The Bibliophile's Bookshelf

Title: The Swan’s Daughter: A Possibly Doomed Love Story

Series: Standalone

Author: Roshani Chokshi

Genre: Young Adult, Retelling, Romance

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

In this lush and romantic novel from New York Times bestselling author Roshani Chokshi, a prince is only as good as his beating heart and a maiden is only as good as her honest word. But when love and the truth become impossibly tangled, the two must figure out how to survive together, or fall completely apart.

To find love is a curse …

Prince Arris knows that marriage means murder. Thanks to a poorly worded wish to a sea witch, all one needs to rule the Isle of Malys is the heart and hand of the kingdom’s heir. Historically, this has been construed quite literally.

Thus, Arris expects that the day after his marriage and murder he will wake up as a sentient tree alongside the rest of his predecessors. His only chance at a long life is finding true and lasting love. When Arris’s parents announce a tournament of brides to compete for his hand and heart, a slew of eligible, lovely and (possibly murderous) bachelorettes make their way to Rathe Castle. Amidst glittering balls in ozorald caves, strolls through menageries of daydream trees and pearl crocodiles, tea time on glass boats and kisses that leave his head spinning, Arris cannot tell who is here out of love for him…or lust for power.

Until he meets Demelza.

As a veritas swan, Demelza’s song wrings out the truth. Forced into hiding, Demelza strikes a deal. Arris will provide her with safekeeping in exchange for her truth-telling song to sort through his potential brides.

While Arris is used to dodging death threats and Demelza is accustomed to fighting for her voice to be heard, to survive the tournament of brides requires a different kind of bravery. And perhaps the bravest thing one can do is not merely protect one’s life, but find the courage to chase a life worth living. – summary from Goodreads

The Swan’s Daughter was absolutely amazing! This book deserves ten million stars and is definitely one that I will read over and over again!

I don’t even know where to begin when talking about this book. I guess I’ll start with the vibes of this book. It was so whimsical and magical- it felt exactly like a classic fairytale! The vibes of this book were so cozy and comforting.

The magic system was amazing! I especially liked the two houses: Hush Manor and Rathe Castle. It was giving Encanto vibes and I loved that the houses had personalities. Rathe Castle would shift to fit its inhabitant. It was super cool and I loved all the unique and different rooms. There was also the magic of the veritas swans, which was a super unique addition to the story. When they sang, they would force the hearer to talk truthfully. Also, when they fell in love, their heart-key belongs to who they love, which can control them.

I loved the forest, too! The way that death was affected by magic was really unique. In this world you had two deaths: your first death when you die as a human, and then you are able to become a plant. Your second death is when your plant self dies. Also, when you are a plant, you are still sentient. There was a forest with the plants of previous royal family members that Arris would frequently visit. I loved these interactions and the magic system as a whole!

The characters were absolutely amazing! Chokshi does an amazing job at giving snippets of so many characters stories that felt very authentic to classic fairytales!

I loved the perspectives of the different parents and their love stories! I especially love Arris’s parents’ story- they gave Morticia and Gomez Addams vibes for me. Demelza’s parents had a rockier relationship, but I did love the representation. I do wish there was maybe a little more justice for Demelza’s mom.

Speaking of parents, I absolutely loved that the parents were present and cared so much for their children. There are so many books and movies where the parents are absent, but this book had the parents being part of the story, in a more positive way. There were some especially great conversations coming from Arris’s parents that I love and have stayed with me!

I loved the sibling relationships in this book! Both our main characters had siblings, and while they didn’t have the biggest roles, they still influenced and effected the story. They also weren’t completely forgotten and brushed to the side, which I appreciated.

Demelza was a great character! She was sweet, kind, and was a unique character. She stood out from the others and did her best to figure out who she was. I also liked her motives for being in the bridal competition. Usually, the motives of the main character participating in one of these is to get revenge or something similar. Demelza actually helped the prince and her desire to stay was just to figure out what she wanted from life, which I found moving. She also befriended a lot of people, and I loved this positive display of friendship.

Arris was my favorite! I will say from early on in the book you think he is going to die. So, you go through the book mourning him and trying to soak up the world through his eyes. His whole storyline was him wanting to experience life to the fullest before he died. It was such a moving storyline, and it was beautifully done. Arris was such a fun, wacky character, but he also cared so deeply! I loved his storyline and character so much!

I loved Demelza and Arris’s relationship. This is truly a friends-to-lovers situation, but we actually see their friendship being built. It was sweet and slow, feeling authentic. They went so well together, and it was genuinely such a sweet relationship.

I loved the ending, too, of them choosing each other. I loved how this whole book ended with the realization that you have to actively choose to be in a relationship. You can’t just fall in love with someone and call it day; you have to choose to be in a relationship and work on it. It is such an important thing, and I love how it was woven into the story.

The Swan’s Daughter is a whimsical retelling with magic, fairytale vibes, and the sweetest romance!

Quotes:

“As usual, Arris had no idea what he was doing. His best hope was that wisdom would rush to his side for the sake of novelty, but until that moment arrived it was just him and the cacophony of his thoughts.”

“‘An abundance of time is a luxury that most assume only the richest may afford, but that is not true. When one is impoverished of hours, days and years, the art of savoring becomes an act of defiance. I take the times to enjoy things not because I have the time but because I don’t.’”