Book Review | A Throne of Swans by Katharine & Elizabeth Corr

Happy Monday my lovely readers! Hope you’re all well. Today I’m bringing you the first review of 2021 and also my first 5 star read of 2021. What a way to start the year hey?! So I’m just going to head straight into the review.

So before my review, here is a little bit more about the book.

A Throne of Swans (A Throne of Swans, #1) by Katharine Corr, Elizabeth Corr
Series: A Throne of Swans #1
Published by Hot Key Books on December 5, 2019
Genres: Fantasy & Magic
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In a world where the flightless are ruled by those who can fly...
When her father dies just before her birthday, seventeen-year-old Aderyn inherits the role of Protector of Atratys, a dominion in a kingdom where nobles are able to transform at will into the bird that represents their family bloodline. Aderyn's ancestral bird is a swan. But she has not transformed for years, not since witnessing the death of her mother - ripped apart by hawks that have supposedly been extinct since the long-ago War of the Raptors. 
With the benevolent shelter of her mother and her father now lost, Aderyn is at the mercy of her brutal uncle, the King, and his royal court. Driven by revenge and love, she must venture into the malevolent heart of the Citadel in order to seek the truth about the attack that so nearly destroyed her, to fight for the only home she has ever known and for the land she has vowed to protect.
Written in rich detail and evocative language, this is the start of an irresistible, soaring duology about courage, broken loyalties and fighting for your place in the world.

CAWPILE - 9.26

My Review

Being a huge fan of Kate a Liz’s debut series, The Witch’s Kiss trilogy, I was so excited for another series fantasy series. The Witch’s Kiss series is one don’t usually talk about, it was very early on in my blogging days and I absolutely adored it. I have also been lucky enough to meet them in person twice and organise an event at my school. A Throne of Swans I actually started earlier on in 202o but I wasn’t in the right headspace for it, I hate not putting 110% in a book that I know I will love. So with the sequel and final book in the duology, A Crown of Talons released last week I couldn’t wait during my Christmas break to finally settle into it.

A Throne of Swans follows Lady Aderyn, who has become the Protector of Atratys, mistress of Merl Castle in the kingdom of Solanum, after her father has died. Among the nobles and royals of the dominion, each of them take flight and transform into birds that represents their own family. Aderyn’s ancestral bird is a Swan but she is flightless. After her mother died after the attack that left her Ladyship scarred, she has been tormented by that night and the fear consumes her. As Proetcor she can’t let her duties, slide, so she takes her visit to the Royal Citadel, where her uncle, the King resides. Whilst she in danger of being caught as flightless which is against the Degrees, she has this one chance to seek the truth of her mother’s attack whilst proving her reign of the dominion she vows to protect.

Aderyn, starts like a cygnet, (a baby swan) she’s flightless, innocent, small, she feels out of her depths and it doesn’t help that she has her advisor, Lord Lancelin and his son, Lucien confirming that for her. She learns and listens like a dutiful Protector but she’s blindsided by seeking out the truth of her mother’s attack. But like with all creatures, Aderyn character develops and and grows and becomes a graceful Lady like a swan revealing her strength and her fierceness becoming the heroine of the story that we love. It’s poetic really just like the entire book.

Kate and Liz always have the best secondary characters, especially in their debut series. For me Lucien being obvious one without revealing too much of the romance in the book, but sometimes he was a character you learned to love. He’s one of those brooding, I’m not good enough for characters. Then we have cousins Aron and Odette. Aron, is character that has nothing to lose because he’s already lost it, which I admired about him. I started to really love him more certainly towards the last quarter of the book. I’m sure he will become someone much more in the sequel which I’m excited for.

It’s been a while since I immersed myself in the writing style of Kate and Liz. I’ve forgotten how lyrical and seamless their writing can be together. For me there isn’t many author’s I’ve come across who can work like that I really admire them for that. This book is a testament to their skill to create a rich, dark, unique and original premise on the fairytale Swan Lake. The world of Solanum isn’t all glittering and serene, especially at the Citadel, its riddled with political controversy, betrayal, revenge, and secrets. I loved that there was a darkness to it, that slowly revealed itself throughout the book making it unpredictable which the reader is totally immersed by.

There isn’t that many YA Fantasy duologies like this one. If your a fan of ACOTAR, then I think you will really enjoy this. The finale and sequel, A Crown of Talons is out now, so you don’t have to wait. Read it now. It worth every star!

Thank you to Hot Key Books for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.