The Song of the Swan by Karah Sutton is an enchanting tale about a young orphan girl, Olga, who wants to find a jewel, the Scarlet Heart, hidden in the depths of the Sokolov Palace so that she never has to return to a life of swindling and stealing. But it is a perilous journey to the Palace. Even if one does reach it, no one has ever come out of it. Will Olga get the Scarlet Heart, or will she also be trapped in the Palace?

It’s a beautiful story full of magic, illusions, swans, and spiders. Sutton’s vivid imagery transported me to the hauntingly beautiful valley surrounding the Sokolov Palace.

The book has a profound message on what true love means. While looking after self is essential, it’s not enough to lead a fulfilling life. Treating people like possessions and mistaking that for love is downright cruelty.

I enjoyed reading this book, and I am sure my middle-grade readers would also feel the same.

This was a unique MG fairytale novel, that I thought was really well written!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher

Absolutely loved this book! Wonderfully written. I loved the writing style. The story overall was interesting and I enjoyed reading it. Perfect for children and fairytale lovers of all ages.

The Song of the Swan is another great retelling by this author! Olga's story is transportive, magical, and so much fun! I think young readers are going to love this fast-paced story with dark magic, mystery, and adventure.

The Song of the Swan is a middle grade retelling of Swan Lake, an old but wonderful tale.

I loved the original, and therefore, when I was given the opportunity to read this? I was curious to see if it honoured the classic as well as give a truly unique story worthy of standing alone.

The Song of the Swan does both and I loved the characters we meet, Olga who is an orphan and a thief and her friend as well as partner in crime; Pavel who end up on quite an adventure throughout a beautifully written world. Both of these forlorn little souls deserve more and their adventure is one for freedom from all that has held them down and I can guarantee a young reader will be hooked on all they get up to in the search for treasure.

The Song of the Swan by Karah Sutton is filled with magic, adventure, and the arrival of a character that I didn't like because I'm scared of them. A spider, so if your little one doesn't like them? You may want to avoid this as the illustrations are beautiful? But that spider appears often!

What I loved is that this isn't a complete retelling of Swan Lake, but it does draw on elements of the story, and it's really well done. Readers, both young and old, will enjoy this adventure and, thanks to wonderful writing, will experience the highs and lows along Olga, Pavel, and our little eight legged companion.

An ideal Christmas present for a stocking for your favourite little person.

Thank you NetGalley for my ARC! The Song of the Swan draws such beautiful inspiration from Swan Lake. It follows a spunky orphan Olga and her ride or die friend Pavel who go on an incredible adventure in search for a better life. Both young and young-at-heart readers will experience immense joy following these two characters, as well as the spider's own tales. The lovely illustrations really assist in bringing the story to life.

The cover copy lists this book as a retelling of SWAN LAKE, and I definitely see some of the elements from the ballet in the story, but I’m not sure it would really be classified as a straight-up retelling. It had some elements, but other elements are absent or very changed.

The biggest change is probably that there’s no prince in this story, and it doesn’t center around a romance. There’s a minor romance plot, and the main character does impersonate the love interest at one point to trick the boy into thinking she doesn’t love him, but it happens really quickly and is a minor point in the story, rather than the big, critical moment that it is in the ballet.

The other big difference is the addition of the spiders and the heartstring magic. I really liked those parts. I felt like it added a whole new layer to the story. The story is also broken into parts. Each part begins with a short tale told by a spider that reveals some important parts of the history of the story world. I really liked the way that structure set the pace of the story. It felt like a really quick read because there were only a few chapters per part.

I also liked Olga, the main character, a lot. She’s flawed and scrappy. But she learns and grows so much. I guessed some of the relationship connections between characters before they were revealed, and I thought they were cleverly done.

All in all, I had a great time reading this book. I loved the fairytale feel of the narrative and Olga’s emotional journey. I think readers who enjoy fairytales will love this one.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions my own.

Posted on Goodreads and Amazon:

In this middle grade retelling, Olga, the main character, has had a rough life. She’s a selfish orphan living in poverty and steals to survive. Break my heart. How can she change her life? By stealing a jewel from the castle, of course!

When she and her BFF, Pavel set out to pull off the heist, they learn the guests of the nightly balls disappear and become swans. The story is told in dual POV (point of view) by Olga and a spider who provides background information.

I appreciate Olga’s growth as she goes from being selfish to doing what is right. She has an idea of who she wants to be and despite the pain and struggle, readers will be able to connect with her. Pavel stood by her even though they had every right not to, a true friend, enter forgiveness. Told in a unique way, the story held my attention as the mystery unfolded. To emphasize parts of the story, illustrations are sprinkled throughout. I especially appreciated the way the spider’s POV was announced. I’d welcome more from his author

I first came across Karah when I read her debut novel Wolf for A Spell which I really enjoyed. So when I saw that there would be a blog tour for her latest book The Song of the Swan I jumped at the chance as I had an inkling that her latest would surpass Wolf for A Spell and I was right.

The main characters of Olga and Pavel were strong as were their relationship and the fact that Olga would do anything to keep her relationship strong even if it hurt people.

But for me Karah's world building using Swan Lake as a starting point and introducing again Slavic Mythology as well as an unusual story teller who tells eight stories which I found fascinating.

I have read retellings of famous ballets and this has been the best one. It was very magical and haunting.
For all the above reasons I give The Song of the Swan 5 stars and now will read whatever Karah writes as I love her writing style.

The Song of the Swan is a magic-infused retelling of Swan Lake that included some twists I was not expecting. I only started to put the pieces together about halfway through, and I liked it. My favorite part of the story was the magical lore surrounding how humans gained their magical gifts. Although I’m not a fan of spiders in real life, I was a fan of them here.

Fans of Swan Lake may enjoy the twists Sutton brings to the tale. Those looking for middle-grade reads that do not race through the story but allow the pieces to gradually fall together will find this a good read. The illustrations by Hannuniemi were also very much appreciated--another favorite part of the book. (3.5 stars rounded to 4 stars)

The only spider in the world I might be potentially okay with touching (because it can talk) is in here and that’s Pauk. I think if I could ever trust a spider it would be him. Not that I need to trust one anyway. But still. And honestly, that’s due to Sutton’s writing! I think possibly another middle grade writer I would trust with (possibly) making me like spiders is Cornelia Funke.

I loved how lyrical the writing is. I really liked the in between chapter tales; they were really fun to read and they all fit in well with the main story. It added to the story-like feeling in a good way.

I liked Olga and Pavel a lot. I related to Olga a lot because she kept thinking she wasn’t good enough. But she also wanted a lot of things and I can relate to that as well. Plus I think the readers can relate a lot to that. Pavel was sweet and I was very glad that they had a good friendship (my heart for more good male/female friendships – without turning romantic).

Sutton did a good job with the plot and writing! It felt exactly right and there was a lot that I liked. Well-paced and I think even someone who isn’t into Middle Grade will like this book. I definitely want to check out her other middle grade book, A Wolf for a Spell. What’s great is that I didn’t even feel it was too young. Not that middle grade books can’t be good – I’m just saying I always like it when I, (an adult) enjoys a Middle Grade book.

The Song of the Swan feels like a true fairytale, very charming. It’s inspired in the Swam Lake tale with Slavic folklore.

Olga is a spiky orphan with trust issues, her best friend Pavel is just the opposite, he wants to be a knight and helps people. They travel with a swindler, who uses their talents to his benefit. Fleeing from the police they find themselves near a cursed valley, the people who enter do not return but legend says that in the middle of valley there is Sokolov Palace and a priceless jewel, Olga wants that jewel, to improve his life and Pavel’s. They enter the forest and meet the Baron of the castle, Olga is suspicious but Pavel is enchanted by the castle, the balls, the music and a lovely lady they meet at the midnight parties. Soon Olga will realize that she is right, behind the pretty facade there are dark secrets.

I love Olga and her development, at first she is a little selfish, she wants a better life to herself, and she doesn't care much about the people trapped in the castle. On the contrary, Pavel was always cute, he is a good friend, like an older brother and he understands where Olga's selfishness comes from, compared to him, she has been alone since she was a child.

The writing style was charming, it give vibes like the fantasy in the 90s and 2000s, the setting is mysterious and enchanted, we have a curse valley and a castle where a lord lives who grants you your deepest desires (but he asks you for something in return), there is a lake with enchanted swans, talking and magical spiders, interwoven with folklore elements, It’s just lovely, plus the edition is illustrated, giving more magic to the story.

It’s a cute story, perfect for children and fairytale fans, Olga is a character you can understand and empathize with and she has good friends that you would want for yourself. About Swan Lake, I only know the ballet and the movie The Swan Princess, this is a very different story, which almost feels original and not a retelling (although of course, I have not read the original story), it’s focus more in personal growth, found family, friendship, the curse and enchanted humans/swans, feel a little secondary, because we also have balls and spiders.

Read it if you want:
• Found Family
• Fairytales Vibes
• Magical Animal Assistant

Rating:5/5 or 9/10

Characters-9

The characters in this book were so much fun. I was familiar with the story, as someone who danced and was ballet-adjacent when I was younger. I loved seeing these characters in a fantasy world, where they could have their own stories, and still have the same themes. The Song of the Swan also had DND vibes to me, and I loved how Olga was finding new secrets, and finding her story. The animals in the story play a role as characters, and they are great as well.

Atmosphere-9

As with any fantasy novel, the atmosphere lies in the world-building. I loved how The Song of the Swan was laid out. Most of the action takes place within a central location, but inside the location is like a world of its own. Karah Sutton builds a world that draws the reader in, also leaving it open to the reader’s imagination.

Writing-9

I loved the writing in this book. The main story is laid out through tales, and an intro to each story. I felt the style suited the story and was a fun way to tell the story. Karah Sutton tells a fun fantasy story with heart and passion. You can tell from reading the story that Karah Sutton has a love for dance and the story of Swan Lake from the writing style.

Plot-9

I loved the story of The Song of the Swan. I found it to be a fun adventure throughout the castle, and I loved how Olga learned about herself. I loved how the castle was set in the woods, and had gardens for the characters to explore. Magic played a part in the story and I love how the magic was woven into the main story. I also loved that a spider was telling the stories to children.

Intrigue-8
I was intrigued by the storyThe story intrigued me. I was curious as to where the story was going to go. With each new tale, I got more and more intrigued by the story.

Logic-9

For a fantasy, I found this to be a logical story. I found the choices to be easy to understand, and I could see how the characters got form point a to point b.

Enjoyment-9

I loved this story, I found it very fun, and I loved the journey that Olga went on. I loved the animals just as much as I loved the humans. This was the kind of Fantasy I love to read, a strong character with strong world-building, and the supporting characters assisting in the telling of the tale.

Overall this was a fun Swan Lake retelling. I loved the magic and how it came from spiders. There are short fables in between some of the chapters which was a fun touch. Olga is a complex character. I found myself not liking her very much but it's so clear why. Abandoned and used all her life, she trusts no one and has to be fiercely protective of herself, because no one has ever protected her before. Because of this, she can be selfish, and even rude at times, but it comes from a place of self preservation. I loved how she softened over the book, and came to realize that there is good in the world, and that love is real. Found family is one of my all time favorite tropes and I would definitely call this a story of found family.

This was quite a cute story. There are two POV's, our main character Olga and also little snippets of a larger story told by a different narrorator which I really enjoyed.
I really enjoyed Olga's growth throughout the story, she starts out pretty selfish, but when she learns the truth about the castle and the man who own it she does whats right.
I loved her friendship with Pavel, and how he was there for her when she really needed it, even after she had done him wrong.
I thought the magic was interesting, and really loved the way the story was told.
I would definitely read more by this author.

I received an electronic ARC from Random House Children's through NetGalley.
Fantasy and fairy tales versus real life. Olga didn't believe in stories or trust people. Her guardian was a con artist that swindled people to survive. Her friend and fellow worker, Pavel, was a much purer human and he protected Olga as they traveled. Their cons took them near a cursed valley that even their guardian feared to enter. He knew there was a huge treasure there and shared this. Olga convinced Pavel to go with her and they headed into the valley. From here, the story unfolds as a magical fairy tale with villains and evil versus good and purity.
Sutton spins her story to offer her version of Swan Lake for middle grade readers. I appreciate the spider sharing her tales between the story segments as a counterpoint as well as providing more information on the characters themselves. Olga is a bit one dimensional (on purpose) until readers see what is happening inside her. As she opens to becoming the person she wants to be, there is pain and damage done. Her transformation is relatable and readers will connect with her struggles. Lovely illustrations emphasize some portions of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eArc in exchange for a fair and unbiased opinion.

I had a very hard time getting into this book and struggled to stay with it. The premise was actually quite interesting… a young boy and girl have run away, searching for a better life.

They end up in a supposedly deserted palace with a man who is using magic for evil.

Our main character was interesting, but the others fell flat. There were magical swans and spiders, people who were neither dead nor alive, but somehow trapped in this world.

I wanted a modern fairy tale, that felt old, to share with my young patrons, but this is not it.

Song of the Swan is a retelling of Swan Lake featuring a clever orphan girl who is on a quest to find a jewel but finds herself trying to break a curse and uncover her own dark family secrets. Olga is an orphan girl with a talent for magic and is also a thief. Olga and Pavel hear tell of a valuable jewel in a secluded castle, Olga knows its the opportunity she’s been waiting for that could finally change her life. She could leave behind her life of crime and no more starving for food and living in poverty. She’d have a home, food, and a place to just live with her best friend.

She enters the definitely not secluded castle which is ruled by a Baron Enchanter who hosts grand balls every night only for the guests to disappear each morning replaced by swans. Olga is tasked to solve the mystery behind the magic in this castle if she wants to not only save those she loves but herself.

I wasn’t familiar with the story behind Swan Lake and found this quite interesting and unique. The artwork in the story is lovely and compliments the story.

I recommend this book or fantasy readers.

*

This outstanding author/illustrator duo has done it again! I loved this retelling of Swan Lake. It was a fabulous adventure that I think kids will enjoy.

This is a beautiful story. I appreciate the more realistic lens through which orphanhood is viewed in this story: a child without parents or a loving guardian is not going to have a happy ending freely offered to her, and the world can make an innocent child into a hard-hearted person - if even only for a little while. Each character is nuanced, such that even the primary antagonist is relatively sympathetic to the reader.