The Six Crimson Cranes duology begins with Princess Shiori on the verge of marriage. She is childish and selfish, but also wise enough to know everything is changing. Much as she’d like her last year with her six brothers to be the same, each of them has moved on and is consumed by their royal duties. Which leaves Shiori available for a whole lot of trouble.
This coming of age story centers on forbidden magic, curses, a wicked stepmother and a classic hero’s journey with Shiori at its center, all with great fairytale styling. There are multiple villains, one of whom is fully fleshed out, while the rest pull a “it was me all along!” cliche before explaining their plan. It was the weakest part of an otherwise stellar, captivating novel.
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