everything he could to lift Shiori up and help her realize her full potential. I loved the healthy relationship representation between these two. It was one of the reasons I kept reading. The plot flowed well and the story kept me locked in. The world building is so well done and I kept finding myself thirsting for more. The villains are four dimensional and completely addictive. This was an amazing read! I ended up with a beautiful hardback copy from Fairyloot as well. I'm glad to have this grace my shelves!

Overall, 4.5 star read for me. I won't be reading it again because I got everything I wanted during my first read. However, I will be continuing with the series and I most definitely recommend reading this one!

Six Crimson Cranes is about Shiori a princess of Kiata who possess secret magic. Her step-mother, Raikama, also possesses magic but the dark kind... when Shiori tries to warn her brothers of the dark magic, Raikama curses her and her brothers. She turned the boys into cranes and warned Shiori if she speaks one of her brothers will die. The rest of the novel Shiori quietly hunts for her brothers and looks for ways to break the curse. Along the way she relies on help from the betrothed she had no intention of marrying.... but falls in love. Also, apparently there is a dragon but he is hardly seen.

This book was okay. I enjoyed her previous work better. There were glaring plot holes in this story that made it hard for me to follow the plot. It was also rushed in many places with Shiori passing out and waking up to an advanced story.

Readers will love this beautiful and whimsical story based on the tale of the six swans. Filled with twists and turns and fun characters (including a dragon prince who can turn into a human!), this was a fast-paced read. Shiori was a wonderful protagonist filled with relatable flaws while still being very likable.

One of my forever favorite things about Elizabeth Lim's books is her ability to take something Western (in this case the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, The Wild Swans) and East Asian culture and seamlessly meld them together. Drawing from these multiple sources never ceases to add an incredible richness to her storytelling.

In Six Crimson Cranes, Shiori, the princess of Kiata, has been hiding her forbidden magic. Eventually she is found out by her stepmother. With her dark magic, her stepmother turns all of Shiori's brothers in cranes and banishes them all from the castle, cursed. Shiori's curse leaves her unable to speak as doing so will result in her brothers' deaths. The story is Shiori's journey to find herself while trying to reunite with her brothers and return to the castle to break their curses. But Shiori learns that looks and first impressions can be deceiving and those she thought she knew may be much more than they seem.

Okay, first off... for some reason, my brain had decided that this book was a standalone. I don't know how it got that idea, but it meant that I was in for quite the shock when the ending was clearly a major reveal for book two and that I now have to wait!

Second, everything about this book is gorgeous, from the cover to the words. Elizabeth has a way of lulling you into the story and then strikes with twists and turns that you can't put down. I will say, however that it took me a little bit to really get into this book. I think part of that was the bit of the slump I was in, but part was the beginning was maybe a tad slow. I was intrigued and in love from the start, so it's just one of those things that happens sometimes.

And finally, all the characters are just made to be loved. Each one is unique and multifaceted and relatable. The only one that left me scratching my head a bit was xxx. I know that he will come into play much more in the next book, so I'm hoping that will provide more insight into him.

Despite how long it took me to read the book (life can be that way sometimes), I truly loved it. The couple of minor issues I did have is why this is really a 4.5, but I'm rounding up. I cannot wait for book two!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House/Knopf Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I super liked the Six Swans retelling aspect and the heroine was great. Just meh on the romantic partner — he was nice but I never felt the sparks. Also — hello, haughty dragon prince is right there! What a waste of that character. The problem with love triangle setups is I always root for the guy who isn’t endgame. That ending didn’t make me optimistic at all. Sigh.

The twist with [redacted] was impressive and I did not see it coming. More time should’ve been spent fleshing out that storyline, as I found it more engaging than the romance.

Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I didn’t expect to love this book as much as I do. It began slightly slow and picked up as you went but it was so beautifully written that I felt like I changed along with Shiori.

Shiori started out as an absolute trouble maker never thinking things through. She becomes humbled and grows because of her curse, it made her pay attention to her surroundings and learn from the people around her. She becomes less arrogant and more kind. She is also much more cautious about her magic, the very thing she could be exiled or murdered for.

She ends up with the last person she’d expect or even want to be near and sees that people aren’t always what they seem.

What I loved most about this story is the family aspect. All would do anything for each other even when it’s hard. All the characters were amazing, different in every way, but all meshed well together. I’d say my favorites are Takkan and Kiki easily!

I highly recommend this to any read even considering picking it up!