I lovedddddd this book!!! I am a fan of A. B. Poranek, so I was incredibly eager to dive into this book. And it was so good!!!

I listened to the Swan Lake music while reading this, but if I am being honest, I didn't need to have it playing because the soundtrack very likely would've played in my head regardless. I have only seen Swan Lake once, but from what I remember, I loved this book much more than the original.

This sapphic romance is to die for. You will absolutely love it if you like atmospheric and gothic reads. I would highly recommend this to anyone who likes C.G. Drews, Edgar Allan Poe, and dark fantasy.

Go read this!

Thank you very much to Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own and in no way are influenced by the manner in which I received it.

a beautiful cover & promising premise that did not disappoint me!! everyone cheer!

barbie of swan lake was a foundational text for me as a kid, so you can only imagine how excited i was by the prospect of taking that and making it SAPPHIC. the dream! i haven’t read a.b. poranek’s other book yet (although it was already on my tbr), but i will certainly be bumping it up the list after reading this one. the writing style was gorgeous and ethereal, which suited the setting and tale so well. i felt like she was weaving sentences together as if she were a sorcier herself, weaving the golden threads of a spell. i highlighted so many beautiful lines!!

the only complaint i have (and it’s not even really a complaint) is that i wish we could’ve seen more of odile’s arc between the last chapter and the epilogue. for a second there i almost felt like we could have gotten an entire other book out of it, and i think it could’ve made an excellent duology! but that’s really only because i wanted to see more of this story since i liked it so much, and i did really love the epilogue as well. i can’t wait to see what a.b. poranek does next!

A masterclass in atmosphere and mystery! I loved this so much, beautiful prose and an intriguing plot! It belt like a ballet on page!

This book was very lovely and atmospheric, I swear I had the swan lake ballet music in my head the entire time I was reading it. Thank you netgalley for the arc

This was a beautiful, sapphic retelling of Swan Lake!

I hadn't previously read A. B. Poranek's writing before but I was into it as soon as I started reading. From the get go the writing style had atmosphere and depth. It's haunting without being too dark and the vibes are immaculate without sacrificing the ability to understand what's actually being written.

Odile was an amazing main character and her deep desire to just be loved, even by those who have harmed her in the past is both relatable and gut-wrenching as it determines her actions throughout the story. She was the perfect flawed character who I couldn't help but root for the entire time. While she might not have always made the wisest or most rational decisions, the reasoning behind her actions was always clear. While we didn't get as deep into the mind of Marie, I still really enjoyed her as a character and she felt like a well thought out and developed character.

The plot and conflicts of the story were captivating and I continuously wanted to know what would happen next until the end. The romance between Odile and Marie was very much one of friends to enemies to lovers and I adored it. It of course wasn't a perfect relationship at the start, but watching the two characters fall for each other while not being sure who they can trust added so much to the development of their relationship.

I also absolutely adored Amie and Damien and absolutely need a story about them, they were amazing side characters!

What if Odile fell in love with Odette? In a fresh yet loyal twist on Swan Lake, Odile, the daughter of bitter, jaded sorcerer Rothbarte, turns Marie D'Odette into a swan and dons her image to seduce the prince. Magic has been stripped from their kingdom for generations, and to get it back, Rothbarte sends Odile to retrieve the crown, with strict orders not to interact with Marie. But Odile has never been good at staying away from Marie, even though she ruined Marie's life as kids. When the king is murdered as soon as Odile secures her engagement to the prince, she is forced to work with Marie in order to discover the more sinister powers at work, a plot far more twisted than a slighted deity and an innocent prince.
I absolutely ADORE retellings, especially when we see new perspectives. Written from the point of view of Odile, ambitious and morally gray, A Treachery of Swans quickly pulled me into all the dilemmas of a girl who just wants to be loved. The romance between Odile and Marie, a convoluted childhood friends to enemies to lovers story, was literally tear-jerking. Guaranteed HEA, but I was still a wreck. Obviously, there's a dramatic shift from the original Swan Lake as Odette is in love with Odile instead of the prince, and the prince is in love with his bodyguard (Odile's brother-- UGH THEY'RE SO CUTE), but it was executed so well. I marvel at Proranek's ability to blend a classic with the writing styles we're used to in modern YA, from the fantasy/worldbuilding to the romance to the way the plot moves. When I tell you I SCREAMED at the hurt/comfort trope...! The cover literally captures all of the vibes and I'm obsessed. I love Poranek's dark, immersive novels so much.

A Treachery of Swans was one of my most anticipated reads this year, after reading and loving the authors debut, Where the Dark Stands Still, I couldn’t wait to read more from her!

A Treachery of Swans was such an atmospheric and mysterious read. I really enjoyed this Black Swan retelling.

Definitely pick this one up if you like the slowest of slow burn sapphic romances, magical and atmospheric reads!

luscious writing, historical setting, sapphic romance- what more could a girl want? this was my first book by poranek but after this, it’s certainly not my last! more of a vibe-y book than plot heavy, i throughly enjoyed that although it did take me eons to read (as someone who sits and finishes a book in a handful of sittings) but that could’ve just been my mood! i will say it is very atmospheric and if you’re looking for a villain story this will absolutely be your cup of tea ✨

Oh, this book was gorgeous all the way through. From a girl desperate to find a sense of security in her life to a a king being murdered, it's a fantasy that dug itself into my bones. It's a book that cuts, but there is also a gentleness to it, and I seriously adored it.