A sapphic swan lake retelling!!

Great characters, cool magic system, and an interesting plot that surprised me more than once

I thought it was very poetic

A sapphic Swan Lake retelling with a lot of lush atmosphere, but lacks in the character development.

I struggled through the last 35% of this book because the character development didn't grow like I was hoping it would. Odile stays committed to being the 'bad guy' and Marie is the most forgiving person on this planet and essentially enables Odile to continue to be cruel. The plot seemed to drag and a lot of the focus is on the characters who come across as two-dimensional.

I loved Where the Dark Stands Still, but unfortunately for me this didn't live up to the first one.

As a lover of sapphic retellings an a huge Swan Princess fan, A Treachery of Swans seemed like it was made for me.

And it did not disappoint.

Thematically, the story of Odile and Marie fits the tone of the ballet as well as the film. It has a darkness to it with blood magic and stakes that feel personal to Odile's trauma and goals. She longs for freedom and untangles what that looks like as she adapts to living as Marie and developing relationships with others outside of her father.

The lesbian relationship is full of gothic yearning and desire. Odile's slow relationships with her brother and the Dauphin feel like they were plucking at my heartstrings the enitre time - a soft trust that grows and grows as she comes to care. Odile unpacking her fear and trauma felt genuine and wrought with internal and external torments, and in time was something she could lean on with others to find her place in the world.

It has some fun twists and turns, and Poranek is fantastic at keeps up a gothic fairytale atmosphere.

If your metric for fantasy is on the more high and epic side l'd say this may not be for you. If you prefer a slightly lower period piece fantasy, you may really like this! It's feminist leaning and the sapphic romance is fantastic.

Truly, if you loved the swan princess films but wanted her to kiss a girl, this is the book for you.

As you may already know, I love the ballet to was thrilled to dive into this reimagining of Swan Lake. Thank you to my friends at Simon & Schuster for this book!

Raised by a controlling and determined sorcerer, Odile has been tasked with restoring magic to the world at any cost. When her plans to infiltrate the castle and steal an artifact goes awry and ends in the murder of a monarch, Odile must work with the woman she is impersonating to save her brother’s life and solve the murder mystery. Not only did she steal her former friend Odette’s identity, but she also transformed her into a swan. With her brother accused of the murder, Odile must confront the truth no matter where that may lead. Perhaps stopping the killer will truly enlighten the path to magic and give Odile the love she so desperately craves.

A story of drama, deceit and of course treachery. It was atmospheric and imaginative with a style of writing that pulls you in. The twist was creative and while parts could be guessed at, I was still invested and interested. It was delightfully dark and moody with many red herrings thrown in the mix and tandem love stories. This journey of discovery and attrition on Odile’s part was really the main story, but the supporting cast pulled their weight. I thought they were all well developed for a standalone and I understood their motivations. I wish Odile interacted a bit more with her brother, and I think the Dauphin and Damien relationship was an undercurrent that never got the spotlight. That being said, I liked that the focus was on discovering the truth and restoring magic with the romances as a side story.

The ending felt like it was heading into a sequel only for the epilogue to give a conclusion. I don’t really like having a large jump in time where a lot of unknown things happen, so this part of the story bothered me. Other than that, I enjoyed this immersive tale with legends and magic woven through the plot and writing style. Odile may have been duplicitous, but she was easy to root for. I enjoy these morally grey characters with troubled pasts and causes they would do anything for.

Writing style was easy to follow, plot had no continuity issues, characters were complex but easy to understand

I loved AB Poranek since WTDSS and this book might have been better. The sapphic yearning, the plot, the retelling, the folklore, it was all just fantastic. 5 stars yet again, she never misses.

A Treachery of Swans is a sapphic retelling of Swan Lake and introduces us to a new fantastical land with it's own magic system which can be determined by people who's blood is golden, and those sorcerers have been pushed out of the Kingdom of Auréal.

The story of Odile and her brother being taken in and raised in a theatre after having been forced to the streets because Odile is one of the "magic" bearers with her golden blood was a bit jarring just because we don't really get a deep look into their relationship. Damien decides to go work for the royal family and Odile stays with their adopted father to hopefully learn more about magic, but we don't really seem to feel a connection between the siblings. The way that Odile reacts to the world around her and the people is quite harsh and she seems to only see others as a means to an end.

In the spirit of transparency, I am truly struggling to get through this book. Perhaps I am not a big enough fan of Swan Lake to be fully drawn into the characters and the story, but even with the introduction of a magical beasts and finding out hidden secrets, I am having a hard time finishing the last 30% of this book. We see Odile falling in love with Marie but then treats her horribly. I am not sure if this is a commentary on internal homophobia but it comes off as a spoiled brat who doesn't have a kind bone in her body even though we are supposed to believe she loves her brother enough to put herself at risk to save his life. The character just doesn't feel fleshed out in my opinion. Keep in mind however, she is 17 years old so technically she is not a fully formed human brain yet

Despite this being classified as YA it doesn't really feel that way. It feels classic and fairy-tale proper just made modern and more bluntly queer. I devoured this

I really loved the overall premise and plotlines. The fairytale twists were well done and I enjoyed the play stylization. However, I felt that the dialogue and characters were fairly shallow and I struggled with Marie's acquiescence to her situations. My favorite part was the epilogue - I wish that the writing was written in third person rather than first - I think that's where the author excels.

🦢 This one is about Odile, an actress at the The Théâtre du Roi, who is more than she seems. Raised by a sorcerer who teaches her subterfuge, lies, and theft, she must infiltrate the royal palace, impersonate a princess, and steal a magical object from the king to restore magic to the land of Auréal. But when the king is murdered, Odile’s plan is upended, and her only choice is to find out what happened… with the help of the princess she was trying to replace. Working together brings out feelings Odile cannot afford to have. 🖤

🦢 This was really interesting! Our heroine is morally grey and does some things that are not very nice, but I think she’s a product of her environment, being deep down a good person, but having been raised by someone who isn’t and trying her best to emulate (and please) him for her survival. Her overall mission and driving force is just, from her perspective, so who’s to say that she’s wrong to do the things that she does? The love story in this is a slow burn, and I wouldn’t necessarily call this book a romance, but it was really sweet. The story is loosely based on Swan Lake, and the book is presented in Scenes rather than chapters, like a play or ballet. I just really liked how it was put together. The mystery and courtly intrigues were the best quality of this book. It kept moving forward and ramping up to a crescendo. Read this one if you’re in the mood for a magical caper and murder mystery! 🖤

🎧 I checked out the audiobook for this one and it’s great! I really loved the voice and intonation of the narrator. Could be sped up to 2x speed easily with no distortion.

🫖 I paired this book with Paris Afternoon tea with from David’s Tea. This book seems to take place in an alternate Grand Siècle France, and everyone had French names, the heir to the throne was the Dauphin, etc., and so it felt right to drink a French-themed tea. This one is so nice with vanilla syrup and foamed milk. 🖤🦢

3⭐️ - A Treachery of Swans is a gothic, atmospheric, and sapphic retelling of Swan Lake. I really enjoyed the dark, decaying setting—the way magic is fading from the world, and yet civilization clings to denial and hatred towards magic rather than facing the inevitable.

Odile, our main FMC, was entertaining with her villainy and scheming, but sometimes she felt a little flat. I found myself wanting more from her emotionally, more depth to balance the chaos.

As for the romance: I wanted to love Marie and Odile’s dynamic, but their chemistry mostly lived in the past, off-page. The book leans heavily on backstory to establish their bond, and I just wish we’d seen more of it unfold in real time rather than being expected to roll with it.

The plot was full of twists and mystery, but not quite enough to carry the whole weight of the story. Honestly, this book would’ve shone more as a duology—the epilogue felt a bit rushed and crammed in.

The writing itself is beautiful, very poetic—but the magic system? Confusing. Like, pretty words can only get you so far when I’m still trying to figure out what the rules are.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts!

I really wanted to love this, but I just couldn't get into the world or the characters. It all felt a bit flat for me and I am really sad since I loved the author's debut!

Thank you Simon & Schuster & A.B. Poranek for the e-arc!

If you're looking for an atmospheric heist meets enemies to lovers sapphic swan lake retelling then look no further!
Although it did take me a little bit to feel fully engaged in the story I really did enjoy it.
The writing style was eloquent and mysterious and there's some pretty good plot twists to keep you guessing.
Amidst the chaos of attempted espionage blooms a sweet romance and it was very endearing.
And the epilogue?!? Ugh my heart

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for access to an early egalley of A Treachery of Swans.

Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy it the way I hoped and I did not finish it. The writing was not as lush and enchanting as I expected, many scenes felt rushed, the characters didn’t seem fleshed out, many times behaving in ways they just shouldn’t.

I’d love to try again one day, but for now it just wasn’t for me.

I loved the premise of this so much, but it just didn't stick the landing for me.

- The vibes and aesthetic of the world and the lush writing were decadent
- The sapphic romance reminded me a lot of Kit and Elora from the Willow TV Show as well as (kind of and hear me out) Catradora.
- however, the plot and the worldbuilding didn't feel very strong; I was constantly questioning the mechanics of the world and found the story pretty generic and predictable.
- Also i'm sorry to be that guy but in what world did we manage to make a sapphic enemies-lovers coded Swan Lake Retelling where we made Odile and Odette.... insta-lovey???

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for sending me an Arc copy of this book, as well as to Negalley and McElderry Books for an e-arc copy in exchange for an honest review!

3.5⭐️ A decently good take on swan lake with a gothic, YA, sapphic romance!

The second I saw this cover I knew I had to read this one! This cover is to die for!

I would say my expectations going into this weren’t completely met at the end. I found that the enemies to lovers dynamic was a little abrupt and the lead-up / tension during the beginning could have been further developed for more of an impact. I also wish there was some more immersive world-building to really set that gothic, eerie, darker magical vibe, but what we got was good though. More just would’ve been amazing.

That being said, the last half to quarter of the book was great! By the end I was hooked. I enjoyed the overall gothic, mysterious, darker, magical vibes. I thoroughly enjoyed Odile and the layers and complexities that she had as a character - it made it interesting and intriguing to read. The writing itself was not only beautiful and magical, but also easy to read and follow which is great since it’s a YA target audience.

Overall, this was a decent YA sapphic romance, and would recommend if this is the type of books you tend to enjoy!

—

𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀:
Star: 3.5⭐️/5
Spice: 0.5🌶️/5
Emotion: 1💧/5

𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀
🦢 Swan Lake Re-Telling
🖤 YA Romantasy
🦢 Sapphic Romance
🖤 Childhood Friends to Enemies to Lovers
🦢 Magic
🖤 Secrets and Betrayals

Dark, moody, and atmospheric - A Treachery of Swans is the perfect sapphic Swan Lake retelling from the villains POV. What more could you want?!

AB Poranek just understands folklore, she weaves a story that keeps you entertained and invested. There are so many twists, turns, and tricks that spin such an interesting tale. The magic and world building was great and I thought the author did a great job of telling us exactly what we needed to know without giving away the whole plot too early.

All of the characters had such strong ambitions, drives, and loyalties that made them all feel fully realized. This book is a dark lamp-lit street in France, chilled and bathed in mist. You can feel yourself in the setting and getting lost in the story.

Thank you Netgalley and A.B Poranek for this book.

I fell in love with this authors mind when I read her book Where the Dark Stands Still.

I loved this darker take on the Swan Princess. And the f/f romance was fire. The family dynamics and the back story of how the MC got to where she was emotionally and physically the found family and the magic! Was just soo well done. I would read this again a thousand times over. I want more of this authors books, her stories take me places I have never been before.

This one just was not for me. I thought it had pacing issues and no one was likeable. I gave it a shot, but just not a story that captured my attention.

This was such a beautiful and well written story. Poranek's writing is atmospheric and transports you directly into the story.
The characters are strong and there is a little something for everyone in this book. I do think the pacing was off at times as there were very slow sections and then the ending felt rushed. It felt like the story was setting up for a sequel and then it wrapped it all up in the last few pages.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story and think it would be perfect if you are looking for a fairy tale retelling that is able to stand on it's own.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.