Six Crimson Cranes: A Book Review.
A few weeks ago I finished “Six Crimson Cranes.” by Elizabeth Lim and as soon as I put it down I knew I needed to write a review of it. So here I am!
Six Crimson Cranes
by Elizabeth Lim
“Fear is a game. You win by playing, not by running away.”
The secretly magical Princess Shiori is desperate to get out of her arranged marriage and will do anything to stop it. However when Shiori discovers her stepmother Raikama’s secret — she is an evil sorceress — Raikama transforms Shiori’s six older brother into cranes and banishes Shiori far away, telling her that for every word she utters one of her brothers will die…
I was looking through my local library for my next YA novel to read when I came across this. I instantly knew I was going to enjoy it. The story feels like the best stories do, old and new at the same time. The way Lim subtly echoes Chinese mythology made feel like I’d heard this story before, yet the epic plot-twists kept the story fresh and alive, assuring me I hadn’t. I enjoyed Shiori’s narration of the tale — she’s such a lovely bold and funny character and I enjoyed seeing her growth over the course of the novel. The other character were also very much alive and I loved that they each brought something different to offer. The setting is magical — as you might expect! and although the language was not the most amazing I have ever read, it didn’t need to be for the story to feel immersive. 4.5/5 stars!
Thanks for reading!
Hetty Monksea
