The Treachery of Swans
A. B. Poranek
Margaret K. McElderry
Published June 24, 2025
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About The Treachery of Swans
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 Review
I loved Poranek’s debut novel, Where the Dark Stands Still. Switching from that kind of story to this one was almost like reading Gilded Wolves after reading The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi. It’s the same author, and technically the same genre, but the flavor of the stories is very different.
As a former dancer, I’m always interested in reimaginings of or stories inspired by the Swan Lake ballet. This one keeps a lot of the original story’s beats but changes many of the relationships between the characters and centers the story around the relationship between Odile and Odette. The story is told from Odile’s perspective, and rather than being a prop that the sorcerer uses to trick the prince, Odile is an active character who drives the story forward herself.
I liked both Odile and Marie d’Odette’s characters, and watching the relationship develop between the two was fabulous. It was easy to feel the magnetism between them, but it didn’t feel insta-lovey or forced.
The narrative revisits this idea of agency and speaking up for oneself in Odile and Marie d’Odette but also in the prince. I liked that common theme and how the author used that challenge to shape the growth of the characters over the course of the story.
If you enjoyed Gilded by Marissa Meyer and her treatment of the story of Rumpelstiltzkin, grab a copy of A Treachery of Swans by A. B. Poranek.
Content Notes
Recommended for Ages 14 up.
Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.
Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing. Reference to making out and falling asleep together.
Spiritual Content
Three goddesses created and ruled the world until a sorcerer overthrew them. Some characters (with golden blood) have the ability to perform magic.
Violent Content
Situations of peril. References to and some descriptions of a beast tearing up and devouring people. Some instances of toxic/manipulative/abusive behavior of a parent toward a child.
Drug Content
Characters drink alcohol socially. Reference to other tonics and concoctions.
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