ARC Review: Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim

Title: Six Crimson Cranes
Series: Sic Crimson Cranes #1
Author: Elizabeth Lim
Source/Format: Netgalley; eARC 
More Details: Fantasy; Young Adult; Retelling
Publisher/Publication Date: Knopf; July 6, 2021

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Shiori, the only princess of Kiata, has a secret. Forbidden magic runs through her veins. Normally she conceals it well, but on the morning of her betrothal ceremony, Shiori loses control. At first, her mistake seems like a stroke of luck, forestalling the wedding she never wanted, but it also catches the attention of Raikama, her stepmother. Raikama has dark magic of her own, and she banishes the young princess, turning her brothers into cranes, and warning Shiori that she must speak of it to no one: for with every word that escapes her lips, one of her brothers will die. Penniless, voiceless, and alone, Shiori searches for her brothers, and, on her journey, uncovers a conspiracy to overtake the throne—a conspiracy more twisted and deceitful, more cunning and complex, than even Raikama's betrayal. Only Shiori can set the kingdom to rights, but to do so she must place her trust in the very boy she fought so hard not to marry. And she must embrace the magic she's been taught all her life to contain—no matter what it costs her.

Six Crimson Cranes was one of my most anticipated releases of 2021, because it’s a retelling of one of my favorite fairy tales: The Six Swans. And wow, this was a fantastic story. It had all the hallmarks of a fairy tale complete with a richly realized world, endearing characters, and a story that was engrossing from the first page to the last.

Six Crimson Cranes was the kind of story that gradually eases the reader into the world. It spent a good enough amount of time on the characters and the world before the bulk of the story began. At times tragic, yet always hopeful, Six Crimson Cranes took the essence of The Six Swans. But it gave the story unique spin set against the backdrop of a detailed historical setting. I loved all the little nuances with the food, manner of dress, traditions, magic, and the architectural keywords that made the setting come alive.

The characters were another high point of the story. Lim did an excellent job on them, and I liked all the individual arcs that each one went through.

Shiori was, by far, one of my favorites. She had the most character growth among all of them. Toward the beginning, she was reluctant to fulfill her role as a princess. However, I felt like that had more to do with the changes coming to her life—getting married, moving away, and feeling like she was growing apart from her older brothers as they settled into their respective royal roles. The fear of the unknown was an early source of tension. She felt unheard, but it wasn’t until she couldn’t tell anyone anything—not even to ask for help—that she began to face the truths about her own secrets, and the truth about people she thought she knew all her life.

Six Crimson Cranes was an excellent story. It was a highly enjoyable read, and I was a big fan of the way the mystery played out. And in some ways the conclusion was satisfying for part of the story. Yet, there were also several outstanding questions that will likely be answered in the sequel.

If you like retellings, then I can’t recommend this one enough.

 

About the author.....

Elizabeth Lim is the author of the critically-acclaimed and bestselling The Blood of Stars duology (Spin the Dawn and Unravel the Dusk), the New York Times bestseller So This is Love, and the USA Today bestseller Reflection. Forthcoming books include the Six Crimson Cranes duology, expected summer 2021 and summer 2022, respectively. Elizabeth graduated from Harvard College with an A.B. in music and a secondary in East Asian Studies, and she completed her graduate degrees (MM, DMA) at The Juilliard School. She grew up in Northern California and Tokyo, Japan, and now resides in New York with her husband and two daughters....​

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Disclaimer: This copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Knopf) via Netgalley for this review, thank you!

Quarterly Recap: April-June

Well, hello. How is everyone doing today? It’s officially July, which means its summer. It has been really hot where I live lately, and I can’t help but wish it was already fall—when it will hopefully cool down a little. It’s also already time for April, May, and June’s quarterly recap. 

April Reviews:

• The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
• The Case Study of Vanitas vol. #7 by Jun Mochizuki

May Reviews:

• Jelly by Clare Rees
• The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
• Aristocracy by William Doyle 

June Reviews:

• She Memes Well by Quinta Brunson 
• The Album of Dr. Moreau by Daryl Gregory 
• The Heartbeat of Trees by Peter Wohlleben, translated by Jane Billinghurst
• The Return of the Sorceress by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

April Other Posts:

• Upcoming Music I'm Waiting For (2021)
• I Listened to 1/f by Laura Mvula
• Quarterly Recap: January-March

May Other Posts:

• Short Stories I Read in March & April 
• I Listened to The Bitter Truth by Evanescence 

June Other Posts:

• I Listened to Scaled And Icy by Twenty One Pilots
• Short Stories I Read in May
• I Listened to 2000AND4EVA by Bree Runway 

Looking ahead, I don’t have any definite plans. Instead, I want to mention some upcoming reviews. The first is What Lives in the Woods, a spooky middle grade novel coming out in September. Next, my review for You Can Never Tell—an exciting domestic thriller and mystery—will be out sometime in august. This month, I’ll have reviews for Six Crimson Cranes (a retelling of one of my favorite fairy tales), and for The Brilliant Abyss, which is one of my favorite nonfiction reads so far this year.

ARC Review: The Return of the Sorceress by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Title: The Return of the Sorceress
Series: n/a
Author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Source/Format: Netgalley; eARC
More Details: Fantasy
Publisher/Publication Date: Subterranean Press; June 30, 2021

Goodreads     Subterranean Press 

Synopsis from Goodreads...

From the bestselling author of Mexican Gothic comes a magical journey of revenge and redemption.

Yalxi, the deposed Supreme Mistress of the Guild of Sorcerers, is on a desperate mission. Her lover and confidant seized her throne and stole the precious diamond heart, the jewel that is the engine of her power. Yalxi sets out to regain her magic and find a weapon capable of destroying the usurper. But this will mean turning to unlikely allies and opening herself up to unpleasant memories that have been suppressed for many years. For Yalxi is no great hero, but a cunning sorceress who once forged her path in blood – and must reckon with the consequences. Set in a fantastical land where jewels and blood provide symbiotic magical powers to their wearers, The Return of the Sorceress evokes the energy of classic sword and sorcery, while building a thoroughly fresh and exciting adventure ripe for our era.

The Return of the Sorceress is the third book I’ve read by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and wow, this was an excellent story. It was sword and sorcery fantasy at its finest. And despite its short length, the world was rich with detail and accompanied by a magic system with an interesting set of rules.

The story starts right in the thick of the action. As the summary states, Yalxi has been deposed from her position and was betrayed, hurt, and on the run. Yalxi’s character was written vividly with her anger and bitterness on full display. It fueled her. It sounds like a revenge story in the making, but it was far more complicated than that. The Return of the Sorceress was about Yalxi and the decision she would ultimately make. She had to face the hard truths about herself and the past that shaped who she was in the present: a person who had grasped power and left behind friend, lover, and old companions alike. As was shown, remembering might have been a burden but forgetting left sorrow and many other emotions only without the proper context.

I also liked some of the secondary characters, particularly the nahual. There were many great conversations happening on that end of the story.

The Return of the Sorceress was a gorgeously rendered tale about revenge and broken promises. My only gripe was that I want more stories with these characters or within this world. However, on the other hand, the ending was a satisfying conclusion for this group of characters. And I can’t recommend it enough. 

About the author....

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is the bestselling author of the novels Mexican Gothic, Gods of Jade and Shadow, Certain Dark Things, Untamed Shore, and a bunch of other books. She has also edited several anthologies, including the World Fantasy Award-winning She Walks in Shadows (a.k.a. Cthulhu’s Daughters).

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Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Subterranean Press) via Netgalley for this review, thank you!

Shot Stories I Read In May

It’s the twenty-ninth of June, so it’s time to talk about the short stories, miscellaneous posts, and podcast episodes I read or listened to in May.

Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory by Martha Wells (Tor.com, April 19, 2021)

Toward the end of April, there were two short stories I wanted to read but never got around to. The first of them was a story by Martha Wells set in the Murderbot Diaries universe—and taking place just after the fourth novella—called Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory. The perspective of the story is from Dr. Mensah’s POV, and it was great to get into the mind of a different character from this series—especially one who is one of my favorites. This story primarily dealt with the emotional toll on Mensah from the events of the story, as well as questions surrounding SecUnit’s continued presence on Preservation Aux. This story is just excellent. And given that this takes place well into the series, there are spoilers for the first four novellas.

The Angel of Khan el-Khalili by P. Djèlí Clark (Tor.com, April 28, 2021)

The second short story I mentioned above dropped right at the end of April, on the twenty-eighth. P. Djèlí Clark’s, The Angel of Kahn el-Khalili, is set in the same world as the Master of Djinn, and wow this was a fantastic story. There were descriptors that hearken back to the author’s previous works in this world such as The Haunting of Tram Car 015—one of my favorite reads from last year. In the Angel of Khan el-Khalili, there are two sisters, one is going to ask for a favor—a miracle instead of a wish—and the other who we’re told is dying isn’t actually seen except for in exposition. Stories that deal with wishes (or feats that are kind of like them) can go either way, good or bad, and the price for it can be anything. I liked Clark’s interpretation of this. From the first sentence to the last, P. Djèlí Clark created an engrossing story that was steeped in magic and history against the backdrop of a richly detailed and steampunk-esque setting.

From around the web…

• So Much Story, So Little Page Count: Andre Norton’s Dare to Go A-Hunting (Judith Tarr; Tor.com, May 10, 2021)
• Fangirl Happy House Episode #134—The Eternal Discourse
• How to Pay Attention: Susanna Clarke’s Piranesi (Leah Schnelbach; Tor.com, May 12, 2021)
• A Love Letter to Libraries (E. Lily Yu; Uncanny Magazine)
• Understanding Horses: Living in the World (Judith Tarr; Tor.com, May 17, 2021)

Music Monday (162): Zella Day, H.E.R., Nova Twins

 Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

Breana: Zella Day released a new song, and no one told me about it. I didn't even get a recommendation for it (Spotify, you've failed me). Anyway, I like Dance For Love. 

 

I've also been listening to some of H.E.R.'s new music. One of my favorite songs so far is called We Made It, which comes from H.E.R.'s debut studio album, Back Of My Mind (2021).

 

Adri: This week I 'm listening to Play Fair and Athena by Nova Twins. I found them some time ago through a comment section. And they recently released their debut album, Who Are the Girls?. All I have to say is that I love their music soooo much.

What are you listening to this week?