Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim

The Emperor's daughter.

Forbidden magic.

A shape-shifting dragon.

A curse.

Six brothers enchanted as cranes.

And a small paper bird.

I love a good fairy tale retelling, and Elizabeth Lim's own magical version of Grimm's The Six Swans is a fun one. It centers around Princess Shiori, the emperor's youngest child and only daughter. She's betrothed to Lord Bushian's son, Takkan, although it's a marriage she's not excited about. She has another secret: she can do magic. She brought a small paper bird that she calls Kiki to life. But if anyone finds out, she'll be exiled. Because magic in the kingdom of Kiata is forbidden.

This story also has the requisite evil stepmother. Raikama is a sorceress in her own right, beautiful and powerful. And cruel. When Shiori discovers her secret, Raikama transforms her six brothers into cranes, curses Shiori to silence, then disguises her and hides her away on a far Northern Island. Shiori can't tell anyone who she is, and she doesn't know how to break her stepmother's enchantment and free her brothers. But she's not about to give up.

Besides her paper bird, Shiori has the help of a mercurial dragon named Seryu who can transform himself into a human boy. He has a penchant for rice cakes and might be the only one who can help Shiori learn to control her magic in order to break her stepmother's curse...if he ever shows up!  

I'm glad Melody @ Melody's Reading Corner suggested we read this book for our next buddy read. It's an enchanting YA fantasy and I enjoyed it. Shiori and her little paper bird, Kiki, are spunky and captivating characters; I liked both them and all six of Shiori's brothers, though the brothers aren't in most of the book. I also ended up really liking Takkan; he befriends Shiori when he doesn't know who she really is, and offers her protection and help. I wish the dragon, Seryu, had been in it more, but this magical adventure is really Shiori's story. I look forward to reading the sequel, The Dragon's Promise, which comes out this August. Maybe Seryu will be in that one more.

Happy Reading!

P.S. Be sure to check out Melody's review and her questions for me about this fun read:

Melody's questions:

1. What do you think are the strengths and weaknesses of Shiori?

I think Shiori's weaknesses at the beginning of the novel were her impulsiveness, stubbornness and how argumentative she could be. Also, she was kind of judgmental when it came to Takkan, even though she'd never really met him. But she grew up over the course of the novel, and learned to be more thoughtful and less self-absorbed. I loved how determined she was...her stubbornness came to be a strength for her when she was trying to break the curse. And I loved how she cared about the other people around her, and how she never gave up. I also loved that she made such good fish soup. 

2. What are the things (and/or characters) that you liked most about this story?

Besides Shiori, I liked Kiki, the little paper crane she brought to life, and Takkan the most. I loved Kiki's interactions with Shiori, and her unwavering support throughout the whole book. And Takkan had so many good qualities it was easy to like him; plus, he made up stories for his little sister and for Shiori. I really liked that about him. 

A fairy tale retelling...

 "It was a beast, and yet not a beast. A man, yet not a man. It stood tall on two legs and was clothed in a long coat and boots. It's intelligent eyes were of a tigerish glowing amber, set in a hairy face like a bear's; it had a tawny mane like a lion's, while its open mouth displayed teeth as white and sharp as a wolf's. I knew at once what it was though I'd never before heard of one that could take such a mingled form. Abartyen."

Scarlet in the Snow by Sophie Masson has all the classic elements of Beauty and the Beast (which has always been one of my favorite fairy tales): a man who's now a beast, a magical curse, an evil sorcerer, and a spunky heroine who has no idea what story she's just stumbled into. 

"I was merely a pawn in a plan whose outline I couldn't yet glimpse. I had no magical powers, no special distinction, no great beauty or extreme cleverness. I was an ordinary girl with a small talent in storytelling, that was all. And how could that help me now?"

For Natasha, it's not just about escaping Ivan, the abartyen, or his enchanted castle. It's not even about befriending him. Or falling in love. It's about breaking his curse, and then still having to rescue him from the evil sorcerer who's got him imprisoned somewhere. That quest leads her to Old Bony, the witch of the forest, and then to the city of Champaine where she must search out Ivan's true identity, even though she doesn't know anyone there, or speak the language. Oh, and she has to figure out who the sorcerer really is, too. Good thing she doesn't give up easily...and that she has a little magical help along the way.

This is definitely Natasha's story, not the beast's. He's relegated to the background for most of the book, but Natasha is such an independent and enchanting heroine I didn't mind. And her adventure to find and rescue Ivan is both entertaining and fun. I love a book with a good happy ending as much as I love a good fairy tale retelling, too. Masson's book is both.

Happy Reading!

Similar reads:

The Beast's Heart
by Leife Shallcross

Hunted by Meagan Spooner

Beauty by Robin McKinley

Once upon a time...

Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite fairy tales; and Hunted by Meagan Spooner is a fun retelling of this classic tale. It begins with Tvertko, a rich merchant, and his three daughters: Asenka, Lena and Yeva. Yeva, the youngest, is her father's favorite, the one he calls Beauty. She's also the one he teaches to feel at home in the woods ... and to hunt. When Tvertko loses his fortune, he retreats with his family to his hunting cabin in the woods. Only these woods are haunted by a strange, cursed creature. And when Tvertko goes missing, Yeva goes hunting for him. And for the Beast that killed him. But when she finds him, he's not what she was expecting.

"Yeva scanned the Beast's face for some time before realizing she was searching for some hint of its thoughts in its expression--some human hint. But this was no human. The beast was silent, continuing only to stare at Yeva with that unnerving, unblinking animal gaze. She stood her ground, willing herself not to shiver. ... In every fairy tale there were rules. Even the monsters could not break them. And where, except in fairy tales, did there exist talking beasts?"

 Beauty by Robin McKinley is still my favorite version of this fairy tale, but Hunted is a good runner-up. It's an entertaining read with a happy ending. I liked how Spooner took such a well-known story and made it her own. Yeva's a strong, independent heroine, with courage and fight. And heart. But I was most drawn to the Beast. I really felt for him and his impossible situation. And I loved how he is around Beauty: how she stirs up emotions in him he's long forgotten and makes him question everything.  In fact, he's what I liked best about this book.

"We will not break the terms of our sentence. We cannot explain, or we risk remaining trapped together for the rest of eternity. But the girl's face, when we turn to look at her, carries a thousand questions, and she is clever. We must tread with care. We need her skills. That is all. Only she can free us from this torment. Only ... she moves like beauty, she whispers to us of wind and forest--she reminds us of what we used to be. She whispers to us of what we could be."

 Happy Reading!