The Wild Swans

by Peg Kerr

This novel focuses on two outcasts on two journeys in two eras. In 1689 England, Lady Eliza Grey's 11 brothers are turned into swans. Rejected by her father, Eliza is flown to America by her brothers where she has a chance to save them--until she is accused of witchcraft. In the second story, set in 1981 New York, Elias Latham has AIDS, is banished from his father's house, and must learn to live on the streets. Like Eliza, Elias struggles to understand the suffering he must endure.

Genres: Fantasy, Fairy Tales, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, LGBT, Historical

464 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 1, 1999

About the author

Peg Kerr was born in a Chicago suburb, moved to Minnesota to attend St. Olaf College, and has stayed in Minnesota ever since.

With $50.00 from her first paycheck, she registered for a science fiction and fantasy writing class. There, she met her husband and wrote the first story she ever sold. In hindsight, this is all quite pleasant consolation for the fact that she was fired from her job the day the class started.

She attended the Clarion Writers Workshop in 1988 and has an M.A. in English Literature, specializing in speculative fiction. Her fiction has appeared in various science fiction and fantasy magazines and anthologies. Emerald House Rising is her first novel. The Wild Swans, a stand-alone fantasy based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, is her second. Both novels were published by Warner Books.

Peg Kerr presently lives in Minneapolis with her husband and two daughters. She has earned her black belt in karate.

Reviews

[Lis Carey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kerr tells two stories in alternating chapters, the story of Eliza, in the seventeenth century, whose stepmother has enchanted her eleven brothers so that they are swans by day and men only by night, and the story of Elias, in the early eighties in New York, whose parents have kicked him out. They're both interesting, compelling stories, and I enjoyed both them. I don't, though, see the close parallels between them that Kerr says in an afterword motivated her, beyond a rather tenuous theme of "what's family". The motivations of the parental units are different, their actions are different, the responses of Eliza and Elias are different, and the outcomes are different. One is severely let down by adopted family; every important member of the other's adopted family stands firm. One succeeds in defeating the evil that oppresses them; the other can only defeat it in spirit. One story is fantasy; the other is mainstream mimetic fiction.

On the other hand, each contains an obvious mistake about an easily checked background detail. (Witches were not burned alive in England; Catholic priests released from their vows retain the power to perform the sacraments.)

I have one additional complaint about Elias' story. There's someone at the beginning who helps him survive his first days on the streets, and tries to teach him survival skills for living in the streets. When Elias gets a chance to get off the streets, he quite rightly jumps at it. From the point of view of that first person to befriend him, though, he must have seemed to have dropped off the face of the earth, in circumstances where his having gotten killed would not be out of the question. When Eliza walks away from the people who know her, some of whom care about her, she has a compelling reason for not attempting any contact with them again, at least until after the end of the story. Elias, though, had some options for at least attempting to get word to his street friend that he didn't die bleeding in an alley, even if he didn't want to make direct contact--a personal ad, for instance. As far as the reader can tell from the text of the story, though, Elias never thinks about that person again, once his luck changes.

But I repeat that these are both good stories, and I enjoyed both of them. Kerr does a good job of making the reader care about each of her protagonists, and the problems that confront them.

[Stephen Poltz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very difficult book to read, not because of the writing, but because of the subject matter. It deals with the AIDS epidemic on a very personal level. It juxtaposes a retelling of Hans Christian Anderson’s “The Wild Swans” with a tale about a gay young man, kicked out by his family, and coming out in New York City in the early ‘80s. Having come out myself at about the same time, I lived through this period. Reading a book or seeing a film about it is very hard for me and brings up a lot of anger, terrible sadness, and survivor’s guilt. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed this book, with the way it told the two stories. Both stories left me emotionally devastated, but immensely satisfied as well. It was nominated for the Mythopoeic Award and won the Gaylactic Spectrum Award in 2000.

Come visit my blog for the full review…
https://itstartedwiththehugos.blogspo...

[Jennifer W · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has been on my TBR since I joined goodreads, about 5 years ago. I wasn't sure if I would like it, if it would be too melodramatic or too overdone, but it was wonderful. Elias' and Eliza's stories overlap and are used well to make points about silence and fear. About finding families where you least expect them. Even about loving the people who are eventually going to kill you. I don't really remember the HCA fairy tale of The Wild Swans, but I like the Puritan witchcraft angle of this version. However, sadly, Elias' curse of AIDS is still all too familiar and real. I think the saddest line in the whole book is at the beginning of Chapter 18 "Surely, he thought hopefully, in a country with the best medical system in the world, the cure for AIDS would be found soon." I think that was the point I was most deeply lost in the book, because I found myself shaking my head and saying, you poor fool, 30 years after you were thinking this, they still haven't found a cure. Of course, the author (writing this 15 years ago) knew it was a hopeless thought, too, but to me, it was Elias making that statement.

I think what made this an enjoyable summer read was that it was part fairy tale. Even when I knew the characters were doomed, even when I could barely keep reading because I didn't want to experience the pain and loss that I knew was coming, I kept at it because in fairy tales, there is always hope.

[Jacinda Literature Babe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published in 1999, author Peg Kerr's tale is an exquisite modern retelling of the Fairytale; "The Wild Swans" by Hans Christian Anderson. This retelling combines fantasy and literary fiction in an intense tale for today's world.

Dual timelines with Dual point of views takes the reader between 1680's New England and 1980's New York.

In Puritan New England we meet young Eliza; dutiful daughter, hardworking and god fearing. A secret is revealed to Eliza and her simple devotional life takes a new path, her world will never be the same.

Jumping forward to the1980's, where we meet Elias; homeless street kid, newly disowned hedgefund son by his family- for "coming out".

Kerr masterfully weaves these 2 seemingly separate stories together in ways you can't imagine and dont fully see until...ding doing the lights come on!
It's an homage to silent dying when we should speak up.
4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, Endeavour Media and the author Ms. Peg Kerr for the opportunity to read this Advanced Readers Copy of "The Wild Swans".
The opinions expressed in this review are mine alone.

[Jeanette · Rating 3 out of 5]

I rarely read this genre, but now and again i do like to try something different. This was a well written book, but it wasn't really a book that i can say that i really enjoyed. I'm not fond of stories that is told from two different time periods, despite it being done well. I can see that this book will appeal to many, but unfortunately, not for me.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy. This is my honest review, which i have voluntarily given.

[Melanti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I much preferred the modern story of Elias to that of puritan New England Eliza.

Eliza's half of the story just fell a bit flat for me. I just didn't feel I knew her and the people around her as well as I should. The typical fairy tale ending at the end of her part feels forced because of it. I know I certainly wouldn't immediately forgive someone who came minutes from hanging me!

However, what Eliza's story was good at was drawing attention to the bits of Elias's story that were thematically important. While the stories were completely independent in plot (other than a few hints of reincarnation),the shared threads did link them together sufficiently.

Linking the stories reinforced the idea of hiding -living radically different and completely separate lives by night as you do by day, the idea of persecution by people not quite the same as you, and that of silence - a lack of talking that makes situations worse.

While it's not the best written book by any means, it brings up some thought provoking topics, and I found the modern half of the story very touching.

[Monique · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a bit of a surprise. I started this book expecting a straightforward retelling of a fairy tale, but it was a bit more than that. While Eliza's tale certainly is what I expected, Elias's story was quite different. I don't want to spoil too much, but suffice it to say that it was more poignant and much deeper than I expected.

All in all, I though this book was really good. I enjoyed the way the different tales were interwoven. Miles apart at first, they slowly moved towards one another. While some of the parallels were a bit too much for me (such as the writer using the exact same descriptions for Eliza and Lizzie), most of them worked really well. The only thing that really bothered me, was Kerr's way of speeding up the narrative at times. This caused her to skip certain events that I would've liked to see in more detail. Less isn't always more... but apart from that, this book is excellent and I really recommend it.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like Jane Yolen's Briar Rose, this book uses a fairy tale to discuss serious modern issues, in this case homophobia and living with AIDS. The book is made up of two stories told in alternating chapters: the story of Eliza, which takes place in the 17th century and follows the original Wild Swans fairy tale, and the story of Elias, which takes place in the '80s. When Elias comes out to his parents, he is thrown out on the streets, and ends up contracting AIDS. Although I love the original fairy tale in all its variants, I was surprised to find Elias's story more compelling than Eliza's, although the 17th century language might have something to do with that. It is difficult to see how the stories fit together until the very end, which I've read over and over again because it's so sad and so lovely. You'll need your hankies for this one!

[Maria Elmvang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating story, connecting the plight of the gay community in the 1980s (when AIDS was first becoming known as 'the gay plague') with one of my favourite fairy tales by Hans Christian Andersen. The two stories are weaved almost seamlessly together, with every other chapter being about Eliza in the 17th century and every other chapter being about Elias in the 20th century. The shifts never seem abrupt or disruptive, as one keeps finding parallels from one story line to the other. Names, places and events occur in both stories - some so subtle that I only notice them on my 3rd read through. It's a poignant and moving book that I'd recommend to anybody.

[Tomeka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved loved loved this book. The paralleled worlds of the two stories was well thought out and beautifully written. You get attached to the characters and the outcome of their stories. I have read other books that use the fairy tale, The Wild Swans, and love seeing it in retelling. The book was a beautiful journey of strength, perseverance and unconditional love.

[Sofia Brito · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book😊 Peg Kerr is one of those writers who have a gift of taking your breath way. Magnificently written, an absolute masterpiece based on my favourite fairytale, Andersen’s Wild Swans. I am gutted because I just realised she only wrote two books. Can’t wait to read the other.

[Deborah Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Silence = Death

At first, I experienced a bit of disconnection in these two parallel stories: one, a re-telling of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Wild Swans,” in which a devoted sister undergoes a terrible ordeal – about which she must remain silent – to free her brothers from an enchantment that turns them into swans by day, men by night; and a heart-wrenching coming-of-age story about a gay teen at the beginning of the AIDS epidemic. I found myself engrossed in Elias’s tale, which brought up memories of gay friends during that fearful time. The difference in my reading experience was partly due to my experience as a friend and ally, watching one after another of my friends become sick and die, remembering the atmosphere of fear and homophobia, the all-too-often rejection by families, and partly because in the Andersen tale, I knew what was going to happen. Since I was familiar with the story, I had no worries that Eliza, the sister, would prevail and that her brothers, once more restored to themselves, would rescue her from being executed as a witch. I didn’t know that not only would Elias’s lover, Sean, contract AIDS (and die), but that Elias himself would fall victim to the HIV virus. This journey, from Elias initially finding himself homeless after his family kicks him out for being gay, to meeting Sean and being welcomed into the gay and gay-friendly art and music community, to the evolving love story, engrossed me attention as it engaged my emotions.

For much of the book, I was puzzled as to the relationship between the two stories. There were a few obvious intersections, homophobia or rather hatred of homosexuality being one of them. It wasn’t until I closed the last chapter and mulled over the experience that I understood the deeper connection: Silence = Death. In order to break the spell, Eliza must cut, thresh, and weave nettles into shirts for her brothers, a long an excruciating process. I’ve brushed up against nettles, and the stinging is no joke (although to be fair, poison oak is worse). During that time, if she utters a single word, her brothers will remain swans forever. She cannot explain or defend herself, not even to save her own life.

HIV didn’t evolve because gay people hid who they were and whom they loved (for very good reason), but it flourished in an atmosphere of silence born out of fear. Eliza’s faithfulness arose out of love for her brothers, and the loyalty and solidarity of the LGBT+ community gave rise to movements like ACT UP that demanded action, and respect.

Part of the power of this story lies in the subtle resonances between fairy tale and contemporary tragedy. I say, “part,” because Elias speaks for himself. His story alone would have been an engrossing, heart-rending read. The juxtaposition of the Andersen story created a thoughtful, beautifully written pas de deux.

The usual disclaimer: I received a review copy of this book, but no one bribed me to say anything one way or the other about it.

[Vivienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written retelling

My thanks to Endeavour Media/Endeavour Venture for a digital edition via NetGalley of ‘The Wild Swans’ by Peg Kerr in exchange for an honest review.

‘The Wild Swans’ was originally published in 1999 and was nominated in 2000 for the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Adult Literature. In a 1999 review Charles de Lint wrote of it: “among the very best contemporary retellings of fairy tales, those that retain the old charm and magic of the original, but use the classic material to illuminate elements of our life in the real world.”

So after twenty years it has been republished as an ebook. I welcome titles such as this being made available to a new generation of readers as well as to those like myself who missed it first time around.

The narrative moves between two stories set in different time periods. The first is a retelling of Hans Christian Anderson’s ‘The Wild Swans’ set in England and New England during the late 17th Century. Lady Eliza Grey is banished from her family home thanks to the machinations of her stepmother. She goes in search of her eleven brothers, who had also been banished, and discovers that they have been cursed. She is granted a way to break the curse though it comes at a high price.

The second tale is set in New York during the early 1980s. Elias Latham has been banished from his father’s house after coming out. For a while he is living on the streets though a chance encounter with street musician Sean introduces him to the local gay community. However, it isn’t long before members of the community are falling prey to a mysterious plague.

At first I wasn’t sure how a historical retelling of a fairy tale focusing on a witch’s curse transforming her victims into swans would work alongside a more contemporary story about the spread of AIDS within the New York 1980s gay scene. Yet I found myself quickly caught up in the challenges faced by Eliza and Elias in their respective settings.

Aside from Eliza and Elias both being outcasts, a link is made between the two tales as Elias mentions in passing a family legend about an ancestor and indeed Eliza does encounter a young Puritan magistrate named Latham in the New World.

There are other subtle connections between the two and the movement between the time periods and between fantasy and realistic fiction flows very organically.

Kerr has written a new foreword to this edition about the changes that have taken place in terms of LGBTQIA rights and the search for a cure for AIDS since she originally wrote the novel. A portion of her profits both then and now have been donated to charities including the AIDS Quilt and The Trevor Project.

Overall, I found this a beautifully written novel that, as de Lint acknowledged, utilised the archetypal power of the original fairy tale to highlight issues in the real world and wove a powerful and moving tale.

[A B · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was blown away by this book. This is based on my absolute favorite fairy tale of all time, and so far any retellings I've read have been mediocre at best. I wondered how this gorgeous tale of love and devotion could be retold in 1980s New York - a time of prosperity and fun, forever tainted by the horror of AIDS as it devastated GLBTQ communities.

Easy - love and devotion doesn't change. Eliza's love for her brothers as she tries to break their curse is no different than Elias' love for his friends.

I remember when news about AIDS first hit, and of course all of the misinformation. I was in 1st grade. I remember not sharing my peppermint elf lip balm with a friend because I told her she might have AIDS. If we played in the backyard and got a mosquito bite, we had to tell an adult (who would just look worried and tell us to come inside, maybe spray Bactine on the bite),

Perhaps that is why Elias' story hit me so hard. Whatever fear I had at age 6 was nothing, absolutely nothing, compared to what men like him faced. Elias is such a sympathetic character who has been thrown out by his biological family and, through the mesmerizing Sean, finds his true family in NYC's thriving gay community.

One of my favorite passages is when Sean describes his first time hearing a pennywhistle, feeling the yearning and emotion in that small instrument. As a wannabe whistler myself (I'm not very good but oh how I love playing my whistles), I know exactly what he meant. The author does an excellent job of creating believable, relatable characters without making them out to be over-the-top or unrealistic.

That's not to say that Eliza's story isn't worthwhile. They are both very different, and I found both equally enjoyable. Eliza's story seems incomplete at times, such as never learning what her stepmother was up to exactly or never any follow up with the mysterious fairy or her foster father - granted, most of those were probably put in just to mirror the original fairy tale, but I felt there were loose ends. Her wordless relationship with Jonathan, her eventual husband, smolders while still being clean (this is not a dirty read folks).

There are so many parallels between the two stories, and the transitions between the two stories are so smooth. No jarring switches between narrators here.

It was a 5 star up until the end. It's just too unfinished and unpolished. Eliza just breaks the spell and tells her husband she loves him, boom. Dying Elias has a weird encounter with the redheaded swan lady, has a dream where he asks her what his purpose was, and she just floats away, the end.

[Corinne Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

**I received a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley**
This novel took my awhile to read, and I struggled with the rating. Here's why: I downloaded this novel in February from NetGalley and started reading in March. I just finished today, June 30—It took me most of the book to really understand the two alternating stories and their connection, one a fable-like retelling and one a modern-day retelling. I enjoyed the stories separately but felt like they would have been more successful alone. The stories didn't really need one another and the parallels of character names between the two storylines made me feel as though the "symbolism" was bashing me over the head.
A super short fable, maybe half of it at the beginning as a prologue, and half at the end as an epilogue would have suited this novel better and really allowed me as the reader to connect with the modern day characters. I constantly felt like there was this wall between myself and the modern-day timeline that I could not break down. The fable interrupted the story I really wanted to hear, and the shifting language was rough, particularly because the ebook version I was reading was not spaced properly and so words were merged together, paragraphs were separated mid-line and other little formatting things that kept jarring me from the narrative. Reading was a bit tedious because of this.
Overall, I could have done without the fictional version. Elias, Sean, and their community were immensely more entertaining, enlightening, and profound.
It is a novel that unfortunately is still extremely relevant in terms to the oddly similar climate toward those in the LGBTQ community. AIDS and how the disease is viewed and the struggles same-sex couples endure when claiming benefits, marrying and other basic relationship rights that heterosexual couples have. While we have made strides in the last twenty years, there is still much growth to be had and this novel is truly eye opening with how slowly those changes are occurring.
The retelling in modern-day terms would have received 4-stars, but the fable itself 3-stars.

[Kathy KS · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, this book in its entirety didn't touch me.

However, the two stories, told in alternating chapters, did. I enjoyed reading both Eliza's story (based on Hans Christian Andersen's "The wild swans") from the 1600s and Elias' story from the 1980s. The story of the early days of the AIDS epidemic were particularly moving; I am of the age that I was in my 20s-30s during that decade and remember what a death sentence AIDS was to so many of our generation. I remember the fear many heterosexuals had of catching this disease, too. I also remember that families were being torn apart over not only the disease, but the fact that loved ones were coming out.

Thank goodness, I haven't had to face losing any friends or family to AIDS. I do know what it's like to have friends and family "come out" and I'm still amazed how some families can turn their backs on the very people they've loved for years. This book reminds us how hurtful that can be.

The ending of the book, however, doesn't feel right. Although the author attempts to pull the two stories together, there's too little explanation. Well, no explanation, actually. How can the people involved in both stories co-exist finally?

Ah, well, it may be I'm too dense. But I do think the book has something to offer; just don't expect a nice little wrap-up. The two individual stories ended well-enough; I just didn't like the combined ending.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2023/0...

I really liked Emerald House Rising, so wanted to try this other book by Kerr, and I might have liked it even more? It’s a retelling of the fairy tale about the girl with the eleven cursed swan brothers, set in 1600s England, but it’s interwoven with the story of an eighteen year-old boy who's been kicked out of home for being gay, and eventually he finds a community and love. But…. it's New York in the early 80s and the AIDS crisis is looming. I was SOBBING BUCKETS. The modern storyline is a little more compelling, but I enjoyed the whole (my only complaint is also one I have with Shakespeare [lol]—why is it a happy ending for a woman to get back with a man who accused her of a horrible crime? But that’s how fairy talked and Shakespeare stories go, I guess). But anyway, subbing buckets. It does seem like Kerr only published these two novels and I think that’s a shame, they were both so good. A.

[Mike]

I got far enough through this that I'll write a review, even though I didn't finish. I won't give a rating, though.

It's a very serious book. I found it a bit of a slog, more for reasons of taste than the author's ability. There are two storylines in different times (and genres; fairytale retelling versus realism with slight hints of magical realism starting to creep in). When I gave up at 61% the two stories, which alternate chapters, were finally starting to develop tenuous connections to one another that were not just thematic resonance or echoes of imagery, but I still wasn't really loving either one of them. They're beautifully, even lyrically told at times, but they're so very earnest and tragic and unrelieved by any lightness whatsoever that I couldn't stick it out to the end.

I guess I'm just not the audience for this one.

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am struggling to gauge this book! I was, as usual, desperate to go the impossible and read DEERSKIN by Robin McKinley for the first time again, so I looked at the “if you liked this, you might also like...” section on here and THE WILD SWANS was there. The blurb sounded risky - was she going to write that AIDS is a magical curse? - but the reviews seemed to ok it. And it does what it says! It’s two interlinked stories, of the 17th and 20th centuries, magic and love and gay men and the early AIDS crisis and witchcraft. I sped through it, because both are great stories, but not sure the utility of them both being in the same book. Some spoilers in this review for similar thoughts as mine https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Branddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good take on the fairytale, interspersing two separate timelines and storylines. I read and finished this book as part of a postal book club, and I never would have chosen it for myself.
This book is heavy on the Christian God. I am not a religious person. This did cause some tedious moments for me while reading, because while I can appreciate spirituality and a divine purpose, having one person life rest solely in the hands of a God was difficult for me to read through. I appreciate it as it is, though; in the seventeenth century, this was the most important way of life, and so I can forgive the constant reference.
All in all, the two stories were full of anguish and despair, but also showed how someone will willingly give up their own lives for those they love.

[Macpudel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't read the cover blurb very carefully when I picked this one up. I was more captivated by the historical setting and the fairy tale. So - no time travel romance here between gay Elias and Eliza of the bespelled brothers. Elias' story is tragic, and the story of the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s needs to be told more, as it devastated a generation of gay men and hemophiliacs. However, it has very little to do with the tale of Eliza and her brothers which is more of a retelling of a classic fairy tale plugged into Puritan New England.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was technically a reread, but given that it's been most of two decades since I actually read this, it was close enough to a new book to merit a review.

I love the prose, and the blending of fantasy and reality - it's not quite magical realism, as the stories stay separate, but the author manages to tie the two together beautifully. The portrayal of the gay community is a bit unsubtle and oversimplified, but I can forgive that given the storytelling and the allegories.

All in all, a favorite book that holds up over time.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two stories interwoven--the first is that of Eliza. Her eleven brothers have been cursed to be swans by day and men at night. To break the curse, Eliza must make coats from nettles, but she cannot speak. She almost gets hanged as a witch because of her silence, but all ends well, and she finds a new home.

Elias is gay and has been disowned by his family. Descended from Eliza, he sees his new family suffer from the curse of AIDS. He eventually falls victim himself. Allusions to the other storyline with the hemophiliacs. Ends with the unveiling of the AIDS quilt.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really interested in the way the author told two stories in parallel: a retelling of the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale and a modern story with elements from the fairy tale. I saw this author at a talk about retelling fairy tales in literature about a year and a half ago. I had never read anything by her before and wanted to read this book in particular after hearing the discussion. This is different than the kind of books I usually like and read, but I liked it very much.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful and haunting story, with connections from to Eliza and her brothers in the puritan New England of the sevententh century to the storyline in NY in the 1980'ies, where her namesake Elias struggles to make a living. I was annoyed by the POV confusion (which sometimes alternated several times within the same page), but otherwise a readworthy story.

[Louise · Rating 1 out of 5]

This wasn't for me.
I didn't particularly enjoy the Elias side of the story.
I'm afraid I was mentally rolling my eyes quite soon in at stuff.
The Eliza part of the story I found more engaging,but as it was broken up all the time by other chapters,it stilted the flow.

[Mrs Elizabeth J Potts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes five without doubt!

This is a very special book and brings hard sad facts together with a beautiful fairy tale ... I wholeheartedly recommend reading this and thank the author for writing it x

[Sylvie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really hadn’t expected to enjoy this book as much as I did. The two story arc threw me a bit at first, I couldn’t see why the author chose to tell two different stories. But as both progressed, I could see similarities coming together. And she is really a very good writer. I recommend it.

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mostly a repeat of the fairy tale story about sister who's brothers were swans and she broke spell by making them shirts.

[Kristīne Vītola]

https://www.tor.com/2020/08/20/five-r...