🖤🤍🦢 A Treachery Of Swans 🦢🤍🖤

-A.B. Poranek

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A Treachery of Swans is a sapphic retelling of Swan Lake, set in 17th Century France.

Odile, the adoptive daughter of the theatre master Regnault, has spent years preparing for this mission. She will impersonate the future princess Marie d’Odette, infiltrating the royal palace. She will heist the Coronne de Roi, the crown that holds the key to the magic of the realm. As Odile gets closer to the Dauphin, the crown prince of Auréal, she also forges a connection to the real princess, Marie, whom Regnault has turned into a swan by day, maiden by night (as per the original fairytale).

This concept was incredible and the execution was just as perfect. The 17th Century French court setting suited the book entirely. This prose was so gloriously atmospheric and darkly. sumptuous. The relationship between Odile and Marie was beautifully written, as were the side characters, such as the Dauphin and Odile’s brother.

As for Odile… This is what I mean when I say I want complex female protagonists! She is the black swan, the antagonist from the original ballet, but in this reimagining, we see her as a young girl manipulated and exploited by a man for his own gains. She wasn’t always likeable, but she was always real.

I will definitely be picking up Where the Dark Stands Still after this fantastic read and I cannot wait to see what A.B. Poranek does next! I’m also meeting her at the House of YA Summer Tour in August and I’m so excited to hear her speak!

Thanks to @penguinrandomhouse for the digital ARC!