The year the swans came

by Barbara Spencer

Growing up amidst the ruins of war, four children play among the bridges and cobblestone walkways of an old city, using them as a backdrop for their games. Pieter Bader, the eldest, wants nothing more than to work with their father in the family business, designers of mirrors for royalty since the 17th century, while his young sister, Maidy, dreams of becoming a writer. She has her own special bridge, the smallest in the city, around which she weaves stories of swashbuckling pirates and princesses, dressed all in silver, who wear sandals made from the silken thread of a spider’s web. Her best friend is Ruth, a young Jewish girl whose family returned to the city as refugees after the war. Slightly the older, and both rich and very beautiful, Ruth dreams of marrying Pieter, only for him to vanish from their lives late one night. Is his disappearance linked to the arrival of the swans, feared as cursed and birds of ill-fortune? What will happen when they return six years later, on the morning of Maidy’s sixteenth birthday? And who exactly is the charismatic and mysterious Zande? Follow Ruth and Maidy’s cursed tale of love as they discover what happened to Pieter, how the appearance of Zande will affect both their lives, unleashing events as tragic and fantastical as one of Maidy’s stories.

Genres: Fantasy

385 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2018

About the author

In 1967, considering herself to be destined for a life of mediocrity, Barbara Spencer hi-tailed it to the West Indies to watch cricket, the precursor to a highly colourful career spanning three continents, in which she was caught up in riots, wars and choosing Miss World. She eventually settled in Somerset, to bring up a family, tap-dance and teach at the local swimming club. But, as her daughter says: 'teaching swimming and tap dancing does rather lack the wow factor, Mum.'
After a dozen books for children and YA's after another memorable visit to Amsterdam, Barbara changed tack and embarked on a series of books associated at various times with the city. Beginning with 'The Year the Swans Came' an historical romance, which was published in 2018. The Click of a Pebble, book 1 of the trilogy Children of Zeus, followed with Books 2 & 3, and finally the sequel to Swans: Sunset on Golden Wings in April 2021which links up the stories of all the characters and brings them all to a conclusion.

Reviews

[Marti · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this back in July and honestly, I can’t remember much about it. I remember the storyline was interesting and the characters had potential, but at some point, the pacing fell flat. I read the book fairly quickly though, so it wasn’t boring. The writing style was good.

[Catherine Kullmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

As Maidy Bader anxiously awaits her sixteenth birthday, the day on which ‘overnight girls become adults, eligible to be courted, and to marry’ her thoughts return to the past and most importantly to her elder brother Pieter’s sixteenth birthday, the last he spent with his family. No one speaks of him or why he vanished. Life goes on as it always did in the unnamed country. The unnamed invaders have left and those deportees who could, have returned. Among them are the Bader’s neighbours, the Endelbaums. Their beautiful daughter Ruth, who is Maidy’s best friend, has had to give up her hopes of marrying Pieter. Slightly older than Maidy, Ruth is the belle of the college the girls attend while Maidy stays more in the background.
On Maidy’s birthday, everything changes. Maidy begins to emerge from her chrysalis. Pieter returns as suddenly as he departed, but gives no explanation for his long absence. Ruth immediately claims him, but she is also intrigued by the four strangers, handsome young men, who suddenly appear at the college. She takes their attention and interest as her due but Maidy is surprised to find herself sought out both by gentle Jaan and the strangers’ leader, the charismatic and mysterious Zande. And Pieter is desperate to marry Ruth and complete his apprenticeship with his father, a maker of mirrors.
But all is not as it seems. This is not a college romance. Unimaginable secrets swirl beneath the surface of daily life and all too soon the unwitting Maidy and Ruth are drawn into the vortex of an ancient tragedy that threatens them all anew.
I was blown away by this book, enthralled by the beautiful writing, the slow build-up of the mesmerizing story and the wonderful characters. Magical realism of the highest order.

[thewoollygeek (tea, cake, crochet & books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A different and unique twist on the usual fantasy novel, really imaginative. I loved the characters these were well written and relatable, so much I happily disliked other characters on their behalf. A well crafted tale, good pacing and interesting plot.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

[Mary Yarde · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Maybe that’s what I should write about; the year the swans came, and my brother, Pieter, vanished...”

No one would speak of Pieter after that. For his younger sister, Margrit “Maidy” Bader, the loss of her brother became a silent heartache, a private grief. Was he dead? Maidy dared not ask her parents. She only knew that no one was allowed to sit in his chair at the table — it was waiting, as they all were waiting, for him to come home again.

The swans which Maidy had thought so beautiful with their polished silk feathers, but her mother irrationally feared, returned on her sixteenth birthday. Was her mother, right? Were the swans an ill omen? Something evil? Maidy thought not. However, their return would bring undeniable heartache to all those whom their spirits touched. For Maidy, her life would never be the same again.

From a daring rescue of a swan to the devastating truth about Klüsta— the island of a thousand rumours, The Year The Swans Came by Barbara Spencer is the hauntingly gripping, yet enthralling story of a secret that threatens to destroy not only the swans, but the Bader family as well.

With a lusciously detailed narrative that mesmerised me from the opening chapter, The Year The Swans Came is in all ways a work of exceptional scholarship. This book, these characters, captured my imagination, and I was swept away to a world that is vivid, evocative, and utterly irresistible. Words cannot express how much I loved this book. The brilliance is in the writing. The Year The Swans Came is in all ways, an absolute triumph.

With an elegant turn of phrase and a visceral understanding of human fragility, Spencer has presented her readers with some unforgettable characters. The heroine of this story, Maidy, is a character that I simply adored. Maidy reminded me a little of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Ugly Duckling. Maidy believes herself plain, unattractive even. She lives in the shadow of her best-friend — the very glamorous Ruth, who all the boys at college want to date. But like that ugly duckling, there is a swan, a beautiful, graceful, caring swan just waiting to fluff her feathers and step into the light. Maidy is entirely ignorant of how she is perceived by others, especially Zande, who is the male version of Ruth. However, her goodness is incorruptible — even Zande, who is free with his love, does not attempt to corrupt her. Maidy is an extremely likeable character and one I came to care about very much. This story is told from her point of view, which I thought gave this book a sense of authenticity, as well as a sense of realism.

All the characters in this book are fabulous, and each has their role to play. One of the characters that I took a strong dislike to was Ruth. Ruth is incredibly self-centred and a truly terrible friend. She is self-seeking and does not care for the pain she causes others. Ruth uses her good looks and her father’s money to get what she wants regardless of the consequences. Maidy slowly comes to realise the kind of person Ruth is, and as she does so, Maidy does not like what she sees. But even as they begin to drift apart, Maidy still cannot see how exceptional she is in her own right — Maidy still believes that Ruth is the one that all the boys want to be with, which isn’t true. Ruth is not quite an antagonist, I wouldn’t go that far, but her egotistical behaviours certainly demonstrates the goodness that is in Maidy’s soul.

I have to mention Zande — Zande, with his charm and easy smile which hide a lifetime of sorrow and a soul that is trapped. He is in every way a bad-boy, the one you don’t want your daughter dating. But, Maidy sees past the facade and glimpses a deep and terrible pain that she does not understand and can never understand. I thought Zande’s depiction was fabulous.

I could not but help the strong emotional reaction that I had for these characters, and I was impressed by Spencer’s scope and brilliance in their creation. Pieter, Hans, Tristan, Jaan, Zande, Ruth, and Maidy all bring something unique to this story. Wonderful, wonderful characterisation. It doesn’t get better than this.

Strangely, no dates are mentioned in this book, only that there had been a war and the community had been invaded at one point by the enemy — one can only assume it is set after World War II and that Ruth’s family are Jewish. But surprisingly, the era seems almost timeless. It matters not what the date is, only that the story is so incredibly captivating. There is magic in the words that Spencer has written, a swirling of emotions that swept me up into its warm embrace. However, as the story picks up momentum and races headlong towards a catastrophically explosive ending, I found myself screaming silently in my head the word NO! And by the time I read the last word and noted the final full-stop, I was sobbing quietly to myself. Spencer demands every conceivable emotion from her readers, and boy does she get it. Be sure to have a box of Kleenex with you because believe me you are going to need it.

The Year The Swans Came is something extraordinary indeed. This is a book that not only deserves your attention — it deserves it again and again until the spine of the book breaks and the pages start to fall out, and you need to purchase another copy. That, is how good this book is.

If you are looking for your next great adventure which will leave you gasping and begging for more then check out The Year the Swans Came by Barbara Spencer. You won’t be disappointed. I cannot wait to read the second book in this fabulous series.

I Highly Recommend.

Review by Mary Anne Yarde.
The Coffee Pot Book Club.

[ChillwithabookAWARD With · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Year the Swans Came by Barbara Spencer has received a Chill with a Book Readers' Award.
www.chillwithabook.com

"What a fantastic book. A lovely story so well written and descriptive you could feel yourself there."

Pauline Barclay - Founder of Chill with a Book Awards

[Kitcatscratch · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really don't know what to say.

First, I think if you liked The Night Circus, you'd probably like this book. I finished Night Circus thinking...WTH. It also left me feeling a little sad and unfulfilled. But I will give Morgenstern points for her gift at imagery. Similarly, The Year the Swans Came also left me feeling a little sad, a little confused, and unfulfilled. I can't say that The Year the Swans Came sold me on the imagery either. In fact, at one point when Maidy sees this tall skinny building with colorful tiles she says it reminds her of a haughty dowager walking a dog. OK. That threw me actually because I couldn't see the relationship between the building and a dowager (sorry, I can't be bothered to actually look up the precise text). At least, not in the terms of what a dowager actually means and as far as I know there are no preconceived stereotypes of how a dowager would look other than matronly perhaps. If this is the sort of thing that doesn't make you pause then you're going to like the flowery prose.

Second, I read this book despite misgivings because of the 5 star review given by Catherine Kullmann. I feel like her books are so wonderfully written with fully developed mature characters such as A Suggestion of Scandal: A Regency Novel that I would give this book a try. Ms. Kullmann! You're killing me! BTW, where's your next book!

OK. Finally and yet, the most important, the characters made me furious. I feel like for someone who lacks life (read: relationship) experience, then this book would make them feel all swoony. Note, I say "experience" and not "young" because they do not always go hand in hand. We have Ruth who is like the Queen Bee of Mean Girling. Seriously. All I could think through the whole book was "Stay away from her. She is POISON." Yet Maidy tolerates her, defends her actions to herself and others despite knowing that Ruth is insincere and a player and honestly, I felt Maidy was 100% responsible for what happens to everyone simply by the fact that she was a doormat. Ruth is jealous that Maidy looks nice in new clothes? OK, then Maidy will get rid of the new clothes to make Ruth happy. Ruth is stringing along every male (and I do mean EVERY MALE) including those in Maidy's own family and does she say anything? No, she lets her. WTF? You pick this b*tch's feelings over your own bros whom you profess to love so much? I would be broadcasting to the world what a ho she is... Maidy kept quiet about EVERYTHING and watched the tragedy unfold. Ruth was a conniving, SELFISH b*tch but dang, she was at least honest in what she was. In fact, she was right when she said it wasn't her fault that guys acted like they around her. She was spot on there. The guys deserved what happened to them because they CHOSE to lay down at her feet. but Maidy what was your excuse? You had chances to make real friends like Kristen and Jules and Jaan. You could have actually had a real relationship with someone who was NOT messed up. OK, and this is where experience colors how I view the world. There is this really irritating trope that I feel perpetuates unhealthy relationships among young girls (who then grow up to be young women). It's that everyone wants to be a f*cking unicorn. They want to be special and singled out among other girls/women. They want confirmation of self worth. And this can be best accomplished if the one dickhead guy who woos/bangs every chick out there and doesn't care a bit for them, suddenly develops this deep passionate forsaking all others love for...you. Because you're so special, that only you can bring this bad *ss to heel. OK. Wake up call. A loser is a loser is a loser. You do NOT want a loser's attention. Pick the nice guy who treats you like that special unicorn. OK?

So needless to say the ending infuriated me. It just...stopped. STOPPED. Because it was saying "Buy my next book." And I'll BUY IT because I am so angry that I hope that Ruth and Maidy and Zande and...my gawd...the list is endless...gets their comeuppance. And what's more, I found Zande's dialogue towards the end a bit confusing. He tells one female character, let's call her "A" that "I don't really love you, I lusted after you, but I'd probably have married you if that's what it took" (which I interpreted as in order to bed her). THEN he continues to tell "A" that he doesn't love her, he only has ever held one woman in his heart and it's not her. But then he says to "A" shortly after that he's sorry, that everyone would love her and for a little while he thought he might. THEN he tells character "B" that she is the one he held in his heart. Wow. That's just... Wow. So you always held "B" in your heart, you never loved "A" but would have married her in order to bed her but despite saying you didn't love her you add that for a moment you even thought you might love her. Now explain exactly to me how that works? Especially that last bit that you thought you might love her but you can't because you have too much on your conscience now. So let me get this straight, there's one woman you hold in your heart, there's another woman you lusted after and would marry to bed her and even thought you might love her but can't because of guilt. So if there was no guilt, then what? You'd have married her and to heck with everyone else? Not sure that's straight thinking there buddy. But here's the additional kicker. After his speech apologizing to "A" and that everyone would love her, etc., "B" says to him that she sees now that "A" would have made him happy. He looks at her and says basically, what are you talking about? I'm talking about you! Timeout. I looked back over the sequence of this dialogue. It was "A" who said that everyone loved her. It's Zande who says back to "A" a short time later that everyone would love her and he thought he even might (at one time? Not sure, that wasn't clear). Then Zande says in response to "B's" comment that "A" would have made him happy, which was in turn a reaction to this speech Zande just gave, that he was talking to her (B). At what point, did his speech go from "A" to "B?" Now, I know my rant is confusing if you hadn't read the book because I simply do not wish to spoil anything. And I could be totally wrong and be the one confused and if so, please explain it to me because I DO want to understand.

I suppose that it's better to get a strong reaction whether positive or negative to a book than nothing so in that, this book def succeeded.

OK. End of rant.

[Helen Hollick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has received a Discovering Diamonds Review:
Helen Hollick
founder #DDRevs

"Spencer masterfully uses detailed descriptions to bring this story to life. "

[Witchy Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

For this and other delightful book reviews please check out my website: ChelzLor.com

***Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review***

I’m going to make this clear from the beginning. This is not a fantasy book. It is a surrealistic story at best and a jumbled mess at worst. I say this as someone who remained hopeful until the bitter end. Despite the characters just being down right horrible and the “fantasy” elements coming so late in the book that I completely forgot that was supposed to be a thing, I somehow managed to continue with a small shred of hope that I would get the answers I was so desperately seeking from this book. However, The Year the Swans Came by Barbara Spencer left me feeling upset and unfulfilled.

Our MC is Maidy, but you may as well call her Mary Sue. She comes from a line of mirror makers which is pushed at a lot in this book but proves to be non-essential. Her best friend is her next door neighbor Ruth who makes Regina George from Mean Girls look like a saint. They both are sixteen (though Ruth is slightly the older) and attend a college that is in a town next to the one they live in.

Maidy wants to be a writer and it is briefly mentioned that she has this favorite bridge, but that all gets jumbled in with the more important fact that Ruth is a floozy and hits on any human that looks male. This inherently isn’t an issue until you start watching on as she fucks with the heads and hearts of these guys. We are led to believe that Ruth may not have always been this way because way back when, she was in love and basically betrothed to Maidy’s older brother Pieter.

Now Pieter disappeared six years ago with no explanation and was basically assumed dead by – everyone. He then pops up randomly along with four other staggeringly handsome men who attend the college. The immediate issue is clear in that Ruth is an awful person and is stringing along the new boys at college while trying to rekindle her old spark with Pieter. Maidy is upset by all of it (as she should be!), but instead of standing up to her slut friend or even explaining what is happening to her brother (whom she claims to love more than anything) she lets this play out to the absolute worst conclusion.

GOOD POINT: I can’t deny that Spencer knows how to describe a scene. I fell in love with the scenery of the world she was creating, but a beautifully crafted scene cant disguise awful characters. I weep for the story this could have been.

There are some heavy handed religious views that sit under the surface of this story. Such as the idea that women should stay in the home, be pious, and only wear dresses or skirts…you know…like a lady. Ugh!

GOOD POINT: This isn’t so much a good point as it is more something I found frustratingly interesting. So Ruth who has money and arguably drop dead gorgeous looks; she can essentially get away with anything like wanting to travel, wear pants, and more importantly sleep around, but is considered this perfect lady. On the other hand we have Maidy who is actually devote to her family and their way of life, has her head on straight (for the most part), but simply wants to walk her own path. Of the two of them it is presumed that Maidy is the sinner and would be the one to fall pregnant. WTF?

I groaned a lot while reading this book, meaning I wasn’t happy reading it. I would have not finished it had I not promised to right this review. I feel like Spencer saw a production of Swan Lake and decided that she could throw her own twist on the story. Honestly, had she just focused on the swan/”fantasy” part of the story it probably would have come out better. As it was, it was too little way to late to redeem anything, especially the characters.

I’ve read in other reviews that this is supposedly the first book in a series. I don’t think I have the fortitude to try and finish a series involving these characters. Unless I am promised that Ruth gets what is coming to her in the most awful way imaginable, I’m not interested.

BAD POINT: Swan Man.

2.5 Out of 5 Stars

[Sid Yusma · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about Magrit "Maidy' Daber and her mirror constructing family, after the war times. Upon the reaching of her sixteenth birthday, her life as she describes it was rather dull, until the return of her oldest brother, Pieter and the bringing of four other older boys. Ruth, Maidy's next door neighbor and best friend, has the effect to have any boy she meets, and she always cared for Pieter, but a mysterious Zande, also has the same effect, enthralling even Maidy. They've come for something, these boys, and Ruth and Maidy get swept up in their charms.

Maidy calls herself shy and somewhat introverted, and while I related to her, she was a bit too sympathetic and never really fought for what she wanted to know. While there were hints to what the boys were, it was until more than half way before she finds out and really goes out of her way to help them. When it comes to her family she loves them to death and never want to really disobey her parents. I disliked how she fell for one of the boys and keeps at it until the end of the book, although she wasn't really playing along one of the other boys, she never made her feelings clear that she wasn't interested. Her romance isn't played heavily which I liked just fine, since I disliked how she was not part of his manipulation but always had him in her thoughts.

Ruth is probably the biggest problem I had with the book, she is such a player of her own and really tries to get every guys attention, and when it wasn't on her, she wanted to play her own games. Besides the fact that they grew up together, I hated how she sometimes used Maidy to bring herself up and flaunt herself, just to make herself better. There wasn't any remorse, and when Maidy got praise, she had to bring her down as well.

While I liked how Maidy's romance wasn't really that much part of it, the parts with Ruth was rather annoying. I liked Maidy's family, including Hans, another of her brothers. He seemed misunderstood and was jealousy of Pieter and Ruth's relationship as well. Alot of this book had to do with lying, and jealousy. I'm usually not that harsh about such books, Ruth was a bit unrealistic in terms that she literally had guys watching her every move, and after awhile there wasn't much to her. I do give big points to the author's writing style, very descriptive and enjoyable, while can go on sometimes. The fantasy part of the book doesn't come to play until nearly the end and while I think I was rather content with the ending, as everyone kind of got their just desserts, the book didn't do much for me as I wanted it to.

Received from Publisher via Netgalley for an honest review.

[KatsCauldron R · Rating 5 out of 5]

A taunt beautifully written story mainly told from the eyes of a young teenaged girl growing up somewhere in strict after war eastern European country next to the seas. If it didn't have such heavy Slavic over tones & a darker clime I would have though the Netherlands but assume more some country like Romania. It is set after a war, perhaps ww1 & the rebuilding & restructuring of the city after occupation. With two older brothers & an older sister all is well until the oldest boy Pieter "disappears". Whatever happened, she heard some of it & knows her parents know & are not forthcoming on what. Her best friend is a narrcistic, sociopathic beauty that uses Margarit as a prop in place of a real friend. Her treatment of the boys is the same. Naturally , to add to the mix, Ruth, Margarits friend is also wealthy & her family resides next door. The swans, both beautiful & fierce are considered bad luck. As a child Margarits goodness led her to save a young swam being beaten badly by boys with long heavy sticks. It's wing was badly broken but thanks to her it lived to swim away to safety. The difference in her humanity versus her friends careless callousness is extreme. Ruth's vanity & pettiness is brought front & center over a lavish gift of clothes for Margarits birthday & what happens after she dons them. There is a prominent archetype in this type of relationship that screams out the reality & psychology of it not unlike the final girl concept in slash & hacks though depending on reality or prose not always in such a satisfactory manner in reality or writing. There's 4 new foreign boys in school that all are watching the boys jealousy & the girls in budding to full blown lust disguised as love, especially for the leader. Pieter returns home a bit after school has started & intrigue over the new boys has become the mainstay of Margarit. She has also had unusual interactions with Zande while also thinking of another f the boys Jaan. Her second to oldest brother Hans had been taken in his steed to apprentice for his fathers mirror company. A volatile jealous, bombastic figure he is not happy with his brothers return usurping him in his mind especially when it comes to Ruth whom Pieter loves & Ruth claims she has feeling for him. It does not change her victimization of boys at school & she has now gotten involved with Tristan one of the mystery boys while actually wanting Zande which knows the game better than she can ever attempt. I leave this here as an engrossing read withh a bright & wild ribbon of old folklore of eastern Europe.

[ღ JuJu Reads ღ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is as beautiful as the swans gracing its pages.

It is also as tortured.

This story is carefully crafted; with creative descriptions of scenery and purposefully-flawed characters, Spencer knew what she was doing. While I can't say I was on the edge of my seat, I was swept up in the intrigue of the book and felt myself growing frustrated at all of the right parts. Maidy, or Magrit, is not meant to be a perfectly strong heroine that is effortlessly beautiful and charms her way through trouble. In fact, while romance guides the characters, it does not overpower the book. Maidy is conflicted with her own emotions, in romance, family, and friendships. She is weak when it comes to her relationships, and thus succumbs to emotional manipulation of the gorgeous Ruth. I must be clear, I hated Ruth from her entrance into the story. She is a princess who will not stop until she owns every castle, but has no plans to live in any of them. Spencer made me hate, love, question, and hope for the characters in this novel, as only a good writer can.

I will say, if you prefer a fast-paced novel with limited environment descriptions, this book is not for you. As a slow-burn romance, this is a slow-burn tale. What kept me from giving this book 4.5 or 5 stars was my lack of personal connection to one or more of the characters, which is what typically leaves me with a lasting impact of a book. Part of this might be my age in relation to the characters, or simply the whole point of the novel: humans are flawed and can only try their best, which often just magnifies flaws.

[Lady Tea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rating: 2.4 / 5

I have concluded that there can be one of two things wrong with YA fiction today:

1. Either it's completely predictable, in that it follows a generic plot line in which you know the "undesirable, unfortunate, secretly special" protagonist finds romance in unexpected places and gets her Cinderella ending via her special talents,

OR

2. It tries so hard to be different, but stalls the actual plot by giving us useless detail after useless detail for world-building that we don't really care about, but that the author puts in just because they're trying to write up something that's not something we've seen before.

In either case, the flaw of the books is that it lacks anything to make it interesting, and it consequently boring, resulting in a "why should I give a damn" attitude on my behalf.

All I want is a good idea to be connected to an attractive cover like the one of this book.

That's it, seriously.

And while I do want to say that this is the last time I'll be fooled by a cover into reading something that I know has only a 50-50 chance of me liking it, I make no guarantees. We are all weak, when it comes to something aesthetically pleasing.

Partial points for decent writing, but not much else.

In short, I didn't care a whit about what the hell happens to prissy-perfect Ruth and unfortunate-Mary-Sue Magrit. Just...ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.

[Eva Pasco · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Graceful and Imaginative Story

The author infuses mythology, historical fiction, and magical realism in her graceful and imaginative story teeming with vivid descriptions worth lingering over.

It’s as much a coming-of-age story for Magrit (Maidy) Bader who receives her much anticipated sweet sixteen birthday gift of a gilded mirror handcrafted by Pappy. “And if the birthday girl looks carefully enough, she will discover the face of the man she will one day marry.”

Maidy’s disturbing vision makes this reader wonder if the prophecy will be revisited in the sequel, ‘Sunset on Golden Wings’.

Indeed, the dark machinations of love propel the plot forward, causing plenty of turbulence for feathers to fly.

Threads of secrecy throughout, which are unraveled at the end, gnaw away at Maidy as they did for me. There’s more than meets the eye of Waldger, Jaan, Tristan, Zande and her brother Pieter—birds of a feather.

From page one, I began to care very deeply about the characters, holding on to my disdain for Ruth from the very beginning, and my admiration for Maidy who is pure of heart.

I highly recommend ‘The Year the Swans came,’ a novel whose story takes flight with grace and imagination through the author’s superb writing prowess.

[Sally Stackhouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weird but wonderful!

Set in a country other than the UK (possibly Netherlands) during war time (possibly WWII).
The book seems to take quite a while to get to any specific plot. There are good descriptions of the area, again not quite sure where, but it is a fishing town, therefore on a coast, it must also be near to a large city with trams and cars and a railway station.

You come to about 80% before the plot gets to the actual point. Two young girls, friends, neighbours, grown up together, reach the age of 16. One is beautiful and clever and has boys drooling over her, the other one is loving and steadfast. Her older brother disappears for six years and then returns almost as a prodigal son. The father and second son decide they have to travel away together. The swans come.

The writing is brilliant but it did leave me wondering about the actual plot. Does fantasy interrupt real life, is it not real and just a myth, is it horror?

Having said that - I couldn't stop reading it.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heart wrenching novel of epic scope! I picked this book for the title-I love swans-but this far exceeded my hopes. Ms Spenser has woven a tale of magic and myth that will live in my heart and head forever! Two teenage girls from a land torn by war and occupation come of age together-one gorgeous and selfish, the other insightful and reserved-learning I’d love, loss, family and the frailty of outward appearances. This book seemed slow and steady at the beginning and a little too full of secrets that happened prior to the opening pages but once it got going it just flew fast and furious like a summer storm and the secrets were revealed one after another. I loved it! Thanks to #netgalley for the ARC of #theyeartheswanscame in exchange for an honest review.

[Margaret Skea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not sure what I can say about this book without giving away any spoilers, except that it is beautifully written, the descriptions powerful, tender, evocative, the characters rounded - some that you will love, some that you will pity, some that you may despise or be irritated by, but all imprinting themselves on your mind and staying with you long after the end of the book - as will the ending, which is very well crafted and although it fits with all that went before I was still taken be surprise by the details. All I will say is that it had me scurrying off to look up legends about swans and I would totally recommend it as a wonderful read.

[Allison Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book so much that I struggled to put it down and made myself late for an appointment. Can not wait for the next book in the series. I have also bought a copy for my ex foster child as he loves Barbara Spencer’s books, so looking forward to what he thinks about it.

[Joy Lilley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review summary

This was a first for me as I have never read an adult fiction/fantasy book before.I enjoyed it mostly,however it was overlong.So many characters made it somewhat confusing.Mostly an enjoyable,unusual read.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story was very good and the characters are fully thought out. I really enjoyed the contrast between historical and fanasty. It's not your average novel.

[Daisy Bourne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well crafted novel. The reader can visualise Holland in the 1940s. A romance with a surprise twist.

[Suanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A marvelous book, a retelling of the legend of Zeus, disguised as a swan, raping Leda.

[J. Else · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a town still recovering from the aftermath of invaders, Magrit aka “Maidy” is turning 16, an age heralding womanhood. However, birthdays haven’t been very joyous since the disappearance of her older brother Pieter six years ago. On the morning of her birthday, a flock of swans arrive, which villagers consider an ill omen. Then at school, Maidy and best friend Ruth meet four handsome new students. Another surprise awaits Maidy when she returns home, her brother Pieter! Ruth and Pieter begin courting, but harsh truths involving Ruth, Pieter, and the four mysterious students will crumble the foundations of Maidy’s world and uncover a long-forgotten magical curse.

In an “Ask the Author” question, Spencer shares that her book is set in 1951-1952 in Holland, which makes sense though isn’t otherwise mentioned. The literary allusions about life and the world are quite lovely. Spencer has unique ways to describe the setting, which I relished. However, there are awkward phrases, too, one example being “don’t let’s fall out.” Fantasy elements are sparse, but the plot has plenty of twists to keep readers engaged. Character-wise, though, Maidy has a severe case of “doormat” syndrome—letting everyone walk over her. Maidy also justifies the unhealthy relationships ruining her family dynamic. While Maidy’s own reflections call out this fact, pondering her part in the tragic play she’s found herself in, her lack of influence on the plot undermines character development. Ruth has an interesting backstory, but it’s never realized and only used to poorly excuse her behavior.

The ending is sudden, and I was left wondering why a significant moment hinged on superficial words instead of genuine feelings. It makes one character’s plotline too simplistic. While the book lacks relatable characters, its prose is beautiful. Spencer is a word artist, painting settings with expert pen strokes.

Review originally posted via the Historical Novel Society at https://historicalnovelsociety.org/re...

[Sarah Z · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was an interesting post World War telling of a myth/fairytale taking place in what I think was The Netherlands. Without revealing too much and as you can assume from the title, this novel is about swans, curses, family, love and friendship. The story was beautiful though a bit long in places. The author did a wonderful job with the characters; I adored Margrit and at the same time I wanted to slap Ruth and shake some sense into Margrit's mother and all of the boys in general. Zande's character was deliciously complicated and I think that an entire novel could be written about him (both his back story and the aftermath from this story).

I really enjoyed it but I felt cheated by the ending. I kept swiping to make sure that I had in fact, just finished the last page. Where's the rest of it? Is there going to be another book? It left so many things up in the air and there are questions I need answered!

[Sara Key · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could read this book over and over and never tire of it. A brilliantly crafted and beautiful story, with magic flowing through every page. Although the truth is not revealed until close to the end, there is a definite sense of it in the undercurrents running through the plot from the start, which immediately drew me in and kept me captivated throughout.
The descriptive writing transported me to a whole new world. Seen through the eyes of the main character the ordinary becomes extraordinary and anything seems possible.
The characters themselves are drawn with great imagination and flair.
This is a grown-up fairytale without the expected ending. Regarding the ending, I find myself hoping that this is not a stand alone book, but rather just the beginning. I would love to re-enter this world and see more from the characters within. I loved it.