This book starts off with a lot of world-building, which I will admit had me a bit skeptical until the plot hit. Once it did? Hooked. Instantly. Magical, dark, twisted, with a bit of slow-burn romance as a treat. A few of the more suspenseful moments had me gasping aloud. I will agree with a few previous reviewers that the ending felt a bit rushed, and left some things to be desired. That being said, I feel that it did not affect my enjoyment of the book at all! I would love to perhaps see a second book about what happens between the final chapter and the epilogue that would fill in a lot of the gaps.

Thank you so much to A.B. Poranek, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with this eARC!

A Treachery of Swans by A.B. Poranek was exactly the kind of yearning, sapphic, gothic chaos I crave. I wasn’t sure what to expect from a Swan Lake retelling, but it completely won me over. You don’t need to be super familiar with the original—just a general idea is enough to appreciate both the parallels and the ways it diverges.

Magic has been outlawed in Auréal, but Odile has always known it’s her destiny to bring it back. Raised by a sorcerer, she’s been prepping for the heist of a lifetime: impersonate a princess, sneak into the palace, steal the enchanted crown, and restore magic. Easy, right? Until the king turns up murdered. Suddenly, Odile finds herself reluctantly teaming up with the real princess, Marie d’Odette, and the two begin to uncover a web of secrets that could change everything. But as feelings start to bloom, Odile must choose: the mission, or the girl she’s falling for?

There’s so much pining, gorgeous gothic vibes, and truly poetic prose—I was highlighting lines just to come back to them later. Odile is chaotic in the best way, and Marie Odette makes the perfect grounded foil and love interest. The pacing felt uneven in spots, and I wish we got a deeper dive into the magic system, but overall, I was enchanted. I’d happily read a spinoff about Odile wrangling the mothers next!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The atmosphere in this book was phenomenal. I loved Barbie Swan Lake as a kid so reading this retelling was thoroughly enjoyable. I really liked the characters in this book, I think my personal favorite was Aimé. I would be very interested if he were the a focus of a book in the future. I appreciated that the beginning of each chapter had the place and time of day, it helped keep me oriented in the story. I loved the twists, there were several I wasn't able to predict! I was fine with the pacing until the end. I would have LOVED to see this as a duology! I was really interested in what happened in that gap of time. I would've loved more information and development involving Morgane's sisters as well. Overall I really enjoyed this book. I don't normally enjoy retellings but I would recommend this one! This was my first book by AB Poranek and I can't wait to check out her other books. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending an ARC 🦢

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for my early copy to read and review. All thoughts are my own.

A Sapphic, gothic swan lake retelling!!!

Call me numerical because I ATE this book up. Strangers to friends to enemies to lovers, yes please!

I enjoyed this book so much and didn’t want it to end. I will say the ending did feel a little rushed and I kind of wish this was duology but nonetheless, I think a lot of people will enjoy this read.

The storytelling was enjoyable, the main characters and side characters were fun. The writing style and plot was easy to understand and follow. Just all around a great book!

4 stars!

While marketed as a sapphic Swan Lake retelling, it is that and so much more. The author has introduced a unique magic system in this book, and weaves that magic system into this story. This story is for anyone and everyone who enjoys beautiful atmospheric writing, fairytale retellings, a slow-burn sapphic romance, murder mysteries, and some political intrigue.

At the heart of this story is the main character, Odile. She feels the deep and wounding pain of being unwanted and deserted. This trauma guides all the decisions she makes because all she wants is to be loved and accepted for herself, despite her secret sorcier (sorcerer) abilities. In some ways, she sees herself as the villian. Instead of feeling frustrated with her when she made poor decisions, I felt extreme empathy towards her. The author did a great characterizing Odile, which helps us weep with her, triumph with her, and support her. Odile's character arc is well-done, because we see her grow in her confidence, self-worth, and belief in the goodness of other people.

In regards to the other characters, the author gave us a great sense of who they are. While we may not know all about the other characters like we do Odile, there is a sense that they all have their own desires, personalities, agendas, and vulnerabilities. The POV is first-person limited, so it makes sense that we only know what Odile knows about the other characters, and that what we see of other characters is Odile' interpretation of those characters. But they definitely stand out in their roles, which is probably why the mystery's twists and turns in this book were difficult to guess.

As mentioned above, the writing is beautiful, detailed, and atmospheric. I could feel the night chill, see the ostentatious parties and the gilded palace, and sense the emotional upheavals. This is exactly the kind of writing that I love to see in books. It wasn't until after I read the book that I realized that the genre is YA. I do think that this is one of those books with cross-over appeal, simply because the writing would appeal to adult readers as well.

The world-building in this world is simple, but effective. There are some people who are sorciers, and they have magic and gold blood. Odile is one of these people. However, the magic in this world has been banned, locked away, and tied to a crown. Because of this, Odile doesn't really understand how to use her magic, and she fears being found out. Her desire is to bring magic back into the world will give her, and others like her, the chance to learn about their magic and use it, the opportunity to live freely and openly, and the potential to save their lands and people. I think I would have liked to see more history about the magic system and more usage of the magic.

There are multiple plots going on at the same time in this story, but I think the main plot is the murder mystery. While the heist is mentioned in the blurb for this book, I think it's important to note that there isn't a heist in the traditional sense (ie., make a plan and put it into motion). Because of all the various threads of this story, the book moves at a fast pace, and I finished the book in a few hours. My only issue regarding the plot is that there are some plot points that should have gradually been introduced. Instead, there was some info-dumping in the last act. Additionally, while I enjoyed the romantic plot, I think I would have enjoyed more emotional tension and more scenes (whether flashback or present).

Overall, this was a very enjoyable book. It's listed as a standalone novel, but there is so much of this world for readers to explore, and it definitely feels like it could be the first of a duology. I would welcome a sequel if the chance ever came.

Thanks to NetGalley and Margaret K. McElderry Books for providing me with an eARC to review.

Sapphic Swan Lake with atmospheric writing, a compelling plot and so much YEARNING!!! I thoroughly enjoyed this one and that ending was perfect 👌🏼 4.5 stars.

3.25*

I went into this expecting a black forest cake but god gave me vanilla sponge instead

A Treachery of Swans is, overall, a perfectly fine YA fantasy, with an interesting world inspired by early modern France, the most animated-movie-esque characters ever, and a horribly predictable plot. The prose was also... something. Most of the time it's inoffensive but then Odile will drop a bar that is so cringe I have to close my eyes for a second, and rethink my life choices.

It's not a terrible book, and I could see promise in it, but the characters were so predictable —although the author did add some unique things to their backstories, they ultimately fell flat for me— and Odile's monologues went on for wayyy too long at times. Marie was slightly better, but honestly she didn't have enough screen time for me to fully appreciate her. I was sorta invested in Aimé and Damien's story, but it was never resolved in the end. That was super frustrating.

I unfortunately had pretty high expectations due to the marketing, which is why my rating is low. I was expecting a rich, dark, gothic world, with compelling, morally grey characters. The atmosphere didn't feel very gothic to me, nor were the two leads ever really enemies. Odile being considered a villain is also lowkey laughable — most she could manage is a villain's henchman, lol

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for the ARC. All thoughts are my own :D

I was a big fan of Where the Dark Stands Still, so A Treachery of Swans was one of my most anticipated reads. While it didn’t quite reach the same heights for me, it was still a beautifully crafted, emotionally rich story that I’m so glad I picked up.

The first half of the book moved a little slowly for me, especially compared to the quick pull I felt with WTDSS. It took some time to fully settle into the court politics, the murder mystery, and Odile’s complicated position between loyalty, guilt, and survival. But once the pieces started to fall into place, I found myself completely hooked. The payoff in the second half made the slower beginning feel worth it.

Odile and Marie’s dynamic was the real heart of the story. I loved how layered and difficult their relationship was, full of resentment, betrayal, and longing all tangled together. The sapphic tension was so well done, and I appreciated how much nuance A.B. Poranek gave to both of them as individuals too. Odile especially was such a messy, fascinating protagonist to follow.

The world had that same dark, gothic feel I loved in WTDSS full of crumbling grandeur, lingering magic, and the sense that something monstrous could be waiting just out of sight. Overall, A Treachery of Swans was a dark, beautifully written fantasy that twisted Swan Lake into something entirely its own. Not quite the same magic as Where the Dark Stands Still for me, but still a standout.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

DNF at 23%.

While nothing stood at as particularly bad in what I read, there was nothing that actually interested me either. After 20% I should be hooked, and I wasn't. The main character had no stand-out personality traits, the writing was the usual first person present tense style you can find in any recently published YA book, and the main villain (I assume) was easy to pick out when multiple paragraphs are devoted to decribing him looking evilly at the protagonist. What I read of the court intrigue seemed painfully basic and surface level.

It reminded me a lot of Allison Saft's writing, so if you like her books then maybe give it a try.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

A Treachery of Swans is a beautifully atmospheric and hauntingly dreamy sapphic retelling of Swan Lake that swept me up from the very first page. As someone who grew up performing Swan Lake every other year in ballet, I’m always drawn to fresh takes on this classic story—and Poranek absolutely delivers.

The world-building is rich and immersive, filled with magic, deception, and a tangled web of secrets that kept me turning pages. Poranek’s prose is lyrical and evocative, which adds to the fairytale-like feel, though at times I did find myself getting a little lost and needing to reread sections to fully absorb what was happening. Still, the dreamy quality of the writing fits the tone of the story beautifully.

My only small critique is that the romance between Odile and Marie felt slightly rushed—there's a moment where they refer to each other as lovers that caught me off guard. It's possible I missed some of the buildup in a haze of poetic prose, but I would've loved to see just a bit more development there to make that emotional payoff really land.

That said, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It’s the second story of Poranek’s I’ve read, and I think fans of Where the Dark Stands Still will absolutely fall in love with this one too. I can’t wait to see fan edits and dream about what a soundtrack for this book might sound like—it’s definitely a story that lingers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing | Margaret K. McElderry Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest feedback.

A very immersive spin on Swan Lake that I enjoyed a lot. I appreciated how well-developed Odile was, full of loud and honest flaws. The writing had its lush moments, effectively intertwining the magic of the original tale with unique takes.

Overall, the romance was relatively sweet, with Marie as the steadiness grounding Odile’s intensity, although it could’ve had a bit more depth to it.

Not the biggest fan of Aimé; I spent the book wanting to shake him. Would’ve loved to have more of him and Damien, I feel that might’ve helped see him in a more positive light, but then again they’re not the MCs. As side characters they suited the story.

The only real disappointment I had was the epilogue. Up to it I thought we were getting a sequel and I was hyped. The epilogue felt like a quick summary of what I thought the sequel would be, like the neat little bow of the one-liner at the end of a fairy tale, without producing any real emotion. Maybe it was the switch to very distant third POV, but even so, I have read instances where this type of POV was still written in a way that was very emotional for readers.

"A Treachery of Swans is a beautifully atmospheric fantasy that reimagines the classic Swan Lake ballet through a sapphic lens. Set in a world inspired by 17th-century France, the story follows Odile, a young woman raised by a vengeful sorcerer, who is tasked with infiltrating the royal palace to steal the king's enchanted crown and restore magic to their kingdom. To do so, she assumes the identity of a noblewoman, Marie d'Odette, whose life she has taken.​

The novel's strength lies in its lush, atmospheric writing and complex character development. It feels like Tchaikovsky's score come to life. Odile's journey from a tool of vengeance to a young woman grappling with her own morality is compelling, and a refreshing take on the well-known story. Her growing feelings for Marie add depth to the narrative, transforming what could be a straightforward heist story into a poignant exploration of identity, guilt, and redemption.​

The pacing is deliberate, allowing for a slow-burn romance that unfolds naturally amidst the political intrigue and magical elements. While some readers might prefer a faster-paced plot, the measured tempo enhances the novel's atmospheric quality and emotional resonance.​

Overall, A Treachery of Swans is a captivating read for fans of dark fantasy and slow-burn romances. Poranek's lyrical prose and intricate world-building create a rich tapestry that will linger in readers' minds long after the final page.

I really enjoyed this one and read it in a single weekend. The pacing was good and it didn't take too long to get to the twists and reveals. I wish we had been able to see a little bit more development of the girls relationship instead of just referencing their childhood history of being best friends. I liked the magic system a lot and would read another book set in this universe. It is definitely very YA so the characters sometimes make frustrating choices which could be annoying to some readers.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, can we talk about how stunning this cover is? It truly clues you in to how atmospheric this book is. This was a fresh, gothic, beautiful twist on Swan Lake, and I truly enjoyed it. Odile and Marie do not exactly start off on the right foot, considering the way Odile betrays her as a child, but Odile has no choice but to work with Marie, who absolutely infuriates her, to help fight the powers that be, essentially after her father is murdered.
I genuinely loved Odile and Marie together in the second half of the story and would have loved to see more romantic tension between the two, as their love story ended up being really beautiful. The atmosphere, setting, and gothic vibes were all done in a mesmerizing way, and I felt thoroughly entranced throughout.

I wasn’t familiar with this author so I had no clue whether or not I would like this book but I was pleasantly surprised. The first part of the story is a bit slow but eventually you get to the good part where a bunch the action begins. I gotta admit once the story gets in its flow I couldn’t believe how immersed I became in the story and the characters. I found myself not wanting it to end and sort of hoping it lead to another book. I’m going to keep an eye out for this author because this book has stayed with me and left me eager for more.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc

This was relatively slow at the beginning and overall something was just missing for me. I would’ve enjoyed more interactions between Odile and Marie in the first half to flesh out their relationship — I really liked them together but was wanting more moments of romantic tension, and the set up of them having to work together would’ve been so perfect for that. Also the ending??? Was so abrupt?? The book literally concluded with a major plot point, and then wrapped that entire point up in the two page epilogue

Even so, the darker aesthetic and gothic atmosphere were stunning, the plot twists were fun, and I really love the swan lake concept as a whole ♡ ₊˚ 🦢・₊ ♪ ✧

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC!

I have always loved Swan Lake and was so excited to read a gothic sapphic retelling from the villain's point of view. I loved the descriptive world-building and found the characters interesting and fun! I would give this book a 4.5.

I love a villainous main character with an abusive past who gets into a sapphire relationship and realizes she is deserving of actual love and comfort and has characters growth. This was a great and magical retelling. I really loved all the characters and the queer rep. It had a few good twists too

gorgeous sapphic and fairly dark romantasy! a lot of fun main characters. Odile and Odette were definitely fun, Damian was interesting, the Step-Queen was charismatically ominous, and the Dauphin was one of my favorite characters I've read in the last bit. the only kinda weak one is Odile's father, who doesn't have much of a sense of identity. I feel like we need a sequel, or two!

I'm swooning. I did not even know I need a Swan Princess retelling but apparently, it was desperately needed. Loved every page. The vibes are immaculate.