Six Crimson Cranes
Ratings147
Average rating4.2
Fun, interesting story and characters, definitely recommend.
Can be read as a standalone if you don't mind a somewhat open ending.(I'm saying because I didn't enjoy book 2 as much)
ngl the way people talked bout this book i thought it was going to be pretty great
well its BETTER than the average YA book but ehhh its
mid
Fairytalesque...
I've hears this book called whimsycal, and I guess to a point it is, it certainly reads like a fairytale.
We follow Shiori, a kind of selfish and spoiled girl, sheltered by her six brothers, but overall good-natured. Through circumstances and her stepmother she and her brothers get cursed, she with a bowl on her face and unable to speak and they turn into cranes that die if she speaks.
There's a love interest that's über nice and can do no wrong, so not very layered, but ok. The twists and turns, and the character of the stepmother are interesting enough to keep yoi engaged. Unfortunately, we follow the story through Shiori's perspective and man if she's a debby downer. I mean I get it, the situation's pretty bad, but i listened to the audiobook and it was awful to follow this narrator and her the sky is falling musings. If you pick up this book, skip the audio version.
Story ** 1/2Narration *Characters **Romance **
Overall **
This is a retelling of The Wild Swans, taking place in the same world as The Blood of Stars duology. Shiori and her brothers were mentioned as a legend in Unravel the Dusk, so this is where we get to see her actual story. While I found the previous duology just okay for the most part, Six Crimson Cranes grabbed me by the neck right from the start. The world-building, the characters, the pacing are just so good.
Shiori, the main character, is the very picture of a spoiled, troublemaker princess at the beginning, but the writing is clearly aware of what she is and she has significant character growth throughout the book. Shiori is brave and quick to adapt to new situations. Even though she grew up pampered, she knows how to carry herself in order to survive. That's how you show strength, because being a strong main character doesn't mean you have to be a spitfire who's rude to everyone regardless of your station. I really wish more people would understand this.
Shiori's stepmother, Raikama, is another well-written character. While for a large part of the story Shiori is under the idea that Raikama is an evil monster, every now and then the characters around her (and later on, even Shiori herself) would question if their perception of her is right. It creates some really nice build-up leading to the climax, where the events at the start of the book take on a different meaning entirely. Some of the twists were predictable, and some I didn't see coming.
“I would wish your strand knotted to mine, always.”
Due to things I've heard from other reviews, I was actually expecting to be lukewarm towards the romance at best… but it was really cute? The relationship starts from solid friendship. All Takkan wanted was to know Shiori better but she never gave him a chance, until her predicament leads to them becoming friends. I really liked how she admits that she's been treating him terribly for years, a stark contrast to how stubborn she is in the early chapters.
It seems like Seryu is also a love interest for Shiori? At first I liked their dynamics, but it kind of fizzled out over time since he's absent for the majority of the book. I hope we get to see more of him in the sequel though, since she's going to the dragon palace with him.
Anyway, this has been such a delight to read. Shiori is an endearing lead who's really easy to root for, and by the end of the book I realized that I actually care for these characters. I want them to succeed in their quests and live happily for the rest of their days. Especially Kiki. Best girl.
This book was very joyful and the storytelling was really great.
The family bond between Shiori and her brothers were heartwarming.
I did really enjoy the twist at end as I had really thought the stepmother was evil and was the one orchestering everything so was pleasently surprised that I was wrong.
However, dragging down the stars due to that I'm not a big fan of it seemingly almost looking like it will be the classic triangle drama between the swooning boy and jealous dragon boy, it gets old quickly.
Really good read, It dragged a bit in places and I wish this was just a single book but I'll probably pick up the next one. It has a great mix of fantasy/fairy tale along with some good character growth and her learning to use her wits & bravery.
I enjoyed it, a little YA drippy but all round good.
Oh, this was so much fun! I loved the world and its fairytale inspiration. My only complaints are that the writing felt more middle grade than YA to me, and our heroine often read as being a lot younger than 17. Regardless, it was a fun fantasy that kept me engaged (unlike the one I DNF'd yesterday). Excited to dive into the sequel B)
One of the best books I've read so far! Finished it in three days.
I loved how it really gave off the feeling of a Chinese or Korean legend without ever straying deep into cliches or the stereotypical stuff. It drew inspiration from Asian mythology without relying on it too much and not being afraid to use its own extremely creative twists.
I really liked the dragon dude, and Shiori was equally likeable. I'm a bit disappointed that she didn't use her magic more during the story, althought the beginning shows that her magic probably would have made her too OP. That Takken (Tekkan?) guy was likeable at first, but the more I read, the more unrealistic he seemed to me.
Overall, pretty amazing book. The whole crane curse thing with the stepmother was a captivating, creative conflict.
DNF @ 80%
now - you might be wondering why i chose not to finish this book AND still rated it 4 stars! it's because i absolutely hate love triangles, and this book sets one up right around the 70% mark AND makes it incredibly obvious who the endgame love interest is.
i, for the life of me, cannot stand reading about love triangles in any capacity, ESPECIALLY ones where the other option is discarded immediately afterwards - and since I know that's exactly what the end of this book sets up and the sequel executes... i just couldn't do it
I wasn't sure how to rate this one, because at first I loved it. The beginning captured me and I was so into it, but then in the middle....it dragged. It might have just been me and my mood at the time, but I struggled to really feel anything and to keep reading it. I pushed through and was rewarded with an ending I actually loved. Even though I kind of had an inkling early on about a few of the ‘twists' it was still really satisfying to see them come to fruition and really make the story as a whole really endearing. I would say this is on the ‘light' side of fantasy. While the world is interesting, I didn't think it was super fleshed out and it always felt like the story was aimed at a younger audience than it was meant for, which I realize it's a YA novel, but it felt very like pre-teen at times instead of the intended 13-18 age range. Now I can't totally knock it for that, as there is a huge spectrum within YA and it is totally fine to aim it a bit lower for that audience, it just personally didn't hook me in the same way that some of the more in depth YA does, and that's a personal preference. I'm glad I pushed through the slump in the middle, because I did feel it was redeemed in the end and did make me want to pick up book 2, so it wasn't all bad. If I could give it 3 1/2 stars, I would. It is a solid read, just didn't rise above that to make it truly great or memorable.
quite literally devoured this book - it was so good.
I really enjoyed the story and the characters! Especially Takkan & Seryu along with Shiori who was a really enjoyable mc
I started this with no expectations, without even reading the back cover, and it gave me more that I wanted. SO MUCH MORE. I didn't expect this to be as good as it was. I was scare at the beginning because I told myself that it was probably going to be hard to read, since is fantasy, and fantasy most of the times for me is hard to get into. But NO I WAS wrong, soooo easy to get into. I CANT wait to read book 2. This book is now on my TOP 5 books of 2022 no joke.
Princess Shiori has been gifted with the power of magic, a power forbidden in her lands. But that does not stop her from using it when she believes no one is watching. Until Shiori decides to spy on her stepmother, Raikama and discovers she isn’t the only one with magic. Raikama curses Shiori, locks away her magic and turns her six brothers into cranes. And if Shiori dares to speak, each word will kill a brother. Cast out from her home, Shiori must find her brothers and discover a way to break their curses.
With her magic kept under lock and key from her stepmother’s curse, Shiori learns the harsh realities of the world. No longer the spoiled princess, she toils night and day, learning how to survive. The amount of character development she goes through is astonishing. It also adds to her awareness of how differently people are treated based on their appearances. The very thing she once did. Watching a spoiled princess become a clever and resourceful woman was quite the read.
My favorite character, Shiori’s paper crane Kiki, was a delight. The small paper bird was a steadfast companion and a wonderful friend. Shiori could turn to Kiki whenever despair began to overshadow hope. And despite her small size, Kiki was quick to nip at any foe threatening Shiori. Not to mention her attitude and witty banter helped move the story along when a lighter touch was needed. Kiki was exactly the character to keep the story flowing, trying to keep Shiori on task and encouraging her to do better.
The way Elizabeth Lim builds the world and twists the plot right underneath readers was amazing. I never saw what was around the corner as the story unfolded. And this is just the beginning. While Six Crimson Cranes introduces readers to a world filled with Asian inspired myth and magic, there is so much more left to discover. And with the way this book ends readers will be eagerly awaiting book two. I know I am. A book for those who enjoy stories with a folklore feel and Asian inspired mythology.
Originally posted at www.behindthepages.org.
Full on tears at the beauty of this piece of writing. Full RTC when I've regained my wits.
Cute fantasy story about a princess who has to break a curse to save her brothers who have been turned into cranes.
Nothing groundbreaking, but it is a YA so I won't go too hard on it. The book cover is gorgeous too.
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4 ⭐️
Six Crimson Cranes has a place within the finalists of the Goodreads Choice Awards for a reason.. and that reason is its beautiful setting, the sweet story, and the overall coziness that the story projects. I think it's a perfect book to read when you're feeling a bit down.
The story is very compelling: we will see a curse fallen upon our main girl, turning her brothers into cranes and forcing her to remain silent as for every word spoken, one of her brothers will die.
However ☝️I found the pacing of the book to be a bit weird- packed at the beginning and the end and really, really slow at the middle - bigger- chunk. And also... the characters were a bit plain for me, I wasn't really moved by their story... compelled and thrilled by the ambiance? YES. Suffering for our main girl and her brothers? No really, no.
I'm still very interested in book 2 as it promises to spend even more time with one of my fave characters, the dragon! Let's see!