Publishers Weekly
05/15/2023
At age nine, each of the god Odin’s six daughters, whom he dreamed into existence, receives a cloak of starlight that allows them to shape-shift into swans and also bestows them with a magical gift. Hilde, the youngest, receives the ability to “coax souls from bodies,” after which she comforts and guides them into the afterlife. But her power soon becomes a burden she longs to escape, yearning to leave her forest home and live as a human. Hilde is 16 when handsome, debt-ridden Baron Maximillian von Richter invites her to his crumbling castle, and then to the Munich royal court, where she passes as human. When Jewish nonbinary artist Franz Mendelsohn, whose portraits reveal their subjects’ true spirits, paints Hilde with swan wings, though, she fears they know her secret. Still, the two grow close as Richter’s dark motives begin to emerge. Narrated by Hilde in poetic verse by Romero (The Ghosts of Rose Hill), the story smoothly melds contemporary understandings of gender equality, exploration, and representation with fairy tale–like ambiance and language, making for a gratifying read. Ages 14–up. Agent: Rena Rossner, Deborah Harris Agency. (July)
From the Publisher
"Dreamy, melancholy, and pensive. . . ."—NPR
★ "The blend of elements from ‘Swan Lake,’ Germanic folklore, and Norse mythology is richly harmonious, presenting a beautifully wrought surface beneath which (as in all good fairy tales) layers of meaning reward those willing to dive."—The Bulletin for the Center of Children’s Books, Starred Review
"A queer, feminist spin on familiar fairy-tale elements. Highly recommended."—School Library Journal
"With its lush language and modern themes, [A Warning About Swans] is a relevant, whimsical fairy tale in verse. . . . R.M. Romero (The Ghosts of Rose Hill) incorporates contemporary themes of self-acceptance, patriarchal culture, and gender into an original fairy tale that is immersive and picturesquely written."—Shelf Awareness
"The story smoothly melds contemporary understandings of gender equality, exploration, and representation with fairy tale–like ambiance and language, making for a gratifying read"—Publishers Weekly
"Filled with romance and betrayal, enchantment and the natural world, this will appeal to fairy-tale lovers everywhere."—Booklist
"Fairy tales and myths form a seamless whole in R. M. Romero’s fantasy novel A Warning about Swans. . . . Echoes of Swan Lake and folktales about animal bride transformations infuse the story with folklore. Written in prose poetry, it leaps across the page in italics and indentations, mimicking the flights of Hilde and her sisters. . . . Grounded in history and myths, A Warning about Swans is a dreamy, eloquent fairy tale with timeless reflections on love, duty, and betrayal."—Foreword Reviews
"R.M. Romero has woven a powerful, moving fairytale about finding belonging in the in-between and holding onto magic in a cruel world. A Warning About Swans carried me from hope to despair and back again on the wings of dreamy, wrenching verse. Entirely spellbinding." —Allison Saft, New York Times bestselling author of A Far Wilder Magic
"An absolutely gorgeous book with words that dance across the page in shining verse. I wanted to linger with Hilde and Franz in their world even after the story came to an end. Utterly magical!" —Kip Wilson, award-winning author of The Most Dazzling Girl in Berlin
"Enchantment, love, danger, passion, and power, A Warning About Swans is an unforgettable story, perfectly woven and hugely accomplished, both fresh and timeless, like a forgotten Grimm tale given a dazzling new life. This has confirmed Romero as one of my all-time favorite writers." —Sophie Anderson, award winning author of The House with Chicken Legs
Praise for The Ghosts of Rose Hill
“A story of deep hurts delivered with a very gentle, kindly touch.”—NPR
★ “A must-read for lost souls everywhere.”—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
★ “An intoxicating blend of the contemporary and otherworldly.”—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
★ A modern folktale, a love letter to the diaspora, and a unique novel-in-verse.”—School Library Journal, Starred Review
★ “[A] wistful and deeply symbolic tale of feeling seen and finding powerful connections to the past.”—Shelf Awareness, Starred Review
School Library Journal
12/02/2023
Gr 9 Up—At 16, Hilde (the youngest of Odin's "wish-maidens") leaves behind the safety and sisterhood of the "vast green wood" for the "great graying world." She meets Richter, a handsome and ambitious 18-year-old baron. A deal is struck: Richter teaches Hilde to be human; she brings his sapphire-dreams to life. As the pair journeys from Bavaria to Munich in this work set in 1880, Hilde worries that she may never belong—that is, until she meets Franz, a Jewish, nonbinary teen whose skillful portraiture reveals Hilde's true form. Richter's jealousy becomes yet another cage. Will Hilde ever truly be free? Romero blends elements of Swan Lake with German history and Norse mythology to weave a wholly original queer fairy tale. The beautifully descriptive free verse is as luxurious as Richter's jewels, though the pace may be slow for some readers. VERDICT A queer, feminist spin on familiar fairy-tale elements. Highly recommended.—Alec Chunn
Kirkus Reviews
2023-04-12
Hilde may look like a human girl, but she’s not one—though sometimes, she is a swan.
Set in our human past as well as the mystical world of spirits and gods, Hilde’s story takes her from her magical and secluded woodland home into late-1800s Bavaria. Hilde and her five sisters are the daughters of the god Odin, the All-Father. Each of the young women has been endowed with a special gift as well as the ability to turn dreams into reality. Hilde’s desire to distance herself from her particularly macabre skill—“The gift / of greeting / death”—sparks her desire to flee with her new friend, the human boy Baron Maximilian von Richter, leaving behind her duties in favor of human girlhood. When Richter takes Hilde to the great and bustling city of Munich and the court of melancholy King Ludwig II, she meets Franz Mendelsohn, a nonbinary Jewish teen artist. As Hilde and Franz grow close, they strive to create a successful balance between magic and reality, encountering surprising kindness and deep betrayal along the way. Written in sparse free verse, this character-driven queer narrative is an original yet slow-moving story of an otherworldly being trying to find her place in the universe. Though lyrical, the simple poetry and unembellished plot make this milquetoast historical fantasy ultimately fall flat. Main human characters are presumed White; Hilde is darker skinned and has red hair.
A lukewarm historical fairy-tale fantasy. (Verse fantasy. 14-18)
