Having read and absolutely loved Where the Dark Stands Still, I was so excited (and scared) for this book.

This is a Swan Lake retelling in a world where magic is outlawed, but some magic users want to take their power back.

Odile is one such magic user and her adoptive father has taught her a lot of lessons, the first being don't let them see you bleed. As for a Sorcier, this will reveal you with your golden blood.

Odiles father has a plan, for her to impersonate a princess and steal the crown... simple right...

...But can Odile choose between the only family she's ever known, or the new connections she just might find....

I loved this book a lot! The setting was lush and the magic system was good. The connections between the characters and the twists kept me interested for sure!

Out on 26 June, thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for the review copy. All opinions my own

A beautiful, unforgettable read

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy. I loved this! I couldn’t stop reading — I was completely gripped. The characters are so interesting and intriguing; I just wanted to keep learning more about them. The world-building is captivating, and the writing is beautiful. This is definitely a book I’ll remember and recommend. It’s a different kind of fantasy — more character-driven and atmospheric than fast-paced, which I really enjoyed.

My only small issue was the epilogue — I was a bit confused by how everything was wrapped up in a single chapter, especially since the one before it felt like it was setting up a second book. That said, it didn’t take away from how much I loved the journey overall. A really special read.

A B Poranek takes the gothic classic Swan Lake and ups the magic and romance and it's just gorgeous.

In Odile and Marie, Poranek has created two exceptional characters, whose diametric opposition is the perfect foil for the story, painting them as the black and white swans of the tale. I adored the boundary blurring and the subversion of the 'delicate' white swan being the physically strong character. The sapphic romance was well-realised and had the perfect slow burn, while carefully side-stepping a lot of the tropes often seen in wlw romances in fiction.

The gleaming cherry on top of this was the writing - gloriously vivid, lush and romantic, it felt like reading something esoteric and ancient that gleams with power and atmosphere.

I adored it and can't wait to see more from the author.

A gorgeously gothic, romantic and enchanting retelling of Swan Lake. It was so immersive and the mystery had me hooked right away. Five stars.

This gothic, sapphic retelling of Swan Lake, laced with Phantom of the Opera vibes, completely enchanted me. The writing is gorgeously atmospheric, weaving a haunting, elegant tone that perfectly suits the story’s darker edges.

The worldbuilding and magic system felt seamlessly tied to the narrative and aesthetic, creating a setting that was both eerie and enchanting. The mystery kept me turning pages, with twists I definitely didn’t see coming.

The characters were compelling, and I really enjoyed their interactions - especially Odile, who had such layered complexity. Her shared history with Marie gave their present relationship such depth and tension; I was fully invested in every moment between them.

Also... I would absolutely devour a spin-off about the Dauphin and Odile’s brother. Just putting that wish out into the universe.

A TREACHERY OF SWANS - AB PORANEK

It must be said: I'm having the best reading month, and that's largely due to the amazing ARCs I've read. A Treachery of Swans is the latest, and this book is another solid five-star read for me.

This book is a combination of all my favourite things: it's a retelling, it reads like a gothic fairytale, there's forbidden magic and a cast of entirely relatable characters. I loved it.

On the retelling side, it's a twist on Swan Lake, as well as heavily theatrical touches from The Phantom of the Opera (my favourite musical). Odile has been raised by a sorcerer and tasked with a mission to steal an important artefact that will help restore magic for good. As the title suggests, deception comes into play and Odile must decide who she ultimately trusts.

I loved Odile as much as I loved Marie, who is the white swan in this retelling. I actually found all the characters completely believable, making it easy to become swept up and away with this action-filled tale. Sprinkle in some truly monstrous beasts, redemption, plot twists and a perfect ending - as you can tell, I was completely sold.

Thank you to AB Poranek, the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC.

Release date: 26 June 2025

Review score: 5/5

TWs: d*ath, injury detail, toxic relationships

3.5⭐️. In this Swan Lake retelling, Odile lives in a world where magic has been absent for two hundred years, leaving the land cursed and dying. Working for her adopted father, Odile plans to impersonate Marie, a young noble woman she once knew when they both were girls, infiltrate the palace by winning the affections of the prince, and steal the enchanted crown. In doing so, she and her father intend to bring magic back to the realm.

However, when the King gets killed, Odile’s mission becomes more complicated and she must rely on Marie, her one-time friend who she has recently double crossed. As her feelings for Marie grow, Odile must choose between putting her trust in her father, or having faith in Marie.

This was my first book by this author, and I think she did a really good job of creating an interesting world and a fast moving plot. However, it read just a little too YA for my personal taste and I was left wanting just a little bit more (e.g., in terms of character development and motivations etc). And while I think Odile was a good protagonist, it was hard for me to relate to her when she read as young as she did. That being said, I would definitely recommend this book for those looking for a good, YA fantasy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc of this book.

This was a fun retelling of Swan Lake with sapphic rep and lots of atmospheric writing and elaborate details.

The mystery was intriguing and had me guessing for a bit. I don't know Swan Lake very much at all myself, but I think this was probably a creative twist on it with its own lore and magic.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for an early copy of this book, my views are my own.

As a kid I adored the film The Swan Princess - the song at the beginning where the Prince and Odette grow up together and hate each other till suddenly she’s beautiful and he falls in love with her in the most shallow way is hilarious and I still search for it on YouTube every now and then.

Hearing that this book was basically Swan Lake mashed with The Swan Princess but make it gay? It’s like they marketed it to me directly!

The romances throughout the book feel slow and realistic, without an overbearing angst side plot which was actually refreshing - I didn’t need to know how homophobic this world was to enjoy the developing attraction. There’s a theme of books usually driving home the “THIS IS WRONG” aspect of being gay that the main couple have to fight against to declare their love. It gets boring sometimes. This book just left the roadblock at differing class levels and sides of the battle, which to me was plenty.

I also really found it refreshing that this book didn’t contain another of the hundreds of sarcastic, attractive, bad boys out there. A great lead man can also have anxiety and be good to a fault, and not be remotely interested in the leading woman. Aimé was a breath of fresh air, and felt incredibly solid as a person. No characters in this book fell flat, the only one coming close was maybe the Regent, but he wasn’t on the page enough to bug me.

I didn’t know before I read this whether the book was a standalone or the beginning to a series, so when the ending came about it gave the impression that it was leading into a sequel, then turned right around and slapped me with a solid ending to a single book.

I was surprised, but also I don’t think it made me dislike the ending at all - it felt very fairytale vibes and a nice way to end the story. Though a little bit of me was disappointed that I don’t get more out of this universe and characters, but I’ll forgive it this one time!

Overall this was a lovely and tense book filled with longing and betrayal and magic - it wasn’t quite perfect for me (the ineffable vibes that make something a five star for me didn’t arrive), but I loved it.

Swan Lake but make it gay and with a murder mystery and found family.

This was spellbinding, a truly new retelling of such a spectacular play.

The twists and turns along the way kept me going through each page and the characters felt grounded that you felt for them even when they were the villain.
Marie and Odile's relationship felt so heartfelt and they just balanced each other out so well. Aime is a character that I felt could be so much stronger but with the family he has he becomes a shell of himself and that anger builds to something dangerous.

The retelling of this story gives it a breath of fresh air and hopefully, many more people will look more into the play and other retellings and just see how magical and tragic it truly is. But with that ending, oh, my heart!

A Treachery of Swans is a quietly enchanting retelling of Swan Lake that brings enough excitement to sweep you off your feet and set you gently down again. Set in a dreamy, France-ish fantasy kingdom where magic has been locked away, Poranek retells the well known story with an extra helping of court intrigue and sapphic rep. Our main character Odile's story feels both epic and intimate as she tries to bring magic back, discovering herself and where her true values lie along the way. The use of a theatre in the story was wonderful nod to the story's origins, it's a backdrop we don't see often enough in fiction in my opinion!
The sapphic romance is sweet and sincere, although a little understated. The book is YA, so there were not huge expectations of course, and it nestles nicely within the story's flow and adds a layer of representation that I appreciated. However, had it been absent the book would have stood strong regardless.
I think there is a huge challenge being undertaken with attempting retellings that lies in the familiarity of the story, we know what to expect along the way and it's hard to break that expectation while staying true to the story. Poranek's writing and worldbuilding doesn't disappoint, and while I hoped there would be a few more twists and turns, the journey is worthwhile even though we know where it eventually leads.
Another key power she holds is creating epic stories condensed into a single standalone - yes, we could and would love to enjoy more of the world, and Odile's adventures - but the story is complete and without huge questions lingering in the air which is wonderful.

Perfect for fans of soft, dreamy fairytale retellings for sure. 5 swans out of 5.

(4/5⭐️)📚 Thank you NetGalley and Penguin for the eArc of ‘A Treachery of Swans’. I absolutely loved A.B Poranek’s debut book ‘Where the Dark Stands Still’, so I was absolutely ecstatic to be approved for this arc. As with her first book, her writing is beautiful, lyrical and elegant. She has a way of making her mark whilst sprinkling in folklore. I knew this would be a Swan Lake retelling, in some sense, and I really like the setting, the characters and the plot she created, with Swan Lake in mind. Odile is one of those perfectly imperfect characters that you want to root for the moment you’re introduce to them, despite how conniving and misguided they are. I knew she wasn’t the villain of this story but she really believes she is, and makes you doubt if you should be rooting for her or not. This is description and plot heavy, and it took be 10% to get my bearings on what’s happening. Once I knew exactly where the story was headed, I was hooked.

I feel slightly conflicted with this one as there were lots of elements that i enjoyed but others that didn't hit right.

Likes:
-The setting: in a world where magic has disappeared which has left the world bleached of vibrancy
-The characters: None are particularly likeable (fully) but somehow i felt them compelling to see what they were up to... though i cant fully say i was particularly emotionally invested in any.
-The twisty plot with the murder mystery
-Magic system was interesting

Dislikes:
-I didnt like the romance as it didnt feel built up enough for me to care
-Ending felt convenient, rushed and had a different tone to it which was quite a stark difference from the rest of the book. It also feels like it should have been a duology but instead the ending was unsatisfying.

Regardless id still recommend, and i did enjoy it for the most part.

3.5 stars rounded up to a 4

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. Despite loving the authors debut book I did not feel the same magic from this one. The characters seemed to lack depth and the plot was mostly predictable. Still, I would recommend this those who enjoy YA sapphic/retellings.

Thank you to Ania, NetGalley and Penguin Random House for allowing me to read an advanced copy of ATOS. This review is 100% my own and unbiased.

—

“I am made of echoes, of after-images, and they all belong to her.”

Wow.

This might be one of the most unique stories that I’ve read. Almost everyone knows the story of The Swan Lake but this is a reworking of gorgeous, sumptuous prose, ingenious reinvention and a side of character growth rarely seen in fiction. The world building is done quickly and efficiently, so we don’t languish for 200 pages waiting to get going. Ania has a way of writing that is so enjoyable - from word choices to just phrasing. It’s gorgeous.

Odile is the perfect vehicle for our main character. Often she is reduced to a two-dimensional manipulative femme fatale. But not this Odile. She is multifaceted; her layers are so delicious and her growth from page 1 to the very end is magnificent. She has depth and richness to her. (I love her, your honour!)

Ania has taken liberties to move our setting away from the Germanic/Russian inspired landscape, and instead settled fictional Auréal in a French inspired location. While it’s clear from the outset that this is a fictional/fairytale location, the smatterings of French had me checking google that I had interpreted it correctly or just plain looking things up (tarasque was a head-scratcher the first time I read it - sorry, I’m better at Spanish!). But that’s part of the fun of reading, learning things you didn’t necessarily know before.

Anyway, our Odile is an actor! We meet her at the theatre, where we also meet Odette. Regnault (Rothbart) sends our Odile on a mission and our adventure begins! Twice there was a twist that I figured out just as Odile did and once that I hadn’t guessed which made me gasp and kick my feet a bit.

Also, love, love, love that we get a sapphic story. And it’s “enemies”-to-lovers and slow burn. Honest chefs kiss. I’m always here for fantasy sapphic romps - so this was perfect for me.

If I talk about our other characters I’m going to get into spoiler content and I don’t want to do that. Let’s just say at the 10 pages to go mark my heart was in my throat and I was almost convinced this was going to be a duology.

This is a beautifully written retelling of Swan Lake, with a queer romance at its heart. The writing is gorgeously poetic, and I highlighted more than a few passages! I loved the haunting atmosphere, which definitely had hints of Phantom of the Opera in its setting, with a darkly mysterious theatre master. There were some good twists, and I enjoyed the cast of characters, few of whom played to stereotypes. I read this very quickly, enjoying the story and the setting. It was interesting being inside Odile’s head as she plotted, and seeing her pulled in different directions, rather than centring on Marie as is usually the case.

The mystery storyline was compelling, but what I really enjoyed was the magic system and the family saga at the heart of the story. It was unlike anything else I’ve read, and kept me intrigued. This is a perfect read for fans of historical fantasy or fairytale retellings.

This will be a strong contender for my top book of the year!

This feels like a blend of the Swan Princess, Swan lake with a twist of Hamlet for good show. It gothic and dark and eloquently written. The lines of hero and villain blur.
Odile and Marie are two beautifully drawn characters that capture each other in different ways.

This kingdom is not thriving, the lack of magic and general unease are white washed under the controlling king and the rich but all Odile seeks is the right to magic and she will do anything to get it.

I loved it, couldn’t put it down, book two sounds intriguing and I will be buying these books!

Thank you NetGalley for Giving me the opportunity to read.

This was amazing, i loved everything about it. The MC is one of my favorite ever you feel so much for her, the romance was so cute, the platonic relationships were just as beautiful, it was funny and well paced. If you loved Little Thieves you'll love this it has the same vibe

4.5 ⭐️I’m a simple girl, I see a sapphic fantasy and I read it. I had so much fun with this book! It’s a really theatrical read, it gives musical theatre vibes (in the best way!) with morally complex protagonists, cute banter, a mystery, some fun twists, and a classic villain.

I loved that the chapters were named as scenes and the character breakdown like a play, the whole thing really honoured the original Swan Lake while making it fresh. The writing was very pretty too, I just loved pretty much everything about it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC!

thank you NetGalley for an Arc in exchange for an honest review
✨swan lake reimagining
✨gothic
✨SAPPHIC
i haven’t read A.B. Poranek’s work before but after reading this, it’s gonna be straight on my tbr:)
i loved the unique magic system and the world building . loved the dark gothic atmosphere.
the characters were loveable and the plot was plotting, i really liked it:)
the twists and turns got me, but i’m not that familiar with swan lake. but i loved all of it, kept me on the edge of the seat wondering what the twist was gonna be.
3.5⭐️ rounding up