Shannon's Library

LET’S GET EXCITED ABOUT THESE BOOKS!

Shiori, the only princess of Kiata, has a secret. Forbidden magic runs through her veins. Normally she hides it well, but on the morning of her betrothal ceremony, Shiori loses control. Shiori’s mistake catches the attention of Raikama, her stepmother. A sorceress in her own right, Raikama banishes the young princess, turning her brothers into cranes. She warns 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 embrace the magic she’s been taught all her life to forswear – no matter what the cost.

Shannon’s Rating — PG

---

LET’S TALK ABOUT THESE BOOKS!

“Many of us grow up with fairy tales. The familiar characters we meet in childhood stories follow us into adulthood, as do the lessons the tales usually teach.”

Amy Ratcliffe

I loved fairy tales growing up – and it is a love I have yet to outgrow! As such, I tend to get very excited about books with fairy tales and folk lore woven into their stories.

“Six Crimson Cranes,” by Elizabeth Lim certainly delivers in this area. Lim includes a few Chinese and Japanese legends, which I had never heard of. I had fun researching and reading about these folktales after finishing the novel. The Girl with the Black Bowl and Madame White Snake were two of my favorites that played large roles in this book.

Some western fairy tales, which were more familiar to me, also appeared in “Six Crimson Cranes.” The Wild Swans played a big role in the story. But there were also hints of Thumbelina, Snow White, Cinderella, and Rumpelstiltskin.

It was fun to see how Lim incorporated all of these tales into “Six Crimson Cranes” and it made me smile each time I recognized one of them woven into the storyline.

Shiori’s adventure continues into “The Dragon’s Promise.” I’m a big fan of duologies. For some reason, trilogies sometimes feel overwhelming to me. Too much of a commitment. But two books? I can handle that!

I will say, I didn’t love “The Dragon’s Promise” as much as I loved “Six Crimson Cranes.” It lacked the fun fairytale aspect, which was a big part of my enjoyment of the first book.

Also, and I know it’s just my issue here, I have a hard time with underwater adventures. I don’t know why. (I’m looking at you Aquaman, Black Panther 2 and Bubble Guppies.) Anything where people/mermaids are breathing and living underwater kind of freaks me out. I spend so much time critiquing the special effects or pondering about the logistics of an underwater world that it completely distracts me. (“How are they drinking tea? Wouldn’t the liquid absorb into the water before they can drink it?”) These are the types of things I’m wondering about underwater living instead of enjoying the story that is being told.

The first part of “The Dragon’s Promise” takes place in the underwater land of the dragons, so unfortunately, it was a bit doomed from the start for me. But most people, (normal people), will likely enjoy this part of the novel!

That being said, I was glad to follow along as Shiori’s adventures came to a conclusion. I really liked how it all wrapped up so, all in all, it was an enjoyable two-book series.

And, by the way, the love story between Shiori and Takkan is one of the sweetest I’ve ever read.

Plus, the books have GORGEOUS covers that will make beautiful additions to a shelf in my library!