What do you think?
Rate this book
The Curse of Feathers
Not yet published
Expected 24 Nov 26For fans of Katherine Arden and Kell Woods, an enchanting, feminist fantasy retelling of the Brothers Grimm tale “The Wild Swans”: a young woman’s handiwork and determination is tested to the limits to save her six brothers, cursed to become swans.
**DELUXE STENCILED EDGE HARDCOVER with exclusive interior design**
“Know this; no word of yours shall ever break my spell.”
As the only daughter in her noble family, Elisa von Ahlefeldt has always been the untamed outlier. Unlike her six brothers who follow the protocols and duty of the court, she is ellevilde—elf-wild—a child of nature. She spends her days in the woods where she has befriended Nuve, an ash-tree maid who teaches her the ways of forest magic. Elisa finds she has a gift for magic that matches the needlecraft talent she learned from her mother—whose tragic death has torn the family apart.
Following the funeral, Elisa’s father reveals he has been spellbound by a Hexe into marriage and sends his young children into hiding. Years pass before stepmother Belinde locates them, transforms the boys into swans, and alters her husband’s perception of his daughter, casting her out of their lives.
To break her brothers’ curse, Elisa is guided by Nuve to use her needlecraft to create magical garments from stinging nettles for each of them under a vow of silence. A silence she must keep while impersonating a missing noblewoman. A secret she must hold dear even as she is betrothed to a handsome stranger. A power she must wield to defy the evil Belinde and rescue her family before their bird nature steals their human lives away forever. For Elisa, despite the perils of the Hexen and her own fears, knows deep in her heart that:
“Silence has its power, and not all that is wild can be tamed.”
A coming-of-age fantasy adventure, The Curse of Feathers is a tale of inner strength at the crossroads of faith and mysticism, rich with historical details in this retelling of the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale.
**DELUXE STENCILED EDGE HARDCOVER with exclusive interior design**
“Know this; no word of yours shall ever break my spell.”
As the only daughter in her noble family, Elisa von Ahlefeldt has always been the untamed outlier. Unlike her six brothers who follow the protocols and duty of the court, she is ellevilde—elf-wild—a child of nature. She spends her days in the woods where she has befriended Nuve, an ash-tree maid who teaches her the ways of forest magic. Elisa finds she has a gift for magic that matches the needlecraft talent she learned from her mother—whose tragic death has torn the family apart.
Following the funeral, Elisa’s father reveals he has been spellbound by a Hexe into marriage and sends his young children into hiding. Years pass before stepmother Belinde locates them, transforms the boys into swans, and alters her husband’s perception of his daughter, casting her out of their lives.
To break her brothers’ curse, Elisa is guided by Nuve to use her needlecraft to create magical garments from stinging nettles for each of them under a vow of silence. A silence she must keep while impersonating a missing noblewoman. A secret she must hold dear even as she is betrothed to a handsome stranger. A power she must wield to defy the evil Belinde and rescue her family before their bird nature steals their human lives away forever. For Elisa, despite the perils of the Hexen and her own fears, knows deep in her heart that:
“Silence has its power, and not all that is wild can be tamed.”
A coming-of-age fantasy adventure, The Curse of Feathers is a tale of inner strength at the crossroads of faith and mysticism, rich with historical details in this retelling of the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale.
- GenresFantasy
448 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication November 24, 2026
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I love retellings, and the tale of "The Wild Swans" is a favorite of mine. "The Curse of Feathers" by Kimberly Bea is a fantasy retelling combining elements from both the Brothers Grimm tale "The Six Swans" and Hans Christian Andersen’s "The Wild Swans". I have read the original tales as well as a couple of retellings, and this version is surely an original. Well, as original as a retelling can be.
The book follows Elisa von Ahlefeldt, youngest daughter of a noble family. Unlike her elder six brothers, she is ellevilde—elf-wild—a child of nature. She runs freely in the forest and befriends Nuve, an ash-tree maid who teaches forest magic. Her life takes a turn for the worse after her mother dies and her father remarries the Hexe (a witch) who bewitched him. The stepmother, Belinde, transforms the boys into swans and alters the father's perception of his daughter. Elisa hides in the forest and starts sewing shirts from nettles using nalbinding and magic. She has to keep silent if there is any hope of breaking her brothers’ curse. It is not an easy task in a world that hates magic, where a witch is after her, and witches are burned at the stake.
Overall, I enjoyed the story. Although there is an excellent plot, the real strength of this book is the detailed character development of Elisa and the vivid descriptions of the setting. I liked this feminist version of the story, with themes of coming-of-age, physical suffering, penance, sacrifice, social class, and pagan vs. Christian elements. I appreciated the mysticism, the depictions of life in nature, and the witch trials, which felt authentic. I liked the contrast between the beauty of nature and the dark curse and the rich historical details. The book has an atmospheric, dark quality that fits the darker elements of the fairy tale particularly well.
Elisa and Nuve were really the only rounded characters. Some of the side characters (especially the brothers) were less developed or distinguished, but as they weren't the center of the tale, it didn't bother me. I liked their loyalty and love for their sister, admired Elisa's inner strength (not speaking for many years isn't easy, let me tell you), her determination to save her brothers, and her connection to nature. I also liked the relationship between her and Nuve, and the way they complemented each other.
While the writing is great, the book is a bit slow-paced and meanders a little, and could’ve been tightened up. The religious undertone was laid too thick to my taste, but was well merged into the tale. If you read the original tale, you will be familiar with the direction of the story, but there were several twists that made it fresh. The ending is different from the original tale, and I am in two minds about it. While I understood why Elisa made the choice she did, especially after everything she had endured, and even salute her for it, I am still in two minds about the ending. Of the two, Elisa and the stepmother, Elisa was the true feminist one.
That said, I liked the book and do recommend it to fans of fantasy retellings with a strong heroine, rich world-building, and a dark, atmospheric fairy-tale feel.
* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.
* Review on my blog: https://galibookish.blogspot.com/2026...
The book follows Elisa von Ahlefeldt, youngest daughter of a noble family. Unlike her elder six brothers, she is ellevilde—elf-wild—a child of nature. She runs freely in the forest and befriends Nuve, an ash-tree maid who teaches forest magic. Her life takes a turn for the worse after her mother dies and her father remarries the Hexe (a witch) who bewitched him. The stepmother, Belinde, transforms the boys into swans and alters the father's perception of his daughter. Elisa hides in the forest and starts sewing shirts from nettles using nalbinding and magic. She has to keep silent if there is any hope of breaking her brothers’ curse. It is not an easy task in a world that hates magic, where a witch is after her, and witches are burned at the stake.
Overall, I enjoyed the story. Although there is an excellent plot, the real strength of this book is the detailed character development of Elisa and the vivid descriptions of the setting. I liked this feminist version of the story, with themes of coming-of-age, physical suffering, penance, sacrifice, social class, and pagan vs. Christian elements. I appreciated the mysticism, the depictions of life in nature, and the witch trials, which felt authentic. I liked the contrast between the beauty of nature and the dark curse and the rich historical details. The book has an atmospheric, dark quality that fits the darker elements of the fairy tale particularly well.
Elisa and Nuve were really the only rounded characters. Some of the side characters (especially the brothers) were less developed or distinguished, but as they weren't the center of the tale, it didn't bother me. I liked their loyalty and love for their sister, admired Elisa's inner strength (not speaking for many years isn't easy, let me tell you), her determination to save her brothers, and her connection to nature. I also liked the relationship between her and Nuve, and the way they complemented each other.
While the writing is great, the book is a bit slow-paced and meanders a little, and could’ve been tightened up. The religious undertone was laid too thick to my taste, but was well merged into the tale. If you read the original tale, you will be familiar with the direction of the story, but there were several twists that made it fresh. The ending is different from the original tale, and I am in two minds about it. While I understood why Elisa made the choice she did, especially after everything she had endured, and even salute her for it, I am still in two minds about the ending. Of the two, Elisa and the stepmother, Elisa was the true feminist one.
That said, I liked the book and do recommend it to fans of fantasy retellings with a strong heroine, rich world-building, and a dark, atmospheric fairy-tale feel.
* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.
* Review on my blog: https://galibookish.blogspot.com/2026...
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Curse of Feathers is a fantasy retelling of the Brothers Grimm tale The Wild Swans. The story follows Elisa von Ahlefeldt, a young noblewoman who feels more connected to nature and magic than courtly life. When her six brothers are transformed into swans by their cruel stepmother, Belinde, Elisa embarks on a difficult quest to break the curse while bound by a vow of silence.
The novel combines folklore, magic, and medieval-inspired world-building with themes of family, identity, sacrifice, and resilience. Elisa's strength comes not from physical power but from her determination, patience, and unwavering love for her brothers. The supporting characters, particularly the mysterious Nuve and the villainous Belinde, add depth and emotional weight to the story.
While the pacing can be slow at times, the deliberate storytelling allows the characters and themes to develop fully. Overall, The Curse of Feathers is an enchanting and emotionally resonant fairy-tale retelling that will appeal to fans of folklore-inspired and historical fantasy.
Thank you Kimberly and Netgalley for the reader copy.
The novel combines folklore, magic, and medieval-inspired world-building with themes of family, identity, sacrifice, and resilience. Elisa's strength comes not from physical power but from her determination, patience, and unwavering love for her brothers. The supporting characters, particularly the mysterious Nuve and the villainous Belinde, add depth and emotional weight to the story.
While the pacing can be slow at times, the deliberate storytelling allows the characters and themes to develop fully. Overall, The Curse of Feathers is an enchanting and emotionally resonant fairy-tale retelling that will appeal to fans of folklore-inspired and historical fantasy.
Thank you Kimberly and Netgalley for the reader copy.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Prose was lovely. I thought the story zigzagged in some odd ways, but looking at the related tales it's based on, I can see why it did so. I very much enjoyed the character growth from the beginning of the story towards the end in regards to Elisa, but the brothers sort of blurred into one person for me. Which...there's six of them, so that makes sense. One's the bossy leader, one is more religious, I think two were painters, and I couldn't tell you anything about the remaining two. Nonetheless, I wish we saw a teensy bit more of Nuve especially in the third act, but otherwise, this work was great fun. The historical research in the background, prose style, societal expectations, etc showed a lot and I'm quite impressed!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
“Know this; no word of yours shall ever break my spell.”
“The Wild Swans”: a young woman’s handiwork and determination is tested to the limits to save her six brothers, cursed to become swans.
Overall, The Curse of Feathers wasn't a bad read—it simply never reached the emotional payoff I was looking for. The ideas behind the story are compelling, but I found myself wanting stronger character development and a smoother execution to fully bring them to life.
I had such a good time reading it and can't wait to read more from this author!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.
“The Wild Swans”: a young woman’s handiwork and determination is tested to the limits to save her six brothers, cursed to become swans.
Overall, The Curse of Feathers wasn't a bad read—it simply never reached the emotional payoff I was looking for. The ideas behind the story are compelling, but I found myself wanting stronger character development and a smoother execution to fully bring them to life.
I had such a good time reading it and can't wait to read more from this author!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.5 ⭐
Likeable retelling of the classic story where the witch turns six brothers into swans.
I enjoyed the addition of the magical tree person (forgive me not knowing exactly term,).
Elisa was the only fully rounded characters, I couldn't tell which brother was which, but that's fine, they're not the main character.
The actual witch was menacing enough, and I felt for the father in all that happened to him
Enjoyable.
Thanks to netgalley for the free digital copy
Likeable retelling of the classic story where the witch turns six brothers into swans.
I enjoyed the addition of the magical tree person (forgive me not knowing exactly term,).
Elisa was the only fully rounded characters, I couldn't tell which brother was which, but that's fine, they're not the main character.
The actual witch was menacing enough, and I felt for the father in all that happened to him
Enjoyable.
Thanks to netgalley for the free digital copy
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews