My thanks for the ARC goes to Net Galley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | MIRA. I'm voluntarily leaving a review, and all opinions are my own.

Genre: Fantasy, Fairytale Retellings, Sci-Fi, Adult Romantasy
Spice Level: Nothing is really on the page, but there are some adult comments/innuendo
Language: Some profanity

ORDER OF THE SWANS is the first book I've read by Jude Deveraux. I love the concept of this earthling who wants to find new folklore for her studies.

When the rug of her life is pulled out from under her, I truly felt her pain and sorrow.

You're going to find familiar fairy tales in this book, and Kaley solves the problems in her own way, and the men do not understand her feminism or colloquial expressions that will tickle some funny-bones. The museum was fun too. This is very much a "we're going on an adventure" style of plot, traveling from one vignette to another.

This book broke one of my cardinal rules: Don't end on a complete cliffhanger.

It's a cliffhanger, and it felt totally random like I was missing the rest of a chapter—was this because it was an advanced reader copy? It's possible.

I think fans of fairy tales who want a little more heat in their stories will enjoy this book.

Happy reading!

This is a very different style to what is usually written by Jude Devereaux. Set in a different universe, the main conflict is something that even the main charachters don't seem to understand. The premise is a good one, but left the reader confused all the way through the ending. I assume that a second one is planned as there wasn't a final resulution and it leaves the reader wondering just exactlly what happened and why.

I really wanted to like this book. The synopsis sounded amazing, and I was so excited when I was chosen to read it. When I finally got around to reading it, though, I was really let down.

The writing was fairly poor. This might be rude, but it reminded me of a Wattpad book I would read in middle school. I think with more revisions, the writing could've improved from the cringiness it was, but that was the main reason why I had to stop reading this book.

The beginning was also far too fast-paced. You could tell that Deveraux wanted to get to the juiciness of the story, resulting in little description in the first few chapters. The characters were obviously rushed since it was a last-minute decision to go with Jobi to his country, but I think that the writing could've been better where I didn't feel like I was reading everything and nothing at the same time.

Truly, this could be a good book and maybe it gets better the further you get into it. But I didn't care to find out.

Despite my less-than-raving review, thank you NetGalley and Jude Deveraux for the read!

I’ve been reading Jude Deveraux for years, and thought I knew exactly what to expect from her novels. I figured this might have a slight twist since it is advertised as fantasy compared to the majority of her previous novels being straight romance, but I honestly thought I would be reading something more like ‘Legend’ or even ‘Knight in Shining Armor’, maybe throw in a wizard or something. However, this felt like it was bordering on science fiction.

That being said, the book is fairly well-written, particularly as a genre that the author is new to. The storyline had me intrigued from the prologue, but as this is Book 1 in a duology, reading gave me more questions than answers. The romance is as predictable as expected, but there is so much more to be explained than in a typical Deveraux book. I actually found it much more compelling than her mystery novels.

I like all the characters that have been introduced, although I’m low-key hoping there’s more of a stand-out villain in the next book. I think the MC, Kaley, could use a little bit of personal growth. She’s intended to be well-liked, but I found it somewhat difficult to connect with her. I’m particularly curious, though, about the character Jobi.

Overall, this book showed a very promising start. It’s a little bit difficult for me to rate this story without knowing where it’s leading, but I was looking for a release date for the second book within minutes of finishing this one, so I’ll consider that a good sign. (For the book, not me, since I wasn’t able to find a date.)

Thank you so very much to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

ORDER OF SWANS

⭐️ DNF

I’m really bummed about this one because I loved the cover and I loved the book description. Unfortunately I couldn’t get into it. I even tried starting over when I got to 25% to see if I could understand more of what was going on. The writing felt really discombobulated.

It also has a sci-fi element that isn’t mentioned anywhere. And part of the plot is that the FMC gets taken to this other planet unbeknownst to her. It felt really unbelievable that a person pursuing their doctorate degree wouldn’t ask any questions about this blue zapping device that put her to sleep for 3 years. Especially when it’s used for the second time.

This was another DNF after 25% for me due to the fact that there is majority dialogue but the writing requires the reader to simply accept everything that is happening with 0 world building. I also felt the premise is quite poorly researched - the PhD student having her disseration rejected at the last minute and having to pivot - that simply would not happen due to the regular check ins she would have had with her advisor. Also, the way the FMC simply accepts all the bizarre things happening to her without question - she definitely does not act like a PhD student. Overall, this felt like it needs quite a lot more edits and was very juvenile.

No one can outdo Jude Devereaux when it comes to including dual worlds in a story. She’s done it successfully as historical fiction and realistic fiction in one story. Now, she has spread her wings to try scifi/fantasy/realistic fiction all in one book. It’s not the Devereaux I expected for sure. I kind of like the surprise!

Kaley, a fairy tale expert, was a tremendous heroine, experiencing situations that are far outside the norm. Some of the side characters seem to fit, while others seem to be awkwardly placed.

I searched this book before I read, and Amazon said 1 of 1. Amazon is mistaken. Very. Book two will be all the more interesting for it.

This book offers a unique blend of sci-fi and fantasy, with fairy-tale elements and a touch of academic intrigue. Kaley, a folklore expert and PhD student, finds herself in Bellis, a magical world where she shares an unexplained connection. Tasked with finding a missing prince alongside her gruff companion Tanek and protective guide Sojee, Kaley uncovers secrets about Bellis, herself, and the blurred boundaries between magic and science.

While the premise is bold and imaginative, the execution didn’t fully resonate with me. The unexpected focus on sci-fi felt jarring, pulling me out of the story at times. Kaley was a likable, clever protagonist whose love of folklore made her relatable, but I struggled to connect with Tanek and the slow-burn romance, which lacked the spark I was hoping for. Some elements of the story, like Tanek’s backstory, felt confusing and underdeveloped, leaving parts of the narrative feeling uneven.

Despite its flaws, this story’s genre-bending approach and whimsical world-building make it an interesting read for fans of sci-fi/fantasy hybrids. Kaley’s determination and humor shine throughout, and the fairytale-inspired plot offers plenty of creativity for readers who enjoy something a little different.

Kaley Arens is a Ph.D. student researching mythology and folklore. When visiting her friend Jobi's home on the small island Bellis, she soon realizes that some stories are real. Charged with finding a lost prince, Kaley is accompanied by Tanek, a member of the Order of the Swans, and her bodyguard Sojee. She follows her knowledge of stories, but she can change them.

This is the first half of the Blue Swan duology. The prologue lets us know that Bellis isn't just an island in the middle of nowhere, but a whole other planet. Kaley had researched her dissertation during the pandemic, but her supervisor is dismissive and downright antagonistic of the work she submitted. (Seriously, complain about supervisor behavior like that and GET OUT.) The men with her on the trip hide the truth about being on another planet, and avoid talking about the political unrest; her plan of discovering new fairy tales coincides with the king ordering her to find his youngest son to inform him that he's getting married. I'm not a fan of all the secrecy in the early chapters, so I definitely mirror Kaley's annoyance.

As Kaley goes through Bellis with Tanek and Sojee, we learn more about the state of the planet and some of its history. Tanek wants to improve the lives of the ordinary people, and even the royals are subordinate to a higher class of ruler. Kaley uses her knowledge of fairy tales to get through different towns and guess at where to find the next step in their journey. The lost prince wants to stay lost rather than marry the princess, and he's a rude entitled brat to boot. Of course, Kaley and Tanek grow closer, and Sojee is a good friend who understands her frustration as well as wants to see her happy and safe. There are more secrets revealed at the end, setting up what will have to take place in the second book. Some of the reveals are predictable, following fairy tale logic, and I'm sure the second half will be the same.

If you had held up one of Jude Deveraux's older period-piece romances last week and told me that I would soon read her latest book and enjoy it so much I read it cover to cover in one day, I would have laughed at you.
What I would have never expected to come out of this book delighted me. Part sci-fi, part fantasy, part romance, part tragedy - Order of Swans was so much fun to read. By the time it ended, I wanted about 30 more chapters. I would like some words with you, Jude!!!!!!
Deveraux's writing style took me a few beats to get into. It's kind of... clipped? Very no-nonsense. The rhythm of it is not something I'm used to, but I adjusted well enough that I became immersed in the story.

Order of Swans immediately gripped my attention due to the cover and brief synopsis I read on NetGalley. I received an arc and was very excited to dive into this new world. Immediately I was turned off by talk of spaceships and different planets. I have nothing against Sci-fi novels, they just are not my choice and I was extremely confused because the synopsis made it seem like the fantasy worlds were in another realm or another land, not another planet. My main issue with this is it brings a level of reality that I look to escape from when I read a fantasy novel. So I felt like it was misleading. As for the book as a whole, I feel like the premise and plot line could have been very solid with deeper world building and more character development. I feel like there were a lot of characters thrown in where they fit never to be heard from again. There was a lot about this novel that felt too unrealistic, but not in the good way that novel should make you feel. I struggled reading this one, and the only reason I gave it to stars is because I held out hope and I had to know what became of the characters.

As far as formatting and flow, there were multiple typos, which are always distracting, and the shift from character to character was hard to follow. The entire thing was told in third person, but there wasn’t delineation between character focus.

I will say there were a few redeeming qualities of this novel. There was a lot of dry humor, and the FMC was very sassy. There were a lot of times that it seemed her character was too ignorant, and other times she seemed more observant that made it hard to get to know her. The MMC was your typical stoic character. I didn’t see much that led to the character characters developing feelings towards each other. It ended up feeling more transactional. I think I actually would love to read the story if it went through a lot more editing and beta reading. I feel like there was so much more to tap into that could’ve made it really great!

This one was an odd one. I really struggled in the beginning, but by the 50% mark, I needed to finish.
It was as if some parts of the story were not fully polished and it was hard to follow who was speaking at certain times. It had both the whimsy and...oddness of fairy tales. But, I found myself wanting more?
A few issues I had with it:
- this book needs to be marketed as also being a sci-fi novel
- the heroine...a lot of the story happens to her, and she is waaaaay to naive for someone pursuing a doctorate
- the timeline at the beginning, if you are going to mention COVID, have an accurate timing of when lockdown started. It was less than five years ago...
- again, bothers me that it wasn't marketed as sci-fi when it is more sci-fi than fantasy

This book is a mix of fantasy and sci-fi and the description makes it sound like it's only fantasy so I was very confused at the beginning of the book. For me, there wasn’t enough world-building and explanations and descriptions which might be because the FMC was the same way but it made it hard to read at times. The pacing of this book was weird and I feel like the way and when some of the chapters ended made no sense. I felt no connection to any of the characters and was annoyed by the FMC for the majority of the book. She didn’t feel like the main character and instead just felt like she was along for the ride of whatever the story threw at her.

I know we are only 2 weeks into 2025 but I have a feeling this book is going to be in my top reads at the end of 2025 as well! This book had everything I'm looking for in a fantasy book it was quick paced, had amazing Banter and sass from our FMC Kaley which is given right back by our MMC Tanek. There are so many amazing and down right adorable creatures and she ties in so many Fairytales in a way that is reminiscent of Once Upon a Time. I am truly sad that I was sent this eARC ONLY because now I will have to wait even longer for the second book in what I know will be one of my favorite duologies that I have read. Order of Swans is available for purchase January 28th 2025 be sure to preorder and add it to your tbr if you love fantasy and fairytales this is not a release you want to miss. And as always thank you @netgalley and @judedeveraux for the honor of reading this story before its publication date this is truly an amazing read.

I feel like this book's cover and description were a little misleading. Right out the gate, aliens got thrown into my fairytale and I was not sure how to feel about it but I was pulled in only to be disappointed by the writing. This story is all over the place and could use some editing, this becomes hard to follow.

The premise of this book was great, and knowing that Jude Deveraux is a prolific romance author I thought it was probably a good entry into her books. But the actual book was a huge let-down for me, perhaps because my expectations were so high. I felt like it was attempting to be 'edgy' and trying to knock back stereotypes but the way it was trying to do so was so clumsy it just seemed to reinforce them. The plot seemed forced and didn't flow together well with an ending that was meant to be a cliff-hanger but left me feeling like I just didn't care anymore. I don't think I'll be picking up the second book, even though I really did like the premise.

Rating: 2/5 stars

I was drawn to this book by its promise of intertwining fairytale and fantasy elements. I grew up reading this author and was excited to see her step out of her genre.

The prologue was confusing, and the first few chapters were slow to engage. The pacing of the book was fast, but it felt like important details, such as world-building, were sacrificed as a result.

While the book had some fantasy elements, it didn't feel like a true fantasy novel. I wouldn't recommend it to my fellow fantasy enthusiasts. Overall, this was a frustrating read, and I wish I had more positive aspects to highlight.

Thank you NetGalley!!

This is a spellbinding, fantasy-rich romance that follows a woman, a Phd student to be specific so magical realism if that’s your thing and she’s swept into a world where she has the power to alter fairy tales, and change a kingdom’s destiny. What else I found interesting about it was that it also has scifi influences and involves space travel. It was pretty mysterious, and has some spice if that’s your thing.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Order of Swans by Jude Deveraux is a third-person multi-POV romantic contemporary fantasy playing with fairy tales. When Kaley’s dissertation is rejected for being too derivative, she leaps at the chance offered by her old friend Jobi to visit his isolated home island to learn about a new culture’s worth of folklore and fairy tales. But Jobi isn’t taking her to an island—he’s taking her to another planet and has plans of his own, plans linked to Kaley.

Several fairy tales get a bit of a spin as Kaley plays a direct part in the stories reaching their happily ever after, such as helping the prince find Cinderella and Hansel and Gretel escaping the witch. We don’t really learn why all of the classic fairy tales are coming to life in front of Kaley’s eyes in this book, but I assume we will get an answer in the sequel. Kaley’s love of folklore is a big driving force for her and her main goal is her dissertation and getting her PhD once her time in this new world is over.

Kaley travels with Tanek and Sojee across the planet of Bellis to save a prince so he can fulfill his orders to wed a princess. Tanek is a swan herder and has some swan DNA, giving him some swan characteristics though he is almost completely human. Sojee is a warrior and spends a lot of his time teasing Tanek and pushing him and Kaley together. Tanek’s former flame, who appears later, is also part fox and has a tail and an elongated nose. Readers who love animal characteristics on mostly human characters could have a lot of fun with Tanek and what his swan aspects could mean for him and Kaley down the line.

Initially, Kaley is very attracted to Tanek but he’s kind of dismissive towards her. It’s quite clear that he doesn’t really want to be helping her and is more doing it because he was ordered to but Kaley tries to make the best of it by apologizing to him for being forward when they first met. Tanek keeps fighting his attraction to her but his walls break down further the more he sees others hitting on Kaley and he learns more about her.

I would recommend this to fans of Jude Deveraux’s works who want a dash of fairy tale

DNF at 26%.

The premise of Order of Swans is incredibly intriguing—a woman with the power to alter fairy tales and shape a kingdom’s destiny sounds like a perfect blend of magic and adventure. Unfortunately, the execution didn’t work for me.

The writing style felt impersonal, making it difficult to connect with the characters, particularly Kaley, whose mysterious destiny should have been compelling. The combination of fantasy and science fiction elements felt disjointed, and the science fiction aspects often seemed out of place. I was also hoping for a stronger focus on folklore, but the fairy tale elements were sparse and felt underdeveloped.

While the idea of a world where fairy tales come to life is captivating, the convoluted plot and lack of emotional connection ultimately made it hard to stay invested. I regret not being able to finish this one, but it just wasn’t the right fit for me.