Order of Swans
A Novel
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4.3 • 66 Ratings
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
"A captivating blend of science fiction, fantasy, and fairy tale reimagining that challenges traditional genre boundaries. . . . an engaging, thought-provoking reading experience that challenges and delights in equal measure.” —Medium
In this spellbinding, fantasy-rich romance, a woman is swept into a world where she has the power to alter fairy tales, and change a kingdom’s destiny…
To Kaley Arens, a PhD student and expert in folklore, fairy stories have always had a power and an allure beyond mere entertainment.
It’s only when Kaley accompanies her lifelong friend Jobi on a visit to his home that she realizes how much she still has to learn. Bellis isn’t the remote island that she believed it to be. It’s another world—a stunningly beautiful and seductive one, with its own royalty, its own rules, and inhabitants who breathe life into the tales she was taught were fiction.
Kaley’s presence is no simple holiday. She has a mysterious connection with Jobi and with Bellis, and abilities that may help determine this world’s fate. Tasked with locating a lost prince, Kaley and her companions—the enigmatic Tanek, a member of the Order of Swans, and Sojee, Kaley's colossal bodyguard—journey through a land both thrilling and terrifying, where the uncanny and the familiar go hand in hand.
But in fairy tales, heroes and villains are easy to discern. Here, nothing is quite as it seems. And though Kaley is discovering that she can change the outcome of the fairy tales she knows so well, her own story is unfolding in ways impossible to predict, with a destiny she could never have foretold…
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Bestseller Deveraux (My Heart Will Find You) ventures into romantasy in this unconventional adventure—with mixed results. Kaley Arens is at loose ends after a setback in her PhD studies in folklore and decides to travel with her friend Jobi to his homeland. She believes they're traveling to a distant island, but Jobi is actually from another planet, Bellis. Jobi, a seer, believes Kaley is destined for great things on his home world, but for now, she joins an attractive swan herdsman, Tanek, and a powerful warrior, Sojee, to search for the king's son across a dangerous and fantastical island populated almost entirely by men. Bellis's particular blend of spacefaring technology, fairy tale magic, and preindustrial society is unexpected, but it also raises more questions than the novel cares to answer. The hints of romance are unlikely to satisfy Deveraux devotees, while fantasy fans may find the sketchy worldbuilding frustrating. The quest narrative keeps the pages flying, however, and there's plenty of exciting setup for future installments. It's a rocky first foray, but there's real potential here.
Customer Reviews
Looking for a Happy Ending
Jude Devereaux is a marvelous storyteller. This book reminded me of how good she was in her earlier work. Sweet Liar is my favorite book, and the one that made her my favorite author.
I was hoping for a happy ending with this one especially since happy endings were mentioned in the book itself. I hope things turn out well in the series. If I had realized it was a series I would’ve waited until there were more completed books, so I could go straight through the series without having to wait on the next books.
Just not the same
Decent story line. Just not the same as her other books. Sci-fi feel.