Swan Lake by K. M. Shea Review

 This review is extremely overdue. Previously I had planned to read and review as many Swan Lake retellings as I could in honor of my late grandmother Marilyn or Ma as I used to call her. During her life she was a dance critic and reviewed ballet such as Swan Lake. So in the span of a month I read three retellings of the classic ballet in her honor. However while I reviewed The Golden Ball by Erika Everest and The Sorcerer and the Swan Princess by Lucy Tempest I never got around to reviewing the first one I read Swan Lake by K. M. Shea. Part of the reason was because my grandfather Frank or Pa as I used to call him health got worse and he sadly died a few months later. I then read and reviewed some other books in his honor and got sidetracked as a result. But I think it is about time to review the last Swan Lake retelling and am now ready to discuss. And I have to say it was pretty good.

Swan Lake by K. M. Shea introduces the reader to Odette who in this version is not a princess (unlike the ballet or move The Swan Princess). She is a peasant girl who along with many other men and women (and even a child) were turned into swans by day by the evil sorcerer Rothbart. Only when it is night do they regain their human forms. Odette who was one of the first two to be transformed acts a leader and together they all make a group of smugglers who secretly deliver illegal goods. They have recently received a special item called the ètonse philtre, (a kind of magic drink that is relevant in K.M. Shea's Twelve Dancing Princesses retelling) that Odette must see delivered at all cost. When she becomes aware of Prince Yakov almost hurting one of her team members (while he was in the form of a swan) she decides to scare him to prevent a future disaster. However instead of coming across Yakov as intended she meets his younger brother Prince Alexsei who is immediately intrigued by her. He and along with Yakov and their good friend Lady Benno soon start visiting Odette and her squad against her wishes. If Rothbart found out he would surely kill the royal family. However as time passes Alexsei slowly begins to lower Odette's barriers around her heart and with the help of the enchantress Angelique gives the squad a way out of their curse. If Odette can fall in love with someone who love her back the spell will be broken. However Rothbart has plans of his own. He has been creating wyverns and has sinister plans for the royal family. Can Odette break her curse, protect the royal family and deliver the ètonse philtre, to her clients in time? Read the book to find out.

At first I had a little trouble getting used to the idea of the cursed swans as smugglers. It just seemed strange to me. I also had a little trouble getting used to Odette's tough girl attitude although I came to enjoy it in the end. Chances are I am just so used to the ballet it can be hard to picture Odette as anything other than kindhearted princess who wants love but is reluctant to find it at the same time due to the terms of her curse. However this Odette's kindness is more hidden under the surface. Prince Alexsei learns very quickly just how kind she is under her rough attitude even if she is reluctant to admit it. In the end I really liked this twist since it wasn't immediately obvious to even herself. Prince Alexsei really brought the best out of Odette and I thought his personality was really enduring too. Prince Yakov at first had me rolling my eyes. He is used to women admiring him and can't seem to understand why Odette doesn't do the same. He even tries to woo her on several occasions but fails in a somewhat hilarious ways. However I really liked him when he realized Alexsei's feelings for Odette and gives him a nice talk which showed how much he really cared for his brother. Odile is very different from the flirtatious manipulative black swan from the ballet. Instead she is shy and reserved and does not agree with her fathers actions in any way. It was nice to have an Odile character who is an ally to Odette rather than an enemy. Rothbart on the other hand really surprised me. He is clearly not right in the head at first glance and seems to not care about anyone even his own daughter. For most of the book his motives for turning people into swans remain a bit of a mystery. You know he was experimenting with a spell but his true intentions for casting it are very interesting to learn. He is still a threat to the characters but in the end I couldn't help but feel feel a little bad for him. However I won't say why since that would be a major spoiler. 

Overall this was a very enjoyable read. K. M. Shea's books are either a hit or a miss for me since her writing definitely improved over time. Her first book in The Timeless Fairy Tales series Beauty and the Beast was not my favorite read so it is nice to see how how far she had come as an author. Overall I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. It is a great read for any fairy tale or fantasy lover. Just don't go into this book thinking it will be just like the ballet.

Before leaving I would like to mention my grandmother Ma once more. I miss her very much and I hope she is watching over me. She taught me many things about ballet and was a loving a doting grandmother. I will always love her and keep her in my heart just like her husband my grandfather. I will never forget them and I hope they would be pleased with the person I have become. Until next time. Emma