Book Review – A Treachery of Swans by A B Poranek
A Treachery of Swans by A B Poranek
Fantasy | Young adult | 390 pages
Published on 26 June 2025 by Penguin
Synopsis
An enthralling sapphic retelling of Swan Lake, for fans of Allison Saft and V.E Schwab.
Magic has long been outlawed in Auréal . Odile has always known she’d be the one to restore it.
Raised by a sorcerer, Odile has spent years preparing for the heist of a lifetime. It’s perfectly simple. Impersonate a princess, infiltrate the palace, steal the king’s enchanted crown and restore magic to the kingdom.
But when the King is unexpectedly murdered, she’s forced to recruit the help of Marie d’Odette, the real princess, and the two begin to unravel a web of lies and deceit that leaves Odile uncertain of who to trust.
Soon though Odile must decide – her mission or the girl she’s falling for?
The fate of the Kingdom depends on her making the right choice…
My rating:
Review
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I loved Poranek’s first book and came to this with high expectations and I’m so pleased that it was exactly what I wanted it to be. I came into this with very little Swan Lake knowledge but that didn’t seem to affect my enjoyment and I’d definitely be interested in seeing how it compares.
I really loved Odile’s journey through trying to meet all the expectations on her and flirting with Marie 😉
The style perfectly fits the gothic folklore vibes and I loved the world – I’d have loved to see more of the history but I did enjoy what we got through the story.
Honestly this is a great YA read, and I thoroughly look forward to more books by this author.
4.25 stars.
Buy A Treachery of Swans by A B Poranek from Waterstones or Blackwells.
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