Thank you to the publisher Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for the e-arc! All opinions are my own as always :)

<b>Real Rating: </b> 3

<b>Short review: </b> SCC is a very sweet story, but it doesn't know its target audience.  It reads on the very young side, had it been officially a Middle Grade, I probably would have given it a higher rating. As a YA book, it lacks in some key ways in my option.

<b>My advice: </b> This is perfect for the 12-15 age range, it’s very clean and sweet, the writing accessible.

<b>Long review, no spoilers: </b>
<b> Plot: </b>
This story is a retelling of The Six Swans by the Grimm Brothers, one of the saddest, most brutal fairytales out there, one which I loved as a child, in an East-Asian setting (my favourite setting!). This in theory should have been a new favourite of mine.
However several aspects made me feel very detached. 

The pace is so incredibly fast that there is no time to dwell on events, implications, or relationships.  Everything bounces around like crazy to the point that I started to skim read at the end. Oh sword coming your way? Will deflected no prob. Ah arrow? Ninja manoeuvre solves it. Infernal magic? Well, that's no big deal at all, we got you sorted with this deux ex machina element. It just felt like there were no real stakes and nothing of consequence.

Towards the end there are so many dropped plotlines, and new ones are introduced in order to set up book 2 that it made me even more frustrated. After an incredible ordeal, everyone moves on too fast.

<b> Characters: </b> I wish there had been more time spent with the characters. I did actually like Shiori, her love of food, vibrant personality and genuine interactions, especially with Megari. The romance really was ok, not sure why so many people were put off, the begging of the story quite literally starts with Shiori at her betrothal ceremony, she is 17, it's not really out of nowhere. The most interesting aspect for me was Shiori's relationship with her stepmother, although even that aspect is rushed at the end.

<b> Writing style / prose: </b> There was something very binge-able about the writing style, I read this very quickly, but it also lacked intricacies and nuance.

<b> Worldbuilding/ magic system: </b> The worldbuilding was a bit lacklustre, very basic and not explored at all, same with the magic. I almost feel like this book should have been either longer or shorter.

An inconsistency that drove me absolutely crazy was that, although Shiori is cursed to have a unremovable object on her head that completely obscures her eyes and nose, it's mentioned multiple times how people are avoiding her gaze or someone "finding and holding her gaze" etc. There's just so few unique elements in this story and this was one of them and it's just a pity it wasn't taken seriously.

<b> Overall, </b> while I enjoyed some characters and found the familial relationships to be endearing, this was too overhyped for me and could have used a lot more finessing.

Six Crimson Cranes is a fantastic first book in a series that has a wonderful folklore feel to it. The characters are well written and the world is an interesting one. I love the idea of paper magic and the magic system is so well done. I definitely recommend checking this one out.

I got this book in a Fairyloot box and I absolutely adored it! It was so good, with twists and turns that, admittedly, I did see coming. But! it's such a good story and I'm loving it and I really nééd the second book now

Thank you netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.


This book was absolutely beautiful to read, I was enraptured by the descriptive text and felt the fantasy come alive. Elizabeth Lim has a talent for fantasy escapism done so well. The main premise of the book surrounded a loveable main character who uncovered magic and secrets that change her course of her life. This book was fast paced and kept me intrigued through each chapter,

Though there was a sliver of romance, I really did adore the love interest Takkan.

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

It was subtle, soft, and swoon worthy content!

The only thing is that the ending felt a little rushed but I am looking forward to the sequel soon!

Everyone seems to be loving this book, but I really struggled to get into this book and I am not sure why. The cover is stunning and I realllllly wanted to love it. The setting is very interesting, but the main character simply annoyed me most of the time.

Again, I don't think it's something wrong with the book, but I don't think it's for me right now. I might give it another chance in the future.

UPDATE: 4.5 STARS

I gave this 4.5 stars because initially I DNF-ed it, but decided to pick it up again on audiobook and did I loved it. The start was clearly slow and Shiori was definitely unlikeable to start with, but from the moment she gets cursed by her stepmother the story really takes off to my delight.
Shiori as a character grows a lot through her trials in trying to unwind the curse and set herself and her brothers free. This is her story, her understanding of the world as she experiences after the curse, about family and love. The ending, ohhh, the ending!

This book is a retelling of the Six Swans tale. I have read The Blood of Stars duology by Elizabeth Lim and I really enjoyed this series overall so I thought I would try her new book. Especially with such a stunning cover, I just couldn’t resist it.
The story is set in the same universe as The Blood of Stars and it took me quite some time to stop expecting Maia (from The Blood of Stars) to show up and to adjust to how Shiori viewed magic and demons. However, once I got into the book, I very much enjoyed it. Elizabeth Lim knows how to create lovely, perfect book boyfriends I think because I was in love with Edan, and I am now in love with Takkan. I also liked the side characters a lot, such as Kiki (who is very cute) and Seryu (who I hope to see more of in the second book). There were some moments in the story that I found a bit long. There were others when I didn’t want to stop reading, especially near the end. I can’t wait for the second book. Even though the ending is not a big cliff-hanger, I still really want to know what will happen to Shiori.
I recommend this book if you enjoy fantasy, tales and retellings and magic.
3.5/5

**I was provided with an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

Six Crimson Cranes is predominantly a reimagining of Hans Christian Andersen's The Wild Swans with some elements of East-Asian folklore woven in too, and it is just as beautiful and magical as it's stunning cover!

Elizabeth Lim has written an absolutely entrancing tale which has that strong feeling of familiarity that fairytales bring but also that of going on a whole new adventure. There's fascinating magic and lore, quests, a loveable paper crane familiar called Kiki, DRAGONS, heart-warming family dynamics and a soft slow burn romance. It is a slow going story and I’ll admit I caught onto the twists pretty early on but the major Studio Ghibli vibes meant that I really enjoyed it all the same!

I thought all the characters were brilliant and I particularly loved following our protagonist Princess Shiori on her journey through this story. I do have a slight qualm with something that was hinted at the end to lead into the sequel… I’m excited to read more in this world and with these characters but I just hope I don’t find myself wishing this was a standalone.

Anyways if you love your fairytales I highly recommend checking this one out!
Final Rating - 4.5/5 Stars

This book starts up telling you to beware of the bad guy, pointing with neon lights at the one person doing something shady, only to have you in the end questioning how you missed the signs about who the bad guy really was all along. It's about misdirection, self discovery and persistence. It's beautifully atmospheric and filled with cultural context that sucks you in, both of which are Lim's strong suits.

How Elizabeth Lim got me to read a book about six cranes and a mute bowl headed main character is beyond me. Anyway, read this. The stakes are high, the characters are real and the lore is fantastical.

This felt really juvenile. I know that its a YA, but it felt very young, I felt that the MC was about 14/15 rather than 18/19 which I think she was meant to be. There was also parts that really annoyed me. Firstly, part of the curse was a bowl on her head. I have no idea why, what the significance of this was or what the point was. I get that it was to disguise her face, but why a bowl? Why not have part of the curse so people just didn't recognise her?! The love story wasn't at all believable to me, and I don't understand why the dragon character was pitched as an MC when he was barely a side character.
The last thing that really annoyed me is a bit of a spoiler, but I really did not enjoy the twist. I won't go into spoilers, but yeah. Disappointed.
CAWPILE 5.29
Characters- 6- They were OK, but not amazing
Atmosphere -5- interesting and fast paced, but not my favourite.
Writing Style- 7- I haven't read Spin the Dawn but I liked the writing
Plot-5- Wasn't a fan, the plot felt disjointed and didn't really make sense at times
Intrigue-5- At half way through I was tempted to DNF, so no, was not that intrigued
Logic- 4- So much didn't make sense to me
Enjoyment-5- I finished it, but its not a new fave. I'm sorry.

Effortless, immersive reading.
From start to finish I was absolutely hooked. This is the first book by Elizabeth Lim that I’ve read but I’ve owned Spin the Dawn and Unravel the Dusk for a while and I’m kicking myself that I didn’t read them sooner after reading this.
I’m not going to say Kiki stole the show, because Shiori might be my favourite female character ever, but I CAN’T STOP THINKING ABOUT KIKI😂 how can a paper origami crane be one of my favourite characters in a book? HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN? You know the writing and world building is good when that happens.
This is definitely up there as one of my favourite if not my all time favourite fairytales for sure. It was magical. I can’t wait to read the next book.
P.S, can someone make a recipe book with all the food mentioned in Six Crimson Cranes please and thank you.

I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK.
All the stars. 10/10. One of my fav books ever.

I was already completely obsessed with Lim's stories and writing style from reading the Blood of the Stars duology and this did Not disappoint.

The story was so unique and I absolutely love Shiori.

She's a spirited, cheeky and mischievous Princess who is the youngest child & only daughter, and has 6 older brothers to keep her entertained and try and keep her under control.

She also has magic, which is forbidden in Kiata, and has accidentally made a paper crane, Kiki, come to life. On the day she is meant to meet her betrothed, Kiki tries to fly off & as Shiori goes after her, she ends up falling into the lake and nearly drowning as her clothes are too heavy. However she is saved by a dragon, Seryu, who then offers to help her with her magic.

One night she follows her stepmother as she travels through a portal and sees that she has magic too. She tells her brothers, and because of this, her stepmother turns then into cranes, makes a magical wooden bowl stick to Shiori's head, transports her to the middle of nowhere and says for every sound that escapes her mouth one of her brothers will die.

We then follow Shiori as she tries to survive whilst not being able to speak and wearing a bowl on her head which makes people think she's a demon and often try and beat her.

So so much more happens after this but I'm not here to give a full recount of the story!

Honestly I'm obsessed with this book. I loved all the characters, the world building, the surroundings, the story, the myths, the relationships, the beautiful writing style and more.

Shiori is a new favourite character for me and I cannot wait for the second book to come out!

CW: physical abuse, imprisonment, injury

This was absolutely amazing!! Very nostalgic for me who grew up with watching the animation of Wild Swans! But this was even better! I have so many favorite characters from this book! Takkan stole my heart, I loved Shiori's personality, Kiki, Sheriyu, her brothers. I loved them all! And I even shed a few tears along the way. Definitely recommend it 100% if you love YA fantasy!

I enjoyed this and will seek out the sequel when it's announced.

The tone took a little getting used to for me. Shiori our main character felt younger than her age at first, but the book showed us her development into a self-sufficient young woman. She learned that her past behaviour had been rash and also I think, to treat people better than she had been.

The tone is also that of a fairytale/myth/fable where unlikely things happen often and once you accept that this isn't quite the real world with magic, but a sort of in-between with aspects of real life but not an exact rendering the book becomes more of a pleasure.

I enjoyed the descriptions of food, the characterisation of Takkan and Megari and the settings. While the ending didn't feel like a huge cliffhanger for me I still look forward to book two.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a beautiful reimagining of the fairytale The Wild Swans set in an East Asian inspired world, Lim did a wonderful job combining the two so well which is a testament to her writing but also the universal nature of fairytales!

I loved how closely Six Crimson Cranes follows the traditional fairytale, it has all the key elements of the story. However, it’s not just a retelling and Lim has put her own stamp on it, sometimes diverting from the expected and expanding on it with original ideas to create a much bigger tale with higher stakes, I’m so interested in seeing what direction the sequel will take.

Shiori is a great main character, which is impressive because for most of the book she is unable to speak! Despite this, she shows real growth and strength as she devotes herself to finding a way to break the curse on her brothers. Among the other characters, I found Seryu the dragon the most intriguing and it was disappointing he didn’t feature more but from the ending it seems clear he’ll play a bigger part in the next book.

The last few chapters of this book were so action packed compared to the slower pace the rest of the book has, that it did feel a little difficult to keep up. It was a gripping ending though as we left the known fairytale further behind.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

As my all time favorite book is also based on this legend, I have been looking forward to this book for quite sometime. Knowing about the Wild Swans fairytale, I knew what to expect but I must say I was pleasantly surprised at this book.

Lim’s creativity and writing style captivated me from the start. Through her words we are exposed to an enchanting world, unforgettable characters and intriguing storyline. I loved the mixing of the original legend and Chinese/Japanese culture. I think it brings a new spin on the legend.

There are just so many fantastic characters in this book:
Kiki with her loyalty and comforting presence, Seryu with his witty charm, the gentle Takkan is charming and unexpected, Megari is endearing and a favorite of mine, even Raikama has suprised me.

Shiori (the MC) is an absolutely amazing character. Her cheekiness and resilience makes her an extremely likable character. Her growth throughout this book was exponential, starting as a naive spoilt princess yet transforming into a determined young women willing to sacrifice to save her brothers.

Overall I enjoyed Six Crimson Cranes so much that it will be added onto my all time favorites list! I highly recommend everyone read it…

I am literally counting down the days until book 2 come out!!

If you want:
- whimsical fairytale vibes
- arranged marriages
- family and siblings who would do anything for each other
- dragons, curses, quests, and talking paper cranes

This is the book for you.

For the most part it's pretty light-hearted but adventurous and fun. I preferred it over Elizabeth Lim's Spin the Dawn duology, but I think it's best to read her books in publication order to get the most out of Six Crimson Cranes since they're all set in the same world.

What I loved about this book was:

• the magic system in this book is really cool - I really enjoyed the dragons and, of course, Kiki, the paper crane who is brought to life by magic
• the main character Shiori was really strong and didn't really make any silly mistakes so it was easy to root for her
• there were definitely some twists at the end that I wasn't expecting which made the reading experience even more enjoyable
• finally, I loved the hints of romance that we got in this novel! I can definitely see the potential for a love triangle in the second book too.

I think that retelling are a hit or miss for me. I liked this one as the author is talented, the world building and the characters are well crafted.
It was a pleasant and entertaining read.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

A beautiful retelling of a brilliantly interesting legend. This story, deeply steeped in legend, mystery and culture has me gripped from the very beginning into the very last word

With Thanks to Elizabeth Lim and Hodder and Stoughton for an advanced readers copy of this book.

4*

This was a delightful read!
Full of adventure, magically woven in with Asian culture and intrigue.