The Swan’s Daughter is a book that caught me eye because of the synopsis, but also the author. Roshani Chokshi has a beautiful writing style and I’ll never say no to one of her stories. Today I want to tell you all about this book and what I thought.
A big thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an ALC to read and review. This doesn’t affect my opinion in any way.
In this lush and romantic novel from New York Times bestselling author Roshani Chokshi, a prince is only as good as his beating heart and a maiden is only as good as her honest word. But when love and the truth become impossibly tangled, the two must figure out how to survive together, or fall completely apart.
To find love is a curse …
Prince Arris knows that marriage means murder. Thanks to a poorly worded wish to a sea witch, all one needs to rule the Isle of Malys is the heart and hand of the kingdom’s heir. Historically, this has been construed quite literally.
Thus, Arris expects that the day after his marriage and murder he will wake up as a sentient tree alongside the rest of his predecessors. His only chance at a long life is finding true and lasting love. When Arris’s parents announce a tournament of brides to compete for his hand and heart, a slew of eligible, lovely and (possibly murderous) bachelorettes make their way to Rathe Castle. Amidst glittering balls in ozorald caves, strolls through menageries of daydream trees and pearl crocodiles, tea time on glass boats and kisses that leave his head spinning, Arris cannot tell who is here out of love for him…or lust for power.
Until he meets Demelza.
As a veritas swan, Demelza’s song wrings out the truth. Forced into hiding, Demelza strikes a deal. Arris will provide her with safekeeping in exchange for her truth-telling song to sort through his potential brides.
While Arris is used to dodging death threats and Demelza is accustomed to fighting for her voice to be heard, to survive the tournament of brides requires a different kind of bravery. And perhaps the bravest thing one can do is not merely protect one’s life, but find the courage to chase a life worth living.
Review
I don’t think I’ll ever be to old to read fairytales, so The Swan’s Daughter sounded right up my alley. Roshani Chokshi has a way with words and her stories always feel whimsical and hard to put down. That was also the case with this story. I appreciated that we had light-hearted and humorous moments while it was also a bit dark at the same time. Ell Potter did a great job as a narrator, bringing The Swan’s Daughter to life. I really felt like the story was being read to me.
I enjoyed that loving someone and giving your heart away was such a big theme in the story. It’s the same in the real world, giving your heart to someone can eventually hurt. I really felt like The Swan’s Daughter was a mix of Cinderella and The Ugly Duckling. Demelza has always been different than her sisters and just wants to be special. Arris knows giving his heart away will mean he dies. So I loved how these two started working together.
The world was interesting, I love the side characters and how the world affected our characters. While I didn’t exactly feel the connection between Arris and Demelza, I enjoyed them both as characters. For me a lot did stay on the surface though. I know this was supposed to be a more whimsical story, but I needed just a little more depth. My favorite part was Demelza finding herself and believing in herself. Also, I’ll always love reading Roshani’s writing. I can’t wait to see what she does next.
Have you read any new favorite fantasy stories? Or retellings? Let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear from you!
