Odette

A Novel

Fiction - Fantasy - General
420 Pages
Reviewed on 05/29/2013
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

I began writing when I was eleven years old, and instantly, I dreamt of being a great writer when I grew up. Books gave me deep imagination, insight, and knowledge in various different aspects of life, that I, alike other writers whom had taught me, wanted to be the teacher. To give inspiration to those who would share my dream twenty years from then, and to still have the craft of riveting stories, is my ultimate goal.

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Born in 1991 in Apache Junction, Arizona, I lived close to the Superstition Mountain - a quiet backdrop for me to let my imagination wander. By the time I had started writing, till I finished high school, I had written ten novels; some of which weren't anything special, whereas others were true, raw treasures. However, the greatest highlight of my dream thus far would having to be Odette: A Novel which I finished in my senior year of college, and am branching out for ideas beyond the normal fantasy genre I fell in love with.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Maria Beltran for Readers' Favorite

The evil sorcerer Rothbart has killed King Stephen, and it is up to the latter’s closest friend King Wolfe to deliver the murderer’s sentence. But with King Wolfe who is a kind and compassionate ruler, he banishes Rothbart, who has sworn to some day return and take the two kingdoms for himself. After the seeming end of Rothbart’s terror, King Wolfe loses his wife in childbirth; now he must raise his daughter Odette alone. Meanwhile, in the two kingdoms, rumors have begun to spread: The wifeless Wolfe and the widow Queen Edythe have been devastated by their loss and can no longer rule their respective kingdoms. To dispel these rumors, they betroth their children. However, Rothbart returns and casts a spell on Odette, subjecting her to torture and pain while Prince Gabriel is tricked into betraying Odette. Will they find happiness in the end?

"Odette" is a hauntingly beautiful re-telling of Swan Lake. In the original story, the Prince is named Siegfried, while in this novel he is named Gabriel. The central antagonist, Rothbart, retains his name. A host of other characters are also introduced, including the kings and queens of two separate kingdoms where the protagonists belong. Despite this, the book still captures the magic of the classical tale, with well-painted scenes of their struggles through pain, joy and love. It definitely holds more thrill than in the way many of us have heard the tale in childhood. Overall, "Odette" makes for a wonderful read, written in a language that speaks to both teens and adults alike. This novel is a great example of a classic transformed into a story for the contemporary young adult reader. If this is the intention of Lauren Pomeroy, she has certainly hit the target on its mark.

Lit Amri

As a punishment for murdering King Stephen, the soft-hearted King Wolfe only banishes the evil sorcerer Rothbart, much to the chagrin of his people. Rothbart returns years later, captured and turned Princess Odette – King Wolfe’s only daughter – to a beautiful swan. Her only hope lies in the hands of her lover, Prince Gabriel, son of Queen Edythe and the late King Stephen. Unless saved, Odette will be lost forever and her kingdom will fall as Rothbart desired since his exile. "Odette" is a classical tale which is evocatively restated by the talented author Lauren K. Pomeroy.

Like other fans of Swan Lake, I enjoyed reading this new version of classical tale that I love so much ever since I was a child. The author brought this story to a new level. The writing style is attractive, the story flows well and would appeal to most readers of any age. The original plot was woven and tightened even more, which gave a great boost to the story and held my interest more than I had expected. The characters had more depth, especially Odette. Readers will feel her pain and fear, and will definitely share her triumph and happiness. I dare say that the author breathed a new life to this classic story. Also, the fine-looking cover art grabbed my interest before I even began my reading. This book is a great complement to the original classic that would enchant any reader for years to come.