The Swan Kingdom by Zoë Marriott is one of my favorite fairy tale retellings of all time. I love it. Zoë has taken the old tale, The Wild Swans and made it completely her own. She wrote us an absolutely lovely guest post that talks about the book far better than I could, so I'm going to link it here.
Alexandra is the young daughter of a distant and disappointing father and a warm, loving and magical mother. Her father is disinterested in her life, preferring to spend his time and attentions on his three sons, all older than Alexandra. Her mother teaches her about the enaid, the life magic that flows through the land, the growing things and Alexandra herself. The kingdom of Alexandra's family is rich with the magic and flourishes, while outlying kingdoms have destroyed theirs. But then tragedy strikes, madness and evil take over and Alexandra must find strength within herself. She is no longer able to rely on her mother or brothers for strength, support and protection. Now, it is up to her to save everything.
Alexandra is one of my very favorite heroines in all the fairy tale retellings I have read. She is so real. She is strong, brave, intensely loyal, and loving. But, she also begins the story meek and accepting. She is told what to do, and she does it. Sometimes, this is a good thing. But not always. And definitely not when the great evil you believe killed your mother has taken on the form of a beguiling female, betwitched your father, destroyed your beloved brothers, ensnared the entire kingdom, and is now shipping you off to a neighboring kingdom to live with an aunt you barely know exists.
In her defense, Alexandra was drugged, poisoned and unconscious while she was being shipped off to a neighboring country, but still. Once there, she accepts that this is now the place for her, and she does nothing. She does not search for her brothers, waiting instead for them to come find her, she does not question her aunt's rule beyond sneaking out to the beach each night, and she does not try to return home to stop the evil Zella whom she knows is destroying her kingdom and her people.
While living with her aunt, Alexandra feels stifled. The enaid is not strong her, as it is in her kingdom and being indoors all the time wears her down. So, each night she slips out her window and walks along the beach, and each night she meets up with Gabriel, a young man vacationing on the coast with his family. They talk and laugh each night until dawn, learning of each other, and filling the empty spaces life has left within. Alexandra is one of my favorite heroines and Gabriel is one of my favorite love interests. He never tries to steal the show, never upstages Alexandra. This is her story, and she must live it, but her is there for her. He is her friend in a troubling time when she has no one, and they slowly grow from friends into the hope of something more while walking along the beach. When the day comes he must leave, and return to his home, your heart weeps with Alexandra's and cracks with Gabriel's. And you hope, oh you hope that they will be able to meet again soon.
The time spent with her aunt is somewhat a state of limbo for Alexandra. She knows that something must be done, but is content to wait for her brave and strong brothers return. But then Zella, her evil step-mother, sends people to collect Alexandra and bring her home. On the way, Alexandra realizes that she is enchanted and dying, and to return home would be to go to her death. And so, she escapes and begins the struggle to rescue her brothers and save her kingdom. And she leaves behind the meek Alexandra who follows orders blindly.
There is so many amazing sections of this book. There is so much to say about the enaid, the circle of the ancestors, the curse Alexandra discovers on her brothers, Zella, and, of course, Gabriel. I don't have the space here to tell you everything that I love about this book. There is so much awesome in this book that it would be impossible to fit it all into one review. I know that my review isn't doing the book or the characters justice, but I want you to know that it is truly a book worth reading. It is all the standard 'review' words (compelling, captivating, magical, stunning) but it is more than that too. It is a book that fills you up, that gives meaning to the mundane.
Do not all of us wish we were like Alexandra? That we had power far greater than even we understand? There is a scene in the book where Zella confronts Alexandra at the base of the mountain of the Circle of Ancestors. Zella is there to kill Alexandra and it is the first time we see Zella without the pretense of innocence and fragility. But Alexandra defies her. And in so doing, she realizes that she has power and that if anyone is to save her kingdom and her brothers, it shall be her. Watching her grow and mature, both in life and in magic is empowering, heartening and wonderful.
Do not let my lack of eloquence deter you from reading this book. Ignore my stumbling attempts to express how much I love this book and grasp the love and delight that is beneath them. And, then, go read this book! (in my blog for a chance to win a signed copy, along with a signed ARC of her upcoming novel, Shadows on the Moon!)