Secrets, Sorcery & Swan Songs: "A Treachery of Swans" Soars in this Lush Retelling
- Kim Bartosch
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
There’s something about a good retelling that captures your imagination and refuses to let go—and A. B. Poranek’s A Treachery of Swans (Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing | Margaret K. McElderry Books, Pub. Date June 24, 2025) is that kind of story. Dark, lyrical, and soaked in courtly intrigue, this YA fantasy breathes new life into Swan Lake with a twisty plot and gorgeously flawed characters you’ll be rooting for until the final page.
Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley.com for the ARC and my honest review.
About the book:
Title: A Treachery of Swans
Author: A. B. Poranek
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing | Margaret K. McElderry Books
Pub. Date: June 24, 2025
Genre: YA Fantasy
Book Buy Links: Amazon | B&N | Bookshop.org
Synopsis:
From the New York Times bestselling author of Where the Dark Stands Still comes an atmospheric fantasy based on Swan Lake, following Odile as her plan to restore magic to her kingdom gets disrupted by a murder—forcing her to beg for help from the young woman whose identity she stole.
Can two girls—one enchanted, one the enchantress—save their kingdom and each other?
Two hundred years ago, a slighted deity stole the magic from Auréal and vanished without a trace. But seventeen-year-old Odile has a plan. All her life, her father, a vengeful sorcerer, has raised her for one singular task: infiltrate the royal palace and steal the king’s crown, an artefact with enough power to restore magic. But to enter the palace, she must assume the identity of a noblewoman. She chooses Marie d’Odette: famed for her beauty, a rumored candidate for future queen…and Odile’s childhood-friend-turned-sworn-enemy.
With her father’s help, Odile transforms Marie into a swan and takes her place at court. But when the king is brutally murdered and her own brother is accused, her plans are thrown into chaos. Desperate to free her brother, Odile is forced to team up with none other than elegant, infuriating Marie, the girl she has cursed…and the girl she can’t seem to stop thinking about despite her best efforts.
To make matters worse, there are whispers that the king’s murder was not at the hands of man, but beast. Torn between loyalty to her father and her growing feelings for Marie, Odile becomes tangled in a web of treachery and deceit. To save her kingdom, she must find the true path to magic…and find the real killer before they—or it—strikes again.
My Review of "A Treachery of Swans" by A. B. Poranek
From the mind that brought us Where the Dark Stands Still, Poranek takes on the tale of enchanted swans and cursed kingdoms, but with a fresh lens. What if Odile—the so-called enchantress—wasn’t the villain at all? What if she had her own tragic mission? And what if the prince was never the point of the story?
Odile is a seventeen-year-old girl molded by her sorcerer father's obsession. Her task: infiltrate a palace devoid of magic and steal the king’s crown to bring power back to their forgotten land. But nothing is ever simple when politics, legacy, and family are involved. Especially not when you’re impersonating your former best friend and sworn enemy, Marie d’Odette—now cursed to live as a swan.
Just when Odile’s mission seems on track, the king is murdered, her brother is framed, and everything begins to unravel. With no one else to turn to, Odile must join forces with the girl she betrayed. What follows is a thrilling alliance built on distrust, slow-burning tension, and undeniable chemistry.
✨ What makes this story stand out?
It’s not just the unique reimagining of the Swan Lake ballet—it’s the way Poranek leans into all the unspoken questions from the original: Who is the real villain? Why would a sorcerer curse a girl into a swan? What about the sorcerer’s daughter—what’s her story? A Treachery of Swans answers these beautifully with a tale that’s equal parts political drama, fairy tale, and character study.
💖 What I loved:
The morally gray characters. The sapphic tension. The layered mythology and how it unfolds with secrets, slow revelations, and an ever-present sense of danger. The magic here isn’t just power—it’s heritage, grief, and hope. Poranek paints a world where even the most familiar villains are given a voice, and it’s all the richer for it.
There’s courtly politics, a dash of murder mystery, and a haunting undercurrent of a beast lurking in the shadows. But at its core, this story is about reclaiming identity, choosing your own fate, and the magic of unexpected alliances.
🌟 Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)
This was a five-star read all the way for me. If you love dark retellings, political fantasy, sapphic slow burns, or simply beautifully written YA, do not miss this one.
Meet the author:
A. B. Poranek grew up sharing her time between Ontario, Canada, and rural Poland, and eventually completed a veterinary degree at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences. A lover of mythology and history, she enjoys exploring both in her writing. Her debut novel, Where the Dark Stands Still, an instant New York Times bestseller, is an ode to Poland’s folktales, while A Treachery of Swans transports readers to a world inspired by 17th-century France.
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