Six Crimson Cranes is the first in another fantasy trilogy by author Elizabeth Lim, set in the same universe as her previous duology, The Blood of Stars, but in the nation of Kiata instead of A'landi. Book two of the duology, The Dragon's Promise was published in 2022. A prequel titled Her Radiant Curse was released in 2023. This new trilogy is a retelling of The Six Swans.
Princess Shiori'ama is the only princess of the nation of Kiata, a kingdom where use of magic is forbidden and those who wield it are banished to monasteries near the Holy Mountains, where all demons that dare to enter Kiata are sealed by decree of the gods. Shiori has magic but has kept it secret, and on the morning she was to be betrothed to Lord Tekkan, the heir to the mighty Bushian household, she loses control of a paper crane she'd enchanted to life. She nearly drowns when trying to get it back, and is saved by the dragon Seryu, who agrees to teach her how to control her powers.
Shiori's lessons are soon cut short, as she discovers that her stepmother Raikama is a dangerous and powerful sorceress. When she goes to her six brothers for help, Raikama transforms them into cranes. She curses Shiori so that each time she speaks, one of them will die, and magically attaches a wooden bowl to her head to hide her face. Spirited away from the palace, Shiori must find Seryu and her brothers and use her magic to break the curse. Time is of the essence, for Raikama's actions have left Kiata unstable, weakened, and on the brink of war.
This work contains examples of:
- Abusive Parents: The prequel reveals that Raikama's father made a deal with a powerful witch, and this is why she was cursed with a serpent's face.
- Alpha Bitch: Lady Zairena, a guest of the Bushian clan most definitely acts this way.
- Animal Motifs: Raikama loves snakes because they remind her of her homeland, and she has a garden full of them. Her true form is that of a snake-human hybrid.
- Apocalypse Maiden: Shiori is one, as her blood is the key to freeing the demons from the Holy Mountains.
- Be Careful What You Wish For: This can be the result of people who lack full control of their magic trying to cast powerful spells. Like when Raikama cast a spell to hide Shiori and potect her brothers.
- Big Brother Instinct: Once Shiori's brothers have proof that Raikama is dangerous, all bets are off.
- Big Sister Instinct: When Raikama was young, she fought tooth and nail to protect her sister from a curse that made her the object of many powerful people's desire.
- Cursed with Awesome: Raikama's sister was born with the dragon pearl in her chest, and it made her the object of many people's desires. It's implied that people desiring her and/or the pearl is what got her killed. Raikama took it as a keepsake, and when she tried to use it's magic to give herself a human face, it gave her the face of her sister.
- Dead Person Impersonation: Zairena was an impostor.
- Deal with the Devil: Raikama's father did this, resulting in her being cursed with a snake's face.
- Foregone Conclusion: Book one ends by revealing that the readers have just witnessed the origin of Bandur, a major villain in The Blood of Stars. This means that the duology will likely end with him being sealed on the island Maia will need to journey to for her quest, but it leaves everyone else's fates up in the air.
- Genre Savvy: Tekkan is one of the few people who do not quickly accept that Shiori and her brothers are dead and persists on the search.
- My Greatest Failure: For Raikama it was her failure to protect her little sister.
- Perfectly Arranged Marriage: Lord Tekkan turns out to be kind, humble, and intelligent.
- Scars Are Forever: Raikama has a straight one going across the bridge of her nose. Many say it adds to her beauty.
- Shout-Out: There are many to The Blood of Stars, as the actual Blood of Stars is one of the components needed to break the cruse, and A'Landi isn't that far from Kiata.
- Tragic Keepsake: The pearl in Rakama's chest was originally her sister's.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: Lady Zairena believes she's doing what's best for Kiata. Because Shiori's blood is the key to unleashing the demons sealed away in the Holy Mountains.
- Why Don't You Just Shoot Him?: Shiori eventually begins to wonder why Raikama didn't just use her magic to kill her and her brothers. It's because she was only trying to keep them safe but lost control of her magic.
- Wham Line: Book one ends by revealing that the sorcerer who willingly became a demon is Bandur, the demon who nearly turned Maia into one during The Blood of Stars.
- Wicked Stepmother: Raikama was stern and cold with Shiori, but never unreasonably so, lending to her brothers' skepticism that she's evil until they witness her trying to enchant their sister. It's later revealed that she wanted to protect Shiori and her brothers, but since she doesn't have full control of the pearl and she panicked the curse was the result.
