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A Warning About Swans
Swan Lake meets The Last Unicorn by way of the Brothers Grimm in a dreamy, original fairytale in verse which transports readers to the Bavarian Alps.
Bavaria. 1880. Hilde was dreamed into existence by the god Odin, and along with her five sisters, granted cloaks that transform them into swans. Each sister’s cloak is imbued with a unique gift, but Hilde rejects her gift which connects her to the souls of dying creatures and forces her to shepherd them into the afterlife—the “Other Wood.”
While guiding the soul of a hawk to the Other Wood, Hilde meets the handsome Baron Maximilian von Richter, whose father was once a favorite of the king and left him no inheritance. Hilde is intrigued by Richter’s longing for a greater life and strikes a deal with him: She will manifest his dreams of riches, and in return, he will take her to the human world, where she will never have to guide souls again.
But at the court of King Ludwig II in Munich, Hilde struggles to fit in. After learning that fashionable ladies are having themselves painted, she hires non-binary Jewish artist Franz Mendelson, and is stunned when Franz renders her with swan wings. The more time she spends with Franz, the more she feels drawn to the artist’s warm, understanding nature, and the more controlling Richter becomes. When Hilde’s swan cloak suddenly goes missing, only Franz’s ability to paint souls can help Hilde escape her newfound prison.
Bavaria. 1880. Hilde was dreamed into existence by the god Odin, and along with her five sisters, granted cloaks that transform them into swans. Each sister’s cloak is imbued with a unique gift, but Hilde rejects her gift which connects her to the souls of dying creatures and forces her to shepherd them into the afterlife—the “Other Wood.”
While guiding the soul of a hawk to the Other Wood, Hilde meets the handsome Baron Maximilian von Richter, whose father was once a favorite of the king and left him no inheritance. Hilde is intrigued by Richter’s longing for a greater life and strikes a deal with him: She will manifest his dreams of riches, and in return, he will take her to the human world, where she will never have to guide souls again.
But at the court of King Ludwig II in Munich, Hilde struggles to fit in. After learning that fashionable ladies are having themselves painted, she hires non-binary Jewish artist Franz Mendelson, and is stunned when Franz renders her with swan wings. The more time she spends with Franz, the more she feels drawn to the artist’s warm, understanding nature, and the more controlling Richter becomes. When Hilde’s swan cloak suddenly goes missing, only Franz’s ability to paint souls can help Hilde escape her newfound prison.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published July 11, 2023
About the author
R.M. Romero
6 books396 followersR. M. Romero is a Jewish Latina and author of fairy tales for children and adults. She lives in Miami Beach with her cat Henry VIII and spends her summers helping to maintain Jewish cemeteries in Poland.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 153 reviews
April 25, 2023
A swan maiden who can bring dreams into the waking world, an artist who can only paint the truth, and covetous baron who hunts magic come together beneath the shadow of an enchanted castle… A queer fairy tale in verse, coming 2023!
TW: Psychological abuse, animal death
TW: Psychological abuse, animal death
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July 11, 2023Thank you to Peachtree Teen for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
A timeless fairytale in verse about a girl made out of the dreams of men, desperately determined to forge a story of her own.
R.M. Romero seems to have a pattern of centering characters who find themselves trapped by the narratives and projections of the people and the world around them, and have to learn how to rewrite those narratives. And it gets me every time.
In our world, I think most people can relate to feeling weighed down by the expectations of others, whether that be parents, partners, friends, or even strangers on the internet. So much of our society teaches us to find worth in who we can be for other people. And so this book’s messages about self-empowerment and choosing the role we play in the stories that are told about our lives feels incredibly relevant despite the 1880s setting.
Juggling themes about the relationship between humans and nature, and about the tool of fairytales in determining who we view as "monsters" and "heroes", Romero strikes a wonderful balance between subtle literary metaphor and overt conversations.
This story feels precious and kind and hopeful. If you’re looking for a modern fairytale with a diverse cast, knife-sharp prose, and a queer romance, look no further.
Content Warnings: animal death, abusive relationship (emotional, physical), confinement, blood, death, nonconsensual kiss, violence, loss of sibling (past), loss of father, drowning (past), grief
A timeless fairytale in verse about a girl made out of the dreams of men, desperately determined to forge a story of her own.
R.M. Romero seems to have a pattern of centering characters who find themselves trapped by the narratives and projections of the people and the world around them, and have to learn how to rewrite those narratives. And it gets me every time.
In our world, I think most people can relate to feeling weighed down by the expectations of others, whether that be parents, partners, friends, or even strangers on the internet. So much of our society teaches us to find worth in who we can be for other people. And so this book’s messages about self-empowerment and choosing the role we play in the stories that are told about our lives feels incredibly relevant despite the 1880s setting.
Juggling themes about the relationship between humans and nature, and about the tool of fairytales in determining who we view as "monsters" and "heroes", Romero strikes a wonderful balance between subtle literary metaphor and overt conversations.
This story feels precious and kind and hopeful. If you’re looking for a modern fairytale with a diverse cast, knife-sharp prose, and a queer romance, look no further.
Content Warnings: animal death, abusive relationship (emotional, physical), confinement, blood, death, nonconsensual kiss, violence, loss of sibling (past), loss of father, drowning (past), grief
July 8, 2023
Got an arc from ABA
This was lovely; a delicate blend of feral girl rage and a desire for kindness, and the casually accepted nonbinary character made me very happy ☺️
This was lovely; a delicate blend of feral girl rage and a desire for kindness, and the casually accepted nonbinary character made me very happy ☺️
November 27, 2023
I’m never gonna finish this 😿
November 28, 2023
HEY HI HELLO. A Warning About Swans has just officially worked its way up to one of my top books of the year. When I tell you this was the most beautifully written book I have read this year I am not exaggerating. This is a dark fairy tale with the most lush writing. The storytelling is out of this world. The audiobook was a work of art, the narrator did such an amazing job capturing the story. I literally do not know how this flew under my radar for the last few months but oh my god???? Gorgeous. Stunning. Incredible. Spectacular.
February 7, 2024
I'll admit that this effortlessly beautiful YA fairytale novel in verse earns its fives stars from me more on account of checking so many of my personal "favorite things in books" boxes rather than challenging me or offering new ideas. But I'm well over the target age for YA at this point, and something that's predicable and comforting to me may very well still be challenging and new for a younger reader. A Warning About Swans a story of a teenage animal maiden (a swan, of course) whose coming-of-age involves an adventure in the human world in which she seeks her freedom from a fate not of her choosing, trusts the wrong boy a bit too much, and loses something of herself that she must dig deep into her inner strength to reclaim. The book's marketing compares it to Swan Lake and The Last Unicorn, but if you've read any selkie stories (or their ilk), you'll recognize their influence here as well, along with a few other myths and legends.
Because the book has a somewhat sparse amount of text per page, it's a much quicker read than it looks, and is fairly skeletal in terms of plot detail, relying instead on raw emotions and key moments to convey a story that spans many months and multiple locales. I personally think that the book description provided by the publisher gives away a smidge too much of the plot, going so far as to reference an event that happens well over the halfway-mark, so I hope to be forgiven for sharing much less detail here.
Hilde is the youngest of six sisters dreamed into being by Odin and granted the ability to shift into swan form along with magical gifts they are tasked to use as custodians of the forest in which they live and the animals they share it with. Hilde's gift, however, is darker than her sisters, the gift of easing death and guiding souls to the Other Wood. Alienated and lonely, she makes a deal with a human boy hungry for the wealth and power he sees in her magic, casts aside her swan form, and makes her way into the human world of 19th century Bavaria.
The feminist take on traditional stories isn't so new these days, in fact it's practically expected. But I don't think that's all that R.M. Romero is doing here. Hilde's eventual romance with a non-binary artist who sees her clearly even when she's trying to hide her magic is very sweet, and there are subtle themes in this plot line about the power of art and the meanings we find in stories, as well as grief, faith, and identity.
Historical detail is admittedly a little sparse, though I could never quite decide if I wanted more of it or actually preferred the "once upon a time" fairytale treatment of the historical characters and real-world locales for overall consistency with the style of the book. Perhaps a historical note in the back for curious younger readers wouldn't have been amiss.
Romero's writing in verse is beautiful and creative, but was never so dense or conceptual as to slow me down while reading (except to read certain passages aloud) or make me worry that I'd missed something important. This is very accessible poetry, for anyone worried that might be a barrier. And wow, was it ever just a lovely, lovely reading experience. I don't know how this book fell through the marketing cracks last year, but I'd definitely encourage more people to read it!
Because the book has a somewhat sparse amount of text per page, it's a much quicker read than it looks, and is fairly skeletal in terms of plot detail, relying instead on raw emotions and key moments to convey a story that spans many months and multiple locales. I personally think that the book description provided by the publisher gives away a smidge too much of the plot, going so far as to reference an event that happens well over the halfway-mark, so I hope to be forgiven for sharing much less detail here.
Hilde is the youngest of six sisters dreamed into being by Odin and granted the ability to shift into swan form along with magical gifts they are tasked to use as custodians of the forest in which they live and the animals they share it with. Hilde's gift, however, is darker than her sisters, the gift of easing death and guiding souls to the Other Wood. Alienated and lonely, she makes a deal with a human boy hungry for the wealth and power he sees in her magic, casts aside her swan form, and makes her way into the human world of 19th century Bavaria.
The feminist take on traditional stories isn't so new these days, in fact it's practically expected. But I don't think that's all that R.M. Romero is doing here. Hilde's eventual romance with a non-binary artist who sees her clearly even when she's trying to hide her magic is very sweet, and there are subtle themes in this plot line about the power of art and the meanings we find in stories, as well as grief, faith, and identity.
Historical detail is admittedly a little sparse, though I could never quite decide if I wanted more of it or actually preferred the "once upon a time" fairytale treatment of the historical characters and real-world locales for overall consistency with the style of the book. Perhaps a historical note in the back for curious younger readers wouldn't have been amiss.
Romero's writing in verse is beautiful and creative, but was never so dense or conceptual as to slow me down while reading (except to read certain passages aloud) or make me worry that I'd missed something important. This is very accessible poetry, for anyone worried that might be a barrier. And wow, was it ever just a lovely, lovely reading experience. I don't know how this book fell through the marketing cracks last year, but I'd definitely encourage more people to read it!
July 11, 2023
Thank you to Pride Book Tours and Peach Tree Teen for a physical ARC in exchange for an honest review and promotion. All opinions are my own.
This novel in verse is a YA historical fiction fairytale following a mythical being, Hilde, who is part girl, part swan.
Novels in verse are a work of art to me. I always love them. There another kind of magic and I’m so glad I took a chance on this one! Hilde reminds me a lot of myself: stubborn, strong willed, impulsive and sometimes a bit reckless. She yearns so deeply to explore and to be herself and that is a feeling I think so many people are chasing.
As a daughter of Odin with a power that allows her to soothe the recently deceased, Hilde has a lot on her plate and her sisters don’t seem to understand her. When the opportunity to see past her forest home, Hilde jumps at it. But what seems like a new adventure, quickly becomes a stifling cage. One Hilde isn’t sure she’ll be able to escape unscathed.
I loved being swept away to the Alps of Bavaria with Hilde. This story felt familiar like a fairytale and it holds a new magic all its own. I read the ending of this outside surrounded by a prairie field and it was the perfect day to finish this tale. I have been waiting for someone to give me a queer Swan Lake and while this was an exact retelling of that ballet, it had a lot of the elements I loved from it.
Add this to your TBR/wishlist/library requests! A Warning About Swans is out this Tuesday, 11th July! Perfect for nonbinary awareness week as the love interest is Jewish and nonbinary!!
Rep: white queer cis female MC, queer Jewish nonbinary side character, various Bavarian side characters.
CWs: Animal death, death, abandonment, emotional abuse, toxic relationship (MC/SC), domestic abuse, violence, animal cruelty, confinement, sexual assault, gun violence, kidnapping, misogyny.
This novel in verse is a YA historical fiction fairytale following a mythical being, Hilde, who is part girl, part swan.
Novels in verse are a work of art to me. I always love them. There another kind of magic and I’m so glad I took a chance on this one! Hilde reminds me a lot of myself: stubborn, strong willed, impulsive and sometimes a bit reckless. She yearns so deeply to explore and to be herself and that is a feeling I think so many people are chasing.
As a daughter of Odin with a power that allows her to soothe the recently deceased, Hilde has a lot on her plate and her sisters don’t seem to understand her. When the opportunity to see past her forest home, Hilde jumps at it. But what seems like a new adventure, quickly becomes a stifling cage. One Hilde isn’t sure she’ll be able to escape unscathed.
I loved being swept away to the Alps of Bavaria with Hilde. This story felt familiar like a fairytale and it holds a new magic all its own. I read the ending of this outside surrounded by a prairie field and it was the perfect day to finish this tale. I have been waiting for someone to give me a queer Swan Lake and while this was an exact retelling of that ballet, it had a lot of the elements I loved from it.
Add this to your TBR/wishlist/library requests! A Warning About Swans is out this Tuesday, 11th July! Perfect for nonbinary awareness week as the love interest is Jewish and nonbinary!!
Rep: white queer cis female MC, queer Jewish nonbinary side character, various Bavarian side characters.
CWs: Animal death, death, abandonment, emotional abuse, toxic relationship (MC/SC), domestic abuse, violence, animal cruelty, confinement, sexual assault, gun violence, kidnapping, misogyny.
July 8, 2023
Absolutely loved this new novel in verse from author R. M. Romero.
This author paints such a beautiful and moving story, rich with details and history. Hilde, the main lead, is strong and even when she gets lead astray she sees the truth and is able to regain her power from the abusive relationship she get's trapped in. Her emotions were real and vulnerable.
Franz is an incredibly talented non-binary Jewish artist who helps Hilde find herself again, and their romance was so sweet and warm.
Devoured this book, and can't wait for the next one from this author!
This author paints such a beautiful and moving story, rich with details and history. Hilde, the main lead, is strong and even when she gets lead astray she sees the truth and is able to regain her power from the abusive relationship she get's trapped in. Her emotions were real and vulnerable.
Franz is an incredibly talented non-binary Jewish artist who helps Hilde find herself again, and their romance was so sweet and warm.
Devoured this book, and can't wait for the next one from this author!
May 2, 2024
Poetry + fairytale + sisters + non-binary love interest = okay slay!!!
March 10, 2024
I'm not going to pretend to know much about poetry but I can tell you that in my personal opinion this is quite beautifully written. Uses historic aspects weaved with fantasy and mythology. I enjoyed it.
May 6, 2023
This was my third book I've read by this author. All of them have been very different, but equally beautiful, and this was no different. It's a historical fantasy full of fairytale vibes, which is exactly my favourite kind of fantasy. The verse is so gorgeously written, which really adds to the fairytale vibe, and you can't help but love the main character. I loved seeing non-binary representation in this book as well, especially in a historical/fairytale context.
August 24, 2023
Full review/thoughts here: https://youtu.be/ZmeUErmUVj0
Rounding it down to 3, but more like a 3.5! Really enjoyed the way it was written and the fairytale feel of it! Didn't love the plot/overall story as much, but still a recommendable read!
Rounding it down to 3, but more like a 3.5! Really enjoyed the way it was written and the fairytale feel of it! Didn't love the plot/overall story as much, but still a recommendable read!
June 7, 2023
I fell absolutely in love with her debut The Ghosts of Rose Hill last year, so I was looking forward to their sophomore novel-in-verse - and it's set in Germany!
Once again we a transported into a lush, historical setting with a touch of magic; our protagonist Hilde being part of the fantastical world, created by Odin himself to care for the forest and its creatures
Yet Hilde yearns for more. She feels alone and wants more companions than her sisters, she wants to see the world. Enter Maximilian von Richter in whom she recognizes a similar longing, the same hunger. Based on their budding friendship and his encouragement, she decides to join him in his castle and explore the human world. It is also how she meets Franz, a nonbinary painter, who seems to see her true soul and not just the performance she puts on at court.
What is so lovely about this coming-of-age tale of a different kind is that the friendship and the romance Hilde develops are given equal space. We are privy to both journeys, see her doubt and yearn and fight, without relegating one or the other as lesser. Her relationship with Maximilain that starts off understanding and infectious but slowly turns controlling and stifling is a lovely character study in how to recognize warning signs in bad behaviours and when to stand firm in your boundaries. It was both heartbreaking and encouraging to see Hilde navigate that space.
Her relationship to Franz on the other hands starts from a point of wary suspicion that grows into something beautiful. Their actions on how to solve disagreements in comparison make it clear that their foundation is built on respect and compassion.
Romero elegantly uses Hilde's double nature - girl and swan, both and neither - to illustrate how passion and destiny can stand in conflict with one another, weaving a fairy tale with her words and metaphors that is a bit tragic and yet a promise that things will be alright.
I received an advanced reading copy from Peachtree Teen through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Once again we a transported into a lush, historical setting with a touch of magic; our protagonist Hilde being part of the fantastical world, created by Odin himself to care for the forest and its creatures
You are wish-maidens--
and a wish
cannot make a wish of its own. You can only use your magic on behalf of other.
So us it
wisely
Yet Hilde yearns for more. She feels alone and wants more companions than her sisters, she wants to see the world. Enter Maximilian von Richter in whom she recognizes a similar longing, the same hunger. Based on their budding friendship and his encouragement, she decides to join him in his castle and explore the human world. It is also how she meets Franz, a nonbinary painter, who seems to see her true soul and not just the performance she puts on at court.
What is so lovely about this coming-of-age tale of a different kind is that the friendship and the romance Hilde develops are given equal space. We are privy to both journeys, see her doubt and yearn and fight, without relegating one or the other as lesser. Her relationship with Maximilain that starts off understanding and infectious but slowly turns controlling and stifling is a lovely character study in how to recognize warning signs in bad behaviours and when to stand firm in your boundaries. It was both heartbreaking and encouraging to see Hilde navigate that space.
Wolves don't boast
over their kills;
ravens don't invent epics
about how they came about their supper. Their hunger
is simple.
My hunger
was simple.
But Richter's is not.
Her relationship to Franz on the other hands starts from a point of wary suspicion that grows into something beautiful. Their actions on how to solve disagreements in comparison make it clear that their foundation is built on respect and compassion.
I'm like you, Franz; someone else's miracle stuffed into too-small bones
Romero elegantly uses Hilde's double nature - girl and swan, both and neither - to illustrate how passion and destiny can stand in conflict with one another, weaving a fairy tale with her words and metaphors that is a bit tragic and yet a promise that things will be alright.
I received an advanced reading copy from Peachtree Teen through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 14, 2024
Omg I love this book so much! It's so beautiful, and I loved how the story was told through poems/more of a poem structure.
So amazing, and I liked the way it ended!
So amazing, and I liked the way it ended!
July 3, 2023
A Warning About Swans is breathtakingly, hauntingly, beautiful. It is a dark fairy tale, written in dreamlike verse. RM Romero completely wowed me with this one. It is seriously stunning!!!! A protagonist who is part woman, part swan, a baron with dreams of wealth and power and a non-binary Jewish artist are woven to tell a magical coming-of-age tale.
“I’ve always turned my tears into screams, made anger out of my sadness, I reply. But sometimes, crying and showing the moss-soft parts of yourself is much braver than trying to be stone.”
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“I’ve always turned my tears into screams, made anger out of my sadness, I reply. But sometimes, crying and showing the moss-soft parts of yourself is much braver than trying to be stone.”
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
January 13, 2024
Positively beautiful. Every reread is steeped in such luscious fairy tale splendor.
June 27, 2024
CW: toxic relationship, emotional abuse, gaslighting, blood, death, animal death, violence
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
I'm still not sure novels in verse are for me. I love R. M. Romero's concepts, but I think I might be more of a prose girl.
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
I'm still not sure novels in verse are for me. I love R. M. Romero's concepts, but I think I might be more of a prose girl.
January 5, 2024
Amazing amazing amazing
October 1, 2023
I'm so sad I didn't like this book. I love fairy tales, and the blurb promised me everything that I love about them.
The prose felt immature, but not any that lent weight to the character's youth. It was more like a collage of words that sounded pretty when together in a sentence, but were ultimately nonsensical or self-sabotaging.
As the book went on, things fit together more and fell into place a little better, but it was hard for me to get over my disappointment for the first half. Once Franz entered the picture, especially, the prose started to seem less purple.
I liked Hilde eventually, but I thought Franz themself added less to the story than I would have liked. There were a couple cute scenes between them and the heroine, but their main draw seemed to be that they weren't Richter. I did like their gentleness, though.
By the end, the story did seem to come into itself, and I really did enjoy the ending. I thought it was a nice way to close up the story, and it fulfilled the fairytale premise. I just wish the rest of the book had the same level of storytelling.
The prose felt immature, but not any that lent weight to the character's youth. It was more like a collage of words that sounded pretty when together in a sentence, but were ultimately nonsensical or self-sabotaging.
As the book went on, things fit together more and fell into place a little better, but it was hard for me to get over my disappointment for the first half. Once Franz entered the picture, especially, the prose started to seem less purple.
I liked Hilde eventually, but I thought Franz themself added less to the story than I would have liked. There were a couple cute scenes between them and the heroine, but their main draw seemed to be that they weren't Richter. I did like their gentleness, though.
By the end, the story did seem to come into itself, and I really did enjoy the ending. I thought it was a nice way to close up the story, and it fulfilled the fairytale premise. I just wish the rest of the book had the same level of storytelling.
March 11, 2023
Romero gives us another beautiful fairy tale in verse that's steeped in history. A Warning About Swans has the harsh voracity of a Grimm tale but carefully cloaked in nature's beauty. It is at once a love story told in art, and a tale of villainy through men's desire to possess. Hilde's existence as a wild-creature-turned-human, and the strong relationships she forms, could be called a cautionary tale...to those men with beautiful cages and false promises. With the assistance and love of the nonbinary artist Franz, Hilde fights to regain her autonomy and freedom to live a life she chooses - whatever form that may take.
February 4, 2024
wow uh…I need a minute to think about this
July 15, 2023
I was utterly stunned by Romero’s debut novel last year, The Ghosts of Rose Hill. At the time, I knew the novel would be told in verse but it had been so long since I had read a novel in verse it took me until I was about 10% of the way through the novel to really settle in and meld with Romero’s style and to be swept away with her story of the marriage of music and words and falling in love.
So this time I was prepared going in to A Warning About Swans for that lyrical, flowing verse Romero writes, this time spinning a fairy tale of a swan maiden who longs to know what it’s like to be free and human, only to discover that to be human girl in mid-19th century Bavaria is just another cage and now her powers are being held hostage by a man.
This story is most definitely a fairy tale, but it borrows ingredients from and then remixes from other mythological, folkloric, and fairy tale sources: The Swan Maidens are birthed by Odin just after he is resurrected, the pure white swan maiden being seduced away from the flock by a aristocratic boy is borrowed from Swan Lake, and bits and bobs of influence from The Last Unicorn can be felt throughout the book during Hilde’s (our swan maiden) journeys.
There is so much grief, regret, guilt, sadness, pain, and general melancholy in this book. Yet, I think that’s the point, and the book wouldn’t be the same without it.
During Hilde’s bound journey, she meets a non-binary painter named Franz Mendelsohn, who is Jewish. Both Franz and Hilde have left their homes and don’t think they can return. Both have secrets and have to hide their talents from the world. Both feel lost and without direction. Both feel used and taken advantage of and only find comfort in the companionship of one another. Romero never once makes Franz’ sexual identity an issue or a plot point except to let Franz explain how it makes them feel. For the story’s purpose, being Jewish in Bavaria is more dangerous than being non-binary.
The most lovely parts of this book are not found in the dialogue, but in the narration of the scenes without dialogue. That’s when Romero’s verse truly takes flight, spinning metaphors, similes, dizzying visions and beautiful turns of phrase. I wish I could quote them for you, but seeing as this is coming from a review copy, I can’t.
Romero can make time move as she wishes with her words. She can slow it down with Franz and Hilde lazily hanging out in a castle while Franz is painting and Hilde is daydreaming. She can speed it up with the simple sound of the stamping of boots down a marble corridor. Her timing is impeccable and she knows just when to tighten the knots and when to loosen them.
Romero is a genius in the making. I can’t wait for the next one.
I was provided a copy of the title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: 5 Star Review/Fairy Tale/Romantasy/Historical Fantasy/LGBTQ Romance/OwnVoices/Paranormal Romance/YA Fantasy/YA Fantasy Romance
So this time I was prepared going in to A Warning About Swans for that lyrical, flowing verse Romero writes, this time spinning a fairy tale of a swan maiden who longs to know what it’s like to be free and human, only to discover that to be human girl in mid-19th century Bavaria is just another cage and now her powers are being held hostage by a man.
This story is most definitely a fairy tale, but it borrows ingredients from and then remixes from other mythological, folkloric, and fairy tale sources: The Swan Maidens are birthed by Odin just after he is resurrected, the pure white swan maiden being seduced away from the flock by a aristocratic boy is borrowed from Swan Lake, and bits and bobs of influence from The Last Unicorn can be felt throughout the book during Hilde’s (our swan maiden) journeys.
There is so much grief, regret, guilt, sadness, pain, and general melancholy in this book. Yet, I think that’s the point, and the book wouldn’t be the same without it.
During Hilde’s bound journey, she meets a non-binary painter named Franz Mendelsohn, who is Jewish. Both Franz and Hilde have left their homes and don’t think they can return. Both have secrets and have to hide their talents from the world. Both feel lost and without direction. Both feel used and taken advantage of and only find comfort in the companionship of one another. Romero never once makes Franz’ sexual identity an issue or a plot point except to let Franz explain how it makes them feel. For the story’s purpose, being Jewish in Bavaria is more dangerous than being non-binary.
The most lovely parts of this book are not found in the dialogue, but in the narration of the scenes without dialogue. That’s when Romero’s verse truly takes flight, spinning metaphors, similes, dizzying visions and beautiful turns of phrase. I wish I could quote them for you, but seeing as this is coming from a review copy, I can’t.
Romero can make time move as she wishes with her words. She can slow it down with Franz and Hilde lazily hanging out in a castle while Franz is painting and Hilde is daydreaming. She can speed it up with the simple sound of the stamping of boots down a marble corridor. Her timing is impeccable and she knows just when to tighten the knots and when to loosen them.
Romero is a genius in the making. I can’t wait for the next one.
I was provided a copy of the title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: 5 Star Review/Fairy Tale/Romantasy/Historical Fantasy/LGBTQ Romance/OwnVoices/Paranormal Romance/YA Fantasy/YA Fantasy Romance
July 5, 2023
This narrative poem follows the story of Hilde: a wish maiden brought to life by her father Odin's dreams.
When Odin gifts Hilde and her sisters cloaks that enable them to transform into swans, they each receive a unique power. However, Hilde's ability to untether souls from their dying bodies and guide them to the afterlife soon becomes too much of a burden for her to bear.
In an attempt to live a life free from the heaviness of the souls, Hilde strikes a bargain that leads to her eventual entrapment by the cruel Baron Maximilian von Richter.
Now she, along with her companion Franz, must obtain her cloak from where Richter has hidden it it in order to return to her true life.
Despite Richter's cruel actions, there are so many beautiful aspects to this story!
For starters, this queer fairytale is written entirely in verse. The author's portrayal of Hilde's magical existence, emotional turmoil, and romance with the non-binary artist Franz Mendelson is brilliantly conveyed!
Also, the sensory imagery invoked when Hilde notices her surroundings, especially when in nature, is just next-level captivating!!
Throughout the story, I was super intrigued by the power that Hilde emanates and how this manifests in different ways as the plot progresses.
I'm obsessed (in the best possible way) with the ending and honestly would love to hear more about Hilde's adventures in the forest!!
When Odin gifts Hilde and her sisters cloaks that enable them to transform into swans, they each receive a unique power. However, Hilde's ability to untether souls from their dying bodies and guide them to the afterlife soon becomes too much of a burden for her to bear.
In an attempt to live a life free from the heaviness of the souls, Hilde strikes a bargain that leads to her eventual entrapment by the cruel Baron Maximilian von Richter.
Now she, along with her companion Franz, must obtain her cloak from where Richter has hidden it it in order to return to her true life.
Despite Richter's cruel actions, there are so many beautiful aspects to this story!
For starters, this queer fairytale is written entirely in verse. The author's portrayal of Hilde's magical existence, emotional turmoil, and romance with the non-binary artist Franz Mendelson is brilliantly conveyed!
Also, the sensory imagery invoked when Hilde notices her surroundings, especially when in nature, is just next-level captivating!!
Throughout the story, I was super intrigued by the power that Hilde emanates and how this manifests in different ways as the plot progresses.
I'm obsessed (in the best possible way) with the ending and honestly would love to hear more about Hilde's adventures in the forest!!
May 15, 2024
The occasional melodic writing made me sleepy, but I like the story and its echoes of other stories, songs, and mantras. Melodic writing is a risk to take when writing a novel in verse, and the melody of some grouped lines drive home the fairy tale vibe of this one. "Labour" by Paris Paloma resonates strongly in Hilde's struggles. I wish others would read A Warning About Swans and make that connection to women's centuries' old rage. Hilde encapsulates rage of her own and others long lost.
On the lighter side, I read this after hearing it compared to The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle, and no one can convince me that the classic was not an inspiration even if it was not mentioned in the acknowledgements. The Castle from The Last Unicorn is as much a cage as Richter's castle. Richter is clearly King Haggard, shaped by his own ancestors' greed. Hilde is Amalthea. Franz is Prince Lir or Schmendrick the Magician, I'm undecided. Hilde's five sisters and other creatures who can shift from animal to human are all the other unicorns, lost to the Red Bull. This book is about finding and being who you are with that person inside of you always and knowing where you belong. We are never part one thing and part another, but rather all the parts of us make us our whole selves. The book has defined chapters and is split into 4 tales within itself, so as a whole, I felt it was a quick read.
On the lighter side, I read this after hearing it compared to The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle, and no one can convince me that the classic was not an inspiration even if it was not mentioned in the acknowledgements. The Castle from The Last Unicorn is as much a cage as Richter's castle. Richter is clearly King Haggard, shaped by his own ancestors' greed. Hilde is Amalthea. Franz is Prince Lir or Schmendrick the Magician, I'm undecided. Hilde's five sisters and other creatures who can shift from animal to human are all the other unicorns, lost to the Red Bull. This book is about finding and being who you are with that person inside of you always and knowing where you belong. We are never part one thing and part another, but rather all the parts of us make us our whole selves. The book has defined chapters and is split into 4 tales within itself, so as a whole, I felt it was a quick read.
July 9, 2023
I received an ARC from Edelweiss
TW: historic antisemitism, drowning, animal death & suffering, imprisonment
4.5
"And there is no stronger magic
than refusal.
I've always had a rougher experience reading novels in verse, because as quick as they are to read, I very rarely can get into them and rarer still can see why they needed to be told in this particular format. But not only did I not struggle at all to fall into this story, but I am so, so thankful to have been able to experience it as it was absolutely meant to be experienced. This is poetry in every meaning of the word. The sparseness does not take away from the lushness of the writing, the fairytale does not overshadow the intimate.
I absolutely love Hilde, too! I feared she was going to be a sort of run of the mill narrator with little as to show, but she has so much personality and such a backbone- though even when she's in a more vulnerable state she's in one in ways that make you completely understand the situation she's in and how she feels. She's not a person, and the reality of that shining through is honestly fantastic, she is made from an old god, she belongs to the wild, she does not follow mortal ideals.
I also really loved Franz, who was incredibly likeable, and found myself unexpectedly caring so much for King Ludwig. These characters are so tender and real!
My only complaint is that from the synopsis I thought I'd be hearing more about the sisters, and more from Hilde's death magic and her role in the forest. Those things are certainly involved in the story, but I'd been expecting more of it, so I was a little disappointed it was less of a plot point.
TW: historic antisemitism, drowning, animal death & suffering, imprisonment
4.5
"And there is no stronger magic
than refusal.
I've always had a rougher experience reading novels in verse, because as quick as they are to read, I very rarely can get into them and rarer still can see why they needed to be told in this particular format. But not only did I not struggle at all to fall into this story, but I am so, so thankful to have been able to experience it as it was absolutely meant to be experienced. This is poetry in every meaning of the word. The sparseness does not take away from the lushness of the writing, the fairytale does not overshadow the intimate.
I absolutely love Hilde, too! I feared she was going to be a sort of run of the mill narrator with little as to show, but she has so much personality and such a backbone- though even when she's in a more vulnerable state she's in one in ways that make you completely understand the situation she's in and how she feels. She's not a person, and the reality of that shining through is honestly fantastic, she is made from an old god, she belongs to the wild, she does not follow mortal ideals.
I also really loved Franz, who was incredibly likeable, and found myself unexpectedly caring so much for King Ludwig. These characters are so tender and real!
My only complaint is that from the synopsis I thought I'd be hearing more about the sisters, and more from Hilde's death magic and her role in the forest. Those things are certainly involved in the story, but I'd been expecting more of it, so I was a little disappointed it was less of a plot point.
March 31, 2024
5⭐️
How will I know
when I want to spend forever
with another?
How can I find a creature
who won't make me feel as alone
as I do now?
The crow shook the dew
from her wings.
Because the other will speak
the language of your body --
how to touch you
and to be touched by you.
They will know the right jokes
to pull laughter
from your belly.
And because
you will want
to run from them.
...
What a beautiful story. It felt like no word was left unnoticed, and each picked with such thought, intention, care, and love. This book brought me to tears and engrossed me in Hilde's story from start to finish. This was a poignant story of self-discovery and what it means to love and be loved in return (not only with another but to learn to love yourself too).
This story is simply the essence of a fairytale, and I would recommend it to anyone who loves them.
How will I know
when I want to spend forever
with another?
How can I find a creature
who won't make me feel as alone
as I do now?
The crow shook the dew
from her wings.
Because the other will speak
the language of your body --
how to touch you
and to be touched by you.
They will know the right jokes
to pull laughter
from your belly.
And because
you will want
to run from them.
...
What a beautiful story. It felt like no word was left unnoticed, and each picked with such thought, intention, care, and love. This book brought me to tears and engrossed me in Hilde's story from start to finish. This was a poignant story of self-discovery and what it means to love and be loved in return (not only with another but to learn to love yourself too).
This story is simply the essence of a fairytale, and I would recommend it to anyone who loves them.
June 7, 2023
this was lovely! I usually prefer traditional novels, so the verse was a bit hard for me to get into, but beautiful nonetheless. I loved the characters and imagery, and it was just the sort of fairytale I was hoping for. I can’t wait to check out Romero’s other books :)
thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
May 31, 2024
This did feel very classic in just the way I love. I thought the characters were so cute. For my own peace of mind I have to imagine a different end. Jkjk I just never hated Richter even though he sucks, maybe they all should have just fallen in love. I am sure if I grew up with this the cover would be lovingly curved from sleeping hugging it to my chest.
January 8, 2024
A quick read and a good exemplum of the power of YA when it comes to telling stories for teens about teens. I don't think that Romero used the verse novel form to its full potential (except in a few scattered moments, such as near the climax), however, which kept pulling me out of the story.
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