What do you think?
Rate this book
Cursebreaker (A Swan Lake retelling): Chronicles of the Deep Book 1
A cursed princess.
A crippled kingdom.
A bloody family secret.
When Gwenna is denied a Blessing of Beauty at her birth, breaking centuries of royal tradition, the consensus is that she's cursed.
A royal life without beauty is manageable. But when Gwenna is discovered with magical glowing hands standing over the king's corpse, she begins to second-guess. Her curse is spreading. First, killing the king, then conjuring a devastating storm that dries up all the water in the kingdom overnight and leaves behind a crippling heat.
The only way to find answers about her curse is to confront the magical beings who cursed her as a baby. But the Fairies have disappeared. When a deadly Shifter appears to Gwenna and hints at having the answers she needs, she is forced to choose.
Gwenna is willing to be kidnapped by a murderer if that's what it takes. But she is unprepared for the bloody family secrets she will uncover.
Cursebreaker is the first in a series of fairy tale retellings. Loosely based on Swan Lake and inspired by the movie Swan Princess, this cozy fantasy is perfect for fans of Gail Carson Levine, Shannon Hale, and Marissa Meyer. As this is the first book in a series of five planned novels, the romance budding in this book will bloom in further books.
A crippled kingdom.
A bloody family secret.
When Gwenna is denied a Blessing of Beauty at her birth, breaking centuries of royal tradition, the consensus is that she's cursed.
A royal life without beauty is manageable. But when Gwenna is discovered with magical glowing hands standing over the king's corpse, she begins to second-guess. Her curse is spreading. First, killing the king, then conjuring a devastating storm that dries up all the water in the kingdom overnight and leaves behind a crippling heat.
The only way to find answers about her curse is to confront the magical beings who cursed her as a baby. But the Fairies have disappeared. When a deadly Shifter appears to Gwenna and hints at having the answers she needs, she is forced to choose.
Gwenna is willing to be kidnapped by a murderer if that's what it takes. But she is unprepared for the bloody family secrets she will uncover.
Cursebreaker is the first in a series of fairy tale retellings. Loosely based on Swan Lake and inspired by the movie Swan Princess, this cozy fantasy is perfect for fans of Gail Carson Levine, Shannon Hale, and Marissa Meyer. As this is the first book in a series of five planned novels, the romance budding in this book will bloom in further books.
- GenresFantasyRetellings
394 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 1, 2023
108 people are currently reading
431 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
July 16, 2023
Thank you for the ARC first and foremost. I appreciate having given access to a copy.
2.5 and not quite 3 star for me.
I do enjoy a good retelling but I feel that Hunt did not quite pull it off with this.
All the characters were insufferable and were not fleshed out very well. The world building was basically an information dump by a character or two and did not happen organically.
Gwenna was up and down throughout the story which felt like the author did not have a clear idea of how they wanted her to be. One minutes she’s a strong woman standing her ground, the next she’s like a total airhead with some of the worst dialogue.
There seems to be a lot of descriptions on what the characters are all wearing all the time which would of been great if I could have traded all those parts for more character building.
Zero plot twist was disappointing considering such a promising premise. Kellen was so super obvious and I don’t think I can stomach any more of Aidan to read the sequel but who knows.
2.5 and not quite 3 star for me.
I do enjoy a good retelling but I feel that Hunt did not quite pull it off with this.
All the characters were insufferable and were not fleshed out very well. The world building was basically an information dump by a character or two and did not happen organically.
Gwenna was up and down throughout the story which felt like the author did not have a clear idea of how they wanted her to be. One minutes she’s a strong woman standing her ground, the next she’s like a total airhead with some of the worst dialogue.
There seems to be a lot of descriptions on what the characters are all wearing all the time which would of been great if I could have traded all those parts for more character building.
Zero plot twist was disappointing considering such a promising premise. Kellen was so super obvious and I don’t think I can stomach any more of Aidan to read the sequel but who knows.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 12, 2024
intense
This was intense, but not altogether a clean read. The story was a bit dark, but it had light moments, too. I did like the main character…she was strong and resilient. I did not like some of the language used and the way women were often sexualized and men were seen as weak and ambitious. There were too many stereotypes in this story.
This was intense, but not altogether a clean read. The story was a bit dark, but it had light moments, too. I did like the main character…she was strong and resilient. I did not like some of the language used and the way women were often sexualized and men were seen as weak and ambitious. There were too many stereotypes in this story.
August 8, 2023
My thanks to BookSirens and to the author for the free ARC.
In this retelling of The Swan Lake, Gwenna is the youngest and the homeliest of the two princesses and she is very much not the heiress. She is also believed to be cursed. In a kingdom somewhere in the vicinity of the fairyland, all royal children are blessed by fairies at birth. While her sister did receive the traditional blessing of beauty, Gwenna didn't, and it's a mystery as to why. Now the old king is dying, there is no male heir, and for political reasons, Gwenna's older sister needs to marry a likely lad from the other end of the kingdom. Unfortunately, this turns out to be Aidan, Gwenna's childhood friend and a guy she has a massive crush on.
Equally unfortunately, the dude is an insufferable arse and he's a complete pain to read about. He was supposed to be horrible (or maybe he was supposed to be morally grey, not sure here), but it was overdone, honestly. We see him as stupid and misogynistic nearly from the get go; it's totally impossible to root for him, and Gwenna's crush on him seems at best pitiful and at worst unbelievable because... WHY, Gwenna??
At one point, a massive curse falls upon the kingdom. Gwenna thinks it's somehow her fault and she wants to break the spell. Cue shapeshifters (and other magical creatures), who know something about the curse and also a dark secret of Gwenna's line.
So, all the ingredients you may expect from a YA fantasy, basically.
I requested this book because I do love a good fairy-tale retelling from time to time, and also LOOK AT THAT COVER. It's lovely. The novel itself could have used some more work, though, I'm afraid. I got the impression the author was learning the craft as she wrote this, which is fine, that's how you do it, but the text could have done with a lot more rewriting (and a (better) editor, I guess). The writing itself gets much better towards the end. The first half of the book is not very well put together and it feels needlessly endless. Also, all the relationships and the attempted character development in the first part didn't work very well and didn't really lead anywhere. Around 60% the plot gets more interesting, and after 85% I actually wanted to see what would happen. I flew through the last 15%.
The characters were hit and miss for me. Gwenna is okay, her slight inconsistencies seemed more or less realistic. She is also not a pain to read about; she's fine, I liked her. She gets cool abilities, too, and I enjoyed reading about her learning to deal with them. Pretty much everyone else was harder to sympathize with, though: they were overstated and rather black and white, particularly a certain male character (not the unfortunate Aidan), who was supposed to be morally gray, dark and sexy (I think), but I just wanted to murderize him with a frying pan. His evil is overstated and the character depiction could have been subtler.
Some scenes are really good and entertaining. There were some nice, interesting ideas here, and I do wish it were more polished. I think the author has learned a lot writing this novel and I'm sure her next one will be way better. As it is, very polite three stars for this inexperienced author because I don't want to mess up the rating for her. Sorry for being honest. I really did my best to like this book.
In this retelling of The Swan Lake, Gwenna is the youngest and the homeliest of the two princesses and she is very much not the heiress. She is also believed to be cursed. In a kingdom somewhere in the vicinity of the fairyland, all royal children are blessed by fairies at birth. While her sister did receive the traditional blessing of beauty, Gwenna didn't, and it's a mystery as to why. Now the old king is dying, there is no male heir, and for political reasons, Gwenna's older sister needs to marry a likely lad from the other end of the kingdom. Unfortunately, this turns out to be Aidan, Gwenna's childhood friend and a guy she has a massive crush on.
Equally unfortunately, the dude is an insufferable arse and he's a complete pain to read about. He was supposed to be horrible (or maybe he was supposed to be morally grey, not sure here), but it was overdone, honestly. We see him as stupid and misogynistic nearly from the get go; it's totally impossible to root for him, and Gwenna's crush on him seems at best pitiful and at worst unbelievable because... WHY, Gwenna??
At one point, a massive curse falls upon the kingdom. Gwenna thinks it's somehow her fault and she wants to break the spell. Cue shapeshifters (and other magical creatures), who know something about the curse and also a dark secret of Gwenna's line.
So, all the ingredients you may expect from a YA fantasy, basically.
I requested this book because I do love a good fairy-tale retelling from time to time, and also LOOK AT THAT COVER. It's lovely. The novel itself could have used some more work, though, I'm afraid. I got the impression the author was learning the craft as she wrote this, which is fine, that's how you do it, but the text could have done with a lot more rewriting (and a (better) editor, I guess). The writing itself gets much better towards the end. The first half of the book is not very well put together and it feels needlessly endless. Also, all the relationships and the attempted character development in the first part didn't work very well and didn't really lead anywhere. Around 60% the plot gets more interesting, and after 85% I actually wanted to see what would happen. I flew through the last 15%.
The characters were hit and miss for me. Gwenna is okay, her slight inconsistencies seemed more or less realistic. She is also not a pain to read about; she's fine, I liked her. She gets cool abilities, too, and I enjoyed reading about her learning to deal with them. Pretty much everyone else was harder to sympathize with, though: they were overstated and rather black and white, particularly a certain male character (not the unfortunate Aidan), who was supposed to be morally gray, dark and sexy (I think), but I just wanted to murderize him with a frying pan. His evil is overstated and the character depiction could have been subtler.
Some scenes are really good and entertaining. There were some nice, interesting ideas here, and I do wish it were more polished. I think the author has learned a lot writing this novel and I'm sure her next one will be way better. As it is, very polite three stars for this inexperienced author because I don't want to mess up the rating for her. Sorry for being honest. I really did my best to like this book.
July 28, 2023
This is a YA loose retelling of Swan Lake. Gwenna, our 17-year-old FMC, is denied the blessing of beauty at birth unlike all the other girls born in the land of Bannon and is said to be cursed. After the fairies refused to gift her and “curse” her, they subsequently refused to gift all girls in the country the blessing of beauty. Feeling like an ugly outsider watching as her older sister becomes betrothed, she then is found with glowing hands standing above the corpse of her deceased grandfather the King. Her curse then spreads all throughout the kingdom and she goes on a quest to find the fairies who cursed her to try to remove the curse and save her people.
This book has all of the fabulous components of fantasy- shifters, mages, fairies, and curses. There’s a little slow burn romance (this is actually why I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars… you could see the ending coming from a mile away), some feminist themes, and a lot of reckoning with coming to terms with and accepting yourself.
Even though you kind of knew the ending, it was a fun story and I really enjoyed it. I recommend to anyone who loves fairytale retellings. This book is part of a series, and I’m looking forward to reading the rest of it!
Thank you to the publisher and BookSirens for giving me this ARC for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This book has all of the fabulous components of fantasy- shifters, mages, fairies, and curses. There’s a little slow burn romance (this is actually why I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars… you could see the ending coming from a mile away), some feminist themes, and a lot of reckoning with coming to terms with and accepting yourself.
Even though you kind of knew the ending, it was a fun story and I really enjoyed it. I recommend to anyone who loves fairytale retellings. This book is part of a series, and I’m looking forward to reading the rest of it!
Thank you to the publisher and BookSirens for giving me this ARC for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 3, 2023
I LOVE IT!! ❤️🦢
I’m always on the lookout for reimagined fairytales of my childhood. This one was an amazing take on the Swan Princess. I haven’t found a story with this theme yet and I’m so happy this book came to be!
Things I loved about this book…
First and foremost the cover is gorgeous and I love it
Strong FMC who was able to be vulnerable and stood up for and also stayed true to herself and stayed true to her heart regardless of what troubles she faced.
The love interest took some turns I didn’t see coming and I love that it kept me guessing.
I loved this book and I highly recommend you read this and I really need to read the rest for the series yesterday!!!
Thank you Sydney for bringing this book into my life 🥰
I’m always on the lookout for reimagined fairytales of my childhood. This one was an amazing take on the Swan Princess. I haven’t found a story with this theme yet and I’m so happy this book came to be!
Things I loved about this book…
First and foremost the cover is gorgeous and I love it
Strong FMC who was able to be vulnerable and stood up for and also stayed true to herself and stayed true to her heart regardless of what troubles she faced.
The love interest took some turns I didn’t see coming and I love that it kept me guessing.
I loved this book and I highly recommend you read this and I really need to read the rest for the series yesterday!!!
Thank you Sydney for bringing this book into my life 🥰
August 19, 2023
Every page left me wondering what going to happen.
I am very well versed in Swan Lake, but I was trying to see how that all tied in…
And let’s just say this didn’t disappoint!
Sydney Hunt has done an amazing job drawing the reader in and keeping me invested in Gwenna and her family’s kingdom.
This is a must read, and I can’t wait for the next book in the series!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I am very well versed in Swan Lake, but I was trying to see how that all tied in…
And let’s just say this didn’t disappoint!
Sydney Hunt has done an amazing job drawing the reader in and keeping me invested in Gwenna and her family’s kingdom.
This is a must read, and I can’t wait for the next book in the series!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 15, 2023
I had so much fun reading this book (in 2 days) at the beach! What a great, smart re-telling! I was engaged from the start, and I found myself reading while stirring dinner. 😉 Can’t wait for more, Sydney!
April 25, 2024
Gwenna is a wonderful heroine and I would die for Kellen and I guess I have to read the prequel but at the moment I think it would be perfectly acceptable for Aidan to eat a bag of farts.
September 4, 2023
This is a beautiful story written by a talented author. A woman I am grateful to call friend ❤️.
September 3, 2023
I loved this book. It had a headstrong but ‘heart of gold’ type main character who was trying to figure out a whole new world of magic while being painted as the ‘villain’ by the very people she works so hard to save. I loved learning about all the different types of magical beings and how the world works. A fresh look at an old fairytale.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 9, 2023
+++I received this as an ARC from BookSirens+++
So I will start off by saying that I had such high hopes for this book. I ADORE the tale of the Swan Princess and being that I grew up with The Swan Princess (1994) and the nostalgic joy that is Barbie in Swan Lake, I was ecstatic for a more adult retelling. I am sad to say that I didn’t receive that. So at 10% in, I am shelving it as a DNF.
My qualms include way too much telling and not nearly enough showing. The book is in 3rd person but reads like a 1st person POV. There are so many tired fantasy medieval tropes (couples must be chaperoned, women have to be soft and feminine, and riding side saddle is seen better then ‘riding then a man’ just to name a few). I can’t sympathize with the main character because the ‘antagonists’ of the story always seemed awful. I would have liked to see how they tricked her but instead I am TOLD how they did so.
I really, REALLY wanted to like it but the main character was so hard to relate to. And this is coming from a proud to be thick woman. Oh well, I guess I have to look elsewhere for my adult Swan Lake retelling.
So I will start off by saying that I had such high hopes for this book. I ADORE the tale of the Swan Princess and being that I grew up with The Swan Princess (1994) and the nostalgic joy that is Barbie in Swan Lake, I was ecstatic for a more adult retelling. I am sad to say that I didn’t receive that. So at 10% in, I am shelving it as a DNF.
My qualms include way too much telling and not nearly enough showing. The book is in 3rd person but reads like a 1st person POV. There are so many tired fantasy medieval tropes (couples must be chaperoned, women have to be soft and feminine, and riding side saddle is seen better then ‘riding then a man’ just to name a few). I can’t sympathize with the main character because the ‘antagonists’ of the story always seemed awful. I would have liked to see how they tricked her but instead I am TOLD how they did so.
I really, REALLY wanted to like it but the main character was so hard to relate to. And this is coming from a proud to be thick woman. Oh well, I guess I have to look elsewhere for my adult Swan Lake retelling.
August 14, 2023
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This is the first book of the author's that I've read and there's enough good for me to not mind reading more from. It's the first book in the Chronicles of the Deep Series and doesn't end in a huge cliffhanger but it's clear that there are plot points that will be further explored in the following book. The book's blurb gives you an idea of what to expect, though do be aware that SA & corspes being found is lightly mentioned. It's a good third person pov story about Gwenna discovering who she really is.
I'm vaguely familiar with Swan Lake so I can't comment on if fans of the original tale will be content with this loosely based retelling,though I do know that you can't please everyone, but Gwenna's feelings of feeling cursed, since she's not "beautiful" like the rest of her family, came across well. You can feel for this young girl, of seventeen years, who wants to badly prove to everyone that their beliefs about her wrong. Her actions may be inconsistent at times, with how she goes from being brave and taking action to how she lets others get to her, but I think it's fitting for the situations that she finds herself in. She was carrying a lot and was on her own. One thing that stayed consistent, and I truly appreciated, was her belief that she didn't need to be wed to rule like the queen she was meant to be.
Her love is unrequited and you will question exactly why she's even harboring feelings for that person, especially after his continuous arrogant and harsh behavior, but, while she does think about her love life, it's more of a subplot with the focus being on her trying to break her curse and help her kingdom. This romance is closed door because of the suggestive remarks and language used but it stays to only kissing between the FMC and her love interest. I do think the story dragged a bit, especially at the start, with too much telling being done about mundane things and the world building could've been stronger. And, while there are some events that you could've guessed, there are some nice twists as well. Overall, it was an okay read that others may like.
I'm vaguely familiar with Swan Lake so I can't comment on if fans of the original tale will be content with this loosely based retelling,
Her love is unrequited and you will question exactly why she's even harboring feelings for that person, especially after his continuous arrogant and harsh behavior, but, while she does think about her love life, it's more of a subplot with the focus being on her trying to break her curse and help her kingdom. This romance is closed door because of the suggestive remarks and language used but it stays to only kissing between the FMC and her love interest. I do think the story dragged a bit, especially at the start, with too much telling being done about mundane things and the world building could've been stronger. And, while there are some events that you could've guessed, there are some nice twists as well. Overall, it was an okay read that others may like.
August 13, 2023
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The book was breathtaking, brilliant and well crafted! I haven't read the original rendition of Swan Lake in terms of the ballet and the writings based on it so I was mostly relying on whatever I seemed to grasp from the Barbie version I had watched when I was a kid so it was really fun having to read and dissect the plot to see the easter eggs of the original story and the new twists and takes. Gwenna is a strong character. She takes much of the centre stage although everyone else may banish her to the background. The use of beauty stereotypes? I mean i understand it, but I didn't think it was flattering. Maybe that made it effective. The power struggle between Gwenna and the other nobles emphasised the heavy underlying theme of woman oppression, which wasn't the easiest to digest, but when is oppression ever easy to digest? It makes the theme stand out more. Aidan is nothing like how Gwenna had initially led me to believe and I'm quite offended how much I can related to how deluded she was. Prince Charming? Not at all. Even Kellen has more grace than him. I didn't like how much gossip was entertained about Gwenna and being cursed, because she seemed average at first with the way she described herself. There wasn't anything ominous about the curse until well it happened, but for some reason I couldn't get myself to believe that she was cursed and it was all a bit of a misunderstanding that hadn't been explained properly. I think the best parts were the bits Kellen and Gwenna were interacting because I coukd smell chemistry a mile away. She was instantly flattered by him during the first time they met, but I think she let her self doubt cloud her judgement. Either way, it was beautiful, and I love the fact she got a happy ending just when I thought no one was going to do anything about it, Gwenna had saved herself by takibg the initiative and that leap of faith. Woukd I read it again? Totally.
The book was breathtaking, brilliant and well crafted! I haven't read the original rendition of Swan Lake in terms of the ballet and the writings based on it so I was mostly relying on whatever I seemed to grasp from the Barbie version I had watched when I was a kid so it was really fun having to read and dissect the plot to see the easter eggs of the original story and the new twists and takes. Gwenna is a strong character. She takes much of the centre stage although everyone else may banish her to the background. The use of beauty stereotypes? I mean i understand it, but I didn't think it was flattering. Maybe that made it effective. The power struggle between Gwenna and the other nobles emphasised the heavy underlying theme of woman oppression, which wasn't the easiest to digest, but when is oppression ever easy to digest? It makes the theme stand out more. Aidan is nothing like how Gwenna had initially led me to believe and I'm quite offended how much I can related to how deluded she was. Prince Charming? Not at all. Even Kellen has more grace than him. I didn't like how much gossip was entertained about Gwenna and being cursed, because she seemed average at first with the way she described herself. There wasn't anything ominous about the curse until well it happened, but for some reason I couldn't get myself to believe that she was cursed and it was all a bit of a misunderstanding that hadn't been explained properly. I think the best parts were the bits Kellen and Gwenna were interacting because I coukd smell chemistry a mile away. She was instantly flattered by him during the first time they met, but I think she let her self doubt cloud her judgement. Either way, it was beautiful, and I love the fact she got a happy ending just when I thought no one was going to do anything about it, Gwenna had saved herself by takibg the initiative and that leap of faith. Woukd I read it again? Totally.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 26, 2023
"To anyone who has ever felt less than beautiful."
I absolutely loved this book! It took me a bit of time to get used to the digital format of the ARC because I'm a physical book person (hate looking at screens for too long!) but after the first 20-30 pages I was so immersed in the story that I stayed up late and finished the whole thing without realizing how much time had passed!
The whimsical but electric vibe of anticipation grips the reader from the very first chapter as anticipation builds in the plot, and the detailed world-building and descriptions truly immerse the reader in this world and bring it to life on the page. There were so many twists and turns I didn't expect that added to that tension felt from the beginning to the end, and I felt that the characters were complex and interesting and developed more throughout the story while still maintaining the focus on Gwenna.
Princess Gwenna is also an absolute badass FMC who I think so many of us can relate to and aspire to, with her grace, bravery, and sometimes conflicting emotions and actions! Her drive to do what's best for those around her AND herself is admirable and powerful while still being believably complex and imperfect and making mistakes.
I highly recommend this book for any YA Fantasy/Romance fans! 5/5 Stars!
I absolutely loved this book! It took me a bit of time to get used to the digital format of the ARC because I'm a physical book person (hate looking at screens for too long!) but after the first 20-30 pages I was so immersed in the story that I stayed up late and finished the whole thing without realizing how much time had passed!
The whimsical but electric vibe of anticipation grips the reader from the very first chapter as anticipation builds in the plot, and the detailed world-building and descriptions truly immerse the reader in this world and bring it to life on the page. There were so many twists and turns I didn't expect that added to that tension felt from the beginning to the end, and I felt that the characters were complex and interesting and developed more throughout the story while still maintaining the focus on Gwenna.
Princess Gwenna is also an absolute badass FMC who I think so many of us can relate to and aspire to, with her grace, bravery, and sometimes conflicting emotions and actions! Her drive to do what's best for those around her AND herself is admirable and powerful while still being believably complex and imperfect and making mistakes.
I highly recommend this book for any YA Fantasy/Romance fans! 5/5 Stars!
July 31, 2023
this was an interesting spin on the swan lake story. gwenna, the cursed and less conventionally beautiful princess, is put to the test when she needs to save her kingdom from a mysterious blight. with all of this going on, she's also trying to get over the fact that her longtime secret love, prince aidan, is now engaged to her sister catriona. and of course, since this is a swan lake retelling, these might be the least of her worries once sorcery and magic come in to play…
this was a promising premise, but i feel like the characterization and lack of concrete worldbuilding let me down a bit. gwenna (and all of the other characters) were all over the place--i didn't know if i was supposed to root for anyone, honestly, because they were all insufferable. sometimes gwenna was sympathetic, but sometimes she just put up with stupid bullying. and don't even get me started on aidan, i loathe him and i have no idea what gwenna (or cat) saw in him. not sure if i will continue with the series, but i think the author has a promising start to writing some fun fantasy retellings!
thanks to booksirens and the author, who gave me an advance review copy for free. i'm reviewing this book voluntarily and honestly in exchange for the eARC.
this was a promising premise, but i feel like the characterization and lack of concrete worldbuilding let me down a bit. gwenna (and all of the other characters) were all over the place--i didn't know if i was supposed to root for anyone, honestly, because they were all insufferable. sometimes gwenna was sympathetic, but sometimes she just put up with stupid bullying. and don't even get me started on aidan, i loathe him and i have no idea what gwenna (or cat) saw in him. not sure if i will continue with the series, but i think the author has a promising start to writing some fun fantasy retellings!
thanks to booksirens and the author, who gave me an advance review copy for free. i'm reviewing this book voluntarily and honestly in exchange for the eARC.
August 3, 2023
This book is for anyone who loved The Swan Princess as a kid, like me! Denied the blessing of beauty by the fairies as a baby, Princess Gwenna is deemed cursed. She easily manages in the kingdom, blending into the background. When Gwenna finds herself standing above her grandfather with glowing magical hands as he takes his last breath, she begins to second guess herself. Gwenna’s curse then spreads among the kingdom, bringing on a drought and a terrible heatwave. The only way to receive answers and hopefully break her curse is to seek out the faeries. Once Gwenna is in the magical realm, she learns more about her family and herself than she may have bargained for.
This book is so fun! It’s a story full of magic, shifters, faeries, and curses. I enjoyed Gwenna’s character - she is brave, smart, unconventionally beautiful, and loyal to her kingdom. Her character has many understandable flaws and insecurities as well. I enjoyed the world that the author writes for us, and am looking forward to seeing how the story unfolds in the next book in the series. If you enjoy fairytale retellings, I highly recommend this book!
Thank you to booksirens and the author for a free digital copy of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily. This book was published August 1, 2023.
This book is so fun! It’s a story full of magic, shifters, faeries, and curses. I enjoyed Gwenna’s character - she is brave, smart, unconventionally beautiful, and loyal to her kingdom. Her character has many understandable flaws and insecurities as well. I enjoyed the world that the author writes for us, and am looking forward to seeing how the story unfolds in the next book in the series. If you enjoy fairytale retellings, I highly recommend this book!
Thank you to booksirens and the author for a free digital copy of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily. This book was published August 1, 2023.
July 13, 2023
what I love about this book is the world building, it make me forget that I actually reading, not all of fantasy book i have read so far have bring me this very moment of escaping. the world build a every wonderful, you could imagine how the world look like and it was so beautiful and fun! every character in this story is meaningful and has it own power hold and connection to the plot! it is very easy to read also and the plot are very easy to understand 👍🏻. I love the main character. she really bring the character of strong women! a very powerful one. I truly couldn't put the book down, It give me a lot of emotion. I feel thrilled, anxious, angst and the curiosity just to keep me reading it within one and half day!
another thing i love about this book is how it emphasised that you shouldn't limit yourself in someone else view, find yourself in every journey and believe in yourself 💪🏻
✨also beauty is different in everyone eyes✨
Sydney Hunt really did a good job in delivering this beautiful retelling. I love how she even provided a pronunciation guard for readers! I truly looking forward on her next book! 🫶🏻
another thing i love about this book is how it emphasised that you shouldn't limit yourself in someone else view, find yourself in every journey and believe in yourself 💪🏻
✨also beauty is different in everyone eyes✨
Sydney Hunt really did a good job in delivering this beautiful retelling. I love how she even provided a pronunciation guard for readers! I truly looking forward on her next book! 🫶🏻
July 26, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Gwenna is a cursed princess; the first princess to ever not be blessed with beauty upon her birth. So cursed that even the fairies disappeared after her birth. Growing up second to her older beautiful sister, Cat, Gwenna has learned how the royal court works behind the scenes and is always reminded of how below average and frumpy she looks. When tragic incidents thrust her to the forefront; she has to be the one to save her kingdom.
🦢
I was super excited to read a Swan Lake/Princess retelling - I loved the movie as a kid! I thought overall the book could have been longer and there be more world building and magic building. I really wanted to loose myself in the world; hopefully we get more of that later!
🦢
I felt Gwenna was a bit all over the place; she was a bit wishy washy with her dialogue and actions. I didn’t feel much connection to the other characters; the prince was insufferable and I really hope to see some redemption for him!
🦢
I did enjoy the book enough to look out for the next in the series - a Cinderella retelling!
Thank you to the author and BookSirens for a free digital copy on exchange for an honest review. This book will be published 1 AUGUST 2023.
Gwenna is a cursed princess; the first princess to ever not be blessed with beauty upon her birth. So cursed that even the fairies disappeared after her birth. Growing up second to her older beautiful sister, Cat, Gwenna has learned how the royal court works behind the scenes and is always reminded of how below average and frumpy she looks. When tragic incidents thrust her to the forefront; she has to be the one to save her kingdom.
🦢
I was super excited to read a Swan Lake/Princess retelling - I loved the movie as a kid! I thought overall the book could have been longer and there be more world building and magic building. I really wanted to loose myself in the world; hopefully we get more of that later!
🦢
I felt Gwenna was a bit all over the place; she was a bit wishy washy with her dialogue and actions. I didn’t feel much connection to the other characters; the prince was insufferable and I really hope to see some redemption for him!
🦢
I did enjoy the book enough to look out for the next in the series - a Cinderella retelling!
Thank you to the author and BookSirens for a free digital copy on exchange for an honest review. This book will be published 1 AUGUST 2023.
August 12, 2024
First, I’d like to say I received this as an ARC read. Thanks to the author for letting me do that.
I grew up loving the Swan Princess animated movie. This is wayyy different from that if that’s the type of retelling you’re looking for. This is quite a bit darker.
I wanted to love this book, but I just didn’t click with it. I love the overall plot and twist on the swan princess. It was intriguing and kept you reading to see the outcome. However, stereotypes were full force here. It felt highly anti-man for the exception on one or two. Highly focused on looks, sexualizing women, men being weak/clueless/ambitious, pretty people being clueless, etc. Some plot points were fairly easily guessed. There were a few slightly surprising revelations. There were just several things included that just felt like more pandering to specific ideals like men are less than grade of feminism. Just several underlying themes here I didn’t love.
Definitely not a squeaky clean read. A few curse words spread throughout, but no f-bombs. Violence and torture mentioned. No “spicy” scenes, but plenty of sexualizing women and descriptions of bodies. Definitions of “clean” seem to vary. I’d put this as more of no-spice than clean.
Overall, I enjoyed parts and had to force myself through others.
I grew up loving the Swan Princess animated movie. This is wayyy different from that if that’s the type of retelling you’re looking for. This is quite a bit darker.
I wanted to love this book, but I just didn’t click with it. I love the overall plot and twist on the swan princess. It was intriguing and kept you reading to see the outcome. However, stereotypes were full force here. It felt highly anti-man for the exception on one or two. Highly focused on looks, sexualizing women, men being weak/clueless/ambitious, pretty people being clueless, etc. Some plot points were fairly easily guessed. There were a few slightly surprising revelations. There were just several things included that just felt like more pandering to specific ideals like men are less than grade of feminism. Just several underlying themes here I didn’t love.
Definitely not a squeaky clean read. A few curse words spread throughout, but no f-bombs. Violence and torture mentioned. No “spicy” scenes, but plenty of sexualizing women and descriptions of bodies. Definitions of “clean” seem to vary. I’d put this as more of no-spice than clean.
Overall, I enjoyed parts and had to force myself through others.
July 29, 2023
Cursebreaker is an enchanting fantasy retelling of the Swan Lake story for young adult readers.
Sydney Hunt wrote a refreshing point of view on an old classic story about a princess cursed to be a swan. This book is about self-love, finding yourself, prejudice, and finding true love. Gwenna, the main character, is not beautiful, but she is sharp-minded and brave.
I loved the reference to the scene from The Swan Princess (1994) - Is beauty all that matters to you? - and how the author made it one of the main topics of the story.
This book is a lovely read, especially for younger readers. As an adult, I find some scenes quite naive and could not make myself scared of a 19-year-old villain (Or he was not a bad guy? Find yourself). I like when I can see characters truly suffer, taste their pain, and grieve, but it will be harsh for me to want this from a kid's book.
Cursebreaker is the first book of the Chronicles of the Deep Book series, but it can be read as a stand-alone too.
Thank you Booksirens and Sydney Hunt for an eARC.
Sydney Hunt wrote a refreshing point of view on an old classic story about a princess cursed to be a swan. This book is about self-love, finding yourself, prejudice, and finding true love. Gwenna, the main character, is not beautiful, but she is sharp-minded and brave.
I loved the reference to the scene from The Swan Princess (1994) - Is beauty all that matters to you? - and how the author made it one of the main topics of the story.
This book is a lovely read, especially for younger readers. As an adult, I find some scenes quite naive and could not make myself scared of a 19-year-old villain (Or he was not a bad guy? Find yourself). I like when I can see characters truly suffer, taste their pain, and grieve, but it will be harsh for me to want this from a kid's book.
Cursebreaker is the first book of the Chronicles of the Deep Book series, but it can be read as a stand-alone too.
Thank you Booksirens and Sydney Hunt for an eARC.
August 15, 2023
Thank you to Sydney Hunt and Booksirens for the free ARC.
I adore fairytale retellings, and with Cursebreaker you get a few twists on the original. I would like to find our where the story goes in Book 2, however unfortunately, the book fell a little short for me.
The world building felt a little bit like an information dump on the reader, instead of being gradually given from different perspectives.
The main female character was unsure of who or what she was, or that is the way I as a reader persieved her. She was strong, independent and totally unphased by what others thought or said of her one moment, and the next, she would be the complete opposite. Our knight in shining armour unfortunately had no redeeming qualities and he came across as incompetent, rude and actually, rather stupid...In my opinion, the characters needed a little more work.
There was however some beautiful scenes, such as the festival and dancing that was absolutely magical.
I would still be interested to read Book 2 and see where things lead from here...
I adore fairytale retellings, and with Cursebreaker you get a few twists on the original. I would like to find our where the story goes in Book 2, however unfortunately, the book fell a little short for me.
The world building felt a little bit like an information dump on the reader, instead of being gradually given from different perspectives.
The main female character was unsure of who or what she was, or that is the way I as a reader persieved her. She was strong, independent and totally unphased by what others thought or said of her one moment, and the next, she would be the complete opposite. Our knight in shining armour unfortunately had no redeeming qualities and he came across as incompetent, rude and actually, rather stupid...In my opinion, the characters needed a little more work.
There was however some beautiful scenes, such as the festival and dancing that was absolutely magical.
I would still be interested to read Book 2 and see where things lead from here...
August 5, 2023
Innovative retelling of Swan Lake that delves into the essence of female heroism. The protagonist, Gwenna, stands out as a relatable and authentic character, making the story both engaging and familiar. Gwenna's evolution throughout the story is a highlight, showcasing her growth as she breaks a curse and discovers herself. The exploration of true love adds depth to the narrative, avoiding clichés and contributing to Gwenna's multi-dimensional development.
In summary, "Cursebreaker" rejuvenates Swan Lake with its fresh perspective and relatable characters. Gwenna's authenticity and relatability make her a compelling heroine. This book is a must-read for those seeking a reimagined classic that resonates with human experiences.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
In summary, "Cursebreaker" rejuvenates Swan Lake with its fresh perspective and relatable characters. Gwenna's authenticity and relatability make her a compelling heroine. This book is a must-read for those seeking a reimagined classic that resonates with human experiences.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 27, 2025
I learned about this book in a facebook group I'm in and when I heard it was a Swan Lake retelling I had to read it. And let me say I was NOT disappointed. I only read it just 2 years ago and honestly? It may be one of the only books I've ever read where I can confidently say I'd read it again.
The first book to ever make me cry. I loved Gwenna. Loved her heart, and her strength. I loved that she wasn't your average princess. Plus sized and not conventionally beautiful.
It's currently one in the morning and I can't remember the shape shifter's name but even thought I knew he was the bad guy, Sydney still brought a humanity to him that made me love him. (although I do typically go for the bad guy)
The story itself was exciting, gut wrenching, heart stopping. It was everything you'd want in a ya fantasy and more.
An absolutely stunning debut novel!
The first book to ever make me cry. I loved Gwenna. Loved her heart, and her strength. I loved that she wasn't your average princess. Plus sized and not conventionally beautiful.
It's currently one in the morning and I can't remember the shape shifter's name but even thought I knew he was the bad guy, Sydney still brought a humanity to him that made me love him. (although I do typically go for the bad guy)
The story itself was exciting, gut wrenching, heart stopping. It was everything you'd want in a ya fantasy and more.
An absolutely stunning debut novel!
August 28, 2023
Cursebreaker is a really good retelling of the classical ballet, the Swan Lake,'s story. If you are familiar with the ballet, you begin to see similarities with the original story only in the second half of the book. It is just how rich the world-building of the author was. I was a bit doubtful at first since I was looking for the elements that would yell "swan lake" but the story was so interesting that I was very quickly hooked.
The author is a great story-teller and knows exactly how to make you like or hate characters.
This was truly a great discovery. Apparently, there will be a whole series of fairy tale retellings set in this world and I am sure they will definitely be worth it.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The author is a great story-teller and knows exactly how to make you like or hate characters.
This was truly a great discovery. Apparently, there will be a whole series of fairy tale retellings set in this world and I am sure they will definitely be worth it.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
September 20, 2025
I have to confess, I nearly put this one down in the first chapter. There was a lot of exposition, and I didn't connect with the characters.
In the end, I kept reading. I thought the premise was interesting, but sadly, I still didn't connect with any of the characters. Aiden was a jerk. Something happened to the sister and the mother early on. Kellen had potential, and I admit I kept reading to see how that relationship developed.
Sadly, there was very little on-page romantic development, which made it hard to believe the ending.
Gwenna seems to be handed the answers on a silver platter, breaking the curse on her kingdom relatively easily, and true love's kiss saved the day in the end.
This one was a bit too wordy for me.
In the end, I kept reading. I thought the premise was interesting, but sadly, I still didn't connect with any of the characters. Aiden was a jerk. Something happened to the sister and the mother early on. Kellen had potential, and I admit I kept reading to see how that relationship developed.
Sadly, there was very little on-page romantic development, which made it hard to believe the ending.
Gwenna seems to be handed the answers on a silver platter, breaking the curse on her kingdom relatively easily, and true love's kiss saved the day in the end.
This one was a bit too wordy for me.
July 14, 2023
"like the foreboding rat-a-tat-tat of drums at the gallows. Gwenna felt a noose tightening around her neck with each step he took."
This book was a delight, able to be read as a stand-alone fantasy/young adults. The author did a wonderful job bringing to life a kingdom (that my fantasy and historical fiction side) loved with royalty, dancing, shifters and curses. The beginning did feel a little on the longer side but the entirety of the book was well done and thought out. I felt like i truly understood each character and their motives.
Happy reading!
This book was a delight, able to be read as a stand-alone fantasy/young adults. The author did a wonderful job bringing to life a kingdom (that my fantasy and historical fiction side) loved with royalty, dancing, shifters and curses. The beginning did feel a little on the longer side but the entirety of the book was well done and thought out. I felt like i truly understood each character and their motives.
Happy reading!
July 22, 2023
I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I’ll admit it’s been a lot (a lot) of years since I watched The Swan Princess as a child. So, I cannot really make that comparison, but this is a very well written Swan Princess retelling, with lots of action, politics, slow burn romance and even murder. The strong and not so beautiful FMC, Gwenna is totally a badass.
This book was riveting, and I read it in 2 short days. I cant wait to read more from this Chronicles of the Deep series.
Totally an entertaining 5 star read.
I’ll admit it’s been a lot (a lot) of years since I watched The Swan Princess as a child. So, I cannot really make that comparison, but this is a very well written Swan Princess retelling, with lots of action, politics, slow burn romance and even murder. The strong and not so beautiful FMC, Gwenna is totally a badass.
This book was riveting, and I read it in 2 short days. I cant wait to read more from this Chronicles of the Deep series.
Totally an entertaining 5 star read.
August 7, 2023
I loved this YA loose retelling of Swan Lake. As a kid a grew up loving Swan Lake stories etc. So this book was right up my ally. I love Gwenna so much even though she wasn’t blessed with beauty she had much better traits. She’s a strong yet vulnerable character which I adore. I’m also a sucker for fantasy books so this one was right up my ally with shifters, faeries and curses.
I’m so grateful to have been one to ARC read this and if you guys love YA Fantasy this is a book I highly recommend to you.
I’m so grateful to have been one to ARC read this and if you guys love YA Fantasy this is a book I highly recommend to you.
March 1, 2024
I loved this book.
I hit "buy" as soon as I saw "Swan Lake retelling" and I'm so glad I did.
Gwenna is a great character, and I found myself riding the rollercoaster of emotions she experienced right alongside her. I appreciated the way she used others expectations of both herself and princesses in general to control the situations she found herself in. I am excited to get to explore the world of Bannon more and find out more about The Deep, and Fairies and Shifters and Mages, and I hope that we get to see Gwenna in all her glory in later books
I hit "buy" as soon as I saw "Swan Lake retelling" and I'm so glad I did.
Gwenna is a great character, and I found myself riding the rollercoaster of emotions she experienced right alongside her. I appreciated the way she used others expectations of both herself and princesses in general to control the situations she found herself in. I am excited to get to explore the world of Bannon more and find out more about The Deep, and Fairies and Shifters and Mages, and I hope that we get to see Gwenna in all her glory in later books
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews