Review: "A Treachery of Swans" by A. B. Poranek

a treachery of thorns review - a b poranek

I went into A Treachery of Swans with high expectation… and maybe that’s exactly why the disappointment hit even harder. The cover, with its dark, mature hues, seems to promise an intense, moody story, and above all a sweeping sapphic love story worthy of masterpieces like As Many Souls of Stars or Bury My Bones in the Midnight Soil.
But the reality, unfortunately, is quite different. A Treachery of Swans turned out to be a rather light-toned YA novel, memorable more for its decadent vibes and original French-inspired setting than for any complexity in its plot or depth in its characters.

The Story

Raised by a sorcerer, Odile has spent years preparing for the heist of a lifetime. The plan is simple: impersonate a princess, infiltrate the royal palace, steal the enchanted crown, and restore magic to the kingdom.

But when the king is unexpectedly assassinated, Odile is forced to seek help from Marie, the real princess. Together, they begin to unravel a tangled web of lies and betrayals that soon leaves Odile facing a difficult question: whom can she really trust?

Soon enough, Odile must choose between her mission and the girl she’s falling in love with.

The fate of the kingdom, quite simply, depends on her choice.

A Treachery of Swans – Review

Yes, but… where is my Black Swan?!

A Treachery of Swans is a retelling of Swan Lake, and to give credit where it’s due, Poranek is incredibly skilled at crafting a seductive, atmospheric aesthetic for her novel.

The worldbuilding is solid, every scene is wrapped in a luxurious, decadent opulence, and the magic system is engaging, even without leaning on particularly original ideas.

And yet, the truth is that I simply couldn’t enjoy this book as much as I hoped. And I’m afraid the main reason has a very precise name: Odile.

Instead of the fascinating, morally ambiguous villain the premise seemed to suggest, Odile comes across as petulant, naïve, and surprisingly childish. Her entire character arc is overshadowed by her father, whose villainy is so blatant anyone would notice it immediately… except her.

Her slowness in acknowledging the obvious makes following her point of view frustrating, and it also drags down the development of her bond with Odette—a relationship that could have been far more intense and magnetic, but instead gets bogged down in the protagonist’s insecurities and her exhausting daddy issues.

For a thirteen- or fourteen-year-old reader, this journey might even feel moving or enlightening. But for a more mature audience—especially anyone seeking a truly compelling variation on the wonderful “villain gets the girl” trope—there’s not much to hold on to besides a love interest, Odette, who is stunning and well-portrayed, and a few sweet moments that are, all things considered, fairly forgettable.

A Love Story That Promises Sparks… but Fizzles Out

More than the predictability of the plot, what convinced me even less was the romance itself, which felt very superficial. The banter between the protagonists works only in moments. Sure, it’s obvious from the very beginning that Odile has a massive crush on Odette… And honestly, who wouldn’t? Odette is young, bright, loyal, beautiful, brilliant, brave, and, in general, cool in every possible way.
But beyond that, there just isn’t much to say: the dynamic between them never quite takes off.

More than once, I felt like I was rereading A Dark and Drowning Tide… just in a less successful version. Lorelei and Sylvia, at least, had chemistry from page one. And the final chapter of Alison Saft’s novel offered an emotional reward that made up for all the “suffering” caused by Lorelei’s complicated personality.

A Treachery of Swans, on the other hand, left me with a decidedly underwhelming ending: the author seems almost eager to shift the spotlight away from the romance (again!) right at the most important moment, rushing through Odile and Odette’s relationship to make room for minor subplots of little consequence.
The result for readers? A long wait, heaps of frustration, and… almost no payoff.

Conclusion

In the end, A Treachery of Swans shines in its atmosphere and worldbuilding, but stumbles exactly where it promised to be most satisfying: character development and romance. Anyone looking for a dark, mature retelling full of tension may find themselves left holding nothing but a handful of… very fragile white feathers!