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Six Crimson Cranes

The magical and spellbinding fantasy fairytale retelling

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Six Crimson Cranes

By: Elizabeth Lim
Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller
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About this listen

 A princess in exile. Six enchanted cranes. An unspeakable curse.

A beautiful and immersive YA fantasy retelling of the Grimm brothers' The Six Swans fairytale, set in an East-Asian inspired world, by the author of Spin the Dawn.

'A dazzling fairy tale full of breathtaking storytelling' Stephanie Garber, Sunday Times bestselling author of Caraval

Shiori'anma, the only princess of Kiata, has a secret. Forbidden magic runs in her veins. And on the morning of her betrothal ceremony, Shiori loses control. At first, her mistake seems like a stroke of luck, forestalling the wedding she never wanted, but it also catches the attention of Raikama, her stepmother.

A sorceress in her own right, Raikama banishes the young princess, turning her brothers into cranes, and warning Shiori that she must speak of it to no one: for with every word that escapes her lips, one of her brothers will die.

Penniless, voiceless, and alone, Shiori searches for her brothers, and uncovers a dark conspiracy to seize the throne. Only Shiori can set the kingdom to rights, but to do so she must place her trust in a paper bird, a mercurial dragon, and the very boy she fought so hard not to marry. And she must embrace the magic she's been taught all her life to contain - no matter what it costs.

Praise for Six Crimson Cranes

'An unputdownable, sweeping fairytale that thrills as much as it delights' Kerri Maniscalco, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Kingdom of the Wicked

'This book is magic!' Kristin Cashore, New York Times bestselling author of Graceling

'A stunning remake of a fairytale' Chloe Gong, New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights

'This is a gem for all lovers of whimsical fantasy!' Natasha Ngan, New York Times bestselling author of Girls of Paper and Fire

(P) 2021 Listening Library©2021 Elizabeth Lim Action & Adventure Fantasy Literature & Fiction Magic Royalty Fiction Dragons

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Critic reviews

** PRAISE FOR ELIZABETH LIM **
A dazzling fairy tale full of breathtaking storytelling
This is a gem for all lovers of whimsical fantasy!
This book is magic!
A resilient heroine, a cast of imaginative characters, and creative plot turns make this gem of a novel sparkle
A princess with a secret, forbidden magic, betrothals gone awry-Six Crimson Cranes is an unputdownable, sweeping fairytale that thrills as much as it delights. Lim is a master storyteller which is apparent with every magical turn of the page.
Six Crimson Cranes is a true fairy tale adventure with a vividly drawn world, a lovable and dynamic heroine, and a complex wicked stepmother. With her skillful combination of folklore and surprising plot twists, Elizabeth Lim takes readers on a captivating and wholly original journey
A stunning remake of a fairytale. Six Crimson Cranes is the perfect blend of whimsy and ferociousness, with twists and turns that will tug at your heartstrings
A must-read for lovers of folkloric fantasy, told with flair and originality. Readers will be captivated by Shiori's journey
Positively enchanting, and absolutely worthy of its hype. I felt like I was pulled into the most beautiful fairytale, and I never wanted to leave
Sure to delight even the most jaded of fantasy readers
What an amazing creation! Every time I thought I knew where it was going, I was wrong. This is a white-knuckle read!
A nuanced, compelling cast. Seamlessly intertwining western and East Asian folklore, Lim embroiders a richly imagined landscape in this vibrant, fast-paced duology starter
An addictive magical adventure
Elizabeth Lim is such an incredible storyteller . . . This amazing story will leave you breathless and aching to keep reading it long after you've finished
Elizabeth Lim weaves a magical tale of a determined young woman who lets nothing stand in her way. I for one cannot wait to read the second . . . It's a definite hit
Enchanting and lyrical, this book offers young adult readers an immersive tale of grit and adventure with a princess who will win their hearts
Captivating, magical, and immersive... a breath-taking fantasy and one of this year's standout book releases - Voice Magazine review
All stars
Most relevant
absolutely loved it, I would happily read it again have the book aswell I got so invested in the story and I have recommended this book to so many people

love it

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I really enjoyed this story, I spend a lot of time on my own working a late shift in an isolated office but the protagonist really made me laugh at points with her going from a clearly spoiled bratty princess to someone willing to give up her own safety for the sake of others, can't wait to start book two

a story of birds

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The writing was 10/10 , and of course i was going to pick this up anyway ; A retelling of one of my favorite fairy tales? Yes pleasee.
My main criticism is that there was too much happening, and there wasn't an attempt to develop it past a surface level. The ending in particular felt very messy and underdeveloped. ( A favorite retelling of this fairy tale is Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier, and that has one of my favorite endings so I couldn't help but compare the two)

I am really glad they established the love interest fairly on, ( love triangle is there but it's buried, deep down in the ocean) and I am happy who she ends up with ( Takkan is perfect, maybe too perfect) but dammit I really wanted the dragon stuff to go somewhere. It reminded me of Haku from spirited away, but alas it was not meant to be. I know the next book its going to explore that pairing so we may still get something.

Spirited away vibes (uh, kinda but not really)

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Really loved it , once brought in was hooked. Nice layers to the story harrowing at times but ultimately rewarding.

Great intricate story

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I don’t know what to write here I just wanted to leave a star rating

Good

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