I will preface this by saying that I am not entirely familiar with the original story or swan lake. I have read Where the Dark Stands Still be A.B Poranek, it was ok for me, I enjoyed her atmospheric writing but I didn’t care for the plot or the characters. The main reason I had wanted to read A Treachery of Swans is the fact that its sapphic (and because of the artwork for it I came across)

If you enjoy her writing style you will absolutely LOVE this book as well. I will say the romance is not as forward as “Where the Dark Stands Still” and I can definitely see that leading to disappointment to some people. Personally, I enjoy my books where the romance is a subplot which it very much is so here. The main focus is still on Odile impersonating Marie and following the mission she was given to restore magic.

I really enjoyed how it was all executed out, and again, not sure how it compares to the original swan lake. I really enjoyed the cast of characters here and how the story came together. There are some place where I had questions of the magic system and how it all works but I didn’t question it too much.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

as someone who loves swan lake, i thought this was a good retelling; odile and marie were easily the biggest reason for this. their relationship was a fresh and different lens to frame the original story.

my only complaint with them is that i wish we could’ve found a way to build up the interactions in the first half of the book. it would’ve been interesting to see more of their backstory and i found the reason for the dissolving of their friendship to be a tad underwhelming.

i also think odile’s relationship with her father and brother could’ve been more deeply fleshed out, which is turn would’ve developed the side cast more.

however, a.b poranek’s writing was very atmospheric and full of imagery. i’m very excited to go back and read her debut novel.

4.5 stars

I devoured this gothic Swan Lake retelling with sapphic undertones. I loved that the plot starts from chapter one, and the world building is sprinkled throughout. This made it easy to immediately get lost in the story. I also loved that the FMC was the slightly villainous, morally grey one. Overall, the writing was lush and atmospheric, and I was captivated by the plot. I just needed more from the romance in regards to tension, lust, and pining.

This was a really interesting twist on the Swan Princess. Magic, mystery, and life at court collide in this sweeping retelling.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

This was such a beautiful book and cover. I love Sean Lake and making it enemies to lovers and sapphic is right up my alley. This author has such a way of writing that is beautiful and poetic and I can’t wait to read more from them!

4 Stars

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

A Treachery of Swans is an atmospheric and immersive read. Every time I thought I had an answer, things were not as they seemed. The mystery was deep and woven together in a way that didn't feel predictable, even when it seems like you have it all figured out. Odile was a bit frustrating at times but the character growth and seeing her learn to trust those around her was worth the journey. I wish we had more time with our cast of characters and perhaps more of a fleshed out solution to a few moments at the end, but overall these did not take away from the story.

A Treachery of Swans has promise and drew me in by claiming to be a sapphic retelling of Swan Lake. While the elements were there, the follow through was not, in my opinion.

In the first 1/3 of the book, the two love interests interact twice. And both of those times are fraught with scheming and betrayal on one of their parts. I didn't root for them together because of those interactions. If I'm looking forward to something in a book and then the book doesn't deliver, it's really hard for the book to pull me back in. Unfortunately, this book lost me and never drew me back into the story.

I also didn't realize that the heist was the main plot. If I had known that, I either wouldn't have picked the book up or would have managed my expectations better. And the writing was so bleh. I didn't root for any of the characters, which is not what I want!

If you enjoy heists, scheming, and twisty magic, I think you could still enjoy this story!

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

<b>3.50🦢👑</b>
I’m only a bit familiar with Swan Lake, but I’m always up for a sapphic retelling— which thanks to <I><b>’A Treachery of Swans’</I></b> by <b>A.B. Poranek</b> and this provide eARC, I was able to indulge in one (and its gothic!)

First things first. The Writing and scene setting was very atmospheric and very visual which I highly enjoyed. It made immersion easy and fun. I also love a book with a map and we’re provided one in this story along with a list of the characters which I clapped a few good times about.

Now, when it comes to the romantic aspect of this read. My opinions on it is a coin flip.

I say this because, while I did find Marie and Odile immensely cute and have some quotes that I can provide that gave me butterflies about them. I feel the story could have been just as fine if the relationship wasn’t involved in it and I hate that I feel that way, but I do and I only say this because we didn’t have much time with them within their relationship and then when we finally do get them as an established couple, Marie is turned into and both of these events are at the end of the book..

And yes, there is an epilogue which I always love being provide with. But the epilogue is just her getting turned back into flesh and that’s it— which was beautifully written but a <I>bit</I> unsatisfactory sadly.

All in all, I wish there was way more time with them and the building of their romance. I wish there was more <I>romantic</I> interactions we seen between them because the little we did get were very <b>*feet kick worthy*</b>.

Now onto the rest of the characters. While I did enjoy them and their dynamics; Aime was a very great character and a fave, love his relationship with Odile/Marie. I don’t think I was very <I>attached</I> to them :/ . I noticed this heavily when <b>**SPOIL**</b> Marie “died” and I was just like “aww, noOo. Well I guess next page.” And when I didn’t care <I>that much</I> in regard to Odile’s brother lolll.

I think this has to do with the pacing though, which I think most of my rocky thoughts tie to as sometimes we have dense and thrilling moments and then dragged moments that are too still. Some things I felt needed more time spent on it while things that didn’t need much time spent around it, ended up having it the most you know?

Now before we have the relationship between Marie and Odile blossom into love. We are given childhood friends turned enemies to allies/friends!

Their friendship as children was very interesting to read given the situations between the two of them. They really are the sun and the moon in the most intriguing and beautiful way!

But when it comes to the enemies part. It’s more on Odile’s half and not Marie’s— who I felt should’ve put more fire under Odile’s butt more than twice in this read🫣. I think it would’ve gave more to their indifferences.

The (TW) daddy issues and emotional abuse that Odile has and suffered from. OOF that hits hard! And I feel it was done in such a way that’s perfect for the audience this is intended for!

Marie desire to be free from her cage and only feeling that with Odile and as a swan. Like ughh😩

These two really do provide for each other exactly what they deserve and need!!

Before I end this honest review, I want to touch back on the epilogue. I’ve already stated how I wished we got our mains together and their new lives together within but instead we have Odile’s return from the mothers and her abilities. I so so so wish we could’ve at least been provided with some pages with Odile and her learning magic and meeting with the sisters! Having that experience would have been so sweet as all throughout this book we are told how bad Odile wants to learn magic and how good of an actress she is; how would these two things manifest in the way she uses her magic?

To end this off. This story oozes fairytale with all its magic and the dark to light vibe within the pages. <I><b>’A Treachery of Swans’</I></b> was such a fun and plot twist filled YA read that I’m glad I was given the opportunity to indulge in!

At times I even forgot who the audience this story is for and I think that just says how good of a writer this author is <3

<b><u>HIGH TIER</b></u>

<I><b>’I obeyed her, because I always did what she said. She had a warmth, a light, that drew me into her orbit—I was a moth and she a flame, I the tides and she the moon. Whatever we were, she was always, always the light, and I the thing skulking in the dark.’</I></b>

<I><b>’I trace my fingers over a dainty painting of a rose the color of ripe peaches, and for no reason I can explain, I imagine how lovely it would look tucked into Marie’s hair, pink against silver.’</I></b>

<I><b>’I wonder what it would feel like to ruin her, to tangle my legs with hers and stain her pristine, pallid perfection with my darkness.’</I></b>

<I><b>“my silver-eyed muse.”</I></b>

<I><b>’In another world, a softer world, I know I could have loved her.’</I></b>

<I><b>’His throat bobs as he takes in his betrothed, and all I can think is, That should be me.’</I></b>

<I><b>“I’ve always admired this about you. How you came from the shadows, yet you burn so bright.”</I></b>


<b><u>Two More Things</b></u>

-Ugh, that ending was good but the pacing and the throw in of Marie situation right after they established love was such a boggle.😖

-PSSSS, where the hell is Marie mom and brother??

The sapphic swan lake retelling I didn’t know I needed. Poranek puts together an excellent concoction of regality and risk. The contrast between Marie and Odile is consistently breathtaking with the division of light and dark that begins to muddle. All those things aside, I loved the snark and wit in this that really made the characters feel human.

Even though this was a perfect book for me… there’s a few places it falters: (1) the fact that we are just going to pretend Odile is at all believable in disguise, (2) the third act twist, and (3) how the ending misdirects the reader. Overall, I just want more of from this quad!!

I think what I'm learning here is that re-tellings are (perhaps) not for me. This one was OK, but I feel like some narrative threads were left open and unresolved, leaving the story as a whole feeling under-baked.

Hello everyone, I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC of A Treachery of Swans by A.B. Poranek, and it was so lovely. It has all my favorite things; sapphic romance, enemies to lovers (done right), magic, theater, and found family. I use these tropes as a guide because these are some of the core themes of this story, however, there is much more. This is a story of a girl name Odile who is looking for love, love from her brother, her father, her lover, and lastly, love for herself. This is a journey of personal growth more than anything. I truly enjoyed the authors prose, descriptions and writing. I loved how she explained Marie and her beauty. I enjoyed the yearning and burning for one another. I found that the relationship was believable and there were depth and vulnerability in it although there is lots of betrayal. I loved the lore behind the magic, the mystery and thrill of the story, and all the twists and turns that came about. This was definitely a fun read and I would definitely recommend.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

A Treachery of Swans by A. B. Poranek is a first person YA fantasy reimagining of Swan Lake set in an eighteenth century France-inspired world. Rothbarte and Odile are scheming for Odile to take Odette’s place and steal the crown belonging to the royal family. But the murder of the king throws everything off and Odile needs Odette to find out who the murderer is.

I would say this is a YA fantasy that teeters towards romantic fantasy but never quite hits my own threshold of romantic moments and voice and the plot itself could move forward regardless of how Odette and Odile’s relationship develops. Their romance is something of a slowburn and it is based in emotional connections that run a lot deeper than we’re initially led to believe. There is a softness to how Odile views Odette despite the darker elements in the rest of the book and the deception that starts the book off.

This is definitely a reimagining and not a retelling of Swan Lake. The hallmarks of the Odile and Odette part of the story are there (Odile is Rothbarte’s daughter, Odile takes Odette’s form and fools the prince, and the black and white swan motifs) and Odette does indeed turn into a swan. The main reason it’s not a retelling is because the structural elements that often involve Prince Sigfried are either missing or have been completely changed instead of inserting Odile into his role. Where I think it really succeeds as a reimagining is in Odile and Odette’s relationship being allowed to be complicated because Odile is the daughter of the man who cursed Odette in the original version and any relationship they have in any version should contain some mess.

This was more voice-driven rather than character or plot-driven for me, which is interesting because plot was definitely happening and there certainly were character-driven moments. YA and Middle Grade seem to be becoming more and more voice-driven and the prose is focusing on atmosphere and inner thoughts to help pull the book forward instead of the conversational-style YA voice that added flavor I grew up with. I think there is definitely a place for voice-driven books because they can be a good choice for reluctant readers, but voice is so subjective that I do suggest reading a sample of this book or any voice-driven book before purchasing it.

I would recommend this to fans of Sapphic retellings and readers of YA looking for a voice-driven atmospheric fantasy

I’ve never seen Swan Lake so I can’t speak to how this book is as a retelling, but as its own book I quite enjoyed it!

Our FMC Odile takes the place of a noble girl, Marie, in an effort to get close to the royal family and use their magical crown to restore magic to her world. The story continues with more magic, murder, courtly intrigue, budding friendships/relationships, and betrayals. The writing is lovely and reads on the older end of YA. The gothic atmosphere is enchanting. Odile did annoy me at times, but hey, she’s a teen. I thought the interpersonal relationships between Odile and Marie, Aimé, and Damien were done well and their growth as characters felt realistic (though I would’ve loved to see more of Damien and Aimé together). I saw parts of the twist coming, but other parts did surprise me. Pacing-wise the beginning was a bit slow after the initial swap, but after that it moves along nicely. The only thing is I can’t decide how I feel about the ending. It seemed a bit unnecessarily dramatic, then I was worried it would leave off for a sequel, then the epilogue resolved things but I don’t think that it was more satisfying than if we had just skipped all the drama.

I cannot recommend this book enough. Such a great twist on the original Swan Lake story we all grew up with. I am in love with how I stayed on the edge of my seat reading this entire book and all the twists and turns that came with it. Five stars. Such a wonderful read and great YA book!

Thank you NetGalley and Margaret K McElderry Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a delightful gothic retelling of The Swan Lake: full of yearning and intrigue and a heart wrenching ending, I was so pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this. Sometimes I struggle with retellings, and even more so with young adult retellings (which, to be fair, is probably because I am no longer the target audience, as an adult) but I loved the atmosphere and Poranek’s ability to give this story a fairytale quality while keeping the story fresh. The quality of Poranek’s writing is wonderful, and while there were times I was frustrated with Odile, I loved her character arc and the way the story unfolded.

A beautiful retelling of "The Swan Maiden". A.B. Poranek's writing is breathtaking. I loved her characters and the depth of their stories. I recommend A Treachery of Swans to everyone.

I think overall I wanted more from the story. I felt like I was missing parts and wished it would be explained later on. The magical system felt vague and small. How were other sorcerers never mentioned or brought up? Is her 'dad' and herself the only ones who had access to it? The story was centered in two places, the castle and the theatre. I wanted more from her theatre life and to find out if she liked acting or was, she good at it? I honestly wished Marie was the main narrator or had her own POV chapter. I thought she was more interesting, especially that she was turned swan and didn't seem to mind it. I think I relate more to her wanting freedom and what being an animal with wings meant to her. I even looked forward to her parts. Their romance wasn't so believable either. It seemed sudden, just like the last two chapters.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2025, and it did not disappoint. 🦢

A Treachery of Swans is a retelling of Swan Lake, and follows Odile, the Black Swan. After turning the future queen Marie d’Odette into a swan and stealing her identity in a plot to restore magic back to the land, the king is found brutally murdered, and the blame is placed on Odile’s brother. To save the kingdom, the two girls find themselves teaming up to stop the prince and Odile’s brother from meeting the same fate.

This had the perfect atmosphere. The writing was equal parts whimsical as much as haunting, elevating the story to another level. I loved the way magic was portrayed- both stunning but dangerous. The dynamic between Odile and her father was so well described. The subtle manipulation of Odile’s feelings throughout the story added to her character, and made her development beautiful. I loved the cast of characters and the unexpected found family that sprouted towards the end of the story, as well as the dynamic between Odile and Odette. The gothic fantasy setting made this the perfect dark fairytale to read during winter.

3.5

This is a good story, though for a story inspired by Swan Lake and The Swan Princess, I think its a bit weak. The story, taken as a whole, really seems to lack a driving purpose and the sense of darkness that can be found in Swan Lake. Yes, this book and that source material share similarities, but compared to Swan Lake, Odile's actions are tame. Again, this book is based on those tales, but I feel like the story could have been more well-served to take a little more direction from them.

As individual beats, there are good moments. However, they do not add up into a strong collection of the story. I felt the central romance was only half played out and not really explored. There seems to be so much more depth that could have been discovered between Odile and Marie that is glossed over which does a disservice to the reader and the characters.

I was worried, as I hit the end of the book, that Poranek was going to try to extend this story into at least a duology, instead, we got a really strong epilogue, which paints what Odile went through in broad strokes, but it works really well, more so than many of the other beats of this story.

the magical elements were cool. loved the idea that magic can literally be seen in the blood and the curse on the kingdom was interesting, but again, glossed over after some really wonderful explanations of what happened at the outset.

I thought this book was beautiful! It made me emotional when Marie was yearning for freedom. I loved the intrigue and mystery. I am very familiar with swan lake and this book surprised me nonetheless
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