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Timeless Fairy Tales #2
The Wild Swans
Elise is the foster-daughter of the King of Arcainia, a mathematician, and the country’s treasurer. She is not a hero. But when her step-mother, a wicked witch, curses Elise’s seven foster-brothers—the princes of Arcainia—and turns them into swans, Elise is the only one who can save them.
To break the curse, she must knit seven shirts made of stinging nettles, but there’s a catch. She has to complete the shirts without uttering a word, and if she doesn’t finish the task, Arcainia and her foster-brothers will be lost.
THE WILD SWANS is a retelling of the German Six Swans fairy tale and the Dutch Wild Swans fairy tale. It is a story of humor, love, adventure, and magic, and it is part of the top selling Timeless Fairy Tales series—a series comprised of loosely related adaptations of your favorite fairy tales. All Timeless Fairy Tales take place in the same world and can be read all together, or as individual, stand-alone books.
To break the curse, she must knit seven shirts made of stinging nettles, but there’s a catch. She has to complete the shirts without uttering a word, and if she doesn’t finish the task, Arcainia and her foster-brothers will be lost.
THE WILD SWANS is a retelling of the German Six Swans fairy tale and the Dutch Wild Swans fairy tale. It is a story of humor, love, adventure, and magic, and it is part of the top selling Timeless Fairy Tales series—a series comprised of loosely related adaptations of your favorite fairy tales. All Timeless Fairy Tales take place in the same world and can be read all together, or as individual, stand-alone books.
252 pages, ebook
First published April 26, 2014
500 people are currently reading
1950 people want to read
About the author
K.M. Shea
119 books4,776 followersMy pen name is K. M. Shea, but my readers—I prefer to call them Champions—call me Kitty.
I love to write funny, clean stories with strong characters. Books like that are among my favorite to read so naturally I love writing stories like that as well. My philosophy is that life is tough, so books should be something that makes you relax and laugh!
VISIT MY FACEBOOK GROUP
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VISIT MY AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE
https://www.amazon.com/K-M-Shea/e/B00...
VISIT MY WEBSITE
https://kmshea.com/
I love to write funny, clean stories with strong characters. Books like that are among my favorite to read so naturally I love writing stories like that as well. My philosophy is that life is tough, so books should be something that makes you relax and laugh!
VISIT MY FACEBOOK GROUP
https://www.facebook.com/groups/27090...
VISIT MY AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE
https://www.amazon.com/K-M-Shea/e/B00...
VISIT MY WEBSITE
https://kmshea.com/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 341 reviews
August 5, 2025
1 star (the more I think about it, the lower the rating gets) ⭐️ Clean Fiction - Fairytale Retelling
**Slight spoilers throughout my thoughts on this book and the open-ended ending**
I’m going to say something I never say: I would have preferred this book without the romance. She’s their foster sister—what in the wattpad is this?! Down to the two epilogues so you can pick which guy from the love triangle you want her to be with. 🫣
Moral concerns about the romances aside—meaning take them out of the equation entirely—I liked the rest of the book. I think this fairytale is usually very interesting to me because I enjoy big sibling groups, but it’s honestly those siblings that are making me give this book a low rating. We’ll come back to that in a minute.
I was a little bummed to have realized while reading this book that there was a prequel story that would have been better to read before this one. It’s considered Book 11 in the series, but is actually best to read before this book. However, as this book continued the ML of that book made a couple snide or rude remarks about his wife (the FL of that book) and it made me want to throttle him. Not sure what his deal was, but he needed an attitude check fast. Thankfully, there was more at play with those part, but it didn’t take away his comments in my opinion and made the thought of reading their story have a sour taste in my mouth.
You have to suspend some of your disbelief for fairytale retellings, I know, but I thought it was a little much to expect that Elise, the bodyguard, and their horses were able to be well fed while skimming off of the forest they were hiding in (and this complaint is coming from a plant-based vegan).
Elise has a scene where she basically crashes out over how some of her foster brothers treat her and it was refreshing because the girl had been bottling things up for years and they deserved to be yelled at. She should have yelled more, in my opinion.
So the more the book continues, the more dysfunctional brothers you see. Like, yikes. As the book continued, I started to get a bit worried. I don’t like when books make foster siblings in love with each other and thankfully Elise has more sense than God gave a goose—or seven swans, in this case—and wasn’t interested in anything like that with any of them—until those epilogues. I’m sure one of my eyebrows were raised when those reveals and “confessions of love” started happening. Honestly, they were pretty toxic to her and I was rooting for her to abandon all of them. 🤷🏻♀️ Particularly because of the comments about the two “love interests” scaring off and even bullying others that showed any interest in her—including the youngest brother who didn’t like her in that way! She blew up at them for this, but I honestly think she needed to blow up a few more times at their comments about bullying other guys who were interested in her. That’s ridiculous and pure jealousy, not love.
*Spoiler*
I read this for Elise and seeing her character development to realize she doesn’t have to be a perfect princess and would have given it 3 or even 3.5 stars, but that “romance” was stupid and concerning on many levels. Elise viewed them as her brothers the entire book—whether lawfully or not, whether sharing a drop of drop or not—she wanted their acceptance into the family that had raised her and it was awful in my opinion that she “had” to choose either of them (when it’s really the reader picking one for her).
Main Content-
A Scripture is indirectly referenced when someone comments about learning that “love covers a multitude of sins”.
Performing magic is against the law in Elise’s country, but magical users can enter the country; The evil step-mother is a witch and curses Elise’s brothers into swans (happens on-page and it’s said the witch is speaking in a dark language and coats them in a black liquid); Elise is helped by an Enchantress who makes it where the brothers will transform back into a human for one hour a day; The Enchantress has a magical-looking horse that appears like a comet; Elise is accused of being a witch because of knitting with nettles and *Spoiler* ; Going through a magical tent that appears different inside than the outward appearance; *Spoiler*
*Major Spoilers* .
The witch used black magic and Elise has a realization of “Elise always thought of evil as being black, but as she strode towards Clotilde, Elise realized that evil was not darkness, but a gaping hole.” and adds “Black magic wasn’t black because of the color; it was vile because of the bottomless evil and the unspeakable acts it would do to get whatever its wielder desired.”.
A villain also says that good rarely triumphs, but Elise disagrees and thinks that goodness and love always wins; The villain also accuses Elise of freeing evil demons with her actions.
There is also a magical talking cat who can also make him and his charge disappear into thin air.
Mentions of black magic & magical artifacts/tools; Mentions of magical creatures/monsters likes hellhounds, ogres, sea serpents, chimera, mountain hags, giants, goblins, rock griffons, & basilisks; Mentions of a magical organization & magical users; Mentions of evil people (including a king who delights in others’ suffering and causes harm on purpose); A few mentions of the curse from Book 1; A mention of thanking heaven.
Elise is the foster daughter of the royal family and it’s often brought up due to her calling her foster brothers her brothers (and some of them correcting that they are not her brothers), comments from her about not being loved enough to be adopted or accepted by all of her foster brothers, & her wanting to show her worth to her foster family; The seven brothers are also called the “true children” of the royal family; *Spoiler* .
One of the brothers make comments about his wife being unhelpful in the swan-situation and when another brother goes to defend his sister-in-law, another brother says the married brother is covering up his pain and to ignore it.
Eye rolling & Sarcasm; No language stronger than two unfinished ’what the—‘ and ‘Gads/Gah’ being exclaimed; A few curses/swears; Someone accused of being a ‘brown-noser’.
Nearly being burned at the stake, Pain, Injuries, (up to a handful of sentences); Seeing someone die while screaming, fights/fighting & Someone held at knife-point (up to a few sentences); Nightmares of prior events (up to a few sentences).
Mentions of deaths & grief; Mentions of a possible war; Mentions of assassination attempts & an assassin guild; Mentions of alcohol & drinking (mostly at meals); Mentions of lies, lying, & liars; Mentions of hatred; Mentions of jealousy; Mentions of hunters & one aiming to kill a swan; A few mentions of embezzling; A few mentions of gambling/betting.
(Kiss totals include both epilogues)
Some kisses on the forehead and hands (by someone I didn’t realize was a love interest until later and didn’t count them),
1 fingers-to-lips touch,
1 palm/hand kiss,
5 head/forehead kisses,
1 cheek kiss,
2 kisses lasting a sentence,
3 kisses lasting a couple sentences,
1 kiss lasting a few sentences.
Touches, Embraces, Nearness, & Blushes (including some where it wasn’t romantic on Elise’s part, but the guy(s) took it that way; Also times that she is uncomfortable with their nearness).
Two of Elise’s foster brothers are in love with her and it’s revealed that they have both threatened, intimated, and bullied other guys who have looked twice at her; The two brothers never admitted their feelings to her because their father and oldest brother forbid it years prior; Elise’s bodyguard suggests for Elise to let both brothers court her.
Mentions of flirting; A few mentions of kisses & kissing; A couple mentions of chaperones & a couple not being allowed to be alone together; A mention of thinking a man took a vow of celibacy; A mention of a brother asking another one if he enjoys being “ruled” because of his taste of women.
**Slight spoilers throughout my thoughts on this book and the open-ended ending**
I’m going to say something I never say: I would have preferred this book without the romance. She’s their foster sister—what in the wattpad is this?! Down to the two epilogues so you can pick which guy from the love triangle you want her to be with. 🫣
Moral concerns about the romances aside—meaning take them out of the equation entirely—I liked the rest of the book. I think this fairytale is usually very interesting to me because I enjoy big sibling groups, but it’s honestly those siblings that are making me give this book a low rating. We’ll come back to that in a minute.
I was a little bummed to have realized while reading this book that there was a prequel story that would have been better to read before this one. It’s considered Book 11 in the series, but is actually best to read before this book. However, as this book continued the ML of that book made a couple snide or rude remarks about his wife (the FL of that book) and it made me want to throttle him. Not sure what his deal was, but he needed an attitude check fast. Thankfully, there was more at play with those part, but it didn’t take away his comments in my opinion and made the thought of reading their story have a sour taste in my mouth.
You have to suspend some of your disbelief for fairytale retellings, I know, but I thought it was a little much to expect that Elise, the bodyguard, and their horses were able to be well fed while skimming off of the forest they were hiding in (and this complaint is coming from a plant-based vegan).
Elise has a scene where she basically crashes out over how some of her foster brothers treat her and it was refreshing because the girl had been bottling things up for years and they deserved to be yelled at. She should have yelled more, in my opinion.
So the more the book continues, the more dysfunctional brothers you see. Like, yikes. As the book continued, I started to get a bit worried. I don’t like when books make foster siblings in love with each other and thankfully Elise has more sense than God gave a goose—or seven swans, in this case—and wasn’t interested in anything like that with any of them—until those epilogues. I’m sure one of my eyebrows were raised when those reveals and “confessions of love” started happening. Honestly, they were pretty toxic to her and I was rooting for her to abandon all of them. 🤷🏻♀️ Particularly because of the comments about the two “love interests” scaring off and even bullying others that showed any interest in her—including the youngest brother who didn’t like her in that way! She blew up at them for this, but I honestly think she needed to blow up a few more times at their comments about bullying other guys who were interested in her. That’s ridiculous and pure jealousy, not love.
*Spoiler*
I read this for Elise and seeing her character development to realize she doesn’t have to be a perfect princess and would have given it 3 or even 3.5 stars, but that “romance” was stupid and concerning on many levels. Elise viewed them as her brothers the entire book—whether lawfully or not, whether sharing a drop of drop or not—she wanted their acceptance into the family that had raised her and it was awful in my opinion that she “had” to choose either of them (when it’s really the reader picking one for her).
Main Content-
A Scripture is indirectly referenced when someone comments about learning that “love covers a multitude of sins”.
Performing magic is against the law in Elise’s country, but magical users can enter the country; The evil step-mother is a witch and curses Elise’s brothers into swans (happens on-page and it’s said the witch is speaking in a dark language and coats them in a black liquid); Elise is helped by an Enchantress who makes it where the brothers will transform back into a human for one hour a day; The Enchantress has a magical-looking horse that appears like a comet; Elise is accused of being a witch because of knitting with nettles and *Spoiler* ; Going through a magical tent that appears different inside than the outward appearance; *Spoiler*
*Major Spoilers* .
The witch used black magic and Elise has a realization of “Elise always thought of evil as being black, but as she strode towards Clotilde, Elise realized that evil was not darkness, but a gaping hole.” and adds “Black magic wasn’t black because of the color; it was vile because of the bottomless evil and the unspeakable acts it would do to get whatever its wielder desired.”.
A villain also says that good rarely triumphs, but Elise disagrees and thinks that goodness and love always wins; The villain also accuses Elise of freeing evil demons with her actions.
There is also a magical talking cat who can also make him and his charge disappear into thin air.
Mentions of black magic & magical artifacts/tools; Mentions of magical creatures/monsters likes hellhounds, ogres, sea serpents, chimera, mountain hags, giants, goblins, rock griffons, & basilisks; Mentions of a magical organization & magical users; Mentions of evil people (including a king who delights in others’ suffering and causes harm on purpose); A few mentions of the curse from Book 1; A mention of thanking heaven.
Elise is the foster daughter of the royal family and it’s often brought up due to her calling her foster brothers her brothers (and some of them correcting that they are not her brothers), comments from her about not being loved enough to be adopted or accepted by all of her foster brothers, & her wanting to show her worth to her foster family; The seven brothers are also called the “true children” of the royal family; *Spoiler* .
One of the brothers make comments about his wife being unhelpful in the swan-situation and when another brother goes to defend his sister-in-law, another brother says the married brother is covering up his pain and to ignore it.
Eye rolling & Sarcasm; No language stronger than two unfinished ’what the—‘ and ‘Gads/Gah’ being exclaimed; A few curses/swears; Someone accused of being a ‘brown-noser’.
Nearly being burned at the stake, Pain, Injuries, (up to a handful of sentences); Seeing someone die while screaming, fights/fighting & Someone held at knife-point (up to a few sentences); Nightmares of prior events (up to a few sentences).
Mentions of deaths & grief; Mentions of a possible war; Mentions of assassination attempts & an assassin guild; Mentions of alcohol & drinking (mostly at meals); Mentions of lies, lying, & liars; Mentions of hatred; Mentions of jealousy; Mentions of hunters & one aiming to kill a swan; A few mentions of embezzling; A few mentions of gambling/betting.
(Kiss totals include both epilogues)
Some kisses on the forehead and hands (by someone I didn’t realize was a love interest until later and didn’t count them),
1 fingers-to-lips touch,
1 palm/hand kiss,
5 head/forehead kisses,
1 cheek kiss,
2 kisses lasting a sentence,
3 kisses lasting a couple sentences,
1 kiss lasting a few sentences.
Touches, Embraces, Nearness, & Blushes (including some where it wasn’t romantic on Elise’s part, but the guy(s) took it that way; Also times that she is uncomfortable with their nearness).
Two of Elise’s foster brothers are in love with her and it’s revealed that they have both threatened, intimated, and bullied other guys who have looked twice at her; The two brothers never admitted their feelings to her because their father and oldest brother forbid it years prior; Elise’s bodyguard suggests for Elise to let both brothers court her.
Mentions of flirting; A few mentions of kisses & kissing; A couple mentions of chaperones & a couple not being allowed to be alone together; A mention of thinking a man took a vow of celibacy; A mention of a brother asking another one if he enjoys being “ruled” because of his taste of women.
November 11, 2017
Wait. What the actual fuck?? What kind of book has 2 alternative endings????
So through the course of this book, I have jumped from 3 stars to 4 stars to 2.5 stars. The ending was such a cop-out. Like it made everything feel insincere if Elise could so easily interchange between the two love interests. I get the appeal of readers choosing the one they want, but in my opinion, it does not work here. RPG games? Yes, definitely. Those cool “Choose Your Own Adventure” books? Yes. [You know those books where you can choose to walk Path Left or Path Right, and you get new decisions as the book goes on. Some paths lead you to death, some paths lead you to blessing.]
ANYWAY~~ In my opinion, it does not work here. Interesting concept, but ultimately a cop-out. Especially since it is not like you get to choose decisions throughout the book – only the ending. So It makes the ending seem fickle and irresolute.
Anyway, so here are my thoughts at 60%-97% before I found out the ending was irresolute (I was so excited that I had to stop everything to type out my thoughts first):
So I thought this book was going to have the driest, most boring, and slowest romance ever.
But the subtly and sweetest of the romance seriously crept up on me. Like I was not expecting to find myself smiling like an idiot towards the end. The romance is slow, yes, and the book doesn’t focus too much on it, but it still somehow ended up being perfect for this story?
The romance is not obvious. At first, I thought guy #1 was going to be the love interest. But then, I was like oh wait maybe not. So I waited for someone else to come along. Then, I realized guy #1 IS the love interest but there’s actually a love triangle too?. I did not expect guy #2 because it just seemed more friendly and chill to me. Also, I wasn’t 100% sure if she’ll end up with either one of them, or if she did, which one. I was obviously leaning towards guy #1 as he was my first assumption.
I simultaneously enjoy and detest the love triangle. Enjoy because it is pretty damn amusing, and honestly, both guys are great in their own way. Detest because it wasn’t’ really needed and it might have been better to focus on one of them and develop that more. Like I said, this book is slow and the love triangle plays a part into that.
Back to the present/my thoughts
OK. So despite the off-putting and cop-out ending, I do love the strong family theme of this book. There are seriously some complex relationships between Elise and her 7 brothers. I like that they learn to appreciate her because damn, she is one competent girl. Each one of her brothers is unique, and I like that you get such a well-rounded feeling here. The brothers are individuals, and it is amusing how different Elise interacts with each one. In particular, I like her interactions with Steffan, who is the eldest brother, and he is protective, kind, and dutiful.
In addition, I appreciate that Elise is pretty awesome. She’s not the “typical kind of badass,” but I can see that K.M. Shea has given her (as well as other female characters, such as Gabrielle and Brida) a strong, clever mind. Her determination to help her brothers and her kingdom is touching.
Furthermore, I like seeing her initially rough relationship with Brida become a true relationship of respect. They become friends of a sort. Brida is a warrior/captain, which is rare to see of females in books (there really should be more).
OK, and about the ending again:
So, 2.5 stars for me because of personal preferences. I like books with resolute endings, and the ending means the most to me personally. However, I appreciate the family and friendships in this book. Elise is also a solid, strong protagonist, and I like to see how her perspective and inner growth have changed throughout the book.
Things that you might want to know (WARNING: Spoilers below)
Happy/satisfying ending?
Love triangle? Cheating? Angst level?
Tears-worthy?
Humor?
Favorite scene?
What age level would be appropriate?
So through the course of this book, I have jumped from 3 stars to 4 stars to 2.5 stars. The ending was such a cop-out. Like it made everything feel insincere if Elise could so easily interchange between the two love interests. I get the appeal of readers choosing the one they want, but in my opinion, it does not work here. RPG games? Yes, definitely. Those cool “Choose Your Own Adventure” books? Yes. [You know those books where you can choose to walk Path Left or Path Right, and you get new decisions as the book goes on. Some paths lead you to death, some paths lead you to blessing.]
ANYWAY~~ In my opinion, it does not work here. Interesting concept, but ultimately a cop-out. Especially since it is not like you get to choose decisions throughout the book – only the ending. So It makes the ending seem fickle and irresolute.
Anyway, so here are my thoughts at 60%-97% before I found out the ending was irresolute (I was so excited that I had to stop everything to type out my thoughts first):
So I thought this book was going to have the driest, most boring, and slowest romance ever.
But the subtly and sweetest of the romance seriously crept up on me. Like I was not expecting to find myself smiling like an idiot towards the end. The romance is slow, yes, and the book doesn’t focus too much on it, but it still somehow ended up being perfect for this story?
The romance is not obvious. At first, I thought guy #1 was going to be the love interest. But then, I was like oh wait maybe not. So I waited for someone else to come along. Then, I realized guy #1 IS the love interest but there’s actually a love triangle too?. I did not expect guy #2 because it just seemed more friendly and chill to me. Also, I wasn’t 100% sure if she’ll end up with either one of them, or if she did, which one. I was obviously leaning towards guy #1 as he was my first assumption.
I simultaneously enjoy and detest the love triangle. Enjoy because it is pretty damn amusing, and honestly, both guys are great in their own way. Detest because it wasn’t’ really needed and it might have been better to focus on one of them and develop that more. Like I said, this book is slow and the love triangle plays a part into that.
Back to the present/my thoughts
OK. So despite the off-putting and cop-out ending, I do love the strong family theme of this book. There are seriously some complex relationships between Elise and her 7 brothers. I like that they learn to appreciate her because damn, she is one competent girl. Each one of her brothers is unique, and I like that you get such a well-rounded feeling here. The brothers are individuals, and it is amusing how different Elise interacts with each one. In particular, I like her interactions with Steffan, who is the eldest brother, and he is protective, kind, and dutiful.
In addition, I appreciate that Elise is pretty awesome. She’s not the “typical kind of badass,” but I can see that K.M. Shea has given her (as well as other female characters, such as Gabrielle and Brida) a strong, clever mind. Her determination to help her brothers and her kingdom is touching.
Furthermore, I like seeing her initially rough relationship with Brida become a true relationship of respect. They become friends of a sort. Brida is a warrior/captain, which is rare to see of females in books (there really should be more).
OK, and about the ending again:
So, 2.5 stars for me because of personal preferences. I like books with resolute endings, and the ending means the most to me personally. However, I appreciate the family and friendships in this book. Elise is also a solid, strong protagonist, and I like to see how her perspective and inner growth have changed throughout the book.
Things that you might want to know (WARNING: Spoilers below)
Happy/satisfying ending?
Love triangle? Cheating? Angst level?
Tears-worthy?
Humor?
Favorite scene?
What age level would be appropriate?
November 16, 2014
This was the second book in a series but it read like it was written several years before Beauty and the Beast. Or maybe it was a rough draft or unedited or something. I can't really say it was less cohesive. The story did flow well. But...it was like it was written in two different eras. You had some historical fairytale elements and dialogue, but then, in the same sentence, there was dialogue that would have been better fitted to a modern setting. The writing style confused me. And I didn't like the 'choose who Elise ends up with' endings. I can see why Shea did it (to avoid pissing off shippers) but it was kind of a cop out to me. This just felt like a let down after the first book.
June 4, 2023
After reading Beauty and the Beast (and, um, not really liking it 😬) I was a bit skeptical of how I would like this one even though The Princess and the Pea had restored a little of my faith in the series.
However. This book has a love triangle. And we all know how much I ADORE those. 😒🙄
So naturally I really liked this book. 😆
The love triangle is actually hardly there at all—I know, SHOCKER, Elise was actually more concerned with breaking the curse and rescuing her kingdom rather than mooning over two boys. THE MATURITY PEOPLE!!!! It was amazing! Also the author literally allows you to choose through the epilogues at the end which guy you want Elise to end up with. I know the author got a lot of backlash for how “lazy” this was, but honestly I thought it was creative and even nice to those who maybe wanted Elise with the other guy. While one IS more suited personality and interest wise (I’m not gonna say who) I originally wanted her with the other guy until my mom (who I was buddy reading this book with) and I discussed it and I realized, yeah, Elise would actually work better with the other guy then the one I wanted to choose. 😆
Love triangle aside, Elise’s character growth is AMAZING. She goes through so much and finds her worth and value in herself and in her family without having to be perfect all the time, and it just blew me away by how WELL her arc was handled and done to the point where I was cheering for her wholeheartedly by the end even though at the beginning I found her rather stiff. All seven brothers have arcs too, and I loved how much closer the siblings grew together through all their various hardships.
From what I remember of the original tale this retelling is very close while also taking liberties to flesh things out (as all good fairy tale retellings do). The climax did feel a tiny bit of “that’s it?” in defeating the villain, HOWEVER I was able to overlook it due to just seeing how far Elise had come in that, yes it was an “easy win” but she never would have been able to defeat them at the beginning and therefore her new strength was what kept the climax from falling completely flat.
I enjoyed this book WAY more than I thought I would—my faith in this series has been restored! Hopefully all the other books are just as good or better than this one!
‼️Content‼️
Language: what the; gee
Violence: a hunter nearly shoots a swan; a girl throws rocks at a hunter; a man grabs a girl by the wrist and throws her over his shoulder (she gets away); a character is tied to a stake and nearly burned to death; a character fights soldiers; a character is killed by magic and their face boils before they turn to ash (not detailed)
Sexual: kissing (not detailed)
Drug/Alcohol: characters drink alcohol at meals
Other: magic; enchanters; magical abilities, objects, and creatures; characters are cursed into swans
[Read as one of my 2023 Specific New Books to Read goal]
However. This book has a love triangle. And we all know how much I ADORE those. 😒🙄
So naturally I really liked this book. 😆
The love triangle is actually hardly there at all—I know, SHOCKER, Elise was actually more concerned with breaking the curse and rescuing her kingdom rather than mooning over two boys. THE MATURITY PEOPLE!!!! It was amazing! Also the author literally allows you to choose through the epilogues at the end which guy you want Elise to end up with. I know the author got a lot of backlash for how “lazy” this was, but honestly I thought it was creative and even nice to those who maybe wanted Elise with the other guy. While one IS more suited personality and interest wise (I’m not gonna say who) I originally wanted her with the other guy until my mom (who I was buddy reading this book with) and I discussed it and I realized, yeah, Elise would actually work better with the other guy then the one I wanted to choose. 😆
Love triangle aside, Elise’s character growth is AMAZING. She goes through so much and finds her worth and value in herself and in her family without having to be perfect all the time, and it just blew me away by how WELL her arc was handled and done to the point where I was cheering for her wholeheartedly by the end even though at the beginning I found her rather stiff. All seven brothers have arcs too, and I loved how much closer the siblings grew together through all their various hardships.
From what I remember of the original tale this retelling is very close while also taking liberties to flesh things out (as all good fairy tale retellings do). The climax did feel a tiny bit of “that’s it?” in defeating the villain, HOWEVER I was able to overlook it due to just seeing how far Elise had come in that, yes it was an “easy win” but she never would have been able to defeat them at the beginning and therefore her new strength was what kept the climax from falling completely flat.
I enjoyed this book WAY more than I thought I would—my faith in this series has been restored! Hopefully all the other books are just as good or better than this one!
‼️Content‼️
Language: what the; gee
Violence: a hunter nearly shoots a swan; a girl throws rocks at a hunter; a man grabs a girl by the wrist and throws her over his shoulder (she gets away); a character is tied to a stake and nearly burned to death; a character fights soldiers; a character is killed by magic and their face boils before they turn to ash (not detailed)
Sexual: kissing (not detailed)
Drug/Alcohol: characters drink alcohol at meals
Other: magic; enchanters; magical abilities, objects, and creatures; characters are cursed into swans
[Read as one of my 2023 Specific New Books to Read goal]
kts
March 5, 2015Free on Amazon today!
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00JZ7GMF6...
US: http://www.amazon.com/Wild-Swans-Time...
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00JZ7GMF6...
US: http://www.amazon.com/Wild-Swans-Time...
December 16, 2016
This book was so...lackluster.
I mean, the story was okay, but I thought we'd do something other than strangely paced knitting, and I suppose I should be happy about Elise's character development, but honestly I didn't care much about her. There was something flat and uninteresting about the book in general. I liked Falk's character, but the poor guy was thoroughly tossed about in this otome-game-style plot.
Speaking of which, that ending. Sigh. Mild spoiler: The author writes two endings so you can pick the ending with the guy you like. I acknowledge that it was an interesting idea, but I have many questions.
How are you going to manage this in future books? Who are we supposed to believe is the spouse of the guy you didn't pick? What if we liked both of them, or none of them? How come Rune gets the cool ending when I wanted Falk to end up with her?
I generally have a low tolerance for non-resolution of love triangles - if you don't know where you're going with them, don't write them.
So yeah, I would say this isn't a great book, kinda child-like in its execution, characterization and style.
I mean, the story was okay, but I thought we'd do something other than strangely paced knitting, and I suppose I should be happy about Elise's character development, but honestly I didn't care much about her. There was something flat and uninteresting about the book in general. I liked Falk's character, but the poor guy was thoroughly tossed about in this otome-game-style plot.
Speaking of which, that ending. Sigh. Mild spoiler: The author writes two endings so you can pick the ending with the guy you like. I acknowledge that it was an interesting idea, but I have many questions.
How are you going to manage this in future books? Who are we supposed to believe is the spouse of the guy you didn't pick? What if we liked both of them, or none of them? How come Rune gets the cool ending when I wanted Falk to end up with her?
I generally have a low tolerance for non-resolution of love triangles - if you don't know where you're going with them, don't write them.
So yeah, I would say this isn't a great book, kinda child-like in its execution, characterization and style.
Want to read
January 1, 2020🎁 FREE on Amazon today (1/1/2020)! 🎁
September 28, 2022
I'm not really sure what to rate this book because there were parts I loved and other parts that felt lagged or confusing (usually my feelings towards it).
So first I must say I LOVE Rune! I need one of my own! I think he is so wonderful and Elise loved him a lot clearly.
I get that Falk was sweet-ish. He tried. I appreciate that. I loved that he stayed by Elise's side which shows his devotion but everytime he opened his mouth I just wanted to slap him. Every compliment sounded like an insult. I can't stand when men do this. Also he wasn't I guess manly enough for me. You should feel safe with a man. Rune made Elise feel safe and he made sure that no one got in the way of him and her to a bit of a weird degree but still. He fought for her. Falk just poked at her and I didn't think it was funny, cute, or sweet.
Now on the story in the beginning I think it was great but as it got into her knitting it just never ended. It almost felt to me like there was no plot. When she got mad at the boys I felt a bit better like there was a plot but then it was gone and then i was so confused on who she was supposed to end up with or if she would at all.
This as alternative endings one if she marries Falk and another is she marries Rune. I loved when she was married to Rune!!! She ran to him!! So sweet! But I read both endings. I think Rune marries Brida if he didn't marry Elise ( I kinda skimmed it) which didn't make me happy at all. >:( But I can see how the author didn't want us to think he was heartbroken forever and never got married especially since he was such a cute catch! :D
Honestly I thought Nick was going to end up with Brida.
I hope that other people will also read it and vote Rune!!!
Content: kissing
This review is my honest opinion. I did NOT receive a review copy. I do NOT know this author. I bought this/ read it on KU.
So first I must say I LOVE Rune! I need one of my own! I think he is so wonderful and Elise loved him a lot clearly.
I get that Falk was sweet-ish. He tried. I appreciate that. I loved that he stayed by Elise's side which shows his devotion but everytime he opened his mouth I just wanted to slap him. Every compliment sounded like an insult. I can't stand when men do this. Also he wasn't I guess manly enough for me. You should feel safe with a man. Rune made Elise feel safe and he made sure that no one got in the way of him and her to a bit of a weird degree but still. He fought for her. Falk just poked at her and I didn't think it was funny, cute, or sweet.
Now on the story in the beginning I think it was great but as it got into her knitting it just never ended. It almost felt to me like there was no plot. When she got mad at the boys I felt a bit better like there was a plot but then it was gone and then i was so confused on who she was supposed to end up with or if she would at all.
This as alternative endings one if she marries Falk and another is she marries Rune. I loved when she was married to Rune!!! She ran to him!! So sweet! But I read both endings. I think Rune marries Brida if he didn't marry Elise ( I kinda skimmed it) which didn't make me happy at all. >:( But I can see how the author didn't want us to think he was heartbroken forever and never got married especially since he was such a cute catch! :D
Honestly I thought Nick was going to end up with Brida.
I hope that other people will also read it and vote Rune!!!
Content: kissing
This review is my honest opinion. I did NOT receive a review copy. I do NOT know this author. I bought this/ read it on KU.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 8, 2020
I wanted to love this story, and I did love the heroine, but UGH the love interests. I do applaud Shea for taking an unusual approach to this, and frankly, I would have been on board, except - EXCEPT - for the reveal of some truly unacceptable bullying that went on in the past as part of their "we're jealous and want to keep our Love for ourselves, so you can't be friends with her" thing. I'm sorry but NO. You don't know what love is, and you don't deserve this heroine, and WHY is she lecturing someone else about not understanding love and then forgiving these two dudes when they clearly don't know ANYTHING about love? (Note: this is not a polyamory situation, it is a love triangle; I'm just equally mad at both of them.)
So in *my* epilogue, our heroine tells them both to bugger off, meets someone new, and has a great life on her own terms. /end rant
That said, a lovely, sweet retelling, that I'm sure many other folks will love without feeling the need to rant. ;) However, if you're on the fence, I highly recommend reading some more reviews, and don't let this be your first K.M. Shea book.
So in *my* epilogue, our heroine tells them both to bugger off, meets someone new, and has a great life on her own terms. /end rant
That said, a lovely, sweet retelling, that I'm sure many other folks will love without feeling the need to rant. ;) However, if you're on the fence, I highly recommend reading some more reviews, and don't let this be your first K.M. Shea book.
July 6, 2024
Elise x Rune 🤭
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 1, 2025
I think this is one of the hardest books I've had to rate.
It kind of reminds me of "beautiful but deadly." A pretty plant or animal that attracts you. But then you get to the end and you're like... wait a minute.
So I enjoyed reading most of this book. The ride was fun because the writing style is pleasant and K does a wonderful job of developing 3-D characters. No paper cutouts here.
It's very hard to do certain retellings(Snow White, 12 Dancing Princesses, Wild Swans) because of the sheer number of similar characters. ie writing 7 dwarves, 12 princesses, etc. I have seen this handled many different ways with varying results.
K did a great job of making the characters so unique and memorable that I hadn't made it far before I knew exactly what brother was which. Great job of character development for sure. It was easily one of my favorite parts of the book.
The book went by quickly for the most part as it was a joy to read. However, around 60% I did start to have some concerns. By the end I was out of the honeymoon stage and I'm now seeing problems.
There's a bit of ignorance you can allow yourself to have. How are these horses staying so well fed? How is Elise and Brida getting enough sustenance while living in the middle of the woods. It didn't seem like there was much hunting going on and they never seemed to struggle with lack of nutrients or energy. They're never even hungry. Clothes don't get washed and there are no changes of clothes. Raking fingers through hair on occasion is enough to sort out curly hair.
And so I purposely didn't focus on those. Not that I didn't recognize the issues but I didn't let them bug me, I wanted to get swept up in the story.
However, at one point Elise and troop move from their lake to the edge of the one by the palace. The reasons for doing this don't hold water. Elise has never indicated she lacks for food or shelter. She hasn't gotten sick at all. By all accounts she's living her best life in the needs category.
Which means that the only reason they have is.... there is a group of soldiers from her country looking for her. And they might find her... in another country... in the middle of the woods. Honestly I like Brida's odds at taking these men out even if they had found them.
Basically the plot "needed" Elise to move close to this evil king to have more conflict.
This of course all lines up with the original story, BUT I first of all feel like throwing this whole "let's move thing" in just so we have that plot point and some tension is weak. Now if she'd moved because... she got sick... or they were starving, or winter had arrived and they were freezing. Or some sort of ranger had come out there and said hey you can't camp in the king's wood and kicked them out. Those would've made sense.
Moving when there's no reason to move, especially when they know they're placing her near a dangerous person is crazy. We don't even SEE or hear anything about this supposed search party for her to find out whether or not the moving was necessary.
I felt the prince was hard done by as he did want to help her find a better situation. He gave her a house rent free and provided her and her swans with food. As she made no overtures of friendship, or indicated she wanted him to stay and chat, she would seem to want space and he gave that. The fact that he was going on to live his life didn't seem selfish to me.
I would've been okay with him being childish, ignorant, selfish as everyone claimed if he had been written like that. Instead I felt like characters said he was those things but that his actions didn't really back up those accusations.
As for the romance, here's the thing... it wasn't really romantic. Now I've read people's thoughts and K's blog post. I know the why and so on, but that doesn't really change the experience of reading the book.
#1 - At 80% and again at 89% of the book(the book concludes at 90% with 10% being dedicated to two different choose your own epilogues) Elise is STILL referring to her brothers as... her brothers. Someone who in her head and verbally has been calling these guys her brothers since childhood up until the end of the book should not logically be considering romantic feelings for ANY of them. Regardless of whether or not they're lawfully brothers, she sees them that way. She's been raised as part of the family and sees herself that way.
#2 Considering how her brothers treated her. neither is a great love interest.
#3 Because of the above mentioned two things I was actually hoping a third party would show up and win her over. A decent human being. So despite K not wanting to upset readers by choosing a "winner" and having a cop out of dual epilogues, I'm still upset! I didn't want her to go with either one! Unless one had changed enough from selfish to selfless and she had stopped seeing him as a brother... it wasn't a good match.
#4 I also, like K, hate love triangles. But the excuse of this story needing one doesn't work for me because not only did it not need it, but it actually weakened the potential of the story. I say weakened the potential because without the love triangle there wasn't a hook to hold attention away from the fact that really not much was happening. But if there'd been a more solid plot with things happening and no love triangle, or romance angle at all, this would've been a much stronger book.
#5 What Elise really wants is a family. She would've been happier being adopted and marrying the Martin guy. She doesn't care who she ends up with really. Which is why it was possible to have a dual ending. Because she didn't care. Love is a choice was a reason why things fell the way they did. And yes, obviously. Her brother's were awful in most regards and she still loved them. Lesson acknowledged. She didn't also need to choose to romantically love one of them.
There's borderline grooming/manipulation going on here as it turns out (and really this didn't shock me because I suspected early on. Just like the fact Rune and Falk loved her was also obvious before the curse even hit)
None of these things bother Elise. There's no moment of anger or sorrow that this is why this happened. You get to the end and realize, she's kind of a doormat. Her one outburst which was great is long since forgot and past. It doesn't matter what this family does to her or how she thinks they see her, she doggedly loves them and charges on.
The magic bit was completely deux ex machina. We spend most of the book not understanding how Elise escaped the curse, but oh it's because she has magic she can't access. She just "is" magical and can't be cursed. The ending though...
The list goes on because I meant it about beautiful but deadly. I was very immersed while reading this with the writing style and great descriptions and deep character development. But once I came up on the end and was starting to emerge from the story I was like... now hey wait a minute. Partially because the things you were hoping would get resolved didn't resolve well or at all. Things you wanted to see happen or change didn't. And now you're looking at it going, that was a lot of pretty wrapping and a big box for an itty bitty scrap of story that has quite a few issues.
Lastly, I actually didn't read either epilogue. I agree this is not a romance story. Therefore I didn't need a resolution to the question, who does Elise choose. But also writing two endings where we can choose who she gets is not really answering the question. Because she doesn't choose, we do. And it is another area that just makes her look like she'll just go along with whatever and doesn't really care one way or another who she ends up with. While this was written as a good trait, I see it as negative.
I just didn't care enough to read an epilogue designed solely to answer a question that in my opinion never should've been asked for this story. Fixing her rather warped relationship with her brothers would've made for a good story line all on its own. Or adding an outside love interest so her focus isn't all on her dysfunctional family.
K's books are always all over the place for me. Some I love, some I can't even finish. Some are good or okay. This one fell in a new category of there was so much potential but ended up crashing and burning, the weird choose your own romance was new way to accomplish part of that.
(Side note but if you are normally the person picking the "loser" of a love triangle like myself then try looking at it different. I see it as if the guy/girl chooses the "wrong" person then the right person just lucked out. Clearly that guy/girl wasn't the one for them if she/he couldn't appreciate them and chose the worse option. I actually want my favorite in a love triangle to not get the girl/guy because they deserve better. Not what authors want I'm sure but that's how my brain sees it now.)
It kind of reminds me of "beautiful but deadly." A pretty plant or animal that attracts you. But then you get to the end and you're like... wait a minute.
So I enjoyed reading most of this book. The ride was fun because the writing style is pleasant and K does a wonderful job of developing 3-D characters. No paper cutouts here.
It's very hard to do certain retellings(Snow White, 12 Dancing Princesses, Wild Swans) because of the sheer number of similar characters. ie writing 7 dwarves, 12 princesses, etc. I have seen this handled many different ways with varying results.
K did a great job of making the characters so unique and memorable that I hadn't made it far before I knew exactly what brother was which. Great job of character development for sure. It was easily one of my favorite parts of the book.
The book went by quickly for the most part as it was a joy to read. However, around 60% I did start to have some concerns. By the end I was out of the honeymoon stage and I'm now seeing problems.
There's a bit of ignorance you can allow yourself to have. How are these horses staying so well fed? How is Elise and Brida getting enough sustenance while living in the middle of the woods. It didn't seem like there was much hunting going on and they never seemed to struggle with lack of nutrients or energy. They're never even hungry. Clothes don't get washed and there are no changes of clothes. Raking fingers through hair on occasion is enough to sort out curly hair.
And so I purposely didn't focus on those. Not that I didn't recognize the issues but I didn't let them bug me, I wanted to get swept up in the story.
However, at one point Elise and troop move from their lake to the edge of the one by the palace. The reasons for doing this don't hold water. Elise has never indicated she lacks for food or shelter. She hasn't gotten sick at all. By all accounts she's living her best life in the needs category.
Which means that the only reason they have is.... there is a group of soldiers from her country looking for her. And they might find her... in another country... in the middle of the woods. Honestly I like Brida's odds at taking these men out even if they had found them.
Basically the plot "needed" Elise to move close to this evil king to have more conflict.
This of course all lines up with the original story, BUT I first of all feel like throwing this whole "let's move thing" in just so we have that plot point and some tension is weak. Now if she'd moved because... she got sick... or they were starving, or winter had arrived and they were freezing. Or some sort of ranger had come out there and said hey you can't camp in the king's wood and kicked them out. Those would've made sense.
Moving when there's no reason to move, especially when they know they're placing her near a dangerous person is crazy. We don't even SEE or hear anything about this supposed search party for her to find out whether or not the moving was necessary.
I felt the prince was hard done by as he did want to help her find a better situation. He gave her a house rent free and provided her and her swans with food. As she made no overtures of friendship, or indicated she wanted him to stay and chat, she would seem to want space and he gave that. The fact that he was going on to live his life didn't seem selfish to me.
I would've been okay with him being childish, ignorant, selfish as everyone claimed if he had been written like that. Instead I felt like characters said he was those things but that his actions didn't really back up those accusations.
As for the romance, here's the thing... it wasn't really romantic. Now I've read people's thoughts and K's blog post. I know the why and so on, but that doesn't really change the experience of reading the book.
#1 - At 80% and again at 89% of the book(the book concludes at 90% with 10% being dedicated to two different choose your own epilogues) Elise is STILL referring to her brothers as... her brothers. Someone who in her head and verbally has been calling these guys her brothers since childhood up until the end of the book should not logically be considering romantic feelings for ANY of them. Regardless of whether or not they're lawfully brothers, she sees them that way. She's been raised as part of the family and sees herself that way.
#2 Considering how her brothers treated her. neither is a great love interest.
#3 Because of the above mentioned two things I was actually hoping a third party would show up and win her over. A decent human being. So despite K not wanting to upset readers by choosing a "winner" and having a cop out of dual epilogues, I'm still upset! I didn't want her to go with either one! Unless one had changed enough from selfish to selfless and she had stopped seeing him as a brother... it wasn't a good match.
#4 I also, like K, hate love triangles. But the excuse of this story needing one doesn't work for me because not only did it not need it, but it actually weakened the potential of the story. I say weakened the potential because without the love triangle there wasn't a hook to hold attention away from the fact that really not much was happening. But if there'd been a more solid plot with things happening and no love triangle, or romance angle at all, this would've been a much stronger book.
#5 What Elise really wants is a family. She would've been happier being adopted and marrying the Martin guy. She doesn't care who she ends up with really. Which is why it was possible to have a dual ending. Because she didn't care. Love is a choice was a reason why things fell the way they did. And yes, obviously. Her brother's were awful in most regards and she still loved them. Lesson acknowledged. She didn't also need to choose to romantically love one of them.
There's borderline grooming/manipulation going on here as it turns out (and really this didn't shock me because I suspected early on. Just like the fact Rune and Falk loved her was also obvious before the curse even hit)
None of these things bother Elise. There's no moment of anger or sorrow that this is why this happened. You get to the end and realize, she's kind of a doormat. Her one outburst which was great is long since forgot and past. It doesn't matter what this family does to her or how she thinks they see her, she doggedly loves them and charges on.
The magic bit was completely deux ex machina. We spend most of the book not understanding how Elise escaped the curse, but oh it's because she has magic she can't access. She just "is" magical and can't be cursed. The ending though...
The list goes on because I meant it about beautiful but deadly. I was very immersed while reading this with the writing style and great descriptions and deep character development. But once I came up on the end and was starting to emerge from the story I was like... now hey wait a minute. Partially because the things you were hoping would get resolved didn't resolve well or at all. Things you wanted to see happen or change didn't. And now you're looking at it going, that was a lot of pretty wrapping and a big box for an itty bitty scrap of story that has quite a few issues.
Lastly, I actually didn't read either epilogue. I agree this is not a romance story. Therefore I didn't need a resolution to the question, who does Elise choose. But also writing two endings where we can choose who she gets is not really answering the question. Because she doesn't choose, we do. And it is another area that just makes her look like she'll just go along with whatever and doesn't really care one way or another who she ends up with. While this was written as a good trait, I see it as negative.
I just didn't care enough to read an epilogue designed solely to answer a question that in my opinion never should've been asked for this story. Fixing her rather warped relationship with her brothers would've made for a good story line all on its own. Or adding an outside love interest so her focus isn't all on her dysfunctional family.
K's books are always all over the place for me. Some I love, some I can't even finish. Some are good or okay. This one fell in a new category of there was so much potential but ended up crashing and burning, the weird choose your own romance was new way to accomplish part of that.
(Side note but if you are normally the person picking the "loser" of a love triangle like myself then try looking at it different. I see it as if the guy/girl chooses the "wrong" person then the right person just lucked out. Clearly that guy/girl wasn't the one for them if she/he couldn't appreciate them and chose the worse option. I actually want my favorite in a love triangle to not get the girl/guy because they deserve better. Not what authors want I'm sure but that's how my brain sees it now.)
January 24, 2023
Second in the Timeless Fairy Tales series, I was interested to how this fairy tale would be successfully spun into a whole novel (although I have read another retelling: Six Crimson Cranes and its sequel The Dragon's Promise. They involved much more world building and were definitely more loosely based on the fairytale than I expected this to be).
Elise is the foster-daughter, rather than the daughter of the king, making the seven princes unrelated to her (I'm sure this isn't in the original) which immediately makes way for potential romance. But, to me, it felt a little weird. Elise has considered them as brothers for all her life (even if they have had other thoughts) so I really, really wanted her to not end up with any of them. Instead, we have the interesting conundrum that there are two endings.
Other than the let-down of an ending, it was an okay read. The love triangle was boring and forced. Elise as a character was more interesting; she wasn't a damsel in distress, nor was she a typical 'YA badass heroine.' I loved that her interest was in something most people think is mundane - economics. It makes a change, okay?
There are some more typical badass heroines in the form of her guard, Brida, and step-sister/sister-in-law, Gabrielle. (Don't get me started on the random magic cat because I can't be bothered to rant). Brida was okay; Gabrielle was completely ridiculous.
I know it's a bit rich to call a fairytale retelling ridiculous - of course it's going to be unlikely! - but it's the way it was presented. Similar to the first in the series, there's some serious overreaction to decisions but... meh.
Another okay book. I liked recognising places and characters from the first book (even though they can be read as standalones).
Elise is the foster-daughter, rather than the daughter of the king, making the seven princes unrelated to her (I'm sure this isn't in the original) which immediately makes way for potential romance. But, to me, it felt a little weird. Elise has considered them as brothers for all her life (even if they have had other thoughts) so I really, really wanted her to not end up with any of them. Instead, we have the interesting conundrum that there are two endings.
Other than the let-down of an ending, it was an okay read. The love triangle was boring and forced. Elise as a character was more interesting; she wasn't a damsel in distress, nor was she a typical 'YA badass heroine.' I loved that her interest was in something most people think is mundane - economics. It makes a change, okay?
There are some more typical badass heroines in the form of her guard, Brida, and step-sister/sister-in-law, Gabrielle. (Don't get me started on the random magic cat because I can't be bothered to rant). Brida was okay; Gabrielle was completely ridiculous.
I know it's a bit rich to call a fairytale retelling ridiculous - of course it's going to be unlikely! - but it's the way it was presented. Similar to the first in the series, there's some serious overreaction to decisions but... meh.
Another okay book. I liked recognising places and characters from the first book (even though they can be read as standalones).
January 30, 2020
1/26/20 - Re-read - I did remember reading this, but it was 5 years ago so I had forgotten most of the details. Very enjoyable read. Once again, I wasn't a huge fan choose your own ending, which prince brother she ends up with.
3/12/15
I just am loving K.M. Shea's books. I love how she portrayed the women in this book to be strong and capable, not simpering, blubbering girls. I'm not a feminist in anyway, but I like women to be graceful, yet strong.
Wasn't too keen about the ending...it was one of those chose your own ending books. I read them both, and while I wanted her to chose Great characters and it had me from the first page.
Overall, really enjoyed it!
Moral Note: Clean romance, some witchcraft and bullies, no language.
3/12/15
I just am loving K.M. Shea's books. I love how she portrayed the women in this book to be strong and capable, not simpering, blubbering girls. I'm not a feminist in anyway, but I like women to be graceful, yet strong.
Wasn't too keen about the ending...it was one of those chose your own ending books. I read them both, and while I wanted her to chose Great characters and it had me from the first page.
Overall, really enjoyed it!
Moral Note: Clean romance, some witchcraft and bullies, no language.
May 26, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
While not as good as the first story, this one was still pretty good. I was not very familiar with this story, but it was very intriguing.
Curses
Family
Evil Witch Stepmother
Magic
2 princes vying for her love ❤️
While not as good as the first story, this one was still pretty good. I was not very familiar with this story, but it was very intriguing.
Curses
Family
Evil Witch Stepmother
Magic
2 princes vying for her love ❤️
July 29, 2022
I must say I do really like the cover for this book. And I actually really like the Wild Swans fairytale (often called the Six/Seven Swans, depending on where you look). There were some things I enjoyed in this sequel and a few that I didn't love, but I do want to continue in the series.
I enjoy Shea's humor and her style. She writes fun stories that make you smile, and that's an incredible plus in my book. I liked how she used the original elements of the story and I liked that it wasn't all easy for Elise all the time to break the curse. I also enjoyed her brothers. It didn't take super long for me to figure out who was who and track them throughout the story. I liked their swan personalities and the refinements of the curse. I think one of my favorite parts of the book was actually the growth in Brida. She was one of the most interesting characters to me. I was also inordinately intrigued by Angelique's shadow/star horse thing. I know she has her own series, so I'm sure I'll see more of her in the future!
It was a little hard to keep the kingdoms straight and to understand the political implications in some parts of the book. I remember Verglas because I read the Snow Queen duology (really enjoyed those!) and it's been a while, but I did read the first book, so I recalled some of the references to that kingdom, too. But perhaps that also played a part in why I didn't 100% buy into the villain's motivations and plan. It felt a little...incompetent and distanced from Elise, her brothers, and their journey. The villain never really pushed or challenged Elise and Elise defeated her way too easily. There was no true depth or growth in the characters or obstacles to overcome. And thus the climax felt anticlimactic to me. She broke the curse and then whew, defeated the wicked witch with the touch of her hands. It was a defeat anyone could have done, any character in any story. It wasn't specific to Elise in any way other than that she was the one we gave the mission and ability to. And it didn't require any sacrifice. She obviously sacrificed through the rest of the book with the stinging nettles, but even that didn't have any lasting or deep effects to make us feel her sacrifice.
Another thing I didn't love was the love triangle. I did actually really like that Shea dipped her toes into the foster care arena, but I had hoped she'd do a little more. I was confused about Elise's origins. Was she nobility to begin with? Was she a street rat? The head of family thing confused me. I didn't follow how all that worked. And then you throw in a triangle that still didn't quite make sense to me. It felt a little forced, out of nowhere. I just wanted them all to be family. It felt like we never really got to the "you're not a foster kid; you're family period" part with or without marriage on the line. They clearly all loved her, but I just wasn't as convinced I guess as I wanted to be. I wanted to go on the emotional journey, see the growth in everyone's characters, and participate in a plot that wove everything together well. And then on top of it all, there was a potential third ship thrown in, but so little was done with it that I was simultaneously confused, disappointed, and not surprised at the abrupt end to that ship. The idea of choosing your own ship and epilogue was neat. (Of course I read both XD) But again, I just didn't buy any of the options, so Ima just pretend neither epilogue happened XD
I will say, though, that Elise's organization and kingdom were interesting. I liked the cultural revelations. The way the princes all served the kingdom in different ways and the way Elise was so good and passionate about her work. It would have been cool to see her use that as part of the plot and the story (not just an answer to the wrap up). I wanted to see more at stake, more risk of loss, more gelling together, just more I guess. I liked the uniforms and the way she knew all the servants by name, the way they did meals, etc.
Some of the characters felt pretty one-sided and cliché (villain *cough*) and the story felt a little random in places. But I liked the simplicity of the fairy tale and there were definitely some spots of humor and lightheartedness. This is one of Shea's older books, so I'm curious to see how she's grown since publishing this one. I wouldn't call it my favorite, but it was a cute little read.
Some mild fantasy violence, a clean romance, and no foul language. Probably fine for pre-teens.
I enjoy Shea's humor and her style. She writes fun stories that make you smile, and that's an incredible plus in my book. I liked how she used the original elements of the story and I liked that it wasn't all easy for Elise all the time to break the curse. I also enjoyed her brothers. It didn't take super long for me to figure out who was who and track them throughout the story. I liked their swan personalities and the refinements of the curse. I think one of my favorite parts of the book was actually the growth in Brida. She was one of the most interesting characters to me. I was also inordinately intrigued by Angelique's shadow/star horse thing. I know she has her own series, so I'm sure I'll see more of her in the future!
It was a little hard to keep the kingdoms straight and to understand the political implications in some parts of the book. I remember Verglas because I read the Snow Queen duology (really enjoyed those!) and it's been a while, but I did read the first book, so I recalled some of the references to that kingdom, too. But perhaps that also played a part in why I didn't 100% buy into the villain's motivations and plan. It felt a little...incompetent and distanced from Elise, her brothers, and their journey. The villain never really pushed or challenged Elise and Elise defeated her way too easily. There was no true depth or growth in the characters or obstacles to overcome. And thus the climax felt anticlimactic to me. She broke the curse and then whew, defeated the wicked witch with the touch of her hands. It was a defeat anyone could have done, any character in any story. It wasn't specific to Elise in any way other than that she was the one we gave the mission and ability to. And it didn't require any sacrifice. She obviously sacrificed through the rest of the book with the stinging nettles, but even that didn't have any lasting or deep effects to make us feel her sacrifice.
Another thing I didn't love was the love triangle. I did actually really like that Shea dipped her toes into the foster care arena, but I had hoped she'd do a little more. I was confused about Elise's origins. Was she nobility to begin with? Was she a street rat? The head of family thing confused me. I didn't follow how all that worked. And then you throw in a triangle that still didn't quite make sense to me. It felt a little forced, out of nowhere. I just wanted them all to be family. It felt like we never really got to the "you're not a foster kid; you're family period" part with or without marriage on the line. They clearly all loved her, but I just wasn't as convinced I guess as I wanted to be. I wanted to go on the emotional journey, see the growth in everyone's characters, and participate in a plot that wove everything together well. And then on top of it all, there was a potential third ship thrown in, but so little was done with it that I was simultaneously confused, disappointed, and not surprised at the abrupt end to that ship. The idea of choosing your own ship and epilogue was neat. (Of course I read both XD) But again, I just didn't buy any of the options, so Ima just pretend neither epilogue happened XD
I will say, though, that Elise's organization and kingdom were interesting. I liked the cultural revelations. The way the princes all served the kingdom in different ways and the way Elise was so good and passionate about her work. It would have been cool to see her use that as part of the plot and the story (not just an answer to the wrap up). I wanted to see more at stake, more risk of loss, more gelling together, just more I guess. I liked the uniforms and the way she knew all the servants by name, the way they did meals, etc.
Some of the characters felt pretty one-sided and cliché (villain *cough*) and the story felt a little random in places. But I liked the simplicity of the fairy tale and there were definitely some spots of humor and lightheartedness. This is one of Shea's older books, so I'm curious to see how she's grown since publishing this one. I wouldn't call it my favorite, but it was a cute little read.
Some mild fantasy violence, a clean romance, and no foul language. Probably fine for pre-teens.
April 26, 2020
Wow I can't believe both of the love interests are low-key terrible. Also, I can't believe this is basically a choose your ending sort of story. I really didn't end up believing in either relationship because the author tried to show both, but alas, an effort was made?
October 19, 2016
The Wild Swans (Timeless Fairytales #2) by K.M. Shea
The Wild Swans isn't a retelling I come across often, although it had always been a secret favorite story of mine. The strength of this fairytale is that it relies on the family relationships over romantic relationships, which is a sweet spot for me and not done often enough in fairytale retellings. Elise is the princess, and King Henrik adopted her into the royal family with seven brothers. Elise runs the treasury and is a business whiz, and I really liked this element of Elise's character. I don't think I've read a penny-pinching princess before, and Elise's personal goals are to keep her country afloat even when her father, the King, marries Clotilde, a woman that wants her hands on the country's purse strings.
The brothers, as siblings, are great characters. Some of them (Nick, Mike, Erick) aren't as well fleshed out, but the other four brothers (Steffan, Rune, Falk, and Gerhart) have full and complicated relationships with Elise. I was particularly touched by the familial bond between Elise and Steffan, and they had a really sweet big brother/little sister relationship that was totally believable. (Did I mention there's not enough family relationships explored in epic fantasy in general? It's an amazingly rich area that so many stories leave untouched.) I absolutely believed Elise wanted to knit her hands into bloody pulps to save the big brother she admired. (In retrospect, this big sibling/little sibling relationship is the initial thing that I loved so much about Grey, too.) Elise and Gerhart have a complicated relationship, and it's because Rune and Falk both have crushes on their adopted sister.
Yeah, the romances are where this story falls apart. (But only a little bit...I promise this won't be another 'Heather rants about romances' reviews.)
Since we've had Game of Thrones, we are now all presumably cool with incest relationships in our fantasies, but there's a weird brother/adopted-sister dynamic love triangle that I couldn't grasp onto. While Thief of Songs had an interesting love triangle that was rich and complex, The Wild Swans had an awkward pair of relationships between Elise/Rune and Elise/Falk. There's also the 'choose your own ending' bit, which I didn't hate, but I wasn't invested in either romance, so I read them both. If Elise's relationships with Rune and Falk hadn't been romantic (or if one of the brothers would've been purposefully picked as the love interest), this story would've woven itself together more convincingly. In Beauty and the Beast, the romantic plot is strong, even if it ended a bit wonky. The two characters are able to grow together, and the love triangle dilutes that relationship a lot in this story.
This series is being told in a single universe, which worked well to entice me to read the rest of the series. The heroine, Elise, is unique, and her attachments to her brothers and to her country are the powerful, driving forces of this story. The end, where Elise chooses to face Clotilde rather than risk her brothers' lives again, touched me and got to the heart of why I love this fairytale. That overcame the awkwardness of the romances for me, and maybe it will for you, too.
Rating: 4 stars because I was excited to read this story the entire time, even when I found myself groaning a little bit. Is it an objectively 'good' story? I don't know, but I really did love this retelling, and the focus on family hit a sweet spot. It might, objectively, be a 3 star book, but the characters elevated this retelling for me.
The Wild Swans isn't a retelling I come across often, although it had always been a secret favorite story of mine. The strength of this fairytale is that it relies on the family relationships over romantic relationships, which is a sweet spot for me and not done often enough in fairytale retellings. Elise is the princess, and King Henrik adopted her into the royal family with seven brothers. Elise runs the treasury and is a business whiz, and I really liked this element of Elise's character. I don't think I've read a penny-pinching princess before, and Elise's personal goals are to keep her country afloat even when her father, the King, marries Clotilde, a woman that wants her hands on the country's purse strings.
The brothers, as siblings, are great characters. Some of them (Nick, Mike, Erick) aren't as well fleshed out, but the other four brothers (Steffan, Rune, Falk, and Gerhart) have full and complicated relationships with Elise. I was particularly touched by the familial bond between Elise and Steffan, and they had a really sweet big brother/little sister relationship that was totally believable. (Did I mention there's not enough family relationships explored in epic fantasy in general? It's an amazingly rich area that so many stories leave untouched.) I absolutely believed Elise wanted to knit her hands into bloody pulps to save the big brother she admired. (In retrospect, this big sibling/little sibling relationship is the initial thing that I loved so much about Grey, too.) Elise and Gerhart have a complicated relationship, and it's because Rune and Falk both have crushes on their adopted sister.
Yeah, the romances are where this story falls apart. (But only a little bit...I promise this won't be another 'Heather rants about romances' reviews.)
Since we've had Game of Thrones, we are now all presumably cool with incest relationships in our fantasies, but there's a weird brother/adopted-sister dynamic love triangle that I couldn't grasp onto. While Thief of Songs had an interesting love triangle that was rich and complex, The Wild Swans had an awkward pair of relationships between Elise/Rune and Elise/Falk. There's also the 'choose your own ending' bit, which I didn't hate, but I wasn't invested in either romance, so I read them both. If Elise's relationships with Rune and Falk hadn't been romantic (or if one of the brothers would've been purposefully picked as the love interest), this story would've woven itself together more convincingly. In Beauty and the Beast, the romantic plot is strong, even if it ended a bit wonky. The two characters are able to grow together, and the love triangle dilutes that relationship a lot in this story.
This series is being told in a single universe, which worked well to entice me to read the rest of the series. The heroine, Elise, is unique, and her attachments to her brothers and to her country are the powerful, driving forces of this story. The end, where Elise chooses to face Clotilde rather than risk her brothers' lives again, touched me and got to the heart of why I love this fairytale. That overcame the awkwardness of the romances for me, and maybe it will for you, too.
Rating: 4 stars because I was excited to read this story the entire time, even when I found myself groaning a little bit. Is it an objectively 'good' story? I don't know, but I really did love this retelling, and the focus on family hit a sweet spot. It might, objectively, be a 3 star book, but the characters elevated this retelling for me.
April 2, 2019
Evil spells, a greedy step-mother, a crazy king, and a protagonist strong enough to defeat them.
This is the second book in the Timeless Fairytales series, and could be read independently. Princess Elise and her brothers notice their father is acting strangely, but they don't realize how bad things are until he brings home a woman and announces that he is marrying her. A new mother wouldn't be so bad, except this one seems to have their father under a spell, and she wants them dead. Before she attempts to kill them, she turns them into swans. Luckily, Elise and Princess Gabrielle are unaffected and help the swan princes escape the castle. Now Princess Elise is fleeing for her life with seven swans in tow. She can break the spell if she knits each swan a shirt made from prickly nettles, and doesn't speak until all seven shirts are completed.
I love this fairytale. I think I've only read one other adaptation of it, The Swan Kingdom. I love the sacrifice in this story. Elise is physically sacrificing her hands through her efforts, and also maintaining serious self-control in not speaking. I'm not sure if I could do it! I love her brothers too, how they try to protect her, and the bantering between the siblings.
My only complaint is with the romance here. There is a love triangle
A great addition to the series!
Content: clean-a kiss, mild violence
This is the second book in the Timeless Fairytales series, and could be read independently. Princess Elise and her brothers notice their father is acting strangely, but they don't realize how bad things are until he brings home a woman and announces that he is marrying her. A new mother wouldn't be so bad, except this one seems to have their father under a spell, and she wants them dead. Before she attempts to kill them, she turns them into swans. Luckily, Elise and Princess Gabrielle are unaffected and help the swan princes escape the castle. Now Princess Elise is fleeing for her life with seven swans in tow. She can break the spell if she knits each swan a shirt made from prickly nettles, and doesn't speak until all seven shirts are completed.
I love this fairytale. I think I've only read one other adaptation of it, The Swan Kingdom. I love the sacrifice in this story. Elise is physically sacrificing her hands through her efforts, and also maintaining serious self-control in not speaking. I'm not sure if I could do it! I love her brothers too, how they try to protect her, and the bantering between the siblings.
My only complaint is with the romance here. There is a love triangle
A great addition to the series!
Content: clean-a kiss, mild violence
December 14, 2015
*THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS*
I know that is almost unfair to compare any retelling of "The Six Swans" to Juliet Marillier's masterpiece Daughter of the Forest. But seriously - this wasn't a well-written retelling even without the comparison with DotF.
+ the heroine was likeable enough AND she was an economist XD
+ the brothers had personalities, they were memorable enough
+ character of Brida, the Captain of the Guard (yay for more sympathetic female characters!)
+ events and characters from the previous book Beauty and the Beast mentioned
- I mean, I wouldn't wish Elise the hell Sorsha from DotF went through, but seriously, this girl had it kind of easy. Her brothers were human every night for one hour. She could talk for that hour. She had Brida for company and protection. If not for the mad king (who burnt the shirts once), she had an easy life in the foreign prince's castle.
- the reader can choose the ending - Elise can end up with either Rune or Falk. It feels like badly written RPG. Honestly, a heroine like Elise doesn't even NEED a guy. But nope, everyone (including her father) just assumes that she will eventually choose between Rune and Falk (both are possesive jealous idiots btw). I think she had chemistry with neither.
- Angelique is a personified deux ex machina. Again.
- I would appreaciate more of Elise-Brida bonding. They could have end up together. Just a thought.
I know that is almost unfair to compare any retelling of "The Six Swans" to Juliet Marillier's masterpiece Daughter of the Forest. But seriously - this wasn't a well-written retelling even without the comparison with DotF.
+ the heroine was likeable enough AND she was an economist XD
+ the brothers had personalities, they were memorable enough
+ character of Brida, the Captain of the Guard (yay for more sympathetic female characters!)
+ events and characters from the previous book Beauty and the Beast mentioned
- I mean, I wouldn't wish Elise the hell Sorsha from DotF went through, but seriously, this girl had it kind of easy. Her brothers were human every night for one hour. She could talk for that hour. She had Brida for company and protection. If not for the mad king (who burnt the shirts once), she had an easy life in the foreign prince's castle.
- the reader can choose the ending - Elise can end up with either Rune or Falk. It feels like badly written RPG. Honestly, a heroine like Elise doesn't even NEED a guy. But nope, everyone (including her father) just assumes that she will eventually choose between Rune and Falk (both are possesive jealous idiots btw). I think she had chemistry with neither.
- Angelique is a personified deux ex machina. Again.
- I would appreaciate more of Elise-Brida bonding. They could have end up together. Just a thought.
June 6, 2024
I usually enjoy this author’s work but was quite disappointed with this book. I didn’t mind the choose you own ending but I cannot forgive the awful love triangle and overall premise of the aforementioned relationships. Character development suffered because the author spent so much time on the love triangle.
Warning: some spoilers but not enough to ruin the plot.
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The love triangle was unnecessary and the fact that it was two of her brothers was disturbing. I don’t care that they weren’t her biological brothers. I actually could have gotten over the fact that they were siblings if it had been considered common practice in the fantasy world but it wasn’t. I know this because the author made a point of explaining why the king and queen never officially adopted her. As someone who was adopted, I was pretty upset by this. My parents are my parents because they raised me. I was also annoyed that the author felt the need to remind us that they were her foster brothers EVERY SINGLE TIME. Although the argument could have been made that she didn’t see them as brothers because she was unofficially adopted at a later age, she referred to the king as her father, not her foster father. If she felt that she wasn’t a part of the family, she should have referred to all of her family members as foster brothers, father, etc. This book had an opportunity to show that family is about love, not blood but completely ruined it by focusing on the inter-family love triangle.
Warning: some spoilers but not enough to ruin the plot.
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The love triangle was unnecessary and the fact that it was two of her brothers was disturbing. I don’t care that they weren’t her biological brothers. I actually could have gotten over the fact that they were siblings if it had been considered common practice in the fantasy world but it wasn’t. I know this because the author made a point of explaining why the king and queen never officially adopted her. As someone who was adopted, I was pretty upset by this. My parents are my parents because they raised me. I was also annoyed that the author felt the need to remind us that they were her foster brothers EVERY SINGLE TIME. Although the argument could have been made that she didn’t see them as brothers because she was unofficially adopted at a later age, she referred to the king as her father, not her foster father. If she felt that she wasn’t a part of the family, she should have referred to all of her family members as foster brothers, father, etc. This book had an opportunity to show that family is about love, not blood but completely ruined it by focusing on the inter-family love triangle.
May 21, 2018
Worst love triangle ever. EV-ER.
I was confused why there was NO chemistry or sparks or anything to show why our heroine would obviously prefer one man over the other. I kept expecting some random guy to show up and be the love interest since it felt like no one else was, but then I got to the end and found out why. I can't decide if it was lazy writing or a weird attempt to please everybody. On top of that I found it weird to the point of being uncomfortable with it. As someone who has half siblings and step siblings, it felt incestuous. The romantic love was shallow and therefore completely unsatisfying. The fact that the book could end way it did proves how shallow it was. Don't waste your time. SPOILER ALERT SO YOU DON'T READ THE BOOK OUT OF CURIOSITY: it's a choose your own ending for who you want her to be with. Yes, I read both, and both seemed like her love for them came out of the blue, because the author didn't lay the framework for either one to work. She was just like, even though I see all the other princes as brothers, I suddenly want to make out with you, because I conveniently and suddenly don't see you that way.
I was confused why there was NO chemistry or sparks or anything to show why our heroine would obviously prefer one man over the other. I kept expecting some random guy to show up and be the love interest since it felt like no one else was, but then I got to the end and found out why. I can't decide if it was lazy writing or a weird attempt to please everybody. On top of that I found it weird to the point of being uncomfortable with it. As someone who has half siblings and step siblings, it felt incestuous. The romantic love was shallow and therefore completely unsatisfying. The fact that the book could end way it did proves how shallow it was. Don't waste your time. SPOILER ALERT SO YOU DON'T READ THE BOOK OUT OF CURIOSITY: it's a choose your own ending for who you want her to be with. Yes, I read both, and both seemed like her love for them came out of the blue, because the author didn't lay the framework for either one to work. She was just like, even though I see all the other princes as brothers, I suddenly want to make out with you, because I conveniently and suddenly don't see you that way.
September 4, 2015
I don't know what it is about this author but I love it. It's like she writes just for me. I have always loved fairy-tale retellings and these are quickly becoming some of my favorites. They have a lightness that not alot of fairy-tales have and I just love the fun play romances and this one was the best. The ending left me laughing and amazed at this author. I will not tell what happens because I loved being surprised by it. The characters are just great, if I had one bad thing to say it would be that I want a little more character development. I want to know a little more depth about them before we dive in to the story and everyone goes into survival, hero mode. The beginning was a bit confusing but makes sense as I look back on it from the ending of the books point of view. I loved the little tweeks she makes and I love trying to figure out what story she is setting up next inside this story. FUn books I will love reading to my daughters. 10 and up - there is some violence but it is kept light.
January 31, 2016
Dislike the ending. Knew I would based on reading the reviews.
October 12, 2016
The ending ruined the book for me.
July 14, 2022
If there is one sort of book that rarely disappoints, it's a fairytale retelling. So, when both my other reads were not giving me the pleasure I hope to find when reading, I decided to also read a book on the side that I was gonna like without a doubt. I didn't even know exactly which fairytale this was gonna be, but quite soon I recognized the elements of one of the most intriguing fairytales I know. So, I leaned back and enjoyed the ride.
What I love about this book is that the author really retells the fairytale and keeps as many elements of the original tale as possible. I can imagine that for some people that makes the story a little predictable, but I like how the fairytale atmosphere and the true backbone of the story was so clearly present. Especially because it's a very strong tale about love, dedication and determination. All character traits I really appreciate in people.
I also really loved that this story was not so much about romantic love. Of course, it's a fairytale retelling and the princess in this story absolutely and totally deserves her prince. We meet the two princes she will eventually choose between, but it's not really given much attention within the story itself. Which opens the door to a "pick your own epilogue"-option. I eventually read both of them and loved how different they were and how they still both made sense.
Most of all I loved the heroine in this story. For once we don't have a brave princess with a sword as the hero and leading lady. For once the heroine of this story is good with numbers and money and is in charge of the royal treasury. And nowhere in the story is she being taught how to fight. I understand the need for fighting princesses, but I like the thought that princesses can have other talents too. Like getting an entire royal family to live on a "tight" budget.
What I love about this book is that the author really retells the fairytale and keeps as many elements of the original tale as possible. I can imagine that for some people that makes the story a little predictable, but I like how the fairytale atmosphere and the true backbone of the story was so clearly present. Especially because it's a very strong tale about love, dedication and determination. All character traits I really appreciate in people.
I also really loved that this story was not so much about romantic love. Of course, it's a fairytale retelling and the princess in this story absolutely and totally deserves her prince. We meet the two princes she will eventually choose between, but it's not really given much attention within the story itself. Which opens the door to a "pick your own epilogue"-option. I eventually read both of them and loved how different they were and how they still both made sense.
Most of all I loved the heroine in this story. For once we don't have a brave princess with a sword as the hero and leading lady. For once the heroine of this story is good with numbers and money and is in charge of the royal treasury. And nowhere in the story is she being taught how to fight. I understand the need for fighting princesses, but I like the thought that princesses can have other talents too. Like getting an entire royal family to live on a "tight" budget.
Read
June 20, 2023This was very sweet! As you can see in my updates, at first I was very against the romance in this book (it's a love triangle, and both candidates are... less than ideal, imo). . K.M. Shea did it once again with the beautiful themes that truly made the story stand out. Like in Beauty and the Beast, there were themes of what love and sacrifice truly mean. It was beautiful. The story was compelling; I wanted to keep reading. I also love the way this author describes her world. It's just simply so whimsical and enchanting. Not to mention that Arcainia sounds like a wonderful place to live. Overall, I really liked this book. Much like the first in the series, it may appear simple on the surface but in reality, it is quite deep. Highly recommend!
12 years old and above would be a suitable age to read this book. There is some minor kissing, action violence, past cruelty mentioned, and sorcery (that is clearly portrayed as BAD).
12 years old and above would be a suitable age to read this book. There is some minor kissing, action violence, past cruelty mentioned, and sorcery (that is clearly portrayed as BAD).
July 16, 2017
4+ Stars
After reading some of the negative reviews out there I wasn't really sure if I wanted to read this one or not. But I am so glad I took the chance, because I really enjoyed this one. I think it is best to go into this story not focused on the romantic facets but on the story itself. The themes of love, sacrifice, love overcoming, family, and loyalty more than add up to a great story in and of itself.
I enjoyed seeing the different aspects of the relationships between Elise and her foster brothers play out. There seem to be some misconceptions by both Elise and some of the brothers, as well as others in the story; about her, their relationships, expectations and romantic possibilities. Seeing all the different motives and issues behind the conflicts or endearments come to light definitely added to the story.
As far as the romance goes, it is there; subtle but continuously playing out. Both Rune and Falk have things that recommend them. And Shea does leave the ending open as to who Elise will end up with. That said, Shea does offer alternate endings depending on who you lean towards. So fear not if you feel you will be cheated with no choice being made. I enjoyed reading both takes myself.
Overall, an enjoyable read with some wonderful points about true and sacrificial love!
After reading some of the negative reviews out there I wasn't really sure if I wanted to read this one or not. But I am so glad I took the chance, because I really enjoyed this one. I think it is best to go into this story not focused on the romantic facets but on the story itself. The themes of love, sacrifice, love overcoming, family, and loyalty more than add up to a great story in and of itself.
I enjoyed seeing the different aspects of the relationships between Elise and her foster brothers play out. There seem to be some misconceptions by both Elise and some of the brothers, as well as others in the story; about her, their relationships, expectations and romantic possibilities. Seeing all the different motives and issues behind the conflicts or endearments come to light definitely added to the story.
As far as the romance goes, it is there; subtle but continuously playing out. Both Rune and Falk have things that recommend them. And Shea does leave the ending open as to who Elise will end up with. That said, Shea does offer alternate endings depending on who you lean towards. So fear not if you feel you will be cheated with no choice being made. I enjoyed reading both takes myself.
Overall, an enjoyable read with some wonderful points about true and sacrificial love!
November 14, 2019
Well now that was different!
The ending at least and how the romance is handled, but I'll get to that in a moment.
Elise was THE COOLEST. Now its no secret DAUGHTER OF THE FOREST by Juliet Marillier is a favorite of mine. Based on the same fairy tale, its steeped in Irish history and lore, so while magic happens its the magic of the Fae not the dark magic present here. What endears DAUGHTER to me is Sorcha. Her relentless pursuit of freeing her brothers is touching.
Similarly Elise's quest endeared her to me, but even more was her clear intelligence. Elise's passions largely involved keeping the country profitable to protect her family and their people. For her it wasn't just her duty, but her pride in her work.
Its interesting reading this book after reading BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. BEAUTY was about Loire and spoke about Arcainia (largely Lucien's want to invade/conquer it), while SWANS mentions Loire briefly. More is made about Verglas (which I'll assume the Snow Queen series is based in).
The Princes mostly were ok. I'm not fully convinced by some of their assurances of affection (looking at you Mikk) but largely I enjoyed them. But the romance. Stop here as there's spoilers.
---spoilers start---
Shea spends the book building Falk (mister tsun-tsun himself) and Rune (hero extraordinaire) up as rivals for Elise's affections. And for 70% she could honestly care less because both BROTHERS acted horribly. They bullied their youngest brother, scared off suitors and waged a war with each other all while Elise was oblivious.
By the end of the book she's chosen neither but is willing to give both a chance. Thus the two epilogues - one for if she chose Falk and one for if she chose Rune.
Largely I'm a fan of Choose Your Own sorts of stories and games. They're very real reminders that choices have consequences so be thoughtful not thoughtless. This isn't that kind of book. This book could have easily done without the romance AT ALL and not suffered for it. Sure its sweet and sure Fairy Tales always end with love...but much like in FROZEN, that love could have just been about family love. No need to add romance.
Because of the lack of definitive choice it ruined the ending of an otherwise enjoyable book. I enjoy alternative pairings or parallel universe stories (like Sliding Doors), but when the only change it makes is in epilogue... I'm fine without thanks.
---end spoilers---
Overall I enjoyed the book and the re-imagining, but felt it got bogged down by a romance it was perfectly fine without.
The ending at least and how the romance is handled, but I'll get to that in a moment.
Elise was THE COOLEST. Now its no secret DAUGHTER OF THE FOREST by Juliet Marillier is a favorite of mine. Based on the same fairy tale, its steeped in Irish history and lore, so while magic happens its the magic of the Fae not the dark magic present here. What endears DAUGHTER to me is Sorcha. Her relentless pursuit of freeing her brothers is touching.
Similarly Elise's quest endeared her to me, but even more was her clear intelligence. Elise's passions largely involved keeping the country profitable to protect her family and their people. For her it wasn't just her duty, but her pride in her work.
Its interesting reading this book after reading BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. BEAUTY was about Loire and spoke about Arcainia (largely Lucien's want to invade/conquer it), while SWANS mentions Loire briefly. More is made about Verglas (which I'll assume the Snow Queen series is based in).
The Princes mostly were ok. I'm not fully convinced by some of their assurances of affection (looking at you Mikk) but largely I enjoyed them. But the romance. Stop here as there's spoilers.
---spoilers start---
Shea spends the book building Falk (mister tsun-tsun himself) and Rune (hero extraordinaire) up as rivals for Elise's affections. And for 70% she could honestly care less because both BROTHERS acted horribly. They bullied their youngest brother, scared off suitors and waged a war with each other all while Elise was oblivious.
By the end of the book she's chosen neither but is willing to give both a chance. Thus the two epilogues - one for if she chose Falk and one for if she chose Rune.
Largely I'm a fan of Choose Your Own sorts of stories and games. They're very real reminders that choices have consequences so be thoughtful not thoughtless. This isn't that kind of book. This book could have easily done without the romance AT ALL and not suffered for it. Sure its sweet and sure Fairy Tales always end with love...but much like in FROZEN, that love could have just been about family love. No need to add romance.
Because of the lack of definitive choice it ruined the ending of an otherwise enjoyable book. I enjoy alternative pairings or parallel universe stories (like Sliding Doors), but when the only change it makes is in epilogue... I'm fine without thanks.
---end spoilers---
Overall I enjoyed the book and the re-imagining, but felt it got bogged down by a romance it was perfectly fine without.
February 21, 2024
My rating: 3.5 stars
I didn't know much about the Six Swans/Wild Swans fairytale, but I didn't care when I picked up this book, because it was a K.M. Shea book, so I knew it would be fun.
This book has the classic K.M. Shea elements- a good, varied cast of characters, exciting action scenes, and a sweet romance.
One of my favorite things about this book ended up being the ending. SPOILERS AHEAD. K.M. Shea gave us a choose your own ending epilogue, where you could pick which of the two male love interests she ends up with. I think more authors should do this!!
END OF SPOILERS.
I do have one critique and that this book was much too short. I wish we had had more time to connect to each of the 7 brothers and see their personalities come out more. If this book had been about 100 pages longer I think it would have been just about perfect!
I didn't know much about the Six Swans/Wild Swans fairytale, but I didn't care when I picked up this book, because it was a K.M. Shea book, so I knew it would be fun.
This book has the classic K.M. Shea elements- a good, varied cast of characters, exciting action scenes, and a sweet romance.
One of my favorite things about this book ended up being the ending. SPOILERS AHEAD. K.M. Shea gave us a choose your own ending epilogue, where you could pick which of the two male love interests she ends up with. I think more authors should do this!!
END OF SPOILERS.
I do have one critique and that this book was much too short. I wish we had had more time to connect to each of the 7 brothers and see their personalities come out more. If this book had been about 100 pages longer I think it would have been just about perfect!
June 22, 2025
Overall I really liked the story and plot. I didn't know either of these retellings, so I was on the edge of my seat to see where it was going. The love story could have used some work. With the "choose your own adventure" at the end, there was no build up for either guy, and thus it fell flat. We need the tension and the build! Not "I don't know" and "I'm not sure" all throughout to "I'm in love and I pick you!" for the ending. Though I will say, the guy I picked had a terrible ending in my mind. Almost made me want to pick the other because of how awkward it was.
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