Six Crimson Cranes is a retelling of The Wild Swans. I wasn’t familiar with the original story so I went into this blind.

The story follows Shiori, a young princess with the ability to perform magic in a world where magic is forbidden. Stuck in an unwanted betrothal, Shiori accidentally reveals a piece of her magic, postponing her own wedding in the process. Her father is clueless to her abilities, but her stepmother, Raikama, notices.

Shiori’s father punishes her for skipping out on the wedding, leaving her under the supervision of her stepmother.

One day, Shiori decides to follow Raikama into the woods and learns of her stepmother’s own magic abilities. She runs home to inform her brothers, but Raikama puts a curse on Shiori and her brothers. Shiori’s six brothers are turned into cranes and Shiori is sent away from the kingdom, cursed to never speak or make a sound. For every word or sound that Shiori were to make, one of her brothers would die.

I couldn’t help but keep thinking, “What if she has to sneeze?”.

Forced to wear a magical wooden bowl on her head, Shiori must set out on a quest to save her brothers. With no identity and no way to communicate, Shiori sets on her journey.

This was so good! I didn't want to put it down!


I found Shiori to be a bit arrogant at the beginning, but it was so nice to see her character grow and she changed so much throughout the book.

The romance was clearly there but not in a "in your face" sort of way and I really appreciated that. I thought that there might have been a love triangle, but it wasn’t obvious. 
 

There were a few plot holes that I’m sure will get covered in the next book, so I’m not too fussed about them.