A Warning About Swans, R. M. Romero
A Warning About Swans, R. M. Romero
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A Warning About Swans

Author: R. M. Romero

Narrator: Lauren Ezzo

Unabridged: 4 hr 27 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 07/11/2023


Synopsis

Swan Lake meets The Last Unicorn by way of the Brothers Grimm in a dreamy, original fairytale in verse which transports readers to the Bavarian Alps.

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 connects her to the souls of dying creatures and forces her to shepherd them into the afterlife—the “Other Wood.”

While guiding the soul of a hawk to the Other Wood, Hilde meets the handsome Baron Maximilian von Richter, whose father was once a favorite of the king and 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 she will never have to guide souls again.

But at the court of King Ludwig II in Munich, Hilde struggles to fit in. After learning that fashionable ladies are having themselves painted, 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 souls can help Hilde escape her newfound prison.

About The Author

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 rmromero.com or on Instagram @rmromeroauthor.


Reviews

Goodreads review by R.M. on October 25, 2024

A swan maiden who can bring dreams into the waking world, an artist who can only paint the truth, and covetous baron who hunts magic come together beneath the shadow of an enchanted castle… A queer fairy tale in verse, coming 2023! TW: Psychological abuse, animal death......more

Goodreads review by Ally on July 08, 2023

Got an arc from ABA This was lovely; a delicate blend of feral girl rage and a desire for kindness, and the casually accepted nonbinary character made me very happy ☺️......more

Goodreads review by Haylee (haylee.reads) on November 28, 2023

HEY HI HELLO. A Warning About Swans has just officially worked its way up to one of my top books of the year. When I tell you this was the most beautifully written book I have read this year I am not exaggerating. This is a dark fairy tale with the most lush writing. The storytelling is out of this......more

Goodreads review by Kelsey on February 07, 2024

I'll admit that this effortlessly beautiful YA fairytale novel in verse earns its fives stars from me more on account of checking so many of my personal "favorite things in books" boxes rather than challenging me or offering new ideas. But I'm well over the target age for YA at this point, and somet......more

Goodreads review by Kathreadsall on July 07, 2023

Absolutely loved this new novel in verse from author R. M. Romero. This author paints such a beautiful and moving story, rich with details and history. Hilde, the main lead, is strong and even when she gets lead astray she sees the truth and is able to regain her power from the abusive relationship......more