I don't know why I am struggling so much to write this review. This was a really great standalone fantasy novel, something i am ALWAYS in the market for and which I think there are too few of out there.
It was atmospheric, making me feel like I was sitting on a lake dock surrounded by fog. It was character driven with all characters having depth and reason. It was based on a fairy tale I am not all that familiar with but which I am always a fan of. It was very reminiscent of Little Thieves which is one of my favorite series out there and I mean that as a compliment. I loved the complicated romances of both siblings.

I think my only downside for this was that I found everything fairly predictable, there were no surprise twists except one slightly minor reveal, but I do think that is a small issue here and it didnt impact the overall enjoyability of the story as a whole.

After absolutely loving Where the Dark Stands Still I was eager to read Poranek’s sophomore novel, especially considering my love of sapphic fantasy/ romantasy. I did enjoy the magic system and how biting Odile’s voice was, and grew more and more interested as the story went on. It did take longer for me to settle in than WTDSS, and the setting wasn’t my favourite, but I was certainly gripped by the end. Overall, it fits the beautiful, poetic prose, angsty romance and richly imagined setting that readers have come to love about AB Poranek’s work.

I really enjoyed this read. Swan lake vibes, imperial theatre setting, longing, adventure, intrigue and betrayal - what´s not to love? We follow Odile, wo is a hugely entertaining narrator and the villain in her story, on a dangerous mission as she navigates the complex landscape of the royal court, theatre, relationships that are not what they seem, and the beautiful mysterious lake that surrounds it all. I liked reading about the characters, and their stories.
My only concern is that at the end, it seems to set itself up for a sequel and mentally, we get ready for that, but then there´s a huge time jump in the epilogue and it´s all resolved off-page - felt a bit hollow.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for sending me this ARC!

I am unfamiliar with Swan Lake, but this did not affect my reading experience. The book is well written, but I felt the pacing was off in places, and the first half of the book dragged for me.

I immediately suspected Regnault/Papa - he was clearly only looking out for his own good and using Odile to carry out his dirty work. He did love Odile in his own way - that being when she listened and he could control her. I did not, however, suspect his true identity, and enjoyed the reveal.

The relationship between Marie and Odile felt shy and slow, and it was adorable watching them blush and hide their feelings for each other. I was worried we were heading towards a cliffhanger towards the end after Marie was cursed, mainly because I wanted to see their reunion quicker than a second book could be written!

Overall, I enjoyed this book, but I wished the pacing was quicker and that Odile got to explore her magic more. 3.5 stars rounded up!

I’ve just finished this and I can’t decide how I feel about it. There was so much that I thought was beautiful about this - the writing, the concepts, the yearning (lord knows, I love a good yearning) and the retelling of a powerful fairytale.

Odile was a great, complex and manipulated main character. Her voice was strong and her choices debatable but understandable. I think the characters are the strongest part of this book, especially in showing the complexity of goodness, villainy and strength vs weakness. None of which form a clean binary.

However, I found it slow going and the last twenty percent odd. I think I struggled to emotionally engage with this and that’s why it didn’t capture me. I found the very ending really annoying - for a minute I thought we were being set up for a sequel but (thankfully) we weren’t but a huge event happens that requires a huge quest like endeavour to solve that honestly feels like it could be another book (hence my confusion about there being a sequel).

Absolutely loved this book!

As someone who really enjoyed A.B Poranek’s first book, I was really excited to have the opportunity to read this early and I was not disappointed! I loved the yearning and tenderness between the main characters and I’m almost sad it’s a standalone, but the ending wrapped everything up perfectly.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for approving this eARC in exchange for an honest review

*3.25*

“I can long for her, and still hate her. after all, does a moth not hate a flame, when it learns that the very thing that attracts it is the thing that will see it burn?”

I’ll do this in two parts (plot & characters)

characters:
I really liked the exploration of parental guilt and control and how this can impact children. the pressure to always do what will please them, losing your own autonomy, becoming a shell of who you are and the blurred lines between what you want vs what you’re “supposed” to be like. It created some very layered and emotionally complex young characters that I could appreciate. I do wish there was more depth to them, as they felt less like people and more like emotional conveyance if that makes sense?

plot:
I really enjoyed the last 50-75 pages, but the pacing felt off. I spent the first 50% of the book wondering where the sapphic romance was (they’d literally interacted three times and there was a heavy reliance on off page interactions from the past) and up until this point I wasn’t really invested in the story or the world. after this, it did get quite interesting and I did enjoy the world building and development, I just wish it was more evenly spaced out rather than shoved in the last 100 pages.

This is a gothic and atmospheric retelling of Swan Lake with a sapphic love story.
I loved the eery and mysterious storytelling, it kept me guessing. It is set in a world where magic is outlawed, the daughter of a sorcerer Odile carries out a plan to take over Marie d’O’dette’s life to steal the kings enchanted crown and bring magic back to the land.

I loved Where the Dark stands Still, but something about this story wasn’t gripping me, I didn’t warm to the characters as much and found it hard to root for them. I think a lot of readers will love this though and will keep reading whatever the author writes!

This was everything I wanted in a dark fairytale retelling — lush, eerie, and absolutely dripping with atmosphere. Poranek weaves a story full of magic, longing, and quiet menace that pulled me in from the very first page.

I adored Odile as a protagonist. Her scheming, her fragility mixed with sharp edges, her desperation to carve out a place for herself even if it meant dancing along the knife’s edge of betrayal… it all made her such a compelling, complex character. And Marie, with her sweetness and steadfast heart, was the perfect counterbalance. Watching their relationship bloom — slowly, tenderly, achingly — against the backdrop of a crumbling kingdom and monstrous threats was just so satisfying.

The story is equal parts tense and tender. There’s a creeping sense of dread that lurks in every chapter, and by the time everything unravels, it left me both gutted and strangely hopeful. I also loved how Poranek didn’t shy away from the darker undercurrents of the tale — murder, manipulation, sorrow — while still delivering moments of softness and yearning that made my heart ache.

If you love gothic fantasies, morally grey heroines, or sapphic slow burns tangled up in fairytale darkness, this one is absolutely worth picking up. I’ll be eagerly watching for whatever Poranek writes next.

For one, the writing style of this book is lovely. I found it so easy to picture everything and feel as though I was in the world. I would happily read more by this author.

The characters were interesting and had good growth throughout. I enjoyed reading the romance aspects, they weren't too much and didn't overshadow the story itself.

What I also found intriguing was the magic system, I think it was unique and a good addition to this retelling.

Personally I found the ending to be kind of lacking? I was expecting a bit more? I don't know, it just seemed as though there was going to be a bit more
to it. But it didn't ruin the overall feel/enjoyment of the book.

Highly recommend.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC.

A Treachery of Swans is an atmospheric, romantic retelling of Swan Lake that brims with magic and heartache. Told from Odile’s perspective—the so-called 'evil swan'—it offers an emotional story of love, grief, and identity. Odile and Marie’s (the 'white swan') relationship is tender and real, though I wish we could have spent more time reading about its development. A.B. Poranek paints a world that is anything but black and white, with complex characters and haunting beauty. A truly magical read—I can’t wait to see what A.B. Poranek writes next!

4 stars

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an eARC of A Treachery of Swans by A.B. Poranek in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated for reading or reviewing this book—everything expressed here is entirely my own opinion.

The writing in A Treachery of Swans is richly atmospheric, with vivid, sometimes unsettling imagery—particularly the references to teeth and body parts—that effectively sets the tone for Odile’s internal world. These details immerse us in her perspective and highlight how she interprets her environment through a lens of intensity and unease. Odile is a compelling character who doesn’t shy away from her darker instincts; instead, she uses them as a kind of armor to shield the tenderness she’d rather deny. As the story unfolds and she begins to shed her identity as a self-fashioned villain, the novel explores themes of love, abuse, and emotional manipulation in a nuanced way. One moment that stood out to me was a reflection on the kind of love an abuser might feel—rooted more in control and self-adoration than genuine care.

I also really enjoyed the romance between Odile and Marie. There’s a kind of fierce, almost antagonistic affection on Odile’s part that blends hate and love in a way I personally find engaging. That dynamic, mixed with the miscommunication trope, definitely leans into the YA feel—but considering this is a YA novel, it worked for me.

My main reason for not rating this higher is simply the unavoidable comparison to the author’s stellar debut, Where the Dark Stands Still. That book set a high bar, and while A Treachery of Swans is by no means a disappointment, the shadow of its predecessor is hard to ignore. Still, if you loved the debut, I absolutely recommend picking this one up—if only for the atmospheric prose and striking themes. Plus, let’s be honest, who could resist that gorgeous cover?

I want to love this book, but it has fallen a bit flat for me and I have struggled to connect with it.
The characters lack depth and left me feeling indifferent about each of them.

The story itself, whilst a retelling and therefore going to feel a little familiar, followed an interesting plot with some good twists and turns, but did not reach the levels of darkness that I expected or were hinted at. Sometimes it felt like a realisation was made, or a myth from the past was told, just because it was convenient to the plot.

I think a lot of world building came too late, and too lightly/in patches, which is a shame as the first few chapters and magic system really had me intrigued!

Overall, this was an enjoyable easy read, but really left me wanting so much more.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.75

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the arc!

Firstly I must say that the UK cover is disappointing compared to the US cover! The US cover just fits this book so much better…

This book was very atmospheric and had some absolutely gorgeous writing. I absolutely loved the Swan Lake inspiration and would definitely be interested in reading more books inspired by that story.

I think for me this was definitely an enjoyable read but where it fell flat was the romance element and the plot. I wanted the enemies to lovers to be more; there was less enemies more just…lovers? Dare I say a bit insta-love? I didn’t particularly feel any kind of way for them being together which is disappointing. The side characters didn’t really stand out to me either, and I did think parts of the plot were a little too predictable.

That being said I did really enjoy the aesthetics and still had an enjoyable time reading this.

Confession time… I actually don’t know the story of swan lake and this is meant to be a retelling🙈. However even though I don’t know what it compares to this is an epic gothic fairy tale, that is atmospheric and mystical! Forbidden magic, curses that causes people to shift into swans 😱. Not a creature I’d ever thought of shifting into, but now that I have, I personally think that would be pretty cool! Also beautiful writing 🥹.
Will love conquer all?

A Treachery of Swans is a beautifully atmospheric, gothic retelling of Swan Lake that blends court intrigue, magic, and yearning into a dark fairytale. The writing is lush and poetic, and Poranek excels at building an eerie, enchanted world full of betrayal, longing, and slow-burn romance. The sapphic relationship at the heart of the story, between Odile and Marie, adds emotional depth, and the villainess-turned-heroine arc gives the book a compelling twist.

However, while the premise is rich and the opening is strong, the story doesn’t maintain its momentum. As an adult reader, I struggled to stay invested through the middle of the book, where the atmosphere thins and the plot becomes predictable. Despite its promise, the romance never fully landed for me, and the final twist felt more like setup than payoff. The ending, in particular, was jarring, abruptly shifting tone and leaving a strong impression that this was meant to be part of a duology, even though it’s marketed as a standalone.

There are definite Little Thieves vibes here, both in theme and tone, which might appeal to fans of that series, though for me, the similarities were at times distracting. Still, the book is full of yearning and gothic beauty, and younger YA readers or die-hard fans of Swan Lake retellings will likely find more magic in it than I did.

Overall,
A gorgeously written, darkly magical retelling with a lot of heart, but one that didn’t quite leave a lasting impression. A solid read, especially for a younger YA audience, but ultimately felt more style than substance.

The sapphic swan lake retelling that I never knew I needed. It’s beautifully gothic and like the authors first book the writing is simply gorgeous. Although marketed and suitable as YA this is a book adults will enjoy too.
An auto buy author for me now.

This was an atmospheric, lush and darkly enchanting tale brimming with mystery and magic. I loved how the author pulled on elements of the gothic as well as 17th Century France to create Auréal, a land where sorcerers have long since been outlawed and where, behind the glittering facade of the court and within the shadows of the theatre things are not what they seem. It made for an interesting, unsettling backdrop for this sapphic swan lake retelling which was a great twist on the tale and full of slow burn, enemies to lovers yearning. The romance was often written in a beautiful and lyrical way, and Marie & Odile are absolutely Elphaba and Glinda coded. I also really enjoyed the secondary romance in the book and couldn’t help but love the Dauphin.

I was, at times irritated by Odile and her way of thinking as well as her devotion to her father but this isn’t a criticism- the author did a great job of writing a flawed character and I could appreciate how Odile had been manipulated into the person she was and it made her development all the more satisfying!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for providing a complimentary digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.25 stars

“A Treachery of Swans” is a “Swan Princess” re-telling but with a sapphic twist. When I saw this was written by A. B. Poranek, the author of “Where the Dark Stands Still”, I knew I was going to read and enjoy this.

The Writing: I loved the whimsical writing; immersive and intriguing. The book was a breeze to read through

The Characters: I liked Odile and Marie and their relationship, as well as Damian and Aime (I really got attached to him, I wish we spend even more time on his family relationships). I felt all of them got a chance to be vulnerable and I found myself rooting for all of them.

If I have any notes, it would be that I wanted to spend longer with these characters in their world.
I thought the villain was fairly easy to guess, but I also think that was part of the point - Odile finally allowing herself to see it and believe it.
Personally, I also really liked the ending, it really read like a fresh take on a fairytale, but it was also so hopeful.
I liked this book so much, I already preordered a special edition of this beautiful book.

I am really looking forward to reading more from A.B. Poranek.

I haven’t read The Darkness Stands Still by this author, but I am familiar with Swan Lake and love it! So I was very excited for this, especially finding out it was sapphic.

I’m finding it hard to talk about this one because there’s just so much to talk about to condense. I loved the atmospheric writing, all of the drama and how there wasn’t a single boring chapter.

I especially loved Odile, she was an awkward and chaotic person who wanted to do and be better but also wanted to please her evil and horrible father. You could tell her heart wasn’t in it and I felt for her, and a lot of the time I wanted to shake her for making such terrible choices and knowing she didn’t have to please him when there are so many people ready to love her!!

However, I didn’t feel anything for the romance between Odile and Marie. I have this issue with a lot of romances that begin before we are introduced to them (as they knew each other as kids), it means a lot of their bonding and getting to know each other and everything that makes you fall in love with them as a couple happens off page and makes it feel “insta-lovey”. Odile spent a lot more time with Aimé, and although this made sense for the plot of the story, I wanted to see that time spent with Marie instead.

I am also upset about how it ended because it felt like it was being set up for a duology and then it was wrapped up very quickly in a way that didn’t feel satisfying as there wasn’t enough time left in the book to do so. I know the author said in the acknowledgements she wanted this to be a standalone (at least that’s how I interpreted it), but I would have loved this to have been spread into two books

Otherwise, I had a good time with this and I’m excited to read more from this author, I love her writing style and her characters.