The Sorcerer and The Swan Princess

First off: WOW! This book! I didn't know what to expect coming into this, as I like to not know much about the plot before I start reading. Because of this, I didn't realise that this was a Swan Lake retelling until I'd got into it. I've been looking for retellings of different stories for a while, as while I love Beauty and the Beast retellings, I've been wanting to mix it up a bit.
This book honestly has me speechless, and I don't know how to express how I feel about it. I read it all in one sitting when I really should have been studying, but it just hooked me. The romance was gorgeous, and the imagery that the writing evoked was amazing. I've got to be honest, this book is on the same level as the ACOTAR series for me, and I cannot wait to get my hands on the rest of Lucy's books. I also loved this book so much that I will be buying a physical copy so that I can reread it easily in the future. Would highly recommend this to all fantasy romance lovers, but be warned that it is a YA fantasy romance, so it doesn't have "spice" like some fantasy romances do (don't hold that against it though).

Just read this book, it's amazing!

OMG. I was always fascinated with the Swan Princess tale, but this was so much better!! Lucy has outdone herself with telling a beautiful story in a magical way that you will feel as if this was the first time you've ever heard of this fairytale. I would never have expected all of the twists we read in this, but am full of wonder at how things played out. I was definitely not prepared to fall in love with this as quickly as I did, but I am 100000% sure you will fall in love as much as I have with Ava and Rothbart!

Oh, my goodness! I believe I've just found a new favorite author! I can't figure out how she is not mega famous by now.! I've rushed to buy every book she has out, in both ebook and paperback format, because the covers are so beautiful I just have to have them on my shelf. I'm even eyeing the audible versions, when I never listen to audiobooks.

I've been in a terrible reading slump even before COVID, It's been that long since I managed to finish a book. DNF became my norm, and this was making me so unhappy, since reading has always been my solace. So when I found this book is a novella, and I loved the premise and was very intrigued by it, I thought to myself, "Surely I can finish a novella!"

And I'm thrilled I did reach for it, since I didn't only finish it, I've since read it TWICE! I feel like Ms. Tempest has broken the DNF spell I've been under. And since I don't want to risk the next book will through me right back under its thrall, I'm reading her books just to be safe. There's eight of them out there, a completed series, so I'm going to be binge-reading.

As for this book, I've always loved Swan Lake, but never really liked the way Rothbart was portrayed, always hoped someone would get the idea of giving him depth and motivation. And Lucy Tempest is the only one I'm aware of in the world who's done that!.

She's turned a dark, irredeemable sorcerer who's end is as terrible as it is anticlimactic, into a spellbinding and irresistible anti-hero, who ends up the best sort of hero possible. She also made the swan princess far more than the melancholy tragic figure. I've laughed out loud many times at their exchanges. They delighted me as they grew as characters and fell in love, believably, passionately right before my eyes, so much so I fully believe, for a change, that they "will" live happily every after.

My advice? Take this amazing opportunity of grabbing this book for free here and sample her outstanding work and this wonderful enemies to lovers story! The pace is just right, the plot and character development impeccable, and the romance is the best I've read in ages.

Me? I'm running to read the rest of her work, starting with Thief of Cahraman, another unique twist on a timeless tale, a gender-reversed Aladdin retelling. I can't wait!!!

First off, I would like to thank NetGalley and the author for a free e-copy of this book. Alright, onto the review!

So what do you get when you take a classic ballet, Swan Lake, play around with the characters and mix in a little adventure, romance, and redemption arc? You get this amazing book.

This new retelling of Swan Lake starts with Princess Ava and her twin sister, Lina. Right after Ava’s coronation as the crown princess, Lina hires a sorcerer to turn Ava into a swan and then dispose of her. Lina then takes Ava's place as well as her crown. Ava is then taken far from the castle by Dietrich Von Rothbart, the sorcerer. Ava's numerous escape attempts fail, as she keeps being caught by the sorcerer who may not be as evil as he seems. Divided on if she should stay or go, Ava must decide whether to follow her heart or return to her crown.

Much like the rest of the author's work, this book didn't disappoint. Something that I love about Lucy Tempest's books is how inventive the fairy-tale retellings are. And that says a lot considering I've read my weight in retellings.

I really enjoyed the twist of seeing the story from the villain's perspective. While this book is a novella, the pacing wasn't too fast and it allowed for the relationship between Dietrich and Ava to grow and deepen. When it was time for Ava to decide her future I was just as torn as she was! One of the ways they bond is through exchanging stories. I found this to be a really effective way to develop the characters and move along the Swan Lake plot that we all love.

My only negative is that the book is way too short! I loved the world-building and I would have enjoyed being lost in it for a few more pages. I can't wait to see what the author is up to next. If you love a good fairy-tale retelling (or just a book with a bit of magic) then this one is for you!

I received a free copy of this, and I absolutely loved it. Fairytale retellings is one of my favorite things to read because you always get a new perspective on a classic story. I really enjoyed the incorporation of ballet into the story, it was a great nod, and that her metaphorical wings had been clipped way before she was betrayed by her sister.

Speaking of her sister, Lina is the WORST. I do wish there had been more of a reason as to why she hated Ava, as it seemed a little weird that she just became evil (Ava even says they used to be a lot more alike before she changed) without any reason as to why. I also wish we'd gotten to see more of the magic school, as the idea seemed really interesting but we never really heard much more than their theatrical class.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story and how descriptive it was (it was like I could picture it perfectly in my mind) and think I'll be going back to read the others.

Lucy Tempest has written another masterpiece!

In this Swan Lake retelling, our main character, Ava, has been betrayed by her twin sister, Lina, who hired a mercenary sorcerer to get rid of her sister. When Ava gets turned into a swan, Lina takes her place as crown princess.

First off, I loved the ballet elements! It's a really neat tie in to the Swan Lake ballet that I was not expecting. Also, I really enjoyed the plot and the way this novella fits in with the hero/villain switch of the other ones in this series!

The characters were great! Ava's character arc is really amazing. Watching her grow throughout the course of the novel was fun. I found Dietrich ( the Von Rothbart of the tale) to be an interesting villain/anti-hero. I kind of wanted to see some chapters from his POV, but alas this is a novella not a full length novel.

All in all, this was a quick and lovely read. There are some darker elements in this story (betrayal, backstabbing, discriminatory laws against magic, court intrigue), but overall I really enjoyed this!

Special thanks to Lucy Tempest and NetGalley for the eARC! I really appreciate it!