A warning about swans

Title:

Author:

Romero, R. M. (Rachael Maria), 1987- author.

Summary:

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 allows her to lead the souls of dying creatures to the afterlife. While guiding the soul of a hawk, Hilde meets the handsome Baron Maximilian von Richter, whose father 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 the song of souls can’t reach her. But at the court of King Ludwig II in Munich, Hilde struggles to fit in. After learning that fashionable ladies are sitting for portraits, 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 the true nature of souls can help Hilde escape her newfound prison. -- Amazon.

Audience:

Ages 14 and up. Peachtree Teen.

Grades 10-12. Peachtree Teen.

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

377 pages ; 21 cm.

Genre:

Fantasy fiction.

Novels in verse.

Personal Subject:

Ludwig II, King of Bavaria, 1845-1886-Fiction.

Subject Term:

Courts and courtiers -- Fiction.

Publisher:

Peachtree Teen,

Publication Date:

2023

ISBN:

9781682634837

Publication Information:

Atlanta, Georgia : Peachtree Teen, [2023]

Call Number:

YA ROMERO

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003675843	New Young Adult	ROMERO	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

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Summary

Swan Lake meets The Last Unicorn by way of the Brothers Grimm in a dreamy, original fairytale.

Acclaimed author R.M. Romero spins an enchanting tale in elegant verse about the search for belonging, and ultimately, empowerment. Perfect for fans of Uprooted and The Bear and the Nightingale.

"Dreamy, melancholy, and pensive. . . ." --NPR

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 allows her to lead the souls of dying creatures to the afterlife.

While guiding the soul of a hawk, Hilde meets the handsome Baron Maximilian von Richter, whose father 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 the song of souls can't reach her.

But at the court of King Ludwig II in Munich, Hilde struggles to fit in. After learning that fashionable ladies are sitting for portraits, 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 the true nature of souls can help Hilde escape her newfound prison.

A Warning About Swans weaves poetry into myth with spellbinding verse. Familiar as a Grimm tale and beautiful as a fairytale, but darker and more lyrical. The perfect fantasy to cozy up with and be whisked away to real-world enchanted castles.

A BCCB Blue Ribbon Book!

Author Notes

R.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. You can visit her online at rrmromero.com or on Instagram @rmromeroauthor.

Reviews (1)

Publisher's Weekly Review

At age nine, each of the god Odin's six daughters, whom he dreamed into existence, receives a cloak of starlight that allows them to shape-shift into swans and also bestows them with a magical gift. Hilde, the youngest, receives the ability to "coax souls from bodies," after which she comforts and guides them into the afterlife. But her power soon becomes a burden she longs to escape, yearning to leave her forest home and live as a human. Hilde is 16 when handsome, debt-ridden Baron Maximillian von Richter invites her to his crumbling castle, and then to the Munich royal court, where she passes as human. When Jewish nonbinary artist Franz Mendelsohn, whose portraits reveal their subjects' true spirits, paints Hilde with swan wings, though, she fears they know her secret. Still, the two grow close as Richter's dark motives begin to emerge. Narrated by Hilde in poetic verse by Romero (The Ghosts of Rose Hill), the story smoothly melds contemporary understandings of gender equality, exploration, and representation with fairy tale--like ambiance and language, making for a gratifying read. Ages 14--up. Agent: Rena Rossner, Deborah Harris Agency. (July)