In revolutionary Paris, the secrets behind an eerie set of brooches will either send Hélène d’Aubign to the guillotine or save her life.



OMG THIS BOOK IS AMAZING

I’m going to have to DNF this one. I am finding it awfully hard to follow  with all the different timelines. Maybe if I pick this physically instead of reading it digitally it will be easier, but I have no idea.

I really loved reading the Nemesis and the Swan. I was completely and utterly absorbed by the plot, I felt like I was transported to a different place and time. I feel a book must be important to do that. I would absolutely recommend this one to anyone ✨

A French revolutionary tale of privilege, downfall, love, loss, and everything in between, Nemesis and the Swan by Lindsay K. Bandy is fast-moving and always unexpected, offering a new twist, perspective, and idea in every chapter. Through a unique time-jumping structure, Nemesis and the Swan details the not-so-perfect life of a young aristocrat as she navigates a Paris unlike anything she has known before. 

Set in revolutionary Paris, Nemesis and the Swan takes an interesting approach to French revolution-inspired fiction, telling the tale from the perspective of a young aristocrat whose life moves quickly from luxury and grandeur to a steady series of falls from grace. Lindsay K. Bandy has more than done her research when it comes to this story’s historical setting, and the result is a clever, informative, authentic-feeling narrative with well-built settings and believable perspectives of 1700s Paris.

Nemesis and the Swan follows nineteen-year-old Hélène d’Aubign. Informed of early radical ideas by her once governess, Hélène is not quite the aristocrat her family expects her to be, seeking a life beyond the conventions of her station. Amidst an increasingly violent Paris, Hélène finds love and loses it, and she is forced to face quickly changing, always difficult circumstances. Throughout the story, chapters flip back and forth between time periods, showing a free Hélène and an imprisoned Hélène before arriving at a present day. These temporal shifts are clever, innovative, and effective in showing all aspects of Hélène’s journey. 

Nemesis and the Swan is a tale of truth, love, power, and revolution. I’d recommend it to fans of Madame Tussaud’s Apprentice by Kathleen Benner Duble.

AHHH! Nemesis and the Swan was a fabulous YA historical fiction! I could not put this book down. I loved the setting, the characters and the events. Highly recommend. 

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book - unfortunately - was absolutely not to my taste. I didn’t like it and dnf‘d it at about 15%.

I volunteered to read this book, through netgalley in exchange, for an honest review. This book is well written and the characters are described well. This book is set in France. The pacing of this story is good. The writing style by this author is good. The family relationships are good. The secrets will keep you on the edge of your seat. I can't wait to read more books by this author in the future.  This book will be in stores tomorrow for $18.99 (USD). I would recommend reading this book to anyone and everyone.

VERY IMPRESSIVE HISTORICAL YA ABOUT THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

I love YA and I love historical fiction - but rarely have a found a YA historical fiction book that actually appealed to me. This was one of the rare ones. What's most amazing is, that I can't really put my finger on what is was, that separated this from the others, made this one stand out in a positive way. But since I enjoyed it, I won't question it too much.

👍 What I Liked 👍

Mystery: There's something mysteries about Helene and her family. They are French aristocrats in the late 18th century, meaning right around the time of the French Revolution. I really enjoyed delving into the drama and the intrigue going on in Helene's family. It was done very well, even though I did figure it out quite some time before Helene herself did.

Setting: The mystery of Helene's family was even more interesting set against the backdrop of the French Revolution. The fact that they are aristocratic just made it all the more interesting.

Dual timelines: In this book we follow Helene from two different points in time. When we first meet her, she is taken prisoner in 1792. In alternating chapters, we see how Helene gets on in prison and we go back in time to figure out, how she wound up there. I really liked this aspect of the book and it made me want to keep reading!

This story was amazing!! It really gave me The Count of Monte Cristo vibes which was great because its one of my favorites.  It was a page turner that I could not put down.  I finished this in just over 5 hours and I would pick it up again in a heartbeat.  It's a powerful story in a time that women weren't supposed to be asking questions.  As well as one spectacular love triangle!! I loved the flow and feel of the story as it transported me to that time.  I think those who love this time period or historical romances in general will fall hard for this one.  This is one story that once you start it you won't want to be freed until the very last page.

I love historical fiction, and I am particularly a sucker for books set during the French Revolution (for which I credit Victor Hugo and Les Miserables, of course!). So I knew right away that I wanted to read Nemesis and the Swan when I heard about it, and jumped at the chance to take part in this tour. We start off with our main character, Hélène, being carted off to prison in 1792, during a time of great upheaval due to the French Revolution. The Reign of Terror hasn’t officially started, but Robespierre, Danton, and their compatriots seem to have taken the upper hand. As the days pass, in prison for she knows not what, Hélène relays her story to us. The book is a quick read because you don’t want to put it down, always wondering what’s going to happen next in Hélène’s life and what has led to her imprisonment. 

 Hélène is the daughter of a Marquis, part of a noble family in Paris. We learn that an early governess of Hélène’s planted the seeds of rebellion and liberty; the governess is dismissed by her father, although, it seems, not soon enough to prevent revolutionary ideas from blossoming within Hélène. She struggles to justify her own privilege when faced with the inequalities she sees on the streets, and she chafes at her relationship with her family, in particular her mother. After her father is killed by a mob and she flees with her mother to her mother’s estranged family, Hélène learns all kinds of secrets about her family history, including about the death of her mother’s sister, who was possibly murdered. Ultimately, Hélène escapes her family and heads back to Paris, burdened by these secrets and trying to find the boy she loves, and everything snowballs from there.

I really enjoyed the pace of the story, as well as the storytelling device. Having Hélène relay her story to us from a prison cell is so smart, as we are caught up in racing to find out the fate of three stories - what really happened to her mother’s sister, what has led to Hélène ending up in prison, and what will be her fate as terror and retribution have taken hold of the country. It’s hard to believe this is a debut novel, as the writing is fantastic and the story is so well told. I would highly recommend Nemesis and the Swan for any fan of historical fiction, especially if you love stories that have you racing to the end for answers. I hope you will pick it up and let me know your thoughts!

Rating: 4 stars!

**Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for purposes of this blog tour. This review is voluntary on my part and reflects my honest rating and review of the book.

As soon as I started this book I was sad it’s only 288 pages long; I quickly became attached to protagonist Hélène & revolutionary France was just as interesting as ever. This isn’t a high stakes adventure but I was actually glad about that as I loved how relaxed I felt whilst reading - this was a book that distracted me from the real world when I really needed it which I’m very thankful for. Following Hélène as she navigated adult life in a country that no longer wants families like hers to exist was emotional but also educational; the title of the book refers to a family secret but, for me, that wasn’t the main focus of the book... instead it was about freedom & what people are willing to do to find it, about being independent & about finding people who love you, even if they’re not your official family. I knew I would enjoy this book & I’ll definitely buy a print copy when I can.

⚠️ This book contains sexism, a small amount of racism, classism, scenes of a sexual nature, sexual assault, domestic violence, attempted suicide, murder, hangings, arson, riots, gun use, mental health conditions & death of a child (referred to in a memory) ⚠️

I received a digital copy of this book via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Extended Review: https://wp.me/p8MbIo-3aS

Such a great YA historical fiction book! The pacing was perfect in my opinion, and the story was well detailed! I especially love that this was a coming-of-age story set during the French Revolution. I know many readers who will love this one and I plan on recommending this to all of them.

Paris, 1792.

The French Revolution. Aristocrats are being burned out of their lavish estates, ruthlessly hung in the streets, and lined up publicly to face the bloody guillotine. 

The elaborately detailed story is told by nineteen-year-old Hélène; born an aristocrat but with the heart of a revolutionary. Accused of being a spy and wrongly imprisoned, she takes us through her past as a pampered upper-class girl, through to when the timeline converges to her present as a prisoner in fear of her life.

As the National Assembly gains power, the common people rebel against the aristocrats. Hélène and her family have to run for their lives leaving behind her comforts, the only family she’s ever known and Theo, the love of her life. Displaced and unwelcomed by her mother’s long-estranged family in Grasse, Hélène begins to learn bits of her family’s past but only enough to spur her curiosity to know the entire truth. 

Fleeing once more, this time on her own, Hélène runs away to Paris in search of the truth and to find Theo. When disappointment leads to heartache, Hélène finds herself needing to leave her past behind and move on, if she’s going to survive. 

Set in the politically tumultuous and viciously societal time of the French Revolution, Bandy delivers a brilliantly researched tale.  What I find exceptional is how it is told by a teenager. How much suffering had to be endured and survival was wrought with fear and uncertainty by one so young. These were violent, savage times with no one safe from losing their heads. 

I think this is a superb read, particularly for the YA genre, because of its excellent historical detail and accuracy of what life was like for young people and the effort of women of all ages who were fighting for the right to be heard and recognized as citizens of value.  

Undeniably a compelling read—highly recommended. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the read of Lindsay K. Bandy’s, Nemesis and the Swan.

Opinions expressed are my own.

To start, I really dislike the cover. It’s just strange to me, and a major miss to draw good attention to this book. Now to sum up my reading experience and thoughts on the book: just okay. I’m not sure YA is really the target audience here. Age up the main character a bit and do some editing, and this would probably be better received as general fiction. The French Revolution component was well done and felt genuine. The characters were okay, but could have been more fully developed. The plot was convoluted, and would be more successful if just one component was focused on and done well.

This is a nice historical romance, set just before and during the French Revolution. The protagonist is a young noblewoman who is on the verge of escaping her suffocating family when the Revolution comes, throwing everyone's lives into turmoil and jeopardy. In hiding, she learns family secrets that explain much of the family dynamic, and gives her the information she needs to take control of her own life. The writing is lovely and detailed, although sometimes a bit jarring for the speakers' ages or the time period, and the descriptions of places and objects made me want to linger longer in the rooms that housed them. There is quite a bit of deus ex machina at the end, but it's a satisfying conclusion.

After trying to begin the book, I was unable to continue due to my lack of interest. I will try to pick it up again at a later date, and if I am able to continue reading, I will post a more detailed review here. 

I am extremely sorry, but this was not what I thought it would be and it doesn't suit my reading preferences. Thank you very much for the free e-ARC.

I love historical fiction but lately I haven't been picking it up as much as fantasy. So when I saw "Nemesis and the Swan" available to request on Netgalley, I thought "hmm, let's change it up", and I'm so glad I did! This was a fascinating historical fiction novel about a time period (the beginning of the French Revolution) that I have rarely read about. It was part mystery, part romance, and all exciting. 
The French Revolution is such an interesting point in history that I wish more books focused on it. Author Lindsay K. Bandy wrote in a way that brought 18th century France to life- she described everything in such great detail that I almost wished I could be there with the main characters (almost). 
The main character, Helene, was a good protagonist- she was a noblewoman living in the time right before  and during the French Revolution and despite her posh upbringing, she worked hard and was kind to everyone. I really felt for her throughout the story (especially when Theo married and when her father died). She was strong and brave and a great narrator of the losses and lives of those who lived during this tumultuous time in France. 
I also enjoyed the mystery aspect in the book- all the questions of the brooches and why Helene's mother hated her so much and who Vivienne was. But I felt like some of the questions were not answered as quickly as they could have been- sometimes some things seemed to be forgotten like the brooches- I wanted to know the answers but didn't like having to wait for so long:/
Overall, "Nemesis and the Swan" was a richly described historical fiction novel that portrays the French Revolution through the eyes of a noblewoman. I recommend it to historical fiction lovers.

I’m honestly a bit confused about how to feel about this one. I didn’t hate it... I also didn’t love it. I almost felt like the author was struggling to choose one main plot and therefore they both fell flat. I did enjoy the style of writing and there were parts that had me fully invested. Overall I wouldn’t recommend this book to a friend BUT I do think the author shows potential and I would like to read books that she releases in the future.

Being promoted as a YA novel, this jewel is a must for historical fiction lovers of all ages.

Amidst the French Revolution love is blooming.
Hélène has to flee her home and leave behind the prosperous life she's always known. Traveling all over France with friends and family while her heart is longing for Theo, the apprentice jeweler who made her a firm promise. Will they find their way back to each other?

At a fast pace the reader moves through chaos in the streets, raging politicians and civilians, violence in prison and a family secret on top of that. This is a story of wealth and poverty, trust and loyalty, laughter and hurt. A gripping well crafted book set in turbulent times. Breathtakingly beautiful.

Thank you Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for the ARC.

The Nemesis of Love
Typically, World History is not my thing. So when I saw that my latest book to review was set during the French Revolution I expected to be indifferent (or maybe even bored), but soon found myself pleasantly swept along by this story of love, betrayal, and jealousy. Nemesis and the Swan is an excellent introduction to the root causes of the French Revolution and its ties to the American Revolution, while also offering up a satisfying amount of fictional mystery and romance.

The story is told through the eyes of the main character, Helene, who is noble by birth, but in love with a commoner. As the reader, you are transported back and forth between Helene’s current situation of imprisonment for unspecified crimes, and her past as a French aristocrat turned bookshop-keeper and revolutionary. It is clear from the beginning of the story that Helene finds the idea of arranged marriage due to her duties as a member of the nobility as distasteful, and that she believes (at least to some extent) in the idea of equality among the classes, and perhaps the sexes. The book does a good job of showing her increasing acceptance of these ideas as she begins to experience more of the world, and as she meets more common people who are both warm and intelligent…a combination she has not seen much of in her gilded world. One word of caution: one of the main antagonists in the story comes close to sexually assaulting Helene, and he continues to threaten and bully her for the rest of the book, which may be triggering for some readers.

The mystery of the story revolves around Helene’s true identity, making her out to be a Helen of Troy like character for her nemesis…which could be her mother, or the wife of the man who loves her. Nemesis and the Swan is full of mythological references, romantic intrigue, and perhaps even murder. See the source imageThe characters love art, music, and philosophy, focusing extensively on the themes of optimism and realism, and whether or not they can complement each other. This is a book that can easily be consumed in a day; the story flows quickly, and seamlessly weaves the historical references with the fictional story and characters. I can see it being a hit with high school students as extra credit or supplementary reading to a unit on the French Revolution, or with adults who love a good historical fiction romance.

In our current world of pandemic driven lock-downs, social distancing, and the accompanying feelings of anxiety and loneliness, Helene’s realization that she is worthy of retaining hope, and of feeling joy, is a welcome reminder that there is always a source of light to drive back the darkness. We just have to be patient enough to allow the light to find us.