The Penguin Podcast is back! Listen Now
A Treachery of Swans

A Treachery of Swans

Summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

An enthralling sapphic retelling of Swan Lake, for fans of Allison Saft and V.E Schwab by the New York Times bestselling author of Where the Dark Stands Still.


Magic has long been outlawed in Réveillon. Odile has always known she’d be the one to restore it.

Raised by a sorcerer, Odile has spent years preparing for the heist of a lifetime. It’s relatively simple. Impersonate a princess, infiltrate the palace, steal the great sceptre and restore magic to the kingdom.

But when the King is unexpectedly murdered, she’s forced to recruit the help of Marie, the real princess, and the two begin to unravel a web of lies and deceit that leaves Odile uncertain of who to trust.

Soon though Odile must decide – her mission or the girl she’s falling for?

The fate of the Kingdom depends on her making the right choice. . .

Reviews for Where the Dark Stands Still:

'A deeply romantic debut'. Sarah Underwood, NYT Bestselling Author of Lies We Sing to the Sea

'The dark, gothic fairy tale of my dreams' Kika Hatzopoulou, author of the Sunday Times Bestseller Threads that Bind

'Folkloric and beautiful' Lyndall Clipstone, author of Unholy Terrors and the World at the Lake's Edge duology.

© A.B. Poranek 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025

About the author

A.B. Poranek

A. B. Poranek grew up sharing her time between Ontario, Canada and rural Poland, and eventually completed a veterinary degree at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences. A lover of mythology and history, she enjoys exploring both in her writing. Her debut novel, Where the Dark Stands Still, an instant New York Times bestseller, is an ode to Poland's folktales, while A Treachery of Swans transports readers to a world inspired by 17th century France.
Learn More

Sign up to the Penguin Newsletter

For the latest books, recommendations, author interviews and more