Book Review: Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim

As a long-time lover of words, I firmly believe that every person can love reading as long as the right book is found!

Hello Everyone!

(Intro) My Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐️

In Summary:

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim is a fairy tale retelling of the Brothers Grimm fairy tale “The Six Swans.” The novel’s story consists of the cursed princess Shiori, her enchanted brothers, her stepmother, her love interest (Prince Takkan), a paper bird (Kiki), and a dragon (Seryu). Over the course of the novel, we watch as Shiori tries to fight against her brothers’ curse placed upon them by their stepmother, all while she is bound by a curse to not utter a single word.

My Thoughts:

The thing that first drew me to this novel was the stunning cover art and intrigue in the world of the story. Since the universe hit close to home with the inspiration that it was built from, I was immediately drawn to it. That in addition to the label of a “retold fairytale” was what fully convinced me to purchase it for myself.

While the story's pacing was a little slow for my taste and the “tell” overpowered the “show,” I loved the way the characters were introduced. The emotional scenes of the book were impactful and truly showcased Lim’s talent with words.

My problem with the novel comes from how the plot advances and the characters' “reactions” to the plot's “actions.” Plot holes pepper the story and become unnecessarily convoluted near the end. I also disliked the literary fight between the story being fully a romance vs. an adventure as too much focus on Takkan and Shiori’s love story bored me.

For what it's worth, I enjoyed the book for what it was. Would it go on to win a Pulitzer Prize? No. Did it take me on a fun adventure? Absolutely. I do look forward to reading the novel’s sequel and hopefully seeing the lasting effects of the characters’ actions.

Would I read it again? ☑

Lots of Love,

Kaylee ♡