The Swan’s Daughter coming January 6th, 2026 from Wednesday Books; 400 pages
Content Warning: Violence, death, mental abuse
About the Author: “Roshani Chokshi is the award-winning author of the New York Times bestselling series The Star-Touched Queen, The Gilded Wolves and Aru Shah and The End of Time, which Time Magazine named one of the Top 100 Fantasy Books of All Time. Her adult debut, The Last Tale of The Flower Bride, was a #1 Sunday Times bestseller. Her novels have been translated into more than two dozen languages and often draw upon world mythology and folklore. Chokshi is a member of the National Leadership Board for the Michael C. Carlos Museum and lives in Georgia with her husband and their cat whose diabolical plans must regularly be thwarted” (Bio from author’s Goodreads profile).
Find Roshani Chokshi on the following platforms:
As a descendant of Enzo the Fool, Prince Arris knows that his time is limited. On the Isle of Malys, to become the ruler of Rathe Castle, someone needs to have the hand and heart of the heir—literally. When his parents host a competition for potential brides to compete for Prince Arris’ hand, he dares to hope for a true love that won’t end with his death. Demelza, the daughter of Araminta the veritas swan and Prava the wizard, is on the run from her father, and with her truth-telling song, she hopes to find protection with the royal family. Prince Arris worries that he won’t know who’s in the competition for real and who’s in it to rule the Isle, so he and Demelza strike up a deal: he will provide her protection from her father. In return, she will help him discover his one true love. As Demelza and Arris grow closer, they start to wonder if they’re helping each other because of their deal, or if something more is budding between them.
I had really high hopes for this book, but was ultimately disappointed. I adored the writing style, which was flowery and lyrical but not overdone. I thought each of the characters were interesting, and I liked how Rathe Castle seemed to be alive. Though I was dazzled by some aspects of the book, I struggled with the perspective. At the beginning, the story seemed to have a third-person omniscient perspective, and I didn’t gravitate towards it. Since I knew Demelza’s parents’ motives and inner thoughts, nothing they did surprised me. As the story progresses, the perspective shifts between Demelza and Arris, but it often felt unclear who was supposed to be the narrator of each chapter. Also, I hoped for a natural progression between Arris and Demelza, and it felt like things moved too fast. Demelza was such a strong character that it was easy to find faults in Arris, and it was almost unbelievable how dense he was. The end of the story was incredibly frustrating because Prava decides to give up his decades-long plan to use Demelza to become immortal almost too easily. I kept waiting for a twist that didn’t come, and while this was supposed to redeem Prava, it didn’t work for me. Though I’d be interested to read more stories set in this world, The Swan’s Daughter was not my favorite.
The Swan’s Daughter releases on January 6th, 2026.
Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and Wednesday Books for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change before final publication.
Emersen Cooper, Pine Reads Review Writer and Editor