Elizabeth Lim once again shows her prowess as a storyteller. She weaves a rich tapestry of complex and nuanced characters within a detailed and nuanced world. She is able to blend the familiarity of the fairytale we know with a diverse new world masterfully, and I am excited to see where the characters will take us in the second book.

*Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing me an eARC of this book, all opinions are my own*

I have heard so many good things about the author's books and they have been on my TBR for very long, so when I saw 'Six Crimson Cranes' I thought that this is the perfect opportunity to dive in Lim's work!

My actual rating 4.5 ⭐

plot- ''We follow Shiori the princess of Kiata on her journey to break her and her brothers' curse that her evil stepmother put them into, with Kiki, a small paper crane as her only companion. Things are very difficult as she must not speak to anyone because of every word that escapes her lips, one of her brothers will die.'' I found the plot very captivating and so quick paced, with every chapter making me want more. The story was very easy to follow, even though it was moving quickly (in a good way) and I was able to enjoy it at the same time! However, in the middle I feel like the pace stopped and nothing happened for around 100 pages which I then thought was boring..

characters- our main character Shiori was very relatable to me and she really had the wits, ready to do everything to save her brothers without giving up. Kiki the little paper crane aka her best friend was really one of my favourite side characters that added lots of fun in the story. Seryu, the dragon boy also was interesting and to be honest I wanted to see a lot more of him than we did (hopefully in the second book). Takkan was one of those 'sweethearts' characters that are really fun but he wasn't my favourite.. There were also other side characters that I found engaging reading about but I will not get in details..

romance- okay I'm not gonna lie, romance is not the main focus of the novel BUT it confused me a lot! I firstly thought that (MINOR SPOILER?) Seryu was the love interest as there were hints of romance between him and then main character but then it was obvious that the romance was more into Takkan's side? I had gotten used to Seryu being the love interest and all the sudden romance with Takkan kinda disappointed me cause i wasn't a big fan of it but I actually ended up liking it!! Also I've read a few reviews where people said that they are sensing a love triangle ahead on the sequel which I hope it doesn't happen because i HATE love triangles. So yeah, but again romance is not the main focus, but Shiori's quest is!

Coming to the end of this review I really enjoyed this a lot and I'm looking so forward on what is going to happen in the sequel but the only reason I'm not giving this full stars is because of the sudden quick beginning and then that stop in the middle that nothing was happening but I feel it was more like a romance build up? That I didn't like and found boring.. However, this book is still on my mind and I find myself randomly thinking about it at times so please go give it a read, you are not going to be disappointed!!!

A beautifully written retelling, Six Crimson Cranes is the story of seventh child (and only daughter) Shiori, blessed with Forbidden magic. After discovering the dangerous truth about her stepmother, Shiori is cursed and removed from the Palace, unable to speak or be with her 6 brothers who have been turned into cranes.

This book was gripping right from the start! Excellent world building set up this incredible land and offers multiple directions for the plot to go, so that the constant twists are unexpected and engaging!

I loved reading this book and can't wait for more information on the sequel ... as much as I loved the ending, there is definitely more to tell!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

“A princess in exile. Six enchanted cranes. An unspeakable curse.”

After losing control of the forbidden magic she has always kept hidden and inadvertently ruining her betrothal ceremony, Shiori’anma the only Princess Of Kiata thinks she’s in luck.But postponing the wedding she didn’t ask for is the least of her problems,for her actions have drawn the attention of her stepmother, Raikama.

A powerful Sorceress, Raikama curses the princess and her six brothers, turning them into Cranes and warning Shiori never to speak a word of it to anyone—for every word she speaks, one of her brothers will die.

Voiceless, destitute and alone.Shiori searches for her brothers and uncovers a dark plot to seize the throne. In order to save her brothers and their kingdom she must put her trust in an enchanted paper bird, a mercurial dragon and the boy she was formerly betrothed to. Now she must embrace the magic she’s been taught to conceal— no matter the cost.

I absolutely loved this, it’s so utterly enchanting and beautifully written. It’s an East Asian YA fantasy retelling of The Six Swans and like Elizabeth Lim’s Blood of Stars duology, it’s captivatingly spellbinding.

Lim is such an incredible storyteller and her writing style is utterly breathtaking, it has such a beautifully fairytale-esque vibe,which I’m obsessed with. The world building was phenomenal and the setting, beautifully descriptive-from the Palace (it’s courtly rituals and celebrations) to the land beyond,it was truly immersive.

Shiori was a really relatable protagonist and her resilience was remarkable, I can honestly say it was very easy to empathise, especially after all she endures. The character development in Shiori from self-centred to selfless was really well written and enjoyable.

I also really liked Takkan (Shiori’s former fiancé), Kiki (Shiori’s paper crane) and Seryu (the mercurial dragon prince). I cannot wait for the sequel and after that emotionally charged,action-packed ending,I’m hoping we get to see more of Seryu and explore more of the world (and the dragons.)

Overall this was a wonderfully addictive fairytale inspired fantasy that I literally couldn’t put down. If you love YA Fantasy, Fairytale retellings and magic or are fans of Spin the Dawn and Unravel The Dusk then I urge you to read this— it’s simply spectacular!

Also, a huge thank you to Hodder&Stoughton and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was a beautifully written and vivid tale of magic, love and the lengths one will go for family. At first I was dettered by the voice of the narration (it comes across as a little childish, more middle grade than YA), but as the narrator, Shiori, grows, so does her narrative voice. She matures realistically over the course of the novel, and is as endearing as anything. Even when I didn't agree with her decisions, I was rooting for her and wishing for her success. I also adored how multilayered the main villain was. Her story was threaded beside Shiori's exquisitely, without making the characters seem flat or stereotypical.

This is an amazing story! I love how much asian folklore is included in it. Though it's a retelling, Lim has made this story her own, in a fully realised and original fantasy world. I can't wait to read the sequel!

This is a Chinese and Japanese inspired take on ‘wild swans, Six Swans, Twelve Swan Brothers’ type tales which originally inspired Hans Christian Anderson’s most famous version of the fairytale. Leaving aside the fact that no one will ever write a better version of this story that Juliet Marillier did in Daughter of the Forest (in my opinion), this was a really good retelling. Princess Shiori uses forbidden magic to get out of an unwanted betrothal, which arouses her step mother’s suspicions, prompting her to turn Shiori’s six brothers into cranes. The story then follows the main beats of the story but immersed in an Asian inspired fantasy world, pitching Shiori into an alliance with the very man she tried so hard not to marry. I really enjoyed this retelling. The pace was good, it was visually enchanting with shades of Studio Ghibli in its descriptions and Shiori’s journey from reckless hothead to someone wiser, more willing to expand her circle of trust is a lovely one. Recommended.

I enjoyed Elizabeth Lim's prose from Spin the Dawn and I'm super excited for this one!!

I will update the review with a link to our blog closer to publication date.
I'd like to thank the publisher and netgalley for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

What a beautiful and wonderful story! The writing is so delicate and powerful that I just couldn’t stop reading! I love re-telling of fairytales and how different authors make them their own and this did not disappoint.
The story follows Shiori, the only daughter of the Emperor as she tries to hide her forbidden magic. Shiori is betrothed to a distant prince who she doesn’t like and she tries her best not to marry him. On the day of her betrothal ceremony things go disastrously wrong and the ceremony is abandoned. Shiori’s happiness is short lived as her step mother makes her say sorry by making a tapestry for her former betrothed, but Shiori uses magic and her step mother starts to get suspicious.
One day Shiori decides to follow her stepmother where a scuffle ensues and Shiori and her brothers are cursed by their step mother - Shiori is sent far far away from the castle and told if she utters a word she will kill her brothers. Her six brothers have been turned into cranes and cannot find Shiori anywhere in the kingdom.
Shiori has to learn to survive on her own and try to get back to her brothers to break the curse. It takes her all over the kingdom, where she meets her former betrothed who helps where he can.
The book is full of adventure, magic and resilience and I would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys reading!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with early access to this book in exchange for an honest review!

As a child, I was absolutely obsessed with the fairytale of The Six Swans, which this book drew inspiration from, so I was super excited to read it! I'm absolutely loving this trend of retellings of lesser-known fairytales, and I think that Lim added an absolutely magical addition to that sub-genre of YA fantasy.

Six Crimson Cranes had a magical feeling about it that beautifully captured the emotions and wonder of hearing fairytales as a child. The protagonist, Shiori, was very engaging due to her own curiosity and hardiness. Often, when the main character is a disgraced princess, they have to go through this journey of self-discovery and unlearn all of their privileged habits and mindsets. While I enjoy seeing that as well, it was super refreshing to see a MC who just decided to get up and try again the literal second she took a hit and fell - we love seeing driven and solution-oriented protagonists in this house! I also loved her relationship with her six brothers, and the bonds she later on formed with other people. It all felt really genuine, when way too often, sibling relationships are written in a way that's just not quite relatable. In this book, I definitely got the feeling of mutual love but also great challenges because of how different siblings tend to be - and I loved that!

The setting was, as touched upon earlier, absolutely beautiful and magical. While it was quite well-developed, it was left vague at times, but I feel like that only added to the charm and fairytale feeling and was probably done intentionally. I, for one, cannot wait for the sequel to this, for the super intriguing part of the world we'll get to explore in it and the possible romantic shenanigans that might unfold.

Quality Rating: Four Stars
Enjoyment Rating: Five Stars

While it took a bit of time to win me over, I utterly loved Six Crimson Cranes. The fact that it's based on my favourite fairytale (though I'm familiar with the Irish version, traditionally known as 'The Children of Lir' and some other European variations) always helps, but this time Lim is retelling the beautiful Japanese version. I'm not well informed about what differs between the traditional versions of the two tales, but there was plenty familiar and plenty new to explore.

My initial reservations about this book came from Shiori being written with the intelligence of a twelve-year-old when she was apparently sixteen - there were several points in the first half of the book where her internal dialogue didn't make sense, was incorrect about information that Shiori had clearly been given, and just plain cliched or not thought through (phrases like 'don't say I didn't warn you,' 'why won't anyone believe me,' 'I must have imagined it' were scattered through needlessly). By the halfway point, there's a noticeable shift in Shiori's persona but I still don't think it was really necessary and I'm still not convinced it was a deliberate choice to paint her as so naïve to begin with.

That being said, the fact that from around 32%, I read the rest of the book in one sitting tells you all you need to know. It's not often I'll stay in bed late into the day reading, but Six Crimson Cranes had my full attention and I didn't want to put it down. Some of the twists were a little obvious, but the final one, while predictable, was still very satisfying. The slow-burn romance was engaging (and In liked that it doesn't weigh Shiori or her story down), the magic gradually becomes more layered without being too overly complex, and I loved how Lim weaved the tale into a much bigger epic at the end, with potential for more to come.

Lovers of fairytale retellings, of Asian folklore, and especially those in love with this particular tale in its various iterations like myself, will adore this book. It's full of lush Asian mythology and culture, compelling world-building and magic, and an entertaining cast of characters. Lim's finale strongly suggests there're more adventures for Shiori on the way, but she doesn't need to leave this one half-finished in order to make you want it immediately.

I’m pre-ordering a copy of this book as soon as I finish writing this review, that’s how much I loved this story.

I love retellings and pretty much anything with fairy tale vibes, so this was right up my alley and it didn’t disappoint. Six Crimson Cranes is a beautifully crafted story about magic, family bonds, love and embracing who you are.

We follow 16 year-old Shiori, the youngest of 7 siblings and only daughter of the Emperor of Kiata. The story starts the day of her betrothal ceremony, something she’d want to avoid at any cost (she’s somewhat of an entitled little brat at this point). Something else she’d want to avoid at all costs? Someone finding out she can wield magic.

Mix those two things together and she ends up jumping into a lake and almost drowning instead of meeting her betrothed. And who saves her? None other than a dragon (yes, there are drgons in this book, it just keeps getting better, I know). Of course, no one believes her, and she’s left to embroider a tapestry as an apology to her betrothed under her stepmother’s watch.

In between sewing, Shiori goes back to her signature mischief, running off to meet with Seryu (the aforementioned dragon) and basically sticking her nose where she should not. That’s how she discovers her stepmother is not who she seems to be. However, when she runs to her brothers to tell them all about their stepmother’ dark magic, they are turned into cranes and the young princess is banished to the farthest reaches of Kiata with a curse by which one of her brothers will die for every word she utters. Penniless, voiceless, and alone, Shiori searches for her brothers, and, on her journey, uncovers a conspiracy to overtake the throne and finds some unexpected allies.

The only critique I can give is that I felt like the pace of the first 30-40% was a little too fast. Everything that happened had an immediate solution, obviously not the whole curse thing, but the small things. For example, Shiori’s alone with no money and no roof over her head but only a couple pages later she already has a job and somewhere to sleep. It was good because it avoided the whole dragging at the beginning that many books suffer, but it was a little too fast for my liking.

Other than that, it was great. The world-building was fantastic, the fairytale vibes where there and, most importantly, I felt for the characters. I have a soft spot for Kiki; I absolutely loved Megari, I want to claim her as my best friend; and Takkan… As much as he was the cliché, perfect book boyfriend who will go to the ends of the world for our girl and die a thousand times over just to see her smile *eyeroll*, I didn’t care because he told the best stories and I want to marry him. What else do you want in life other than a boyfriend who tells you stories?

Also, have you seen this gorgeous cover? I thought the US cover was amazing, but this UK edition? Absolutely flawless.

I can’t wait to read the sequel and find out what mischief Seryu will be up to (is someone else sensing a love triangle in the making or is it just me?)

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the e-ARC in exchange of an honest and voluntary review.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

First things first, i loved it. Second, i would suggest reading the Spin the Dawn duology first as this books is about a legend within the world the auhtor created.
Shiori is the youngest of seven and princess of Kiata. Shiori loves her family with the exception of her stepmother who hates her. The encounter with a dragon leads to her discovering her stepmother's magic. This magic is the one that curses her to never speak a word as for each word she says one of her brothers - turned into cranes- would die. This sets Shiori in a heist to break the curse.

After having read the Spin the Dawn duology and Reflection by Elizabeth i knew that i would love this book, however i didn't expect to enjoy it as much as i did. The start was a little confusing and it seemed that everything happened really fast. I was scared the problem would be solved really early and then there would be another plot introduced but oh i was wrong. Lim knew exactly was she was doing and she made me both happy and broke my heart while doing it.

I loved the family relationships. Shiori's relationship with her brothers was really cute and even though i wanted to see more i could undertstand why we couldn't. The were cranes, how are they supposed to interact the way i wanted them to, right? Elizabeth made a relationship between a girl who could not speak and six cranes worl wonderully. Not only we have an amazing sibling relationship between Shiori and her brothers thought.
Takkan and her sister were really cute as well.

Talking about Takkan, i once again was scared of what would be the love relationship between Takkan and Shiori like but i was once again proven wrong. The author did really well describing their relationship and i loved their interactions. The romance was a slow-burn and we could see how Shiori was hesitant while it happened.

The ending warmed my heart and destroyed it at the same time. It was totally heartbreaken.

The only things i didnt like about this were the fast paced start and the path the story could take in the following book.

I wanted to love this book. I wanted to love it so dang much. I really enjoyed the Blood of Stars duology by Lim last year, and I was expecting this one to grab me in the same way. But unfortunately I just didn't feel the same love for this one...or any love

Based on the Grimm's fairytale, The Six Swans, this book follows Shiori, the only princess in her kingdom. When she accidentally reveals her forbidden powers, she is exiled from her kingdom. Not only that, but her six brothers are turned into majestic cranes by her evil stepmother, and only Shiori has the power to save them

The protagonist's internal voice, and actions, felt quite young and bordering on middle grade to me. Which is fine...except this is YA and she was dealing with issues such as arranged marriages and familial peril. The tone just didn't quite match for me and I found it quite jarring. I also didn't enjoy the writing as much compared to Spin the Dawn

I did really like the fairytale influences and vibe. Before starting reading I read the Grimms tale it's based on and having that context definitely helped increase my enjoyment and what I got from the story

I did really enjoy Seyru as a character. What more could I ask for than a mysterious shape-shifting dragon boy. I wish we'd gotten more of him, and I'd even love a spin-off of his story

"Surround yourself with those who’ll love you always, through your mistakes and your faults. Make a family that will find you more beautiful every day, even when your hair is white with age.”

This book was beautiful. Full of folk tale vibes with wicked step-mothers, magical dragons and cursed princesses but also so wonderfully inspired by east Asian myth and culture. I spent half of my childhood in Hong Kong and there were so many lovely little aspects that I remember hearing growing up and it was so nice to see it incorporated.

Shiori is the sixteen-year-old, seventh daughter of the emperor and, unfortunately, she has magic. Not something to advertise when magic is banned. So Shiori keeps it secret and spends her days getting into mischief with a paper crane, Kiki, she’s brought to life, since her brothers began to ditch her for their princely duties. Until Shiori herself is stuck doing one of those pesky princess obligations, marrying some man, the mysterious Takkan, for her father’s convenience. Except their meeting ceremony does not go to plan, as in she doesn’t meet him and instead ends up jumping into a lake and meeting a dragon, Seryu. A prince in his own right, Seyru offers to teach Shiori magic, in between the apology tapestry that she’s forced by her step-mother, Raikama, for Takkan. Under her watchful eye, Shiori realises she’s not the only member of the family with magic, so does Raikama. After an explosive confrontation, Shiori is left stranded across the empire, with her six brothers transformed into cranes and a curse upon her that means for every word she speaks one of her brothers will die. Penniless and voiceless, Shiori must find a way to undo the curse, free her brothers and takedown Raikama for the future of the kingdom.

The book leans more towards the middle-grade side of young adult than the new-adult side, there’s very little sexual content or gore, it felt very much like reading a PG traditional fairy tale. This partly influenced my rating, four instead of five stars, because it comes across a little simplistic at times, and thus a touch predictable, and lacking in some gritty development.

Yet, there’s definitely some clear instances of character development. Shiori starts off spoiled and immature but through hardship and battle, she develops into a brave and mature young woman. There’s a scene where she’s forced to sew up a wound, despite her horrific tapestry skills, that immediately comes to mind and just proves how far she’s come. The brother’s feature in and out as well but I don’t feel like we get acquainted enough to really get to know them better. The main other character we really get to see develop is Raikama and I loved how much this influenced the story into a three-dimensional female empowered tale. Although this book also contained romance, it was the family focus that really stood out for me.

Honestly, I didn’t expect the romance. I was mildly interested whether the dragon prince strutting in signalled the start of something, but their relationship seemed to stay firmly in the mentor-mentee category. Then there was Takkan. Ah the mysterious suitor that left after he was spurned before Shiori could even meet him, only to turn up again in a tavern where she’s working as a cook. He’s looking for the missing royal children and as much as she wants to reveal herself, Shiori’s curse restrains her. Their relationship ends up being this funny, sweet and fairly wholesome thing that I didn’t realise would come about. This was down to the plot.

I devoured this story because it was easy to get into and it had a great pace. There were so many little details that ended up playing a large role and so many twists and turns, and yes as I mentioned previously there were parts that were a little predictable, but some weren’t. This is because everything had a purpose, every reveal, every setback or surprise was important and the more I realised that, the more I wanted to know why and get to the heart of the tale.

Six Crimson Cranes is definitely addictive, and I cannot wait for the next instalment.

Six Crimson Cranes, Elizabeth Lim

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: Sci-fi and Fantasy, teens and YA.

Well, re-tellings are a bit hit and miss for me, some I've adored and others...well, lets just say I didn't. This story though, based on the old Grimms fairy tale, pulled at me. I adored Grimms as a kid, any fairy stories but especially those, and I'd read them over and over.( Mum used to say “Jeannie, you're too old for fairy tales.” I'd have been maybe 9 or 10....) I'm much, much older now – frankly, you're Never too old for fairy tales ;-)
I remember this one so well, the poor sister spinning and knitting sweaters out of nettles...

Elizabeth makes the sister a princess, and the brothers princes. Sets them in a beautiful Eastern setting, with woods that stretch for miles, huge snow covered mountains, harsh dusty roads. There's a very pronounced master/servant divide that works so well for the story.
The closeness of Shiori and her brothers grows, she's always been loyal to them, loves them, but they've grown apart over the years. Now though, forced into each others company, depending on each other to break the curse, they grow back as one unit.

I loved this book, loved the addition of dragons, loved the fantasy elements that were still true to the original story but changed to fit this new one. I enjoyed the way Eastern beliefs and myths were woven into an essentially European fairy tale. It all added to that overall roundness of the story, made it feel believable.
I really liked seeing the day to day life, the little things like Shiori struggling to work for the lady she tried to steal the boat from. There were some great characters, harsh ones, kind ones, and of course my favourite, the cruel but clever, wicked ones.
Shiori grew so much in this book, from a sweet but selfish princess, into a much more rounded and understanding character. I enjoyed the gentle romance that grew towards the end, loved the way poor Shiori and her brothers seemed to take one step forward and two back. Those setbacks all added to the story, pushed her and her brothers into devising even more ways to try to break the curse. Kiki though, Kiki really was the star for me. I loved her, and can't wait to see where Elizabeth takes her and Shiori on the next adventure.
This story is complete but...there are seeds sown for a follow-up that I'd love to read.

Stars: Five, a fun read for all ages, not just teens and YA.

ARC supplied by Netgalley and publishers

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this arc! Thank you So so much!!! This was AMAZING!!!

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.