Shiori is the seventh child and only daughter of Emperor Hanariho. She has been doted on and spoiled by everyone her entire life. Shiori loves her family and her life in Gindara, and the last thing she wants is to go through with her betrothal to “some barbarian lord of the third rank,” and move away to Iro. Everything changes the day she discovers her step-mothers secret and a curse is placed on Shiori and her six brothers. Her brothers are condemned to live as cranes by day while Shiori’s identity is concealed and for every word she utters one brother will die.

I have always loved fairytale retellings so I was so excited for this one and it did not fail. I really enjoyed the eastern take on this traditional European fairytale. While I did find the plot to have a strange pace, I really enjoyed the author's writing style and found the book to be a very easy read.

While I found Shiori to be quite stuck up and shallow in the beginning I really loved the familial bond and undeniable love she shared with her brothers. One of my favourite developments in this book was the character arc’s and Shiori’s growth throughout her unpredictable hardships was quite admirable. When Takkan first meet’s Shiori he has no idea she is the girl who ran from their betrothal. I really enjoyed watching him fall for Shiori and watching their friendship develop despite Takkan knowing her true identity. Takkan is kind and loyal to his friends and family, which is quite refreshing compared to the usual brooding male in YA fantasies.

Despite really enjoying this book for the most part, there are a few little things that I didn’t like so much. First of all, I am so over the classic mean girl character that instantly hates on and belittles the protagonist for absolutely no reason. This character has been overdone in YA novels and I am ready for authors to be done with it. I also don’t know how Shiori could convey so many words and even whole sentences at times without uttering a single word. I really can’t imagine so many people being so good at lip reading.

Overall I really enjoyed this story and I cannot wait for the second book in this duology to be released (long wait, I know). I found myself completely lost within this story and at times could not put it down. If you are a fan of fairytale retellings, the arranged marriage trope and magical quests then I highly recommend you add this book to your TBR.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton for graciously providing me with this eARC.

With thanks to netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton

Six crimson cranes is a retelling of the six swans. Six crimson cranes is a great book that I really enjoyed and I'm sure it will become a best seller.

Six Crimson Cranes is Elizabeth Lim's retelling of a familiar Grimm Brother's tale, the Six Swans. Lim transports the reader to an East Asian inspired fantasy kingdom where a spoiled princess is desperate to hide the forbidden magic that runs through her veins. On the day of her betrothal ceremony she slips and loses control of her magic unleashing a chain of events that sees her brothers cursed and transformed into six cranes by their stepmother while she flees the royal palace under a curse of her own that silences her by ensuring that one of her brothers will die each time she speaks. Her quest to find her brothers will see her facing dragons and assassins while uncovering a threat to the kingdom and learning to embrace the magic within and her true destiny.
This was a beautiful retelling of the original story, similar enough to have the warmth of familiarity but original enough to be surprising . While the character of Shiori'amna , the princess , is a little difficult to warm to at first, as the reader spends more time with her on her quest it becomes easier to root for her, especially as her experiences humble her and rub off some of her more abrasive edges. While there is a romantic aspect to the book, the relationships that really stand out are those of Shiori and her brothers, and also Shiori and her stepmother, who is one of the most interesting secondary characters in the book. From the way this book ended I assume there is a sequel in the works, as it certainly feels like there is more of this story to be told. That being said there is a satisfactory conclusion to this book, so readers will not feel short changed I think.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

I have yet to read Elizabeth Lims other books that she has written but when I heard about this I knew I had to read it, and I'm so glad I did. The writing was so amazing. I love Shuri and her relationship with her brothers and kiki. I also like that this story give me an insight into asain folklore. I couldn't put the book down because I found the book to be intriguing to read about. I love the plot of the book which isn't something that I have read about previously in another book which is amazing because of how unique Six Crimson Cranes is. I loved the character development of Shuri throughout the book and the plot twist that was near the end of the book was amazing. I read this book all in one day and I loved it and can't wait for the second book to come out.

I enjoyed the Blood of the Stars duology, but Six Crimson Cranes didn't work for me. The voice felt very young for YA and the plot felt rather meandering. It didn't have the drive or momentum Spin the Dawn kicked off with. As an aside though, Tran Nguyen's cover is stunning, and I love how it goes with the other books.

I've been on a bit of an Elizabeth Lim roll recently, working my way through her previous duology and then this read this year. I love her writing style so much, and the magic in this book felt super unique. I love the fairytale of The Six Swans and this was a super unique reimagining. I'd have liked to have seen the characters expanded on a little more, it got a little repetitive in parts and almost like the characters hadn't been fleshed out well enough (we get it, Shiori hates embroidery) but overall this was a super immersive & fun read, and I'm looking forward to the next instalment.

Six Crimson Cranes was such an enchanting story, filled with magic, family and hope that truly brought a smile to my face. The first of a new YA fantasy duology by Elizabeth Lim, it follows Shiori, the only princess of Kiata, a Chinese and Japanese inspired world, among her six brothers, a cheery young woman, however with a strong aversion to her betrothed, so much that on the day of her betrothal ceremony, she loses control of forbidden magic she has, causing her and her brothers to be cursed. Shiori is banished, and warned not to utter a word, or one of her six brothers who had been turned into cranes would die. As she journeys to break the curse, she then uncovers and even greater conspiracy to take back power. dramatic music plays

I’ve only read one other of Lim’s novels: Spin the Dawn which is pitched as “Project Runway meets Mulan”. However, between Spin the Dawn and Six Crimson Cranes I could draw so many similarities, and one of them being how the main character is crafted, something which Lim greatly excels and has my respect for.

Similar to Maia from Spin the Dawn, Shiori is an innocent girl, with no exposure to the vices of the world. Being the only daughter with six elder brothers, she starts off rather childish, misbehaving and ruining plans of the kingdom with regards to the arranged marriage as an alliance. She is quite impulsive at times, but in her you could see her love for her brothers especially radiate.

That pure love for her family was one of the reasons why Shiori’s character arc was so resonant. With the curse of her brothers turning into cranes, her vow of silence, a bowl concealing her face and many other obstacles thrown in her path, it is easy to see how someone as self-centred at first as Shiori would give up easily. And yet she doesn’t. She constantly reminds herself of her family, and lets that motivate her, as well as ingrain in her that notion of always choosing hope even in the dark. Through the span of Six Crimson Cranes, Shiori grows into such an empathetic, reflective and loving young woman and her journey was fleshed out with so much emotion and heart.

Apart from establishing this complex, ever-growing main character that is Shiori, Elizabeth Lim also throws in many more delightful characters (of which many have caused my heart to go wild). Kiki, the paper bird was a great source of both wisdom and dry humour, as well as grounding and redmining Shiori of her purpose. Shiori’s brothers with their differing personalities yet tight-knitted spirit and love for their sister, reminded me of why we need more of this familial love in YA books (though I was terrified for their survival throughout the book, ugh feelings). Takkan, was quite the subversion of expectations and I loved the gentle, hopeful nature he brought to Six Crimson Cranes, as well as his contribution to the spin on the ‘arranged marriage” trope. And oh Seryu, how could I not grow fond of him?

One of the most striking elements of Six Crimson Cranes for me would be the retelling aspect. Six Crimson Cranes draws inspiration from the German fairytale: The Wild Swans, whereby a young woman must sew six shirts from a painful nettle plant in order to save her brothers from a curse. Six Crimson Cranes managed to twist that fairytale beautifully into its storyline, and weave it into something even more dramatic, grandiose and just an epic subversion of expectations.

Through her lyrical, lilting prose, Elizabeth Lim paces the story extremely well, something that I thought was a vast improvement from that of Spin the Dawn. Though there were definitely some parts that were a tad bit too coincidental or lucky to believe, I felt that the storyline which was packed with magic, dragons, curses and quests, as well as several myths, some of which I find familiar and would guess at them being Chinese inspired, was incredible!

Overall, Six Crimson Cranes was such a heartfelt tale of cranes, of curses, and also of family and of hope! Would definitely recommend this YA fantastical retelling by Elizabeth Lim that comes out tomorrow!

Six Crimson Cranes is an enchanting, beautifully written retelling filled with fairytale magic. It was not so obvious as to where the plot was going - filled with so many twists and turns, and I loved trying to constantly guess where things were going. I was hooked from start to finish.

Shiori is a very strong main character, and becomes easily likeable as you watch her journey unfold and character develop. I also loved Shiori’s relationships with the other characters in the book, especially her brothers. The familial relationships were actually one of my favourite parts of the book, I found that there was a lot of emotional depth and I felt moved at several points (the ending did in fact make me cry a little). I am also deeply in love with Takkan (the love interest), he is SO sweet and their slow burn romance was worked so beautifully into the story.

I can’t wait for the sequel to come out and will definitely be rereading this book several times before then, six crimson cranes becoming one of my favourite 2021 reads.

This book really did have it all, and I would recommend to anyone looking for a fast paced, fascinating fantasy with a focus on family relationships, curses, dragons, arranged marriage trope, slow burn and lots of magic <3

I'll never tire of fairy tale re-tellings. Ever.

And Elizabeth Lim knows how to write them.

To be honest, whether you are familiar with the fairy tale that inspired Six Crimson Cranes or not isn't all that important because this story manages to stand very much on its own.

Princess Shiori lives in a kingdom where magic is forbidden. Problem is, magic runs through her veins. Trying to hide from her betrothed, she falls into the pond and encounters a dragon. Of course, most dismiss it as her way of acting out, her way of trying to get out of the arranged marriage to a prince she considers to be a 'barbarian' (tiny spoiler, he's not).

Thing is, Shiori isn't all that likeable and nice, at the beginning of the story. And that is very much okay because she's pretty much a spoiled kid that needs to grow up. And when she accidentally finds out her stepmother is hiding one hell of a secret that gets her and her brothers cursed, she's in for one interesting journey and self-growth.

I have to admit, the pacing wasn't the best - I think that would be my only complaint. It also felt like, at times, there was just telling, then suddenly we had some showing, as well. But I really did enjoy Shiori's arc and development and the moments spent with Takkan, and the entire fairy tale feel to it. The ending wasn't the cliffhanger to end all cliffhangers, but I'm still very much looking forward to reading the second book and hoping some things I fear won't happen.

If you know me and read the book, you'll know what I mean. 'Tis my most hated trope.

So, magic and curses and enemies to lovers and dragons. If you're a fan of any one of these, do add this book to your TBR/read it!

I voluntarily agreed to read an early copy via Netgalley and my rating is 4.5 - 5 stars.

Let me begin by asking this question: what is your comfort book?

That question is one of the many I have seen a lot ever since I joined the book community back in 2018. I have fun seeing all the answers and the reasons why people chose a particular book to be their comfort book. I didn’t particularly know what comfort book meant; all I gathered is that a comfort book is the one that you’d come back to over and over when you need to feel safe and content. I hadn’t found my comfort book then but I have now and let me gush about it in this review.

Six Crimson Cranes is another astounding work by Elizabeth Lim, a fantasy reimagining of The Wild Swans woven with East Asian folklore. We follow the journey of Princess Shiori. Being the youngest of seven and the only princess of the realm, her life has been set when she was betrothed to a lord of the third rank from a faraway land. Determined to escape her doomed fate, Shiori folded paper cranes so the gods might hear her desperate pleas for an escape.

Her wish became true when on the day of her betrothed ceremony with Lord Bushian’s son, she dived into the Sacred Lake and saw a dragon. That event is the starting point for Shiori’s life to turned upside-down. Not only she met a dragon that no one had seen in centuries, but Shiori also discovered that her stepmother—Raikama—has magic and seemed to plan to rule Kiata.

But revealing her stepmother’s secret was no easy deal because when Shiori was about to tell the world, she and her brothers were cursed by Raikama. Stripped from her title and having her magic locked, Shori has to find a way to save her kingdom and her family from Raikama. Little did she know, there is a bigger danger looming over Kiata.

Having enjoyed the Spin the Dawn duology, I had no doubt Six Crimson Cranes would steal my heart as well. Aside from the blurb, another reason why I requested an e-ARC is the cover. Illustrated by the talented Tran Nguyen, who could say no to such beauty? When I got my hands on the e-ARC, it was like a dream come true because it is one of my anticipated releases in July 2021. All of my excitement was met with a beautiful story that exceeds any expectations I had.

One of the things, why I enjoyed Lim’s works so much, is because her writing captivated me with its choice of words and managed to craft a vibrant fantasy world that is both enchanting and unique. Combined that talent with lively, unforgettable characters and you get a story that left a deep and strong impression.

The Wild Swans is the core of the tale but I couldn’t imagine this book would be as memorable as it is now if it didn’t draw from East Asian folklore as well. The intertwining of western and east fairy tales only enhances the world-building and added endless possibilities for this fantasy duology to grow.

In Spin the Dawn duology, I found myself not attached to the characters. It felt like there is still distance because I couldn’t fully connect with them. That’s not the case with Six Crimson Cranes. Through her struggles and thoughts, every page brought me closer to Shiori. Started as a naive and spoiled princess, she grew into a hard-working, strong, dependable, and caring young lady. I couldn’t be prouder of her!

Aside from Shiori, other characters were also showing notable growth and potential that makes me excited to meet them again in the sequel. I was particularly taken by Kiki. As a paper bird made from Shiori’s magic, Kiki’s comforting presence and hilarious quips managed to capture my heart. And because I don’t want to get on the Dragon King’s favorite grandson's bad side (also because he’s awesome, but don’t tell him that or he’ll brag about it nonstop), Seryu’s wit and charm is one of the highlights of this book.

Another highlight of Six Crimson Cranes and the reason why I’m so taken by this book is the strong family bond. Shiori and her six brothers’ journey as siblings warmed my heart. They bickered and fought but through the struggles, their love for each other grew. In the end, it seems like nothing could separate them, they became tighter more than ever.

These days, it’s rare to find romance in YA fantasy books that are pure but still have the perfect amount of yearning. Six Crimson Cranes captured the enemies-to-friends-to-lovers trope perfectly. Shiori and Takkan’s slow-burn relationship never failed to tugged my heart and brighten up my day. And I’d like to take a moment to appreciate Takkan for being one of the gentlest, kindest, and softest love interests ever. We deserve more male characters like him in YA fantasy.

Overall, I’m in love with Six Crimson Cranes. This has officially become my comfort read that I’d come back to time and again, and still enjoying it every time. Its otherworldly story combined with epic world-building and lovable characters, it felt like I was reading a fairy tale. I bawl my eyes out at the painful yet beautiful ending. Thankfully, there was no cliffhanger to worry about even though it is the first installment in a duology. Cannot wait for the sequel!

I recommend this book for those who are looking for a similar read to Spin the Dawn, The Wrath, and the Dawn, and Flame in the Mist. This is a perfect book to dive into when you want to escape reality and be enthralled by the magical tale. Please note that Six Crimson Cranes is a young adult book so do not expect any explicit or extreme violent scenes.

Shiori, the only princess of Kiata, is cursed by her stepmother Raikama, along with her six brothers. Banished from their lands, Shiori's brothers by day turn to six cranes, while Shiori has to wear a bowl on her head and not speak a word or her brothers will die. She embarks on the adventure of searching for her brothers and breaking the curse.

What I loved....EVERYTHING.

- Thank heavens that none of the characters were stupid or annoying. From the main characters to the side ones, the writer did such a great job of giving everyone their own personality. Kiki, the paper bird, obviously takes the Throne! Takkan as well!
- The love story here is absolutely adorable.
- I loved the setting the writer created, through telling myths and stories of their world, through the Winter & Summer festivals, the clothing, the food...
- The pacing was fantastic, there wasn't a single boring minute and everything flowed smoothly.
- It wasn't predictable and I really look forward to reading the second book in this series. I was satisfied with the conclusion, but tickled to know where the story will go.
- Since this is a retelling, it had this fairy tale quality that I really enjoyed.

If you love fairy tale retellings, you'd really love this one. It was magical.

I enjoyed, but wasn't a huge fan of Elizabeth Lim's previous work 'Spin the Dawn', so I had somewhat tempered expectations for 'Six Crimson Cranes'. However, I really enjoyed this book, as I felt that it took all of the elements from 'Spin the Dawn' that I had loved (such as the fairy tale-like atmosphere, lyrical world-building and strong female protagonists) but improved on them.

Shiori's development through 'Six Crimson Cranes' was probably my favourite element of this book - her change from spoiled, mischievous girl to a powerful and courageous woman felt realistic and developed at a solid pace. The romance also felt more grounded in this book than in 'Spin the Dawn'.

If I had one complaint about this book, I would say that I felt the brothers could have had a little more development - they were somewhat indistinguishable from each other (with the exceptions of a few of them, such as Hasho).

If you enjoyed 'Spin the Dawn', but didn't quite love it, I would definitely recommend giving 'Six Crimson Cranes' a shot, as I felt that Lim has greatly improved since that first novel.

I have had this book on my radar since the end of last year, and I was so glad to be approved for an eARC of it. The story is based on the fairy tale of the Six Swans by the Brothers Grimm, and this was one that I was not familiar with before hand, and I think I preferred coming to it fresh, without preconceptions. Since finishing Six Crimson Cranes, I have read the original fairytale, and can appreciate the way that Elizabeth Lim has taken this simple tale and breathed new life into it. Firstly, the greatest difference is the setting, which is inspired by East-Asia, and incorporates East-Asian style mythology within in.

It is told through the perspective of Shiori, the princess, and I loved the way Lim developed her character; she has an entertaining and endearing narrative voice, and though she must remain silent for a lot of the novel, her character still comes across strongly. There were never moments when I felt that the book needed dialogue to feel more real, because Shiori has her inner thoughts, and is also very good at communicating through body language with those around her.

The other characters also felt very strong, and I enjoyed them all. Shiori’s six brothers were very fun whenever they were on the page, and it might be the fact that I have four siblings that makes me appreciate their interactions even more. It felt very realistic of having siblings, that closeness combined with the constant frustration. There is some romance in the book, but the focus is definitely on familial relationships, and I found that to be so important, especially in the YA fantasy genre, where whirlwind romances are rife. Having said that, I really enjoyed the romance, it was very sweet and exactly what the book needed.

I do have one complaint, and that is that on occasional it felt as if things happened because they were convenient for the plot, and while there is an element of fate to the story, it did make certain moments less believable. That is a small complaint, however, and the worldbuilding and character development made up for it. And the food! Food definitely holds an important place in Shiori’s story, and I loved the descriptions of the dishes throughout. I’ve seen lots of reviews of books that talk about food and how reading made them hungry, but this was the first book that made me notice this element so much, and I really enjoyed it!

I’d certainly recommend this book for teenagers and adults, as I think the only thing that would make it a YA is the age of the main character. It was a great read and I will definitely be picking up the second book next year to see how Shiori’s tale ends.

This is a charming fairy tale retelling which I found utterly captivating. Forbidden magic (yes please), underwater mischievous dragons, enchanted animal companions, a wicked stepmother, curses, legends, conspiracies, betrayals - this story was packed full yet never felt rushed. The writing style and storytelling is top notch.

From the very first paragraph I was hooked, and by the second page I was already invested in Shiori's relationship with her brother Hasho - not many books can do this so quickly.

I though all the characters were brilliant and unique. The wicked stepmother Raikama is so morally grey and it was intriguing not knowing her motives. Takkan is a wonderful male character; sincere, kind, thoughtful - a great role model to have as a main part of this story.
Shiori is the main character and the story is told in first person from her point of view. I loved her - her character growth was quite remarkable, yet it all felt natural and believable (magic fairy tale aside) and I literally did not want to put this book down - every page I had to know what happened next to her. I even found myself dreaming about this book!
One of my favourite aspects of this story was the strong sibling bond between Shiori and her brothers - it was really refreshing to see a story centred on sibling love and I appreciated how genuine they were- from their bickering, to their patience and their ferocious desire to look out for one another.
I also thoroughly enjoyed all the exquisite food references -'rabbit shaped cookies filled with sweet red beans, skewers of rice cake stuffed with fresh peaches or melon paste, sugar candies shaped into tigers and bears' -Shiori is always hungry, which I can definitely relate to!! It made this world all the more seductive to me.

I adored this book. If you love strong female characters, beautiful world building, soft magic, slow burn romance, adventure, enchanting animal companions and heartfelt relationships then I really cannot recommend this book enough!

*Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for sending me an ARC in return for an honest review*

A beautiful, gripping, immersive retelling of The Grimm Brothers’ ‘The Six Swans’. Dragons, princes and princesses, snakes, a stepmother with her own forbidden powers and a story full of twists.

I have never read anything by Elizabeth Lim but the minute I finished this book I went straight to order her Blood of Stars duology!!

This book was a magical but powerful fairytale. It was fast-paced and had so many things to love, from its setting to its plot to its characters.

Shiori’anma is a princess of Kiata has magical powers that she fears others will discover. One day she meets a shape-shifting dragon who helps her to harness her power. When she sees something she isn’t meant to her, stepmother (also a powerful enchantress) banishes her and turns her six prince brothers into cranes. She cannot be recognised and she cannot utter a sound or her brothers will die.

There are multiple forces working against Shiori and against each other and she must fight to return to her brothers and break the curse with the help of her paper crane, which she has bought to life, a dragon boy and the man whose betrothal she never wanted.

If you think you are enjoying the first half of this book JUST WAIT for the huge twist in the latter! I never saw it coming and adored the direction that the plot went in. The world building was incredible and I fell in love with the fairytale feeling from beginning to end.

The characters definitely made this story. Especially Shiori, her story of self discovery and character development was so empowering and I can’t wait to see more of her and Takkan.

The twists just kept coming towards the end and nothing is quite what it seems. The end was beautiful and I think it’s a great set-up for book two.

I don’t know quite how I will be able to wait for the second instalment of the duology! Definitely one of my favourite fantasy books this year!

3,75/5 stars

I’ve heard so much about Elizabeth Lim and her books that I got curious and bought her other novel Spin the Dawn. But in true fashion, I haven’t read it yet and still couldn’t resist requesting her newest book, Six Crimson Cranes.

I went into this book quite blind as I knew nothing except that it drew inspiration from fairytales and East Asian folklore - it was enough to sell it to me to be honest.

I really really loved the world and magic Lim introduced in Six Crimson Cranes. It’s interesting and fascinating. I was a bit confused at first, not gonna lie, but everything gets explained and shown when it needs to. Moreover, the story was enjoyable, especially towards the middle and end, and I am curious to see what happens in the next book as the ending left us a bit on a cliffhanger.

Character wise, Six Crimson Cranes has got quite a few of them and my favourites would definitely be Kiki and Takkan. I liked our MC, Shiori, but I really didn’t understand her half the time and thus why I’m unsure regarding her.

First of all, my thanks to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The story is based on The Wild Swans fairytale although I imagine there are similar stories in other places too, this one is decidedly Asian but not enough that Western readers would notice more than the influence and the backdrop - the clothes, the names, the food, the festivals are there but it feels as if it’s written for English-speaking expectations.

The way the familiar story is manipulated is clever with a modern narrative touch, I can’t really say why without spoilers though! Shiori is a good narrator, engaging and self-aware enough to not be annoying. Elizabeth Lim’s pacing between action, introspection, and conversation (such as it is with Shiori’s voice out of commission) is pitched really well and the side characters have enough substance to be memorable for their appearances.

I knew the story, or at least the bones for it and I still enjoyed this one. It’s likeable in the way a lot of children’s/YA based on fairytales are, done well.

I meant to say: it starts with a dragon!!! I said there is little Asian that would be noticed casually, but there are aspects in the inclusion of dragons (in the sea), enchanters becoming demons (sealed in mountains) and probably other things I didn’t even pick up on.

I was a little nervous about this after reading the blood of stars duology - I liked the first book but not the second. However, this story gripped me from the start. Set in the same world as the blood of stars, we are introduced to Shiori who is a headstrong impulsive young princess with magic. Magic is banned from their country for some reason so when she discovers her stepmother is also a sorceress, she is bespelled and her brothers are turned into cranes. She is cursed to be unrecognisable and can’t speak as every word she utters will mean one of her brothers dies.

So begins the adventure of Shiori struggling to survive, save her brothers and destroy her stepmother. She meets all sorts of people, some kind and many cruel and mean to a girl they think is mute and weak. There is a lot of character development as Shiori grows into her own and goes from spoilt, self centred princess to brave, stoic, and caring Lina. It’s YA with a smidge of darkness - the stakes are real as Shiori has to suppress a lot of her feelings and joy for fearing of speaking or laughing by mistake and killing her brothers. There were also some very tense and sad bits.

Overall, I really enjoyed this and think a lot of people will too. Can’t wait to read the next book.

After the Blood of Stars duology I was very eager to read this new novel by Elizabeth Lim. It started quite enchanting and beautiful. Shiori is a very interested character from the start and her position in the family seems a little off, like she doesn't really belong within the walls of the castle. And soon it turns out that it's true. Because she as a spark of magic in her that no one may find out.

The beginning of the story took up more time than I expected, but then it happened: Shiori and her brothers get cursed by their stepmother. The events that follow after this are quite unique, a little bit strange but above all magical.

Elizabeth Lim really knows how to tell a story. A few passages take up quite some time, but her writingstyle is marvelous. She just knows how to keep the attention of the reader to the story and everytime something unexpected happens, you just want to keep reading to know where the story is going.

In the second half of the book, I got the feeling the story was a little long winded. Like it could've been two books. But then again, Elizabeth Lim showed us in Spin the Dawn, there are quite some events happening in her books. Same for this one. At one point, a lot already happened, but the story had a lot more in store.

Towards the end, in the last 100 pages, the pace got higher. The author still knew how to surprise me and I didn't have the slightest idea of how the story would end. Magical creatures, curses, intrigues and beautiful stories all come together at the end. When everything started to fall in place, some events felt a little bit rushed through, but with one final surprising turn of events, you just want to know how the story will continue in the next book.

I read Six Crimson Cranes in one sitting, willing to sacrifice precious sleep to finish this new story by Elizabeth Lim. The retelling of the six swans fairy tale takes on a fresh new take, with a strong strong female lead and a refreshing Asian influenced setting.

I have to admit I almost did not read this book. The beginning felt rushed to me, with Shiori our main character seeming to leap left and right (and literally into a lake) in her attempts to evade her engagement - leaving me somewhat confused and annoyed with her antics. Characters are introduced at breakneck speed, making it impossible to distinguish between all six brothers. To be fair, it was always a tall task for the author.

Thankfully, I persevered and got hooked fairly quickly. The story started to come together when Shiori and her brothers are cursed, and Shiori is sent on an epic journey to break the spell. There are surprising twists and turns, and I especially liked how the author handled the step mother story-line. Of course, there is a slow burn romance (which no proper young adult fantasy novel can do without) that is sweetly interlaced in the storyline.

The ending sets up our main heroine for a fantastic new adventure, which I am very much looking forward to! I would strongly recommend this read, especially for fans of Sarah J. Mass.