I really loved the premise of this book and how the author turned a familiar story into something brand new. At times, I forgot I was reading a Swan Lake reimagining — which in this case is a good thing! If you’re just looking for a Swan Lake re-telling, this might not be your cup of tea, A. B. Poranek really made this story into her own! I liked the characters, Marie and Odile in particular. I liked seeing Odile’s struggle with feeling loved and worthy and learning more about her back story. The relationship between her and Regnault was especially well done, but I also liked seeing how she and Marie grew closer throughout the book. I will say, this book severely lacks in subtlety. I could guess pretty much every twist and turn after the first 50-100 pages, so much so that I was wondering how on EARTH Odile was not seeing it. This, for me, did not make it any less enjoyable but I can see how others might dislike it. The writing was nice, but sometimes very “on the nose”.

For many years, she was trained by her foster father for one important mission. She is supposed to pretend to be a princess in the kingdom of Aureal, steal the crown, and bring back the lost magic. But when the king is murdered, she suddenly finds herself in the middle of court intrigues. To solve the murder, she has to work together with the Dauphin and her archenemy Marie. But is there really only hatred between them? This was a refreshing romantasy for me that works completely without spice and is still very enjoyable to read. I especially liked Odile as a character, even though I had some difficulties with her at first. Her complexity is what makes the book special for me. On the one hand, she is ruthless and focused only on bringing back the once powerful magic. Everything else seems unimportant to her, and she is willing to walk over dead bodies to reach her goal. On the other hand, she is a very lonely young woman who has been abandoned by everyone and has only herself to survive. I don’t think every reader will like her. The manipulative relationship between her and her foster father is also very well portrayed. The romance is soft and innocent and only becomes important near the end of the story. You can feel early on that there are emotions involved, but it takes a long time before the two characters actually grow closer, which I personally liked a lot. Overall, this is a lovely romantasy that could have had a bit more depth, but was still very sweet and fairy-tale-like. I can recommend this book to everyone who enjoys dark fairy tales and is looking for a romantasy without spice.

Nearing the end of 2025, this might just be my biggest surprise yet. A sapphic, morally grey Swan Lake retelling? After a string of sadly disappointing retellings, this one had me hooked from start to finish. I adored the scenery, the characters and the mystery. I would have devoured it in one sitting if real life had not gotten in the way. To be fair, it was not the best book I have ever read, but it was wonderful and I loved it. It gave me enough hope and strength to finally consider the other retellings that have been gathering dust on my TBR. Well done, Poranek.