Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISALBE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
While Shiori (16yo) is not happy about her arranged marriage, she didn’t mean to ruin the betrothal ceremony by running into the lake and nearly drowning. Her father, the emperor, is still not pleased by the offense caused—especially when she claims to have seen a dragon. Now Shiori has to spend every day embroidering an apology tapestry, forcing her to spend time with the stepmother who hates Shiori for no reason and might actually be a demon.
This is the most beautiful retelling of The Wild Swans that I have ever read. I loved learning about Shiori’s kingdom and culture, about the dragons and magic, about the strength of familial love and loyalty to their people. The stakes are high as Shiori gives everything to break the curse placed upon her and her brothers, and I felt the pressure with her through the last battle. The end of this book tied up all the ends of the original fairy tale, making me wonder what the sequel will be able to add.
Shiori is depicted as Asian on the cover, and all the characters are implied to be similar. The mature content rating is for alcohol use, innuendo, and sexual harassment. The violence rating is for assault, blood and gore, and murder.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen
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