After reading and loving Spin the Dawn I knew I needed Six Crimson Crane when it was announced. Elizabeth Lim has a way with words and I’ve loved her stories so far. I’ve never read the Six Swans, but this being a retelling had me intrigued. This book released last month and I finally had the chance to read it. So today I want to talk about this book and what I thought. Keep on reading to find out more!
A big thanks to the publisher for providing an e-arc on Netgalley to read and review!
Shiori, the only princess of Kiata, has a secret. Forbidden magic runs through her veins. Normally she conceals it well, but on the morning of her betrothal ceremony, Shiori loses control. At first, her mistake seems like a stroke of luck, forestalling the wedding she never wanted, but it also catches the attention of Raikama, her stepmother.
Raikama has dark magic of her own, and she banishes the young princess, turning her brothers into cranes, and warning Shiori that she must speak of it to no one: for with every word that escapes her lips, one of her brothers will die.
Penniless, voiceless, and alone, Shiori searches for her brothers, and, on her journey, uncovers a conspiracy to overtake the throne—a conspiracy more twisted and deceitful, more cunning and complex, than even Raikama’s betrayal. Only Shiori can set the kingdom to rights, but to do so she must place her trust in the very boy she fought so hard not to marry. And she must embrace the magic she’s been taught all her life to contain—no matter what it costs her.
Review
“A reputation is all it takes to spread fear. And fear is a mighty weapon.”
Six Crimson Cranes sucked me in from the start because of the writing and description of the magical world we’re in. Elizabeth Lim really has a way with words and the way she tells stories makes you feel wrapped up in the world with these characters If I wasn’t reading this as a buddy read I definitely could’ve finished it in a day!
Our main character Shiori is a princess that isn’t happy about her upcoming betrothal ceremony and having to move somewhere with someone she assumes she won’t like or love. If I’m honest I wasn’t a fan of Shiori in the beginning. It’s clear she’s pretty spoiled and is used to getting her way. This changed as the story went on and I appreciated the person she became. She started thinking about more than just herself, but even the people she didn’t know well. This journey definitely changed her and I’m curious to see how this growth continues in the next book.
“Be the light that makes someone’s lantern shine.”
This book is filled with amazing mythology and culture. I loved the magic and the way the author made this story her own. Like I said I’m not really familiar with the original story, but how it’s done here is amazing. Six Crimson Cranes has a good balance of world building and character development. I loved all of the details and just couldn’t get enough. We get a story filled with magic, fantasy, determination and love. Six Crimson Cranes is a magical story that definitely went in a different direction than I was expecting a few times and I love that the author surprised me in many ways. The only aspect I wished was different was how fast the ending went. It took some time to get the story to that point and it felt a bit rushed at times as the story wrapped up.
Besides the amazing magical adventure, Six Crimson Cranes also has an amazing cast of side characters that also surprised me in many ways (some I didn’t see coming). I was also hit in all the feels and got very attached to the characters. There are some lighthearted moments as well and I laughed quite a few times. I really think that Elizabeth Lim is now an auto-buy author! All in all, I really enjoyed Six Crimson Cranes and can’t see where this story goes next.
Six Crimson Cranes is a book you don’t want to put down once you start. If you love a good fantasy retelling I definitely recommend picking up this book. I can’t wait for the next book in this series. Have you read this one yet? If you have, let me know what you thought!
