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A review by katherinejensen00
The Wild Swans by K.M. Shea
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
K. M. Shea's The Wild Swans is my all-time favorite retelling of the Wild Swans and one of my favorites of the Timeless Fairy Tales series. I reread it almost every year. The story follows Elise, a girl who has been raised as the royal foster sister to seven princes, and who constantly wants to prove her worth through her abilities and general perfection. She loves math and has a shrewd mind that she applies fully to her role as head of the royal treasury. When her foster brothers are cursed, she doesn't hesitate to take on a curse-breaking task that requires months of enormous self-sacrifice. As she once again shows her love for her family by doing whatever it takes to help them, she learns that a couple of her foster brothers feel more than brotherly love for her. Can love blossom in the midst of the many dangers that threaten both the siblings and their beloved country?
The book does a great job of exploring sibling dynamics both insightfully and hilariously. Elise has very relatable flaws as she learns how to be passionate about what she does and be her best self without striving for perfection or doing it to earn acceptance. The princes also learn some lessons along the way about how to leave each other well. The book is full of twists and turns and often had me laughing out loud at the sibling antics. The ending has a super fun and unique twist. The book can be read alone or as part of the Timeless Fairy Tale series (it has minimal spoilers for the rest of the series, but it does help set up some things in the rest of the series). This would be a great read for those who enjoy fairy tale retellings, fate of the kingdom adventures, lots of humor, clean romance, strong sibling relationships, creative magic, and strong selfless heroines and heroes.
The book does a great job of exploring sibling dynamics both insightfully and hilariously. Elise has very relatable flaws as she learns how to be passionate about what she does and be her best self without striving for perfection or doing it to earn acceptance. The princes also learn some lessons along the way about how to leave each other well. The book is full of twists and turns and often had me laughing out loud at the sibling antics. The ending has a super fun and unique twist. The book can be read alone or as part of the Timeless Fairy Tale series (it has minimal spoilers for the rest of the series, but it does help set up some things in the rest of the series). This would be a great read for those who enjoy fairy tale retellings, fate of the kingdom adventures, lots of humor, clean romance, strong sibling relationships, creative magic, and strong selfless heroines and heroes.