Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim, a Book Review & Aesthetic

Six Crimson Cranes has been on my radar for quite a long time. I read Spin the Dawn a long time ago, and fell in love with Elizabeth Lim’s writing. She has this way of writing that makes an entire novel feel like you’re floating through a fairytale. Even though the story is more detailed than a fairytale, it moves along so quickly, easily and naturally that it maintains that dreamy magical mood the entire time. It’s such a delight to read any of her books and Six Crimson Cranes was no exception.

Shiori is the youngest sister of six brothers, the only princess of Kiata, and has forbidden magic running through her veins. One day she accidentally loses control of her magic and her stepmother, who harbors a dark magic of her own, curses and banishes her and her brothers. With a curse that prevents her from speaking, she must try to save her brothers and her kingdom from her stepmother.

The absolute best thing about this book for me was the writing. I adore how Elizabeth Lim writes. She weaves together stories, magic, and fairytales so well that it feels like you have fallen into a fairytale yourself. It adds a spark of magic to the prose to go along with her beautiful stories of about magic. She uses magical elements that always have an epic and mysterious connotation, so the magic always feels so much larger than life. It’s just so fun! I mean how beautiful is it to weave a net out of starstroke, a plant forged by the gods with strands of fate and the blood of stars?

I also really loved the focus on family in this book. It was really sweet the bond that Shiori and her brothers had. Despite any problems or sibling rivalries they may have had in the past, they adore each other and do whatever they can to protect each other. They trust each other, even when they are apart. It’s just such a sweet bond, I’m so glad to read it! I even enjoyed the relationship between Shiori, her brothers and their step-mother. The complex family dynamics that we got to see in this were just wonderful!

Last but not least, I absolutely adored Kiki. She was hands down my favorite character. I loved the sweet magic that brought her to life not only to Shiori, but to the reader. Kiki is a magical paper crane companion to Shiori throughout the whole book. She is her number one confidant and best friend. Where Shiori goes, Kiki goes. I adore stories where the main character has an adorable companion like this. It made me so happy! Although now I’m wishing I had a companion like Kiki!

Six Crimson Cranes is another delight from Elizabeth Lim. Her writing is so beautiful that she makes you feel like you’re inside a fairytale. They are easy to read and fast paced, told like a folktale would be. Her stories are a delight to read and this is no exception, Six Crimson Cranes is lovely.