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A review by kaziaroo
Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
On one hand, this book as a quick, light and enjoyable read, probably aimed more at the younger end of the YA spectrum. On the other hand, it just didn't feel like much thought went into it. Beyond the obvious fantasy elements, I found that my suspension of disbelief was being pushed past its limits; the events and characters' actions were just too unbelievable.
For example, at one point Shiori is rowing a boat up a river from the sea, to the mountains. Uphill, right? But then she encounters a steep downhill waterfall, the water crashing from the sea end down to where the mountains are. Did none of the editors think to point this out? Is this a magic waterfall that defies gravity?
However, that was just one scene; I could let that slide. I also ignored the paper bird that can get wet without any repercussions because hey, magic. But the characters' relationships with Shiori were just so sudden and unbelievable:
For most of the book, Shiori is cursed to have a bowl stuck on her head, covering most of her face, and she can't make any noise from her mouth. For a world in which demons are real, you'd think people could be forgiven for being scared of her and thinking she was some demon or malicious spirit. But no – only the "bad" characters think that, whereas the "good" characters instantly adore and trust Shiori deeply, giving her gifts and welcoming her into their home despite having no basis for this trust. There was no build-up or complexity to their relationships; it was just instant, groundless faith and love. They could also nearly always understand what Shiori was saying, even though she couldn't speak and rarely bothered to use the paper given to her specifically to communicate with.
In general, I felt that the book moved too fast. I get that it needed to be a certain length to meet the target audience, but there were moments where I would have liked to have lingered and seen Shiori's character development more slowly and deeply, or explored the mysteries and intrigues more. Unfortunately, the author relies a lot on exposition and telling rather than showing, which made this a very shallow read. The author clearly wasn't willing to think about how things worked but just wanted them to happen. Towards the end, we had to sit through pages and pages of the villains explaining their actions and the reasoning behind it, reasons which weren't hinted at at all earlier in the story. Shiori being the bloodsake or whatever came from nowhere and meant nothing to me. It felt weak and lazy, yet it was the motivation behind everything! Shiori's magic didn't even do much; I often forgot it was there.
The book wasn't all bad though; if you look past their ridiculous trust in Shiori, some of the characters are sweet and loveable and I liked her brothers although there were too many of them for me to keep track of their personalities. The setting and world was nice although underdeveloped and I liked Shiori as a protagonist. If you don't think about it too deeply (like the author clearly didn't), it's a decent read.
For example, at one point Shiori is rowing a boat up a river from the sea, to the mountains. Uphill, right? But then she encounters a steep downhill waterfall, the water crashing from the sea end down to where the mountains are. Did none of the editors think to point this out? Is this a magic waterfall that defies gravity?
However, that was just one scene; I could let that slide. I also ignored the paper bird that can get wet without any repercussions because hey, magic. But the characters' relationships with Shiori were just so sudden and unbelievable:
For most of the book, Shiori is cursed to have a bowl stuck on her head, covering most of her face, and she can't make any noise from her mouth. For a world in which demons are real, you'd think people could be forgiven for being scared of her and thinking she was some demon or malicious spirit. But no – only the "bad" characters think that, whereas the "good" characters instantly adore and trust Shiori deeply, giving her gifts and welcoming her into their home despite having no basis for this trust. There was no build-up or complexity to their relationships; it was just instant, groundless faith and love. They could also nearly always understand what Shiori was saying, even though she couldn't speak and rarely bothered to use the paper given to her specifically to communicate with.
In general, I felt that the book moved too fast. I get that it needed to be a certain length to meet the target audience, but there were moments where I would have liked to have lingered and seen Shiori's character development more slowly and deeply, or explored the mysteries and intrigues more. Unfortunately, the author relies a lot on exposition and telling rather than showing, which made this a very shallow read. The author clearly wasn't willing to think about how things worked but just wanted them to happen. Towards the end, we had to sit through pages and pages of the villains explaining their actions and the reasoning behind it, reasons which weren't hinted at at all earlier in the story.
The book wasn't all bad though; if you look past their ridiculous trust in Shiori, some of the characters are sweet and loveable and I liked her brothers although there were too many of them for me to keep track of their personalities. The setting and world was nice although underdeveloped and I liked Shiori as a protagonist. If you don't think about it too deeply (like the author clearly didn't), it's a decent read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Murder, and Violence
Minor: Blood, Vomit, and War