Six Crimson Cranes Duology

Six Crimson Cranes

"Cranes carry the strands of our fate."

Shiori'anma is princess of Kiata, betrothed to one of another land. On the day of her betrothal ceremony, she embarrasses herself and her entire family. After her stepmother realizes the illegal magic flowing through Shiori's blood, she casts a spell herself - banishing Shiori and turning Shiori's six brothers into crimson cranes.

According to the curse, Shiori's brothers will die with every word she speaks. Alone, penniless, and with a disguise permanently set on her face, Shiori faces the world alone. Through befriending a dragon, her own origami bird, and her former betrothed, Shiori realizes that her precious kingdom of Kiata is hiding more secrets than she could ever dream.

And her stepmother, Raikama, is an entire secret all her own.

I completely adored "Six Crimson Cranes" and raced to buy the sequel before even finishing the first book. The storytelling and world-building create an immersive world as the reader follows Shiori and watches as each step of the journey uncovers more and more Shiori didn't know about her stepmother, her kingdom, and her own unique ability and magic within her own blood.

Shiori may be a princess, but she is willing to sacrifice all she knows and who she is in order to save her brothers, her betrothed, and Kiata, and preserve the memory of her beloved kingdom's history. She is a true heroine readers will fall in love with as each secret is uncovered and each curse is lifted.

The Dragon's Promise

"Dragons are bound to promises, not truths."

Picking up where "Six Crimson Cranes" leaves off, Princess Shiori'anma travels to the under-the-sea kingdom of Ai'long, where the dragon prince Seryu has promised to take her to return the dragon pearl to its rightful owner. However, Shiori has other plans for the pearl, for which it is a manipulative entity who sometimes helps her and sometimes makes the trouble worse.

Upon Seryu's grandfather, the great dragon king, King Nazayun, meeting Shiori and learning of her new plans, chaos reigns, as a new betrothal is set into motion to freeze Shiori's soul and keep her in Ai'long. However, Shiori's magic goes head-to-head with the kingdom of Ai'long, and upon her escape, she formulates a new plan to stop Bandur in his tracks, while making sure Raikama's dying wish is completed.

I loved this book as much as the first one. The kingdom of Ai'long was beautifully described, as if I was there with Shiori herself, on the back of Seryu. We meet characters from the first book, including the six brothers, Kiki, and Takken, and we meet new faces and learn more about Raikama's true origins.

The duology is a story to stay with the reader long after the magic is over. Shiori and Takken's fate are tied together, reminding us that we each have a person in the world with whom we can never be without. And magic lives on, in the Earth and in our blood.

Favorite Quotes

1. "Don't teach a dragon history, Princess, especially not magic history." (Pg. 40 - Six Crimson Cranes)

2. "Find the light that makes your lantern shine. Hold on to it, even when the dark surrounds you. Not even the strongest wind will blow out the flame." (Pg. 45 - Six Crimson Cranes)

3. "Fear is just a game. You win by playing." (Pg. 66 - Six Crimson Cranes

4. "...For naming me 'Shiori,' meaning 'knot.' A symbol that I was the last of her seven children, the one who would bring my brothers together, no matter how fate conspired to pull us apart. We were seven. Seven was a number of strength. An uneven number that could not fold unto itself, large enough to withstand many threats, yet small enough to stay devoted." (Pg. 148 - Six Crimson Cranes)

5. "If fate is a bunch of strings, then I'll carry scissors. My choices are my own. I'll make them as I please." (Pg. 289 - Six Crimson Cranes)

6. "One can never be too old for stories." (Pg. 318 - Six Crimson Cranes)

7. "Sometimes the truth is the hardest poison to swallow." (Pg. 331 - Six Crimson Cranes)

8. "Careful of your curiosity, little one. Stray too close to the fire, and you'll only burn. (...) I was already burning, and she (...) was the one who had set the flames. (Pg. 333 - Six Crimson Cranes)

9. "A viper is poisonous, whether it wants to be or not." (Pg. 336 - Six Crimson Cranes)

10. "Learn from my mistakes, and learn from my joys. Surround yourself with those who'll love you always, through your mistakes and your faults. Make a family that will find you more beautiful every day, even when your hair is white with age. Be the light that makes someone's lantern shine." (Pg. 446 - Six Crimson Cranes)

11. "A place so beautiful that even time held its breath." (Pg. 3 - The Dragon's Promise)

12. "A promise is not a kiss in the wind, to be thrown about without care. It is a piece of yourself that is given away and will not return until your pledge is fulfilled." (Pg. 10 - The Dragon's Promise)

13. "Never play games with a dragon. You cannot win." (Pg. 21 - The Dragon's Promise)

14. "What I lack in beauty, I make up for in strength of soul." (Pg. 43 - The Dragon's Promise)

15. "Your friendship has caused me nothing but trouble." (Pg. 142 - The Dragon's Promise)

16. "No task is beneath a princess. It makes you stronger." (Pg. 161 - The Dragon's Promise)

17. "A promise kept is worth a thousand secrets." (Pg. 165 - The Dragon's Promise)

18. "Fear spreads faster than any fire." (Pg. 200 - The Dragon's Promise)

19. "If you wanted to be told you were beautiful, you would hide your scar. But you don't. It tells your story, a story that's meant only for those worthy of hearing it." (Pg. 279 - The Dragon's Promise)

20. "For what was chaos but a knife slashing across the fabric of destiny?" (Pg. 300 - The Dragon's Promise)