The Ice Swan: Book Review & Giveaway

Review at a Glance

• The Ice Swan
• My Rating: 4.5
• Genre: Historical Fiction
• Format: eARC*
• Publication Date: July 6, 2021
• Author: J’Nell Ciestelski

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The Ice Swan Book Blurb

Amid the violent last days of the glittering Russian monarchy, a princess on the run finds her heart where she least expects it.

1917, Petrograd. Fleeing the murderous flames of the Russian Revolution, Princess Svetlana Dalsky hopes to find safety in Paris with her mother and sister. But the city is buckling under the weight of the Great War, and the Bolsheviks will not rest until they have erased every Russian aristocrat from memory. Svetlana and her family are forced into hiding in Paris’s underbelly, with little to their name but the jewels they sewed into their corsets before their terrifying escape.

Born the second son of a Scottish duke, the only title Wynn MacCallan cares for is that of surgeon. Putting his talents with a scalpel to good use in the hospitals in Paris, Wynn pushes the boundaries of medical science to give his patients the best care possible. After treating Svetlana for a minor injury, he is pulled into a world of decaying imperial glitter. Intrigued by this mysterious, cold, and beautiful woman, Wynn follows Svetlana to an underground Russian club where drink, dance, and questionable dealings collide on bubbles of vodka.

Out of money and options, Svetlana agrees to a marriage of convenience with the handsome and brilliant Wynn, who will protect her and pay off her family’s debts. It’s the right thing for a good man to do, but Wynn cannot help but hope the marriage will turn into one of true affection. When Wynn’s life takes an unexpected turn, so does Svetlana’s—and soon Paris becomes as dangerous as Petrograd. And as the Bolsheviks chase them to Scotland and beyond, Wynn and Svetlana begin to wonder if they will ever be able to outrun the love they are beginning to feel for one another.

“The Ice Swan is a ray of light in the middle of a Europe that was sinking into darkness. Ciesielski’s talent for storytelling from the heart is a feast for the readers’ eyes.” —Mario Escobar, international bestselling author of Remember Me and Children of the Stars

The Ice Swan REVIEW

As a quick reminder, here is my rating structure:

• 1 star: Did not finish
• 2 Stars: Finished but I do not recommend
• 3 Stars: Liked but could use some improvements
• 4 Stars: Loved this book!
• 5 Stars: Rare. The unput-down-able, binge read obsession.

My star ratings are also based also genre based. I compare all books with books of the same genre. While I would love to believe that my love of books in general transcends all bias, there are genres I prefer over others.

I’m human.

Example: If I read a mystery novel and think it deserves a 5-star rating, then I have compared it to other mystery books, and determined it to be one of my absolute favorites. The unputdownable mystery.

This will hopefully keep me from comparing Outlander, a personal obsession of mine, with the experience of reading The Hate You Give. Both 5 star books for me, but completely and totally different. I couldn’t even try to rate them against each other, so I don’t. Makes my life easier. 🙂

My Thoughts About The Ice Swan

Let’s start this review with the obvious, that stunning cover! I seriously couldn’t pass on a cover this pretty. I didn’t even need the summary to know I needed to read this one.

I have to admit right up front to knowing very little about the Russian Revolution. I’ve only read a few books dealing with The Great War as I feel like there are a lot more historical fiction novels set in The Second World War. In my limited knowedge, I had never considered the impact of Russian refugees fleeing the revolution to only end up in the other war torn countries of Europe.

After finishing The Ice Swan, I’m excited to pick up more books about this time period. In fact, I will probably grab some nonfiction books to fill in the gaps and understand better what happened to the Russian royalty.

Back to the book at hand.

The Ice Swan is a poignant love story that isn’t as much about finding love but finding a way to love.

When fear, war, and circumstances force Princess Svetlana Dalsky and Dr. Wynn MacCallan together again and again, love develops but cannot seem to be trusted or spoken aloud. I loved that both characters ended up having their own reasons for mistrusting their growing relationship. In this way, The Ice Swan never felt like a one sided love story. There wasn’t one person pursuing the other but each character fighting their own inner and outer demons to get to together.

The setting and descriptions are tragic but wonderfully rendered. Desperation seemed to follow every page and J’Nell Ciestelski knows how to write a scene. I felt the angst, uncertainty, and determination from every character and even the city of Paris.

When the book shifts to Scotland, I was over the moon because The Ice Swan combined two of my favorite places in the whole world, France and Scotland. Remarkably, I felt the tone of the book change with the scenery which made the experience even more immersive.

Conclusion

Some unexpected twists happen throughout, but the story of love and discovery remain constant.

Historical fiction fans will adore this.

About the Author

With a passion for heart-stopping adventure and sweeping love stories, J’nell Ciesielski weaves fresh takes into romances of times gone by. When not creating dashing heroes and daring heroines, she can be found dreaming of Scotland, indulging in chocolate of any kind, or watching old black and white movies. Winner of the Romance Through the Ages Award and the Maggie Award, she is a Florida native who now lives in Virginia with her husband, daughter, and lazy beagle.

Learn more at www.jnellciesielski.com. You can also find J’nell on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Goodreads.

*Thanks so much to J’Nell Ciestelski, Thomas Nelson, and HFVBT for my copy of The Ice Swan in exchange for an honest review.