The Song of the Swan

by Karah Sutton, Pauliina Hannuniemi (Illustrator)

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.

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Retellings, Childrens, Fairy Tales, Juvenile

265 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 24, 2023

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, 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. Her second book, The Song of the Swan, was also illustrated by Pauliina Hannuniemi and published by Knopf Books for Young Readers, and was called "enchanting" by Kirkus Reviews.

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.

Reviews

[Karah Sutton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you everyone who has read and reviewed The Song of the Swan! I'm very proud of this book, and hope you all love Olga and Pavel as much as I do. If you reviewed here, I'd be very grateful if you would also post your review to Amazon.com (you aren't required to have purchased on Amazon to post reviews there). This will greatly help the visibility for the book. You can also request your local library to purchase (in hardcover, ebook, audio, or all three!), or purchase your own copy at Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/p/books/song-of-...

💜 Karah, 30 October 2023

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It has swans and spiders and a hidden jewel in a mysterious castle. I'm fond of it. 🦢🕷️💎

You can request a review ebook from Netgalley: https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/boo...
Or pre-order from Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/p/books/song-of-...

💜 Karah, 10 June 2023

[Mai H.]

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf Books for Young Readers

[Can Dragons Read? · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so much fun. I know it's a retelling, but I've never read the original so I can't compare it, however, it was so magical. This was such a lovely world with such lovely people and I found myself transported by this story.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Olga has been traveling from town to town with Pavel, the protector and Mr. Bulgakov, who took Olga in when she had no place else to go. In exchange, she performs magical illusions, steals and uses sleight of hand to swindle people for the goods they need. Olga possesses a unique form of magic that allows her to draw from her heartstring to enchant jewelry that Mr. Bulgakov then sells. Sometimes, when the town finds out about their tricks and crimes, they have to make a hasty exit from the city. Which is just what is happening at the beginning of the book. After having hurriedly escaped into the woods, the trio cross the path leading towards Sokolov Palace. Mr. Bulgakov, is very leery of the Palace, stating that it is a dangerous place, he cautions them from ever going there and rushes them off to the next town. But Olga can't help but be drawn toward the palace, she knows that it is rumored to house The Scarlet Heart, a rare stone desired by the tsar himself. Seeing this an opportunity for a quick heist and great wealth, Olga convinces Paval that it is a risk they must take, it's a chance for them to change their lives for good. If they can only recover the stone, they'll never have to steal for Mr. Bulgakov again.

Just as Pavel and Olga get closer to the palace, she plummets down a cliff, only to awaken in the palace, with the Baron attending to her wounds. While she was unconscious, Pavel began participating in the festivities of the ball and to Olga's dismay he seems to be enjoying himself. Even having made friends with a young woman, Anna. Once Olga recuperates, she desperately tries to get Pavel back on track with locating the stone. But Pavel seems to be enamored by the opulent food, twirling of the dancers, soft music playing and Anna, so he isn't sure that they need the stone anymore. Even Olga seems to have difficulty holding on to her thoughts and the reason why she is there.

Sokolov Palace is a dangerous place that holds many secrets and Olga hopes to uncover them all. What she doesn't know at first is that the castle is ruled by an enchanter, Baron Sokolov, who hosts elaborate balls each night, only for the guests to disappear the very next morning. Housed within the palace there is also an aviary filled with swans, which Olga feels are connected to the enchanter. Determined to find the stone, Olga begins to search the palace, and while in the crypt, she comes across a spider who agrees to help her in exchange for uncovering the magic that has a grip on the palace and surrounding valley. The more time that Olga spends at the palace the more deals she begins to make. She promises to help the Baron repair the magical spell that is over the palace, and also promises to help the spider queen. Where Olga was once consumed by the idea of wealth and what the stone could provide to her, she slowly begins to be torn between her desire to ensure that her friend Pavel doesn't become trapped at the palace and a need to understand what causes the guests to disappear each day only to be replaced by swans.

The Song of the Swan as explained in the author's note was inspired by the origins of the Swan Lake story and includes various themes from the ballet. Sutton also included spiders from Slavic mythology and the ballet Giselle seems to have influenced the lure of the dancers and inclusion of swans. I must admit I'm not as familiar with the ballet, but it slightly reminded me of The Twelve Dancing Princesses, although Olga never spent very long at the ball. She spent her time exploring the palace. I did really enjoy the fairy tale like introduction and the description of how the heartstring magic was formed. I also liked that each chapter began with the spider spinning his tales. It was a nice way of blending Olga's quest with past events surrounding the heartstring magic. It basically helps to fill in some of the gaps, like why the Baron quests to have such power over the palace and what he hopes to accomplish. Finally, I enjoyed Olga, her prickliness and lack of trust. But also, the way that she transforms in the story. While Olga detests deceiving people, she's also become accustomed to its necessity for survival. She's also used to seeing inside people to determine their desires. She utilizes many of the skills that Mr. Bulgakov taught her on the Baron in order unearth what he's hiding and to trap him into revealing his secrets. She's quite a clever girl. I'd be remiss if I didn't include the lovely illustrations by Paulina Hannuniemi that really add to the story and highlight certain important events.

[Heidi Simons · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is even better the second time! In Song of the Swan, the author builds an interesting and eerie world that draws the reader in quickly and continuously. Absolutely recommend this book for fantasy lovers of all ages!

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Olga and Pavel work for Mr. Bulgakov who is a swindler that sells jewelry that Olga makes and enchants with her heartstring magic. In a beginning chapter, we are told that this magic started because a young man who was getting ready to go out into the world didn't want to leave home, and consulted the Spider Queen. She made it so that he would remain tethered to his home with heartstrings, but this magic eventually spread to everyone in the valley. Olga is an especially talented practioneer of this magic, but it's not enough to earn money to keep the three of them fed. Olga manages to steal some food, and to arrange a trade of meat pies by enchanting children in a nearby stall. When they have had to flee yet another town because they are being chased by the local magistrate, Olga decides to set off on her own to find the Scarlet Heart, a magical stone rumored to be hidden in the Sokolov Palace, and to be the source of great wealth. Pavel joins her, and the two set out. Olga is badly injured, and when she comes to, finds that she is being attended by none other than Baron Sokolov himself. Pavel is enjoying himself at the palace's nightly ball, but Olga is so weakened that she must rest. After a good breakfast, she is determined to investigate the palace thoroughly, find the stone, and steal it. Pavel isn't as sure, especially when he falls in love with one of the young women at the ball, Anna. Olga is especially intrigued by the aviary, and it is there that she uncovers one of Sokolov's secrets; the people who attend the balls all night long spend the day as swans! Sokolov has engineered all of this magic in order to try to find his beloved wife, who disappeared along with his unborn child. The magic is taking a toll on him, however, and he needs to replenish his magic. Will Olga be able to find out the secrets to the past as well as a way to support herself in the future?

I was unfamiliar with the plot of the ballet Swan Lake, but this is a reimagining of some of the plot lines. The most apparent was when Olga disguises herself as Anna in an attempt to get Pavel to focus on her mission to get the Scarlet Heart instead of on his love. This is a fine story on its own, but I'm sure I would have enjoyed it even more if I could see the parallels between the two.

Olga's story is interwoven with narrative from a spider, who gives information about the heartstring magic, and how it effected some people who tried to use it. Of course, these stories end up being directed related to Olga and Pavel, but there's a nice air of mystery involved in spider spinning the tales!

Readers who can't get enough of fairy tale related books like Baker's The Wide-Awake Princess, Colfer's The Land of Stories, Durst's Into the Wild, and Diane Zahler's fairy tale retellings such as Sleeping Beauty's Daughters or The Thirteenth Princess will enjoy this version of Swan Lake related characters.

I'll probably send this on to another school. I just don't have readers for this kind of fantasy, and it would just gather dust on my shelves.

[Steph L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating:5/5 or 9/10

Characters-9

The characters in this book were so much fun. I was familiar with the story, as someone who danced and was ballet-adjacent when I was younger. I loved seeing these characters in a fantasy world, where they could have their own stories, and still have the same themes. The Song of the Swan also had DND vibes to me, and I loved how Olga was finding new secrets, and finding her story. The animals in the story play a role as characters, and they are great as well.

Atmosphere-9

As with any fantasy novel, the atmosphere lies in the world-building. I loved how The Song of the Swan was laid out. Most of the action takes place within a central location, but inside the location is like a world of its own. Karah Sutton builds a world that draws the reader in, also leaving it open to the reader’s imagination.

Writing-9

I loved the writing in this book. The main story is laid out through tales, and an intro to each story. I felt the style suited the story and was a fun way to tell the story. Karah Sutton tells a fun fantasy story with heart and passion. You can tell from reading the story that Karah Sutton has a love for dance and the story of Swan Lake from the writing style.

Plot-9

I loved the story of The Song of the Swan. I found it to be a fun adventure throughout the castle, and I loved how Olga learned about herself. I loved how the castle was set in the woods, and had gardens for the characters to explore. Magic played a part in the story and I love how the magic was woven into the main story. I also loved that a spider was telling the stories to children.

Intrigue-8
I was intrigued by the storyThe story intrigued me. I was curious as to where the story was going to go. With each new tale, I got more and more intrigued by the story.

Logic-9

For a fantasy, I found this to be a logical story. I found the choices to be easy to understand, and I could see how the characters got form point a to point b.

Enjoyment-9

I loved this story, I found it very fun, and I loved the journey that Olga went on. I loved the animals just as much as I loved the humans. This was the kind of Fantasy I love to read, a strong character with strong world-building, and the supporting characters assisting in the telling of the tale.

[Rose Q. Addams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very, very well done! I enjoyed it thoroughly: retellings of Swan Lake are few and far between and this one deserves a lot of love.

The worldbuilding is obscenely good (by which I mean I'm utterly jealous), and I love the voice which has a old-tale quality without being boring or irritating. It's a charming book!

The plotline follows Olga, a girl who has the ability to use magic-- using one's "heartstring" to accomplish tasks, build illusions, etc. She works for an unscrupulous traveling salesman, one who has her alter merchandise so that he can get a greater price for them. Olga and her closest companion, a youth named Pavel, stumble across a valley that contains a magical palace... and, purportedly, a gem called the Scarlet Heart that is large enough to pay their way out of a life of cheating and theft.

Spiders play an interesting, prominent role in the book, and while I'm generally not in favor of the beasties, I really liked all the spiders in this tome. (And I have a new appreciation for webs, even if they don't have a lovely pattern.)

Cons: there's a mildly frightening chase scene with swanlike monsters; obviously, magic is prominently in the book (if that sort of thing bothers you), Olga betrays Pavel out of selfishness partway through the book.

Pros: there are strong themes of love, loyalty, forgiveness, and courage. One's heart attitude (and one's actions resulting from it) are critically viewed through the lens of what's best for others, not just yourself... I also liked that they presented it as important to accept our pasts as part of our journey, whether for good or ill, and that we never have to stay in that past.

All in all, this is one I'd highly recommend!

[Mariah · Rating 4 out of 5]

One thing about me is that I absolutely love an unlikeable character redemption arc.

Most middle grade books fail at it because it's usually reserved for bullies in contemporary settings that have 11th hour character changes the author did none of the legwork to justify. But, when it's actually well thought out and takes place across the entire narrative, it's one of my favorite forms of character growth.

Olga is horribly selfish and frequently standoffish. It tied in perfectly with her background - closing herself off to anyone after the death of her mother - and her current struggles to do the 'right' thing when right means very different things in context. She had a meaningful conflict between the safety of being hard-hearted and the potential yet riskier gains of vulnerability. It was wonderful that she really dug her heels in because it was not only realistic that she wouldn't make a quick turn when from her perspective not trusting others had worked all this time, it also made it more satisfying for her to have to apologize and learn her lesson.

The plot was solid though the synopsis spoils a bit of the mystery since it tells you that the guests are swans and that takes a fair amount of time to actually be revealed in-story.

This is a middle grade that is fairly predictable to an adult audience - not a bad thing because this is first and foremost intended for children - so the other major twist was completely obvious. I think the author does a good job of laying the groundwork for it so that a kid would be satisfied figuring it out or shocked that they didn't get it sooner based on the clues yet because I could guess it immediately I did find the foreshadowing tedious since it only reinforced what I already knew. No fault of the book or the author, of course. I'm simply explaining my direct experience.

I also think that the book did not have enough events or magic. Since everyone is a swan during the day and the enchanter has no staff or anything, everything feels a little too barren. I would have liked to have a bustling castle with further intrigue to break up some of the repetition of how Olga spent her days. Or to serve as a red herring as to what was going on before the swan reveal just to have something to fill the time since it took longer than (I think) it should have.

Overall, a well written book I had a great time reading. The things I didn't like are minor and the novel as a whole more than makes up for them.

[Alena · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Song of the Swan feels like a true fairytale, very charming. It’s inspired in the Swam Lake tale with Slavic folklore.

Olga is a spiky orphan with trust issues, her best friend Pavel is just the opposite, he wants to be a knight and helps people. They travel with a swindler, who uses their talents to his benefit. Fleeing from the police they find themselves near a cursed valley, the people who enter do not return but legend says that in the middle of valley there is Sokolov Palace and a priceless jewel, Olga wants that jewel, to improve his life and Pavel’s. They enter the forest and meet the Baron of the castle, Olga is suspicious but Pavel is enchanted by the castle, the balls, the music and a lovely lady they meet at the midnight parties. Soon Olga will realize that she is right, behind the pretty facade there are dark secrets.

I love Olga and her development, at first she is a little selfish, she wants a better life to herself, and she doesn't care much about the people trapped in the castle. On the contrary, Pavel was always cute, he is a good friend, like an older brother and he understands where Olga's selfishness comes from, compared to him, she has been alone since she was a child.

The writing style was charming, it give vibes like the fantasy in the 90s and 2000s, the setting is mysterious and enchanted, we have a curse valley and a castle where a lord lives who grants you your deepest desires (but he asks you for something in return), there is a lake with enchanted swans, talking and magical spiders, interwoven with folklore elements, It’s just lovely, plus the edition is illustrated, giving more magic to the story.

It’s a cute story, perfect for children and fairytale fans, Olga is a character you can understand and empathize with and she has good friends that you would want for yourself. About Swan Lake, I only know the ballet and the movie The Swan Princess, this is a very different story, which almost feels original and not a retelling (although of course, I have not read the original story), it’s focus more in personal growth, found family, friendship, the curse and enchanted humans/swans, feel a little secondary, because we also have balls and spiders.

Read it if you want:
• Found Family
• Fairytales Vibes
• Magical Animal Assistant

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an electronic ARC from Random House Children's through NetGalley.
Fantasy and fairy tales versus real life. Olga didn't believe in stories or trust people. Her guardian was a con artist that swindled people to survive. Her friend and fellow worker, Pavel, was a much purer human and he protected Olga as they traveled. Their cons took them near a cursed valley that even their guardian feared to enter. He knew there was a huge treasure there and shared this. Olga convinced Pavel to go with her and they headed into the valley. From here, the story unfolds as a magical fairy tale with villains and evil versus good and purity.
Sutton spins her story to offer her version of Swan Lake for middle grade readers. I appreciate the spider sharing her tales between the story segments as a counterpoint as well as providing more information on the characters themselves. Olga is a bit one dimensional (on purpose) until readers see what is happening inside her. As she opens to becoming the person she wants to be, there is pain and damage done. Her transformation is relatable and readers will connect with her struggles. Lovely illustrations emphasize some portions of the book.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very mysterious and lovely adventure!

I thought by mid this year that i was done picking up children or middle school lit but this book caught my attention. It was a bit hard to follow at first but then i was unable to put it down. The illustrations are adorable as well! My only complain is that with these children's lit i always find that the stories are overly descriptive and too wordy. I'm not sure how that translates to little people actually reading this like tweens or so on. I often wonder if authors have their audience in mind and studying goes into writing such stories or just want to write a whimsical book and label it as middle grade lit. I found that sometimes my mind just wanders off from the excessive description as opposed to imagining stuff coming to life. And don't get me wrong this book isn't THAT overly descriptive. I think the top worst is still WildWood by colin meloy for me. But yeah thats basically why a star was knocked off other wise the book is so nice the magic element never made me bat my eye twice and it was a pretty fast and easy read!

4 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Josephine Sorrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Song of the Swan is a retelling of Swan Lake featuring a clever orphan girl who is on a quest to find a jewel but finds herself trying to break a curse and uncover her own dark family secrets. Olga is an orphan girl with a talent for magic and is also a thief. Olga and Pavel hear tell of a valuable jewel in a secluded castle, Olga knows its the opportunity she’s been waiting for that could finally change her life. She could leave behind her life of crime and no more starving for food and living in poverty. She’d have a home, food, and a place to just live with her best friend.

She enters the definitely not secluded castle which is ruled by a Baron Enchanter who hosts grand balls every night only for the guests to disappear each morning replaced by swans. Olga is tasked to solve the mystery behind the magic in this castle if she wants to not only save those she loves but herself.

I wasn’t familiar with the story behind Swan Lake and found this quite interesting and unique. The artwork in the story is lovely and compliments the story.
I recommend this book.

[Kim Wilch · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this middle grade retelling, Olga, the main character, has had a rough life. She’s a selfish orphan living in poverty and steals to survive. Break my heart. How can she change her life? By stealing a jewel from the castle, of course!

When she and her BFF, Pavel set out to pull off the heist, they learn the guests of the nightly balls disappear and become swans. The story is told in dual POV (point of view) by Olga and a spider who provides background information.

I appreciate Olga’s growth as she goes from being selfish to doing what is right. She has an idea of who she wants to be and despite the pain and struggle, readers will be able to connect with her. Pavel stood by her even though they had every right not to, a true friend, enter forgiveness. Told in a unique way, the story held my attention as the mystery unfolded. To emphasize parts of the story, illustrations are sprinkled throughout. I especially appreciated the way the spider’s POV was announced. I’d welcome more from his author

[Jame_EReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you @tbrbeyondtours @randomhousekids for this booktour slot and the opportunity to read and review this fantastic book. My tour stops here.

👧🏻 review: this book is amazing and I couldn’t put this book down. This new-found family, friendships, fantastical magic and a little bit of fairy-tales have me hooked on it at the beginning of the book. I hate spiders and when the illustrations showed the eight-legged creature I was cringing, but the book is really interesting that it can’t stop me from reading forward. Olga is definitely a brave determined young woman who simply wanted to have a better life and her readiness to fight for what she thinks should be hers is a great example of how to fight for her own self and Pavel. She is a very brave and courageous young woman. I really appreciate this story and hope that younger girls would learn the moral of this story to understand that young girls my age should be treated equally. 4.5 ⭐️

[Rapunzel Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Karah Sutton’s debut novel, A Wolf for a Spell, so I was thrilled to read The Song of the Swan. It didn’t disappoint. This book is an atmospheric fairytale of a story made even more beautiful by the gorgeous accompanying illustrations by Pauliina Hannuniemi. The worldbuilding felt so rich and vivid I could almost touch it, most notably the almost magnetic appeal of the castle, and I loved the magic, particularly with regard to the spiders. The unfolding mystery of the story left me constantly guessing what was going to happen next and left me utterly satisfied at the conclusion of the story. Olga was a great protagonist, but part of what made her shine most was her relationship with Pavel and her flaws, which often led her to difficult but entirely relatable decisions.

If you like fairytales, illustrated novels, or immersive middle-grade fantasy, this is definitely a book to check out!

[Haley Kilgour · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I went into this one without knowing it was a Swan Lake retelling. But I picked up on that quickly, which to me means the retelling aspect was done beautifully.

The world is very Eastern European esque and was a nice change of pace from fantasy books that are more English in nature.

Olga as a character was very selfish and I loved that. It made her extremely realistic. And I loved that Pavel was like I don’t forgive you, but we need to work together and we’ll deal with that later. So many books don’t have characters that can be that level headed.

The storytelling spider aspect did pull me out of the story a lot, so it was kind of jarring. But it did allow the author to give extra information about characters that would’ve otherwise never have been able to seamlessly put into the story.

[itsKoo · Rating 4 out of 5]

**I received a copy of the book through NetGalley. I voluntarily read and reviewed it. All opinions are my own.**

The Song of the Swan is a magic-infused retelling of Swan Lake that included some twists I was not expecting. I only started to put the pieces together about halfway through, and I liked it. My favorite part of the story was the magical lore surrounding how humans gained their magical gifts. Although I’m not a fan of spiders in real life, I was a fan of them here.

Fans of Swan Lake may enjoy the twists Sutton brings to the tale. Those looking for middle-grade reads that do not race through the story but allow the pieces to gradually fall together will find this a good read. The illustrations by Hannuniemi were also very much appreciated--another favorite part of the book. (3.5 stars rounded to 4 stars)

[Tracey Vince · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Yvonne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for the eArc in exchange for a fair and unbiased opinion.

I had a very hard time getting into this book and struggled to stay with it. The premise was actually quite interesting… a young boy and girl have run away, searching for a better life.

They end up in a supposedly deserted palace with a man who is using magic for evil.

Our main character was interesting, but the others fell flat. There were magical swans and spiders, people who were neither dead nor alive, but somehow trapped in this world.

I wanted a modern fairy tale, that felt old, to share with my young patrons, but this is not it.

[Meg Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review: overall this was a fun Swan Lake retelling. I loved the magic and how it came from spiders. There are short fables in between some of the chapters which was a fun touch. Olga is a complex character. I found myself not liking her very much but it's so clear why. Abandoned and used all her life, she trusts no one and has to be fiercely protective of herself, because no one has ever protected her before. Because of this, she can be selfish, and even rude at times, but it comes from a place of self preservation. I loved how she softened over the book, and came to realize that there is good in the world, and that love is real. Found family is one of my all time favorite tropes and I would definitely call this a story of found family

[DB (DB's Guide to the Galaxy) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only spider in the world I might be potentially okay with touching (because it can talk) is in here and that’s Pauk. I think if I could ever trust a spider it would be him. Not that I need to trust one anyway. But still. And honestly, that’s due to Sutton’s writing! I think possibly another middle grade writer I would trust with (possibly) making me like spiders is Cornelia Funke.

I loved how lyrical the writing is. I really liked the in between chapter tales; they were really fun to read and they all fit in well with the main story. It added to the story-like feeling in a good way.

I liked Olga and Pavel a lot. I related to Olga a lot because she kept thinking she wasn’t good enough. But she also wanted a lot of things and I can relate to that as well. Plus I think the readers can relate a lot to that. Pavel was sweet and I was very glad that they had a good friendship (my heart for more good male/female friendships – without turning romantic).

Sutton did a good job with the plot and writing! It felt exactly right and there was a lot that I liked. Well-paced and I think even someone who isn’t into Middle Grade will like this book. I definitely want to check out her other middle grade book, A Wolf for a Spell. What’s great is that I didn’t even feel it was too young. Not that middle grade books can’t be good – I’m just saying I always like it when I, (an adult) enjoys a Middle Grade book.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this one! I really loved the way the story is told. There is a spider that kind of fills in the gaps, answers questions and gives you things to think about that really added to the story. It is sort of based on the ballet swan lake but it would be a great story no matter what. It teaches many important lessons, has interesting characters, and the story is a little scary without being too scary. I can't wait for my granddaughter to read it. It would also make a great read aloud story for families with school age kids or teachers to read to a classroom. I really recommend it.

[Roberta · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author says in her "Author's Notes" that this is a mashup retelling of the ballets Giselle and Swan Lake. It's more like a mashup retelling of Oliver Twist and Shrek.

I'm just disappointed that this book didn't blow me away like the author's A Wolf for a Spell.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think I've ever read a book based on a ballet before (in this case "Swan Lake"). I could tell from early on that the evil wizard in search of his missing wife and child was the father of the self-serving "orphan" drawn into his web of illusions. But it was interesting seeing what it took for her to grow into someone who could trust, who could accept love, and who could work for the good of others.

[Jessica - How Jessica Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although in The Song of the Swan I recognized clear ties to a Swan Princess story from my collected fairytales book growing up… I did NOT realize it’s a Swan Lake retelling till the afterword haha! I guess at some point I should watch Swan Lake.

But in the meantime this is a cute, magical middle aged novel, that teaches Olga - the main character - important lessons about caring for others.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

A magical, fairytale inspired mystery....I really enjoyed seeing the plot unfold, and glad to see the young heroine, hardened by her unpleasant upbringing by a crook, start to develop a moral compass. If you like cursed castles and plucky youngsters unravelling curses, you will like this one.

[Jen Nishi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid read that combos fairytale vibes and fantasy vibes with excellent narrative voice. Olga is not a likeable character and she is designed that way in order to facilitate her character arch and development that is integral to the plot.

[Psyckers · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great way to start kids onto the fantastical journey of New Zealand Fiction. Great character development and a well thought out story that is adventurous for young minds yet still an easy read for them.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This outstanding author/illustrator duo has done it again! I loved this retelling of Swan Lake.