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Wings of Valenia #1
The Swan Harp
The enthralling, suspenseful, and magical first book in the Wings of Valenia fantasy trilogy, perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Holly Black, and Robin McKinley.
I was Father's heir now, and one day I'd be queen. But when I looked at Mother, Adana, and Orla and imagined flying, somehow the thought of being queen didn't comfort me.
As next in line to the throne, Kiar will be responsible for protecting the human kingdom of Valenia. The middle of three daughters of King Tir and Queen Tianis, a woman of the swanfolk, Kiar is devastated when her sisters are able to take swan form and she is not.
When three young swanfolk arrive to be fostered in the royal family, her friendship with spirited Willow and growing feelings for tall, thoughtful Tuan make her feel even more different. Her inability to change shape is not the only problem Kiar faces; the king of neighboring Noermark is determined to bring Valenia under his rule, either by force or by guile. He send his son to ask for her hand in marriage.
Facing down a human enemy is one thing, but when dark magic threatens the kingdom and tragedy pulls the family apart, it's up to Kiar and her swanfolk friends to defeat the supernatural forces before Valenia falls.
"Elizabeth Creith is an exciting new voice in fantasy fiction, creating with The Swan Harp an entire new world full of beautiful, fragile and powerful creatures, as yet unseen anywhere. You'll stay for the magic, but you'll live for the story." - Susie Moloney, author The Dwelling, A Dry Spell, and The Thirteen.
"Family, betrayal, tragedy - there is so much to love about this exciting coming of age fantasy! The Swan Harp has the resonance of the old tales, with a heart we expect from the best stories of today." - Anita Daher, actor and author of You Don't Have to Die in the End.
I was Father's heir now, and one day I'd be queen. But when I looked at Mother, Adana, and Orla and imagined flying, somehow the thought of being queen didn't comfort me.
As next in line to the throne, Kiar will be responsible for protecting the human kingdom of Valenia. The middle of three daughters of King Tir and Queen Tianis, a woman of the swanfolk, Kiar is devastated when her sisters are able to take swan form and she is not.
When three young swanfolk arrive to be fostered in the royal family, her friendship with spirited Willow and growing feelings for tall, thoughtful Tuan make her feel even more different. Her inability to change shape is not the only problem Kiar faces; the king of neighboring Noermark is determined to bring Valenia under his rule, either by force or by guile. He send his son to ask for her hand in marriage.
Facing down a human enemy is one thing, but when dark magic threatens the kingdom and tragedy pulls the family apart, it's up to Kiar and her swanfolk friends to defeat the supernatural forces before Valenia falls.
"Elizabeth Creith is an exciting new voice in fantasy fiction, creating with The Swan Harp an entire new world full of beautiful, fragile and powerful creatures, as yet unseen anywhere. You'll stay for the magic, but you'll live for the story." - Susie Moloney, author The Dwelling, A Dry Spell, and The Thirteen.
"Family, betrayal, tragedy - there is so much to love about this exciting coming of age fantasy! The Swan Harp has the resonance of the old tales, with a heart we expect from the best stories of today." - Anita Daher, actor and author of You Don't Have to Die in the End.
424 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 2, 2024
7 people are currently reading
165 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
March 27, 2024
⁀➷ 2.5 ★ ´ˎ˗
i went into this book with my hopes up a little too high i think. i read the intriguing description, saw the small blurb about it being geared toward fans of holly black, and saw the beautiful cover.
but, the overall reading experience for this book falls entirely flat. it wasn’t until i was 60 to 70% through the story that interesting things began to unfold. but the villain’s entrance to the story felt cartoonish and almost like something out of a disney movie (and not in a good way).
the book is not advertised as being middle-grade writing, but the simplistic nature of it makes it such.
there was not one single character in this book that i felt attached to or cared about. that was the part that made this the most difficult for me to finish. i almost dnf’d this several times but decided to push on.
i really can’t wrap my mind around the fact this book is going to be a trilogy when the first book made it so difficult for anyone to be invested in the storyline or the extremely flat characters. not to mention the lack of romance (there’s only one kiss and zero chemistry).
overall, i don’t think this book was for me. the premise was extremely interesting, but it just didn’t seem to work in execution.
thank you to netgalley, booksgosocial publishing and elizabeth creith for this arc in exchange for my honest review.
i went into this book with my hopes up a little too high i think. i read the intriguing description, saw the small blurb about it being geared toward fans of holly black, and saw the beautiful cover.
but, the overall reading experience for this book falls entirely flat. it wasn’t until i was 60 to 70% through the story that interesting things began to unfold. but the villain’s entrance to the story felt cartoonish and almost like something out of a disney movie (and not in a good way).
the book is not advertised as being middle-grade writing, but the simplistic nature of it makes it such.
there was not one single character in this book that i felt attached to or cared about. that was the part that made this the most difficult for me to finish. i almost dnf’d this several times but decided to push on.
i really can’t wrap my mind around the fact this book is going to be a trilogy when the first book made it so difficult for anyone to be invested in the storyline or the extremely flat characters. not to mention the lack of romance (there’s only one kiss and zero chemistry).
overall, i don’t think this book was for me. the premise was extremely interesting, but it just didn’t seem to work in execution.
thank you to netgalley, booksgosocial publishing and elizabeth creith for this arc in exchange for my honest review.
March 16, 2024
Another ARC that sounds great in the premise but ends up massively underwhelming 😕
This book is marketed as “suspenseful” … LOL.
Nothing happens in this book until about 60-70% and whilst I enjoyed reading about the daily life of the main character (it felt almost like a cosy-ish medieval fantasy but with a very slow pace) I have to emphasise again that literally nothing happens until the last few chapters. Lots of times books do this to build up strong connections to the main / side characters … ummm not this novel.
Kiar was the FMC and I liked her but she was incredibly 2D. The rest of the side characters, all her sisters and even her love interest fell super flat too. There is no distinguishing characteristics about any of them, even the descriptions of their appearances only go as far as ‘he was pale skinned and dark haired / she was fair haired’. Character development is a feature of a novel that when done well you don’t notice, but when done poorly you just end up not believing any of the characters’ actions.
Because of this when the action ramps up at the 60% mark and the villain emerges you’re like ‘what?’ as their villainous-ness is not believable at all. Secondly, up until this point in the novel, I was thinking how happy and healthy Kiar’s family is as there is little conflict and when there is they resolve it well. And then BAM! in the last third of the book almost every member of her family go batsh*t crazy and start acting out of character. It was really odd, and made for an unsatisfying ending.
My final criticism is that this is definitely middle grade in genre due to the simple writing style (I read it in one afternoon) and had I know this, I probably wouldn’t have requested it.
Overall, I enjoyed the read as it gave me cosy fantasy / medieval slice of life vibes. I enjoyed it enough not to DNF but in hindsight the entire plot pacing and development of every single character needs to be improved upon.
PS - how is there a sequel to this? there is no cliffhanger and it read like a standalone. But even if there is I won’t read it, sorry
I received the ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
This book is marketed as “suspenseful” … LOL.
Nothing happens in this book until about 60-70% and whilst I enjoyed reading about the daily life of the main character (it felt almost like a cosy-ish medieval fantasy but with a very slow pace) I have to emphasise again that literally nothing happens until the last few chapters. Lots of times books do this to build up strong connections to the main / side characters … ummm not this novel.
Kiar was the FMC and I liked her but she was incredibly 2D. The rest of the side characters, all her sisters and even her love interest fell super flat too. There is no distinguishing characteristics about any of them, even the descriptions of their appearances only go as far as ‘he was pale skinned and dark haired / she was fair haired’. Character development is a feature of a novel that when done well you don’t notice, but when done poorly you just end up not believing any of the characters’ actions.
Because of this when the action ramps up at the 60% mark and the villain emerges you’re like ‘what?’ as their villainous-ness is not believable at all. Secondly, up until this point in the novel, I was thinking how happy and healthy Kiar’s family is as there is little conflict and when there is they resolve it well. And then BAM! in the last third of the book almost every member of her family go batsh*t crazy and start acting out of character. It was really odd, and made for an unsatisfying ending.
My final criticism is that this is definitely middle grade in genre due to the simple writing style (I read it in one afternoon) and had I know this, I probably wouldn’t have requested it.
Overall, I enjoyed the read as it gave me cosy fantasy / medieval slice of life vibes. I enjoyed it enough not to DNF but in hindsight the entire plot pacing and development of every single character needs to be improved upon.
PS - how is there a sequel to this? there is no cliffhanger and it read like a standalone. But even if there is I won’t read it, sorry
I received the ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
April 2, 2024
Blending themes of identity, loyalty and bravery with a background of political intrigue and family relations. I really enjoyed the first novel in Elizabeth Creith's upcoming trilogy. I found the characters interesting with each one having their own unique personalities and voices that make them feel three-dimensional. I also loved the world-building and I hope the next two books will expand more on the Kingdoms of Valenia and Noermark. My only issue with The Swan Harp is that the pacing is a bit uneven at points.
Overall, The Swan Harp was an interesting read that melds its themes and plot very well. I can't wait to read the rest of The Wings of Valenia Trilogy. Highly recommend if you love a fantasy series on par with Sarah J. Maas, Rebecca Ross or Holly Black.
Thank you, NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for sending me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Overall, The Swan Harp was an interesting read that melds its themes and plot very well. I can't wait to read the rest of The Wings of Valenia Trilogy. Highly recommend if you love a fantasy series on par with Sarah J. Maas, Rebecca Ross or Holly Black.
Thank you, NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for sending me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
April 3, 2024
"Everything comes with time and work and patience. Or at least most things."
3.5✩
➸YA Clean Fantasy
Short Summary:
I was Father's heir now, and one day I'd be queen. But when I looked at Mother, Adana, and Orla and imagined flying, somehow the thought of being queen didn't comfort me.
As next in line to the throne, Kiar will be responsible for protecting the human kingdom of Valenia. The middle of three daughters of King Tir and Queen Tianis, a woman of the swanfolk, Kiar is devastated when her sisters are able to take swan form and she is not.
When three young swanfolk arrive to be fostered in the royal family, her friendship with spirited Willow and growing feelings for tall, thoughtful Tuan make her feel even more different. Her inability to change shape is not the only problem Kiar faces; the king of neighboring Noermark is determined to bring Valenia under his rule, either by force or by guile. He send his son to ask for her hand in marriage.
Facing down a human enemy is one thing, but when dark magic threatens the kingdom and tragedy pulls the family apart, it's up to Kiar and her swanfolk friends to defeat the supernatural forces before Valenia falls.
My thoughts:
This was a pretty good book! I would have given this a higher rating, but literally nothing interesting happened until like 65% in and the pacing was super confusing. Anyways, the last 35% of the book were super enjoyable and very very intriguing! I would definitely recommend this to anyone with a lot of patience :) But don't get me wrong, the wait was worth it!
✨Thank you to NetGalley, Elizabeth Creith, and the Type Eighteen Books for proving me with an ARC!✨
February 19, 2024
This was such an enjoyable young adult fantasy. I really liked the world the author created in Valenia and I loved the swan shifter aspects of the story.
The book starts out a little slow, but as the story builds the action does as well. There was quite a bit of romantic and political drama that unfolds as the plot progressed, which really had my attention.
Read this if you like:
🦢Shapeshifters
🦢Medieval setting
🦢Fantasy romance
🦢Slow building suspense
I recommend this one, especially if you like engaging fantasy stories full of magic and detailed world building.
The book starts out a little slow, but as the story builds the action does as well. There was quite a bit of romantic and political drama that unfolds as the plot progressed, which really had my attention.
Read this if you like:
🦢Shapeshifters
🦢Medieval setting
🦢Fantasy romance
🦢Slow building suspense
I recommend this one, especially if you like engaging fantasy stories full of magic and detailed world building.
March 14, 2024
Thank you to the publisher and author for an ebook ARC of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
This book has a pretty cover and an interesting summary on the back, but that's about where it ends. The writing is good and there's only a few errors that don't really affect the reading experience. One issue I did have was that sometimes the characters will repeat the exact same thing on the same page, sometimes even in the same paragraph. The plot and characters are lacking.
Nothing interesting happens in this book until the ending. I was legit 70% of the way through it when the first interesting thing happened. Before that, I feel like you could skip half of those chapters and you are not missing a single thing.
The things that are mentioned in the summary for the book happen within the first 10 or so chapters. I knew she was going to get her wings and the summary made it seem like it was going to be something that happened at the crux of the book, but I think she gets them in the 9th chapter or something. It was an issue where you blink and it's over. All the issues were like that. There's a part where her parents basically take her wings away and she is devastated, but this doesn't last more than a few chapters before she's able to fly again. None of the issues felt like they made any impact except for the last one with Orla and the harp.
It was hard for me to care about any of the characters besides Kiar. All of them are one dimensional and they just don't do anything. The villain especially came out of nowhere and they didn't have that much characterization before they did what they did. And their actions were so cartoonish, I found myself laughing when serious stuff was taking place. Their motivations come out of nowhere and it was just really weird to see it play out the way it did.
This book does shine in the last act though. Once I got over the fact that the villain just wasn't for me, I really liked the way the final showdown went. It was cool and I liked seeing Kiar really coming to her own and gain some agency. I just wished the entire book had me hooked like those final few chapters did.
This book has a pretty cover and an interesting summary on the back, but that's about where it ends. The writing is good and there's only a few errors that don't really affect the reading experience. One issue I did have was that sometimes the characters will repeat the exact same thing on the same page, sometimes even in the same paragraph. The plot and characters are lacking.
Nothing interesting happens in this book until the ending. I was legit 70% of the way through it when the first interesting thing happened. Before that, I feel like you could skip half of those chapters and you are not missing a single thing.
The things that are mentioned in the summary for the book happen within the first 10 or so chapters. I knew she was going to get her wings and the summary made it seem like it was going to be something that happened at the crux of the book, but I think she gets them in the 9th chapter or something. It was an issue where you blink and it's over. All the issues were like that. There's a part where her parents basically take her wings away and she is devastated, but this doesn't last more than a few chapters before she's able to fly again. None of the issues felt like they made any impact except for the last one with Orla and the harp.
It was hard for me to care about any of the characters besides Kiar. All of them are one dimensional and they just don't do anything. The villain especially came out of nowhere and they didn't have that much characterization before they did what they did. And their actions were so cartoonish, I found myself laughing when serious stuff was taking place. Their motivations come out of nowhere and it was just really weird to see it play out the way it did.
This book does shine in the last act though. Once I got over the fact that the villain just wasn't for me, I really liked the way the final showdown went. It was cool and I liked seeing Kiar really coming to her own and gain some agency. I just wished the entire book had me hooked like those final few chapters did.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 25, 2024
Thank you to the author & publisher via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
A YA fantasy that has shapeshifting magic, medieval settings, and a super pretty cover.
The story starts off a bit slow, with a large majority of the book in a calming and relaxed pace. It developed both the mc and her allies. However, I felt all the characters didn’t feel unique, and some I wondered what point they were providing to the story. Perhaps a bit more showing and not telling regarding emotions & actions could help bring them to life more.
Some of the words repeated quite often, and there were still some very apparent grammatical mistakes that made the read a bit hard to get through. It also worsened the pacing which felt off.
The story also felt a bit jumbled and honestly a mess. There were some discrepancies, others made no sense, and the direction was just all over the place.
Overall, the premise was something I really wanted to enjoy, but the execution just wasn’t quite right.
A YA fantasy that has shapeshifting magic, medieval settings, and a super pretty cover.
The story starts off a bit slow, with a large majority of the book in a calming and relaxed pace. It developed both the mc and her allies. However, I felt all the characters didn’t feel unique, and some I wondered what point they were providing to the story. Perhaps a bit more showing and not telling regarding emotions & actions could help bring them to life more.
Some of the words repeated quite often, and there were still some very apparent grammatical mistakes that made the read a bit hard to get through. It also worsened the pacing which felt off.
The story also felt a bit jumbled and honestly a mess. There were some discrepancies, others made no sense, and the direction was just all over the place.
Overall, the premise was something I really wanted to enjoy, but the execution just wasn’t quite right.
April 2, 2024
Thank you to netgalley and Elizabeth for giving me early access to this book in exchange for a honest review.
I was originally going to give it 2 stars, maybe 3 at a push, as it was a very slow start with a lot of time jumps between festivals throughout the year, and it felt like a lot of filler with nothing really happening. However, from around the midway point, it really picks up and I couldn't put it down, which really boosted my rating for this story.
This book follows three sisters; Adana, Kiar and Orla. It's told entirely from Kiar's POV, and follows her journey in training to become queen, as her older sister is to rule the swan-folk, and younger sister to become a wise-woman.
There's a lot of political intrigue in this book, and I really liked how it was handled, and seeing Kiar's journey from the middle child to being ready to become queen of her kingdom, even if it wasn't what she initially wanted. The "filler" that I criticised from the start of the book was definitely relevant when the villain is revealed, and all that's been put in place whilst they cook up their plan. I liked the villain, even if it was a little bit predictable. I liked how many steps were needed to defeat the villain too.
Overall, it's a decent enough story, and I think it could have been fleshed out a little bit more, just to give some more character development to other characters - I feel like Willow and Taun only existed to shadow Kiar, but who are they really?
I think the synopsis is a little misleading; I don't feel Kiar was struggling with her growing feelings for Tuan - it wasn't something she thought about much other than finding comfort in him, and there's nothing romantic about their relationship until the end. I feel like it's being pushed into marketing it as a romantasy, and I do feel that's a mistake just because not every book needs romance. This book has a lot of romantic drama without looking into Kiar's and Taun's relationships. The synopsis also states Kiar's "inability to change shape", which is only an issue for a very small section of the book, so again, feels irrelevant to the whole story...
I think it's interesting that it's made clear there will be at least a sequel, as all the ends seem well tied, but ok, sure? It felt like a standalone to me.
I liked it, it felt cozy, however, I'm not sure about a sequel...
March 24, 2024
"The Swan Harp" offers a unique twist on the young adult/teen fantasy genre. The story is written in the POV of Kiar, a protagonist who grapples with her identity as part swan-folk and heir to the human throne, destined to save Velania. The book weaves together elements of family dynamics, politics, magic, and betrayal, creating an intriguing premise.
While the initial portion of the book focuses on Kiar's daily struggles and her journey towards self-acceptance, it's the latter part where the plot truly gains momentum, injecting much-needed action and excitement into the narrative.
However, my enjoyment of the book was somewhat hindered by the characterisation, which felt somewhat two-dimensional. Additionally, the inconsistency in character portrayal between the earlier and later portions of the book, especially regarding the antagonist, left me feeling disoriented.
Overall, "The Swan Harp" is an enjoyable read that may appeal to younger audiences, as I found the writing style to be a bit too juvenile for my tastes.
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for the eARC of this book.
While the initial portion of the book focuses on Kiar's daily struggles and her journey towards self-acceptance, it's the latter part where the plot truly gains momentum, injecting much-needed action and excitement into the narrative.
However, my enjoyment of the book was somewhat hindered by the characterisation, which felt somewhat two-dimensional. Additionally, the inconsistency in character portrayal between the earlier and later portions of the book, especially regarding the antagonist, left me feeling disoriented.
Overall, "The Swan Harp" is an enjoyable read that may appeal to younger audiences, as I found the writing style to be a bit too juvenile for my tastes.
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for the eARC of this book.
March 7, 2024
Thanks to NetGalley and Elizabeth Creith for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review.
The book follows a young princess named Kiar in the kingdom of Vallenia. Her father, the king (a human) and her mother, the queen (a swanfolk) had married and created an alliance between the humans and the swanfolk. Swanfolk could change from swans to humans and vice versa. Kiar has 2 sisters, Adana (oldest) and Orla (youngest). Kiar more closely resembled her father and her two sisters looked more like her mother. When Adana finally changes to a swanfolk at the age of 12, she is destined to be the Queen of the Swanfolk. A deal her parents had made before they were born. That would leave the kingdom of Vallenia to Kiar.
Kiar thinks that she will be the next to change, but several years later, Orla becomes a swanfolk too. Orla is a black swan, not seen in their flock for many years and will train to be the wisewoman. Wisewoman possess magic and can heal others, but since Orla is the first black swan in many years it is anticipated that her strength will be the strongest they have ever seen. Orla is sent to train with the current wisewoman, Sianna. She comes home inbetween trainings to see her family.
The rival kingdom, Noermark (known as swan killers), has been trying to overtake Vallenia for years and the king sends his sons in hopes of courting Kiar or Orla. When word is leaked of a swan hunt, Kiar breaks off her engagement to Othar.
All Kiar wants is to fly, but still at the age of fifteen she has not changed. Until one day she becomes itchy and starts sprouting out feathers. The thrill of flying is an obsession that Kiar cannot get enough of. Until one day she is out flying and crosses the border into Noermark. When her father hears of this he makes her an iron necklace and forces her to stay in her human form. The king tells her that once she has proven herself he will take it off.
The king goes on a boar hunt and trespassers have entered Vallenia. When Kiar finds them, she finds one of the other sons of Noermark, Hafor, and she duels with him and wins. Defeated he retreats back to Noermark.
Months later, Hafor comes and wants to court Orla. It seems that they hit it off. No one is happy about this, but if Orla is happy then they will set their feelings aside.
When lung fever ravages the castle, Orla is called upon to come and heal the sick. One of them being Adana's betrothed, Gil. Everyone knew that Orla always had feelings for him. When Orla starts chanting strange words and gives Gil medicine, Kiar thinks this is just the healing Orla has trained for. Until Gil starts doting on Orla, but Orla seems annoyed by this and ignores him.
One early morning Kiar and her friend Willow head to the stables early and find Gil and Orla kissing. Kiar tells Adana. Adana is enraged and goes to the house that Orla has built for her studies and they fight. Orla admits to putting a spell on Gil to make her fall in love with him. Adana then pushes Orla, but she stumbles and falls off a cliff into a river, killing her. Adana and Kiar can't find her. Gil is starving himself and getting worse again.
Dark magic is still at play though, Orla's spirit still has unmatched power and can make others do her bidding. Kiar seeks the help of Sianna. She is told where to find Orla's body and to collect certain things in order to banish her and remove the curse on Gil. During this, Kiar finds a bard's apprentice that she has met once before, and he is collecting the same things.....but for Orla.
Once everything is collected, they need to bring a harp made of the collected items in order for Orla to be able to speak. They get her to admit what she had done to Gil and she is banished. They burn all of her belongings in hopes that there are no longer any ties in the world for her to come back. All is well and Gil will return to his old self in time.
This book was easy to read with short chapters, but I felt myself asking constantly “what is the plot of this book?”. I almost DMF’d several times.
This was not my cup of tea, but a quick read nonetheless.
Definitely will not be reading the second book, it really didn't get interesting until I was 70% through it.
The book follows a young princess named Kiar in the kingdom of Vallenia. Her father, the king (a human) and her mother, the queen (a swanfolk) had married and created an alliance between the humans and the swanfolk. Swanfolk could change from swans to humans and vice versa. Kiar has 2 sisters, Adana (oldest) and Orla (youngest). Kiar more closely resembled her father and her two sisters looked more like her mother. When Adana finally changes to a swanfolk at the age of 12, she is destined to be the Queen of the Swanfolk. A deal her parents had made before they were born. That would leave the kingdom of Vallenia to Kiar.
Kiar thinks that she will be the next to change, but several years later, Orla becomes a swanfolk too. Orla is a black swan, not seen in their flock for many years and will train to be the wisewoman. Wisewoman possess magic and can heal others, but since Orla is the first black swan in many years it is anticipated that her strength will be the strongest they have ever seen. Orla is sent to train with the current wisewoman, Sianna. She comes home inbetween trainings to see her family.
The rival kingdom, Noermark (known as swan killers), has been trying to overtake Vallenia for years and the king sends his sons in hopes of courting Kiar or Orla. When word is leaked of a swan hunt, Kiar breaks off her engagement to Othar.
All Kiar wants is to fly, but still at the age of fifteen she has not changed. Until one day she becomes itchy and starts sprouting out feathers. The thrill of flying is an obsession that Kiar cannot get enough of. Until one day she is out flying and crosses the border into Noermark. When her father hears of this he makes her an iron necklace and forces her to stay in her human form. The king tells her that once she has proven herself he will take it off.
The king goes on a boar hunt and trespassers have entered Vallenia. When Kiar finds them, she finds one of the other sons of Noermark, Hafor, and she duels with him and wins. Defeated he retreats back to Noermark.
Months later, Hafor comes and wants to court Orla. It seems that they hit it off. No one is happy about this, but if Orla is happy then they will set their feelings aside.
When lung fever ravages the castle, Orla is called upon to come and heal the sick. One of them being Adana's betrothed, Gil. Everyone knew that Orla always had feelings for him. When Orla starts chanting strange words and gives Gil medicine, Kiar thinks this is just the healing Orla has trained for. Until Gil starts doting on Orla, but Orla seems annoyed by this and ignores him.
One early morning Kiar and her friend Willow head to the stables early and find Gil and Orla kissing. Kiar tells Adana. Adana is enraged and goes to the house that Orla has built for her studies and they fight. Orla admits to putting a spell on Gil to make her fall in love with him. Adana then pushes Orla, but she stumbles and falls off a cliff into a river, killing her. Adana and Kiar can't find her. Gil is starving himself and getting worse again.
Dark magic is still at play though, Orla's spirit still has unmatched power and can make others do her bidding. Kiar seeks the help of Sianna. She is told where to find Orla's body and to collect certain things in order to banish her and remove the curse on Gil. During this, Kiar finds a bard's apprentice that she has met once before, and he is collecting the same things.....but for Orla.
Once everything is collected, they need to bring a harp made of the collected items in order for Orla to be able to speak. They get her to admit what she had done to Gil and she is banished. They burn all of her belongings in hopes that there are no longer any ties in the world for her to come back. All is well and Gil will return to his old self in time.
This book was easy to read with short chapters, but I felt myself asking constantly “what is the plot of this book?”. I almost DMF’d several times.
This was not my cup of tea, but a quick read nonetheless.
Definitely will not be reading the second book, it really didn't get interesting until I was 70% through it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 27, 2024
Many thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for access to this digital ARC. The following review is based on my own enjoyment and understanding of the title. Interesting mid-level read! I think this title is perfect for younger persons and teens looking for an introduction to the world of fantasy. Prior to this title there weren’t many stories or lore surrounding swan people that I could recall outside of the brief mention of harpies in the video game BG3. This book was refreshing in its relaxed mode of delivering content albeit a bit of a slow journey with simplistic tone. I am glad that I held on until the ending, with the last 100 pages helping the story come full circle for book one, though I’m not sure what book two will hold for us. I think that the newer generation of readers will like this one! Major themes: shapeshifting, ya fantasy, medieval, coming of age.
March 29, 2024
This book was a combination of two of my favorite things.
The movie The Swan Princess and another story that I'd heard in a song a few years ago and really spoke to my imagination, but with a twist. Which made me really want to know how this story would go compared to what I already knew.
The FMC is a kickass female, but I'm sorry to say that the other characters could've used a little more depth.
The traditions and culture of Valenia are interesting and well depicted through the book and are the main way of telling time through this book, from one celebration to the next.
But the writing was easy to follow and flowed well, making me eat this book right up.
I enjoyed the slow build up, but I woulde really liked to get to know the characters more and get a deeper look into their relationships.
There is still a lot that could've been explored in this world with a lot of potential.
The movie The Swan Princess and another story that I'd heard in a song a few years ago and really spoke to my imagination, but with a twist. Which made me really want to know how this story would go compared to what I already knew.
The FMC is a kickass female, but I'm sorry to say that the other characters could've used a little more depth.
The traditions and culture of Valenia are interesting and well depicted through the book and are the main way of telling time through this book, from one celebration to the next.
But the writing was easy to follow and flowed well, making me eat this book right up.
I enjoyed the slow build up, but I woulde really liked to get to know the characters more and get a deeper look into their relationships.
There is still a lot that could've been explored in this world with a lot of potential.
April 1, 2024
Going into this book I went in completely blind other than I knew it was a fantasy with swan shifters and kingdoms. I enjoyed the world building and history within the book, even between the sisters. That being said, it was a bit slow paced getting into the book with the bulk of the action taking a while to get to. I don’t think this book is entirely for me, but would fit well with a new reader or a young adult getting into fantasy.
February 14, 2024
I read this book as an ARC and WOW!
For the first half or so, I thought, 'This is just an enjoyable read' and then bam the real action started! I was laughing. I was distraught. I was sad. This read took me through a whole range of emotions. I also appreciated Kair's honesty and openness as a character; and it was interesting to see how she remained herself but still grew as the story progressed. There were also several nuggets of life wisdom tucked in here and there, which I always appreciate in a story.
I definitely would recommend this book and look forward to seeing where the Wings of Valenia series continues!
For the first half or so, I thought, 'This is just an enjoyable read' and then bam the real action started! I was laughing. I was distraught. I was sad. This read took me through a whole range of emotions. I also appreciated Kair's honesty and openness as a character; and it was interesting to see how she remained herself but still grew as the story progressed. There were also several nuggets of life wisdom tucked in here and there, which I always appreciate in a story.
I definitely would recommend this book and look forward to seeing where the Wings of Valenia series continues!
February 15, 2024
Thank you to booksirens for gifting me this ARC.
This novel begins relatively slowly, developing the heroine and her allies charachters. The real action kicks off in the second half of the novel, with political and romantic drama galore. Our heroine is well-written and relatable, although certain decisions of hers were extremely aggravating in the moment. Overall, this is a well-executed novel and would be worthy of 5 stars with some adjustments in pacing.
This novel begins relatively slowly, developing the heroine and her allies charachters. The real action kicks off in the second half of the novel, with political and romantic drama galore. Our heroine is well-written and relatable, although certain decisions of hers were extremely aggravating in the moment. Overall, this is a well-executed novel and would be worthy of 5 stars with some adjustments in pacing.
February 13, 2024
First off, thank you to Edelweiss and Type Eighteen Books for the digital review copy of this!
This started off quite strong for me. The Swan folk are interesting and unique, and I enjoyed the ways the different cultures between human and swan folk are explored. The prose is quite lovely, and the characters are developed well. I thought it was going in a good direction for the first 25ish percent, but then that storyline dropped and I… couldn’t tell what “direction” it had at all for a long while.
This is where the book began to lose me, and unfortunately it never quite grabbed me again. There are a lot of micro conflicts, but they get resolved within chapters, and then the plot moves on entirely. I truly had no connection to the plot, and I think that’s because there really is no main conflict, not is there a cluster of them to propel the story forward. As I read, I found myself wondering more and more what exactly I was reading for.
This didn’t end up being for me unfortunately, but it did have a very lovely premise and nice writing style. I enjoyed our MC, Kiar, and the inner conflict she faces in the beginning. I only wish these things lasted longer or felt connected to an overarching story.
This started off quite strong for me. The Swan folk are interesting and unique, and I enjoyed the ways the different cultures between human and swan folk are explored. The prose is quite lovely, and the characters are developed well. I thought it was going in a good direction for the first 25ish percent, but then that storyline dropped and I… couldn’t tell what “direction” it had at all for a long while.
This is where the book began to lose me, and unfortunately it never quite grabbed me again. There are a lot of micro conflicts, but they get resolved within chapters, and then the plot moves on entirely. I truly had no connection to the plot, and I think that’s because there really is no main conflict, not is there a cluster of them to propel the story forward. As I read, I found myself wondering more and more what exactly I was reading for.
This didn’t end up being for me unfortunately, but it did have a very lovely premise and nice writing style. I enjoyed our MC, Kiar, and the inner conflict she faces in the beginning. I only wish these things lasted longer or felt connected to an overarching story.
April 2, 2024
4 stars
The Swan Harp was reminiscent of East by Edith Pattou. A coming of age story of the heir of the throne of Valenia.
Part human, part swanfolk, Princess Kiar learns through trials and tribulations what it will take to one day rule the kingdom. I enjoyed the simplicity of the swanfolk kingdom, and the magic that lingered in the background throughout the novel.
The plot is filled with unwavering loyalty, fierce friends, and character growth. I teared up at the relationship between Kiar and her father, and loved the king and queens devotion to each other. I look forward to the next book in this series.
Language: mild, a few uses of H
Spice: one kiss
Content warning: death
The Swan Harp was reminiscent of East by Edith Pattou. A coming of age story of the heir of the throne of Valenia.
Part human, part swanfolk, Princess Kiar learns through trials and tribulations what it will take to one day rule the kingdom. I enjoyed the simplicity of the swanfolk kingdom, and the magic that lingered in the background throughout the novel.
The plot is filled with unwavering loyalty, fierce friends, and character growth. I teared up at the relationship between Kiar and her father, and loved the king and queens devotion to each other. I look forward to the next book in this series.
Language: mild, a few uses of H
Spice: one kiss
Content warning: death
March 17, 2025
The Swan Harp is a YA fantasy novel with elements of romance, intricate royal politics, and family drama. The story follows Princess Kiar, the middle daughter of King Tir and Queen Tianis of Valenia, a kingdom where humans and swanfolk coexist. As the heir to the throne of Valenia, Kiar wishes instead for an inability to transform into a swan—a trait her sisters have mastered. When her swan shapeshifting ability suddenly arrives, amidst external threats from a kingdom to the north, Kiar has to put her dreams of flying with the swanfolk aside to prove herself the next powerful ruler. To make things worse, untrustworthy love interests and family betrayals are working to undermine her.
The story has a lot of interesting and likable characters. Kiar is a very well-developed protagonist who faces a lot of internal conflict in the story, struggling between her heart's desire to fly with the swanfolk and her responsible nature to be loyal to family duty. She’s only 14 when the story begins, but she’s already grappling with decisions and responsibilities of an adult. The teenage characters in the story are expected to grow up quickly, have a courtship, and be married in their late teens. Kiar had a strong bond with her sisters growing up, but now that they are all adolescents, their relationship dynamics are different as they all veer on different paths. Sisterly rivalry, jealousy, and betrayal are explored in the story, especially in the second half. The villain in the story is hinted at several times, so when it is finally revealed, it feels a bit predictable. Even still, the intricate and dramatic storytelling of defeating the villain is quite captivating and the strongest part of the book!
There are several wonderful side characters, including the swanfolk friends of Kiar: Willow, Gil, and Taun, who each play a unique part in her journey. Kiar’s relationship with Willow is the most developed and includes some heartfelt dialogue that has a very “coming-of-age” feel to it. There are also several romantic connections in this book, but none are well developed enough to classify this book as true "romantasy." Kiar’s relationship with Tuan is very slow-burn. There isn't any substantial interaction between the characters until some romantic scenes at the end—if this romance is to become believable, their chemistry will have to be more developed in the next book.
Creith’s descriptive world-building presents Valenia as an intriguing medieval fantasy setting surrounded by forbidden and rivalling kingdoms. The portrayal of the swanfolk adds a magical, fairytale-like element to the overall story. There is great potential for further expansion of the worldbuilding—the author has just scratched the surface on describing the world and way of life of the swan. The rival kingdom of Noermark also needs further development to become fully captivating—instead of simply having its subject visiting Valenia, some storytelling in the Noermark kingdom would be very interesting!
The author portrays the royal family dynamics very uniquely. As the court is a mixture of humans and swanfolk, there is a mutual respect for both races, and everyone treats their duties very seriously. Both King Tir and Queen Tianis have made immense sacrifices to serve their kingdom, and they expect the same from their daughters. The royal family dynamics have a very fresh and authentic feel to them that you don’t often come across in a fantasy story.
The story has an intriguing start, quickly introducing the key characters and unique world-building. The direction of the story first suggests a potential epic romance or harrowing adventures with the swan folk. Instead, the story veers towards Kiar’s internal struggles and her duty as the future heir of Valenia. The midsection has slower pacing, and the direction of the story becomes more unpredictable. Patience is required as the last 30 percent of the book really picks up in pacing, intensity, and intrigue—almost like reading a whole different story. The dramatic events that unfold in the last chapters set up great possibilities for the next book in the series, with revenge and family drama seemingly high on the list!
Overall, The Swan Harp is a captivating YA fantasy with well-developed characters and subplots of romance and family drama. This first book sets the stage for an exciting fantasy series with royal family politics, sweet romances, and adventures with swan folk. If you enjoy fantasy stories in medieval settings, unique world-building, royal family politics, and slow-burn suspense/romance, then give this book a read!
The story has a lot of interesting and likable characters. Kiar is a very well-developed protagonist who faces a lot of internal conflict in the story, struggling between her heart's desire to fly with the swanfolk and her responsible nature to be loyal to family duty. She’s only 14 when the story begins, but she’s already grappling with decisions and responsibilities of an adult. The teenage characters in the story are expected to grow up quickly, have a courtship, and be married in their late teens. Kiar had a strong bond with her sisters growing up, but now that they are all adolescents, their relationship dynamics are different as they all veer on different paths. Sisterly rivalry, jealousy, and betrayal are explored in the story, especially in the second half. The villain in the story is hinted at several times, so when it is finally revealed, it feels a bit predictable. Even still, the intricate and dramatic storytelling of defeating the villain is quite captivating and the strongest part of the book!
There are several wonderful side characters, including the swanfolk friends of Kiar: Willow, Gil, and Taun, who each play a unique part in her journey. Kiar’s relationship with Willow is the most developed and includes some heartfelt dialogue that has a very “coming-of-age” feel to it. There are also several romantic connections in this book, but none are well developed enough to classify this book as true "romantasy." Kiar’s relationship with Tuan is very slow-burn. There isn't any substantial interaction between the characters until some romantic scenes at the end—if this romance is to become believable, their chemistry will have to be more developed in the next book.
Creith’s descriptive world-building presents Valenia as an intriguing medieval fantasy setting surrounded by forbidden and rivalling kingdoms. The portrayal of the swanfolk adds a magical, fairytale-like element to the overall story. There is great potential for further expansion of the worldbuilding—the author has just scratched the surface on describing the world and way of life of the swan. The rival kingdom of Noermark also needs further development to become fully captivating—instead of simply having its subject visiting Valenia, some storytelling in the Noermark kingdom would be very interesting!
The author portrays the royal family dynamics very uniquely. As the court is a mixture of humans and swanfolk, there is a mutual respect for both races, and everyone treats their duties very seriously. Both King Tir and Queen Tianis have made immense sacrifices to serve their kingdom, and they expect the same from their daughters. The royal family dynamics have a very fresh and authentic feel to them that you don’t often come across in a fantasy story.
The story has an intriguing start, quickly introducing the key characters and unique world-building. The direction of the story first suggests a potential epic romance or harrowing adventures with the swan folk. Instead, the story veers towards Kiar’s internal struggles and her duty as the future heir of Valenia. The midsection has slower pacing, and the direction of the story becomes more unpredictable. Patience is required as the last 30 percent of the book really picks up in pacing, intensity, and intrigue—almost like reading a whole different story. The dramatic events that unfold in the last chapters set up great possibilities for the next book in the series, with revenge and family drama seemingly high on the list!
Overall, The Swan Harp is a captivating YA fantasy with well-developed characters and subplots of romance and family drama. This first book sets the stage for an exciting fantasy series with royal family politics, sweet romances, and adventures with swan folk. If you enjoy fantasy stories in medieval settings, unique world-building, royal family politics, and slow-burn suspense/romance, then give this book a read!
March 3, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley, The Publisher, and the Author for an amazing read.
Oh to be a Swan!!
This book I feel is for those who have, and are still growing up with The Warriors series by Erin Hunter. This book has the in comparison a very whimsical atmosphere, yet delightfully dubious world.
The book itself has a wonderful cover, and I think the chapters were spaced just right, and gave something to the story every chapter.
Creith has made character’s one cannot help to fall in love with and even more so with their names! I thought every character’s name had great imagination and there were names I haven’t seen before. I think Creith should be in the fantasy character naming business more often! Every few chapters I kept reminding myself that I loved the character names!
The plot moved well in my opinion. This is young adult, and I found it to be on the younger side of the category. Plot wise it is a book that needs little explanation. There is a good amount in there for a Young Adult category book without it being overwhelming. I would recommend this to someone who is transitioning from the middle grade category into YA fantasy.
A bump in the road for me include the writing style in the sense that it felt doubtful, as if the direction of adding characters and plot were in a tug-of-war competition and neither side came out on top. That only happened for me in the first half of the book, due to the dismissal of character feelings, like Orla’s to her wanted love. Tension with that could have been more towards the character development side.
Overall… this is a great read! It kept me entertained the entire time, and I could see new to YA readers enjoy this wonderful adventure!
Oh to be a Swan!!
This book I feel is for those who have, and are still growing up with The Warriors series by Erin Hunter. This book has the in comparison a very whimsical atmosphere, yet delightfully dubious world.
The book itself has a wonderful cover, and I think the chapters were spaced just right, and gave something to the story every chapter.
Creith has made character’s one cannot help to fall in love with and even more so with their names! I thought every character’s name had great imagination and there were names I haven’t seen before. I think Creith should be in the fantasy character naming business more often! Every few chapters I kept reminding myself that I loved the character names!
The plot moved well in my opinion. This is young adult, and I found it to be on the younger side of the category. Plot wise it is a book that needs little explanation. There is a good amount in there for a Young Adult category book without it being overwhelming. I would recommend this to someone who is transitioning from the middle grade category into YA fantasy.
A bump in the road for me include the writing style in the sense that it felt doubtful, as if the direction of adding characters and plot were in a tug-of-war competition and neither side came out on top. That only happened for me in the first half of the book, due to the dismissal of character feelings, like Orla’s to her wanted love. Tension with that could have been more towards the character development side.
Overall… this is a great read! It kept me entertained the entire time, and I could see new to YA readers enjoy this wonderful adventure!
March 11, 2024
It feels like re-reading one of those fairy tales of yesteryear! Is it normal for me to get a Barbie in Swan Lake vibe?
I don't know, but I liked that fantasy feel of an old story you might have been read as a child, but in a broader context.
We find ourselves in a realm where the characters can become swans. You see the connection with my previous reference. In this kingdom we find three princesses of which two can turn into swans, while the middle one Kiar cannot, this makes her envious and sad because she feels excluded from her family.
But in addition, because of this condition she is groomed as the heiress of her kingdom, where she must learn to fight and strategy.
The magic subtly woven into the pages comes to life as the story builds with the passing of the pages.
It wasn't until the end of the story that I learned that it was not a self-conclusive but a trilogy, so I understand why they left the ending at such a shocking point.
I must say that the story has a slow build up, not only of the world but also of the characters, some of them leave much to be desired, but since there will be more books of this world, surely there will be more development and maybe some of them will be less annoying.
There's a hinted romance without going deep, so if you're looking for a potential romantasy, let me tell you to wait and see if the next ones have more, because with the first one you won't have that as a focal point.
Do I recommend this story? Yeah, sure. It's a fairly easy going fantasy and the touch of classic story makes it all the more gripping.
Thank you Netgalley for this advanced copy and putting me on to a story I might not have read otherwise.
#TheSwanHarp #NetGalley
I don't know, but I liked that fantasy feel of an old story you might have been read as a child, but in a broader context.
We find ourselves in a realm where the characters can become swans. You see the connection with my previous reference. In this kingdom we find three princesses of which two can turn into swans, while the middle one Kiar cannot, this makes her envious and sad because she feels excluded from her family.
But in addition, because of this condition she is groomed as the heiress of her kingdom, where she must learn to fight and strategy.
The magic subtly woven into the pages comes to life as the story builds with the passing of the pages.
It wasn't until the end of the story that I learned that it was not a self-conclusive but a trilogy, so I understand why they left the ending at such a shocking point.
I must say that the story has a slow build up, not only of the world but also of the characters, some of them leave much to be desired, but since there will be more books of this world, surely there will be more development and maybe some of them will be less annoying.
There's a hinted romance without going deep, so if you're looking for a potential romantasy, let me tell you to wait and see if the next ones have more, because with the first one you won't have that as a focal point.
Do I recommend this story? Yeah, sure. It's a fairly easy going fantasy and the touch of classic story makes it all the more gripping.
Thank you Netgalley for this advanced copy and putting me on to a story I might not have read otherwise.
#TheSwanHarp #NetGalley
June 29, 2025
I received this ARC a long time ago and I finally got around to reading it. This is a MG/YA reimagined retelling of an old fable about swan sisters being in love with the same man and tragedy and magic and all that. I call it more MG because the sisters start out much younger and grow up over time. I liked how the author took the fable and focused on a middle sister who doesn't always get portrayed in this fable. The kingdom and the relationship between the swan people and the human people was interesting, and of course there has to be an enemy from another kingdom to cause trouble. I thought the story was interesting over all, once it got going, and the last third of the book was exciting. But it took a long time to get to the part in the story where the fable picks up, and the day to day lives of an heir and her family was paced too slowly. We have spans of multiple years in most of the book and then the last third over about a week. The simple nature of the telling from the heir's POV generally didn't have enough emotion to really help you connect with the story - save for the ending where the family tragedy and sister's magic kick off the real plot of the fable. I liked that the book had a satisfactory ending, and seemed to complete the retelling. I'm wondering why there needs to be more in the series, unless it just picks up to follow these characters as they continue to grow into their various queen roles. Or maybe the author selects a different fable to retell for the other books. I'd give it a solid 3.5 but the length and MG nature of the book might not be what most adult fantasy readers might be looking for. I would recommend it for a more YA audience though interested in magic (light and dark), swan shifters, and a princess heir who fights for her kingdom.
March 12, 2024
Following the point of view of Kiar, you are thrust into a world alike to The Swan Princess - only this one has magic and wonderful worldbuilding. Its a slower paced story that immerses you into the world of princesses, swans, castles, love, and magic. While Kiar has always wanted to be a swanling, a human who can shift into a swan at will, it seemed that she might never get the privilege. Her sister Adana, the eldest daughter, made the change. And when her young sister, Orla made the change as well, Kiar was sure she would be doomed to never become a swanling.
For most of the book, I believed this would be about a massive territory battle between Kiar's territory and Noermark's want to steal the territory by any means necessary. Subtly, there was an even more interesting underlying plot that centered around the sisters and their lives. When things got to the crisis point, I was thoroughly invested in the turnout of the story. Rooting for Kiar, while also hoping there was an open ending that could hint at a second book. But it does seem that this story is well ended and answers all the questions readers might have.
If you're looking for a cozy, slower paced book with sisterly bonds, love, risk and reward, this is an amazing book to pick up in April 2024.
For most of the book, I believed this would be about a massive territory battle between Kiar's territory and Noermark's want to steal the territory by any means necessary. Subtly, there was an even more interesting underlying plot that centered around the sisters and their lives. When things got to the crisis point, I was thoroughly invested in the turnout of the story. Rooting for Kiar, while also hoping there was an open ending that could hint at a second book. But it does seem that this story is well ended and answers all the questions readers might have.
If you're looking for a cozy, slower paced book with sisterly bonds, love, risk and reward, this is an amazing book to pick up in April 2024.
March 15, 2024
Thank you to the author & publisher via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
This YA fantasy, featuring shapeshifting magic, medieval settings, and a captivating cover, blends the elegance of "The Swan Harp" with the coming-of-age essence of "East" by Edith Pattou. Set in the kingdom of Valenia, the tale follows Princess Kiar, part human and part swanfolk, as she navigates the complexities of her lineage and destiny.
Initially, the narrative unfolds at a gentle pace, allowing for the gradual development of Kiar and her companions. While the characters lack uniqueness, a deeper exploration of their emotions and actions could enhance their depth. Despite some repetitive language and grammatical errors, the story captivates with its enchanting world and magical elements.
As the plot unfolds, political intrigue and romantic entanglements propel the story forward, leading to a crescendo of action in the latter half. Although Kiar's decisions may frustrate at times, her journey resonates with authenticity and relatability.
Overall, while the premise holds promise, the execution falls short due to pacing issues. With adjustments, this well-crafted novel has the potential to shine, earning it a solid recommendation for fans of YA fantasy.
This YA fantasy, featuring shapeshifting magic, medieval settings, and a captivating cover, blends the elegance of "The Swan Harp" with the coming-of-age essence of "East" by Edith Pattou. Set in the kingdom of Valenia, the tale follows Princess Kiar, part human and part swanfolk, as she navigates the complexities of her lineage and destiny.
Initially, the narrative unfolds at a gentle pace, allowing for the gradual development of Kiar and her companions. While the characters lack uniqueness, a deeper exploration of their emotions and actions could enhance their depth. Despite some repetitive language and grammatical errors, the story captivates with its enchanting world and magical elements.
As the plot unfolds, political intrigue and romantic entanglements propel the story forward, leading to a crescendo of action in the latter half. Although Kiar's decisions may frustrate at times, her journey resonates with authenticity and relatability.
Overall, while the premise holds promise, the execution falls short due to pacing issues. With adjustments, this well-crafted novel has the potential to shine, earning it a solid recommendation for fans of YA fantasy.
March 14, 2024
I got a digital ARC of this book.
Let me first say that I don’t think this should be marketed as YA, but pre-teen middle grade. If it had been marketed as that, I would have enjoyed the book a lot more—and I think others would to because they’d know better what to expect. I also feel like the cover is misleading. It gives “dark fairytale” vibes but that’s not what this is. It’s a nice fairytale story that has a friends-to-lovers trope.
The plot was interesting enough, but I wouldn’t say I adored the main character. I did want to see how things played out and didn’t totally see the events at the end coming. I wanted to see how the MC would fare. She’s actually probably one of the more relatable MCs I’ve read recently, in that she was actually fairly average. She made some wise decisions, but otherwise was fairly plain. So many books these days feature a “plain” “average” FMC, but in reality these young women are anything but. Kiar, on the other hand was pretty vanilla and that’s ok—especially for middle grade readers.
Let me first say that I don’t think this should be marketed as YA, but pre-teen middle grade. If it had been marketed as that, I would have enjoyed the book a lot more—and I think others would to because they’d know better what to expect. I also feel like the cover is misleading. It gives “dark fairytale” vibes but that’s not what this is. It’s a nice fairytale story that has a friends-to-lovers trope.
The plot was interesting enough, but I wouldn’t say I adored the main character. I did want to see how things played out and didn’t totally see the events at the end coming. I wanted to see how the MC would fare. She’s actually probably one of the more relatable MCs I’ve read recently, in that she was actually fairly average. She made some wise decisions, but otherwise was fairly plain. So many books these days feature a “plain” “average” FMC, but in reality these young women are anything but. Kiar, on the other hand was pretty vanilla and that’s ok—especially for middle grade readers.
April 17, 2024
Another ARC with so much potential that absolutely does not deliver. I think if I had to summarise it in one word it would be underwhelming.
There’s lots of positives here and overall it wasn’t a bad read - but the pacing was just all over the place. The pacing was a bit all or nothing. The first half was very slow (which I didn’t mind as it set a tone for exploration and it felt much like someone retelling their childhood). In fact the first half really felt like a cosy fantasy and I started to think we might actually just get a lovely happy cosy tale but then there were some very heavy handed breadcrumbs dropped for what was about to unfold. All of a sudden, at about 70%, there’s a huge increase in action and the pacing becomes almost feverish. The sudden shift in pacing just completely lost me as I wasn’t interested in all these new developments at all.
And, that links us to my second issue. It was all very nice but I never felt invested in the story. I didn’t ‘feel’ anything for a single character and they all felt a little bit more like stereotypical characters than real people. I had zero connection to anyone - and considering 70% of the book is a slow pace so much more could have, and should have, done with the character development.
I also thought the whole plot was very, very predictable. If you’re doing a tried and tested plot then you need the characters to be amazing in this genre!
I will say though that I did really enjoy the swan element a lot and I think truthfully that saved this read from being rated much lower.
Overall, this was not for me and I won’t be reading the rest of the trilogy (as while I can see the author improving at lot if she works on her pacing, I don’t see myself risking reading such a poorly paced read again)
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an E-ARC
There’s lots of positives here and overall it wasn’t a bad read - but the pacing was just all over the place. The pacing was a bit all or nothing. The first half was very slow (which I didn’t mind as it set a tone for exploration and it felt much like someone retelling their childhood). In fact the first half really felt like a cosy fantasy and I started to think we might actually just get a lovely happy cosy tale but then there were some very heavy handed breadcrumbs dropped for what was about to unfold. All of a sudden, at about 70%, there’s a huge increase in action and the pacing becomes almost feverish. The sudden shift in pacing just completely lost me as I wasn’t interested in all these new developments at all.
And, that links us to my second issue. It was all very nice but I never felt invested in the story. I didn’t ‘feel’ anything for a single character and they all felt a little bit more like stereotypical characters than real people. I had zero connection to anyone - and considering 70% of the book is a slow pace so much more could have, and should have, done with the character development.
I also thought the whole plot was very, very predictable. If you’re doing a tried and tested plot then you need the characters to be amazing in this genre!
I will say though that I did really enjoy the swan element a lot and I think truthfully that saved this read from being rated much lower.
Overall, this was not for me and I won’t be reading the rest of the trilogy (as while I can see the author improving at lot if she works on her pacing, I don’t see myself risking reading such a poorly paced read again)
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an E-ARC
May 1, 2024
First of all this book felt more as if was directed to middle aged teens because of the writing. Maybe it’s just me.
Secondly, a lot of the characters fell flat for me.
There were some thing that were repetitive to me. Too detailed but I just couldn’t get into it. Took me a week just to finish it.
Low 3 stars from me.
Thank you Type Eighteen books and NetGalley for this copy of eARC. All opinions are of my own.
April 30, 2025
I received a copy of the book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Swan Harp is a cozy fantasy about three kingdoms trying to keep the peace. It is also sort of a retelling of The Swan Princess. The main character is Kiar, the middle daughter of King Tir’s. We follow Kiar as she grows up with her Royal father and Swanfolk mother. Her elder sister is beautiful and her younger sister is talented, and Kiar? Well Kiar is the odd one out.
I loved Kiar, and I really enjoyed reading her story. Her sisters were great too, and I liked that despite hating each other at times, and all the jealousy there was going on, they were still close and they still looked out for each other. All three sisters feature heavily in the story and I liked all three of them. Kiar is the heir to the throne, and she is the last to discover her swan form. She wasn’t exactly a strong female character, compared to say Katniss or Celeana Sardothian, but Kiar was a strong leader and a good fighter. She took the most responsibility compared to her two sisters, and she was definitely the most mature of the three.
In terms of the plot, The Swan Harp is a difficult one to review. There were a few sort-of plots that played out, were resolved and then the story went on, which is one of my only complaints about the book. Having said that though, this style was refreshing and it somehow wasn’t jarring at all. I enjoyed following Kiar throughout her young life. I would definitely describe this book as cozy fantasy, except it does have some stakes. It’s not a romantasy as such, but there is romance in it. There’s no adult scenes.
Surprisingly, The Swan Harp was a delight to read, and I never had trouble picking it back up. I was lost in this beautiful world of the swanfolk and I found it easy to read.
4.25 stars.
The Swan Harp is a cozy fantasy about three kingdoms trying to keep the peace. It is also sort of a retelling of The Swan Princess. The main character is Kiar, the middle daughter of King Tir’s. We follow Kiar as she grows up with her Royal father and Swanfolk mother. Her elder sister is beautiful and her younger sister is talented, and Kiar? Well Kiar is the odd one out.
I loved Kiar, and I really enjoyed reading her story. Her sisters were great too, and I liked that despite hating each other at times, and all the jealousy there was going on, they were still close and they still looked out for each other. All three sisters feature heavily in the story and I liked all three of them. Kiar is the heir to the throne, and she is the last to discover her swan form. She wasn’t exactly a strong female character, compared to say Katniss or Celeana Sardothian, but Kiar was a strong leader and a good fighter. She took the most responsibility compared to her two sisters, and she was definitely the most mature of the three.
In terms of the plot, The Swan Harp is a difficult one to review. There were a few sort-of plots that played out, were resolved and then the story went on, which is one of my only complaints about the book. Having said that though, this style was refreshing and it somehow wasn’t jarring at all. I enjoyed following Kiar throughout her young life. I would definitely describe this book as cozy fantasy, except it does have some stakes. It’s not a romantasy as such, but there is romance in it. There’s no adult scenes.
Surprisingly, The Swan Harp was a delight to read, and I never had trouble picking it back up. I was lost in this beautiful world of the swanfolk and I found it easy to read.
4.25 stars.
February 18, 2024
So, I didn’t like this book. I tried hard to, but in the end I really didn’t. The start was good; it was interesting and intrigued me. And I also feel like it was well written. The cover is what really pulled me in from the start.
I didn’t like this book because I felt there were a lot of errors and mistakes that could have been edited and fixed.
The characters at every plain, they don’t really have different personalities- almost as if they were all based on the same person.
I also feel it was dragged on, there were a lot of irrelevant things in the book.
In all honesty I didn’t really see the point in this book.
I want to truly apologize to the author for the harsh review because I know they put love and work into this book, I just feel it needed some more attention before it should have been published.
I didn’t like this book because I felt there were a lot of errors and mistakes that could have been edited and fixed.
The characters at every plain, they don’t really have different personalities- almost as if they were all based on the same person.
I also feel it was dragged on, there were a lot of irrelevant things in the book.
In all honesty I didn’t really see the point in this book.
I want to truly apologize to the author for the harsh review because I know they put love and work into this book, I just feel it needed some more attention before it should have been published.
February 27, 2024
This is my first ARC book and book review, and I couldn't have asked for a better book.
I absolutely love this book. I was sucked into the story, and it felt like I became a part of the world with the beautifully crafted twists and turns, the characters’ stories that I followed faithfully without fault, and the scenes that had my heart pounding and almost exploding with suspense. I love the way the author portrays the royal family and their duties. I have never read anything like it. Typically, you read about royals and how their lives revolve around suitors and their public image. However, the author portrays these royals as human beings (or swanfolk, in this case). They have responsibilities, people who depend on them and they aren’t portrayed as if they are better than everyone because of their status as royals. With every decision they make they have the health and wellbeing of their people in mind. It is a very authentic way to look at life - even within a fantasy world. Throughout the lives of the characters the author has woven life lessons into the actions and consequences and in that making the characters far more relatable and engaging.
I am heartbroken to not give a full five stars because I think the story line and the concept of the book itself deserves 5! I am however rating this book four stars for the following reasons:
In the beginning of the book, I cannot visualize the characters or their surroundings as I read. I think more descriptive language is required to explain how the characters look, their mannerisms as well as the setting of the scene. The description of the characters does however improve as the book progresses. I also think that there could be more emotion and tone used within the dialog to bring the characters even more to life.
I cannot wait for the book to be published and I will most certainly be buying this beautiful book to put on my shelf.
I absolutely love this book. I was sucked into the story, and it felt like I became a part of the world with the beautifully crafted twists and turns, the characters’ stories that I followed faithfully without fault, and the scenes that had my heart pounding and almost exploding with suspense. I love the way the author portrays the royal family and their duties. I have never read anything like it. Typically, you read about royals and how their lives revolve around suitors and their public image. However, the author portrays these royals as human beings (or swanfolk, in this case). They have responsibilities, people who depend on them and they aren’t portrayed as if they are better than everyone because of their status as royals. With every decision they make they have the health and wellbeing of their people in mind. It is a very authentic way to look at life - even within a fantasy world. Throughout the lives of the characters the author has woven life lessons into the actions and consequences and in that making the characters far more relatable and engaging.
I am heartbroken to not give a full five stars because I think the story line and the concept of the book itself deserves 5! I am however rating this book four stars for the following reasons:
In the beginning of the book, I cannot visualize the characters or their surroundings as I read. I think more descriptive language is required to explain how the characters look, their mannerisms as well as the setting of the scene. The description of the characters does however improve as the book progresses. I also think that there could be more emotion and tone used within the dialog to bring the characters even more to life.
I cannot wait for the book to be published and I will most certainly be buying this beautiful book to put on my shelf.
April 8, 2024
Thank you to Net Galley, Elizabeth Creith and Type Eighteen Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
King Tir, a human, and Queen Tianis of the Swanfolk are married to form an alliance between the Kingdom of Valenia and the Swanfolk. As their three daughters reach adulthood, they are hoping to be able to transform into swans like their mother and the other Swanfolk. Kair, the eldest is devastated when her younger sisters are able to transform before her. The story tells of the politics and alliances that form as a result of each daughters’ magic, as well as the conflicts that they also cause.
I really liked the premise of this book. The idea of the Swanfolk was an intriguing and unique concept. Each character had their own unique voice and interesting plot line. The politics and family relationships were complex, but readable and the world building constructed a unique setting around them.
The pacing felt a little inconsistent. The first 60% of the book felt slow and the world was constructed around the characters and I felt like I was waiting for the plot to happen. But the ending was fast paced and worth the patience.
It was a great YA fantasy, with an interesting concept, shapeshifting magic, interesting politics and likeable characters.
King Tir, a human, and Queen Tianis of the Swanfolk are married to form an alliance between the Kingdom of Valenia and the Swanfolk. As their three daughters reach adulthood, they are hoping to be able to transform into swans like their mother and the other Swanfolk. Kair, the eldest is devastated when her younger sisters are able to transform before her. The story tells of the politics and alliances that form as a result of each daughters’ magic, as well as the conflicts that they also cause.
I really liked the premise of this book. The idea of the Swanfolk was an intriguing and unique concept. Each character had their own unique voice and interesting plot line. The politics and family relationships were complex, but readable and the world building constructed a unique setting around them.
The pacing felt a little inconsistent. The first 60% of the book felt slow and the world was constructed around the characters and I felt like I was waiting for the plot to happen. But the ending was fast paced and worth the patience.
It was a great YA fantasy, with an interesting concept, shapeshifting magic, interesting politics and likeable characters.
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