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A Snake Among Swans

The Wing and the Ways (Book 1)

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What to expect

For fans of HOUSE OF THE DRAGON® and THE PRIORY OF THE ORANGE TREE, a dark and lyrical epic fantasy of warring kingdoms, female rage and a wild magic that refuses to be tamed.

Tilde has always heard the whispers of the kithwood, the voices of her ancestors speaking through the mysterious forest of her homeland.

But now both the kithwood and her kingdom are in danger.

For Tilde is the only surviving heir of a conquered land. To unite the people and finally stop the bloodshed, she marries the ageing warlord, King Liran. Her duty is to bind their nations and bear him a son.

But the swan king’s court is dangerous. Tilde is a threat to the claim of Liran’s older sons, who will do whatever it takes to remove her, to the princess Elise who has only ever known loyalty to her family, and to the priests who own them all.

Yet none of them know that Tilde is a snake in their midst, with allies on her side and dark, forbidden power of her own. She wants her kingdom back, and she will sacrifice everything to claim it.

FOR THE QUEEN TO RISE, THE SWANS MUST FALL.

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'One of my favourite epics of all time' – SAMANTHA SHANNON

'Breathtaking' – SAARA EL-ARIFI

‘An addictive, cunning political fantasy' – SHANNON CHAKRABORTY

'Captivating' – ANTONIA HODGSON

'Vicious, brutal, intricate' – TASHA SURI

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Readers Love A Snake Among Swans

‘Fascinating and highly imaginative fantasy novel with excellent worldbuilding and a story that kept me curious from beginning to end’

'10 out of 5 stars!'

‘This was an incredible read. I really felt like no character was safe and I’ll be waiting on the edge of my seat for the next book’

‘Epic fantasy at its best’

‘Will recommend this book to everyone that wants a book that will make them feel everything!’

Critics Review

‘One of my favourite epics of all time: dark and lyrical, thick with intrigue, told by women who rattle and rage against the cage of patriarchy’ – Samantha Shannon, No.1 Sunday Times bestselling author of The Priory of the Orange Tree
'The book reads like poetry but retains a pace that took my breath away… Every word has been written with intention, every character carved with deft skill' – Saara El-Arifi, No.1 Sunday Times bestselling author of the Faebound trilogy
‘A brutal, bloody, and frankly brilliant fantasy' – Grimdark
‘A… combination of the most epic, sweeping fantasy series and the most brutal, lyrical Grimm fairytales. Fans of Game of Thrones and The Priory of the Orange Tree will be obsessed' – L.K. Steven, Sunday Times bestselling author of the Silvercloak Saga
‘An addictive, cunning political fantasy whose scheming courtly factions and cutthroat star-crossed lovers are as beguiling and unpredictable as the lethal magic wilds that surround them' – Shannon Chakraborty, Sunday Times bestselling author of Tapestry of Fate
‘A bold, powerful new fantasy epic… a compelling tale of blood, tyranny and magic, where every choice demands sacrifice, and every move risks death’ – Antonia Hodgson, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Raven Scholar
'Complicated political machinations, twists that made me audibly gasp, and forbidden sapphic longing' – Hannah Whitten, Sunday Times bestselling author of For The Wolf
‘Confidently and at times brilliantly, plays with familiar tropes without being constrained by them' – SFX
‘A riveting and nuanced tale about the ways in which the power we seek and the survival we need can also be our undoing' – Sunyi Dean, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Book Eaters
‘Vicious, brutal, intricate and utterly incredible. Hannah Kaner is a queen of epic fantasy’ – Tasha Suri, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Isle in the Silver Sea
‘A magnificently crafted dark and twisted fairy tale’ – Jennifer Saint, Sunday Times bestselling author of Hera
Author Hannah Kaner
Narrator Amy McAllister
Series The Wing and the Ways
Duration 18 hours and 26 minutes
Release Date
ISBN 9780008727321
Format Audiobook
Publisher HarperCollins Publishers
Genre Dark fantasy, Epic fantasy / heroic fantasy, Fairy and Folk tales, Fantasy romance, Historical fantasy, Myths and Legends
Availability AU, GB, IE

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