Lim, Elizabeth. Six Crimson Cranes. Knopf, 07/2021. Fiction. 456pp. $18.99, 978-0-593-30091-6, PLB $21.99, 978-0-593-30092-3. OUTSTANDING. GRADES 7-ADULT.
Elizabeth Lim uses East Asian folklore and magic to create a unique retelling of a traditional folktale. A princess whose brothers are enchanted into cranes not only has to keep her silence to save their lives, but also find alliances in the undersea world of dragons and the real world of her father’s kingdom. When Shiori-anma finds that the magic which is forbidden in her father’s kingdom of Kiata runs deeply in her own veins, she is thrown into a deadly race to uncover her stepmother’s secrets and save her brothers and the kingdom she loves. Lim’s language is beautiful and descriptive, and her character development and world-building are exciting, humorous, and deft. This reviewer believed the unbelievable and enjoyed both the fairy tale and its lessons in the retelling.
Lesley Mandros Bell, Oakland PL Advocates