This was one of my highly anticipated releases of 2021. Unfortunately, it did not end up being a 5 star, but that does not mean that this book was not enjoyable. I found Lim’s writing was captivating, although felt clipped at times. If you are not one for flowery writing standard with fairytale settings, then Lim is the writer for you. I still found the writing descriptive though. I could easily picture the locations and characters.

Speaking of characters, I found most of them to be ok. Shiori was an interesting character to follow, but at times it felt like she was simply observing. The love interest, and the “twists” associated with him, was rather interesting, but not surprising. I found the side characters interesting, but felt like they served only the part they played in the story. I never felt like I got additional information about the character, and therefore never connected with them. When we did get backstory, it was to explain the person’s actions, and was usually revealed to move the story along.

The one weakness I found with the story was the distinction of time passing. At times, it felt like we were stuck in one day for a while, but then by the next chapter weeks/months had passed. The only indication showing that time had passed was with one of the characters mentioning just how long they were doing something. For example, they would mention that there were ___ many weeks left of until Spring – indicating that time had passed since the last update with a similar timeline.

I also found that some of the stakes never really felt high enough. At no point was I worried that the item needing completed wouldn’t be done so in the time give, or that a transformation would happen before they were ready. Just an overall lack of tension.

That being said, this could all be explained away (or fit better) if I was more aware of the original fairytales that this story draws on. I never read The Wild Swans by Hans Christian Andersen, Madame White Snake, Chang E the Moon Goddess, the Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, or the Girl with the Black Bowl. From what little I know of these tales, I found Lim kept true to their inspiration. The inclusion of Chinese dragons was also interesting, an element I wish was included more.

The magic system was interesting, seeing just how much power Shioni had and what could be manipulated was also curious. The twists relating to the curses was also interesting. This is a world that I would like to explore again and learn more about. Thankfully, there is at least one sequel coming out.

Overall, I enjoyed the story and characters, but was left wanting more. I am still curious to read more of Lim’s work. I would recommend this to those who enjoy fairytale retellings or stories inspired by myths/lore/fairytales, also anyone who wants to explore Asian folktales.

Let me begin by saying that there isn't one thing that I didn't like about this book. It's perfect!

Six Crimson Cranes is a wonderful East Asian reimagining of The Six Swans also known as The Wild Swans by the Grimm Brothers. It's a high fantasy set in the kingdom of Kiata where Shiori lives with her six brothers, her emperor father and her step-mother.

The tale begins on the day which will most likely be the day of the dismal end of Shiori's future. Shiori our MC is a rebellious and resilient princess who doesn't want to get married and has recently learnt of her magical powers which she must keep a secret - magic is banned in Kiata.

From here on her life takes a turn for the worst, her stepmother turns her six brother into cranes and places a wooden bowl on her head which prevents her from performing any kind of magic. Moreover, she isn't even allowed to utter any sound from her mouth as each sound will lead to the death of a brother.

This is a slow-burn enemies to lover romance kind of story with dragons, an awesome sidekick and a perfectly paced plot! I've read retellings and reimaginings before but they've always been disappointing. To put it simply, Six Crimson Cranes is anything but a disappointment.

I loved the entire story, I'd love to be a part of this world - which is set in the same world as in the Blood of Star duology, I'd love to eat all the cakes and soups and I loved the most that the ending was not rushed and that there is no major cliffhanger. The ending is always tricky for authors and very rarely do you find stories where you'll be satisfied with them, but Elizabeth Lim does this perfectly. In fact, she even makes sure you look forward to the next book with just as much enthusiasm.

Six Crimson Cranes has definitely made it's way to one of my favourite reads this year and I most highly recommend you to read it too!

This book absolutely blew me away! The vividness of the world, the depth of its story, the experience of reading this book is an experience I will treasure for the rest of my life.

I wasn't so much of a fan of Elizabeth Lim's previous books, as a matter of preference, so I was absolutely surprised to have loved Six Crimson Cranes as much as I did. The themes of family, love and sacrifice are my favorite themes in the world and I love how they were explored here in Shiori's story.

I might've finished it, but I already can't wait to re-read.

Wow, just WOW!

This is my first Elizabeth Lim (completed at least, I'm still currently reading Spin the Dawn) and WOW!! I just loved it.

As an avid fantasy reader, I found this story engaging and refreshing. I am so used to seeing the same things when it comes to YA fantasy, but this book really delivered. There are so many plot twists that you will NEVER see coming.. at a certain point I was just devouring the pages to see where the story would end up.

One of my favorite things about this book is how everything ties together in the end. I am used to things falling into place for a sequel, but in this particular book, I felt like everything that Shiori had experienced in the beginning had meaning and purpose. It's making me want to go ahead and start a re-read so that I can figure out what I missed the first time around that led us to that crazy ending!!

There is a slight romance, and though our MC did not get with who I originally thought she would get with, I am VERY hopeful for a love triangle come the next book. I found this story centered more around Shiori's relationship with her family, specifically her brothers. It was sweet to see their loyalty to one another and how that factored in to be a huge part of the story.

I found the magic system easy to understand, and the storyline fun to get entirely lost in- at the end of the day this story is for YA fantasy readers looking for an epic adventure filled with magic, dragons, ancient lore, lucky numbers, and a female MC who learns valuable lessons along the way. Highly recommend!

xx
-Christine

Shiori, the sole princess of Kiari, has just discovered she has magic. She's enchanted a paper crane to be her friend and confidante while the rest of her family is pushing her into an arranged marriage she doesn't want. Not long after finding a dragon friend to tutor her in the ways of magic, her stepmother reveals herself as an evil sorceress, turns her six brothers into cranes, and curses Shiori, transporting them away from the palace. With several magic forces against her, Shiori must find a way to save her brothers and vanquish her stepmother in this East Asian-inspired retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's The Wild Swans.

This was your very typical YA Fantasy fare. We have a strong-willed female protagonist. The boy who she saw as her enemy but immediately takes a liking to. The magical creature sidekick that is the comedic relief. I could go into more tropes that the characters and the plot fell into, but let's go into what I liked. The magic system and the history of magic that we see some of were really cool. I liked the dragons. The stakes behind the magical curses were high and felt real. The love interest wasn't a very typical one in a couple of defining ways, that he's lower in status than she is but still has some power and isn't on an opposing side to her, as well as him being a writer/storyteller. The ending also left a lot of potential for the plot of the second book.

However, there were some things I wasn't a huge fan of. First and foremost, our main character has a bowl stuck on her head for a full 80% of the book. I feel like there were so many different things that could have been written as a disguise or something that weren't so strange and out of nowhere. It's really hard for me to believe that a lord is going to fall in love with a mute girl with a bowl stuck on her head. Second, the plot was extremely predictable past the synopsis. There were two or three reveals that I knew the reveal of from the very first mention of them, just because they were so typical. Third, I felt like there wasn't much flow in the plotting of the narrative. It felt almost choppy and like there wasn't enough to connect or lead into different plot points.

Overall, I didn't have strong feelings about this remotely. I didn't feel strongly about the characters, the setting, the plot, the relationships, the writing style, or just about anything else. Nothing was bad, but nothing was great or memorable in my opinion - except for the bowl, of course. I think that this story in particular just wasn't for me, however, and wouldn't be opposed to picking up Spin The Dawn or other works by Lim in the future.

*I received an e-arc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

If you love fairytales and retellings, you will love this book! It’s a retelling of The Wild Swans by Hans Christian Anderson, and it was fantastic. It is steeped in beautiful folklore and Asian culture. Elizabeth Lim has now become an auto-buy author for me.

Shiori is the only princess of Kiata, with six brothers, so she has been quite used to getting her way around the palace. She has a secret, however. Shiori has magic, which is expressly forbidden in the kingdom. She is usually able to hide it well, but on the morning of her betrothal ceremony, she loses control. At first it seems like it may be a good thing, as it postpones the wedding she didn’t want, but it attracts notice from her stepmother, Raikama.

Raikama has dark magic, and banishes the princess and turns her six brothers into cranes. She warns Shiori that one word must not escape her lips, for every word she speaks will kill one of her brothers.

Shiori finds herself far from home, alone, unable to speak, and without any money as she begins to search for her brothers. On her journey, she discovers a conspiracy to overtake her father’s throne. She is the only one that can fix things, but to do that, she must put her trust in the boy she never wanted to marry. She must also accept her magic and use it, after being told to contain it her whole life, no matter what it costs her.

This is a story about family, friendship, and self-discovery that takes you on an unforgettable adventure. I am so excited to find out what happens in the next installment!

Charming, beautiful, and simply dazzling. I devoured the book in a day and wholeheartedly loved every single character. The twists were so exciting, and the tale connects so so well with Spin the Dawn! Six Crimson Cranes draws multiple fairy tales together in a vividly lush world of magic, sweet wholesome princes, and a protagonist that makes you think about the story even after you've finished.

First things first: that cover. We all need to take a moment to really appreciate how beautiful the cover is. In fact I think it may well be the nicest cover I've seen all year.

Okay now that has been said let's see what I thought about the story. I hadn't read anything by Elizabeth Lim before this although I was previous intrigued by her Spin the Dawn duology and after reading this I can say with certainty that those books are now much higher on my priority pile.

Everyone who knows and follows me knows that fantasy and particularly retellings are some of my favourite kinds of books. This retelling is not one that I've seen done before and it is based on The Six Swans fairytale.

I absolutely loved this book... from beginning to end, everything about it was absolutely magical and I was blown away by how much I enjoyed it. 

The author has a wonderful, descriptive writing style that is very easy to understand and get along with.

She transports you to Asian inspired Kaita and introduces you to our main protagonist, Princess Shiori, only daughter of the Emperor and the youngest of 7 siblings. Shiori is promised to be married to the son of a lord in a far North Kingdom and she is not at all happy about it.

Shiori is adventurous, stubborn, curious, funny and often finds herself in trouble.

Shiori also has magic.

In the kingdom of Kaita magic has long been forbidden and so she has to hide it from everyone until on the day of her betrothal ceremony she has a little mishap and finds herself drowning in the Sacred Lake and saved by Seryu, a dragon of all things. Seryu and Shiori become friends and he helps her to practice her magic in secret.

Shiori's stepmother however grows suspicious and to cut a long story short Shiori and her brothers end up under a terrible curse. After that this book is so full of twists, turns and adventure that at times I had no idea which way things were going to go.

It's a really magical, action packed adventure to break the curse on herself and her brothers and it's just so brilliantly done that I don't have a single bad word to say about it.

While at times the story feels a bit familiar/predictable that only adds to the charm of it. I can guarantee that you will never see the ending coming as absolutely everything is turned on its head and left me completely speechless!

The character development was fantastic, it was fast paced and exciting... it has magic, humour, a curious, troublesome princess and a talking, flying paper crane.

What more could you truly want?

Elizabeth is an incredible story teller and I for one cannot wait to read the next instalment and enjoy more of Shiori's adventures. I'll definitely be picking up her other books as well!

This was one of the best modern reimagined fairy tales I have read in a long time. I immensely enjoyed reading it and want others to read it right away! The story follows Shiori, the youngest and the only daughter of the King, who realizes she has magic in a land where magic is forbidden. One of the creations of her magic causes a ripple that eventually leads to her and her brothers being cursed. The pacing has busts of action but settles down, taking its time developing the world and the characters. Like any good fairy tale, the story winds like a path through a dark woods, filled with twists and turns, building a quality layered plot. When I finished the book, I immediately wanted to read the second one, which sadly doesn’t come out until 2022. This is perfect for fans “Serpent & Dove” and “The Cruel Prince.”

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I loved it.

I ended up much enjoying this story! I started off with a little trouble getting invested (it takes a little while until they end up as cranes) but by the end I ended up liking it. I had mistakenly thought it was a standalone so the end surprised me - but I am interested in continuing this series. It reads like a Japanese folk story and I loved the atmosphere of the tale. I liked Shiori as a MC loved all the stories twists and turns.

I don't like to put high expectations in books because I often end up disappointed. But with that cover and my love for Elizabeth Lim's previous books, I couldn't help but have high hopes for SCC. Turns out, sometimes a book can surpass even your highest expectations.

Six Crimson Cranes is a whimsical retelling of a series of fairytales and lores about brothers who are turned into birds. In Shiori’s case, her six brothers are cursed into the form of Cranes, while she is cursed to not speak or else one of her brothers will die.

If you like masterfully crafted worlds with simple but imaginative magic systems, fierce family love, arranged marriage tropes, and Disney/Studio Ghibli vibes- this one is for you.

The character development in this book is stunning, with multiple characters experiencing long term, intricate paths of growth that are just so damn satisfying. There is even a little bit of found family, and a plethora of villains that make my skin crawl.

If you aren’t familiar with or a fan of fairytale retellings, the story structure might feel a bit weird, but I promise f you give it a chance the story absolutely pays off. This world was just so much fun to visit and I already cannot wait for the sequel!

In terms of romance, the love story arc is extremely subtle and understated but was still one of my favorite parts.

I can’t recommend this one highly enough l, and as a bonus the cover is possibly the prettiest thing I’ve seen all year. An easy 5 star!

A huge thank you to @netgalley & @aaknopf for a gifted digital galley. I knew this was going to be a five star read, so I immediately bought my own copy upon publication. I mean, how can you say no to that cover? Let's take a moment to drool over it.

I really, really enjoyed this book. The characters. The setting. The conflict. It was all so effortless. Typically, I gravitate towards dark and heavy fantasy. And while there are certainly dark elements in this story, I can't help but refer to it as a warm blanket on cold day. The love and dedication Shiori has for her family controlled the tone of this tale. The sacrifices and hardships that she faces, all in the name of getting her family back, is so incredibly touching. But on the flip side, there's dragons, forbidden magic, curses, demons, slow burn romance, and territorial conflict. What more could you ask for?

𝙎𝙞𝙭 𝘾𝙧𝙞𝙢𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝘾𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙚𝙨 is about a princess in exile, a shape-shifting dragon, six enchanted cranes, and unspeakable curse.
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🌟 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪
“We all have our secrets.”—Chapter 2
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It's my first time read Elizabeth Lim's book and I fall in love with her writing style. It lure me to keep reading 'till the last page. 😊
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First, I adore the cover and the title intensify curiousity to read. Based on The Six Swans fairytale, this retelling story set in an East-Asian inspired world which drag you into the comfort culture. And the foods in the book taste so delicious . Like Shiori said, 'It was so real in my mind I could practically taste the dishes.' 😁
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I like Shiori, the main character. She gets an improvement character so much. Reading more about her family bond and interaction with brothers really make me envy. 😊 Also, I like Seryu. He is so funny in his way. 🤣
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Can't wait to read the second book! The ending promises more magic adventure. 😍
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If you're looking forward the story about magic, dragon, slow burn romance, you can try read 𝙎𝙞𝙭 𝘾𝙧𝙞𝙢𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝘾𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙚𝙨. 😉

While the description was a little deceiving on what to expect, it did so in the best sort of way. Lim does a fantastic job of combining a western fairy tale with eastern culture. It made the story seem beautifully universal and enthralling. It was a fast-paced read with action constantly happening to push the story forward. I enjoyed the characters, especially the growth from the main character. And the ending - oh boy - I'm so glad that it is clearly multiple books because I was not ready to be done with the story or the world.

I did need more dragons. But, I can wait for that.

I received an eARC of this book via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim is a beautifully written fairy tale that whisks the reader away from reality to a world of adventure, magic, and romance. I devoured this story in just a few days, not wanting to set it down. Shiori and her brothers, Kiki and Seryu, and Takkan are just a few of the characters I fell in love with. While this book is a retelling (The Wild Swans I believe), it is also steeped in Asian mythology and folklore and even set in the same world as Lim’s The Blood of Stars duet. Six Crimson Cranes didn’t just set the bar, it shattered the ceiling of my expectations becoming my favorite book so far this year.

As the only princess of Kiata, it is Shiori’s duty to marry. On the eve of her betrothal, she drowns trying to save her paper bird and friend Kiki. Kiki shouldn’t exist, yet somehow she does. Shiori brought her to life with her natural magic, magic that is forbidden in Kiata. I love Kiki. She is high-spirited and feisty, bringing levity to the story. But I digress, Shiori is saved from drowning by a young dragon Seryu, the grandson of the Dragon King. Seryu is another interesting character. He pushes Shiori out of her comfort zone, teaching her to wield her magic to make her less dangerous.

When an accident leads Shiori to discover her stepmother’s hidden magic, she seeks her six older brothers’ help. Instead what happens is that Raikama is able to curse them all. Shiori is cursed to wear a bowl on her head and told that for every sound that escapes her mouth, one of her brothers will die. Her brothers are also cursed to live as swans during the day and men at night. A glamour is placed over them so that none will recognize the emperor’s children, and they are scattered.

This is where Shiori’s story truly begins. I love Shiori. She’s strong, courageous, and at times brash. She’s bold in her convictions, loyal to her family, and loves with her whole heart. Despite all these things, she’s immature and speaks before thinking, hurting people without ever realizing it. Shiori’s curse changes so much about her. The somewhat spoiled princess doesn’t have a dime to her name, and with her glamour, no one will even offer to help. I love how Shiori works through each of her problems, overcoming them and becoming stronger because of her circumstances instead of letting them break her.

Then there is Takkan. He is Shiori’s betrothed, shunned by her when she ran from their ceremony. Despite that, he risks his life to search for the royal children who have gone missing. His loyalty is just one of the many reasons I fell in love with him. He is kind above all else. He shows favor to those less fortunate than him, and he does it all with a smile. His goodness is shown through all the little interactions he has with Shiori, even when he doesn’t know her identity.

Overall I loved Six Crimson Cranes. The complexity of the plot and the gorgeously flawed characters kept me engaged with the story long after it ended. I cannot wait to read the next installment and find out more about Shiori, Takkan, and her brothers. If you are a fan of fairy tales, this one should be high on your list of books to read.

Oh how I loved this story! Please bear with me while I fangirl throughout this entire review because OMG this book was fantastic! Ya'll know that I love retellings and this one is based on a story that doesn't get much love, The 6 Swans by the Brothers Grimm.

First off, Shiori is a total badass. She is cursed for a large portion of this book, and one part of her curse is that she cannot speak without killing her brothers. Throughout her journey, she endures countless acts of physical torture (self inflicted or by others) wordlessly. This speaks volumes about how many survives of violence are silenced and cannot speak out about their sufferings. I do not know if that was part of the authors intent when writing this book but it was so powerful and it made me connect with Shiori's character that much more. Another thing that I love is how she learns to accept her magic by the end of the book, she see's it for what it is, but powerful and dangerous, but beautiful and amazing. I really hope in the next book, we get to see her flex her magical muscles so to speak.

This book also featured a sweet, slow burn romance that I absolutely adored. Takkan is the ying to Shiori's yang, their characters balance each other so well. I also really enjoyed how she slowly came to love him over the course of the book, when she was so certain that she would hate him as her betrothed. I enjoy a good slow burn romance in books, but this one may be one of my all time favourites.The sibling relationships in this book were also so wonderful. Whether it was between Shiori and her brothers, or Takkan and Megori, I found them to be so supportive and loving. You can tell that the author has infused this books pages with so many authentic emotions that it was just an absolute pleasure to read.

There were so many things that I loved that we only got a snippet of. For example, the evil stepmother trope! Raikama's character arc is one for the ages! It was so well done that I am still flabbergasted at it. We also got magic lessons from a dragon, an enchanted paper crane sidekick, and some amazing fight scenes in this book, like what more do you need. I will be anxiously awaiting the sequel to this book and first in line to request and ARC for it when it is announced!

**Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me with an early coy of this book to read and review**

I read this book as part of the blog tour hosted by TBR and Beyond Tours. Special thanks to Knopf Books for Young Readers for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review! 4,5 stars rounded up.

I've been so excited to get my hands on Six Crimson Cranes ever since I heard about it, and I'm so happy to say that this anticipated read was every bit as wonderful as I hoped it would be! I’m gonna try to be as coherent as possible in this review but also, I just want to nonsensically gush about how much I loved it? So I’m sorry if this is a rambling and repetitive mess but at least you'll know that I really loved it! 😂

Though it had a bit of a slow start as we're introduced to the world and characters, it doesn’t take long for the story to pick up. It was so easy to immerse myself in this rich world full of enchantment and folklore. One of my favourite aspects of Lim’s books is her ability to spin a story combining Western and Eastern fairytales and folktales/myths. The writing is simply put: magical! It’s such a beautifully written story it’s almost poetic. Lim's words are infused with a whimsical yearning that's commonly found in fairytales, making it easy to be swept away into this fantastical world she has built. There's plenty of magic, mythical dragons, enchanted birds and snakes, frightening demons, oh my!

This book is set in the same universe as Lim’s first duology and I loved coming back and recognizing familiar elements in the world-building and storytelling—but you can also see how Lim has really developed as a storyteller! That said, even if you haven’t read her first duology, the world-building is pretty simple and it’s easy to picture the landscapes, and it’s atmospheric enough that you can almost feel the heat of those hot summer days and the chilling bite of the winter cold. Also, I dare you to not get hungry reading this because the main character, Shiori, had a great love for food that I could (really) relate to and all the times she talked about food had my mouth watering like nobody’s business!

There’s a wide cast of characters who were both easy to love and hate. There were so many heartwarming and heartbreaking moments between them which only served to make me that much more invested in their outcomes! The story is told through the eyes of Shiori, the princess of Kiata, the youngest of seven royal children and the only girl. I was admittedly worried that I’d struggle to enjoy this when we first meet her as she comes across as an entitled, spoiled and petulant princess. She’d say and do whatever she pleased and often with little thought for anyone but herself. However, her character development was one of my favourite aspects of the story. Shiori experiences a well-developed introspective journey as, once she's cursed by her stepmother, she can no longer speak or act thoughtlessly, which allows her to reflect on her past actions and attitudes, and her growth made me want to root for her all the more! What I really admired about her was that, despite being thrown into a completely life-altering situation where she had no one but herself to rely on, she quickly gathered her wits and fought like hell to make her way. A surprise character that I ended up loving was Kiki—who knew an enchanted paper crane could be so entertaining and sassy? Kiki's voice was surprisingly fun and I loved the friendship she developed with Shiori. I can't wait for more of these two!

Aside from Shiori, we also have her six brothers who were turned into cranes when their stepmother cursed them. As in Lim's first novels, she does a fantastic job in creating and exploring realistic sibling (and overall family) bonds. Shiori used to be close to her brothers but as they grew up, that close bond slowly faded. Despite their differences in both age and personalities, you can tell how much they enjoyed each other's company and how much love and respect there was between them as the curse bonded them again. Without giving spoilers, I also appreciated the relationship between Shiori and Raikama—it took a surprising turn and it was very bittersweet. What I really wanted was to learn a bit more about Raikama's past as I found the ending to be just a tad bit rushed!

Then we come to the romantic interest and the romance itself. A good portion of the story is spent in the north, in the home of Shiori's betrothed, Takkan. Y'know, I thought I loved the romance in The Blood of Stars but I think I loved this even more? Takkan was such a soft romantic and kindhearted young man! Ah, I loved him so much! I also really loved his spirited younger sister, Megari, and his sweet relationship with her! With his penchant for spinning enchanting stories, for writing love letters, for singing folktales to life, it's no wonder he easily wormed his way into my heart and had me swooning with his sweetness! ❤️ I think Lim really has a talent for creating heroes that are soft/sweet and charming, and full of strength and wisdom. I want more of this!

Overall, this was a thoroughly enchanting story that I didn't want to put down but also didn't want it to end! I did find the ending a bit rushed as things wrapped up so quickly, but there was a very unexpected tie-in to a character from the first duology that threw me for a loop, and I was shocked when I read that name at the end! 💀 But now I'm even more excited for book two because I have a feeling we can expect a helluva lot more magic, dragons, demons and (hopefully) more of that swoon-worthy romance, too!

Usually I'm not a fan of fairy tale or mythological adaptations. I think trying to extend those genres tend to make the characters and situations a bit silly, which can be hard to get past when reading a full-length novel. But Elizabeth Lim's "Six Crimson Cranes" uses a variety of myths, fairy tales, and other literary references to create a fantasy series that makes the reader have to read just one more page.

Shiori is the only daughter of her seven siblings of the emperor of Kiata, and as is her duty, she is preparing for her betrothal ceremony to Lord Bushian's son. Or as she likes to think of it, "the dismal end of [her] future". With a penchant for adventure and a hidden magical talent, she dreams of seeing the world beyond her city and having a life of her own. But in the span of a few short weeks, she crosses paths with a dragon who gives her a piece of his dragon pearl to save her life and her mysterious stepmother, Raikama, notices her magic and becomes increasingly suspicious. After Shiori follows her to learn more about her stepmother, Raikama curses Shiori and her brothers -- they will turn into cranes at sunrise until dusk every day, and you will not utter a word or else you will kill one brother with each utterance. What starts out as a relatively similar retelling of "The Six Swans" fairy tale, it opens up to a much larger conflict that made me excited to keep reading, and waiting impatiently for book two!

This book covered an enormous span of time, and every time a new conflict or plot point emerged where I could tell we were going to need to let some time pass before we got the answers we wanted, I groaned knowing there would be filler scenes galore. But I was pleasantly surprised to get those resolutions quite quickly, with speedy pacing that left me satisfied and engaged with the book every second. There were a few moments that I felt could have been slowed down just a bit, particularly at the end when things became "explain-y", but it was refreshing to not have to read 100 pages of side plot to get to the good stuff.

I loved the character development in this book as well. Shiori is well-developed, and when potential paramours take an interest in her, it makes sense, and vice versa. The only characters I wish were a bit more developed were the brothers. They all had their own characteristics, of course, but they all blended together for me. Honestly, I couldn't tell you all six of their names. To be fair, this would be difficult given the length of the book, and given that it is based on the fairy tale, it had to be done. (Again, this is one of the less successful elements of the retelling genre.) I also thought there were a few parts of the book that pulled me out of the story and had me literally laughing out loud. The most memorable for me was when Raikama curses her, and she has to wear a walnut bowl on her head until the curse breaks. In the original story, the daughter cannot speak, but is not encumbered with dinnerware atop her head. While I agree that something like this was necessary, I spent the entire book trying to picture what that looked like. Did the bowl conform to the shape of her head at all? Was it like a coconut? What was her hair like after wearing that thing on her head for months...

I'll be totally honest. I'm reading book two for the romance alone. Sure, the main conflict is interesting, and I'm going to pay attention, but I'm really here for the hopeless romantic character (and hopefully no love triangles...).

With a beautiful cover and a familiar plot that develops into something much more intriguing and complicated, you'll will definitely enjoy this one! I'll probably buy a copy for my classroom library :)

I was so excited to read this, as I have loved all of Elizabeth Lim's other books. This book was a bit slow to start and Shiori initially difficult to like, but as I got further into the story I came to love her and respect her. She went through a *lot* over the course of this tale, and I look forward to seeing her future adventures.

I really enjoyed getting a glimpse into the past and seeing Bandur's origin as a demon. I wonder if we'll see how he gets cursed to guard Lapsur in the future books?

I'm definitely intrigued by the dragons, and I'm excited to see what their world is like. Seryu was such an interesting character here and it was clear he was undergoing some changes off-page. I have a feeling there's a LOT for Elizabeth Lim to explore there.

I especially loved Shiori's relationship with her brothers, which the transformation into cranes improved, and her friendship with Takkan and Megari. There were definitely some characters that it's easy to hate, although by the end not all is as it at first seems.

All told, an excellent adventure that transforms Shiori from a thoughtless and selfish girl into an incredibly strong young woman who values the people around her as her younger self never did. I can't wait to get lost in the next one.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children's for providing an e-arc for review.