The premise of this story drew me in. You’ve got Kaley who has always been drawn to folklore and fairytales visiting her lifelong friend Jobi’s hometown. Except Jobi doesn’t just live in another state or country, Jobi lives on a different planet. Bellis, a land where fairytales are real. Kaley then gets tasked with finding the lost prince and travels thru Bellis accompanied by Tanek and Sojee.

I have to admit, I was pretty lost for a vast majority of this book. It all happens pretty quickly. I will say that I felt for Kaley, the moment she realized that the other planet jokes were in fact not jokes, yeah that was rough. Bellis is three light years away from Earth and when she realizes there’s a chance she may never make it back in time to see her grandparents again, it was rough. All in all, I was a fan of the twists on fairytales, the adventure and the love story. I was not however, a fan of that cliffhanger.

As always, thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and Harlequin Audio for this ALC!

I think this book is being miscategorized as a romantasy/fantasy romance when I think it sways closer to adventure fantasy with romance. I know this is semantics sometimes but I think it's best to set the expectations here. There is romance, I don't believe it's the driving part of the story at all. If you're seeking a swoony, ACOTAR replacement, this ain't it.

I did, however, love this book. Sure, the FMC is conveniently very easy going about a lot of bizarre things a human should be concerned with ...like IRL dragons and witches...but we can look past these things, right?

It does start off with a heavy sci-fi vibe and that theme weaves through the book occasionally but it makes for a unique and fresh fantasy. I loved the found family and the folklore/fairytale vibes. I'm very much looking forward to the final book. I do wish there had been more tension and build up for the romance but I think how it approaches the slow burn resolves itself and makes sense later.

Thank you so much to the author, Harlequin and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this title. I attest that I am leaving my review voluntarily and honestly.

3.5 ⭐️

Order of Swans by Jude Deveraux is a creative mix of romantic fantasy and sci-fi with a fresh twist on fairy tales. The story follows Kaley, a graduate student whose love for folklore and fairytales drives her PhD dissertation. After her advisor rejects her work for being too derivative, she jumps at the chance to visit her family friend Jobi’s home island, hoping to discover new stories. But it turns out Jobi isn’t taking her to just any island—he’s whisking her off to another planet, Bellis, where magic and science collide in fascinating and sometimes chaotic ways.

Kaley ends up on a journey across Bellis with two unexpected companions: Tanek, a Swanherder with some mysterious swan DNA that gives him subtle animal traits, and Sojee, a playful but skilled warrior who never misses a chance to tease Tanek or push him closer to Kaley. Together, they’re tasked with helping a prince avoid an arranged marriage, but along the way, Kaley realizes something strange: the fairy tales she’s loved since childhood—like Cinderella and Hansel and Gretel—are actually happening in front of her eyes. Why this is happening remains a mystery (for now), but it’s clear that Bellis holds more secrets than Kaley ever imagined.

The world-building here is really interesting, blending Kaley’s human perspective with the unique culture of Bellis. The author does a great job showing how Kaley’s lack of understanding creates cultural missteps and misunderstandings, which adds humor and depth to her interactions. And the swan-like features of Tanek, while subtle, hint at some fun possibilities for the future of his and Kaley’s relationship.

That said, the book isn’t perfect. The pacing is uneven—some parts feel a bit rushed, while others linger on details. And the ending? It’s very abrupt. I didn’t even realize it was the first in a series until I finished it, which made it feel like the story cut off midstream. Still, if you enjoy fairy tale retellings, slow-burn romance, or fantasy with a touch of sci-fi, this is a promising start to what could be a really fun series. Just be prepared to want the next book right away!

I was really excited to pick this book up based on the blurb — the ability to alter fairytales sounded right up my alley. I did really enjoy that element of the story. It placed interesting twists on the classics we already knew. I also appreciated the academia elements to the story. I enjoyed the FMC as a whole and could easily relate to her love of fairytales and folklore. The main issue I had was struggling to connect with the author’s writing style and overall execution of the plot. I read this via audiobook and thought the narration was good. Hunter was able to keep my focus on the story. I thought there was an appropriate amount of emotion added to the performance.

Kaley is obsessed with folklore and fairy tales, so much so that she is studying this topic for her PhD. She goes on an adventure with lifelong friend, Jobi, who jokes about living on another planet with aliens. She laughs this off and is inspired by the talk of going to a country with kings, royalty, and a totally different way of living.

When they arrive, she finds herself in a mysterious world where the fairy tales she loves seem to come to life. Arriving in Bellis, still thinks herself roaming islands of her world and not a totally different universe. She’s tasked with finding a missing prince hiding away to avoid his arranged marriage. Joining her are some strong side characters, who I really loved, Tanek and Sojer !

She navigates this new world through her journey as she tries to understand more about the people and life her and how she is connected to it all.

This book was very unique and I loved the fairytales embedded into the world and story. Loved adding the sci-fi element to this fantasy and some academia feel as well. The spice was spicing !! This is book 1 of 2, would read the next book also!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review. Release date 1/28/25

Scifi with a touch of fairytale stories to it. Quite a unique concept! It's a fantastic romantasy. This is something I would recommend to anyone who liked Star Bringer, Hevenbreaker, or Star Wars.

This was a FANTASTIC start to a new romantasy duology that sees PhD. student, Kayley being taken to an alien planet where she is tasks with helping to figure out a number of fairy tales that are being played out with deadly consequences. Fresh, original and great on audio, this is perfect for fans of of authors like Katee Robert or Karen Robards and romance fantasy books with a fun twist. I can't wait to see how this story concludes! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

Audio review: the narrator, Alexandra Hunter did a great job with the narration. The production quality and narration quality together were good.

Book review: This book was unexpected. It starts right out of the gate as sci-fi, and then the fantasy comes in later. I like fantasy and sci-fi, so I was good with that. I liked the MC, although I felt like she wasn't as discerning as I'd expect.

I really enjoyed the twist and different take on fairy tales, and I feel like fairy tale fans and fairy tale retelling fans would definitely like this one. It's a quick read and an intriguing story, and it's got slow burn romance which is my favorite!

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the ALC!

3.5 rounded up due to the narration!

As a long-time Devereaux fan, it was nice to see this foray into romantic fantasy. I wish I had realized it was part of a series. I don't like the open-ended titles alluding to another one coming. I enjoyed the story as well as the takes and twists on fairy tales.