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Book Review By fran laniado
The Black Swan by Mercedes Lackey

This retelling of the story of "Swan Lake" deals with Odile, the "evil" Black Swan from the story. Odile lives in a secluded castle with her father, a powerful magician. She learns magic from him and seeks his admiration constantly. As she grows older, she begins to question the beings who live on the castle grounds by the lake. They are swans during the day, but women by moonlight. Odile learns that these are women whom her father has captured and enchanted as punishement for their manipulation of men.

Odile begins to feel sympathy for their plight, and she befriends Odette, the leader, and most beautiful of the swan/women. Odette has fallen in love with a prince and has a plan to break the spell that holds her and her friends prisoner. Odile helps her, but when her father discovers what has happened, he casts a spell on Odile making her look exactly like Odette, in order to ruin the plan. Trapped in Odette's body, and unable to speak the truth to the prince, Odile must find a way to thwart her father's evil plan and save her friends.


Plot & Themes
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - fantasy world/fantasy past
Romance Yes
Romance plotlets: -
Lifeform altered? Yes
Kind of alteration:
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 10 %
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 20 %
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 50 %
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 20 %
Human/magical couple? Yes
Type of couple: - He's a human, she's a magical being

Main Character
Identity: - Female
Profession/status:
Age: - a teen
If magical mental powers: - can change shapes - can cast many different spells

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 40's-50's
Profession/status:
Has magical powers? Yes
Magical/mental powers of main antagonist: - can change shapes - fire/thunder/weather cntrl - can cast all sorts of spells
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character?

Setting
Terrain
Earth setting: - 19th century
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Writing Style
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
How much dialogue? - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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