Adding .5 stars for the offhanded Barbie of Swan Lake nod.

I feel like this book had two different personalities. It is a very melodramatic tale, which at times played well with the dark theatrical atmosphere we were crafting. But at other times, it veered towards the juvenile which didn’t flow with the tone we had previously set. I was hoping the prose would better capture the devastating beauty and grace of the ballet. Instead, it had very woe-is-me characters, wince worthy flirting, and stilted dialogue.

I did appreciate the portrayal of an emotionally abusive parental figure. Odile’s journey as she unravels the brainwashing her father put her through to keep her loyal was definitely the strongest aspect of this book. I was also really invested in her relationship with her bother, Damien. Seeing Odile realize that she was turned against him in order to keep her isolated added great dimension to her character. And I liked watching her make friends with Amie despite vowing to hate him. Seeing her barriers slowly broken down was what kept me invested in the story.

However, I’m going to be completely honest I did not buy Odile being an actress for even a second. Her performance as Marie was abysmal. She barely tried to impersonate her, and I’m supposed to believe she grew up in the theater? The entire plot hinges on this, like BRO.

Marie was giving manic pixie dream girl. She was so much more of an idea than an actual character. When she was having her little speech about how she’s not actually perfect, she’s a coward who aches for freedom, I was rolling my eyes at how monotone she sounded. She’s supposed to be super clever, but half the time I felt like she didn’t have a single thought in her head. Just meant to sit and look pretty. Odile’s romance with her was cute, but nothing groundbreaking. I felt like the angst was lacking and the ending felt very unsatisfactory.

For an entertaining read with the occasional eyeroll-worthy moments, this book delivered. It had a sweet enough romance and nostalgic fairytale vibes. But I couldn't help but crave more from the execution considering the story it was retelling.

I received this book as an ARC, and I am so glad I put the request in!

Odile longs to be needed and loved, whether she truly wants to admit it to herself or not. When her adoptive father develops a plan to steal the infamous crown that can bring magic back to the land, she will do anything and everything she can to help him. Even if that means betraying the girl who has meant more to her than anything else in her life.

There are so many wonderful things about this book that I don't even know where to start. The world in this story is so fun. French-inspired fantasy settings are always some of my favorites. I loved the world, and I also enjoyed the magic system. Sometimes a story with a magic system can either be too complicated or it just doesn't make any sense. I liked that the magic system wasn't overly explained and blended seamlessly into the story. It was just there. One of the main characters, Odile, struggles with magic, so I liked that it felt like we knew just as much about it all as she did.

The characters were so enjoyable, and the dynamics between them all were so fun to learn about throughout the story. Every character was connected in some way. It was so fun to watch these relationships and dynamics move and build organically in the story. Especially the relationships between side characters like Damien, Amié, the King and Step-Queen, and Regnault. There was something refreshing about just turning my brain off and letting my murder mystery board just connect itself. Some moments, I was gasping when I realized what exactly was going on, especially towards the end!

In the same vein of characters, Odile and Marie's relationship was so interesting. I won't say much to avoid spoilers, but what I will say is that it was a very complicated relationship throughout the book. I loved that Odile was morally grey in her own way. She isn't your standard female character who tries to do good throughout the entire storyline, and I really liked that about her. She was a complicated character who stayed complicated the entire time. Marie is also just as complicated. She bears the burden of being a caged bird, but also wants to please those around her. The two of them together seem like oil and water...and in a way they are, but how they manage to carve a space into each other's lives was so sweet and well done.

I also would like to make a disclaimer that the romance aspect of this book, to me at least, felt like a subplot. I love a subplot romance, so for me, I was right at home with a murder mystery, political intrigue plot line. This book is very plot-heavy with a focus on the characters themselves. In my opinion, it was all done incredibly well! This was a truly beautiful book, and I cannot wait to put it on my shelves. Secretly hoping for special editions in the future 🥹🩷

I never doubted I was going to like this book. It was always just a matter of how much I was going to like it and what I was going to like about it.

A Treachery of Swans is an enchanting, well-crafted, darkly whimsical, and earnestly touching fantasy story with a sapphic romance subplot that tugs gently on feelings reminiscent of high school crushes and the wonders of returned affection.

Like its inspiration (Swan Lake, which was formed out of Russian and German fairy tales), this story is full of symbolism, fairy-tale magic, the polarized positions of black and white, forbidden romance, and the false bride trope.

There’s a large underlying theme that I simply sum up as, “Look what happens when men take over and are in charge: They just screw everything up”. I love it when it’s time to right men’s wrongs. 4⭐️



I was provided a copy of this title by the author and publisher via Netgalley. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: Fantasy/Fantasy Romance/Forbidden Romance/LGBTQ Fantasy/Sapphic Romance/Standalone Novel/YA Fantasy/YA Fantasy Romance/YA Fiction

i honestly didn't know anything about swan lake prior to reading this, but found myself so intrigued by the premise! i adored the relationship between odile and marie, as well as odile as a whole. she's such a great mc, and i had such a fun time learning the story from her pov.

This is the book of my regal winter ballet fantasy DREAMS! OMG! The grace and drama promised by the stunning cover absolutely deliver. And when a book opens with a dramatis personae… you just know you’re in for a theatrical treat.

A Treachery of Swans is a delicious web of mystery, deceit, and passion, spun with care and decorated with twinkling prose and lavish atmosphere. Of its many strong elements, the world-building is my personal favorite—the moody landscapes and shadowy corners, the rich history of the kingdom and its religion that felt like a breath of fresh air, and the magic system! What a cool magic system! It’s strong and vivid and makes me want to be a sorciére. All in all, the grandeur and intricacy of Auréal hit all the right beats of a 17th century France setting while meshing well with the fantasy and theatricality that make the book special.

The characterization of our main characters was also a great feature. Odile is a great narrator—she’s funny and strong and stubborn and feels like a real teenage girl. Marie and the Dauphin are well-developed, and I enjoy what they and Odile bring out in each other when together. The themes of growing beyond your upbringing and finding your voice are powerful and made relatable by these characters, and the very different positions from which they grow make it all the more meaningful.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc. This was a beautiful story, and I hungrily await A.B. Poranek’s next!

I really loved the concept that Poranek went with for this Swan Lake retelling. It had a really strong start, but unfortunately the further in I got, the more it dragged. The magic system wasn’t very fleshed out; it played fast and loose, and the characters had a similar vibe. I think this story probably would have been stronger as a series (which, to be fair, most things would be) since we would’ve had more time to get to know Odile, her motives, and the intricate relationship of her and her father, Regnault. The same goes for Odile and Marie’s relationship: it just didn’t have enough time to get off the ground, and at the end, it felt too rushed to be fully authentic. I did really enjoy what we were given, though. The setting is painted beautifully, and I particularly liked the Dauphin, Aime. Overall it was a fun, sapphic reimagining of Swan Lake - it just needed a bit more depth to really fly (pun intended).

A Treachery of Swans follow Odile as she tries to complete one last grand task for her father in hopes of restoring magic to the land in which she lives, all the while getting sucked into a mystery that threatens those she cares about (not that she would ever confess to caring for anyone).

A Treachery of Swans was A.B. Poranek’s second published novel. I will admit I didn’t particularly love her debut, Where the Dark Stands Still, but since I found her writing to be promising I gave this book a try. Reads like this is why I believe in giving authors a second chance.

Odile is a relatively popular character type (untrusting, selfish, only looks out for her self - but all for good reason). That being said, I really liked her as a character. She was a little blind to some of the things happening around her, but in a way that made sense for the character.

While I’m not a huge mystery fan, I thought the mystery was pretty compelling as well. While some of the reveals and twists were painfully obvious, there was one that took me by surprise.

I also really liked Marie. Almost any time Marie and Odile share I scene, I found myself laughing (even if sometimes the banter was a little cringey). I liked the Dauphine well enough as well. I didn’t particularly like him at first, but as the book progressed he grew on me. One character I found absolutely unredeemable was Damien. This might be a hot take once people get the book in their hands, but I just couldn’t get behind him from the first time we see him to the last.

I will say this book has its ups and downs. The first chapter or two were really exciting, but after that the first 25% or so lost my attention. As with any fantasy, the world needs to be established but so much of it I found myself not caring about or getting distracted. That being said, the book really picks up in the second half and I’m glad I stuck it out.

I do have two pretty significant complaints, however. First, the magic system was never really explained. Odile herself doesn’t understand it (this is established very early on), but we as the readers never get much of a grasp for it or how it works. I’m a sucker for a strong magic system, so this was a bummer. My second (and larger issue) is for a few moments this book ALMOST promises to become a series. The way the series would have gone would have been so interesting and I was excited to see it. Instead we get to see none of what felt like was being promised (or the amazing growth that would have taken place) and we are just given an epilogue of the effects instead. I would have fathered the book end sooner instead of missing out on what would have been an exciting story.

As always, thank you to NetGally and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Solid 3.5 almost 4 star book.
Daddy issues meets mommy issues meets sapphic swan lake.

Odile, a sorcier, has spent her life trying to measure up to her adoptive father’s expectations by going on missions to eventually steal a powerful item to release magic back into the world after it was lost. To do this, he crafts a spell and she betrays a childhood friend, Marie d’Odette. She helps her father turn Odette into a swan and takes her identity. She then infiltrates the castle to gain access to the crown by any means necessary. What she learns as she navigates the court and mystery of magic causes her to rethink her entire life and mission. Also, the sudden murder of the king and a mishap with Odette’s spell causes them to become close as they have to work together to solve the mystery.

The magic system and the way the sorcery is executed is interesting and beautiful. I liked reading about golden magic pooling and being woven and knotted to create a spell.

I felt for Odile, Odette, and Aimé. We see their struggles with expectations, failure, freedom, and self-worth as they navigate the lies and betrayals that are unearthed along the way. We see how they have hurt each other, and how they’ve been hurt by others.

I will say that this book started pretty slow, then turned the dial up to chaos. The pacing was uneven but it did get better.

Step-Queen was giving Catherine de Medici vibes and I loved it.

All in all, it’s a solid YA Swan Lake retelling with action, chaos, and a little emotional messiness.

A Treachery of Swans is a beautiful, sapphic, gothic retelling of Swan Lake. Odile and Marie’s story have great banter, and understand & compliment each other so well. The setting and magic system were immersive and descriptive. My only real issue with the book is the plot resolution and action took a while to get going so the last 25% of the book felt more rushed than I usually enjoy. However, AToS would be the perfect read for anyone who enjoys sapphic stories, retellings, and gothic romances.

I was so, so excited when I received an ARC of this gorgeous book. Just look at that absolutely stunning cover. I’ll admit since I was little I’ve loved and being in ballet. And the Swan Lake is an incredible story. What the author did with the original story was exquisite. It felt like watching a gothic romantic movie.

A Treachery of Swans is a sapphic retelling of Swan Lake, full of mystery, intrigue, romance and magic. We are treated to the theatre when we meet Odile, and she wants to return magic to Aureal. She infiltrates the most popular theatre and there she meets Marie d’Odette and it’s pretty obvious she fall head over heels for her. Her mission gets complicated when the king is assassinated, and she doesn’t know who to trust. I loved how this story read, it was romantic with a hint of tragedy or maybe a lot, but when you read it, you’ll decide for yourself.

A Treachery of Swans is a sapphic Swan Lake retelling. While it’s slow to start, once the plot gets flowing, it’s captivating. I enjoyed how atmospheric the writing was and thought the magic system was intriguing. Odile and Marie had great chemistry with memorable moments scattered throughout the story. I also really enjoyed how unique and layered Odile’s character was. I’m always here for a morally grey villainess. I thought the overall plot was interesting if a bit slow in pace. It kept me guessing for quite some time as to who was the true villain and who just got swept up with the plot. The main element I struggled with in this book was the ending. I don’t know the Swan Lake story too well, so this ending may have been in line with that; however, it just wasn’t my favorite. The audiobook for this was really good. The narration is crisp and clear while also fitting the atmospheric style of the story. There’s plenty of energy and emotion in the performance. It draws you in, and you just want to keep listening.

Overall rating: 3.5 ⭐️

This is AB Poranek’s second novel and she has only further solidified herself as an auto-buy author for me!

A Treachery of Swans follows our main character Odile, who is tasked for the biggest heist of her life - infiltrate the castle, impersonate a princess, steal the crown, and restore magic in the kingdom, super simple stuff!!!! (of course everything goes wrong 🤩)

I really enjoyed the writing and the story flowed so well between scenes! Multiple times I didn’t realize how much I had read in one sitting because of how immersive it was. I loved the setting and how it was based on the Swan Lake, but also had characteristics that made it stand on its own as a separate story.

I adored Odile as a character, she’s flawed and complex and has so many layers to her! She was a villain in the best way possible and you can’t help but root for her. Marie was the perfect antithesis to Odile’s character and the YEARNING between them had me feeling all types of way 🤭 I just couldn’t get over how adorable the two of them were!

Overall thoughts - this was a wonderful gothic YA fantasy with complex characters and an interesting plot. I would recommend this for people who enjoy the works of Adalyn Grace, Ava Reid, and Allison Saft!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and AB Poranek for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

This was a really enjoyable read! The vibes were so haunting and atmospheric. I love that. The story was great too. A little predictable but still great. I loved it was told from the “villain’s” perspective.

Side note- we need a separate book just about the Prince and his guard 🥰

this one is for the lesbians who grew up on barbie of swan lake 🦢

a treachery of swans is a haunted, gothic retelling of swan lake full of mysteries and sapphic yearning. odile is sent to the palace to recover an enchanted crown, disguised as marie d’odette—but when the king is murdered, she’s forced to turn to turn to the real marie for help and finds her loyalties torn between the sorcerer who raised her and her new companions.

while a treachery of swans wasn’t exactly what i hoped it would be as an adult reader (i think my expectations were a little too high because i’ve heard nothing but good things about poranek’s first novel, where the dark stands still), teenage me would have been obsessed and it’s a YA fantasy, so my rating reflects that! this book is a great example of yearning done right and i really enjoyed the dauphin as well, i just wanted more of that dark, atmospheric fairytale vibe—it’s there at the beginning and end, but lacking in the middle. i don’t think i’m quite this book’s target audience anymore, but it was still an enjoyable read and i expect a lot of readers will really love it.

This was a fun twist to the Swan Princess fairy tale! I loved that there were two female protagonists who are so different from each other, but still have so much in common. Though I cared for Odile a bit less than Marie (which was disappointing due to the fact that Odile is more up front in the story) I did like how they complemented each other’s characters.

The plot took a little bit to get going, but once it did, I was completely immersed. I couldn’t read the pages fast enough. Though some parts were a bit predictable, there were a decent amount of surprises. The magic system was a bit bit one-dimensional but worked well with the storyline overall.

My favorite part of this book were the character relationships. Actually the romance was my least favorite, though not to say it wasn’t good. But compared to the exploration of the intricacies of family, duty, friendship, and self-love, I feel those theme shined a lot brighter than the romance between the two women.

AB Poranek is a magnificent storyteller and I will continue to devour their books.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, and the author for the eArc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Margaret K. McElderry Books for this ARC!

I absolutely loved A. B. Poranek’s debut, Where the Dark Stands Still, so I was very excited for this one. Unfortunately, this story missed the mark for me. It didn’t have the lyrical, atmospheric prose of WTDSS. I found it hard to really get into the story because I honestly didn’t really like any of the characters. The most unfortunate part was all of the reveals were very predictable.

What a delightfully vicious little tale. A little haunted, a little cruel, and a surprising amount of emotional. And why is Marie the greatest hype woman of all time.

I love swan lake (hello fellow Swan Princess obsessive), and I love a retelling. This one feels so lived in and real and all the monsters are human, even when they aren’t.

So happy with this follow-up from Poranek!

A sapphic, gothic Swan Lake retelling from the perspective of Odile pulled me in here. Unfortunately, this one ended up feeling a bit inconsistent, and falling a bit short.

First, a few things I did like: the prose, especially in describing place and emotion, was gorgeous. Poranek beautifully captured the smell and feel of a setting—from the lingering weight of magic in the air to the opulence of the court.

I also loved the early characterization and setup of Odile. The story of the Black Swan has always intrigued me, and seeing her imagined as a lonely, lost sorceress beholden to the only father she ever knew really worked. I loved her early longing for Marie, and the stunning descriptions of the illustrious, pristine White Swan seen through an admirer’s gaze.

Where I struggled was mainly with the plot, pacing, and world-building. The lore of the Mothers and the curse on the kingdom felt underdeveloped early on, which made the climax feel muted. The ending was so rushed that just as I wondered if we were being set up for a sequel, we jumped to an epilogue where everything was tied up offscreen.

In the last third, the story felt hurried, and the rich descriptive detail of the opening gave way to endless dialogue. Far too much about the characters and reveals came through monologues, which often read as more juvenile than the earlier parts.

Ultimately, while the concept was lovely—and I absolutely adore seeing this kind of F/F relationship represented in YA—it’s hard to fully endorse this one. With a bit more time for the ending to breathe, and some trimming early, it might have gotten there.

Thank you so much to Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to review this one early on NetGalley!

I love this retelling! I really enjoyed the Prince and the Pauper bait and switch in the story. The blend of French aristocracy meets The Three Musketeers (with magic) is also present. Like A Dark and Drowning Tide, we have a lyrical Sapphic romance (enemies to lovers and sloooooow burn) woven into atmospheric prose. It is gothic. It is whimsical. It has a murder mystery. It has a scheming villainess that you love to hate but then learn to love. There are so many emotions you will feel reading this one. There is also a moment of terror. It is haunting and so satisfying.

Whether you are a die-hard Swan Lake fan, or have never heard about it, you will enjoy this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion!

This book earned every single one of the five stars I'm giving it. The characters, story, mood, atmosphere, all solid tens. I was hooked from the second I saw the author call this a Swan Lake reimaging with a dash of the Phantom of the Opera thrown in. The amount of beautiful quotes from this book are astounding, I have nothing but positive recommendations for this book and I genuinely cannot wait until it's published and everyone is as obsessed with Odile and Marie as I am! A.B. Poranek, thank you for giving us such a beautiful sapphic couple and not burying your gays!