This retelling of the Grimm brothers The Six Swans infuses elements of Asian mythology and inverts the gendered stereotypes so often found in fairytales. Shiori is a strong heroine that's easy to root for and readers will devour her story and be clamoring for the next. Definitely recommended for high school libraries.

Originally didn’t give feedback because I DNF, but it’s hurting my feedback ratio, so I’m going to review it. So what was happening was interesting with the family and main character, but I didn’t care enough to continue. I’m pretty sure she was going to turn into a servant and I didn’t like reading about that. I also never rate a book I DNF but this makes me.

This was my first book by this author, It was pretty enjoyable. I would give this book a 3.5 star rating! It was a pretty Quick and easy read!

The world building in this book is just *chefs kiss*! Oh my goodness, such a beautiful fairytale story with rich culture and stunning imagery. The writing in this is NEXT LEVEL and I cannot wait to read more from Elizabeth Lim. Wow!

Immaculate world-building and a strong character I immediately rooted for. Give this title to teens who like fairy tale retellings.

This was a twist on a retelling and I liked it. I didn't know there was going to be a second book and when I got to the end, I was surprised.

I love this myth/story because it speaks to family and just what siblings would do for one another in times of hardship and I'll gladly read any retellings. I can't wait to see what the next book has in store.

“If fate is a bunch of strings, then I'll carry scissors. My choices are my own. I'll make them as I please.”

Six Crimson Cranes is a stunning masterpiece of classic fairytale literature and rewoven magic. I grew up on Hans Christian Andersen's The Wild Swans and Elizabeth Lim's tale remains true to the original, while brilliantly crafting a new adventure.

The inclusions of Asian heritage and culture were incredible, and provided a whimsical background to this story. Each character was crafted perfectly and fit into their own slot within this story (even Kiki, the paper bird whose personality was perfectly golden). And the COVER? Gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous.

I need to get my hands on the sequel immediately, and find out what is in store for our spectacular characters in this stunning new world.

“Find the light that makes your lantern shine. Hold on to it, even when the dark surrounds you. Not even the strongest wind will blow out the flame.”

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for providing an ARC.

This book was so good it had me do a double take when someone asked me a question and I had to speak. Lim's writing is so engaging I believed I had seven brothers that were in danger if I made any sound. I enjoyed every minute of reading this and would want it on as many shelves as possible.

I absolutely adored this book. There aren't even words. I loved Spin the Dawn but Six Crimson Cranes was that much better. Elizabeth Lim has such a way with words, I can't even describe it. She makes you feel like you're there, experiencing everything first hand with the characters and everything she describes somehow becomes magical. I am literally obsessed.

I will read anything and everything Elizabeth Lim writes. This story is phenomenal and I can't wait to see how it continues.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Everything Elizabeth Lim touches is gold I adore the way she weaves a tale. I couldn't put Six Crimson Cranes down once I started it. Can't wait to see where she'll take this in the sequel.

Elizabeth Lim never misses. This book was superbly written, with a cast of lovable characters and a fast-paced story that kept the pages turning until the very end. I adored Shiori as the main character. She goes on such a fascinating arc, having to learn to restrain herself from using her voice in order to protect her brothers. Kiki was the most adorable side character, and I can’t wait to get more of her in the sequel. The character I am surprised to say I ended up being most intrigued by, however, was Raikama. Spending the whole story hating her for what she did to Shiori and her brothers, only to have Lim masterfully flip what we think we know on its head was so unexpected yet so appreciated. I’m curious to see what will happen in the sequel, but I am absolutely looking forward to it.

this was cute, i loved the family aspect and the main character. i just felt like something was missing maybe?

I read a couple of chapters but was not able to get into it. I was really disappointed because I was so excited to read this too. I will probably try to read this over the summer again when I have more free time because what I read was good. There was nothing wrong with the book except my preferences. I read books mostly for the romance aspect and it took a long while before we met the love interest. I just did not have the patience at the time. I also found the main character to be a bit immature.

Shiori is a princess of the realm, and when she runs from her engagement, she stumbles upon a clue that leads to her butting heads with her stepmother. This leads to a curse that Shiori must figure out how to break if she is going save herself and her brothers.

This is pretty good. It does have a bit of a fairy tale feel to it, with the magical and atypical bowl-on- head punishment and the circumstances around the six cranes. The main character is Shiori is a bit annoying at the beginning, but as she grows and learns more, she becomes a bit more relatable. The story of her step-mother was a nice twist at the end and I really liked the budding relationship/romance aspect of the story.

The end comes at a natural stopping point, but it very clearly sets up for the next book without true resolution to the overarching story. The climactic conflict toward the end however, did confuse me because I never really grasped how the magic was supposed to work in this world. Perhaps the next book with give more background.

Thanks to Netgalley and Randomhousechildrens for a copy of the book!

Though I love the idea for this book I am DNFing it for now, I am hopeful to pick it up again later as so many people do seem to love it.

An excellent folktale/mythology adaptation with slow burn world building, an engaging main character, and plenty of twists and turns to keep readers on their toes.

I really looked forward to reading Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim. I loved Spin the Dawn and enjoyed Unravel the Dusk by Lim, and the synopsis sounded fantastic! And I’m happy to share that my instincts about Six Crimson Cranes were correct––it was fantastic!

The vibe of the story as a whole reminded me of the fairytales I was told as a child. I think it was the manner in which the story was told, as well as the elements involved. But whatever the case, I absolutely loved it.

I was so hooked! And this doesn’t happen often with books that don’t have an epic love story at its centre. But I often found myself wondering what was going to happen next in Six Crimson Cranes while I was working, or running errands, or doing other adult things.

This story was beautifully woven and kept me engaged all the way through. I consumed some parts of it in audiobook format, and therefore also wanted to make a note about that––the narrator was really great and helped bring the story of Six Crimson Cranes to life! I highly recommend this book in all formats!

I think I had heard this fairytale at some point in my childhood, but this interpretation made for such an exciting story. Elizabeth Lim's writing was truly a treat to read. Shiori was such a lovely protagonist the story was woven together so elegantly that I couldn't stop reading. This was an excellent start (with gorgeous cover art) and I'm so excited for book 2 to come out.

Elizabeth Lim has a way with fairytales. Six Crimson Cranes is a retelling of The Wild Swans, and it’s probably my favorite book that I read in 2021. Six Crimson Cranes has such a nostalgic feel to it (probably because I grew up watching the Hello Kitty version of The Wild Swans), and I couldn’t put it down. Shiori’s growth across the tale is incredible, and I can’t wait to see where the next book takes her! I mean, if you’ve read the book you know where she’s going, but I can’t wait till I have the actual book in my hands so I can finish this story. I highly recommend you pick up Six Crimson Cranes or any of Lim’s books if you’re in the mood for an epic fairy tale retelling—trust me, you won’t regret it!

Read this book last year, as a NetGalley arc, but I didn't have Goodreads back then (I used my Instagram).
Already a The Blood of the Stars fan, I think I liked this book even more. Elizabeth has a gift for descriptions, if you are into East Asian cooking this book will make you SO hungry! Set in the same universe as the previous duology, it plays with classic fairytale tropes in the same charming way, but with a very different tone.
It's entirely possible to like one duology but not the other because the tone is quite different; while The Blood of the Stars duology is more dramatic and epic, Six Crimson Cranes is more like a palace romcom and its characters are younger too.
Don't get me wrong, SCC has a lot of traveling and adventure too (and quite a few high tension scenes) but there are many funny characters and Shiori's spoiled brat point of view is a comedy element by itself.
Definitely recommended, can't wait for the second book!