A review by stephanielee
Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim

adventurous dark emotional 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? No

5.0

Shori is the youngest child and the only princess. She has 6 older brothers who she loves dearly and a stepmother who she has a complicated relationship with. Shori also has a secret- she has magic, which is forbidden in her land. She is about to be married in an arranged marriage and things go wrong. She then learns a secret about her stepmother who then curses her and her brothers. Shori is unrecognizable and is cast out into the streets to fend for herself and is not allowed to speak or for each word she says, one of her brothers will die. Her brothers are turned into cranes and their father cannot recognize them. As Shori learns to survive, she learns a lot about herself, her magic and even her stepmother. I love this as it is the kind of stepmother story that is complicated but not what you expect. I also love the character development for Shori as well as her brothers. 

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