*Spoiler free*

This cover knocked me off my feet. I mean, LOOK AT IT. It's just downright gorgeous. I know I shouldn't judge books by their covers, but dang, this one is amazing. And I did enjoy Spin The Dawn, so I was curious to see what this author was going to be writing next. And a book about a princess with hidden magic, who is cursed voiceless and who's brothers are cursed to turn into cranes, sounds like something I would enjoy!

Oh, I loved this book so much. So, so much. Lim is a masterful storyteller, and the way this one is woven is just brilliant.

I'm starting off talking about Shiori, because I love her so dang much. She was a heck of a main character. Incredibly bold, fierce, and ready to take on the world if that is required of her. She's funny and stubborn and has so much grit. She's also cursed not to speak for most of the book. She still has her thoughts, but I honestly think it's an amazing feat to have a character that is this vivid, and this amazing, and have her dialogue be nothing for most of the book.

Shiori was not the only amazing character in this book. There is the sweetest love interest, one who loves to tell stories. Really, all the side characters were brilliant. There's also a so many siblings, and that means a ton of sibling shenanigans, which was amazing. The familial relationships were also top notch. I can't say more than that to avoid spoilers, but just know that the role family plays is a big one, and the ties between them were strong and wonderful.

There is even a little magic paper bird named Kiki who is adorable and I love her.

This book's humor was something else that I loved. It's not a funny book, because it's about a cursed princess trying to make sure her brothers stay alive, but the way humor was slipped in there was amazing. In the rebellious little sister and the sarcastic magic paper bird, just amazing.

The way this story was told was another highlight for me. I was not expecting it to go in the direction it did, multiple times. But truly, it is top notch storytelling. It's vivid, and shocking, and thrilling, and all around spectacular.

I don't want to say too much because I don't want to give anything away. But this world, it is one that is so vast. There are dragons and demons and magic plants. There are hidden plots and danger lurking behind the corner. Shiori ventures to places she doesn't expect, and so many different things are thrown her way. She has to deal with being cursed and trying to save her brothers and trying to stay alive.

Just, this is a brilliantly told book, with brilliant characters, and a brilliant world. It went in directions I was not expecting, and I ended up loving it because of exactly that.

If it's not obvious, I loved this book. It is amazingly written and told, I fell completely in love with Shiori, and just everything about it as spectacular.

The Six Crimson Cranes book seemed like a mix of the Thousand Furs myth with the 6 Swans myth but set in China. I enjoyed the new setting and diverse cast of characters. I liked that there weren't too many YA tropes abounding (no insta-love, not really a love triangle) and that there were dragons but I would have loved to see more of them. I think the story may be a little slow for some and more character than plot driven. Overall a quick enjoyable read with a diverse cast for anyone who loves fairytales!. Fair warning there is a cliffhanger! I will definitely read the next book to see where this goes.

So while this book may not be the most mature YA book I’ve read and it can read slightly younger, it was still a joy to read this book. I love the story that this is a retelling of And have since I was really young and I adore how this was done. The author was really good at describing things and the way that things came together, was really well done. I really enjoyed the characters, even though they sometimes read a young teenagers. I can’t wait to read more of Lim’s work and would highly recommend this book.

This book was stunning! I had read Elizabeth Lim's Spin the Dawn several years ago (haven't gotten to read the second in the duology, but definitely would like to eventually!) and remember enjoying her storytelling. This book, Six Crimson Cranes, was just lovely to read. The storytelling was spun with rich, vibrant details of the world of Kiata, interesting characters, and lots of action. And the PLOT TWISTS. There were sweet moments too. I loved the weaving of fairytales, and Elizabeth Lim says that she was greatly inspired by folklore and stories from Asian cultures, which was really lovely. I also adore the Asian representation. (On this note, can I mention how GORGEOUS the cover art and design is? On the Spin the Dawn's cover as well!! Breathtaking! I feel like there are not too many novels illustrating an Asian character on the cover, and I am so happy to see Shiori, the clever and strong-hearted protagonist of this story, front and center on the cover of Six Crimson Cranes).

I wasn't expecting this book to end of a bit of a cliffhanger (I actually thought this was a standalone book) - now I must wait for the next book to see how Shiori manages with the pearl! I'm really looking forward to it, though, and I think Elizabeth Lim has become an author whose books I will gladly look to read!

I want to give a thanks to the publisher for providing me a digital ARC of Six Crimson Cranes via NetGalley. What a wonderful read!

Elizabeth Lim fabricates another amazing story, lush and compelling.

Shiori is a stubborn and willful protagonist. Her existence seems to be accumulated in a colorful and charming myriad of sewing classes, festivals, writing letters, and other expectations befitting her station. While she gives her stepmother and six brothers trouble, her greatest secret and vice is a paper crane she enchanted to fly. Magic is outlawed in the kingdom, and to be discovered is to be ruined.

Shiori does well keeping her talent hidden...
Until she falls into the lake and befriends the dragon residing there.

Once she begins to unravel her powers, there's no going back, especially in the face of betrayal. To break the curse upon her and her brothers, she must now turn her stubbornness into resolve, and find and hone a strength she never knew she could wield, or else her family and kingdom will pay the price.

The writing in this story is colorful and oftentimes vivid, honed with a traditional deference that bespeaks the culture and time. The story and plot follows and reads like folklore, oftentimes pushing (but never breaking) the limits of believability in the same way a fairytale would. The firm grasp on the culture adds to this, creating an authentic and gripping tale. Lim's writing has absolutely evolved over her last few books as she hits her stride as a writer, the tempo in this book being expertly paced, with even the most insignificant of characters becoming intriguing and memorable.

Lim has a great way of gracefully splitting her novels without leaving them on explicit cliffhangers. While I'll no doubt be eagerly awaiting book two, this ending was not rushed and was absolutely satisfying.

Six Crimson Cranes absolutely stands as a 'Must Read' in an oftentimes over-saturated genre, with a unique and well crafted story that is singular and expertly wrought, a beacon amongst its peers. THIS is a prime example of how you rewrite traditional fairytales!

This is a set in the same world as the authors previous books this is has magic, family ties, and some romance. This reminded me of the brother Grimm Six Swans with new twists. This also as beautiful cover art that will draw people in.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this eARC for an honest review.

Ever since the release of Spin the Dawn, Elizabeth Lim climbed to the top of my favorite story tellers. Her affinity for fairy tales is evident in her own stories, borrowing beloved elements from classic tales, and weaving them into new and enchanting ways. Six Crimson Cranes, which takes place in the same world as her STD duology, is reminiscent of Ella Enchanted, with the main protagonist cursed and unable to talk about it.

Another positive facet of Lim’s work is that her female leads are independent and headstrong. I would argue that this is a coming of age story, since her characters must mature, grow, and persevere against the odds.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a strong female lead, spellbinding adventure, and captivating writing.

Elizabeth Lim brings her expertise in stunning character development and exciting plot twists to Six Crimson Cranes! Six Crimson Cranes transports readers to a land where magic flows, strong and steady, but is outlawed. Princess Shiori knows that she must keep her own powers a secret or risk damaging the relationship she has with her father, and her kingdom. When her path crosses with a dragon after a chance meeting, Shiori quickly embraces the powers that lay hidden within. As she practices forbidden magic and avoids the boy who she is to be married to, Shiori find betrayal -- magical betrayal -- at the hands of her stepmother. Cursed and alone, Shiori must find a way to save herself, her family, and her kingdom.

Shiori does not want to get married, but as the only Princess of Kiata, she has been promised to Takkan for years. She runs away from their betrothal ceremony following her magical paper crane Kiki. She meets a dragon Seryu who agrees to teach her how to use her magic, Magical people have not been present in Kiata for a long time and it is not allowed to practice magic. Seryu suspects that Shiori’s step-mother is also magical. When Shiori finds out that her step-mother has magic, her stepmother curses her and her brothers. Her brothers become cranes and she becomes an anonymous peasant girl with a wooden bowl stuck on her head so no one can tell who she is. If she speaks, her brothers will die. Together they figure out how to break the curse, but it opens up other mysteries- is her stepmother evil after all or is something else at work here? Overall I felt that this book had too many extra plot threads that I was not interested in and felt that the story was overly complicated. It could have been streamlined into a more coherent story, I really enjoyed Lim’s Blood of the Stars duology so this was a letdown for me.

Where do I begin? I loved this book! I haven't read the author before, but I will be now. Have already downloaded one of her past books. Such a fun, fresh tale with so many twists and turns. Kept me guessing the whole way, never knowing who to trust. The characters grow throughout the story and start discovering who they are and what is most important to them. Includes themes of love, family, friendship and misjudgment. I will recommend this to all my reading friends for sure!

As a result of my various committee appointments and commitments I am unable to disclose my personal thoughts on this title at this time. Please see my star rating for a general overview of how I felt about this title. Additionally, you may check my GoodReads for additional information on what thoughts I’m able to share publicly. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this and any other titles you are in charge of.

ARC received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Seeing the premise of this book and Juliet Marillier commenting on it I had to get my hands on this book. I am really happy that I gave it a chance and worked on actually being able to read it on my kindle instead of having to drag my laptop out and around with me to read. This book was a really interesting set up with a slightly disappointing ending. I felt like everything was just a little too rushed. I would have loved more time with the ending and less time just hanging out in the middle. Despite all that I really did enjoy the story rooting for the hero and glad that the heroine got the growth she needed to be far less annoying. I would highly recommend this for people who love Juliet Marillier's work because it is from the same source material and conjured up the same feelings of wonder and worry that her book did in me as a teen with far less of the adult themes.

this was such a sweet book and I can see this appealing to a younger audience! Ms. Lim does it again!

This book was a lovely reimagining of a favorite fairy tale. I love the life Lim breathed into her characters. Takkan is my absolute favorite, and I couldn't help but cheer for Shiori's bravery and love for her brothers. I wish the brothers had a bit more development. We catch glimpses of their individual personalities, but they only ever seem to interact with Shiori as a group so we never really get a sense of who they are as individuals. I'm definitely looking forward to the sequel.

While I certainly loved Lim's debut duology The Blood of Stars, this new story is on another level entirely.

Evocative, lush and utterly mesmerizing, Six Crimson Cranes was like being pulled into a magical fairy tale both unique and yet familiar. Shiori was probably the most realistic female protag I've come across in quite a long time. Devoid of all the caricatures that plague YA today, she was fresh, human and beautifully executed. I cannot wait to see more of our princess. And Takkan, what can I say--#newbookboyfriend.

I knew Lim was an excellent writer but she really upped her game in all things with this story. The characters, the settings...the food (I'm hungry now) and heartfelt bond of family and friendship were simply amazing.

Highly recommend!

This book was so good! I wasn't sure in the beginning but the more I read the more I became invested. I really enjoyed the main characters and the plotline was very different. I will be recommending this book to all of my friends.

Six Crimson Cranes has a stunning cover. The story is just as stunning. Shiori, a princess with six brothers, has a secret. She is able to do magic, which is forbidden in her kingdom. When her stepmother, Raikama discovers Shiori’s secret, she banishes Shiori and turns her brothers into cranes. For every word that Shiori speaks while banished, one of her brothers will die. Shiori searches for her brothers, and uncovers a conspiracy for the throne.

Shiori is witty and fierce, and I loved her from the first time I read about her. She’s strong and loyal to her family. I loved her determination and cleverness throughout the story. The story is well written and the world is lush with dragons and hidden magic. I loved the twists and the characters. The romance is amazing and feels genuine. This story has the same magic that Elizabeth Lim’s other series, Spin the Dawn had. Definitely check this one out if you are looking for a clever and magical fantasy.

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.