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typedtruths's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
eponineeurydice's review against another edition
5.0
AHH! My heart! This was so good! So beautiful! Where is the hype? I see no hype and there absolutely needs to be. Friends, if you liked Six Crimson Cranes, this book is inspired by a very similar tale; and if you liked The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale, it has those vibes. Now, let me tell you about the story so I can convince you to read it. :)
It follows a girl with a wild heart named Rowenna whose mother was a witch that worked gentle magic to protect their village. Rowenna's mother was murdered, and she's now left trying to pick up the pieces of her family. BUT, one morning Rowenna's mother comes back... except Rowenna suspects it's not her mother at all. Thus begins a beautiful fairytale of curses and romance and monsters and one journey of a girl who is equal parts light and dark, trying to battle all kinds of forces that are working against her, and also trying to discover who she really is and unearth the hidden magic inside her... without becoming the monsters that surround her. It's just... so good. The writing and atmosphere is gorgeous, and I fell in love with Enna as she stumbled along on her journey, but all the while having such spirit and strength and love for her brothers and her family. I loved the magic in this book, and the romance was so sweet, and there was even some dealing with trauma and bonding over said trauma that was just so wonderful to see. This has all the engredients of a cozy, sometimes dark fairytale, and it was everything I wanted and more out of a retelling. It's just a very empowering and lush story that contains so many wonderful things and I highly, highly recommend for anyone looking for a fairytale to read, with many good boys, a monster or two, and some very interesting explorations of morals and emotions. Oh, and a generous amount of magic. Just... I loved this one. Please read it. :)
It follows a girl with a wild heart named Rowenna whose mother was a witch that worked gentle magic to protect their village. Rowenna's mother was murdered, and she's now left trying to pick up the pieces of her family. BUT, one morning Rowenna's mother comes back... except Rowenna suspects it's not her mother at all. Thus begins a beautiful fairytale of curses and romance and monsters and one journey of a girl who is equal parts light and dark, trying to battle all kinds of forces that are working against her, and also trying to discover who she really is and unearth the hidden magic inside her... without becoming the monsters that surround her. It's just... so good. The writing and atmosphere is gorgeous, and I fell in love with Enna as she stumbled along on her journey, but all the while having such spirit and strength and love for her brothers and her family. I loved the magic in this book, and the romance was so sweet, and there was even some dealing with trauma and bonding over said trauma that was just so wonderful to see. This has all the engredients of a cozy, sometimes dark fairytale, and it was everything I wanted and more out of a retelling. It's just a very empowering and lush story that contains so many wonderful things and I highly, highly recommend for anyone looking for a fairytale to read, with many good boys, a monster or two, and some very interesting explorations of morals and emotions. Oh, and a generous amount of magic. Just... I loved this one. Please read it. :)
annettebooksofhopeanddreams's review against another edition
5.0
It's quite amazing to see how somehow, because it's impossible that those authors knew it from each other, the same fairytales get retold within the YA genre quite a couple of times this year. I noticed that the Goose Girl has become quite popular lately and it seems that the story of the Six Swans also caught some new attention. However, Weymouth delivered two amazing books before this one, so I had to read this one as soon as it landed in my letterbox!
This book once more does not disappoint. Weymouth is an amazing author when it comes to describing emotions and making her characters complicated. The emotional journey of our heroine is at times painful, far from easy and it takes a lot of time to accept the emotions others dislike and even punish her for as a part of who she is. Weymouth really manages to make us experience and feel these emotions ourselves.
That also means that our heroine isn't always doing the perfect thing. On the contrary. Our heroine is a real girl. She's far from perfect. She makes mistakes, she has a nasty temper that sometimes takes over, she is crossing some lines quite often heroines in YA-novels aren't allowed to cross. It might not always make her likable, but it makes her real, it makes her honest, it makes her more of a girl of flesh and blood and therefore I did root for her and came to care about her.
And while the emotions and our heroine are the true stars of the story Weymouth also managed to come up with an interesting plot. The core of the story is the fairytale of the Six Swans as we know it. She kept all the important elements and didn't even change them that much to make them fit into the story. On top of that she added some more politics, some more heartbreak and a few very powerful enemies our heroine has to defeat!
This book once more does not disappoint. Weymouth is an amazing author when it comes to describing emotions and making her characters complicated. The emotional journey of our heroine is at times painful, far from easy and it takes a lot of time to accept the emotions others dislike and even punish her for as a part of who she is. Weymouth really manages to make us experience and feel these emotions ourselves.
That also means that our heroine isn't always doing the perfect thing. On the contrary. Our heroine is a real girl. She's far from perfect. She makes mistakes, she has a nasty temper that sometimes takes over, she is crossing some lines quite often heroines in YA-novels aren't allowed to cross. It might not always make her likable, but it makes her real, it makes her honest, it makes her more of a girl of flesh and blood and therefore I did root for her and came to care about her.
And while the emotions and our heroine are the true stars of the story Weymouth also managed to come up with an interesting plot. The core of the story is the fairytale of the Six Swans as we know it. She kept all the important elements and didn't even change them that much to make them fit into the story. On top of that she added some more politics, some more heartbreak and a few very powerful enemies our heroine has to defeat!
siren_of_the_stars's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
It was very quick and there were so many plot devices.
gn2001's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Good book, very slow pace but also an easy read so although it takes a while to get into the book it can be read fast enough that it's not an issue
booklover160's review against another edition
5.0
Edit 2/26: I apologize I completely forgot to add this into my review but there is MAJOR TRIGGER WARNINGS for animal cruelty, murder, and torture... and human murder and torture too, but the animals were somewhat disturbing. It got to be a little much for me at times. Please be advised!
I've been in the mood for dark salty seas stories. [b:House of Salt and Sorrows|39679076|House of Salt and Sorrows|Erin A. Craig|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1544071699l/39679076._SY75_.jpg|61277707], [b:Of Salt and Shore|50252008|Of Salt and Shore|Annet Schaap|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1594165249l/50252008._SX50_.jpg|55861080], and now this one are three of my favorites so far.
[b:A Rush of Wings|53802404|A Rush of Wings|Laura E. Weymouth|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1612185247l/53802404._SX50_.jpg|84121246] is a retelling of 'The Six Swans' steeped in a lush Irish background. It's incredibly immersive and written so well. I loved the whole story, even when Enna's brothers made me want to smack them upside the head. I wish we had gotten to see the moment when they could come home again. I always think stories end too early.
Anyway, I loved all the characters, especially our saltwater heroine. She strong, stubborn, dark, yet loving and loyal to a fault. My heart absolutely broke for her time and time again and then soared as high as the wind for the end. I was so happy to find it was a happy ending.
Highly recommended to fans of the two books above. As well as anyone needing a dark, seaworthy story about how far a sister would go for her brothers.
I've been in the mood for dark salty seas stories. [b:House of Salt and Sorrows|39679076|House of Salt and Sorrows|Erin A. Craig|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1544071699l/39679076._SY75_.jpg|61277707], [b:Of Salt and Shore|50252008|Of Salt and Shore|Annet Schaap|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1594165249l/50252008._SX50_.jpg|55861080], and now this one are three of my favorites so far.
[b:A Rush of Wings|53802404|A Rush of Wings|Laura E. Weymouth|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1612185247l/53802404._SX50_.jpg|84121246] is a retelling of 'The Six Swans' steeped in a lush Irish background. It's incredibly immersive and written so well. I loved the whole story, even when Enna's brothers made me want to smack them upside the head. I wish we had gotten to see the moment when they could come home again. I always think stories end too early.
Anyway, I loved all the characters, especially our saltwater heroine. She strong, stubborn, dark, yet loving and loyal to a fault. My heart absolutely broke for her time and time again and then soared as high as the wind for the end. I was so happy to find it was a happy ending.
Highly recommended to fans of the two books above. As well as anyone needing a dark, seaworthy story about how far a sister would go for her brothers.
econnuck's review
4.0
This was a really neat retelling of this story. The fusion of Scottish was one I haven't seen before and it was executed very well. I deeply enjoyed that the focus on romance was balanced with the importance of the relationships within Rowenna's family. I'd be interested in seeing other stories in this universe.
msghani's review against another edition
5.0
This book is every bit as beautiful as its cover. The story is atmospheric and transportive - you can see, smell, and hear the sea and wind as if it were right outside your window - and it reads like a folklore song whose tune follows you into your dreams. Rowenna is the fiery, loyal, and protective heroine of my dreams and I loved watching her grow as the story unfolded. Arguably Weymouth's best work to date.
katieconrad's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5