A review by blumoonie
The Swan Kingdom by Zoë Marriott

dark emotional tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I re-read thus because I used to love it when I was about 14... this book has got to be one of the biggest reasons I developed a pickme attitude. it's an easy read: world and lore is interesting, the plot not bad, but you can tell the mc will be a tad insufferable when the dedication reads "this book is dedicated to ugly ducklings everywhere. don't worry about those fluffy yellow morons: they'll never get to be swans."
also, the number of typos and grammatical errors are genuinely shocking? i KNOW this was published in 2007, but come on guys 😭
my final qualm is that the audience for this novel feels a little strange. the rather simple plot and young, two-dimensional characters make me feel like it should be targeted at young teens, but the final battle between Alexandra and Zella is extremely graphic- I felt ill as I read it; it's no wonder I couldn't remember how it ended.
overall: fine. wouldn't recommend unless your guilty pleasure is pickme fantasy that doesn't pass the bechdel test.