Six Crimson Cranes

This book was beautiful !! I loved every minute of it, even the parts that had me stressing ALLLL the way out and wanting to skip to the end. My only gripe, which is not really a gripe at all, is that we didn’t get to see more Takkan and Shiori!!! TT Even though I was reaaally rooting Seryu to win her heart (he won mine!!), i’m so glad we’ll see more of him in the next book with Takkan and Shiori’s relationship possibly developing ?! Exciting!!

[Spoilers ahead]
This was an incredible book. I loved the detailed language and plot. Shiori’s also such a great character, and I love the romance between her and Takkan. One tiny thing, though, is how the book can forget to tie up loose ends. For example, when Takkan has been seized by the Wolf, and the Wolf changes into a demon and kills Yuji, it doesn’t actually mention that Takkan got freed from the Wolf’s grasp, just moves on to the next scene where Takkan is no longer held. Other than that, it was a great book. I loved reading it, and probably stayed up later than I should’ve reading it. Thank you, Ms. Lim, for writing it.

I really liked this book. The twist at the end bewildered me to the point where I had to read it multiple times. Talk about plot twist! The story was wonderful and heart wrenching. As one with two brothers of my own, I loved seeing shiori’s relationship with her brothers. Only thing is I definitely would have wanted more romance and can only hope for more in the sequel.

It was amazing but it was long . But the story it’s self was mouth dropping.

Just wow. Truly an adventure for the ages. Shiori showed significant character growth by the end of this book. She kept me on my toes and guessing along the way of what would happen next. Truly a great and incredible read. 10/10 I’m grabbing the sequel ASAP.

If there were half stars it’d be 4.5. From start to finish, the tale is filled with adventure, intrigue, mysticism, and magic! I love the tone and setting of the story and all of its Asian influence. It’s an easy to read type of storytelling, with great character build up, imagery that dips into a bit of mythology and lore. The little ironic details, the character growth and relationship developments of the slightly spoiled princess and the major plot twist keeps you thoroughly engaged.
Th only reason there was some deduction in the review is for me there was a bit of a slow start before the storyline fully sucked me in and it took a bit of effort before Shiroi’s character actually grew on me. But otherwise the book had great supporting characters and was very well written! Takkan is probably every fairytales Prince Charming and the absolute sweetest! Kiki, Shiori’anma’s magical little side kick is full of wit and sass! And Seryu! It always seems like there’s so much hiding under his surface! I wish there was a bit more of him throughout the book but overall, this was a great story with exceptional characters!

This was my first read by this author and I enjoyed it very much. I will definitely be taking a look at her other series and cannot wait for the sequel revealing Shiori’anma’s adventures with Seryu in the realm of dragons!

I picked it up one evening hoping to stop in a few hours and the next time I look at the time it’s 5am the next day. I’ve never read anything so original land creative. Wow.

This had everything I didn’t know I needed and wanted in a book. The world building and lovable characters with flaws and growth, chefs kiss.

I finished Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim a few days ago, and I am still in awe of this fantasy tale. The storytelling, world-building, and characters are all just exquisite and weave together to tell a story I did not want to stop reading, even when there were no more pages.

What I Loved
I already mentioned world-building, characters, and storytelling. What could be left to love? So, so much! The theme of family and the relationship between Shiori and her six brothers is heartwarming. It gives each of them an added dimension that enables the reader to instantly connect to them and empathize with their plight, even when the brothers are cranes and Shiori is trying to break the curse that has them all bound in one way or another. Shiori tells the story, so you get to know her brothers as intimately as only a sister can share them.
Dragons! Did I mention that there are dragons in this story? They have magical pearly hearts, can take human form, and live in an underwater city that is said to be so amazing it is beyond human imagination. I especially loved the mischief and cleverness that is the very essence of Seryu, Prince of the Easterly Seas and favored grandson of the Dragon King, Nazayun. I eagerly anticipated his appearance as the story developed and was never disappointed with his wit, wisdom, and playfulness.
I also enjoyed the Cinderella story threads that snuck in at various points. Lost slippers, a wicked stepmother, and a princess that is cursed to do menial labor by her stepmother all reminded me of Cinderella, but that is where the similarities stop. So do not think this is a Cinderella story because I made that mistake and found myself blindsided by the twists and turns in the book's last quarter. Twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat and are the reason I ended the book, never wanting to leave this world.
I also loved how the love story played out and the lessons Shiori learned as she had to manage in a world with a bowl over her head that covered her face and not communicate by talking or explaining her situation to anyone until breaking the curse. The only thing that bothered me about the story is that bowl over Shiori" s head. The essential specifics were not explained to my complete understanding initially, so there were a few things about it that puzzled me, such as seeing through the bowl because no one could see her eyes, so the wooden bowl must have covered them, yet she could see everything.
To Read or Not to Read
This is the best fantasy I have read so far this year (and I have read some great stories), so YES! I think you should sit back and let this tale whisk you away to an imaginative world with genuine characters and elements that will take your breath away.

This is a fantastic read. I binge read this in 3 days.