Synopsis
Shiori, the only princess of Kiata, has a secret. Forbidden magic runs through her veins. Normally she conceals it well, but 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.
Raikama has dark magic of her own, and she 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, on her journey, uncovers a conspiracy to overtake the throne—a conspiracy more twisted and deceitful, more cunning and complex, than even Raikama’s betrayal. Only Shiori can set the kingdom to rights, but to do so she must place her trust in 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 her.
Title: Six Crimson Cranes (Six Crimson Cranes, #1)
Author: Elizabeth Lim
Publication Date: July 6, 2021
Publisher: Knopf
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Top 5 Reasons to Read this Book
- Magic: This whole book is full of magic. And, the amazing thing about that, is that magic is banned in the story. So we’re reading a book full of magic about how magic is banned. It’s beautiful.
- Adventure: There is a lot of adventure to be had here. We get to tackle the minor issue of Shiori’s brothers being changed into cranes while also trying to figure out what to do with Shiori’s forbidden magic. It’s a thrill ride that you don’t want to miss out on.
- Romaaaaaance: A million heart eyes for the wondeful love story in this book.
- Retelling: This book is technically based off of one specific fairytale, but it kinda feels like a mix of many different ones. Lim explains some of her inspiration for this story at the beginning of hte book and I think that inspiration really adds to the magic of it all. It’s so fun to see so many stories come together to create this one.
- Family: We don’t interact loads with the family in this book, but I still felt a connection to them somehow. Plus, Shiori’s love for her brothers is felt so strongly throughout the book. Her dedication can’t be denied.
About the Author
Elizabeth Lim is the author of the critically-acclaimed and bestselling The Blood of Stars duology (Spin the Dawn and Unravel the Dusk), the New York Times bestseller So This is Love, and the USA Today bestseller Reflection. Forthcoming books include the Six Crimson Cranes duology, expected summer 2021 and summer 2022, respectively.
Elizabeth grew up on a hearty staple of fairy tales, myths, and songs. Her passion for storytelling began around age 10, when she started writing fanfics for Sailor Moon, Sweet Valley, and Star Wars, and posted them online to discover, “Wow, people actually read my stuff. And that’s kinda cool!” But after one of her teachers told her she had “too much voice” in her essays, Elizabeth took a break from creative writing to focus on not flunking English.
Over the years, Elizabeth became a film and video game composer, and even went so far as to get a doctorate in music composition. But she always missed writing, and she turned to penning stories when she needed a breather from grad school. One day, she decided to write and finish a novel—for kicks, at first, then things became serious—and she hasn’t looked back since.
Elizabeth graduated from Harvard College with an A.B. in music and a secondary in East Asian Studies, and she completed her graduate degrees (MM, DMA) at The Juilliard School. She grew up in Northern California and Tokyo, Japan, and now resides in New York with her husband and two daughters.
yes!! i’m so excited to read this book.
It’s a great read