Six Crimson Cranes Series

5/5 ★

I loved this book so much and it gave me everything I wanted to read. It is heavy fantasy so sometimes I felt a little woozy trying to immerse myself in the story or catch onto descriptions, but that is expected. I will say the romance in this was flirty but cute in a wholesome kind of way. Although the first part is slow, it more than compensates for that by the end of the book. There are two love interests but it isn't so much of a love triangle(so far) and I am glad. I think the plot is really well constructed as to keep us guessing but not leave us on so many cliffhangers that we begin to feel pure resentment. I personally adore the main character's growth because it is so obvious that through her journey and struggles she matures into the kind-hearted but strong-willed young woman she is at the end of the book. I also was pleasantly surprised because the theme of family wasn't suffocating or niche, rather it was thoughtful and true. On the note of romance, the relationship turns out so genuinely sweet and it's terribly hard to not cry when the book ends. But to be clear I will read the second book, love it, and come back to give feedback.

Recommendation

Yes I recommend this book but as I said and will repeat again, it is heavily set in fantasy. So if you squirm at the thought of maps and hate mispronouncing names, maybe don't read this. However the plot, setting, and character arch along with the writing flow itself were easy to understand and love. I am so glad I took a chance and picked this up, and trust me you will be too once you finish it.

Six Crimson Cranes

5/5 ★

As promised, I read and loved this sequel to Six Crimson Cranes. Throughout the novel I felt the romance was kept sweet and whole-hearted, making even me blush too many times. I think this book struck the beautiful balance in Shiori and Takkan's relationship because even though we already knew they were together and were meant to last, they still had moments where they were vulnerable and blundered/blushed for each other. It really captivates those moments of a first love and present them to those of us who have never felt that. Overall Shiori's character growth is incredible and Lim's success is in part due to the way she describes it. In this book the side characters really caught my attention because they seemed to accentuate this larger theme portrayed by the main character about balance of power, greed, and sacrifice. In the beginning we were introduced to a careless princess who was spoiled. But somewhere among the two books we fall in love with a strong young woman who would give her life for the fate of her country. Something else I noticed was that although sometimes a peculiarly advanced word was thrown in, the majority of the book was down to earth and easy to understand. Therefore it was more of a quick read-more so for me because I couldn't wait to see where the story lead. I will say the book was so good that I cried on multiple occasions; a feat until now only accomplished by one other five book series. This series has a special place in my heart because I will never forget the way it moved me.

Recommendation

I am begging you to read this book/series! For some it may seem too heavily in the fantasy genre but even as a mainly dystopian and romance reader I was engaged the whole time and shocked by the flirtatious dialogue and plot twists that hit a little too close to home. I promise you won't be disappointed if you read this.

A Dragon's Promise