Book: Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim
Read From: 8th September - 13th September 2021
Rating: 4/5 stars
Summary: Shiori, the only princess of Kiata has a secret - forbidden magic runs through her veins. When it catches the attention of Raikama her step-mother, Shiori realises that Raikama has a dark magic of her own and banishes Shiori, turns her brothers into cranes and warns her that with every word that escapes her lips, one of her brothers will die. Penniless, voiceless and alone, Shiori uncovers a conspiracy to overtake the throne which is more twisted and deceitful than Raikama's betrayal and so she enlists the help of a paper bird, a dragon and the man she fought so hard not to marry.
I'm unfamiliar with The Brothers Grimm's 'The Six Swans', which is what Six Crimson Cranes is a retelling of. As such, I went into this book slightly apprehensive because I would have no idea if it was a good retelling or not! I genuinely don't think this mattered though, this was such a whimsical and magical read (although darker at times!) and it read like it's own fairy tale - I think this book would make such a great Disney movie! Lim did such a fantastic job of crafting the world of Kiata with the incorporation of Eastern folklore and mythology only adding to the richness of the world-building. This is one of the most transportive books I've read in a while and I think that's only helped by the absolutely GORGEOUS map and even more gorgeously vivid descriptions - I could visualise everything so perfectly! From the food (so many people have said this book made them really hungry and I can only agree), to the festivals, to the palace, to the outfits, to the wintery north - even the little fishing village of Tianyi!
Whilst the world-building was done extremely well, the highlight of this book was without a doubt the characters. Every single one was developed so well irrespective of whether they were a main character, a side character or a villain. Shiori was a fantastic protagonist, she was determined, fierce, selfless and at times reckless which only demonstrated her devotion to her brothers and breaking the curse - not for herself but for them. Despite being a large band of siblings, it's so clear to see how close their bond is. This was such a key theme throughout the course of the book - you could tell that Shiori really loved her brothers and vice versa. I loved Kiki from the start and Takkan really grew on me with the more I read. I also enjoyed Seryu's appearances, he was so funny! Sadly as the plot progressed these became few and far between but I have a feeling he will definitely be making more of an appearance in book 2 which I can't wait for!
As excited as I am for the release of the sequel, this book has really encouraged me to finally get my hands on Lim's Blood of Stars duology which has been on my radar for the longest time. She has such a magical and lyrical writing style - I'm so keen to experience this in her other works! I've seen nothing but positive reviews for Six Crimson Cranes and here I am putting MY 50 pence in to tell you that all of the praise is worth it! You can't get more magical than dragons, curses, enchanters, quests, demons AND the evil stepmother trope👀 This book is 100% worth your time and I would highly recommend it! Shout-out to the lovely Lola from @queenbeebookstagram for yet another brilliant (and successful) buddy read!🥰