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pangur_ban_kat 's review for:
Six Crimson Cranes
by Elizabeth Lim
When I was younger, my parents bought me a CD of various fairytales being acted out--everything from Ali Baba to East of the Sun West of the Moon to The Emperor's New Clothes. I listened to them al the time, to the point where I can still quote them, or remember various quirks in the voice acting. I borrowed Six Crimson Cranes in audiobook format, and this is the closest I've come to recreating that experience. This book is a fairytale in plot, but also just in vibes, from the curse-casting stepmother to the talking animal sidekick.
It's a pretty quick read, and it's quite delightful. Shiori is an interesting character, and I'm glad she is given such a well-crafted arc. The other characters aren't as fleshed out, particularly in their relationships with Shiori and one another, but I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing. Sure, a lot of important character beats, like her love for her brothers, are more tell than show, but it doesn't detract from the story because it's a fairytale. They're presented as a given, without the need for much realism. I do think the climax is a bit convoluted, and would've benefitted from a few more chapters, but I think the ending is still satisfying both as the conclusion of the story and as set-up for a sequel.
It's a pretty quick read, and it's quite delightful. Shiori is an interesting character, and I'm glad she is given such a well-crafted arc. The other characters aren't as fleshed out, particularly in their relationships with Shiori and one another, but I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing. Sure, a lot of important character beats, like her love for her brothers, are more tell than show, but it doesn't detract from the story because it's a fairytale. They're presented as a given, without the need for much realism. I do think the climax is a bit convoluted, and would've benefitted from a few more chapters, but I think the ending is still satisfying both as the conclusion of the story and as set-up for a sequel.