Evelayn has always known she will be queen, but she hopes it's a long way off; after all, she has only just come into her full power. As princess of the Light Kingdom, the magical abilities she inherits at age 18 are even stronger than those of her subjects. Evelayn's mother, the queen, fights on the front lines of a recently ignited war with the Dark Kingdom, led by a mad king who hungers for violence, and Evelayn worries every day that she will lose her only remaining parent to the war. As the dark king schemes, Evelayn struggles to master her powers pecially the ability to shape-shift into a swan, which eludes her d finds herself reluctantly drawn to the mysterious Lord Tanvir. Despite a slow start and some incomplete world building, this reimagination of Swan Lake features a plucky heroine, a sinister, surprise villain in the wings, and plenty of battle action. As for that plot? It certainly picks up clever cliff-hanger ending will have readers demanding the sequel.

In a land divided by war, young Queen Evelayn struggles to master her own magic, military strategy, and an unexpected romance. Just as peace and love seem to be within her grasp, disaster strikes--setting up the sequel in this projected duology, a fantasy loosely based on Swan Lake. Evelayn's strength and passion help her stand out amid a cast of otherwise two-dimensional characters.

The tragedy of Swan Lake gets a fantasy reimagining in this fast-paced book for teens.Evelayn, a white teenager, is the crown princess of Éadrolan, a kingdom of light that is locked in an ancient battle with King Bain, who commands the dark powers of the rival kingdom Dorjhalon. Citizens of both realms possess supernatural powers, and Evelayn comes into her full strength while the queen is fighting in the war, though the ability to shape-shift into swan form eludes her. Evelayn must foil a plot to deprive her people of their gifts by murdering the queen who is the conduit of all the light's power. When the worst happens, Evelayn undertakes a perilous journey to seek aid from an ancient power in an effort to prevent Bain from extinguishing the power of light permanently. Larson's (Endure, 2016, etc.) latest novel contains many of the tropes found in modern fantasy adaptations: a feisty princess, dastardly villains, epic fights, and a love triangle. The worldbuilding is intriguing and the matrilineal conveyance of power is a neat twist, but the novel's fascinating premise is undermined by its too-fast pacing. Readers are not given enough time to really invest in Evelayn's struggles or the supporting characters' before the main adventure gets underway, resulting in Evelayn's lapse into caricature. An appealing if imperfect girl-power fantasy that ably sets the stage for its sequel. (Fantasy. 13-17)

Larson (the Defy trilogy) deftly weaves fantasy with the best parts of the Swan Lake ballet in this gripping first book of a duology. The kingdoms of the Éadrolan and the Dorjhalon have been engaged in a bitter war for 10 years, costing thousands of lives. Queen Ilaria now leads the forces of the Light, much to the dismay of her daughter, Evelayn. After Evelayn ascends to Éadrolan-s throne unexpectedly early, following her mother-s death, Evelayn grapples with learning how to control her newfound powers and how to be an effective wartime ruler. One of the powers inherent to royals is the ability to assume animal form, something Evelayn struggles with throughout, and her attempts to balance her personal and professional lives is mirrored in the give and take between the Éadrolan and Dorjhalon. Larson is especially effective in her portrait of Evelayn-s need to summon maturity before she thought she would have to, a sweetly innocent romance underscores the bite of betrayal, and the cliffhanger ending will easily build anticipation for the second book. Ages 12-up. Agent: Josh Adams, Adams Literary. (May)

On the day of Princess Evelayn’s eighteenth birthday, she is desperately hopeful for the return of her mother, Queen Ilaria of Éadrolan. An impassioned but brief reunion is soon followed by her mother’s tragic death, making Evelayn the new queen. Inheriting a war between her Light Kingdom and the Dark Kingdom of Dorjhalan, Evelayn must defeat King Bain to restore a balance of power to their shared world of Lachalonia. A complex scheme involving magic, help from the Ancients, and risky travel ensues. With the help of Lord Tanvir, with whom Evelayn has a budding romance, she succeeds in killing Bain, but is left with the problem of his son inheriting the crown. A difficult decision backfires on Evelayn, resulting in a devastating situation despite her best intentions.