On this episode of Everything is Canon, Steve is talking to Elizabeth Lim all about her new book, the first in a duology, Six Crimson Cranes, which is described as “A princess in exile, a shapeshifting dragon , six enchanted cranes, and an unspeakable curse… Drawing from “The Wild Swans” and East Asian folklore, this breathtakingly original fantasy comes from the author of Spin the Dawn.”
Here’s the summary…
Shiori’anma, the only princess of Kiata, has a secret. Forbidden magic runs through her veins. Normally she conceals it well, but 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, as well as 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 her.
Six Crimson Cranes is its stunningly beautiful cover come to life. It’s an expansive magical mystery tour that will leave you spellbound and definitely wanting more. Which is great because this is only the first book in a duology and ends in such a way that all endings should take note. Oh, and prepare yourselves for the awesome force that is Kiki.
Steve and Elizabeth talk about her contributions to the Disney Twisted Tales books and what’s next, her incredible character work in Six Crimson Cranes including the books lead Shiori, the connection this book has to her Spin the Dawn universe, and much, much more.
Six Crimson Cranes is out now, click HERE to order a copy today!
About the Author:
Elizabeth Lim is the author of the critically-acclaimed and bestselling The Blood of Stars duology (Spin the Dawn and Unravel the Dusk), the New York Times bestseller So This is Love, and the USA Today bestseller Reflection. Forthcoming books include the Six Crimson Cranes duology, expected summer 2021 and summer 2022, respectively.
Elizabeth grew up on a hearty staple of fairy tales, myths, and songs. Her passion for storytelling began around age 10, when she started writing fanfics for Sailor Moon, Sweet Valley, and Star Wars, and posted them online to discover, “Wow, people actually read my stuff. And that’s kinda cool!” But after one of her teachers told her she had “too much voice” in her essays, Elizabeth took a break from creative writing to focus on not flunking English.
Over the years, Elizabeth became a film and video game composer, and even went so far as to get a doctorate in music composition. But she always missed writing, and she turned to penning stories when she needed a breather from grad school. One day, she decided to write and finish a novel—for kicks, at first, then things became serious—and she hasn’t looked back since.
