I absolutely adore Swan Lake retellings, and I was so excited when I learned that one of my favorite authors, Leialoha Humpherys, was writing one as part of the Shattered Tales multi-author series!
Book blurb
What if the black swan was in love with the prince?
Ayane has never admitted her love for her best friend, Prince Bo, until Lady Cordelia moves into town. When Ayane starts working as Cordelia’s maid, Cordelia seems like the sister Ayane never had. But after all Ayane’s secrets are shared, Cordelia turns on her, weaving lies and twisting the truth about Ayane to the rest of the kingdom.
Now shunned and rejected, Ayane is sick of Cordelia’s cruel treatment. As a royal ball arises–one in which Prince Bo must choose a bride–Ayane discovers one of Cordelia’s secrets, one that could turn the tables in Ayane’s favor. Ayane has never been the unkind one, but the sweet taste of revenge is too tempting to resist.
When Ayane’s revenge goes awry, she must make a choice or others will suffer the consequences. Can Ayane make things right before it’s too late?
My review
I really connected with Ayane’s inner conflict and desires throughout the book. I understood her jealousy of Cordelia and wanting to make people sorry for making fun of her. It was interesting watching her learn the consequences of her actions and the dangers of seeking revenge.
I loved getting to see how this book connected to the other book’s in Lei’s world of the Incandescent Kingdoms! While this book can be read as a standalone, I think it can be best enjoyed after reading Hidden at Starshine and Lost at Aurora.
It was interesting seeing how Lei constructed the fairy tale retelling. I loved seeing how she used Odile’s character as inspiration for Ayane and Odette’s character as inspiration for the antagonist. It made the story so original; I love retellings that rearrange the character roles!!!
Overall, I really enjoyed To Curse a Black Swan. The characters were so relatable and I loved seeing some characters from Lei’s other books. This book had a wonderful theme, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a quick, sweet read!
I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book. My opinions are my own. A positive review was not required.
Pens Pages & Pulses 