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 fairytale 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.

“My stepmother had broken me. She'd cast me away from my brothers, my family, my home. Even from myself.”

Ever since watching early 2000s Barbie movies reading Juliet Marillier's spellbinding books I've had a soft spot for retellings and I'm happy to say that Six Crimson Cranes makes for a truly wonderful take on “The Brothers Who Were Turned into Birds” type of tales (which include the six swans, the wild swans, and even marillier's daughter of the forest). Fans of Ghibli and even Disney should definitely consider picking this up as Six Crimson Cranes is a truly magical novel.

“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.”


In Six Crimson Cranes Limm transports her readers to the Chinese and Japanese inspired kingdom of Kiata. Here Princess Shiori, the only daughter of Emperor Hanariho, is not looking forward to getting married to the son of Lord Bushian, someone Shiori considers to be a barbarian. In spite of her sheltered upbringing, Shiori's adventurous streak (read: foolhardiness) often lands her in trouble. Thankfully for her, she has six brothers who dote on her (even if they do enjoy teasing her now and again) and are more than happy to watch out for her.
On the day of her betrothal ceremony, she uses magic—which is, you guessed it, forbidden in this kingdom—to cheer herself up. And then her magical friend lands her into the palace's Sacred Lake. Luckily, Shiori is saved by Seryuu, a dragon prince (okay, this whole dynamic gave me some strong spirited away vibes) who offers to help her with her magic. Shiori's lake mishap raises her stepmother's suspicions. And it turns out that mysterious & aloof Raikama also dabbles with magic. When Shiori witnesses Raikama getting up to no good she runs to her brothers to warn them about their stepmother's true identity. Alas, the siblings don't stand a chance against Raikama who uses her dark magic to curse them. Shiori's six brothers are transformed into cranes. Shiori too is cursed: no one will be able to recognise her and if she were to utter a single word one of her brothers will die. Voiceless and alone, Shiori travels the lands hoping to find her brothers and a way to break the curse.

“Ironic, wasn't it, that I—a girl who always wanted to make her own choice—now for nothing more than to surrender to fate?”


What follows is a compelling tale of resilience. Lim has spun a truly enchanting fairy tale one that feels at once familiar and unique. While her story implements quite a lot of archetypes (the protagonist on a quest, a curse, a magical companion who offers wise words of advice, hidden identities, evil stepmothers) she also subverts quite a few of them. Lim's storytelling is so engaging that even if I predicted most, if not all, of the twists and revelations that occur along the way, well, it didn't lessen my enjoyment of her story. In fact, I actually found myself looking forward to Shiori figuring things out for herself. Shiori is a truly lovable heroine. To start she's a bit of a hothead and until her curse, she was leading a rather cushy lifestyle (okay, the arranged marriage wasn't great but it was also very much the norm in this kingdom). After the curse, Shiori endures quite a lot of hardships. Her love for her brothers and her desire to set them free sees her overcoming the many trials that come her way, and by the end of the narrative, Shiori has undergone quite the character development.
I loved the setting, the magic, Shiori's voice, her bond with her brothers, the folktales and myths Lim incorporated within her story.

“I would not have you be alone, […], not in your joys or your sorrows. I would wish your strand knotted to mine, always.”

Six Crimson Cranes is a truly delightful and dazzling novel. Not only is Lim a fantastic storyteller but I felt really invested in Shiori and her brothers. There is a hint of romance which added a sweet note to the overall narrative (i am just praying it won't turn into a love triangle...) but the story's focus remains very much on Shiori's quest.
Marillier herself described this novel as a “gorgeous” take on an old fairy tale, and “a must-read for lovers of folkloric fantasy”...and well, she's spot on.

A beautiful and unique retelling of the Grimm brothers’ The Six Swans fairytale.

I honestly do not know what I was expecting, but this book took me by surprise!

Set in an East-Asian inspired world, the only princess Shiori hides a huge secret. Magic flows through her veins.

‘A princess in exile. Six enchanted cranes. One unspeakable curse.’

One of my favourite things about this book was world-building. We get to see many very different places, I still wonder how this all happened in one book. I felt enthralled, this was truly a unique (in a good way) fairytale setting! All the festivities, traditions and stories made this a magical and enchanting experience.

I absolutely LOVED Shiori as a main character. She went through a hard and challenging journey that made her realistic and special. She had to adapt quickly, battling often with herself more than with other things and I genuinely felt connected to her!

All relationships felt natural, whether it was a romantic relationship, a friendship or family. I loved the way characters interacted with each other.

Despite being quite slow (for me), there weren’t any dull moments. I often wondered where the author is going with this, but everything turned out to be very cleverly done! Despite feeling like some climax points were slightly weak, overall I found this a really nice read!

The bowl was really frustrating tho… I kinda got over it after a bit but…


This review is based on an advanced reader's copy, so there might be some changes in the published book.

In a retelling of the 'The Six Swans' fairytale, Shiori lives in the fictional kingdom of Kiata. With six older brothers, she's the kind of princess you might have seen before, chomping at the bit, resenting her heavy, rich clothes and arranged marriages, and wanting to romp around with her brothers instead. After her step-mother turns her brothers into cranes and Shiori is rendered unable to speak, she must use all her powers and talents to break the curse and save her kingdom.
It's wonderful to have more asian fantasy in YA. And while retellings of old fairytales isn't new to the genre, I think it endures because it's a great way to reach new or reluctant readers: offering something a little familiar to help them into the story. The Six Swans fairytale may not be as familiar as Beauty and the Beast or Cinderella, probably because it wasn't turned into a Disney Movie, but I have actually read another adaptation of this fairytale in the last year: Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier. That one played the story a little more straight with an Irish twist and was much darker in places. Crimson Swans is lighter with more subversions, spunky little sidekicks and a heroine who, facing indignity after indignity, never loses her sharp edge. The best thing about the story is the step-mother who is revealed to have far more layers and nuance than initially assumed.

I'll admit I found the ending quite chaotic. A foreshadowed villain suddenly appears, the characters are dragged to new locations, and the explanation for the curse is hand-waved as error. The way is also left wide open for a sequel. I'm not sure what the next story holds for these characters, but perhaps it will be based on a different fairytale?

Not a bad story, and certainly one I think fans of YA and fairytales will love. I would happily promote this to our students.

★★★✩✩ - Very good.

Genre: Retelling / YA / Asian Literature / Fairy-tale

My rating: 4,5 / 5

I’ve read previous books by Elizabeth Lim, I liked them, but they didn’t leave me with a wish of wanting to read more. With this book, it somehow found that special spot in my soul. If you’ve done some research on this book, you will know that author was inspired by H.C.Andersen fairytales and an old Soviet Union movie: “Wild Swans” which was released in 1963 and is also a retelling of H.C.Andersen fairytale. Growing up on both of these stories, I was rather sceptic about quality of this retelling, but author really impressed me.

My favourite part in this retelling, is the paper crane story, well known in Japan. Sadako Sasaki, became a victim of Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombing, because of the radiation she got exposed to, she suffered from Leukaemia. Whilst in the hospital, she’s been told a story, “If you fold one thousand paper cranes, one of your wishes will come true”. Girl died before folding them all. After her death in Hiroshima was build a memorial and up until this day, people bring paper cranes to Sadako. I felt important to share this story, since I first heard about from my grandmother, and it was absolutely beautiful that author has used this legend about folding thousand paper birds in this book.

It’s a beautiful fairy-tale-like read. World of magic, beautiful characters (author was really detailed in describing looks), enchanting places, traditions, mythology, dragons, magical objects. Despite of many things and events being predictable, it just gives that vibe, the one full of magic.

My favourite character in this book was Seryu, sea dragon with green hair and ruby eyes. He brought sense of something new and fresh in this retelling. I guess the second book will be mainly about Dragons, that makes me extremely excited and curious, as I genuinely have no idea what to expect, since author is full of surprises! Especially since book two is taking us to the Undersea. 🙂

Main character Shiori, is a strong-willed girl. But what I didn’t enjoy in this book was repetitiveness. So many times, author mentioned that Shiori is able to cook only one dish, hates to embroider etc. I also wished that Shiories magic was explained more, we got some explanation towards the end, just not enough. I hope that she will use more of it in the book two.

And the star of this book, Kiki, the paper bird, which Shiori enchanted and made her alive! It was kind of childish, but really adorable. Something new for sure.

Despite this story being like a throwback into my childhood, I believe that many people will love it. It’s heart-warming, naïve, but endearing tale. Just what is needed in these weird and unhappy times.

Thank you Hodder & Stoughton for provided copy in exchange for my honest review.

Happy reading.

A perfectly woven tale of adventure, identity, and culture. I found myself rereading passages as the prose was so beautiful it needed to be appreciated twice.

THIS BOOK IS A SOLID 4.5!!
I loved the story. Much more than the Spin The Dawn duology frankly, even though this story exists in the same world as the previous. I felt with Unravel the Dawn, the story went more MG than YA. but thankfully it wasn't the case with this storyline!!
The female protagonist, Shiori is a very relatable character. Groaning under the yoke of princess duties and decorum, she yearned to be free and so is very rebellious in her youth. But when she and her 6 brothers are placed under a curse by her sorceress stepmother, she gains maturity and insight and fights back true evil.
It was beautiful to see Shiori's journey, from a pampered princess to a strong woman. I liked Takkan though i felt he was pretty flat as a character and maybe the second book will bring in more depth to him,
Seryu as the mercurial dragon who helps Shiori learn more about her forbidden magic, is someone who should've been given more role in the story.. I really want to know more about him! Hopefully the second book will hold more of him :)
Thank you Netgalley for the arc!

Six Crimson Cranes follows the story of Shiori, a princess who is cursed by her stepmother - her 6 brothers are all turned into cranes and for every sound/word Shiori speaks one of them will die. We follow Shiori on her journey as she is banished and must scrape by from the bottom in order to survive, all while trying to break the curse and being thwarted by various other factions.

Raikama, Shiori's stepmother, is a fascinating character. She was probably my favoruite side character, firstly I'm always here for a milf, especially a villainous one but additionally seeing more of her character as the book progresses and learning more of her vunerablities was both heartbreaking and an interesting look into the human pscyhe and the choices that women are sometimes forced to make. The slow reveals of Raikama's true intentions was very well done in my opinion and added an extra dimesion to the story.

Shiori as a character was also realy fun to follow. She is someone who is sometimes a bit too curious and mischevious for her own good, who is also adamant she doesn't want to be forced into marriage as the carefree youngest daughter of the king. Throughout the book we see her learn some important life lessons and become a lot more selfless and caring. I also really liked her relationship with her brothers, this was one of the main driving forces of the story and I'm a sucker for any sort of sibling/family dynamic.

I also really enjoyed the romance in this book, I'm a sucker for the case of mistaken identities trope/someone hiding who they really are and this book delivers!! Also I always love the cinnamon roll love interests and I thought Lord Takkan was such a sweetie and you could see how much he cared for Shiori. I also loved his little sister Megari, she was such a cute character. Initially I thought the romance would be a different pairing, but I'm curious if there will be a love triangle in book 2 or if Seryu is just a friend. On that point I also really liked Seryu as a character, he is a dragon and shows up to help Shiori with the more magical side of things. He was very cheeky and you got the sense there was a lot he wasn't telling us so I'm excited to see more of him in book 2.

Having just read the Spin the Dawn duology, I was pleasantly surprised to discover this book is actually set in the same world just on a different continent. It also sort of follows the origin story of one of the characters from thta series, I won't say much more than that because of spoilers but if you have read the duology then the last line will have you screaming!!! I also thought this novel was a significant step up from her first duology. The characters are a lot better fleshed out and less one dimesional, the plot is more confident and well paced and the writing is just as good as her first books - it's very transportive and lyrical. I also really liked the mythology that was woven in, especially the story of the moon-lady, it just added an extra element of magical atmosphere and whimsy.

In conclusion this is a really fun book, perfect if you are looking for a great YA read that explores family, friendship and making sacrifices for your loved ones.

Six Crimson Cranes was every bit as magical as Spin the Dawn (which I loved) - and set in the same world but in a different country and earlier. Our heroine is Shiori, princess of Kiata. When we first meet her, she is a little spoiled, very impetuous, and reluctant to face the fact that she and her six elder brothers are growing up and can't spend their time together in childish pursuits forever. To the point where she runs away from her own betrothal ceremony. Shiori's stepmother discovers that she has forbidden magic and places Shiori and her brothers under a curse. Her brothers are turned into cranes, and Shiori is left with a wooden bowl on her head to block her magic and hide her face. If she makes any sound at all, one of her brothers will die.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this story beyond the setup, but the plot flows naturally and I never felt bored or like events were happening just to fill plot space. I love when a story is clearly well crafted and plot points fit together in hindsight. Even one reveal that didn't seem to be signposted still didn't feel like it had come completely out of nowhere, as is so often the case. And Elizabeth Lim's writing is as beautiful and easy to read as ever.

A magical, fairy tale like plot, characters you'll want to root for and enough sumptuous food descriptions to make you hungry - what's not to love?

I really enjoyed this book, I’ve been meaning to read Six Crimson Cranes for a while and I’m glad I finally got round to it!
Shiori is a spoilt, rather immature and impulsive princess who, alongside her 6 brothers, is cursed by her Stepmother Raikama. Her brothers are turned into 6 cranes and she has a walnut bowl fixed to her head hiding her identity and is banished, if she speaks one word, one brother will die. What follows next is Shiori’s journey to finding her brothers and breaking her Stepmothers’s curse.

What I particularly enjoyed about this book was the character development. Shiori is frustrating at the start of this book, she is impulsive and gets in trouble and doesn’t really think about the consequences on her or others. Throughout the book though she is humbled, she is no longer treated like a princess, in fact she is called a demon by many people who worry what the bowl is hiding in her eyes. She must work, hard manual labour, she has no privilege, no admirers lost in her looks and status, she is just ‘Lina’ and you see her grow into an inspiring, brave woman on the page.
I also loved how the romance was handled, it’s a slow burner and it’s incredibly charming. A lot of romance puts me off in YA because it’s more lust than anything and it becomes the no.1 priority in the story. In this, Shiori meets Takkan, he can only see half her face and she doesn’t focus on his looks either. It’s refreshing to see a book not so focused on looks, Takkan’s kindness is written as his sexiest quality, he doesn’t brood or smirk (rare qualities in YA), he writes stories and sings and wishes for love. It’s a respectful, sweet take when I’m pretty bored of the usual instant gratification and I really enjoyed their moments together, and while Shiori clearly cares for him, the plot doesn’t change to become their romance.
In fact family is an equal, if not greater, love story in this book. Shiori’s love for her brothers, and their love for her, as well as a complex relationship with Raikamaa, make this book multi layered. And even though technically Shiori can’t speak, she speaks through her paper bird Kiki who I love with all my heart.

I enjoyed the world building, the pacing is pretty good in that this isn’t a big book but a lot happens, and I’m assuming there is a sequel in the works?

A few minor things, I didn’t really understand how the bowl worked. The bowl covers Shiori’s eyes but through magic she can see through it. But in a world where magic is considered rare, people don’t seem surprised that she can see. Also I could never picture the bowl curse in my head and how it fit, for example there are times when she’s instructed to cover it with a scarf to not draw attention but it’d literally covering her eyes ...
Also the dragon addition. I got the sense that this is setting up for another book but Seryu just didn’t add anything to the book or the plot really but took up quite a bit of pages. Raikama was, for me, the most interesting character and I would have loved more of her. That’s minor criticism though, like I said, I get dragons will play a bigger role in the next instalment and it’s better to have them introduced here.

Thank you NetGalley for the copy to review, I really enjoyed the adventure