Six Crimson Cranes

A princess in exile. Six enchanted cranes. An unspeakable curse.

A beautiful and immersive YA fantasy retelling of the Grimm brothers' 'The Six Swans' fairytale, set in an East-Asian inspired world, by the author of Spin the Dawn.

Shiori'anma, the only princess of Kiata, has a secret. Forbidden magic runs in her veins. And 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. 

A sorceress in her own right, Raikama 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 uncovers a dark conspiracy to seize the throne. Only Shiori can set the kingdom to rights, but to do so she must place her trust in a paper bird, a mercurial dragon and 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.