Six Crimson Cranes
Shiori'anma, the only princess of Kiata, has a dangerous secret: she can perform forbidden magic. When her power slips loose on the day of her betrothal, it sets in motion a chain of events that exposes her to her stepmother, Raikama — a woman with secrets and sorcery of her own.
Banished and stripped of everything, Shiori is hit with a cruel curse: her six brothers are transformed into cranes, and if she speaks a single word, one of them will die. Alone, voiceless, and far from home, she must find a way to break the enchantment, uncover the truth about Raikama, and reclaim her family — with only a paper bird brought to life and an unwanted betrothal to aid her.
Inspired by the fairy tale of the wild swans and woven through with East Asian mythology, Elizabeth Lim's Six Crimson Cranes is a lush, romantic YA fantasy of magic, sisterhood-in-reverse, and a heroine who must save her brothers without saying a word.
The princess of Kiata, cursed to silence while trying to save her transformed brothers.
Shiori's mysterious sorceress stepmother.
Shiori's betrothed, who proves an unexpected ally.
A shapeshifting dragon who becomes one of Shiori's allies during her exile.