A Treachery of Swans

Poranek (Where the Dark Stands Still) delicately balances depictions of romance and magic with abuse and obsession in a lushly limned literary retelling of Swan Lake. Seventeen-year-old actor Odile and her older brother, Damien, live in Auréal, a once-enchanted land whose magic was stolen by a vengeful deity. Desperate to earn the approval of her father, Regnault—a secret sorcerer and the masked director of the Théâtre du Roi—Odile agrees to help him restore magic back to Auréal. To complete her task, she must impersonate young noblewoman Marie d’Odette d’Auvigny using forbidden sorcery, become affianced to the king’s eldest son Aimé, and steal the king’s crown, an artefact of extreme magical importance, at her wedding to the prince. After years of work, success is almost within her grasp. Then Damien is accused of murder, forcing Odile to turn to Marie and Aimé for help. Despite somewhat meandering narration and static characterizations, the expansive plot—whose unique fairy tale elements deepen the allure of the source material’s dark themes—makes for a satisfying romantasy offering. Setting and character depictions appear to draw on French influences. Ages 14–up. (June)

Update: The text of this review has been edited to reflect the book's final text.