The Black Swan by Mercedes Lackey

From the Publisher

Baron Eric von Rothbart - Considering his wife's untimely death the ultimate betrayal, this powerful sorcerer dedicates his life to seeking revenge against all womankind. Scouring his lands in the shape of a great bird of prey, it is his personal mission to capture women who enflame his wrath and inspire his rage for vengeance. These poor souls he turns into swans - forcing them to spend their lives as beautiful but powerless animals who only regain their human forms briefly each night by the transitory light of the moon. Odette - Noblest of von Rothbart's enchanted flock, only she has the courage to confront her captor, wresting from him a pact which could lead to freedom for herself and all the swan-maidens - a pact which von Rothbart will use all of his magical cunning to avoid honoring. Odile - Von Rothbart's only child, she has studied the magical arts under her father's stern tutelage all her life. She fears her powerful father yet yearns for his rarely given approval. But she has learned far more than the baron intended to teach her - both of the magical arts and of von Rothbart's idiosyncratic nature. And as the guardian of his flock, her loyalty has begun to shift. Prince Siegfried - Heir to his kingdom, due to inherit upon his majority and marriage, he is a selfish hedonist and a dissolute womanizer. He cares only for his own pleasure, until a woman he has wronged teaches him a lesson which will change the course of his life forever. Queen Clothilde - Mother of Siegfried and Regent of their domain, she will stop at nothing to insure that her son never ascends the throne. But when she enters into an agreement with the rich and influential Baron von Rothbart - a bargain which she believes will prevent Siegfried from ever attaining his birthright - she will learn the true meaning of treachery.

Locus

...[A] bit of a feminist edge, but for the most part this is a sweet story....[T]he novel is nicely fleshed out, a dramatic and effective fairy tale made large.

Library Journal

Condemned for her faithlessness to spend her life as a swan--except for a few brief moonlit hours when she regains her human form--Princess Odette receives one chance to break the spell that binds her. Enmeshed in the schemes of a vengeful sorcerer and an ambitious queen, a na ve prince becomes the pawn in a malicious snare of magic, while the sorcerer's daughter questions her loyalty to a father who ignores her growing power. Basing her latest fantasy on the tragic ballet Swan Lake, Lackey (Oathblood, LJ 4/15/98) adds her own embellishments and interpretations to provide the story with a new ending. Though lacking the power and drama of the original tale, this romantic fantasy belongs in most fantasy collections and should appeal to the author's large following. Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal

YA-In this novelization of the ballet "Swan Lake," Odile von Rothbart, daughter of a vengeful sorcerer, lives on an isolated medieval estate with her father's prisoners, unfaithful young women who are swans by day and human while the moon shines. Unexpectedly, after years of living without hope, the swan maidens are offered their freedom if the Swan Queen, Odette, can win the faithful love of an eligible prince. Themes of marital and filial (in)fidelity combine to create a dark and tension-filled coming-of-age story. The sorcerer is obsessed with punishing women he deems untrustworthy, while his daughter has spent her life trying in vain to win his approval and affection. Odile initially makes excuses for her father's dishonorable behavior, but is forced to view him honestly as the story progresses. The prince has long ignored his own avaricious and callous mother and all royal duties. Both Odile and the prince discover that the growing responsibilities of adulthood require that they examine their consciences and make painful choices about loyalty to friends and family and self-sacrifice. The callous use of women and theme of sexual fidelity combined with the moody romance and story of betrayal make for a compelling read.-Marsha Masone, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Alexandria, VA Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

Locus

...[A] bit of a feminist edge, but for the most part this is a sweet story....[T]he novel is nicely fleshed out, a dramatic and effective fairy tale made large.

Robert Francis

Mercedes Lackey is very good at building empathic bonds between her characters and the reading audience.... In The Black Swan, Lackey also demonstrates an ability to have characters convincingly grow and change. It could be one of her better works...it is a good story that contains many of the best elements that Lackey puts into her works...
— SF Site

Kirkus Reviews

Another reworking of an Old Russian folk tale (like Firebird, 1996), this one having also inspired the famous music and ballet Swan Lake. Following the premature death of his wife, the powerful sorcerer Baron von Rothbart seeks revenge upon womankind by capturing the most desirable ones and transforming them into swans. His intelligent daughter, Odile, trembles for the least indication of approval from her father, excelling in her learning of sorcery and guarding his captive flock, until she begins to doubt both her own role and her father's entire motivation. Of the baron's captives, the most mettlesome and courageous is Odette, a princess who relentlessly schemes for her freedom. There are other complications involving Queen Clothilde, regent for her selfish, wastrel son Siegfried, driven to bargain with von Rothbart to prevent the dreadful Siegfried claiming the throne. Lackey's popular, and this one will have its adherents: decorously embroidered and pleasant but, well, feathery.

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