Six Crimson Cranes
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • 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.
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.
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.
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Community Reviews
Originally reviewed on Cyn's Workshop
Elizabeth Lim astounds readers with Six Crimson Cranes, a compelling novel derived from East Asian folklore that will enchant the reader from beginning to end.
Breathtaking Story
Elizabeth Lim is a fantastic writer. One of the things that make her stand out as a writer is her talent for storytelling. Is it any wonder she is a New York Times bestselling author? No, because her storytelling is breathtaking.
Lim draws her inspiration from fairy tales and folklore, folklore derived from her East Asian background. It is refreshing to see her bring to life these unique stories that also resonate with the reader.
Shiori has a wicked stepmother; she loses the power of her voice, is stripped of her identity, and her brothers have been turned into cranes during the day. The illusions to classic fairy tales give the reader something to connect to, and the way Lim brings them to life makes the story unique. There is magic, wonder, dragons, and fantasy that make the story stand out.
What is more, is the momentum of the story. It has such a steady flow to it that perfectly balances the rising tension. Shiori is on a mission to find her brothers; she is on a mission to save her country from war and demons. Furthermore, while she is on this mission, Lim includes folklore throughout the story, giving it those strong fairy tale vibes that keep the reader entertained and grounded from beginning to end.
Great Characterization
I honestly loved Six Crimson Cranes; I thought it was beautifully told. I was entranced from the very beginning; I wanted to follow this reckless princess into the sacred lake where she faced a dragon. It is an incredible moment and opening to the story giving the reader an introduction into who Shiori is, how she fits in, and how she thinks.
Shiori is a good character, and I mean inherently good. However, she is not without her flaws, and her less-than-perfect attitude gives her room to grow.
Her trials, losing her voice and face, make her relatable to the reader because they allow her to be grounded. Yes, this is a fairy tale, and yes, Shiori is a princess, but that does not make her infallible. That is what makes her so refreshing to read. Shiori is determined, she makes mistakes, but she learns and grows. Losing her voice and identity taught her something about herself and allowed her to see beyond herself thoughtfully.
Final Thoughts
Six Crimson Cranes is amazing. I loved this novel as much as Lim’s Blood of the Stars Duology and cannot wait to see what Lim does next.
See more reviews at Cyn's Workshop and follow me on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Spotify Podcast | YouTube | BookBub | Goodreads+ | LinkedIn
Elizabeth Lim astounds readers with Six Crimson Cranes, a compelling novel derived from East Asian folklore that will enchant the reader from beginning to end.
Breathtaking Story
Elizabeth Lim is a fantastic writer. One of the things that make her stand out as a writer is her talent for storytelling. Is it any wonder she is a New York Times bestselling author? No, because her storytelling is breathtaking.
Lim draws her inspiration from fairy tales and folklore, folklore derived from her East Asian background. It is refreshing to see her bring to life these unique stories that also resonate with the reader.
Shiori has a wicked stepmother; she loses the power of her voice, is stripped of her identity, and her brothers have been turned into cranes during the day. The illusions to classic fairy tales give the reader something to connect to, and the way Lim brings them to life makes the story unique. There is magic, wonder, dragons, and fantasy that make the story stand out.
What is more, is the momentum of the story. It has such a steady flow to it that perfectly balances the rising tension. Shiori is on a mission to find her brothers; she is on a mission to save her country from war and demons. Furthermore, while she is on this mission, Lim includes folklore throughout the story, giving it those strong fairy tale vibes that keep the reader entertained and grounded from beginning to end.
Great Characterization
I honestly loved Six Crimson Cranes; I thought it was beautifully told. I was entranced from the very beginning; I wanted to follow this reckless princess into the sacred lake where she faced a dragon. It is an incredible moment and opening to the story giving the reader an introduction into who Shiori is, how she fits in, and how she thinks.
Shiori is a good character, and I mean inherently good. However, she is not without her flaws, and her less-than-perfect attitude gives her room to grow.
Her trials, losing her voice and face, make her relatable to the reader because they allow her to be grounded. Yes, this is a fairy tale, and yes, Shiori is a princess, but that does not make her infallible. That is what makes her so refreshing to read. Shiori is determined, she makes mistakes, but she learns and grows. Losing her voice and identity taught her something about herself and allowed her to see beyond herself thoughtfully.
Final Thoughts
Six Crimson Cranes is amazing. I loved this novel as much as Lim’s Blood of the Stars Duology and cannot wait to see what Lim does next.
See more reviews at Cyn's Workshop and follow me on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Spotify Podcast | YouTube | BookBub | Goodreads+ | LinkedIn
I loved this book, it was definitely not what I expected but so happy for it. At first I was getting that Maleficent/evil stepmother type vibe but nope this is a completely whole another vibe. Shiori goes through this journey of trying to save her brother's, her kingdom and herself but along the way she learns more about herself than she could've ever imagined. Elizabeth Lim did such an amazing job with this book and unraveling the story I didn't even want it to end. The characters were all well written and the world building was perfect. To be honest I imagined this as an Anime because it reminded me of one but a real awesome one.
This is definitely not your typical damsel in distress story and I loved it all the more for it.
Highly recommend if you love folklore, magic, and the unexpected.
This is definitely not your typical damsel in distress story and I loved it all the more for it.
Highly recommend if you love folklore, magic, and the unexpected.
I loved a lot about this book. First, the cover is gorgeous and I'm so glad I own a physical copy. I enjoyed the descriptive writing- the vivid imagery helped me fully immerse myself in the setting. I had not read a fantasy book with Asian culture/mythology and this was a great first book to get me into it!
However, there were a lot of issues I took with this book. The world building/magic system was so messy
However, there were a lot of issues I took with this book. The world building/magic system was so messy
Exciting, wonderfully written, and I love that it kept me guessing. I never knew what was going to happen next. Loved Kiki!
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