When Aderyn's father dies, she inherits the title of Protector of Atratys. But Aderyn has a terrible secret; unlike the other nobles, she hasn't been able to transform into a bird since she was a little girl, and a flightless noble may not rule.
A Throne of Swans is a beautifully captured fresh take on a fairytale. Roughly based on Swan Lake, this story is truly a beautifully new and creative original story which is a joy to read.
The world created by the Corr sisters is gloriously imaginative, unique and fun. The way that each noble family relates to a different type of bird, even their physical features reflecting similarities, is such a exciting new take on the shapeshifter motif, and I found it to be wonderful food for the imagination.
Although many of the characters themselves are not wholly new in the fantasy and YA genres, they manage to be sincerely charming and interesting. I love that the authors didn't feel the need to create wildly different characters, as a small bit of traditionalism can go a long way in unusual story.
I loved the elements as well, that elevated this to high fantasy and more adult reading, such as some of the more harsh and brutal scenes which are often softened in other similar stories. Firstly, the original fairytales we all know and love were incredibly unflinching in their brutality, and secondly it is highly realistic in the story world that there would be intense executions and injustice.
I only really have one complaint about this book. Aderyn is and always has been a noble, and she grew up in a world where that means that you can not touch commoners or animals, EVER. That is a basic principal of her world, yet all through this book we saw Aderyn desperately wishing she could hug Letya, cuddle her horse, etc every time she was upset. I recognize the fact that she just wanted contact and comfort which she would have known from her mother and father, but I feel that those things wouldn't even have occurred to her to be missed from her friend and her animals.
That probably sounds nitpicky, but it actually kind of through me out of the story a couple of times, because it didn't sit right.
Overall, I absolutely loved this book, and can't wait for number two. The intensity and tension levels were just right for keeping me reading without getting stressed out or frustrated. The characters are loveable and exciting, and of course the setting is gorgeous. I would recommend this book to fans of Sarah J. Maas, Robin McKinley, Jennifer Donnelly and fairytale adaptations.
A Throne of Swans is a beautifully captured fresh take on a fairytale. Roughly based on Swan Lake, this story is truly a beautifully new and creative original story which is a joy to read.
The world created by the Corr sisters is gloriously imaginative, unique and fun. The way that each noble family relates to a different type of bird, even their physical features reflecting similarities, is such a exciting new take on the shapeshifter motif, and I found it to be wonderful food for the imagination.
Although many of the characters themselves are not wholly new in the fantasy and YA genres, they manage to be sincerely charming and interesting. I love that the authors didn't feel the need to create wildly different characters, as a small bit of traditionalism can go a long way in unusual story.
I loved the elements as well, that elevated this to high fantasy and more adult reading, such as some of the more harsh and brutal scenes which are often softened in other similar stories. Firstly, the original fairytales we all know and love were incredibly unflinching in their brutality, and secondly it is highly realistic in the story world that there would be intense executions and injustice.
I only really have one complaint about this book. Aderyn is and always has been a noble, and she grew up in a world where that means that you can not touch commoners or animals, EVER. That is a basic principal of her world, yet all through this book we saw Aderyn desperately wishing she could hug Letya, cuddle her horse, etc every time she was upset. I recognize the fact that she just wanted contact and comfort which she would have known from her mother and father, but I feel that those things wouldn't even have occurred to her to be missed from her friend and her animals.
That probably sounds nitpicky, but it actually kind of through me out of the story a couple of times, because it didn't sit right.
Overall, I absolutely loved this book, and can't wait for number two. The intensity and tension levels were just right for keeping me reading without getting stressed out or frustrated. The characters are loveable and exciting, and of course the setting is gorgeous. I would recommend this book to fans of Sarah J. Maas, Robin McKinley, Jennifer Donnelly and fairytale adaptations.