Book Info:
The Song of the Swan by Karah Sutton
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Publishing Date: October 24, 2023
Synopsis:
A magical retelling of Swan Lake, featuring a clever orphan, a castle filled with enchanted swans, and a quest to unearth the secrets of the past.
Olga is an orphan and a thief, relying on trickery and sleight of hand to make her way in the world. But it’s magic, not thievery, that could get her into trouble.
When Olga and her partner-in-crime Pavel learn of a valuable jewel kept in a secluded castle, Olga sees an opportunity to change their lives: a prize so big, they’d never have to steal again. But the castle is not as it seems, ruled by an enchanter who hosts grand balls every night, only for the guests to disappear each morning, replaced by swans. Guided by cryptic clues from the palace spiders, Olga soon realizes she’s in over her head—torn between a bargain with the enchanter, loyalty to Pavel, and determination to understand how the enchanted swans are linked to her own fate.
One thing is certain: there is dark magic behind the castle’s mysteries, and Olga will stop at nothing to unmask it.
Book Links:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/90590074
About the Author:
Karah Sutton is a New Zealand/American author and former bookseller whose debut children’s book A Wolf for a Spell was an American Booksellers Association Indies Introduce selection, an Indie Next List Top 10 selection, a Junior Library Guild selection, a Bank Street College Best Children’s Book of the Year, and a Goodreads Choice Award nominee for Best Children’s & Middle Grade for 2021. Karah also works in marketing for the video game industry, and has had the pleasure of working with some of the world’s most respected and well-loved entertainment companies including Disney, Netflix, Fox, and DreamWorks.
Author Links:
Website: https://karahsutton.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karahdactylauthor/
Tour Schedule:
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.