The Swan's Daughter: A Possibly Doomed Love Story
A Good Morning America Book Club Pick!
In this lush and enchanting novel from New York Times bestselling author Roshani Chokshi, a prince is only as good as his beating heart and a maiden is only as good as her honest word. But when love and the truth become impossibly tangled, the two must figure out how to survive together, or fall completely apart.
To find love is a curse ...
Prince Arris knows that marriage means murder. Thanks to a poorly worded wish to a sea witch, all one needs to rule the Isle of Malys is the heart and hand of the kingdom’s heir. Historically, this has been construed quite literally.
Thus, Arris expects that the day after his marriage and murder he will wake up as a sentient tree alongside the rest of his predecessors. His only chance at a long life is finding true and lasting love. When Arris's parents announce a tournament of brides to compete for his hand and heart, a slew of eligible, lovely and (possibly murderous) bachelorettes make their way to Rathe Castle. Amidst glittering balls in ozorald caves, strolls through menageries of daydream trees and pearl crocodiles, tea time on glass boats and kisses that leave his head spinning, Arris cannot tell who is here out of love for him…or lust for power.
Until he meets Demelza.
As a veritas swan, Demelza’s song wrings out the truth. Forced into hiding, Demelza strikes a deal. Arris will provide her with safekeeping in exchange for her truth-telling song to sort through his potential brides.
While Arris is used to dodging death threats and Demelza is accustomed to fighting for her voice to be heard, to survive the tournament of brides requires a different kind of bravery. And perhaps the bravest thing one can do is not merely protect one’s life, but find the courage to chase a life worth living.
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Community Reviews
🦢✨ The Swan’s Daughter — Book Review
Okay, when it comes to world-building, The Swan’s Daughter is about as good as it gets. The imagination that went into this book is honestly incredible.
I experienced this book both ways—I physically read it and listened to the audiobook. When I was actually sitting down with the book in my hands, I found it pretty easy to understand and follow. But there is A LOT going on at once. 😂 It's mind-boggling, but in a fun way.
If you're listening to the audiobook, though, PAY ATTENTION! You cannot zone out for five minutes and expect to come back knowing what's happening. 😂 If you stop paying attention for even a little bit, you might be sitting there like, “Wait...when did THIS happen?!” There are so many details about the characters, the world, the magic, and how everything works that you really have to stay focused.
And honestly, it's hard for me to even explain the plot because this book is just...a lot—in the best way. 😂
The closest description I can give is: imagine Cinderella mixed with Alice in Wonderland, mixed with somebody having one of the most imaginative brains possible. That's The Swan’s Daughter.
It's weird. It's whimsical. It's creative. It's a little mind-twisting. And somehow, it works.
The world-building was definitely my favorite part. I loved learning how the world worked, why certain things existed, how different parts of the story connected, and discovering all of the strange and imaginative characters along the way. Some of the character descriptions alone had me like...WHAT?! 😂 But that's also part of what made the book so fun.
As for the romance, it's definitely a slow burn. ❤️🔥 I thought the romance was cute. I wouldn't necessarily say it was the type of romance that had me kicking my feet and screaming or that I was absolutely dying over, but I enjoyed it. For me, the real star of this book was the fantasy storyline and the world itself.
Overall, The Swan’s Daughter was such a fun, imaginative read. It's whimsical, strange, creative, and unlike a lot of books I've read before. You definitely have to pay attention, but once you get into the world, there's so much to discover.
If you love fantasy books with heavy world-building, whimsical elements, strange characters, a little romance, and a story that makes your brain work, I think this is worth picking up.
Very cute, very creative, and definitely a fun little mind twist. 🦢🪄📚
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