The enthralling, suspenseful, and magical first book in the Wings of Valenia fantasy trilogy, perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Holly Black, and Robin McKinley. I was Father’s heir now, and one day I’d be queen. But when I looked at Mother, Adana, and Orla and imagined flying, somehow the thought of being queen didn’t comfort me. As next in line to the throne, Kiar will be responsible for protecting the human kingdom of Valenia.
The middle of three daughters of King Tir and Queen Tianis, a woman of the swanfolk, Kiar is devastated when her sisters are able to take swan form and she is not. When three young swanfolk arrive to be fostered in the royal family, her friendship with spirited Willow and growing feelings for tall, thoughtful Tuan make her feel even more different. Her inability to change shape is not the only problem Kiar faces; the king of neighboring Noermark is determined to bring Valenia under his rule, either by force or by guile. He send his son to ask for her hand in marriage.
Facing down a human enemy is one thing, but when dark magic threatens the kingdom and tragedy pulls the family apart, it’s up to Kiar and her swanfolk friends to defeat the supernatural forces before Valenia falls.
The Swan Harp is a YA fantasy novel with elements of romance, intricate royal politics, and family drama. The story follows Princess Kiar, the middle daughter of King Tir and Queen Tianis of Valenia, a kingdom where humans and swanfolk coexist. As the heir to the throne of Valenia, Kiar wishes instead for an inability to transform into a swan—a trait her sisters have mastered. When her swan shapeshifting ability suddenly arrives, amidst external threats from a kingdom to the north, Kiar has to put her dreams of flying with the swanfolk aside to prove herself the next powerful ruler. To make things worse, untrustworthy love interests and family betrayals are working to undermine her.
The story has a lot of interesting and likable characters. Kiar is a very well-developed protagonist who faces a lot of internal conflict in the story, struggling between her heart’s desire to fly with the swanfolk and her responsible nature to be loyal to family duty. She’s only 14 when the story begins, but she’s already grappling with decisions and responsibilities of an adult. The teenage characters in the story are expected to grow up quickly, have a courtship, and be married in their late teens. Kiar had a strong bond with her sisters growing up, but now that they are all adolescents, their relationship dynamics are different as they all veer on different paths. Sisterly rivalry, jealousy, and betrayal are explored in the story, especially in the second half. The villain in the story is hinted at several times, so when it is finally revealed, it feels a bit predictable. Even still, the intricate and dramatic storytelling of defeating the villain is quite captivating and the strongest part of the book!
There are several wonderful side characters, including the swanfolk friends of Kiar: Willow, Gil, and Taun, who each play a unique part in her journey. Kiar’s relationship with Willow is the most developed and includes some heartfelt dialogue that has a very “coming-of-age” feel to it. There are also several romantic connections in this book, but none are well developed enough to classify this book as true “romantasy.” Kiar’s relationship with Tuan is very slow-burn. There isn’t any substantial interaction between the characters until some romantic scenes at the end—if this romance is to become believable, their chemistry will have to be more developed in the next book.
Creith’s descriptive world-building presents Valenia as an intriguing medieval fantasy setting surrounded by forbidden and rivalling kingdoms. The portrayal of the swanfolk adds a magical, fairytale-like element to the overall story. There is great potential for further expansion of the worldbuilding—the author has just scratched the surface on describing the world and way of life of the swan. The rival kingdom of Noermark also needs further development to become fully captivating—instead of simply having its subject visiting Valenia, some storytelling in the Noermark kingdom would be very interesting!
The author portrays the royal family dynamics very uniquely. As the court is a mixture of humans and swanfolk, there is a mutual respect for both races, and everyone treats their duties very seriously. Both King Tir and Queen Tianis have made immense sacrifices to serve their kingdom, and they expect the same from their daughters. The royal family dynamics have a very fresh and authentic feel to them that you don’t often come across in a fantasy story.
The story has an intriguing start, quickly introducing the key characters and unique world-building. The direction of the story first suggests a potential epic romance or harrowing adventures with the swan folk. Instead, the story veers towards Kiar’s internal struggles and her duty as the future heir of Valenia. The midsection has slower pacing, and the direction of the story becomes more unpredictable. Patience is required as the last 30 percent of the book really picks up in pacing, intensity, and intrigue—almost like reading a whole different story. The dramatic events that unfold in the last chapters set up great possibilities for the next book in the series, with revenge and family drama seemingly high on the list!
Overall, The Swan Harp is a captivating YA fantasy with well-developed characters and subplots of romance and family drama. This first book sets the stage for an exciting fantasy series with royal family politics, sweet romances, and adventures with swan folk. If you enjoy fantasy stories in medieval settings, unique world-building, royal family politics, and slow-burn suspense/romance, then give this book a read!
