A review by ejpass
A Rush of Wings by Laura E. Weymouth
5.0
5/5 stars
Recommended if you like: retellings, witchy magic, fairytales
The Swan Maiden is one of those fairytales that's 'lesser known' but everyone probably knows some version of. I also haven't seen too many retellings of it, so I enjoyed reading this one.
I will say, it is insta-lovey and I don't really feel like there's enough buildup between Rowenna and Gawen. I couldn't quite tell what period of time the book took place over, but it couldn't've been more than a month, and for most of it Rowenna and Gawen couldn't even talk. They do fit together well, the romance just progressed quickly.
I thought the setting was an interesting one. The book takes place in Scotland at a time when there's trouble brewing between the English prince on the Scottish throne and the Scottish people who want independence. In the mix of that there are some people accepting of magic and others who are more interested in scorning, or worse, people who bear magical gifts. I liked getting to know the world and the goings-on, and I also liked that not all of the tension was related to the main plot, it made things feel more fleshed-out.
Rowenna, for all her supposed flaws, was actually a pretty good person. She was quick to temper, sure, but she was also good at keeping that temper in check and only occasionally let it out. She is also loyal and clearly loves her family dearly, even when they think the worst of her. I liked seeing her grow into her magic and her confidence, and her love and determination came back again and again to save the day, and not just with her family. I do wish she'd bite back more against her brothers' vitriol though.
Gawen came across as kind and knowledgeable. He is one of the few who wasn't wary of Rowenna because of her temper or her magic. Yet Gawen is someone who keeps a lot of secrets and they didn't always rub me the right way. When he was being his normal self, I liked Gawen and his care and concern for Rowenna, as well as for the plight of the common people.
Rowenna's brothers were a trickier matter. While they were understandably upset about the curse...why they just thought it was Rowenna made no sense to me, especially when they seemed to defend her at first. Thus far in their lives, Rowenna had been nothing but loving and loyal, so it seems strange to me that they'd instantly suspect her. I also wasn't a fan of how the one brother who knew the truth just seemed to double down on being angry with her. Later in the book this characterization seems to reverse and the brothers are more loving toward her, seeming to believe all his forgiven, and it was very jarring to see that with no explanation.
The side plot with the prince/false king was...interesting. I wasn't a huge fan of the detour and mostly felt that the English prince took up page space that could've been used for more interesting things. That being said, it was useful to be in Inverness and have Rowenna learn more about magic and magical creatures. It also served as a way to show Rowenna her depths, the good and the bad. So while it was helpful and productive to the story for them to be there, I'm not sure I loved the prince playing such a major role.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and thought it was a nice, light read. There are some flaws, but by and large it's a good retelling of the Swan Maiden.
Recommended if you like: retellings, witchy magic, fairytales
The Swan Maiden is one of those fairytales that's 'lesser known' but everyone probably knows some version of. I also haven't seen too many retellings of it, so I enjoyed reading this one.
I will say, it is insta-lovey and I don't really feel like there's enough buildup between Rowenna and Gawen. I couldn't quite tell what period of time the book took place over, but it couldn't've been more than a month, and for most of it Rowenna and Gawen couldn't even talk. They do fit together well, the romance just progressed quickly.
I thought the setting was an interesting one. The book takes place in Scotland at a time when there's trouble brewing between the English prince on the Scottish throne and the Scottish people who want independence. In the mix of that there are some people accepting of magic and others who are more interested in scorning, or worse, people who bear magical gifts. I liked getting to know the world and the goings-on, and I also liked that not all of the tension was related to the main plot, it made things feel more fleshed-out.
Rowenna, for all her supposed flaws, was actually a pretty good person. She was quick to temper, sure, but she was also good at keeping that temper in check and only occasionally let it out. She is also loyal and clearly loves her family dearly, even when they think the worst of her. I liked seeing her grow into her magic and her confidence, and her love and determination came back again and again to save the day, and not just with her family. I do wish she'd bite back more against her brothers' vitriol though.
Gawen came across as kind and knowledgeable. He is one of the few who wasn't wary of Rowenna because of her temper or her magic. Yet Gawen is someone who keeps a lot of secrets and they didn't always rub me the right way. When he was being his normal self, I liked Gawen and his care and concern for Rowenna, as well as for the plight of the common people.
Rowenna's brothers were a trickier matter. While they were understandably upset about the curse...why they just thought it was Rowenna made no sense to me, especially when they seemed to defend her at first. Thus far in their lives, Rowenna had been nothing but loving and loyal, so it seems strange to me that they'd instantly suspect her. I also wasn't a fan of how the one brother who knew the truth just seemed to double down on being angry with her. Later in the book this characterization seems to reverse and the brothers are more loving toward her, seeming to believe all his forgiven, and it was very jarring to see that with no explanation.
The side plot with the prince/false king was...interesting. I wasn't a huge fan of the detour and mostly felt that the English prince took up page space that could've been used for more interesting things. That being said, it was useful to be in Inverness and have Rowenna learn more about magic and magical creatures. It also served as a way to show Rowenna her depths, the good and the bad. So while it was helpful and productive to the story for them to be there, I'm not sure I loved the prince playing such a major role.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and thought it was a nice, light read. There are some flaws, but by and large it's a good retelling of the Swan Maiden.