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claudan's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Violence, War, Blood, Emotional abuse, Torture, Body horror, Confinement, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Murder and Grief
fragrant_stars's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
My god I am starstruck by this book. I cannot wait to devour the sequel!! I loved the characters, and my heart genuinely ached for the main character as she went through her struggles. The Wild Swans was one of my very favourite fairytales as a child and as a Chinese person seeing this beloved myth retold as a East Asian fantasy was so thrilling to me that I procrastinated for maybe a whole year. I was so nervous because I desperately wanted to love this book, but if I could go back now I'd be shrieking at my past self to dive right in post haste.
One of the things I loved best was how much agency was given to Shiori as a character. The blurb on the back of the book suggested to me that she would be getting a lot more help from Seryu, but as I read the bookthat didn't seem to be the case. Yes, he helped Shiori in some key moments, but most of the time Shiori got on using her wits. I also thought, based on something Seryu had said in an earlier chapter, that Shiori being forced to not use her words would eventually figure out to use wordless magic, and maybe that would be what saved the day- but no, not even that. Mostly wits. I found that brilliant.
My only regret is that the Raikama, the main antagonist / twist villain / antihero of the story, died before all the loose ends could be satisfactorily tied together. Then again, I guess that's just life for ya. Death doesn't really tie things neatly, so I guess that makes sense. Even before she was revealed to be more than she seemed I could already sort of tell- which, trust me, it was a good thing and it felt soooo rewarding when my guesses turned out right!! Made me feel like I'd have loved to see a few more scenes with her before she left the story.
One of the things I loved best was how much agency was given to Shiori as a character. The blurb on the back of the book suggested to me that she would be getting a lot more help from Seryu, but as I read the book
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief
Moderate: Death, Physical abuse, Bullying, Animal death, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Murder, War, Misogyny, Violence, Classism, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Xenophobia, and Alcohol
broccoli_j's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I think this book has to grow on you! It has a relatively slow start, but I have never read a book with such an original take on the „chosen one“ Trope.
The worldbuilding, the characterarcs and the magic system are just insane and the story uses the found family trope in such a unique way!
This was a great first book and I’m excited for the rest of the series!!!
The worldbuilding, the characterarcs and the magic system are just insane and the story uses the found family trope in such a unique way!
This was a great first book and I’m excited for the rest of the series!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting
Moderate: War, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Violence, and Child abuse
lotoblanco's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Animal death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
Moderate: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Slavery, and Gaslighting
Minor: War
monniebiloney's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This book really reminded me of the movie BRAVE (Disney)
It's definitely its own thing, but it is weirdly similar on the bases of it's exciting insidient.
If you liked Brave, you will LOVE Six Chrimson Crains.
I love that I didn't read the back of the book, cuz some of my favorite plot points that grabbed me by surprise were greatly spoiled on the back of the book.
So please, just read the first page to see if you'd like the book
It's definitely its own thing, but it is weirdly similar on the bases of it's exciting insidient.
If you liked Brave, you will LOVE Six Chrimson Crains.
I love that I didn't read the back of the book, cuz some of my favorite plot points that grabbed me by surprise were greatly spoiled on the back of the book.
So please, just read the first page to see if you'd like the book
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Body horror, Bullying, Blood, Classism, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Violence, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Animal cruelty, Murder, Abandonment, Slavery, War, Grief, and Emotional abuse
the_books_music_life's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I was very wary and had low expectations going into this book and honestly, I don’t really know why. It could have been because of how big the book is, the words and names I knew I was going to mispronounce, or because it is a retelling I’m not at all familiar with. Whatever my reasons were for being weary this book OBLITERATED them.
I ADORE this book so very much. The writing was lyrical and descriptive, the characters are so well developed and their flaws and the struggles they faced helped the characters grow in a way that was slow but felt real. The magic system was honestly amazing. Not once was I confused about the magic system, everything is explained in a way that makes it easy for the reader to grasp. This book and its magic system is probably one of my favorite magic systems.
Don’t even get me started on the world building. I want to visit this world, I want to eat the food that is mentioned and I want to meet a dragon!
I loved watching Shiori grow from a pampered princess to the woman she is at the end of the story. The things she faced and went through changed her, but changed her for the better. They didn’t deter her and she never complained, she took lessons from everything she was faced with and it made her stronger.
The relationship between Shiori and her brothers was incredibly sweet and felt real. I know as the youngest I have my ‘favorite sister’ just like Shiori had a favorite brother. I think it’s something every sibling does/haves.
Elizabeth Lim has a way with writing that just grabs you and sucks you into the world and the story.
I was SHOCKED at the big twist. I can’t say too much about it because of spoilers but you know what villain twist I mean if you’ve read it.
I love me some morally grey characters.
The romance wasn’t so front and center, all in your face. It was a nice slow build that made me fall in love with Shiroi and Takan.
I would definitely recommend going the audiobook route if you’re worried about mispronouncing things.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Death of parent, Violence, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, and Bullying
Minor: Animal death and Body horror
saintyeehaw's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I think I was so entranced by the gorgeous cover art that I set my expectations too high. The writing in this book has a huge problem with telling rather than showing, which robbed all the key moments of their tension and emotional impact. Shiori never really develops as a character, either. We are told that she is stronger, smarter, tougher but that is never shown to be true. In fact, she constantly sees a bad choice, recognizes it as a bad choice, and chooses it anyway literally just because and then acts surprised that it turned out poorly. Rinse and repeat for the entire book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, and Torture
anjasfairylights's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This one really took me in. What a story, what a world, what awesome characters. I want to read the second part of this duology asap, but at the same time I feel like I need a break for at least a week. Do you know this feeling? I‘m just so amazed, very impressed and totally invested in this story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Violence, and Religious bigotry
Minor: War and Emotional abuse
literarypenguin's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Six Crimson Cranes is about the rebellious Princess Shiori and her seven brothers who become cursed by their stepmother. Her brothers are turned into cranes and Shiori has to wear a bowel on her head and can not say a word or else her brothers will die. Banished from her kingdom and her home Shiori must find a way to end her curse and save her brothers so that she may stop her stepmother’s wrath. I picked up this book because of seeing the beautiful illustration on the cover. The plot really intrigued me as well and when I finished the book I was very satisfied and enjoyed it very much! A lot of people have praised this book and its fresh take on this myth and culture. I had those same expectations going into the book and I expected a fresh retelling with some fantasy elements thrown in. Being an avid fantasy reader I was pleased to see this book meet my expectations. I was very excited to read this book because I wanted this book to be just as exciting as the cover was beautiful. I think what makes this book unique is the curse and how it is used to progress the story and influence the characters. The curse changes Shiori for the better and shows her how much she has taken for granted and how much she still needs to learn about the world. It also brings her closer to her brothers and forges their sibling relationship. Shiori is completely different from the person she was at the beginning. I liked this book very much because of the world and the characters. I loved Shiori as the main character and I liked her brothers as well!
The writing was very good and put together well! It appealed to all of my senses and described the world and destinations well! As I read about Winter in this world I could feel the cold and snow. The pacing was good and wasn’t too fast or too slow. It worked well with the story and helped move the story and its character’s along. The writing stayed consistent throughout the story and things brought up earlier in the story played a part later on. What I liked about the writing was how descriptive it was, It described things very well and made the story much better in my opinion!
This book focuses on Shiori and her journey to save her brother and her father and her kingdom from the grip of her stepmother. I enjoyed the story and Shiori’s journey to save her family and learn more about herself and the world around her. Shiori learned about her magic and how to stop her stepmother, learning something important about her stepmother in the process which I did not see coming! Shiori used what she learned from the people she encountered and her surroundings to put an end to the curse and save her brothers which were very admirable! What stood out the most to me was Shiori's learning, not t judge people on what they look like or how they appear. She learned about not being so closed off to other people and learning to be more open to people. What makes this story so different is the use of mythology and culture and the use of a twist toward the end that I didn’t see coming at all! I think the greatest strength in the story was the characters and how different they were from each other. I liked Takkan and his little sister, they were my favorite!
The main protagonist was Shiori and I felt the representation in the book was very good! Shiori’s development is by far the strongest and by the end of the story, she is a different person than she was in the beginning. My favorite character was Seryu even though we didn’t see him too much he was still hilarious and always a pleasure to read about in the story. One of the most important relationships in the book was the one between Shiori and her brothers, how much she loved them and the lengths she would go to save them, and the lengths they would go to to protect her. It was a great sibling dynamic to read about! Another relationship was between Shiori and Takkan and how their relationship grew from strangers to a budding romance. There is a stranger-to-lovers trope present and maybe a bit of a love at first sight trope as well. I think what made the characters interesting was how different they were and how each character had some kind of effect on the story and Shiori. The character development was good because of the change in Shiori and how she viewed things by the end of the story. I liked the relationship between Shiori and her brothers the most because I love a book that can give you a great sibling relationship! I also liked the relationship between Takkan and Shiori and their blossoming romance and how it grew throughout the book.
The book is set in an Asian fantasy land of Kiata where emperors and lords rule the land and royal families have more power and control. The worldbuilding was very well done and really immersed me into the story, I loved learning more about this world and its magic. Magic in this world is also forbidden and anyone who has magic will be punished or shunned. I think what makes this worldbuilding interesting is how it takes some inspiration from actual places and makes it it's own. I think it is important because it really helps the story and the characters in the story. What I liked the most about the worldbuilding was how certain things were explained at points in the story but it was explained in a way that made sense.
The theme of learning about oneself and not judging someone based on how they look or what you have heard about them is explored in this book through Shiori in how she learned more about herself and grew as a person and how she learned to be more open to people and not judge them. I think that they matter because it is something we all have learned about ourselves and some people still need to learn more about it. I think that the author portrayed these themes well! They made me feel good and learned that I can grow more as a person.
I hope that other people give this book a try because it is a great book with fantastic worldbuilding and great character development. I feel like the book is worth reading and I am looking forward to reading the sequel that is coming out soon! I recommend this book highly and enjoyed it!
The writing was very good and put together well! It appealed to all of my senses and described the world and destinations well! As I read about Winter in this world I could feel the cold and snow. The pacing was good and wasn’t too fast or too slow. It worked well with the story and helped move the story and its character’s along. The writing stayed consistent throughout the story and things brought up earlier in the story played a part later on. What I liked about the writing was how descriptive it was, It described things very well and made the story much better in my opinion!
This book focuses on Shiori and her journey to save her brother and her father and her kingdom from the grip of her stepmother. I enjoyed the story and Shiori’s journey to save her family and learn more about herself and the world around her. Shiori learned about her magic and how to stop her stepmother, learning something important about her stepmother in the process which I did not see coming! Shiori used what she learned from the people she encountered and her surroundings to put an end to the curse and save her brothers which were very admirable! What stood out the most to me was Shiori's learning, not t judge people on what they look like or how they appear. She learned about not being so closed off to other people and learning to be more open to people. What makes this story so different is the use of mythology and culture and the use of a twist toward the end that I didn’t see coming at all! I think the greatest strength in the story was the characters and how different they were from each other. I liked Takkan and his little sister, they were my favorite!
The main protagonist was Shiori and I felt the representation in the book was very good! Shiori’s development is by far the strongest and by the end of the story, she is a different person than she was in the beginning. My favorite character was Seryu even though we didn’t see him too much he was still hilarious and always a pleasure to read about in the story. One of the most important relationships in the book was the one between Shiori and her brothers, how much she loved them and the lengths she would go to save them, and the lengths they would go to to protect her. It was a great sibling dynamic to read about! Another relationship was between Shiori and Takkan and how their relationship grew from strangers to a budding romance. There is a stranger-to-lovers trope present and maybe a bit of a love at first sight trope as well. I think what made the characters interesting was how different they were and how each character had some kind of effect on the story and Shiori. The character development was good because of the change in Shiori and how she viewed things by the end of the story. I liked the relationship between Shiori and her brothers the most because I love a book that can give you a great sibling relationship! I also liked the relationship between Takkan and Shiori and their blossoming romance and how it grew throughout the book.
The book is set in an Asian fantasy land of Kiata where emperors and lords rule the land and royal families have more power and control. The worldbuilding was very well done and really immersed me into the story, I loved learning more about this world and its magic. Magic in this world is also forbidden and anyone who has magic will be punished or shunned. I think what makes this worldbuilding interesting is how it takes some inspiration from actual places and makes it it's own. I think it is important because it really helps the story and the characters in the story. What I liked the most about the worldbuilding was how certain things were explained at points in the story but it was explained in a way that made sense.
The theme of learning about oneself and not judging someone based on how they look or what you have heard about them is explored in this book through Shiori in how she learned more about herself and grew as a person and how she learned to be more open to people and not judge them. I think that they matter because it is something we all have learned about ourselves and some people still need to learn more about it. I think that the author portrayed these themes well! They made me feel good and learned that I can grow more as a person.
I hope that other people give this book a try because it is a great book with fantastic worldbuilding and great character development. I feel like the book is worth reading and I am looking forward to reading the sequel that is coming out soon! I recommend this book highly and enjoyed it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Death of parent
Moderate: Emotional abuse
nagaruyi06's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I loved this book and would really recommend it to people if you would like an asian adventerous setting
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Child abuse and Emotional abuse