Dragon Lake: A Swan Lake Retelling

by R.L. Davennor

One more kill—and then I’m free.

If only it were that simple.

Ancient curses call for desperate measures, and to escape mine, I’ve become a murderer. But ‘freedom’ trades one chain for another, and I’ll be damned if I’m marrying that filthy sorcerer.

Unfortunately, a girl who turns into a dragon doesn’t have many options. Even if I did, who could love a monster?

Certainly not the prince in front of me.

The handsome prince in front of me—who I’m meant to kill.

Could my last target be my final chance?

Dragon Lake is the classic fairy tale like you’ve never read it before. Containing graphic violence, adult language, sexual situations, and suicide mentions, this 11.5k word dark retelling isn’t for the faint of heart.

Genres: Fantasy, Retellings, Audiobook, Romance, Dragons, Fiction, Fairy Tale Retellings

60 pages, Unknown Binding

Published January 26, 2021

About the author

Raelynn Davennor writes fantasy romance and fairytale retellings—usually of the darker variety—and is the author of the Curses of Never and The Phantom of Notre Dame series, both of which became viral BookTok hits.

She is known for her diverse and morally complex characters, as well as her ability to craft heart-wrenching plots that explore heavy themes. While she is a firm believer that light cannot be fully appreciated without first traveling through heaps of darkness, Raelynn always ensures that her characters find their well-deserved happily ever afters—especially the LGBT+ ones.

When not obsessing over her latest idea, she enjoys pampering her menagerie of pets and pretending she isn’t an adult.

Reviews

[Shay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute short read. Fully of thrills, and alittle unaliving. Its a novel but feels like a full book.

[Clarissa Gosling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enthralling and bitter-sweet.

[Chiara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was lucky to get an ARC and I enjoyed my read! ✨

Pros:
~ First of all, I need to mention the cover, because it's just beautiful!!
~ Really interesting and original take on such a popular tale (one of my favorites, by the way)
~ The fluid writing
~ The ending

Cons:
~ Too many unnecessary curse words. I think they ruined the elegant writing style and were out of place.
~ Things happened too quickly. How could they already be in love after such a short time? I also think many of the scenes could have been better developed and expanded.
~ Too short. I know it is supposed to be, but it lacks depth for me. This could be an amazing book and I would rate it 5 stars, but right now I cannot give it more than 3.5

[Maya Unadkat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was fortunate enough to receive an early copy of this book from the author!

I really enjoyed the new take on this classic tale and I love the author's style of writing!
I know this is a novelette, but I do wish it was slightly longer and more detailed.

Overall, I recommend this story to those who enjoy retellings.

[Paula lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have received the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

OMG, okay so it might be short, but I loved it. The emotions were high even though I knew what was going to happen. Honestly, I was hoping for a different ending (yeah because I love a good ending) but still it gripped my heart. The despair, love were so well written that it made me cry (yeah I know I cry a lot).

It is ideal if you are looking for a quick read.

[Lana | Libraryofabibliotaph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dragon Lake is a nice and fun novella with suspenseful moments and a beautiful cover. From the beginning, you get thrown right into the action, causing you to get hooked on to the story immediately. I also really liked the dragon and cursed part. The scheme of the sorcerer at the ball was also a nice twist. So it's definitely a nice story if you're looking for a quick read. One downside is that the main characters are rather flat characters and the background of the story isn't elaborated on much either. But since the audiobook is only 1h30min long/approximately 11k words, this was to be expected.

Thank you for providing me with an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed listening to it and will continue to listen to other audiobooks from time to time, it was a nice introduction to the format for me.

[Taylor Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

damn. a shorie, but a darkie. i like it.

[Röösti · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a short story pretty good

[Joy Lewis]

Wow! I can say I didn't see that ending coming at all. Dragon Lake is an impactful and emotional dark retelling of swan lake that will stay with me for some time. The pacing is tight, the action is great, and the emotional resonance is real.

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, the writing in this book was amazing. The sentences flowed so smoothly and created such a vivid image I thought I was there with the characters. Odette was a complex character who I loved in such a short period of time, and I really enjoyed seeing her struggle against her curse.

Siegfried was so sweet and kind, I couldn’t help but love him. And I can see why Odette fell in love with him so quickly too.

The only qualm I have with this book is how quickly it went by. It’s an amazing short story, but it could be a real knockout if the story was fleshed out a little more. I already felt gutted when I thought Siegfried died, but I would be even more devastated if I got to know him better.

I also am very pissed at the ending. It ruined my happily ever after! But it was good and made sense, and my heart strings are officially tugged.

This was amazing, and I appreciate R. L. Davennor for sending me a copy.

[Andrea Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first audiobook ever and my first work of R.L Davennor. I really enjoyed it. It was strange at first trying to get used to listening to someone read me the story rather than me putting how I think they should sound in my head...lol but I got used to it surprisingly quickly, and really liked being able to do other things as I listened to the story. It was such a cool retelling of swan lake! It had a really great flow and as I listened to the story I thought it was very well done. I liked that it was a dragon and not a swan...nothing against swans....but come on dragons are cool.. The only thing that I wish I could change would be that there was more to the love story background....that they could have spent some more time together. The world building was wonderful and the person who did the reading was really good also.I would definitely recommend this book for anyone who likes fairytale retelling and short stories...great audiobook!

[Lisette Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this retelling of Swan Lake! The tragedy of it really stayed with me for some time after I finished reading - the pain of Odette's curse and the hopelessness of her life are told in such a moving way that the emotions really gripped me.

4 stars rather than 5 because at some points the story went a bit too fast for me, or lacked some details I rearlly wanted to see. The main thing was how quickly Siegfriend and Odette fell in love - I didn't really feel the intensity of that romance.

Still, it's my favourite retelling of the story so far, and I loved the general writing style and flow of this story! Really looking forward to any full-length stories R.L. Davennor may write in the future :)

(I received an ARC for my review)

[Oana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you R.L. Davennor for the ARC oportunity
This short book pakes a mean punch. I read it in between breaks at school and every time I stopped I wanted to continue reading it so bad... but then it finished. The premise of this book was intriguing and I like to discover awesome retellings .
Odette was such a badass female protagonist. The twist about her and the curse that affects her was captivating. There were good " fight " scenes and I liked the descriptions from the dragons pov.
There was some witty banter and some cute dialogues, but the most shocking twist it's the ending. When I got to that part and the story ended I was like " what just happened ? "
In short give this retelling a try and you will not regret it.

[Sarah | Retro Girl Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Dragon Lake” is a novelette that puts a spin both on the classic tale of Swan Lake, and the simple fairytale premise of a fair maiden who must be rescued from the dragon. I adore twisted tales, and this one did not disappoint! As it shorter than a full length book, I won’t go into details to avoid spoilers. But the main character, Odette, was one of those sassy, badass heroines I always admire. The characters did develop over the course of the story, and I can’t wait to see more from this author in the future! I reviewed this novelette as an arc copy from the author, and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Liz H {Redd's Reads} · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a signed copy from the author in a contest from one of the FB groups I frequent.

I enjoyed this short retelling, which is around 50 pages. My actual star rating is closer to 3.5 and that's because I liked the story and characters enough that I wanted more background, more relationship building, and more information in general. I had so many questions that never got answered, and they're all spoilers, so I won't be listing them here.

Overall, I really liked the nods to the original Swan Lake and Swan Princess as well as the changes the author made to make it her own. I just wanted more!

[Epi Wildes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll admit, I'm only vaguely aware of the original story of Swan Lake, so I went into this relatively blind. I enjoyed every minute of it. I couldn't tear myself away from the page until I'd reached the end. Davennor certainly knows how a dragon would see the world. As with anything she's written, I find myself in awe of the small details in dialogue that add another dimension of reality. The protagonist's thoughts and point of view flows splendidly. She is an individual with a unique and powerful voice.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully written retelling of Swan Lake, but instead of a swan, Odette changes into a dragon. It’s a tragic tale, but very well done. I liked the vivid descriptions, and the perspective of the dragon seemed quite realistic. My only complaint is that it is such a short read. It would have been much more emotional if the characters had more time for their love to grow, and for the reader to get to know them better. But overall this is a great read if you enjoy fairy tale retellings. 4.5 stars.

I received an ARC from the author and I’m voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[chelsea reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

can we take a moment to discuss how beautiful the cover is 😍😍😍

thank you to the author for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

firstly, the story itself was so refreshing compared to other fairytale retellings. I really enjoyed the use of the dragon.

the writing style was very nice and the words flowed nicely. I felt the profanity was nearly woven in, however I would've preferred it without.

overall, I wish this was longer, so I could get a better feel for the characters and so the backstory could've been elaborated on more.

[Malischa Nijenhuis · Rating 5 out of 5]

a thank you note to R.L. davennor for sending her book to me.

its a typical fairytale about the swan princess. but instead of a swan its a dragon. i loved the way it's written. and its my favorite retelling this far. i loved the swan princess as a child to watch on videotape. when i was younger. so when i saw this cover i wanted to read it rightaway. And R.L. Davennor did a really good job to write this storyline about the dragon.

#retelling
#theswanprincess
#RLDavennor
R. L. Davennor

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Swan Lake retelling stole my heart from the first page. If I could give it 10 stars out of 5, I would! The story was paced really well, and it didn't seem too short or too long, the descriptions were vivid and enthralling, and the action was incredible! The best part of the story, for me, was the ending - tragic, yet leaving me feeling satisfied with the story as a whole. Davennor is a skilled wordsmith, and I will definitely be following her for more content!

[Christine Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is that of the audiobook due later this month (July 2021). I received an advanced copy and this is my honest free opinion.

WOW. Enthralling. Heart wrenching. Captivating. This story is so unique I want more. While it was only 1.5 hours it felt like minutes. I was taken in by the details, the writing was beautiful almost poetic. I’m no expert in the tail of Swan Lake but this was one of my favorite retellings.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first experience with R. L. Davenor's writing and I was entranced. The author, R. L. Davenor has recreated the fairy tale titled, "Swan Lake" and changed the protagonist's role from a swan into a dragon. The tale was creative and entertaining. I recommend it to others who like this genre. Allyson Voller's narration was pleasing and added to the enjoyment of the experience. I was given a free copy of the audiobook and I have voluntarily left this review.

[Gracie Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first read of 2021. I really enjoyed this one!! It’s a very unique retelling. My only complaint is that the story unfolds SO quickly and lacks some detailing. I enjoyed the fast pace but wish the story went a little more in depth about the characters. I received an ARC of this book but will definitely be purchasing a physical copy when it’s released.

[Jennifer K · Rating 5 out of 5]

The swan princess story has always captivated me in it's tragedy and this retelling is no exception. Odette's curse, instead of a swan, is a dragon.

While I appreciated the brief retelling, I would have loved more of Odette's story from being cursed to making a deal with a sorcerer to meeting the princes.

4.5 stars from me.

[Cerynn McCain · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story. I don't normally read retellings (or listen since I listened to the audio of this story) so I wasn't sure what to expect. And,while I wish it had been longer and a few things were expanded on for the sake of curiosity I loved the writing style and the narration, and certainly will be looking forward to more from this author.

[Sherry Christenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Swan Lake so I was curious to read this telling of it. The author did a great job showings the world through the dragon's eye. I loved every minute of the story and wished it was longer. I loved the vivd detail and the kick ass heroine Odette

[Summer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an awesome, beautifully tragic story! It's very short, and full of emotion. I've never actually heard or read the original story that this is a retelling of, but I still really enjoyed it.

[Kaitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short retelling of Swan Lake but with Dragons! What's not to like?

Thanks to the author for a review copy. All opinions are my own.

[tay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have had a lot of trouble getting back into reading, and this book was perfect for it! It’s fast paced and a very quick read, the characters are all a ton of fun, and I couldn’t put it down.

[Jonathan Pembroke]

This was an interesting spin on the Swan Lake tale, but with dragons!

This is definitely a more adult spin on the situation, with some graphic violence and death. There's a good theme of redemption and love conquering all that persists even through the somewhat downer of an ending. To me, the best part of the story was the protagonist's internal narrative and her emotions ripping back and forth between the threat of doom dangling over her head and the irresistible attraction to someone who looks past her rougher aspects.

It may have been sue to the truncated nature of the source material but I would like to have seen the characters develop a little more thoroughly. Both the protagonist and the prince didn't have quite enough dimension to really sate my interest.

Recommend to anyone who enjoys strong female protagonists, fairy tale retellings, and (duh) dragons.