Thank you NetGalley for the arc! I really struggled to get into the story. The writing was great and the world building was very atmospheric but I just wasn’t in the right head-space. Maybe I’ll try a re-read in the future?

A Treachery of Swans was a delight from start to finish that I could not put down. I know Swan Lake incredibly well because I grew up with the Swan Princess as my all time favorite movie. This novel has taken Swan Lake and transformed it into a dreamy and beautiful tale about magic, love, and betrayal. Odette and Odile's story was beautiful. This is a queernormative world, which I love seeing in fiction. Odette and Odile complement each other's flaws and strengths. The ending was beautiful.

I literally cannot say enough about this novel. Please read it!

While this book had quite a slow middle, which led me to drag through it, the ending was spectacular and action-packed, making up for it. Filled with riveting twists, beautiful imagery, and quippy inner monologue. The perfect book to curl up with in the fall when looking for a mysterious fantasy with high stakes.

A sapphic retelling of Swan Lake, A Treachery of Swans is a story of bewitchment, blood, & betrayal. An easy (if you don’t worry too much about all the French pronunciations) & fun read, I fell for the characters much more than the plot, particularly Marie & Aimé, though there were some unexpected twists & turns that did keep me guessing. Overall, a compelling YA fantasy.

A Treachery of Swans is a reimagining of The Swan Princess with some interesting changes.

I struggled with the pacing a bit. I was very interested in the premise at the beginning (we support women's rights and wrongs), but then there was a chunk of time where not much seemed to push the plot forward, and then there were suddenly several conflicts in the last 20-30%. It almost felt like we were being set up for a second book, but then things were quickly resolved in a very brief epilogue. It almost felt like that particular plot point could have been skipped entirely. I'm not sure I ever really understood what was happening with the magic in this world, but maybe I missed something near the beginning.

Can we just talk about this cover for a second? So so good. There were certain things I'd love to have had more time with and they are all in this cover.

Thanks to Simon and Schuster for an eARC of this book for an honest review.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this advance reader’s copy. These opinions are my own. I wish GoodReads allowed half ratings because this is really 4.5 stars. It lost half a star because I felt like the epilogue was almost an afterthought. It was ambiguous, and I initially thought Poranak was setting up a sequel, so I was a little letdown at the end.

I’ve never heard the lore of Swan Lake before, nor have I seen the play, so this entire book was pleasantly surprising and enthralling. Poranak uses beautiful, atmospheric prose that captivates the reader from the start. Reading this was like taking a breath: easy and comforting.

Did I see the plot twist coming a mile away? Yes. Did Poranak use literary devices to appropriately give morsels to the reader in order to achieve said plot twist? Yes. In my opinion, that’s strong storytelling, so if anything, it caused me to go back and reread those sections after I finished the book.

I will definitely be reading another book by her. :)

I very much enjoyed this retelling! I was intrigued by the subuect matter, and this book definitely delivered! The cover art is beautiful and I will be researching more by the author!

Posted to Goodreads: 7/22/2025

This book was a wonderful "Swan Lake" retelling which brought Gothic vibes, political intrigue, and mystery. This book follows Odile, a golden-blooded girl who grew up on the streets until she was taken in by the theater director, who she considers her father. She's a trained thief and a liar, things that make her a valuable asset to the director, who hopes to bring magic back to Aureal. From the start of the book, their plans are set into motion, and it all begins with a betrayal. This book was able to grab my attention from the very beginning, and I truly felt like I was stepping into a different time and place. I was given the opportunity to read this book through NetGalley, and I hope others enjoy it as much as I did!

A Treachery of Swans was a book I was particularly looking forward to because of my love for Swan Lake and any adaptations.

After saying that, this book was very loosely inspired by Swan Lake. We are given a bunch of swan-ish imagery, and even a literal human-to-swan transformation. One of our main FMC's, Odile, represents the black swan of the story. Odile feels wronged by everyone in her life, as someone who possesses magical blood in a time where magic is feared. Our other FMC, Marie, is the white swan (and is literally turned into a swan/can turn in to one).

As the story follows Odile. I couldn't help but root for her "salvation" as the black swan character. Seeing her come into her magic and learning to accept herself/forge her own path was beautiful to read. As a victim of her surroundings, Odile's (essentially) coming-of-age story is surely inspiring to those who also feel trapped in their environment.

My favorite part(s) of the novel is how each of Odile's relationships built. Her relationship with Marie developed at a pace that did not feel forced, rushed, or inappropriate. Odile's complex relationships with her father and brother showed how important communication is, and sometimes you may need to bite the hand that feeds you.

What I did not enjoy was how slow the pacing in A Treachery of Swans felt. Bigger picture, I understand a lot of it was groundwork, I just never felt compelled to read this one (hence why my review is so late...). The last quarter of this novel was probably the best part, and I liked how everything was nicely wrapped up in the epilogue.

Honestly, this book was fine. There wasn't anything I particularly liked nor disliked. Overall, I think this is a good novel for anyone looking for sapphic/LGBT relationships and/or character growth.

This book was very poetic and imaginative, but overall it fell a bit flat for me. The set-up of the kingdom, magic, and relationships was all very interesting, but it did feel surface level. I love a complex relationship between a parental figure, as well as a second-chance/childhood friends romance trope; however, for the amount of time we spent in the main character’s perspective, none of the characters felt super fleshed out. The characters had their own goals and motivations, but other than that it was difficult to feel connected to them, as they felt more like archetypes. That being said, I did enjoy the setting, just wish there was more expansion on the world and magic.

A gothic, sapphic, swan lake retelling with a morally gray MC… I wasn’t sure about this in the beginning, and felt a little slow initially, but as the story built and moves were made, I became invested. Ultimately, I enjoyed this reimagining of this fairy tale.
I danced this ballet when I was little, and so this was also a little nostalgic… though I had no real idea of the story at that age. If you are into dark gothic, morally gray characters, fairy tale retellings, sapphic romances… this would be a great quick read on a stormy day.

I love the story of the swan princess and this was a creative retelling. At no point was the mystery too obvious. I don’t know that I ever felt fully invested in the characters. I also felt like the ending of the book was setting up for an (unnecessary) sequel, but then everything is wrapped up in a quick, time-jumped epilogue. I admit bias in that I typically do not like epilogues and that stands here. I wish the ending had gone a different way and cleaned things up so that the epilogue wouldn’t have been needed. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

It took me until about 30% to really get into the story, but once I was in, I couldn’t put it down. Courtly drama, sapphic yearning, a unique magic system, and a curse? Yes please.

The narrator, Odile, is a deeply complex character who undergoes significant growth by the end of the book—a journey that’s mirrored in the love interest, Marie d’Odette. Despite starting on opposite sides, their chemistry is both believable and compelling. The supporting cast is also full of well rounded characters.

And honestly—who doesn’t love a good villain? This book has a few, and wow, they’re easy to hate. But what makes them even more interesting is how layered they are. It’s a great example of how trauma and vulnerability can warp your perception of someone—how love, fear, or hope can make you blind to red flags. That emotional complexity adds real weight to the story, especially as it explores how easily manipulation and abuse can take root under the guise of care or protection.

If you love morally grey characters, complicated sapphic dynamics, and lush fairytale-inspired fantasy, I definitely recommend picking this one up.

This book was a Gothic and deeply moving exploration of friendship, love, and familial loyalty. I adored the sapphic romance, and enjoyed following along as they unravelled mysteries and grew to trust each other. The pacing, plot, and prose were all great. I look forward to reading more from this author!

I ADORED A Treachery of Swans by A. B. Poranek, this is my second book of theirs that I've read and it was a perfectly atmospheric retelling of Swan Lake. As a child my absolute favorite movie was The Swan Princess, so any derivative is already gonna make me a fan, but I loved this twist. The dynamic between Odile and Marie was so polarizing, yet over the course of the book they seemed to make the perfect team. This was a perfect blend of magic, political intrigue, and romance, and I love a slow burn. Really looking forward to the next book that makes me feel this way, and I"m hoping its from this author.

Thanks, SimonTeen and NetFalley for the eARC!

I'm not sure this was a "retelling" so much as "inspired by" but I really adored the dark vibes and atmosphere.

I felt there could be a bit of work on the plot. Overall, very enjoyable but not necessarily my favorite.

I will admit I’m not 100% sure on the exact story of Swan Lake, I really only remember bits and pieces but this version of it was giving some amazing gothic vibes with a dash of sapphic romance! I’d say this book was definitely more character driven and the romance took more of a back seat but became more prominent towards the end. The prose was stunning throughout the story but some scenes really fell flat for me and dragged just a little bit!

Overall, I think this was a beautifully written story with some interesting bits and amazing gothic vibes but I felt like the story just wasn’t for me and that’s okay because you just might love it! 😍

An interesting new take on the Swan Lake story, though I’d more call this “inspired by” than a retelling.

I liked the tone of this and I thought the writing was pretty sharp. I’m surprised to see so many reviews praising the detail, as I actually thought the book was a bit short on the necessary descriptive elements. That aside, the atmosphere is otherwise pretty well rendered.

The set up for the relationship between the protagonist and Marie and its evolution is pretty good, though I’ll admit to not caring much one way or the other how it turned out. I think I would have preferred that they establish at least an alliance and a modicum of trust earlier in the story, avoiding a lot of unnecessary back and forth.

And unless you’re big into romance, the relationship between Odile and her mentor is actually far more interesting than her relationship with Marie. I also struggled a lot with the number of villains (none of whom were working together), and the fact that having to eliminate them one by one makes parts of the book feel disjointed from one another.

I appreciate the ambition of this, and the writing itself is pretty and pleasant. But the plot needed some work.

I unfortunately did not enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed Where the Dark Stands Still by this author. I ended up DNF'ing this book around the 40% mark, as I couldn't really get into the story. I thought the premise was very interesting, and as with the author's debut novel, the writing was atmospheric and nice to read. This may be a case of right book, wrong time, and I'll likely try this book again in a few months.

A lovely dark retelling of the beloved Swan Princess, it was the perfect read for Pride month, and will be an amazing reread for fall. The writing and characters were just beautiful, the story well thought out, A.B. Poranek has a gift, and I can't wait to read what comes next.