In A Throne of Swans we are introduced to a Swan Lake inspired land ruled by royalty who can transform into birds. A young noble named Aderyn wants to unravel the mystery of her mother's death, but must contend with the plotting of the Royal Court and the fear that her flightlessness will be discovered and lead to her own demise. All this should add up to a solid adventure. Unfortunately, this one fell flat for me.
Aderyn was probably the least interesting character in the novel, which was a problem. If we want to get behind our protagonist we should at least be given a reason to care about them. I found her to be far too naive and trusting. Despite being told to trust no one, she almost immediately spills her secrets to the first person who shows her kindness.
The plot was too predictable, as was the betrayal. The surprising elements of the story were let down by a distinct lack of tension leading up to them. The antagonists lacked depth and this caused the story to suffer. I think if we had been given more detail about character motivations, I would have been compelled to care more.
On a positive note, I thought that the romance was sweet. Yes, it was not overly original but it did the job well, and their status by the end left a sufficient uncertainty that will carry readers over to the next novel. I wish we had more time with Aron and Odette because out of the entire cast they were the most interesting and well written. The ending was also well done and unexpected, and despite my issues with the book overall, it has left me curious as to where the story will go from here.
Aderyn was probably the least interesting character in the novel, which was a problem. If we want to get behind our protagonist we should at least be given a reason to care about them. I found her to be far too naive and trusting. Despite being told to trust no one, she almost immediately spills her secrets to the first person who shows her kindness.
The plot was too predictable, as was the betrayal. The surprising elements of the story were let down by a distinct lack of tension leading up to them. The antagonists lacked depth and this caused the story to suffer. I think if we had been given more detail about character motivations, I would have been compelled to care more.
On a positive note, I thought that the romance was sweet. Yes, it was not overly original but it did the job well, and their status by the end left a sufficient uncertainty that will carry readers over to the next novel. I wish we had more time with Aron and Odette because out of the entire cast they were the most interesting and well written. The ending was also well done and unexpected, and despite my issues with the book overall, it has left me curious as to where the story will go from here.