Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC!

I actually didn't know this was a novel-in-verse before I started reading but it actually worked out well because I only had a week to read it before traveling and if it had been a full length novel I know I wouldn't have been able to get all the way through. This read just like a fairy-tale and I loved how the author deftly layered the whimsical with darker undertones. The writing was mesmerizing and the poetic structure was definitely a perfect choice. The story itself was also really well plotted and I liked watching Hilde's character arc. My only con was that I found it hard to connect with the characters because the writing sometimes felt <i>too</i> delicate and detached if that makes sense. Overall though, this book captures every essence of a fairy-tale that I love and I highly recommend it to any fairy-tale/poetry fans! Happy Reading :)

I was utterly stunned by Romero’s debut novel last year, The Ghosts of Rose Hill. At the time, I knew the novel would be told in verse but it had been so long since I had read a novel in verse it took me until I was about 10% of the way through the novel to really settle in and meld with Romero’s style and to be swept away with her story of the marriage of music and words and falling in love.

So this time I was prepared going in to A Warning About Swans for that lyrical, flowing verse Romero writes, this time spinning a fairy tale of a swan maiden who longs to know what it’s like to be free and human, only to discover that to be human girl in mid-19th century Bavaria is just another cage and now her powers are being held hostage by a man.

This story is most definitely a fairy tale, but it borrows ingredients from and then remixes from other mythological, folkloric, and fairy tale sources: The Swan Maidens are birthed by Odin just after he is resurrected, the pure white swan maiden being seduced away from the flock by a aristocratic boy is borrowed from Swan Lake, and bits and bobs of influence from The Last Unicorn can be felt throughout the book during Hilde’s (our swan maiden) journeys.

There is so much grief, regret, guilt, sadness, pain, and general melancholy in this book. Yet, I think that’s the point, and the book wouldn’t be the same without it.

During Hilde’s bound journey, she meets a non-binary painter named Franz Mendelsohn, who is Jewish. Both Franz and Hilde have left their homes and don’t think they can return. Both have secrets and have to hide their talents from the world. Both feel lost and without direction. Both feel used and taken advantage of and only find comfort in the companionship of one another. Romero never once makes Franz’ sexual identity an issue or a plot point except to let Franz explain how it makes them feel. For the story’s purpose, being Jewish in Bavaria is more dangerous than being non-binary.

The most lovely parts of this book are not found in the dialogue, but in the narration of the scenes without dialogue. That’s when Romero’s verse truly takes flight, spinning metaphors, similes, dizzying visions and beautiful turns of phrase. I wish I could quote them for you, but seeing as this is coming from a review copy, I can’t.

Romero can make time move as she wishes with her words. She can slow it down with Franz and Hilde lazily hanging out in a castle while Franz is painting and Hilde is daydreaming. She can speed it up with the simple sound of the stamping of boots down a marble corridor. Her timing is impeccable and she knows just when to tighten the knots and when to loosen them.

Romero is a genius in the making. I can’t wait for the next one.

I was provided a copy of the title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: 5 Star Review/Fairy Tale/Romantasy/Historical Fantasy/LGBTQ Romance/OwnVoices/Paranormal Romance/YA Fantasy/YA Fantasy Romance

A Warning About Swans by R. M. Romero is an enchanting masterpiece that weaves together themes of personal agency and the true meaning of freedom. Set in 1880 Bavaria, this captivating story follows Hilde, a woman dreamed into existence by Odin, as she defies her destiny and embarks on a quest to reclaim her own narrative.

Romero's evocative prose paints a vivid picture of Hilde's journey, highlighting the courage it takes to break free from societal expectations and forge one's own path. The inclusion of Franz Mendelson, a non-binary Jewish artist, adds depth and complexity, exploring the transformative power of embracing one's true self.

Amidst the captivating narrative, A Warning About Swans also serves as a cautionary tale, reminding us of the true meaning of freedom and the dangers of trading one cage for another. It warns against succumbing to external pressures and relinquishing control over one's own life.

With its well-crafted characters, thought-provoking themes, and insightful message, A Warning About Swans offers a captivating journey of personal discovery, narrative empowerment. It serves as a timely reminder to question the nature of freedom.

Happy release day to A Warning About Swans! Thank you Netgalley for my e-arc! R.M. Romero is easily a must-read author for me, after how haunted I was by Ghosts of Rose Hill, I knew A Warning About Swans would be just as poignant, and I was not let down!

Hilde may be half swan half girl, but despite her magical forest origin, her experiences are universally human. The content warnings of this book are exactly what it is about: abuse and manipulation. But it’s also about finding oneself, being seen for who one truly is, discovering love, and embracing one’s power.

Romero’s verse prose is elegant, engaging, and captures the breadth of her story in short lines and uniquely formatted stanzas and caesuras. I binge her stories in stolen moments on the couch with tea and my cats–and I plan to do that for every single one of her future releases. 5 stars!

I've always loved novels in verse, and this one is no different. I loved every second of this beautiful story. Hilde, a half girl, half swan, fully magical being of unlimited potential stole my heart. I loved following Hilde as she experienced 19th century womanhood, fleeing a life of duties she felt as a burden. Unfortunately as a woman, she was bound to be tangled into the traps of a cruel man. I felt so much happiness and pain as I read her story, and found my own experiences reflected.

This novel is beautifully written and so descriptive that I felt like I was there too. So many moments were described lyrically, to the point Taylor Swift was playing within my mind. This is a 5 star read for me, and I regret not getting to it sooner in my eARC queue. This beautiful tale of myth and fable has reset my brain.

I received this book for free to review by the publisher through Netgalley. This review is my honest opinion.

4.5/5
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!

While I did have trouble at first getting into this book, I soon grew accustomed to its verse layout, and guess what? I loved it. It had that perfect sense of dark fairytale whimsy, which is everything I adore. It was beautifully written, and very heartfelt. Anyone who likes mythology, fairytales, cozy fantasy but darker - will love this.

This was a very beautiful story, I really enjoyed it and I thought the antagonist was perfectly hateful. Franz is my favorite!

A Warning About Swans is breathtakingly, hauntingly, beautiful. It is a dark fairy tale, written in dreamlike verse. RM Romero completely wowed me with this one. It is seriously stunning!!!! I loved it!!! A protagonist who is part woman, part swan, a baron with dreams of wealth and power and a non-binary Jewish artist are woven to tell a magical coming-of-age tale.

“I’ve always turned my tears into screams, made anger out of my sadness, I reply. But sometimes, crying and showing the moss-soft parts of yourself is much braver than trying to be stone.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I always loveeee books with verse and this is one of them!
The story and the set, how the author explains some of true feelings is just so pretty!
RTC

This story is pure magic. This is my second time reading this author’s work and I am in awe of how this book was written. This is heartfelt and raw and I truly am so thankful I read this. My breath was taken away and I’ll be thinking of this book for a very long time.

A Warning About Swans is a beautiful fairytale retelling that draws inspiration from Swan Lake and The Last Unicorn.

Hilde and her sisters are daughters of Odin. They spend their days learning from their father and bonding with nature before they are given cloaks that bestow them with certain gifts.

After receiving her gifts, Hilde begins to long for more and when an opportunity presents itself, she ignores the warning given by her father choosing instead to leave the forest sanctuary she shares with her sisters.

We follow her on her journey of self discovery as she finds out just what it is she truly desires. R.M. Romero's writing is wonderfully magical. I found myself writing down several passages I wanted to remember. The LGBTQ+ rep was perfect. Franz is a wonderfully sensitive being who has become one of my favorite literary characters.

⭐️=3 | 😘=2.5 | 🤬=2 | ⚔️=3.5 | 14+

summary: half-girl half-swan creature has magic powers over souls and death and is captured/manipulated by this evil guy and also (surprise) it's in verse instead of prose

thoughts: so. I didn’t know this was historical until like a third of the way through (because it starts out being set entirely in a Magical Forest) when it mentions Bavaria and Schloss Neuchwanstein and King Ludwig II and steam engines so... that’s a thing.

as far as this being in verse, it's… fine––not poorly written, and thankfully not incredibly pretentious, but I’m just looking for an artistic justification for why it’s in verse instead of prose? is it just for the fairytale vibes and the author didn’t trust they could capture that in prose?? confused.

honestly I still liked this, though; it successfully pulls off charmingly whimsical energy, just with several glaring flaws.

content note(s): sexual assault

A WARNING ABOUT SWANS is a fairytale in verse that follows Hilde, a swan girl, who runs from the death magic gifted to her by the All-Father to follow a new path alongside a human boy named Richter, who has promised her normalcy in court life in exchange for Hilde using her magic to pull riches from his dreams. As she becomes drawn to a court artist who seems to see her true self, Richter becomes all the more controlling, and Hilde has to find what she left behind in order to escape the cage closing around her.

One regret I have about being an ARC reader is that sometimes I come across a book that I know is creative and original and honors its comp titles, but I just know I'm destined to not enjoy it, which was, unfortunately, the case for me with this book. I liked it enough to not DNF, but I don't enjoy reading poetry or verse on ebooks because it's hard for me to tell where a line starts or ends without making the font too small for me to read it, so I often found myself wishing the book wasn't written in verse at all and might have even been better served that way. Furthermore, I found Hilde's head frustrating to be inside, and I don't usually care for fiction that draws in real people. There were a couple more reasons, but overall, this book was an amalgamation of my few unreasonable preferences when it comes to books. If Hilde had been a dancer, I would have been done for, so lucky for her that she wasn't.

However, I did find the plot very interesting and creative (although I think far too much of it was given away in the summary-- some plot points given happen 60-70% of the way through, which left me wishing I'd gone in blind instead of constantly waiting for those shoes to drop), and I think fans of The Last Unicorn will adore this book. I was truly gagged by the plot twist about Richter's family, and I liked what the book had to say about magic, control, and power. If you are a fan of historical fantasy, I would recommend you give this a chance!

Upon completing A Warning About Swans I was astounded that I had never heard of RM Romero. I am extremely proud to remark she is half-Cuban!

A Warning About Swans is a beautifully written tale about learning to accept and love oneself through the difficult process of losing everything first to comprehend that only self-love can make you whole.

Hilde, a wild creature, is unsatisfied with the purpose her dad Odin has chosen for her. In her attempt to make more of her life, Hilde meets Richter, a human boy who believes in the magic that stays hidden in the forest and is desperate to be loved and impose himself on the world and Hilde.

The verses of this story tell the most beautiful tale. We see Hilde, a half-girl, half-swan, grow from a curious creature to an imprisoned girl to finally the best version of herself. The hunted learns how to fight back and while she doesn't become the hunter she does break free from the imposed cloister.

AWAS is very intense, you are definitely reading a fairy tale but there is no hiding the meaning behind the point the author is trying to make. As a result, it can be a beautiful story for a middle grader who will become fascinated with the magical world-building or a very inspirational tale for an adult.

Lastly, I typically avoid queer fantasy literature because usually I hate how the characters and situations are portrayed but RM Romero does a fantastic job of including and developing the character. Furthermore, the relationship between Franz and Hilde is magical, that's the only word that can describe it. As much as I loved Hilde as one, reading about her relationship with Franz—and how it developed/ended—made me realize how important Franz is in the story.

Nothing but the best for RM Romero, and I hope to read her upcoming book soon.

Thank you NetGalley for another ARC,

A Warning about Swans, by R.M. Moreno is a fairy tale told in verse about Hilde, a sometimes swan, sometimes girl, daughter of Odin (yes, that Odin) who longs to live a life different from her own, and of course, because it’s a fairy tale, she gets more than she bargained for.

That was the first book in versa that I ever read it, and that alone make this reading experience worth it, however, it saddens me to say that I didn”t really liked it. I didn’t care for the main character, her love interest or what would happen to them. I’ve said this before, but I truly believe that I am getting too old for some books; I think younger me would have really enjoyed this book.

this was lovely! I usually prefer traditional novels, so the verse was a bit hard for me to get into, but beautiful nonetheless. I loved the characters and imagery, and it was just the sort of fairytale I was hoping for. I can’t wait to check out Romero’s other books :)

I fell absolutely in love with her debut The Ghosts of Rose Hill last year, so I was looking forward to their sophomore novel-in-verse - and it's set in Germany!

Once again we a transported into a lush, historical setting with a touch of magic; our protagonist Hilde being part of the fantastical world, created by Odin himself to care for the forest and its creatures
You are wish-maidens--
and a wish
cannot make a wish of its own. You can only use your magic on behalf of other.
So us it
wisely

Yet Hilde yearns for more. She feels alone and wants more companions than her sisters, she wants to see the world. Enter Maximilian von Richter in whom she recognizes a similar longing, the same hunger. Based on their budding friendship and his encouragement, she decides to join him in his castle and explore the human world. It is also how she meets Franz, a nonbinary painter, who seems to see her true soul and not just the performance she puts on at court.


What is so lovely about this coming-of-age tale of a different kind is that the friendship and the romance Hilde develops are given equal space. We are privy to both journeys, see her doubt and yearn and fight, without relegating one or the other as lesser. Her relationship with Maximilain that starts off understanding and infectious but slowly turns controlling and stifling is a lovely character study in how to recognize warning signs in bad behaviours and when to stand firm in your boundaries. It was both heartbreaking and encouraging to see Hilde navigate that space.
Wolves don't boast
over their kills;
ravens don't invent epics
about how they came about their supper. Their hunger
is simple.

My hunger
was simple.
But Richter's is not.


Her relationship to Franz on the other hands starts from a point of wary suspicion that grows into something beautiful. Their actions on how to solve disagreements in comparison make it clear that their foundation is built on respect and compassion.
I'm like you, Franz; someone else's miracle stuffed into too-small bones



Romero elegantly uses Hilde's double nature - girl and swan, both and neither - to illustrate how passion and destiny can stand in conflict with one another, weaving a fairy tale with her words and metaphors that is a bit tragic and yet a promise that things will be alright.

With a tagline of "Swan Lake meets The Last Unicorn," I just had to read this. This was lushly written and took me by surprise at first, since it's been years since I read a book written in verse. It really added to the dream-like atmosphere that Romero wanted to create.

The fairy tale that she wove is beautiful and her prose makes it easy for you to immerse yourself in the story. The fairy tale premise and lessons are clear and magical. The swan girl, a daughter of Odin, leaves her forest home to fulfill the dreams of a handsome boy she finds. Enticed by empty promises, she finds herself imprisoned. However, a painter later meets her and helps her rediscover her own dreams.

The swan girl's (Hilde's) POV is easy to follow and fall in love with over time. I only wish that we could have seen the POV of Franz (a nonbinary Jew) as well. It would have lent more dimensionality to the story. That is my only real quibble with the story.

I would recommend this story to everyone of all ages. It's a lovely read with a captivating plot, and we can always use more queer representation in books.

Before I get into anything, I just want to thank NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this!

I just really have to say, "Wow" at this book. I have never read a free verse/novel written in a poetic form before, so this was an interesting and brand-new experience for me! I think it was the perfect form for the dreamy fairy-tale R.M. Romero wanted to spin for readers. I really admired her skillful use of language and beat, as from my experience of reading and writing free-verse narrative poetry, it is very hard to do well!

I enjoy poetry to an extent, but typically find fiction is my favorite genre, with nonfiction occasionally a runner-up. However, Romero really made the genre feel refreshed for me. I found it so easy to slip into the narrative of Hilde and her sisters, of the world showcased in this story. Sometimes I can have issues with my personal internal beat not matching up with the poet's personal beat, but I did not have that issue at all reading A Warning About Swans.

I think perhaps my only criticism could be that the themes and messages were very overt, but that's honestly more of a personal feeling here, as it is a fairy tale. From the beginning, themes and plot points were obvious if you are at all familiar with how a fairy tale typically works. Fairy tales are the original clichés from which other clichés are born, so it's no surprise that the book contained common tropes and themes. In some ways, I loved how the author stuck with the form of the fairy tale, really adhering to typical foreshadowing and such found within classic fairy tales.

All I can say, for me personally, is that while this isn't an automatic 5-star for me, it is still a genuinely great and stunning book that I can imagine myself recommending to others for a long time. I hope others will give its unique story form a chance and let themselves be immersed in the wonderfully wild and somewhat tragic story of A Warning About Swans by R.M. Romero.

I love the writing style so much! It was almost like a poetry book, or like reading classics. Love, LOVE the beautiful phrases and the poetic vibes. It was bittersweet and tragic and beautiful. I read it in one sitting and I love it so much!