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Realms of Caelia #2
Lake of the Wild Swans: A Combined Retelling of Swan Lake & the Wild Swans
A swan princess, a vile sorcerer, and a prince searching for his lost love.
Princess Odette doesn’t expect dancing in the arms of the handsome and flirtatious Prince Lander to incite the jealous Lord Rothbart to kidnap and curse her and her seven brothers. Held captive far from home as a swan by day, princess by night, Odette evades Rothbart’s nightly proposals. She will do anything to return her brothers’ humanity—even knit with nettles. The way to break her own curse, however, remains a mystery.
Lander yearns to find the missing princess who captured his heart. After three years of fruitless searching, he fears he will never see his love again.
When Lander finally stumbles upon her prison, he will do whatever it takes to save Odette from the vile sorcerer and her seemingly unbreakable curse. Yet Rothbart has plans of his own. Can Lander break Odette’s curse in time, or will Rothbart keep her forever?
Realms of Caelia is a series of interconnected combined fairy tale retellings. Each book weaves two traditional tales together into a unique story. They are best enjoyed in order. If you like sweet and clean romances, moments of hilarity, and magical fairy tales with happily ever after endings, then Realms of Caelia is for you!
Recommended reading 12+
Princess Odette doesn’t expect dancing in the arms of the handsome and flirtatious Prince Lander to incite the jealous Lord Rothbart to kidnap and curse her and her seven brothers. Held captive far from home as a swan by day, princess by night, Odette evades Rothbart’s nightly proposals. She will do anything to return her brothers’ humanity—even knit with nettles. The way to break her own curse, however, remains a mystery.
Lander yearns to find the missing princess who captured his heart. After three years of fruitless searching, he fears he will never see his love again.
When Lander finally stumbles upon her prison, he will do whatever it takes to save Odette from the vile sorcerer and her seemingly unbreakable curse. Yet Rothbart has plans of his own. Can Lander break Odette’s curse in time, or will Rothbart keep her forever?
Realms of Caelia is a series of interconnected combined fairy tale retellings. Each book weaves two traditional tales together into a unique story. They are best enjoyed in order. If you like sweet and clean romances, moments of hilarity, and magical fairy tales with happily ever after endings, then Realms of Caelia is for you!
Recommended reading 12+
413 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 6, 2024
25 people are currently reading
129 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
November 19, 2024
I really enjoyed Lake of the Wild Swans, Sara Farnsworth's second book. Her books are definitely getting better and better. I really enjoyed this take on Swan Lake and the Wild Swans, it's honestly surprising that I haven't read a book with both of these fairy tales combined, especially since both fairy tales involve swans. The plot and the characters were very well done and I really enjoyed the relationship between Lander and Odette, although I would have liked a little more substance in it, as they only knew each other for around 5 days before she disappeared for 3 years. They each would have definitely changed and they would need to get to know each other all over again. A little more emotion would have been nice to, as Lander should have fallen to pieces after learning that Odette was missing. Maybe he would have become more quiet and serious and Odette would need to help him discover his teasing self again. Odette should also have become either stronger or traumatised after Rothbart kidnapped her and Lander should have helped her navigate that. Apart from this character development, I really enjoyed the book. The plot was so beautifully crafted and so different from many fairy tale retellings. I love how Sara managed to blend the two fairy tales together seamlessly and how well they fit together - like the pieces of a puzzle. It was also great seeing Alora and Aldric again (I love how Alora plays a crucial role in this book and doesn't really take a backseat). I enjoyed seeing Alora's relationship with her brother, after being missing for 16 years. I also loved all of Odette's overprotective brothers. Overall, this was such a great story and I can't wait for the next installment!
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February 3, 2025This book has been nominated for a 2025 Swoony Award, to vote for it click here: Swoony Awards.
April 27, 2025
Sara Farnsworth's Realms of Caelia series is probably my favorite series that I've read this year. I love how each book seamlessly combines two fairy tales and is packed with magic and romance. In fact, she just may have inspired me to write a dual retelling this summer as well. Lake of the Wild Swans is the second book in the series and fills the gap between Beauty in the Tower and Ella and the Seven Dwarfs. Although these books work okay as standalones, there are so many recurring characters and scenes amongst them that it's best to read the whole series in order. I read an ARC of Ella and the Seven Dwarfs before this one and felt like it was missing some key scenes until I realized they were all in Lake of the Wild Swans. This book is a combined retelling of "Swan Lake" and "The Wild Swans," which both fit together very well due to the overarching swan transformation theme.
Princess Odette is a teenager with social anxiety who is intimidated by all the attention she receives at a royal ball, first by a flirtatious masked pirate and later by a creepy duke. When she realizes the costumed pirate is actually Prince Lander and that he is sincere in his flirtations, she begins to fall for him, enraging the duke, who is actually a sorcerer named Rothbart. When Odette's seven brothers catch Rothbart using magic on Odette, he transforms all eight of them into swans and captures them in a faraway castle with a lake. Only Odette recovers her human form each night, but if she leaves the vicinity of the lake as a human, she will die. The only way to convince Rothbart to remove the spell is to marry him, which is unthinkable.
The characters in this book are a lot of fun. Although Lander's flirting gets kind of irritating after a while, he has a great sense of humor and serves as a terrific complement to Odette's shyness. Her brothers are also pretty funny while trapped in the bodies of swans because they honk and poke at any man who tries to hit on Odette, whether it's Rothbart or Lander. I did wish they could do more to show their individual personalities instead of always acting as a unit, but that can be difficult when they can't communicate for most of the book. Odile was underused as a character. I liked that she was in this, but she could have posed a much bigger threat than she did to make the story align better with the "Swan Lake" ballet.
The minor changes made to both fairy tales were mostly for the better. I appreciated that the parameters of breaking her brothers' spell were changed from not being able to talk at all until she finished sewing them all shirts made of nettles to simply not being able to talk about her task. Losing her voice as soon as her prince discovers her would have made this book too similar to "The Little Mermaid," which was also teased at the end for a future Realms of Caelia novel. Rothbart's magic is explained in detail, leaving no stone unturned. Alora, the protagonist from Beauty in the Tower, makes good use of her magical knowledge to aid Odette as much as possible in her mission to escape Rothbart and break the spells on her brothers and herself.
Lake of the Wild Swans is an engaging retelling of two classic fairy tales, seamlessly woven together with magic, romance, and humor. Sara Farnsworth's Realms of Caelia series continues to impress, with this installment offering a fresh take on "Swan Lake" and "The Wild Swans." The characters, particularly Odette and her swan brothers, are delightful and memorable, and the story's unique blend of fairy tale elements and magical world-building makes for a compelling read. While some characters, like Odile, could have been utilized more effectively, the book's strengths far outweigh its weaknesses. Overall, Lake of the Wild Swans is a must-read for fans of fairy tale retellings and clean romance, and I eagerly look forward to the next installment in the series.
Princess Odette is a teenager with social anxiety who is intimidated by all the attention she receives at a royal ball, first by a flirtatious masked pirate and later by a creepy duke. When she realizes the costumed pirate is actually Prince Lander and that he is sincere in his flirtations, she begins to fall for him, enraging the duke, who is actually a sorcerer named Rothbart. When Odette's seven brothers catch Rothbart using magic on Odette, he transforms all eight of them into swans and captures them in a faraway castle with a lake. Only Odette recovers her human form each night, but if she leaves the vicinity of the lake as a human, she will die. The only way to convince Rothbart to remove the spell is to marry him, which is unthinkable.
The characters in this book are a lot of fun. Although Lander's flirting gets kind of irritating after a while, he has a great sense of humor and serves as a terrific complement to Odette's shyness. Her brothers are also pretty funny while trapped in the bodies of swans because they honk and poke at any man who tries to hit on Odette, whether it's Rothbart or Lander. I did wish they could do more to show their individual personalities instead of always acting as a unit, but that can be difficult when they can't communicate for most of the book. Odile was underused as a character. I liked that she was in this, but she could have posed a much bigger threat than she did to make the story align better with the "Swan Lake" ballet.
The minor changes made to both fairy tales were mostly for the better. I appreciated that the parameters of breaking her brothers' spell were changed from not being able to talk at all until she finished sewing them all shirts made of nettles to simply not being able to talk about her task. Losing her voice as soon as her prince discovers her would have made this book too similar to "The Little Mermaid," which was also teased at the end for a future Realms of Caelia novel. Rothbart's magic is explained in detail, leaving no stone unturned. Alora, the protagonist from Beauty in the Tower, makes good use of her magical knowledge to aid Odette as much as possible in her mission to escape Rothbart and break the spells on her brothers and herself.
Lake of the Wild Swans is an engaging retelling of two classic fairy tales, seamlessly woven together with magic, romance, and humor. Sara Farnsworth's Realms of Caelia series continues to impress, with this installment offering a fresh take on "Swan Lake" and "The Wild Swans." The characters, particularly Odette and her swan brothers, are delightful and memorable, and the story's unique blend of fairy tale elements and magical world-building makes for a compelling read. While some characters, like Odile, could have been utilized more effectively, the book's strengths far outweigh its weaknesses. Overall, Lake of the Wild Swans is a must-read for fans of fairy tale retellings and clean romance, and I eagerly look forward to the next installment in the series.
December 15, 2025
😒😒😒
This put me in a reading slump.
I started it months ago and only just finished it.
😮💨😮💨
This could have been so much better. Sara set up the next books very nicely and I am excited to read them but this one was a big let down.
I just realized as I was finishing the last few chapters why the characters seemed so flat.
They had no character development at all.
When Odette is captured her goals at the beginning are to escape and be with Lander and her family. At the end she is free and wants to be with Lander and her family. No character growth. She didn't overcome anything. She didn't discover anything about herself. Nothing would have changed if you put literally any other character in her position. Same with Lander. These characters had so little impact on the plot. The closest Lander came to a fight was throwing insults at Rothbart like he was five. 🤦🏼♀️
I called the ending. All the plans the villains made were basically stopped immediately.
I haven't ever eaten a lemon tart but if I ever have to hear about one again I am going to throw up. No joke. Every. Single. Time. Lander eats it always mentiones something about lemon tarts! He ate a lemon tart, it wasn't as good as a lemon tart, lemon tarts were his favorite. 🍋🤢It even referred to Odette as his favorite lemon tart! 🤧
I get that he likes them but do you have to keep shoving it down our throats?
Don't even get me started on Lander and Odette's conversations. This is about all their conversations are towards the end of the book,
Lander trys to get a little too flirty and Odette tells him it isn't proper. He reminds her he is a pirate and he smirks at her blush. He literally said "again, Pirate." twice in one chapter! Less then three Kindle pages apart!
If they are having a serious conversation it goes like this,
Lander wishes he could save her, calls Rothbart names and wants to kiss her. Odette wants to be free but wants him to stay out of danger.
Over and over and over again. The same conversations.
Odette doesn't even stands up for herself. She refuses Rothbart every single time he asked her to marry him but other than that Lander does all the talking for her! And her brothers are so irritating. They attack Rothbart if he gets too close. Fine, that is understandable but they also give the same treatment to Lander any time he shows a hint of affection. Even after he breaks her Curse and they have already kissed! They don't even allow Odette to decide if she wants him to back off. Odette doesn't make any decisions herself except for who she marries. That is it.
This is already a much longer review than I intended but there was a lot that bugged me. I don't like giving bad reviews because I know the authors put a lot of time, energy and love into their stories but this one just missed it's mark. I'm not saying this is a bad book. It just wasn't for me. ☹️
This put me in a reading slump.
I started it months ago and only just finished it.
😮💨😮💨
This could have been so much better. Sara set up the next books very nicely and I am excited to read them but this one was a big let down.
I just realized as I was finishing the last few chapters why the characters seemed so flat.
They had no character development at all.
When Odette is captured her goals at the beginning are to escape and be with Lander and her family. At the end she is free and wants to be with Lander and her family. No character growth. She didn't overcome anything. She didn't discover anything about herself. Nothing would have changed if you put literally any other character in her position. Same with Lander. These characters had so little impact on the plot. The closest Lander came to a fight was throwing insults at Rothbart like he was five. 🤦🏼♀️
I called the ending. All the plans the villains made were basically stopped immediately.
I haven't ever eaten a lemon tart but if I ever have to hear about one again I am going to throw up. No joke. Every. Single. Time. Lander eats it always mentiones something about lemon tarts! He ate a lemon tart, it wasn't as good as a lemon tart, lemon tarts were his favorite. 🍋🤢It even referred to Odette as his favorite lemon tart! 🤧
I get that he likes them but do you have to keep shoving it down our throats?
Don't even get me started on Lander and Odette's conversations. This is about all their conversations are towards the end of the book,
Lander trys to get a little too flirty and Odette tells him it isn't proper. He reminds her he is a pirate and he smirks at her blush. He literally said "again, Pirate." twice in one chapter! Less then three Kindle pages apart!
If they are having a serious conversation it goes like this,
Lander wishes he could save her, calls Rothbart names and wants to kiss her. Odette wants to be free but wants him to stay out of danger.
Over and over and over again. The same conversations.
Odette doesn't even stands up for herself. She refuses Rothbart every single time he asked her to marry him but other than that Lander does all the talking for her! And her brothers are so irritating. They attack Rothbart if he gets too close. Fine, that is understandable but they also give the same treatment to Lander any time he shows a hint of affection. Even after he breaks her Curse and they have already kissed! They don't even allow Odette to decide if she wants him to back off. Odette doesn't make any decisions herself except for who she marries. That is it.
This is already a much longer review than I intended but there was a lot that bugged me. I don't like giving bad reviews because I know the authors put a lot of time, energy and love into their stories but this one just missed it's mark. I'm not saying this is a bad book. It just wasn't for me. ☹️
December 26, 2024
I love the premise behind this book (and the whole series) and I very much enjoyed the first book (Beauty in the Tower), but I have to say I wasn't super impressed with this book, which I hate to say as I love the idea and enjoyed the first so much.
Lake of the Wild Swans is a mash up of Swan Lake and The Wild Swans fairytales, and in theory this is great - the execution however didn't follow through.
When it comes to combining the two fairy tales, the author did a good job incorporating various elements, however I found the book incredibly repetitive, and honestly it could have had 40% cut out completely and still have told a complete tale - There was not much plot progression throughout the book at all, and in fact, more "set up" for plots for future books than for this story itself (I really DO like how the author sets up the storylines for the upcoming books, but in this situation it felt like that was more of the book than the "main plot").
I really liked Lander in Beauty in the Tower and was looking forward to seeing his character progress in this second book of the series, but the character progression fell flat as well. The author overused the cute/silly "Mr. Flirt" and pirate bit way too much as well, and while the first book delivered on the clean and sweet romance, this one wasn't selling it for me.
All that being said, I am looking forward to reading the future books in this series.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free, and I'm writing a review voluntarily.
Lake of the Wild Swans is a mash up of Swan Lake and The Wild Swans fairytales, and in theory this is great - the execution however didn't follow through.
When it comes to combining the two fairy tales, the author did a good job incorporating various elements, however I found the book incredibly repetitive, and honestly it could have had 40% cut out completely and still have told a complete tale - There was not much plot progression throughout the book at all, and in fact, more "set up" for plots for future books than for this story itself (I really DO like how the author sets up the storylines for the upcoming books, but in this situation it felt like that was more of the book than the "main plot").
I really liked Lander in Beauty in the Tower and was looking forward to seeing his character progress in this second book of the series, but the character progression fell flat as well. The author overused the cute/silly "Mr. Flirt" and pirate bit way too much as well, and while the first book delivered on the clean and sweet romance, this one wasn't selling it for me.
All that being said, I am looking forward to reading the future books in this series.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free, and I'm writing a review voluntarily.
November 28, 2024
Book 2 in The Realms of Caelia, Lake of the Wild Swans is a fun mash-up retelling of Swan Lake and The Wild Swans.
Odette, Princess of Odelle is only 16 when she refuses to marry Lord Rothbart. He curses her and her brothers to become swans and steals them away from the palace. Meanwhile, Prince Lander, who is in love with Odette, searches for her.
This is a clever retelling with great characters and an interesting world. The sibling relationships are wonderful and I liked both Lander and Odette, although I didn’t care for the insta-love and flirting from Lander.
My favorite parts were the hints and teases of other retellings sprinkled throughout the book. For example, Robin Hood, King Arthur, and Cinderella's stepsisters all make brief appearances. This story is very closely connected to book 1, which followed the story of Lander’s sister Alora and both she and her fiancé show up in this story. This is a fascinating world, with a lot going on among interconnected characters, so I wish I had read the books closer together so that I remembered more of the details. Also, I’m not as familiar with Swan Lake or The Wild Swans, so I may have missed some of the interesting twists which I enjoyed in the first book.
Fans of KM Shea’s Timeless Fairytales will enjoy this second book in a sweet and clean retelling series of intertwined stories.
Thank you to the author for the ARC. The book releases on December 6.
December 19, 2024
I knew after the first book that I was going to love this world…and after book two I’m hooked completely.
This retelling featured the combination of Swan Lake and the Wild Swans. The story starts when Odette is 16 and ends when she is 19.
The writing style flows so well and it’s so easy to picture the scenes and characters. There are lots of secondary characters and multiple kingdoms but each character is well developed that you can’t help but want each and every one of their stories! Plus with the Easter eggs into Robin Hood, Avalon, the sword in the stone…the little mermaid!! …and many others to come I am beyond excited and can’t wait for the rest of the series.
Now this does feature a different main couple and their happily ever after than book one but I highly recommend reading in order because the characters overlap and Alora and Alaric are featured heavily in this one too since it continues from book one. Plus there is an arc that looks to continue through each new book regarding Caelia and the evil plaguing the royal families.
A m/f romantic fantasy fairytale retelling with lots of magic, curses, overcoming obstacles, overprotective brothers, flirty ‘pirate’ prince, and true love.
This book primarily two povs by Lander and Odette but there are a few from other characters including the villain. Told in third person.
Prime couple -
Crown Prince Lander of Caledonia
Princes Odette of Odell (only girl with 7 brothers)
Steam - kissing
This retelling featured the combination of Swan Lake and the Wild Swans. The story starts when Odette is 16 and ends when she is 19.
The writing style flows so well and it’s so easy to picture the scenes and characters. There are lots of secondary characters and multiple kingdoms but each character is well developed that you can’t help but want each and every one of their stories! Plus with the Easter eggs into Robin Hood, Avalon, the sword in the stone…the little mermaid!! …and many others to come I am beyond excited and can’t wait for the rest of the series.
Now this does feature a different main couple and their happily ever after than book one but I highly recommend reading in order because the characters overlap and Alora and Alaric are featured heavily in this one too since it continues from book one. Plus there is an arc that looks to continue through each new book regarding Caelia and the evil plaguing the royal families.
A m/f romantic fantasy fairytale retelling with lots of magic, curses, overcoming obstacles, overprotective brothers, flirty ‘pirate’ prince, and true love.
This book primarily two povs by Lander and Odette but there are a few from other characters including the villain. Told in third person.
Prime couple -
Crown Prince Lander of Caledonia
Princes Odette of Odell (only girl with 7 brothers)
Steam - kissing
October 25, 2025
This book was definitely not my cup of tea! The pace was far too slow, the dialogue was over the top cringe and childishly repetitive (if I hear “what in the Realms of Caelia” ONE more time) and what could’ve been accomplished in 5 chapters extended painfully over 15. And don’t even get me started on Odette and how infuriating she was! if I had a penny for every time I hard rolled my eyes at her obnoxious treatment of prince Lander! She constantly acted disgusted with him for flirting (literally almost every other page if you can believe it) but yet, she kept stringing him along and then acted all shocked whenever someone would point out he was in love with her….PLEASE. Not to mention this girl has not one ounce of natural desire to be kissed or touched by someone she claims to love. I know this is marketed as a “clean”romance book, but if allowing the heroine to express mild affection in any sort of way is considered spicy, then don’t market this as a romance novel, it isn’t. Props to Lander for his relentless pursuit of her, because idk who else would want to. Another issue I have with this book is that absolutely none of the characters grew on me since there is little to no character development and overall there just isn’t anything unique about any of them. If you liked this book, I’m happy for you. I just can’t understand why there are so many five star reviews!
November 30, 2024
A lovely fairytale inspired story in the Realms of Caelia series! I was so excited for Lander’s story and it was so fun to see their story.
Lander was so fun! He could be a bit impulsive and was definitely a flirt with Odette, but he truly cared about her. He was determined to find Odette and was so faithful in his feelings. I loved seeing him with Allora too! They fell right into their sibling relationship! They had a lot of similarities, which made their interactions really fun. Lander definitely felt pretty young, like he was, but he was willing to listen to advice and seek help which was very admirable.
Odette was so strong! She endured through so much and yet she was still so kind and caring. She really cared about her brothers and wanted to protect them.I admired her resiliency and willingness to sacrifice for those she loved. She had a stubborn streak that mostly came out with her brothers and Lander!
I loved seeing the magical world again and the way the fairytales intertwined. It was such a lovely combination that flowed seamlessly. I loved getting to know more characters in the kingdoms and the hints of future stories. We also get to see cameos of old characters, which is always fun! This is a fairytale-inspired fantasy romance with only kissing. It does contain kidnapping, a gaslighting narcissistic villain and mild fantasy violence, but is suitable for teens and up.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, I was not required to write a positive review.
Lander was so fun! He could be a bit impulsive and was definitely a flirt with Odette, but he truly cared about her. He was determined to find Odette and was so faithful in his feelings. I loved seeing him with Allora too! They fell right into their sibling relationship! They had a lot of similarities, which made their interactions really fun. Lander definitely felt pretty young, like he was, but he was willing to listen to advice and seek help which was very admirable.
Odette was so strong! She endured through so much and yet she was still so kind and caring. She really cared about her brothers and wanted to protect them.I admired her resiliency and willingness to sacrifice for those she loved. She had a stubborn streak that mostly came out with her brothers and Lander!
I loved seeing the magical world again and the way the fairytales intertwined. It was such a lovely combination that flowed seamlessly. I loved getting to know more characters in the kingdoms and the hints of future stories. We also get to see cameos of old characters, which is always fun! This is a fairytale-inspired fantasy romance with only kissing. It does contain kidnapping, a gaslighting narcissistic villain and mild fantasy violence, but is suitable for teens and up.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, I was not required to write a positive review.
July 22, 2025
I am loving the mash-ups in this series and I really enjoy the world Farnsworth has created. I was sucked in by this combined retelling, it was masterfully done and I also enjoyed the role characters from the first book played, along with the nods to the next book in the series, which I'm hoping to read shortly.
Lander is probably my favorite character in this series so far. He knows how to be serious and complete his duties but he also finds as much enjoyment in life as he can. His snarky one-liners are definitely my favorite and I love him taunting the villains at the end of both books I've read thus far.
Odette is also an amazing FMC who is daring and brilliant. I love how sassy she can be at times but that she's also sweet in general, you can see she has a good heart and I loved them working together, Lander and Odette are definitely complementary to each other!
Lander is probably my favorite character in this series so far. He knows how to be serious and complete his duties but he also finds as much enjoyment in life as he can. His snarky one-liners are definitely my favorite and I love him taunting the villains at the end of both books I've read thus far.
Odette is also an amazing FMC who is daring and brilliant. I love how sassy she can be at times but that she's also sweet in general, you can see she has a good heart and I loved them working together, Lander and Odette are definitely complementary to each other!
December 10, 2024
✨Mini Review✨
🦢 This is the second book of Sarah's that I've read, and it was just as enjoyable as Beauty in the Tower! I love that Alora & Aldric make an appearance in this story, and how this book was so closely intertwined with the first, even though it's a different blended fairytale. Sarah's world building is cozy and inviting as always, and her characters are interesting and likeable!
🤍 I would ✨highly recommend✨ this book to anyone who loves fairytale retellings, this was a clean and sweet story that's great for readers of all ages!! Sarah has such a talent for seamlessly blending two fairytales into a unique tale that's all her own...I can't wait to read more by her!!
Thank you Sarah for the chance to read your book as an arc, I LOVED IT!🥰
🦢🤍🦢🤍🦢
🦢 This is the second book of Sarah's that I've read, and it was just as enjoyable as Beauty in the Tower! I love that Alora & Aldric make an appearance in this story, and how this book was so closely intertwined with the first, even though it's a different blended fairytale. Sarah's world building is cozy and inviting as always, and her characters are interesting and likeable!
🤍 I would ✨highly recommend✨ this book to anyone who loves fairytale retellings, this was a clean and sweet story that's great for readers of all ages!! Sarah has such a talent for seamlessly blending two fairytales into a unique tale that's all her own...I can't wait to read more by her!!
Thank you Sarah for the chance to read your book as an arc, I LOVED IT!🥰
🦢🤍🦢🤍🦢
November 26, 2024
This is my second book by this author and in this series. I’ve loved the world building and character development that has been done and continues to be done. This was my first SWANS retelling and it was very well done. Swan Lake music kept playing in my mind as I read it. I loved the lengthy aspect of this book. Things weren’t done easily or in a cookie cutter manner. I was totally engaged with this book and am very much excited for more. This was a sweet fairy tales retellings romantasy. There was magic, family, friends, and more.
I received an ARC of this book from the author and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
I received an ARC of this book from the author and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
December 5, 2024
I have looked forward to this mash up of Swan lake snd Wild Swans, Sara Farnsworth did an incredible job with her second book. My husband had to pry me away from it every time! The dedication, resilience, and the commitment of the characters to family and friends was astounding.
Furthermore, I loved the further use of characters from other fairy tales/lore! Such as Cinderella, Robin hood, and King Arthur. They are some of my favorites and Sara intergrades them into the story perfectly.
Id recommend this story to anyone who enjoys stories that show that love is a choice and that it is a commitment that one has to make daily amidst both times of trials and bliss.
Furthermore, I loved the further use of characters from other fairy tales/lore! Such as Cinderella, Robin hood, and King Arthur. They are some of my favorites and Sara intergrades them into the story perfectly.
Id recommend this story to anyone who enjoys stories that show that love is a choice and that it is a commitment that one has to make daily amidst both times of trials and bliss.
December 11, 2024
Lake of the Wild Swans by Sara Farnsworth
What I loved about this book!
🦢 Lemon tarts
🦢 A lost love
🦢 A flirtacious prince
🦢 Swan by day, princess by night
🦢 Sweet romance, just kisses at the end
Another beautiful book in this series! I loved reading Lander and Odette's story as well as getting sneak peeks of what Alora and Aldric are up to and more great stories to come! I especially loved the masked ball at the beginning. After that beginning I did feel the story was a wee bit slower then the first book but it sped up after the half way point. Lander's flirting may have been a bit over the top but it was always funny and sweet! I know Oberon's story is next but I'm really excited for Odin's!
Favorite quote: “That looks rather cozy. Would any of you princes like to be my pillow or blanket tonight?” The swans ignored him. “No?” He shrugged. “It was worth a shot." (Lander, of course!)
Favorite scene: Engagement ring
Favorite character: Lander (and I loved seeing Alora again!)
What I loved about this book!
🦢 Lemon tarts
🦢 A lost love
🦢 A flirtacious prince
🦢 Swan by day, princess by night
🦢 Sweet romance, just kisses at the end
Another beautiful book in this series! I loved reading Lander and Odette's story as well as getting sneak peeks of what Alora and Aldric are up to and more great stories to come! I especially loved the masked ball at the beginning. After that beginning I did feel the story was a wee bit slower then the first book but it sped up after the half way point. Lander's flirting may have been a bit over the top but it was always funny and sweet! I know Oberon's story is next but I'm really excited for Odin's!
Favorite quote: “That looks rather cozy. Would any of you princes like to be my pillow or blanket tonight?” The swans ignored him. “No?” He shrugged. “It was worth a shot." (Lander, of course!)
Favorite scene: Engagement ring
Favorite character: Lander (and I loved seeing Alora again!)
December 31, 2024
I did not expect to fall head over heels in love with his book, but I did! I love Swan Lake but I've yet to find a retelling that really did it for me. Most of them felt too shallow or too out there...this one was perfect. Sweet, shy Odette is a perfect match for over-the-top Flynn Ryder...I mean, Lander. ;)
I was intrigued with the premise of this series, mashing up two different fairy tales, but I think it works splendidly! It's a clever way to add a new spin on a classic without changing it too much. I'm actually really excited to read the rest of this series now.
I was intrigued with the premise of this series, mashing up two different fairy tales, but I think it works splendidly! It's a clever way to add a new spin on a classic without changing it too much. I'm actually really excited to read the rest of this series now.
December 31, 2025
Loved it!!
Lake of the Wild Swans was such a good book! It's so inventive, merging two fairytales together! I loved sweet, shy Odette and her piratical and fun Lander, who loves to flirt with her and only her. Meeting other characters who are sure to feature in future books was fun too. I can't wait for the next story!! Oberon and Ella!
This book is clean, with no swearing and no sex.
Lake of the Wild Swans was such a good book! It's so inventive, merging two fairytales together! I loved sweet, shy Odette and her piratical and fun Lander, who loves to flirt with her and only her. Meeting other characters who are sure to feature in future books was fun too. I can't wait for the next story!! Oberon and Ella!
This book is clean, with no swearing and no sex.
December 20, 2024
I really loved reading this wonderful book! I loved the characters and the plot! Lake of the Wild Swans is a really wonderful retelling of the stories Swan Lake and The Wild Swans! I had a hard time putting this really wonderful book down! I will be reading the next book in this really wonderful series!
December 7, 2024
What a satisfying clean romance! I loved the way the author tied the tales of the Seven Swans and Swan Lake together! I also loved how the main characters worked on their relationship and how they grew as the story progressed! There were some great insights into human nature here!
March 21, 2025
Swans is a fun mashup retelling. I loved getting to see more of Lander, who we first met in book one. The set up for book three is also great and makes me really look forward to that one! (Note: there is not a cliffhanger. Lander and Odette’s plot resolves completely.)
December 7, 2024
I loved this book! It was sweet and magical! Great work Farnsworth!
April 24, 2025
Long-winded
Meh. Didn’t like it nor dislike it; it just was. Felt a bit tedious and boring with the pace it moved and cringy in parts too.
Meh. Didn’t like it nor dislike it; it just was. Felt a bit tedious and boring with the pace it moved and cringy in parts too.
July 5, 2025
A good solid story
This retelling of swan lake is very satisfying and the references to other fairy tales is fun. I am really enjoying this series and find it hard to put it down
This retelling of swan lake is very satisfying and the references to other fairy tales is fun. I am really enjoying this series and find it hard to put it down
August 26, 2025
What a delightful combined retelling! I loved Lander and Odette and can't wait to see all of their siblings have their own adventures in this thrilling magical world!
January 14, 2025
If you grew up watching and loving The Swan Princess, this book is for you! It was a dose of nostalgia and also new and refreshing take on the Swan Princess and Wild Swans. I haven’t read the first book in this series yet, but I’m definitely going back to do so, as well as read all the future additions.
The characters were quirky, cute, a little awkward, and endearing. I loved the relationship Odette had with her brothers. They were all so protective of her and refused to leave her side. I also loved their interactions with Lander. I giggled a couple of times. Odette and Lander have such a cute yet slightly awkward relationship. I loved watching it grow and seeing him wait and fight for her.
The plot was good. It did get a little slower at time and a little repetitive feeling, but overall was very good and had lots of setup for future stories in this series. There were twists and a few surprises along the way. I love Sarah’s takes on classic fairy tales.
Overall very worth the read and highly recommend. I can’t wait to read more in this series!
Read if you like:
✨ The Swan Princess movie
✨fairy tale retellings
✨he falls first
✨flirty mmc
✨protective brothers
✨magic curses
✨HEA
Spice: none - just a few sweet kisses
Strong Language: none
Violence: kidnapping, mild wounds but nothing graphic
The characters were quirky, cute, a little awkward, and endearing. I loved the relationship Odette had with her brothers. They were all so protective of her and refused to leave her side. I also loved their interactions with Lander. I giggled a couple of times. Odette and Lander have such a cute yet slightly awkward relationship. I loved watching it grow and seeing him wait and fight for her.
The plot was good. It did get a little slower at time and a little repetitive feeling, but overall was very good and had lots of setup for future stories in this series. There were twists and a few surprises along the way. I love Sarah’s takes on classic fairy tales.
Overall very worth the read and highly recommend. I can’t wait to read more in this series!
Read if you like:
✨ The Swan Princess movie
✨fairy tale retellings
✨he falls first
✨flirty mmc
✨protective brothers
✨magic curses
✨HEA
Spice: none - just a few sweet kisses
Strong Language: none
Violence: kidnapping, mild wounds but nothing graphic
July 29, 2025
This story was amazing!! These two stories we woven together perfectly. I love the mix of the two. Odette was strong and brave about everything she went through, Lander was a flirtatious prince trying to find his missing princess. They were so cute together. Can't wait for the next one.
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