Loved the writing style and the world created. Although the book has a slow start, it grows on you during the reading. The ending seemed a bit rushed though, I'm happy the book is going to get a sequel.

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for supplying me with an Arc of this book*

I enjoyed reading this book overall, however I disliked the pacing of this book. Despite enjoying it overall, I found that I wasn't ever fully immersed in the book as I would have liked at any point of reading. Points of the book were very predictable. Although it didn't grip me, I would still like to read the sequel.

Very amateur, and just not for me. I couldn’t connect with our protagonist and I just felt there were so many missed opportunities. There was no foreshadowing so everything just seemed very abrupt.

This is a great entry into a crowded YA fantasy field, the twist being that the characters can transform into birds, the royals into swans. It's got action, adventure and characters you really root for. I can't wait to see what the authors do next!

I'm going to say this from the start, this is not what I expected what so ever.

I've been reading a lot of fantasy/high fantasy and I didn't know where this would sit with me liking it or not, but here we are and here I am saying that I LOVED it! The magic system was so well thought out, it involved birds... I think things relating to birds may be my new thing seen as though I loved The Storm Crow and The Merciful Crow and now we have A Throne of Swans!

The Characters were so well thought out and I loved them all but for different reasons, the plot kept on turning things out that I didn't predict what so ever!

I NEED MORE!

Wow! I loved this book!

Aderyn is the heir to the state of Atratys, and is their Protector once her father has died. However, to rule she must be able to transform, and she hasn't since she was injured in a vicious attack which killed her mother.
Aderyn goes to the capital where she finally meets her uncle, the King, and her cousins. While there she uncovers a plot for the throne and is entangled in the court intrigues.

I loved the characters in this book. There were some that felt a little 2d,but overall I really liked them. The atmosphere was great, high fantasy, high stakes, there was enough world building that I was intrigued, but not so much that it got dry. I love the writing style, I really want the sequel already! The plot was great , lots of cliffhangers, kept me guessing. The only issue I had was at the beginning with Aderyn choosing to go to the capital, I think it would have been better if she'd been summoned by the king, rather than just deciding to go on a whim when she's never seen it before.

Overall, great read, highly recommended. 5*

Thanks to NetGalley for letting me have an ARC of this book.

I really enjoyed this book! Very fun and unique magic system with birds, although the plot line was a conventional fantasy book.
I enjoyed the atmospheric writing, easygoing story and can't wait to read the next.
Thanks a lot to NG and the publisher for this copy.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I didn't thought i would like it as much as i did. I loved the ingenious, unique magic system involving birds that links to how the society in this book is structure. I absolutely cannot wait to find out where the story will go in the next book. It was fairytale like and it was really well done.

This book was chosen for our next #CBCReads book club and I couldn't have been more excited! I read it in about two days - as soon as I finished work I got my kindle out. IT WAS SO GOOD! I loved all the twists and turns of the plot and I so did not see what happened coming. The ending was pretty heartbreaking but I am holding onto the hope that it will all turn out okay in the next instalment (fingers crossed)!

Loved this book. Gorgeous storytelling, a beautifully described landscape and compelling characters. The writing was addictive and I couldn’t stop moving on to the next chapter. Can’t wait to see where this story goes next.

I absolutely could not wait to read this book. There was so much political intrigue in this book, it was fantastic. The characters were easy to follow and you could relate to them. Also, the plot was very intense and had many twists and turns. I will definitely be re reading this book as I could not put it down. A five star read from me.

When Aderyn’s father dies she inherits the role of Protector of Atratys, a dominion in a kingdom where nobles are able to transform at will into the bird that represents their family bloodline. Aderyn's ancestral bird is a swan. But she has not transformed for years, not since witnessing the death of her mother.
Whe Aderyn ventures to court for the first time in her life, she is unprepared for what awaits her, court backstabbing and politics and a plot to kill the king. How will Aderyn survive and keep her dominion safe?

This book is full of rich world building and the character are full of character. I was immersed in the story from the beginning, I could not read it fast enough but I also didn’t want it to end! Packed full of suspense, intrigue and love. A wonderful start to this series and I cannot wait for the sequel.

Thank you to Netgalley, Katharine and Elizabeth Corr and Bonnier Zaffre / Hot Key Books for my arc of A Throne of Swans in exchange for an honest review. 

Synopsis: A dark retelling of The Swan Princess, in a world where the flightless are ruled by an elite class of humans who can turn into birds, flying means everything. But since witnessing the death of her mother when she was little Aderyn has not transformed into her swan shape for many years. Now 17 after her father's death Aderyn has become protector of her homeland of Atratys and has come to the decision its time to make her way in the world and spend some time at court. Soon she is roped into the cut throat world of the court and the plots and back stabbing within. But will it be worth it if she can finally find out the truth behind her mother's death?

I LOVED THIS BOOOK!!!! Seriously I'm so regretful that illness at the back end of 2019 has meant I had to postpone reading my netgalley arcs until now because it's delayed me getting to this one which is hands down the best book I've read in a long while!!
This story is wonderfully dark, a lot more dark than some people expected I think but perfect in my humble opinion. I loved the idea of this hierarchy of flightless and those who could fly and the perfect twist on the original story of The Swan Princess or Swan Lake I never know if they're two different things or one and the same... anyways, I always think that a good retelling is one which finds inspiration from the original but makes it wholly their own story and A Throne of Swans does this perfectly. Definitely up there as my favourite read of the year and one of my favourite reads ever!

Just finished this beauty by the fabulous @katharinecorrwrites & @lizcorrwrites ❤️ I have been waiting for this book since I heard about it and couldn’t wait to finish my last read so I could start it! I have devoured it in my excitement, but unfortunately that means I have to wait a year to find out what happens to Aderyn, Aron and Lucien 😭

I loved every second of this story, the weaving of lies and intrigue was expertly done, and the first chapter for book two has me craving more! 😍

I encourage all of you to go pick this up immediately!!! 🖤

Throne of Swans

**3.5 stars**

This story was quite entertaining...

When Aderyn’s father dies and she decides to visit her uncle the king right after her 18’s birthday, she is warned that life at Court is not going to be easy.

She still decides to go, accompanied by her best friend and a reluctant counsellor, driven by the need to get some answers. That’s when the story gets complicated...

This book started slow and a bit predictable... but kept me wanting for more. The writing was entertaining and I definitely didn’t see coming some of the surprises. Towards the middle, I really could not know where the story was going or whom I was able to trust.

The world building was interesting for me, but on the other hand I struggled a bit with the limited depth of the characters and the story itself... would have expected more out of some of the interactions. All in all, it managed to made me read it practically in a day.

For the sake of knowing what happens next after the unexpected ending, you can count me in for the second book...

**Thank you to Netgalley and the authors for sharing an advanced copy...

I had such a fun time reading this book. I definitely think it was a case of ‘right book at the right time’ and I’d definitely suggest you wait until the right moment to read this one. I spent a lot of last year in a bit of a YA reading slump and I think I would have liked this book a lot less had I read it at that time. However, I read this book over Christmas, having just finished a number of rather lengthy adult fantasy books and desperately in need of something a little light and relaxed. Enter A Throne of Swans to fill that role perfectly. So if you’re either not a YA fan or you’re not in the mood, perhaps wait until you’re feeling it a little more. 

I say that because this book is arguably quite clichéd, you have the young girl with magical powers who cannot use them, some love-triangle-esque elements, courts filled with politics and lies and a governing system that appears to be ignoring the people (and of course our protagonist just didn’t realise until now how bad it had become). Personally, when I read this, that was the exact kind of familiarity and ease I was looking for.

I’ve spoken recently about characters who make poor decisions, and how that can either be frustrating in a good way or in a bad way. In this case, even though she makes absolutely awful choices throughout the book, I could nevertheless understand why Aderyn was the kind of person who would make such a choice. That doesn’t make it any less frustrating to see her make choices which (to the reader) seem inherently foolish, but it does make it work within the story.

I can’t speak to how this book handled trauma from any kind of personal perspective, but I thought it was an interesting take. I’m always a little wary of any story that presents some kind of ‘magical cure’ to the main character’s problems. I appreciated that this book at least attempted to show that actually dealing with and healing from past trauma requires more than a quick fix. I’m not sure it totally pulled it off, it still felt a little bit ‘just think your way out of it’ but it wasn’t as terrible as other depictions of ‘blocked magic’ I’ve read in the past. Inevitably when writing a book such as this where magic is prevalent in society you come up against this ‘well couldn’t magic just fix that’ problems and it’s always interesting to see how various authors handle it. 

I’ll be looking forward to seeing how the second book in this duology turns out. I think I’ll be looking out for more of an exploration of privilege - which is touched on in this book but could be developed further, and either a firm commitment to the romance (and then make the book more of a romance focussed story) or steering away from romance and focussing in on the world and the politics (I’m not sure this kind of story can handle doing both well). Either way, I’ll be reading it! 

My rating: 3/5 stars

I received a free digital copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own. 

A Throne of Swans is out now!

One of my bookish goals for 2020 is to read more fantasy, so what better way to start the year off then by reading the highly anticipated A Throne of Swans by writing duo Katharine and Elizabeth Corr? I had heard a lot of early hype surrounding this book, so I was very much looking forward to getting into it.

A Throne of Swans follows Aderyn, who after the death of her father is made the Protector of Atratys, a country within a kingdom, where nobles are able to transform into the species of bird that represents their family bloodline. Aderyn’s bird is a swan, but she hasn’t been able to transform since witnessing the death of her mother, who was ripped apart by hawks, thought to be extinct. Driven by revenge and the quest for truth, Aderyn must venture into the heart of the kingdom to find out what really happened in the attack on her mother and to fight for her home.

This was a real unique, interesting fantasy that had so many elements that I enjoy within this genre. I loved the idea of nobles being able to transform into birds, and just found it so magical and captivating to read about. The way it’s described is just breathtaking and so beautifully captured in writing. The world building as well, was so well done, and you found out bits about this world in little chunks instead of having a big info dump at the start. In some fantasy novels this can happen, but with A Throne of Swans I felt that you got all the right details at the right time in the story. A lot of work must have been put into creating the world of Atratys, and for that I commend the authors.

Aderyn, was a main character that took me a while to take a liking to. At first, I found her to be naive and impulsive, it was as if she did things before really taking the time to think about them. However, as the story progressed, her character did too, and by the end I found myself rooting for her. She grew from this somewhat bratty, stroppy teen, to a fully fledged heroine, willing to fight for her kingdom. Which is admirable.

The plot, I found was a little bit slow to start off and I was left wondering when the action was going to kick off. However, once it got going it was very fast-paced with lots of mystery intertwined within. The drama within the court, mixed in with the politics made for really intriguing reading and I ended up wanting to know more as I came to the end of the book. The ending, despite wrapping up nicely, left you eager to find out more about Aderyn and her journey, and I will be highly anticipating the sequel.

Overall, A Throne of Swans was an original fantasy, that was both compelling and enchanting all in one. I have a good feeling that this is going to be a highly sought after series and I cannot wait to read book two.

My thanks to Bonnier Zaffre/Hot Key Books for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘A Throne of Swans’ by Katharine Corr and Elizabeth Corr in exchange for an honest review. As I began reading after the publication date I bought its ebook/audiobook combination.

This is the first in a duology set in the Kingdom of Solanum. Its nobles have the ability to shape-shift at will into the bird that represents their family bloodline. After the death of her father seventeen-year-old Aderyn inherits the role of Protector of Atratys. Aderyn's ancestral bird is a swan, yet since witnessing the brutal death of her mother some years previously she hasn’t been able to transform.

Her uncle is currently the king and as she is now closer in line of succession, Aderyn has to present herself to the royal court. It is of vital importance that she conceals her inability to transform in order to protect herself and the sovereignty of Atratys.

She hopes to discover the truth behind the attack on her mother by hawks that were believed to be extinct since the War of the Raptors. She quickly discovers that the royal court is a dangerous place, brimming with intrigues.

Although this was marketed as Teen & YA, I feel that it is the kind of fantasy that will appeal to lovers of the genre of all ages. I have long been fascinated by bird lore and so was intrigued by the premise of this novel.

I was very quickly swept up in Aderyn’s story. The world-building and descriptions were breathtaking. I adored it and would strongly recommend. The Prologue for its 2021 follow-up, ‘A Crown ofTalons’, is included and I can hardly wait.

Meanwhile, I have purchased the first in their ‘The Witch’s Kiss’ series.

This was my first book by Katharine and Elizabeth Corr so I wasn't sure what to expect but I'm really pleased that I ended up adoring the story. Inspired by Swan Lake, the narrative evoked a fairytale-esque atmosphere. In a country where the elite can shapeshift into ancestral birds, society is divided into those with the ability to fly and those without. Status depends purely on this one characteristic and it was thought-provoking to explore the effects of segregation and the ruthless treatment often visited upon the flightless.

I loved the political intrigue and deadly games woven throughout the story. It was never obvious who could be trusted and who was spinning a web of lies. The pacing was perfect and kept me engaged from beginning to end. In fact, I ended up reading this in almost one sitting as I found it too engrossing to put down. Aderyn is the main character, a member of the ruling elite who is unable to shapeshift due to physical and psychological trauma. Aderyn was stubborn, passionate and naïve but I loved her because of her flawed yet bold personality. Her interactions with the arrogant and handsome Lucien developed into a romantic relationship that had me fully invested (however, the ending of this book has me so worried for them!).

Aron was probably my other favourite character. As a prince who loses his ability to fly, his status is very ambiguous. I'd have loved some chapters from his point of view, simply because of his unique persepctive. I'm looking forward to seeing how his storyline progresses in the final book of this duology. A Throne of Swans conjures a story of courtly intrigue, romance, and shapeshifting, whilst also exploring issues such as segregation and trauma, all while keeping the reader engaged from beginning to end. I would definitely recommend this book unreservedly to any fantasy fan. With the scene set for the rebellion of the flightless, and the unresolved relationship of Aderyn and Lucien, A Crown of Talons looks set to be one of my most-anticipated books of 2021.

I really loved this book! I loved that this is a Swan Lake retelling and the world building was honestly magical. I loved that characters in the story were able to transform into birds that represent different families it was intriguing and totally unique which i appreciated.

This book was also much darker than I thought it would be at first. I loved the pace and felt constantly in suspense and couldn’t wait to see what happened next.
The main character was very relatable and I really enjoy her story. I will definitely be picking up the sequel when it comes out because I can’t wait to see what happens next.
I honestly couldn’t reccomend this book enough guys so make sure and grab a copy.