A Throne of Swans

Aderyn is heir to the realm of Atratys but she has a terrible secret: unlike all nobles, she doesn’t have the magical ability to transform into a bird. Aderyn’s powers were hampered as a child when she and her mother were attacked by hawks: Aderyn survived, and is flightless. Her mother died. If anyone finds out Aderyn’s secret, it will leave her and Atratys vulnerable.

After her coronation, Aderyn decides that she will go to the Kings’s court to investigate her mother’s death, despite warnings from her adviser Lord Lancelin. Grudgingly, she accepts the companionship of Lancelin’s moody yet dashing son Lucien for the perilous trip.

When Aderyn reaches corrupt, dangerous Solanum, nobles from all the other kingdoms start to bargain with the King for her hand in marriage. When the princess Odette’s fiancé Siegfried offers Aderyn a solution to her secret flightlessness, she’s tempted, but can she trust him? And as Aderyn investigates her mother’s death, she realises just how perilous it is for a flightless queen in such ruthless company.

If you love Melinda Salisbury’s royal politics and treacherous courts, you’ll love this brilliant Game of Thrones-esque fantasy. There’s no swearing (though there is a very tastefully vague sex scene, suitable for young teens) and only occasional (reasonably vivid) violence, but tons of intrigue, mystery, family drama, glamorous gowns and hidden swords.