SYNOPSIS: Shiori'anma, the only princess of Kiata, has a secret. Forbidden magic runs in her veins. And 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.
A sorceress in her own right, Raikama 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 uncovers a dark conspiracy to seize the throne. Only Shiori can set the kingdom to rights, but to do so she must place her trust in a paper bird, a mercurial dragon, and 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.
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BOOK REVIEW
Genre: fantasy/ fairytale retellings
Plot: 4.5/5
Characters: 5/5
Writing Style: 4.5/5
Personal Enjoyment: 5/5
Overall Rating: 19/20
So I had a great time reading this! One of my favourite things to read is a fairytale retelling done well. And six Crimson Cranes does not disappoint. If you have read The Six Swans by Brothers Grimm than you will be familiar with the basic premise of this story. But in my opinion Lim took it and definitely elevated it.
It begins with Princess Shiori the emperor's only daughter, on the day of her betrothal, trying to hide the evidence of her forbidden magic. but an accident with a magical paper crane, exposes her to her stepmother and takes her away from the life she thought she knew and straight onto a path full of enchantresses, magical creatures(dragons!)demons, curses and quests. A story that weaves fantasy and folklore seamlessly into an engrossing tale of fueds, power grabs and ancient demons long thought to be vanquished.
We witness Shiori go from a foolhardy naive sheltered princess, to a strong resilient person who discovers all that she is truely capable of. One who is determined to free her brothers from the curse that sees them turned into cranes. And all while voiceless for if a single word leaves her mouth one of her siblings will die.
A fast paced action packed story which with twists you most likely wont see coming. There is alot of subturfuge and trickery at play. No one is who they first appear to be. A quick mention of Takkan (her spurned betrothed!) He was a perfect blend of tough soldier and poetry loving cinnamon roll)
I thought this was a lovely retelling of the The Six Swans fairytale, the execution was perfect and drawing from East Asian Folklore added a fresh unique twist to it, making it a beauitful story in it's own right. I am interested to see what direction book 2 takes. Highly recommend it to all those who love fairytale retellings.
Thank you @elimpix @hodderbooks @readeatretreat @netgalley for my gifted eARC
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