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Princess of the Wild Swans

by Diane Zahler (Goodreads Author), Yvonne Gilbert (Illustrations)

3.78 of 5 stars 3.78 · rating details · 249 ratings · 56 reviews

Based on Hans Christian Andersen's "The Wild Swans," this enchanting fantasy by Diane Zahler, author of The Thirteenth Princess and A True Princess, is a tale of family, bravery . . . and a terrible spell.

Princess Meriel's brothers have been cursed. An evil enchantment cast by their conniving new stepmother has transformed the handsome princes into swans. They now swim for...more

Hardcover, 224 pages

Published January 31st 2012 by HarperCollins

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Lists with This Book

2012 YA/MG Fantasy Books

92nd out of 186 books — 482 voters

A Curse Dark As Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce

Fairy Tale Retellings: Hidden Gems

148th out of 294 books — 459 voters

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Oct 14, 2012 April rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: middle-grade, fantasy, for-review

There’s something magical about a fairytale. Maybe it’s the tradition behind it, or the shared heritage behind stories that get passed down. Either way, I love reading fairytale retellings. Diane Zahler is becoming one of my favorite middle grade authors as she continues to put a captivating spin on fairy tales with her latest, Princess Of The Wild Swans.

Read the rest of my review here

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May 27, 2012 Shannon Kitchens rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fairy-tale-favorites

A very fun and well done "Six Swans" retelling. It's a quick read that I really enjoyed.

Sometimes, I find a medieval setting can be a drag, but the writing is smooth and never gets to historical. Zahler keeps the tone and voice simple but developed which leads to great fairy tale tone throughout. I really, really appreciate that.

I enjoy Meriel as a character and her spunky but princess enough voice. I especially loved how she hated sewing, that it was expected of her as a lady, and that she need...more

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Apr 25, 2012 Sara rated it 5 of 5 stars

Princess of the Wild Swans by Diane Zahler is a retelling of the Six Swans. The story follows Meriel the only daughter in the kings household. She adores her brothers and when her father comes home with a new wife who seems to resent their existence Meriel becomes worried. After the new Queen sends her brothers to school Meriel is suspicious. When she finds a new group of swans on the lake that seem like her brothers she knows that something is wrong. She soon finds out that they've been enchant...more

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Mar 01, 2012 Barb Middleton rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fairy-tale

"Read this! Read this!" I look down at the beautiful renaissance-type artwork on the cover of Diane Zahler's newest book that a 5th grader has shoved in my hands. What makes the students love her books? I know that one appeal is the cover, but I suspect that the stronger appeal is the inherent goodness of the teenage characters who are beginning to experience romantic feelings for each other. The stories are fast-paced and easy-to-read. They are not multi-layered but have plenty of action and in...more "Read this! Read this!" I look down at the beautiful renaissance-type artwork on the cover of Diane Zahler's newest book that a 5th grader has shoved in my hands. What makes the students love her books? I know that one appeal is the cover, but I suspect that the stronger appeal is the inherent goodness of the teenage characters who are beginning to experience romantic feelings for each other. The stories are fast-paced and easy-to-read. They are not multi-layered but have plenty of action and innocent romance. I did find this book's character slightly different from the previous two books. Princess Meriel in the beginning has more of an attitude and is spoiled as the only girl out of six children. She talks back to adults and needs to be the center of attention. At first I thought Meriel was going to run away because she complains about how her brothers get to do all the fun things like hunting and using swords and she has to learn to sew (guess I had the character from Trickster's Choice on my brain), but in the end she isn't bucking the princess role or female expectations, she embraces it and even tells her governess "she was right."

This fairy tale adheres pretty closely to the original plot structure of Hans Christian Andersen's, The Wild Swans, which makes it predictable in many ways: happy, wealthy family ends up with evil stepmother (witch) who wants the King's kingdom; nasty mom turns sons into swans, tries to get rid of stepdaughter with curse; stepdaughter goes on quest to save brothers, has to sew shirts out of nettles, witch tries to stop her; lives happily ever after. Zahler uses this plot as her launching board and then puts in her own twists and variations into the story.

Meriel is not the pure character who prays to God like in Andersen's story (the entire layer of religion and the evil Archebishop are not found in Zahler's story), but instead, is outspoken and a go-getter. She knows right away that her stepmom is evil and she hates not having all of her father's attention. When the stepmother tries to control Meriel's movements by not letting her out of the castle, Meriel finds ways to sneak out. When suddenly Meriel's brothers disappear and are sent to "school" Meriel insists something is wrong because they don't even say "Goodbye" to her. She gets help from Cullen's girlfriend, Riona, who is a half-witch. Riona instructs Meriel to not direct her thoughts at her stepmother which is how she controls minds and how Meriel's father's mind is being controlled by her stepmother. Riona talks to her mother, a witch who married a human, who instructs Meriel how to break the curse which is to knit shirts out of nettles and not speak a word to anyone.

Fortunately, Meriel can communicate with Riona and her brother, Liam, because they are half-witches and can hear her thoughts when directed at them. She also gets help from an unexpected witch but I won't tell you who it is because it will spoil the fun surprise. Zahler has the evil stepmother in league with the "Faeries" and this part I found slightly confusing. The faeries used to dwell among the humans (some married humans, that's how half-witches came into existance) but the faeries were forced by witches below ground because there was some cruelty going on that was never defined. The witches put a spell on the opening to Faeryland which is called the "Faery spring" and the evil stepmother makes a pact with the Faery King to release the spell so the Faeries can rule over humans. The pact is the stepmother will marry a king and put her son on the throne releasing the protection spell so faeries can dwell and rule over humans. Meriel asks her stepmother why the heck did she pick a family with 5 sons instead of finding a king with no children?Ha! Good question. The stepmother replies that her father's thoughts were only on her, the girl in the family.

The stepmother calls up a faerie to thwart Meriel in her quest and it is never shown how she does this or how she gets her powers. When the sons change into swan,s the Faery King, except he's not called that I'm just assuming he's the big honcho - he's called an "onchu" which looks like "honcho" - decides the promise is broken between himself and the evil stepmother, but I don't know why the witchy stepmother can't try another spell to kill the sons since the king is bewitched. I think more explanations would have strengthened the storyline, such as making up that a Faery War occurred 70 years before because Onchu the Big Honcho wanted to rule the kingdom but he failed in his uprising; thus, causing the half-human, half-witches to force the faeries underground. I wanted the Faery world more fleshed out but that would make for a longer more complex story.

I thought the romance between the Prince Cullen and Riona interesting. The two want to marry but it isn't allowed in the cast system with him being a prince and she being a commoner; however, when Cullen ends up being the human with the arm of a swan then it is okay for them to marry. They are both outcasts. She's half-witch. He's half-bird. It is not talked about but inferred in the story. I think it would be interesting to compare the original story with this one in a bookclub. There would be plenty to talk about!
(less)

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Jun 24, 2012 Skedatt rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, childrens

Great fantasy for younger readers. I enjoyed her particular retelling with one exception (view spoiler) Other than that, it was fine. A nice coming of age.

I did like that at 12 the heroine was NOT crushing...more

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Feb 14, 2012 Mundie Moms & Mundie Kids rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-release, mundie-kids-reviews, arcs-i-own, 2012-100-book-challenge

What an enchanting read! I love a well written fairy tale re-telling and Diane has done a wonderful job with her story of Meriel and her brothers whom are all turned into swans. I really enjoyed being swept away with the classic fairytale aspect of this story. There's magic, danger, a lovely, well written innocent romance, witches and fey lore. Plus I love that it takes a Princess and good hearted towns people to bring down a wicked, evil witch.

Princess Meriel is a fabulously written, strong you...more

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Aug 13, 2012 Elevetha Houre rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Lovers of fairytales retold, reimagined, or twisted on it's side

Shelves: fairytale-retelling, fairytales, magic-and-other-magical-substances, 2012

3 1\2 stars. A retelling of the The Wild Swans. The writing is superb, flowing and weaving, it draws you into Meriel's enchanted world. Meriel's five brothers are transformed into swans by Meriel's full witch stepmother.(Yes, an actual witch) Not all witches are bad, in fact, Meriel's friends are half-witches. Liam and Riona were a lovely brother and sister duo. Meriel must complete what seems an impossible task: weaving stinging nettles into shirts for her brothers, all without saying a word. W...more

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Jul 10, 2012 Amy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Like the fairy tale of the Goose Girl or the 12 Dancing Princesses, the story of the princess and the swans is an often forgotten fairy tale brought to a more public prominence by fairy tale writers. Princess of the Wild Swans is just that. Its a beautiful, charmingly done version of an already known fairy tale. Zahler does a wonderful job. While not adding anything neccesarily new, she creates characters and fleshes them out. Her writing is smooth and easy to go with. Her main character, Princ...more

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Feb 12, 2012 Erica rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-fantasy-reading-challenge, 2012-historical-fiction-challenge

3.5 stars

Princess of the Wild Swans by Diane Zahler was a super cute, fast read. I had so much fun reading and am excited to check out Diane Zahler's other books after this.
The beginning was a bit disjointed for me, and I didn't really get into Princess of the Wild Swans until probably a third of the way in. Then I was super invested in it, and didn't want to put it down. I loved trying to figure out what would happen next. I wish this one had been a bit longer, as I would have loved to know wha...more

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Sep 22, 2012 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

This is a good retelling of Hans Christian Anderson's The Wild Swans, though Anderson's heroine is rather too pious and Ms. Zahler's pampered somewhat thoughtless princess is much more believable. I like the five brothers, particularly Cullen, as well as the rest of the crew that assist Meriel: nursemaid, Cullen's half-witch girlfriend, and a lot of helpful townspeople. I preferred Zoe Marriott's retelling of The Wild Swans, but that is for a rather older crowd; this book will likely be enjoyed...more

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Feb 14, 2012 Bo rated it 5 of 5 stars

A poignant retelling of Andersen's fairy tale about a curse that entraps young men in the bodies of swans. Zahler's prose style is evocative and subtle, and her protagonist Meriel undergoes a transformation from spoiled, petulant child to mature and compassionate young woman. Unlike many of her peers, Zahler is not afraid to challenge the reader with a heroine who is not immediately appealing -- and this provides a much richer emotional and psychological payoff in the end. There are moments of c...more

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Feb 19, 2012 Danielle rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-favorites, books-i-own, for-review, middlegrade

Short and Sweet: Powerful storytelling filled with adventure and heart. A fairytale for all ages!

Full Review Originally Posted at There's A Book: An adventurous princess trapped by the bounds placed upon her by her title is freed to become the person she’d always dreamed about, but is the cost too high? Princess Meriel’s father, the King, returns from a recent trip with a new wife at his side. With her brothers and father entranced by the new Queen it’s up to Meriel to dispel the mystery surroun...more Short and Sweet: Powerful storytelling filled with adventure and heart. A fairytale for all ages!

Full Review Originally Posted at There's A Book: An adventurous princess trapped by the bounds placed upon her by her title is freed to become the person she’d always dreamed about, but is the cost too high? Princess Meriel’s father, the King, returns from a recent trip with a new wife at his side. With her brothers and father entranced by the new Queen it’s up to Meriel to dispel the mystery surrounding Lady Orianna and prevent a disaster from befalling not only her family but the kingdom she loves.

My first experience reading Diane Zahler’s work came with her book A True Princess and I absolutely loved it. Well, I’m not sure it’s possible but I think I may have enjoyed Princess of the Wild Swans even more. Zahler has a way with words that pull her characters off the page and into reality. In both books I was astounded at this not only because it’s done so seamlessly, but also because it’s done in a relatively short span of pages. In quite a few instances readers tend to think of middle grade fiction as being “easier” or “more basic”, but that’s not the case at all and in the case of Diane Zahler’s writing you’d be sorely mistaken for thinking that. Yes, the story is shorter and the action fast paced, but the depth you’d expect within the pages of a young adult or perhaps an adult novel is clearly there within these pages. There’s no “easier” about it, Princess of the Wild Swans is simply excellent storytelling that readers young and old will be enchanted by.

Princess of the Wild Swans is based loosely on the story told by Hans Christian Anderson called The Wild Swans. Now, I’d actually never heard this fairytale before and if you haven’t before I’m not sure I’d suggest reading it before reading Zahler’s book. Not that they are the same, because they aren’t much at all, it’s just that I’m the type that doesn’t like spoilers of any sort. It did lay a nice foundation for a story I appreciate even more than the classic it’s based off of.

Again, as she did with A True Princess, Zahler creates a world and characters that you’re instantly taken in by. Within pages you are irritated with Meriel’s behavior, eager to see her become the adventurer she longs for and concerned for her family’s well-being. It’s amazing because if you’d asked me only two pages in if I was going to like Meriel I would have said no, but ask me on page ten and I would have given you a completely different answer. She was feisty but warm and kind. Her friends Riona and Liam only made her a better person and their willingness to help her became a trait she soon acquired herself. It wasn’t merely the characters but the depth of the story, from a world with witches and royalty to fairies and a magical lake, it all created an entire portrait that felt alive as you read through it’s pages.

Diane Zahler knows how to write a classic fairytale that readers today will immediately fall in love with. Princess of the Wild Swans is filled with stunningly realistic characters, an exciting adventure and mystery as well as lessons to be learned. Princess Meriel is a princess I’d be excited to have my children look up to and am eager to share with them, as her heart and passion rest with the welfare of those around her. Princess of the Wild Swans by Diane Zahler is a story I thoroughly enjoyed and one I’d highly recommend to other readers who love a brilliant fairytale retelling or simply an excellent story.(less)

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Apr 27, 2012 Mara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-owned, 2012-reads, fairytale-retelling

"The Wild Swans" was one of my all-time favorite Hans Christian Andersen fairy tales, and I have always wished that someone would do a retelling of it. I am pleased to say that Diane Zahler did an excellent job in reworking this magical tale. Meriel is a strong heroine who is quick to understand what the Queen is trying to do, while the rest of her family is blind to it. And when Meriel is ignored and the Queen changes her brothers into swans, Meriel doesn't waste any time in getting help. She i...more

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Feb 02, 2012 Hafsah Faizal rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review was written by my eleven year old sister, Asma.

When twelve-year-old Princess Meriel’s father marries Lady Orianna strange things start happening in the castle. When Meriel’s five brothers are sent off to school by Lady Orianna, five new swans now swim in the heart shaped lake right outside of the walls of the castle. Princess Meriel soon finds out that the swans are no ordinary swans but her brothers! Finding out the truth about Lady Orianna, Meriel now must do an unthinkable task th...more

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Mar 11, 2012 Ruby rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fairy-tale-retelling, historical, fantasy, middle-grade

This review was first posted at http://www.rubysreads.com.

Presenting Ruby and Small's First Ever Joint Review!

The Characters
Ruby
You're probably going to be sick and tired of me saying things like this, but Princess of the Wild Swans' Meriel couldn't hold a candle to Daughter of the Forest's Sorcha. She was spoiled and a bit thin on personality and character development. I know that I should expect a princess to be a bit spoiled, but I do expect spoiled characters to move, gradually toward a pl...more This review was first posted at http://www.rubysreads.com.

Presenting Ruby and Small's First Ever Joint Review!

The Characters
Ruby
You're probably going to be sick and tired of me saying things like this, but Princess of the Wild Swans' Meriel couldn't hold a candle to Daughter of the Forest's Sorcha. She was spoiled and a bit thin on personality and character development. I know that I should expect a princess to be a bit spoiled, but I do expect spoiled characters to move, gradually toward a place where they are less spoiled. Meriel ostensibly did this, but not in any particularly interesting way. I also didn't think we got to know the brothers very well before they were turned into swans. They fell too neatly into categories (artistic brother, introspective brother, etc). I wasn't invested enough to really care that they were gone, and I didn't feel the tension when Meriel was fighting to get them back.
Small Review
I agree, Meriel was very spoiled. I’d even say bratty. I do think she grew as the book went on, but she annoyed me so much in the beginning that I had a hard time letting that go. The brothers were disappointing to me, too. It wasn’t even like they just fit into categories, it was like they were categories. We didn’t even get to SEE an expression of their character traits (like the artistic one being artistic, or the introspective one being introspective) we were just TOLD that those were their traits. That made them feel even less alive than if they were simple caricatures. I almost wish the story had been about Liam, Danica, and their mother—the original characters. They were easier to like and hinted at depth. I felt their family bonds a lot more clearly. The only time I really felt invested in the story was when one of them was in peril.
Ruby
I agree! I can't think of a single thing the brothers (aside from Cullan) did! But I didn't like Liam, Danica and company as much as you did. I felt like they were caricatures of kind-hearted villagers.
The Fairy Tale
Ruby:
Daughters of the Forest (by JM) also retells this story. And, frankly, she does it so much better that I don't think this book is going to work for me. This is the Lite version. I literally could not stop comparing Princess of the Wild Swans to Daughter of the Forest. The fact that Meriel could communicate with Liam and Danica telepathically made me want to tell her that she had it easy compared to the things Sorcha had to go through. What I can't decide is if I would have enjoyed this story if I hadn't read Daughter of the Forest. I read MG novels occasionally because that's the age I teach (and probably the reason I don't seek out the genre), so I know the only issue wasn't the audience Zahler was writing to. I've read more sophisticated stuff geared towards younger audiences. I just didn't connect with this story. The action also flies past without real substance, and the conflict was too neatly resolved. If you've read Juliet Marillier's guest post, you know what I'm talking about. It's one of the tidiest happily ever afters I've ever encountered. The only thing it's lacking is the babies.
Small Review
It’s hard to look at a book objectively when you hold a similar book in such high regard. I know we’re not supposed to compare, but how can you not? I think as far as MG books go, this one will be a hit with its target audience (when I was reading this at work I had three girls ask if they could borrow it and if I would order it for the library—all in the target age group), but it likely won’t be as successful with YA or adult readers.
I usually don’t mind—and even sometimes welcome—neat happily ever after endings, but for some reason this one fell flat for me. Easy peasy "trials" and then neat ending. They didn't DESERVE that ending. They didn't work for it. I also never fully connected with the characters, so I didn’t give a pass on the sappy ending when I otherwise would have (I would move mountains to give my beloved characters a saccharine sweet HEA).
Ruby
Good to know! I'll take my copy to my classroom and see if it draws the interest of my students. I think the question of why the saccharine ending bothered us so much is a good one. I'm a happy ending person, too. I get pissed if the main characters go through ridiculous amounts of suffering only to have medium happy endings. I agree with Small, that also you need to feel like the characters have earned their happy endings--and I didn't get that feeling here.

2 1/2 Points:
I'd Glance at This Book Through a Store Window. (less)

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Jan 17, 2012 Rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, fairy-tale-retellings, arc, to-review

Twelve-year-old Princess Meriel is the only girl in a family with five older brothers. Her mother died when she was very young, so it has just been Meriel, her brothers, and their father, the King, for as long as she can remember. Then one day her father returns home with a new wife, Lady Orianna. From the start, Meriel hates Lady Orianna. She doesn't trust her, especially after overhearing her argue with her father over the fact that if she has a son, he will never be king with five older broth...more

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Feb 13, 2012 Claire rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 10-to-12-year-old-readers, 9-to-11-year-old-readers, 7th-grade-shelf

The Princess stories continue - Meriel chafes at the skill set she must learn to be a princess, and admittedly her points are excellent. None the less when her father is enchanted by the conniving Orianna and her brothers are enspelled she must rise to the occasion and use her almost non existent sewing skills and interestingly, self control; her two greatest challenges, to save their lives. This is a race with a most ruthless foe and until the very end we are not sure who will win.

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Mar 30, 2012 Ji Mei ^_^ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-fiction, princess-fiction

I didn't know much about the fairy tale about wild swans, but I really liked how this tale was told and the different perspective the author has. It isn't action-packed with suspense making you want to leap out of you seat, but there is a subtle I-can't-put-this-down plot. It is realistic with sparks of magic here and there and the heroine is likable. This princess is strong and confident, even when silent she is an interesting character.

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May 05, 2013 Nora rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: jf

I love fairy tales (both for romance & as cautionary tales) & I have always loved this story where the princess is the hero! She saves her brothers (all 5-7 of them depending on who is doing the storytelling) by doing something only she could do & this author does a phenomenal job humanizing each of the people involved (so that they have personalities & live & breathe instead of being cardboard place holders). Thoroughly enjoyable!

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Jan 27, 2013 Candy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: j-books

This was one of my favorite versions of the princess and the swans story. It is different than the others I have read because she could tell others what she had to do rather than keep it a secret. I liked how the author took a spoiled princess at the beginning and by the end of the story she had turned her into a humble and lovable character. The plot was very thorough and did not leave me with too many questions. As a hopeless romantic I did wonder what was going to happen between Liam and Meri...more

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Jun 26, 2012 Anna Meghan rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

***I received a free copy through goodreads giveaways***

When I signed up for the giveaway for this book I didn't relize the age group this was meant for. For some one in the 8-12 age group I think this would be an easy entertaining read that parents could feel okay about their children reading. Some books written for children can be great reads for adults as well and this one wasn't part of that catagory. I found it a little simplistic and downplayed a lot of the difficulties of the original sto...more

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Feb 24, 2013 Connie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-books

This was a simple and enchanting fairy tale. It has all the usual elements--witches, a castle, princes and princesses and a wicked stepmother. Princess Meriel must save her brothers from an evil enchantment. This book really draws you in. You will want to make your own vow of silence to help the break the spell. :)

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Oct 08, 2012 Naomi rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have always loved books about older brothers and their younger sisters so this one enchanted me. It made me cry as well. It even made me a little angry but I learned to accept

SPOILER!!!!!!!SPOILER!!!SPOILER!!!!!!!!!
I learned to accept the fact that one of the brothers never completely heals.

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May 20, 2012 Emyrose8 rated it 3 of 5 stars

It was good, but not the best fairy tale I've ever read. It's an adaptation of the story about the seven brothers who get turned into swans because of a wicked stepmother. To save them, their sister must weave nettles into seven shirts to break the enchantment, all without speaking a word. This story follows the same plot, with some modifications. I kept waiting and waiting for something absolutely horrible to happen, but the axe never dropped. It was pretty good and is worth reading if you happ...more

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Feb 15, 2012 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, j-fairy-folk-tales, j-fantasy

I liked this much better than the authors other fairy tale retellings. This book is a simple, yet wonderful retelling of the Princess who has to save her brothers that were turned into swans by a bad witch (whatever is the official title). Good for grades 3-4 and up.

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Feb 22, 2012 Shanshad Whelan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens, mg, fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 18, 2012 Miss Clark rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fairytale-fantasy-sci-fi-mythology

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Sep 28, 2012 Bridget R. Wilson rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, middle-grade, fairy-tales, mg-fairy-tales

Like all good fairy tales, this one begins with a stepmother and a curse. The new queen wants her future children to inherit the throne not one of her five stepsons. She turns them into swans and it's up their younger sister Meriel to rescue them.

What I thought: This is a fairy tale I'm less familiar with, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Meriel is a strong character. I don't know which would be worse--stinging nettles or not speaking. Her friendship with Riona and Liam is nice. Middle Grade retel...more

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Feb 28, 2012 Kara rated it 5 of 5 stars

Another great princess story! I really love Diane Zahler and her wonderful versions of fairy tales. Even the ones I am familiar with are totally changed with her perspective.

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Mar 23, 2013 Bethe rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: folktales-fairy-tale-retellings

Perfect retelling of a lesser known fairy tale for the tween reader. Beautiful cover makes Princess Meriel look sweeter than she really is. Nice, realistic character transformation as well. Want to read Zahler's other princess books now.

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About Diane Zahler

I grew up reading children's books and never wanted to do anything but write them. Then I got a contract for THE THIRTEENTH PRINCESS and A TRUE PRINCESS, and then PRINCESS OF THE WILD SWANS and, coming in August, SLEEPING BEAUTY'S DAUGHTERS. Magic does happen! I live in the country with my husband in what is aptly nicknamed the Bug House. Visit my website at www.dianezahler.com.

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