In Book II, Shiori is still finding herself, and she’s put in one impossible situation after another and is just doing her best. In Book II, she continues to make mistakes, but I think of the series as a coming-of-age story. By the end of Book I, she’s definitely matured and become wiser through her trials, but she’s by no means perfect. Lim: Shiori is a flawed character who starts off spoiled and impulsive, and rash to judge others.

Paste: How would you describe Shiori’s journey over the course of this series? She’s come so far by the end of it. I tried to focus more on themes such as love and home, and incorporate a bit more of Kiatan mythology, particularly with the lady of the moon – who (minor spoiler) does make an appearance toward the end! What would you say was the major influence on this sequel?Įlizabeth Lim: I’d say that the sequel was less based on one particular fairytale or folktale, and more on expanding the universe that I’ve created: for instance, developing the dragon realm (which is indeed inspired by East Asian folklore) and hinting more at Shiori’s stepmother’s past, which is lightly inspired by the Chinese legend Madame White Snake.

Paste Magazine: ? Six Crimson Cranes was loosely based on Hans Christian Anderson’s The Wild Swans (and included elements from several other Chinese folktales and legends). We got the chance to chat with Lim about The Dragon’s Promise from the elements that inspired the sequel to how she sees Shiori’s journey by the end of the story. And along the way, Princess Shiori grows from an impulsive girl to a genuine leader, determined to do right by not just her deceased stepmother Raikama’s last wishes but for all the denizens of her kingdom, human and magical alike. While her Six Crimson Cranes duology may have initially been based on Hans Christian Anderson’s The Wild Swans-a young princess must find a way to rescue her brothers who have been cursed to turns into cranes each night-the series ultimately becomes about something entirely new.Ī tale of identity, family, and embracing your own power (whatever that may be), the story of Six Crimson Cranes concludes with The Dragon’s Promise, a sequel that takes our heroine from the realm of dragons to a forbidden land inhabited by hungry spirits. In the world of YA fantasy, author Elizabeth Lim is known for her rich stories that effortlessly incorporate East Asian legends and folklore with familiar, more Western fairytale framings.

Six crimson cranes series