2.75⭐️ Firstly, I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc of this book. This book is a Swan Lake Retelling in which our main character, Odile, tries to restore magic to the kingdom but is interrupted when a murder occurs. This book was very different from anything I’ve read. The writing was so beautiful, and I think the author did a really great job of describing things. My problems were that it was confusing in some parts, and it felt very slow, so not only did it take me longer, but I wasn’t inclined to pick it up. I definitely recommend that people pick this book up for themselves because the plot was very interesting and the mystery did keep me engaged, especially during the last 30%. The twists were so good and caught me off guard. Overall, I had some trouble with this book, but it was very interesting, and I do recommend people pick it up for themselves because that cover is gorgeous. Thank you again to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

"From the New York Times bestselling author of Where the Dark Stands Still comes an atmospheric fantasy based on Swan Lake, following Odile as her plan to restore magic to her kingdom gets disrupted by a murder - forcing her to beg for help from the young woman whose identity she stole.

Can two girls - one enchanted, one the enchantress - save their kingdom and each other?

Two hundred years ago, a slighted deity stole the magic from Auréal and vanished without a trace. But seventeen-year-old Odile has a plan. All her life, her father, a vengeful sorcerer, has raised her for one singular task: infiltrate the royal palace and steal the king's crown, an artefact with enough power to restore magic. But to enter the palace, she must assume the identity of a noblewoman. She chooses Marie d'Odette: famed for her beauty, a rumored candidate for future queen…and Odile's childhood-friend-turned-sworn-enemy.

With her father's help, Odile transforms Marie into a swan and takes her place at court. But when the king is brutally murdered and her own brother is accused, her plans are thrown into chaos. Desperate to free her brother, Odile is forced to team up with none other than elegant, infuriating Marie, the girl she has cursed…and the girl she can't seem to stop thinking about despite her best efforts.

To make matters worse, there are whispers that the king's murder was not at the hands of man, but beast. Torn between loyalty to her father and her growing feelings for Marie, Odile becomes tangled in a web of treachery and deceit. To save her kingdom, she must find the true path to magic...and find the real killer before they - or it - strikes again."

Very Black Swan vibes here.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing for the eARC. I was excited to read A Treachery of Swans ahead of its release. A.B. Poranek’s debut, Where the Dark Stands Still, was one of my favorite YA reads last year. It fit perfectly into my 9th grade book group unit centered on fairytale retellings, and I look forward to including A Treachery of Swans in my classroom library next fall.

Like Where the Dark Stands Still, A Treachery of Swans is beautifully written. Poranek’s descriptions, particularly those that develop setting and build atmosphere are lush, striking and emotive.

I loved Odile’s narrative voice and character (she’s mischievous, she’s unapologetic, and she’s very much a teenager!). Marie was also a well-developed character and even though she was “good,” she still felt complex. In contrast, I found the villains in this story to be static. Though, perhaps that was part of Poranek’s purpose— after all, Odile has to reckon with the villain within before she can overcome other evils.

For the most part, the plot developed at a good pace and there was enough tension to keep me invested in the story. There were some moments that I thought were bogged down by dialogue. At times, I felt like dialogue was used to dump plot points that Odile was not around for to narrate, or to provide character backstory or motivations. While I loved Odile’s voice, I wonder if third-person narration would have worked…

The ending…I could have done without the epilogue, actually! But I think I’m in the minority when I say I thought Where the Dark Stands Still ended perfectly. As a reader, I love being trusted with interpreting the ending of a story, and I didn’t need Odile’s to be spelled out to know how her story ends.

I had fun reading this, and I look forward to A.B. Poranek’s next title!

And, did I spot the Leszy? I appreciated the Easter egg.

I spent some time as a front of house manager at a performing arts theater and while we never did Swan Lake, we did a lot of ballet. Often I would be in the box office, dreaming up stories inspired by the various performances so needless to say, I was hyped when I saw this book. I'm not sure I got what I was hoping for though.

In the Acknowledgements, Poranek mentions her influences for this book, one of which was Holly Black. Now, I'm not knocking Black's writing, for me there is something very nostalgic about it but, you do have to be in the right mood for that brand of YA. Something I'm not sure is accurately telegraphed in the marketing of the book. That doesn't make it a bad book but if you're going in expecting a grittier and darker story, you may be in for a rough time.

Pros
- The idea is lovely. For those not in the know, the original Swan Lake is about a woman who by day is a swan, by night is a woman. We aren't really told why she is cursed in the ballet (as far as I know) but it's believed it's so Rothbart can prevent her from finding someone else. Turning the story into a heist to bring back magic is a really fun twist.

Cons
- The characters are very immature at times. Had I been a teenager again when I was reading into reading Poranek's influences and Phantom of the Opera was all the rage, I really think I would have enjoyed it more. Heck, if I was in the mood for something that hit that nestalgic note, I think I would have been all over this. But I wasn't, so I struggled with it. It won't prevent me from checking out her other works, past and future.

This one had a lot going for it, and I’m glad I picked it up. I loved the atmosphere—very fairytale-meets-dark-fantasy—and the Swan Lake inspiration was woven in beautifully. Odile was such a layered character, and I enjoyed how morally gray she was without it ever feeling forced. Her dynamic with Marie was a highlight for me—tense, complicated, and unexpectedly emotional. I really liked the slow-burn shift from enemies to something more, and the queer rep was handled with subtlety and care.

That said, some parts dragged a bit. The writing is lovely, but it occasionally lingered too long on internal thoughts or world-building when I wanted the plot to just move already. The murder mystery didn’t totally land for me either—I guessed a few twists early on, and I was hoping for a bit more payoff there.

Still, this was a unique and engaging read overall. Not perfect, but definitely worth it for the vibes, the characters, and the magic.

A Treachery of Swans is a sapphic retelling of the Swan Princess.

The writing was very poetic and helped paint a picture for the story. 
The book was slow for me, and I didn’t feel the urge to keep reading until 80% of the way through. Und fortunately I did not like the main character and found her whiny and obnoxious. I wish there was a bit more of their relationship when they were both young. 
 Anyone who likes the story I of the swan princess, but wants to see a sapphic twist on it would enjoy this book.

I didn’t like this book as much as I had hoped I would. The writing was good, but the story didn’t keep me as engaged due to the main character.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Treachery of Swans by A. B. Poranek is a sapphic reimagining of Swan Lake, which was enough to sell me on wanting to read it. I’m a huge Swan Lake fan and I’m always interested in reading more sapphic books.

I think this works well as a retelling. It has some of the framework for the original while managing to feel like its own story. I really enjoyed the cast of characters and that the overall storytelling had an almost cinematic quality. Reading this book felt like watching a movie.

I do think some of the characters could have been expanded on a little bit and there were parts especially in the beginning and end that felt rushed so I wish this book was about 50-75 pages longer.

I think this story will work well for the target audience since it is a young adult book. The gothic vibe is fantastic-this would make a perfect addition to an autumnal TBR!

As someone not familiar with the source material (I’ve only seen the Barbie movie, okay) or French culture at all, I was worried that I’d be lost but thankfully it was never an issue. The names and titles are introduced in a way that makes it easy to remember all of them and what they mean. There wasn’t any need to know anything about Swan Lake, beforehand, the story goes off the assumption that readers don’t know the original ballet without over explaining anything. The story diverges enough anyways that I doubt it will matter any if you know the original source material.

Now, all I needed to hear to want to read this book was lesbian swan lake. So naturally, the relationship between the characters was really important to me. From the beginning, you see that despite the bad blood between them, Marie still is drawn to Odile. The push and pull between the two throughout the book was so fun to read and I loved the two of them. We slowly learned about their history, and how skewed Odile’s view of their relationship is.

From page one, it’s obvious that while Odile calls herself a villain, she isn’t as in control as she thinks. Every conversation with Regnault makes it more and more obvious she is a victim in this situation. She is certainly not blameless, of course, she is definitely causing harm to those around her, but it’s not as black and white as she thinks it is. I loved watching Odile grow, learning that things aren’t what she was taught growing up. Throughout the book, you can see how she has been raised to misconstrue every act of genuine kindness in order to keep her trapped in Regnault’s clutches. As a reader, it is painful (in the best way) to watch how badly he’s tainted her view of the world.

The magic system was fun and unique, I loved the idea that there was a way for magic to linger in the world. I always enjoy physical manifestations of magic, like in the gold threads and the way Odile could smell it. I wish we got a chance to go more in depth, but I know there was no place for it to happen in the story. For a minute at the end, I almost thought there was going to be a sequel. The ending almost led up to one, but luckily the epilogue wrapped everything up. Selfishly, I always wish books have a little more fluff at the end, I just always want to see our characters after the resolution of the plot.

Overall, 4.5 stars. This was the first book I have read by the author and now I immediately want to go back and read her other book.

Poranek's first work, Where the Dark Stands Still, had me so excited for this book that I had to do a reread quickly before diving into this sapphic retelling of Swan Lake. A Treachery of Swans, however, left me feeling pretty empty and as if I had just read what was a great idea that was simply poorly executed. It felt a bit rushed, and the character development felt as if every emotion and feeling came from a sense of moving the plot along rather than stemming from real emotion from the characters. I do not like emotions progressing as a plot device, and this book certainly took hold of that and ran with it.

I absolutely love Where The Dark Stands Still it’s a 5 star read for me and I recommend it all the time. I had high hopes for this one but it wasn’t for me. I liked the idea of it but I don’t think the characters had enough time to develop relationships for a meaningful impact. I wanted it to be more gothic than it was and it was a bit predictable.

A sapphic swan lake retelling? Sign me up!
it was set up to be amazing but at times felt a little messy like the book could’ve been thought out a bit more. The beginning was a bit confusing and the world building was complex and should’ve been flushed out a bit more since it could get info-dumpy. The ending felt both finale and not at the same time?? Is it a standalone or not? I did love the characters and think they heavily carried the book along with the vibes of the story. It’s definitely a unique and interesting YA book!

Such an evocative novel. I love Poranek’s other novels so I had really high hopes for this one and let me tell you - it didn’t not disappoint!! Highly recommend

4.5 stars rounded up.

A sapphic swan lake with absolutely immaculate vibes, I was immediately hooked on the first page.

I loved the writing style - nothing felt too simple or too flowery/over the top to me. At no point did I get bored or feel the need to skim through any descriptions or dialogue. I loved the atmosphere of this entire book.

I felt like we get a good amount of time with each of the characters and I was quite attached to most of them. The interactions between Odile and Marie were well done and their relationships felt believable to me. The only character that I wish we got more of was Damien. He felt a little more half-baked and I almost forgot he existed at a few points.

The one negative I could think of is that some people might struggle with the pacing. It has a mostly slow start with a few exciting moments here and there until around the 50% mark. I read the last half of this book in one sitting because it felt much faster paced and more exciting. Everything really starts coming together at that point while still managing to have a few twists to it.

Overall I would highly recommend this book to anyone!

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Shuster Children's Publishing for the e-arc
Overall I like this book! I love retellings of fairytales so I went in with high hopes. Also the movie the Swan Princess form the 90's is one of my favorite movies. I thought the book was slightly predictable. I was normally right with the twists but we found out in ways I wasn't expecting so that was odd but cool! I thought the romance was a little out of nowhere. I think it's a decent retelling and definitely worth a read to see how you feel about retellings!

Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for accepting my request for an ACR of this book!
4.25/5
“Let me tell you, there is nothing more terrifying then being attacked by the scorned equivalent of a glorified goose.”
This book was one of, if not my most anticipated book of the year and honestly, I have some mixed opinions on it. I enjoyed the book as a whole, with the characters, pacing, and plot. But the theatrical setting and “scenes” were definitely a surprise to me that had me worried about where the story was going to go in the beginning. But let me tell you, by the end of this Swan Lake retelling I was sobbing. The ending was so perfect.

A Treachery of Swans is about the black swan of Swan Lake, a young girl willing to do anything to be loved as she is and gain the power she rightfully deserves even if it means harming those she cares for the most. Even if it means trapping and impersonating her once closest friend, Marie d'Auvigny, and seeking the ruin of the Kingdom. The unfortunate part is that I do not believe her.

This story is one that is character-driven being completely focused on Odile. For that, the entire story suffers due to her being a frustrating character to follow.

Poranek wants the audience to believe that Odile is cunning, sly, viciously manipulative, but she isn't. Odile, when told she needs to act convincingly like Marie, she actively doesn't. She will tell the audience "I know what Marie would say in this situation, but that response is annoying, so I choose not to say it. She barges into rooms, speaks out of turn, acting completely unlike how Marie had been conducting herself in the years following the necklace incident (which from this point on I will refer to as necklace-gate), and sees no consequence. It seems the excuse for why Marie (who is Odile in disguise) is acting so out-of-character is that Anne, the prince's stepmother, doesn't like her. For that reason, Odile is not questioned. In cases where others should find this sudden "wild" behavior of Marie suspicious, no one does, because the author requires Odile to be a prolific actor, she doesn't write Odile to be one.

Further, Odile solves only one aspect of the story's mystery. The other aspects are explained to her, typically by Marie, at length. At one point Marie says she read a journal, explains a key aspect of the mystery, then in the following chapter when she discusses this with the big bad, she's called clever. She didn't solve anything. Why is she being praised for Marie reading one book? It's lackluster, as you're constantly being told that Odile is the one to watch, the villain in the wings, and she's not... particularly good at anything. She's broody in an inauthentic manner. You don't enjoy watching her in the slightest.

Further, we have to discuss necklace-gate. Long story short, Odile and Marie, when they were 13, had a falling out because Marie didn't stand up to her mother to "protect" Odile and Odile stole (and then eventually returned) the necklace she had come to the palace with the intent to steal. The consequences of Odile stealing and returning the necklace are bad for Marie, but Odile sees no consequence. She tells us that while she is threatened with punishment for wearing this necklace when she shouldn't have, no punishments actually come. So, you wonder where her burning feelings of "betrayal" come from, considering in this flashback she continues to speak incredibly poorly of Marie. They are supposedly friends, the best of friends, yet Odile refuses to see Marie's struggles and talks down on her. Few teeny moments where Odile has spurts of affection for Marie doesn't save their interaction. Odile doesn't convincingly like Marie. I cannot stress that by this poorly written flashback ruins the rest of the story.

This leaves us with Odile and Marie's romantic relationship, of which they do not have. There are hardly any scenes where the tension feels genuine. It's there because it has to be. Marie has this unwavering, unconditional love for Odile which is strange considering Odile treats her like garbage pretty much at any chance she can get. The one moment where Marie feels wronged by Odile, she forgives her a few chapters later in a single conversation. No tension. No concern. What's the purpose in this? I suppose it's attempting friends to enemies to lovers but it's completely one sided. The chemistry is nonexistent because there are hardly scenes for Marie and Odile to interact in. While the romantic relationship is a subplot, that doesn't mean their entire relationship to one another doesn't take narrative precedence. They're on the cover together!

All of this made me think of the anime Princess Tutu, a story that uses elements of Nutcracker, Cinderella, Ugly Duckling, and Swan Lake to tell its own fairytale. Rue, the black swan of the story is a villain as well, one who manipulates and hurts the person she claims to love and care for the most. She does these things because it is the kind of love she receives from her father and, therefore, believing it is the only kind of love that exists. When she realizes what she has down and how terrible she has been to this person, she takes ownership of her wrongs and while despairing, finds a way back to that person and apologizes. Odile, in A Treachery of Swans is hand waived all responsibility of her actions by Marie, who suffered the most because of Odile. And we can discuss the moral gray areas of abused individuals becoming abusers but point blank I think there should be an understanding that you are responsible for what you have done and should apologize. Odile... girl. It makes you wonder why this character was chosen as the main POV to begin with.

There's even more I could sit here and discuss, but this is already too many words. This last part I want to offer some recommendations. If you want a dark, brooding main character that feels as though they are responsible for a terrible occurrence who falls in love with a lighthearted "always hopes for the best" kind of person, read A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft. It's written similarly and hits most of the same plot beats as this book but does so in a better manner. The "Odile" of that book is a "villain" for pretty justifiable reasons and while you're hoping for her to make different choices, you root for her, nonetheless. The second would be Princess Tutu a 20 year old anime that handles the conversation of abuse and the cyclical nature of abuse very well in comparison to A Treachery of Swans.

2/5 Stars. The bones are pretty, but the substance significantly impairs what could have been.

I can’t find the words to express how grateful I am for the opportunity to read this book ahead of its release. It was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and I enjoyed it more than I could have imagined.

The atmosphere in this story is unparalleled. The reader is immediately thrust into a crumbling kingdom, where the court is filled with scheming and political intrigue. Throughout the narrative you’re never quite sure who you can trust and that constant uncertainty made for such an entertaining experience.

The characters are all incredibly well crafted, but I have to admit, I’m Marie’s biggest fan. My swan princess was written so beautifully, I felt so connected to her character. And Odile, oh! she was the perfect mischievous MC. Their dynamic was masterfully executed, with a slow burn tension that built beautifully throughout the book. The way their relationship evolved had me in tears by the end and I couldn’t stop crying for over an hour.

The author’s decision to include time and space as "subtitles" for each chapter was perfect. It kept me grounded and aware of the shifts in the narrative without causing confusion, allowing me to stay fully immersed in the story.

The writing itself was exquisite. The narration flowed effortlessly, and the descriptions were so vivid that I was constantly visualizing the scenes in my mind, which rarely happens to me.

In conclusion, this book is a masterpiece that I can’t recommend enough. It combines rich world-building, deeply emotional character arcs and an engaging plot that will leave you thinking long after you’ve turned the last page. I’ll make sure my girlfriend reads this the moment it is out (and I will re-read it with her).

A big thank you to Simon Teen for the galley in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first book by this author and I really enjoyed it. It was a great swan lake retelling, the prose flowed easily. I loved the romance aspect and the atmosphere.

A Treachery of Swans is going on a list of my all time favorites books, it was just that good. I am obsessed with every aspect of this story– from the world building, the writing, and the characters themselves. I’m OBSESSED. The world is rich and atmospheric and it feels like you’re there with Odile as she navigates her mission/s. Odile is such a great character and honestly a really bad villain, but you love her for it anyways. Even as we navigate this story with Odile as our heroine, she honestly wasn’t even my favorite character. I absolutely adored Marie and Aime and I could and would willingly read 6,000 pages of them just solving puzzles and quipping back and forth. The relationship between Odile and Marie was just toooo good… Like you’re kidding me!? I highlighted so many of their interactions while reading it was a little crazy.

Overall this was a mega fantastic read and I can’t wait to reread this in the future.

This was OK! I loved the cover but the story is slow and feels that the writing was really rushed. The book could use a lot more excitement.