Six Crimson Cranes

This is a retelling of The Wild Swans, taking place in the same world as The Blood of Stars duology. Shiori and her brothers were mentioned as a legend in Unravel the Dusk, so this is where we get to see her actual story. While I found the previous duology just okay for the most part, Six Crimson Cranes grabbed me by the neck right from the start. The world-building, the characters, the pacing are just so good.

Shiori, the main character, is the very picture of a spoiled, troublemaker princess at the beginning, but the writing is clearly aware of what she is and she has significant character growth throughout the book. Shiori is brave and quick to adapt to new situations. Even though she grew up pampered, she knows how to carry herself in order to survive. That's how you show strength, because being a strong main character doesn't mean you have to be a spitfire who's rude to everyone regardless of your station. I really wish more people would understand this.

Shiori's stepmother, Raikama, is another well-written character. While for a large part of the story Shiori is under the idea that Raikama is an evil monster, every now and then the characters around her (and later on, even Shiori herself) would question if their perception of her is right. It creates some really nice build-up leading to the climax, where the events at the start of the book take on a different meaning entirely. Some of the twists were predictable, and some I didn't see coming.

“I would wish your strand knotted to mine, always.”

Due to things I've heard from other reviews, I was actually expecting to be lukewarm towards the romance at best… but it was really cute? The relationship starts from solid friendship. All Takkan wanted was to know Shiori better but she never gave him a chance, until her predicament leads to them becoming friends. I really liked how she admits that she's been treating him terribly for years, a stark contrast to how stubborn she is in the early chapters.

It seems like Seryu is also a love interest for Shiori? At first I liked their dynamics, but it kind of fizzled out over time since he's absent for the majority of the book. I hope we get to see more of him in the sequel though, since she's going to the dragon palace with him.

Anyway, this has been such a delight to read. Shiori is an endearing lead who's really easy to root for, and by the end of the book I realized that I actually care for these characters. I want them to succeed in their quests and live happily for the rest of their days. Especially Kiki. Best girl.