Here's the book for those wondering:
In a world where the flightless are ruled by those who can fly...
When her father dies just before her birthday, seventeen-year-old Aderyn inherits the role of Protector of Atratys, a dominion in a kingdom where nobles are able to transform at will into the bird that represents their family bloodline. Aderyn's ancestral bird is a swan. But she has not transformed for years, not since witnessing the death of her mother - ripped apart by hawks that have supposedly been extinct since the long-ago War of the Raptors.
With the benevolent shelter of her mother and her father now lost, Aderyn is at the mercy of her brutal uncle, the King, and his royal court. Driven by revenge and love, she must venture into the malevolent heart of the Citadel in order to seek the truth about the attack that so nearly destroyed her, to fight for the only home she has ever known and for the land she has vowed to protect.
Written in rich detail and evocative language, this is the start of an irresistible, soaring duology about courage, broken loyalties and fighting for your place in the world.
Okay, first things first: how beautiful is this cover? I went to a Hotkey brunch to do with this book, and we got to see a clip of how it was made by the artist, and wow what an eye-opener that was. Plus, as you all probably know, I'm a bit obsessed with gold foil on covers, and this has it, so yaknow, I'm like Gollum again with the shiny things.
Okay, to the actual content now. I managed to read this book in one sitting - it is a book that you just fly through (no pun intended) and that lets you jump into the world so easily. It's such a fantastical book, and you really connect with the MC Aderyn so easily - I was routing for her throughout the book and you really got to see her evolve after being raised solely in Atratys after her mothers death. You see her adapt to court and learn how to navigate the complexities of court life with the help of Lucien (and oh my I do love a bit of Lucien - but this is not the time to talk about him).
The world building in this series is what I love most, you really get a sense of what is going on in the world, and how the world is run, and that's not always the case in some books. It really helps you to immerse yourself into the book and feel like you are part of it. I think that the underlying issue of the flightless vs. the flighted is such a complex issue, and I can't wait to see where Kat and Liz take this in the second book.
One of the things Kat and Liz told us at the brunch was that the book was inspired by The Swan Lake - so if you like that, then you will love this series all the more. I've never really known the story of Swan Lake, but after reading this and hearing how it inspired the book I think I may have to take a look at it and see what it's all about.
Overall, this is just such a beautifully written book and I think it's going to be an amazing duology, I can easily see this becoming one of my favourite series - I don't know how I'll be able to wait for the next book!
I give this book: 5 cats!
Throne of Swans is out now, and I highly suggest you go and buy a copy - I know I'll be going out soon to buy a finished copy to go with my ARC as soon as I can!
