Review – The Swan Maiden by Heather Tomlinson (4/5 stars)

Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy/Fairy Tale
Length: 320 pages
Publisher: Square Fish
Release Date: September 30, 2008
ISBN-13: 978-0312384470
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: Swapped through Paperbackswap.com
Rating: 4/5 stars

“In the quiet hour before dawn, anything can happen. Doucette can dream of being a creature of flight and magic, of wearing a swan skin like her older sisters. But she must run the castle household while her sisters learn to weave spells. Her dream of flying is exactly that . . . until the day she discovers her own hidden birthright.

Sudden, soaring freedom―it is a wish come true. Yet, not even magic can protect against every danger, especially when the heart is involved. As she struggles to find her own way in the world, Doucette risks losing the one person she loves most of all.”

I have had this book to read on my shelf for a long time. I picked it up during one of my “fairy tale retelling” binges (I go through those every 5 years of so). I was surprised by how much I loved this story; the writing is beautifully done. This is based on a French fairy tale called the Swan Maiden.

This is a simple story that is sweet and beautifully written. It’s an easy read and pleasant. I enjoyed Doucette’s character and how she struggled with both wanting power and staying true to her heart. I loved that despite her complacence early in the story she ended up picking a path that would make her happy.

The young shepherd she falls in love with is a sweet young man. Him and Doucette have great chemistry together; the scenes between the two are heartfelt and, at times, softly witty.

The story flowed nicely and I enjoyed the description throughout; the description made the scenes really come alive and I could picture everything perfectly.

Overall this was a sweet and simple fairy tale retelling. I enjoyed the beautiful writing, the characters, and way the story flowed. I would recommend to those who enjoy fairy tale retellings and are looking for something pretty and uncomplicated.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
– Mount TBR Reading Challenge
– You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge
– Flights of Fantasy Reading Challenge