I just finished The Swan’s Daughter by Roshani Chokshi and… wow, I absolutely loved it.I didn't want it to end.
The writing is gorgeous (as always with Roshani), but this one felt extra whimsical, like a fairytale told at dusk with candlelight flickering. The world is full of weird and wonderful things — talking castles, secret spells, even a swan that sings the truth (which I weirdly adored). Every detail was rich without being overwhelming.

Demelza was such a refreshing main character — sharp, honest, and unapologetically herself. I loved how she wasn’t your typical fantasy heroine. And Arris? Sweet, gentle, slightly clueless in a charming way. Their chemistry built slowly but beautifully.

It’s definitely a “cozy up with tea and disappear for a while” kind of book. If you like fairytales with heart, a bit of bite, and lush storytelling, this is such a treat.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of this book.

I really enjoyed reading The Swan's Daughter. For some reason, I thought this was going to be a gothic Swan Lake retelling, but it wasn’t. I would actually describe it as a mythical, whimsical version of The Selection with magical creatures. It was a very funny and cute read, and I had such a good time with it. The writing style is lovely and elegant, perfectly complementing the story without ever overpowering it.

I also really liked our main character, Delmeza and the MMC's sister!

The beginning of the story immediately draws you in, with its quirky family dynamics and the intriguing worldbuilding and mythology. The second half, however, becomes a bit repetitive, with Delmeza using her gift of revealing the truth to help the prince during his “selection,” trying to find out which of the lovely contenders is actually there to kill him. The ending is fairly predictable, but that doesn’t take away from the enjoyment of the plot.

I like that this is a standalone, but the epilogue does hint that there might be more to come in this world, and I can't wait!

An incredible read, just not gothic, which some reviews seem to have expected.

Thank you to the publisher, the author and Netgalley for gifting me this arc in exchange for an honest review!

You got to be kidding me, this book is going to live rent free in my head forever.
Unique premise, the storytelling is lush and the characters are so lovable you never want to let them go

Thank you, NetGalley and Hodder&Stoughton for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Look, this book isn’t terrible. But it wasn’t anything special either.

The beginning was kind of cool. A bit strange, but not necessarily in a bad way. The idea of the veritas swans was something new and interesting and I was very curious to see what would come from that.
Until Demelza arrived at the castle and everything turned into The Bachelor, with a couple of girls vying for Arris’ attention. I’ve read a dozen books like that, and they are all the same. The girls get reduced to a manageable number as quickly as possible and even then, they get boiled down to basic character traits. And while Demelza is obviously not actually competing, she obviously falls in love with him anyway and obviously he also falls for her, even though she’s not the prettiest or in any other way most suited to being queen.

At least Demelza was a good character. I’d say that she was the only character in this book who actually felt like a person. She had a goal, she had thoughts, she tried to do her best. I wish we had seen more of her swan-ness though. We do see her abilities and of course it’s a big plot point that she is not in her swan form, but in the end, she was basically just a girl. It would’ve been cool to actually see her as a magical creature.

In fact, I just wish we had gotten more of the veritas swans overall. In the beginning, I was so sure that her sisters would play bigger roles, that they would all try to fight against their father, get back their keys, and… nothing. They are all perfectly happy being essentially prisoners.
And concerning Prava - I honestly thought he would be the big bad. And he turned out to be just whiny. In fact, there wasn’t actually anyone evil. Even the other girls weren’t really evil.

And Arris himself was just boring. He was way too passive and docile. He wasn’t happy about dying, but it’s not like he actively fought against it. He seemed pretty resigned, but he also didn’t seem sad. He was flirting, kissing all the pretty ladies, no care in the world. Honestly, I don’t know what Demelza saw in him. Sure, he’s sweet. But he almost seemed a bit dumb.

The world building could’ve been better. We do see different people from different regions and learn a bit about their cultures, but it’s all very superficial. I liked the fact that the veritas swans eat insects, but apart from that, there wasn’t really a lot of world building.

So yeah. This book was perfectly fine, but it was also boring. Technically the blurb tells it exactly how it is, but it still made the book seem more exciting than it actually was.

The swans daughter

‘’You like that, trapped as you are, I would burn down the heavens to make you smile”

What a beginning. Prologues tend to be hit and miss for me but this one sucked me right in and as it turns out was not a prologue at all but the start of the story proper 😂😂 I just got very prologue vibes for some reason.

The swans daughter is a very literal title in that the FMC’s mother was a swan who married a wizard. When Demelza discovers that she is in danger from her father, she escapes to Rathe castle where she strikes a bargain with the crown prince.

This story was in a rather tragically whimsical. From the magic used by the wizard who enslaves his wife and daughters to the sentient castles and rabbity dragonish librarians this was so entertaining to read.

It was in-fact, so whimsical that I got distracted in the details of the whimsy that the plot just wasn’t a priority for me. The story just gave me a way to see into the world and it felt like reading poetry. You don’t necessarily read a book like this for the plot but for the emotions. It’s definitely more about the journey here.

That being said. I’m definitely a plot girl 😂

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodderscape for an Earc of this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book. A gorgeous 4 star read book from me. What an exciting plot, vivid storytelling and relatable, rich characters. I couldn't put this book down – absolutely loved it

The Swan’s Daughter is a beautifuk fairytale full of magic, cursed love, and characters who carry so much loneliness and hope. This is a story about a prince doomed by a wish and a swan-girl who sings the truth, witch is beautifully written. Arris and Demelza’s relantioship was slow, sweet and honest, full of small qute moments. The fairytale vibe is also god written — castle halls, moonlit dances, spells and secrets. Some parts moved slowly, expesially in the begining, but it didn’t change softness and charm of the story.A tender, spell-soaked tale about choosing love, even when it hurts - as love always did.

This book is everything I love about fairy tales. It has a whimsical and enchanting world that feels almost dream like and had me falling into the world and wishing I could live there. The prose were beautiful and full of lush descriptions that brought everything to life. I especially love the sentient castle! I also wasn’t expecting the humour in this book which I absolutely loved! (Especially the sentient castle vines). It added such distinct voices to the characters.

The characters were refreshing, especially Demelza. I like how real and relatable she felt with all her quirks and that her main motivations were discovering her wants and proving that true power lies in her beliefs in herself. Arris’ appreciation for life and savouring each moment is so endearing. Also, the female friendships were wonderful!

The romance is sweet, but what stands out to me is how love is portrayed as something that comes with unknowns and fear, but it is this that makes the joys of love all the more worthwhile. Although we may hurt the people we love, that doesn’t always mean it’s the end.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for this arc💕

The Swan's Daughter is a beautifully written fairytale, with love, friendships and powerful choices!

I really enjoyed the central competition for a prince’s hand in marriage. The trials were engaging, the veritas swans added a unique touch, and the world and characters were both vivid and intriguing.

The only small issue I had was with the world-building, I sometimes struggled to understand the different species and regions, and would have appreciated a brief summary or guide to help keep things clear. While this confusion didn’t take away from my enjoyment or stop me from reading the entire book in one sitting, it did occasionally pull me out of the story. That said, the writing was lyrical and immersive, the pacing was smooth, and the overall tone was wonderfully cosy.

I especially loved the message woven into the narrative: that love is not just a feeling but a choice. You choose to continue trusting and loving someone knowing they may hurt or fall out of love with you. This book doesn’t rely on high-stakes drama, shocking twists, or betrayals. For me, that was a strength. It made for a gentle, comforting fantasy that felt like the perfect escape.

Summary: Prince Arris must marry to survive - but only true love will save him. Enter Demelza, a truth-singing swan in hiding running away from her own tragic fate.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book, all thoughts are my own.

HUGE thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the arc! (Getting to read my favorite author's newest release almost 6 months earlier has been one of the best things that has happened to me)

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5

Reading this felt like indulging in a favorite dessert of mine. Calling all Studio Ghibli and Stephanie Garber fans, this gorgeously whimsical, witty, and laugh-out-loud hilarious fairytale that's a feast for the imaginable might just become your newest obsession!

Here's everything I loved about this:
● First of all, let's take a moment to appreciate the UK cover (the US one is pretty too, but the UK cover is on a whole another level) at which I spent more time than I'd like to admit gazing longingly.
● Roshani Chokshi's prose is the most gorgeous of all authors I've ever read. Call it unnecessarily purple, call it pretentious, I LIVE for her words. The prose perfectly compliments the decadent vibes her stories have.
● 'The Swan's Daughter' is the most dream-like of Chokshi's books so far.
The aesthetics were the highlight of this one. This was such an enchanting and immersive read. The descriptions were lush and stunning and I found myself revisting several lines just to appreciate their beauty.
● This is a relatively low stakes book. Definitely not too intense but also not so cozy as to lull the non-fans on cozy fantasy to sleep. This book offered me the familiar comfort of fairytales while being utterly unique in its creativity.
● 'The Swan's Daughter' is incredibly hilarious. I had forgotten how good Chokshi is at writing humor. The chapters have funny titles! (This has become quite rare in recent years)
● I adored both protagonists! Arris and Demelza's longings were well written. I always appreciate an imperfect female character and Demelza was no exception. I loved how she didn't let go of her quirky personality (she literally eats bugs) right until the end. Arris' desire to make a life for himself resonated with me. Their romance was just the right amount of sweet.
●The side characters were excellent! Arris' twin sister Yvelle, who gave off peak Wednesday vibes, was my favorite. I loved how the potential brides developed a sense of solidarity and became friends eventually.
● Few autors understand fairytales as well as Roshani Chokshi. From the cover to the story inside, this is a fairytale through and through. If Chokshi's adult debut (and my favorite book of all time) 'The Last Tale of the Flower Bride' is about how fairytales serve as cautionary tales, 'The Swan's Daughter' is a representation of how fairytales bring us joy with a dash of whimsy.
● Although a fully developed world is neither present nor a necessity for the narrative, the way the author sprinkled in attributes of various mythical beings from regions of the Isle of Malys made this a fun time. There are some abstract concepts like candied sunlight and Cloud poetry that might not be palatable for every reader but serve as the prefer embellishment for a whimsical tale like this.
● How the magic worked in this world was a delight to read about. I loved how all mortals spent the first of their two lives as humans and the second as a tree or a rock or something else while contemplating the meaning of life, among other things. There's a multitude of tiny quirks like this (including a creation myth) that added to the magic.
● I loved how Chokshi acknowledges that no matter how madly two people are in love with each other, they can grow out of it. In this story, that's literally a matter of life or death. How the MCs deal with it was well done.
● Roshani Chokshi often puts in tiny easter eggs from one of her books/series into another and I may have spotted one or two (I've read every single on of her works, after all😌).

Although not my favorite of Roshani Chokshi's works, 'The Swan's Daughter' deserves no less than a solid 5. I'll definitely be rereading this soon. If you're looking for a book that feels like a warm hug, you might love this one.

The book was as coded and engaging as a fairy tale. I loved the whimsical world and the symbolism of the story. The friendship and blossoming romance were so sweet and rewarding.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Hodderscape for an arc in exchange for an honest review.