Rating: 
Summary: Great expectations were shot down by a not-so-good book.
Review: As a loyal Mercedes Lackey fan, I had great expectations for this new release. Though only slightly similar to the animated movie, the Swan Princess, it is well written and completely enjoyable. I would suppose I didn't enjoy it all that much because it wasn't a Valdemar novel-but all her other non-Valdemar books have been great! So, hats off to Mercedes on her new release, and I'm looking forward to reading the River's Gift.
Rating: 
Summary: Not perfection but diverting none the less...
Review: I must admit, this book acceded my less than wonderful expectations. Having felt burned by the recent turn of (lack of)plot in the Valdemar series and by the rehash of The Oathbound thinly concealed as a new book in Oathblood, I'd nearly given up on Ms. Lackey altogether. When the small town library offers little for sciFi/Fantasy otherwise, however, desperate fourteen-year olds will go to desperate measures. As I said, It was nothing stellar, but it made twelve hours interesting as Hell. The dimensionless Evil Mage as well as shameless borrowing from worlds and plots other than that of the ballet are classic Lackey. A heathen wastrel's overnight change into a benevolent saint was too convenient to the plot for belief. And what's with never making the slightest attempts to define Odette's character? Maybe she wasn't the most interesting of the flock, but she Was the queen and an integral character who should've been treated as such rather than a mere plot device. What I did enjoy, however was the much vilified Odile taking center stage and emerging as the heroine. Odile had the spine that Talia lacked and none of the herald's indulgent self-pity. She'd had a somewhat tragic past but did not dwell on it as Tarma or Vanyel would have. By God, the girl didn't even whine like Elspeth!
Rating:
Summary: Good but Shallow
Review: It was a good book, don't get me wrong, but it was rather shallow. Prince Siegfried was a total idiot and I know he was supposed to be a womanizer but he seemed more of a lost puppy than anything else. Odette seemed just as much the idiot during the first 50 pgs. of the book and only began to prove herself later on. By then I couldn't really bond with her. Odile was good but she wasn't as well developed as I would have liked. And then Rothbart you don't see much of at all until the climax. You don't have a chance to hate him. It's not a bad book but it's just not as deep as I might have liked. If you're looking for a quick entertaining read with little envolvement with the characters and a happy ending read this book, otherwise keep looking.
Rating: 
Summary: An enchanting novel.......
Review: Lackey's novels has always fascinate me, and "The Black Swan" has also accomplished that. I think that this surprise is wonderful, after a view of the world of "Swan Lake" through Odile's eyes. Julie
Rating:
Summary: Not what I was expecting
Review: To put it into the simplest words, it wasn't what I expected from an author that had done so well before. From the summary in the book, and the cover, I expected something deeper, more intricate, instead of something that has a very "good guys win", "bad guys lose" philosophy. And, the transformation of Siegfried is a little too dramatic and great in a very short time. I couldn't attach myself to any of the characters. Far less than I expected
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting, but lacks depth
Review: I found this book a rather interesting variation of the original Swan Lake, but the writing lacks depth, and it is hard to be properly "immersed" in it.
Rating:
Summary: Great for ballet lovers and fantasy readers!
Review: I just finished reading a great book. It is "THE BLACK SWAN" by Mercedes Lackey. It is fantasy about the story of Swan Lake. She fleshes out the ballet story and makes it into a real fairy tale. I could see parts of the ballet as I read the story. I also was mesmerized and glued to my seat even though I basically knew the end. For ballet lovers and fantasy readers this is a must!
Rating:
Summary: Great Read!
Review: As usual with one of Mercedes Lackey books, this was an excellent read. I couldn't put it down! It was a wonderfully refreshing look at an old story.
Rating:
Summary: I loved the cover art! :)
Review: Well, I loved the cover art, but comparing this book to the Fire Rose by Mercedes Lackey, it's not nearly as good. Anything Lackey is worth buying, :), but buy Valdemar and Fire Rose first. Odile was certainly the book's main character, yet her only love interest was in "Benno". ::sighs::. Also, Odette was shallow, and Siegfried was a stupid womanizer who fell for Odette, the beauty queen. GO ODILE! :(
Rating: 
Summary: TAKE ME BACK TO VALDEMAR!
Review: The Black Swan was disappointing. The cover art was great but the rest of the book did not reach the high standards which Ms. Lackey has established. It is almost as if she wrote the book while in the 7th grade and finally got around to having it published.
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