Shiori, 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.
Raikama has dark magic of her own, and she 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, on her journey, uncovers a conspiracy to overtake the throne—a conspiracy more twisted and deceitful, more cunning and complex, than even Raikama's betrayal. Only Shiori can set the kingdom to rights, but to do so she must place her trust in 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.
Review:
This was my second Elizabeth Lim novel. I really enjoyed Spin the Dawn, though I struggled a bit getting into its sequel. Sometimes, I just wish authors would end books with 1. I might attempt to read it at another time though because I LOVED this one. When I saw more books by the author, I had to try them. This appealed to me because it sounded a bit like another fantasy series I love with swans, and it turns out it’s based upon the same classic fairytale. However, this is definitely a unique take on that tale. And I believe it’s set in the same universe as Spin the Dawn.
Any author that wants to throw in dragons, sorcerers, demons, paper cranes, and forbidden magic into the classics, should by all means just go for it! This was an entertaining read for sure. I recommend this book to fans of Juliet Marillier, Mary E. Pearson, and Renee Ahdieh. I might have liked this one a little bit more than the first book I read by the author. I found the trials and hardships that Shiori had to go through a lot easier to read. Maybe all princesses should have to learn a thing or two about being a servant? Maybe they can skip the torturous tasks, and silent curses though….Though, that made for a really good book.
I loved that so much of this book was about family. It wasn’t all about love/romance. It was about Shiori keeping her brothers alive. And breaking a curse that affected her family. Though, I didn’t hate the romance either. It a friendship turned romance, which I liked. And if a guy can fall in love with you when you have a giant bowl for a head…..that says something. She was literally cursed to have a bowl on her head (blocking her face) and she could’t speak or it would kill her brothers who were turned into cranes. Most people who came across her thought she was a demon.
Again, the only thing is I wish it ended at the end. I’m not sure it really needs a sequel…I like the idea of getting more of the dragons/dragon world that seems to be promised in book 2. But, is that really cause for a sequel? I guess we’ll see. All in all, I really had a lot of fun reading this. And I look forward to reading more by the author. I give this a 9/10.
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