The Wild Swans
#8353.73 adjusted 3.88 for sample size in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 1 book Status Complete 1999 Reading commitment Low Peg Kerr Last reviewed 2026-11-02
Overview
The Wild Swans is a standalone fantasy novel by Peg Kerr, published by Warner Aspect in 1999, her second novel. It retells Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale in two linked storylines. In 1689, Eliza Grey tries to free her eleven brothers, who have been turned into swans by a sorcerous stepmother. In 1980s New York, Elias Latham and Sean Donnelly build a life together during the early years of the AIDS epidemic. The book was nominated for the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award in 2000. Kerr has written no sequel.
Fairy-tale retelling, Historical fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (1 work) counts toward ranking
The Wild Swans Peg Kerr
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | The Wild Swans | 1999 | 1 | core | 3.73 (439 ratings) |
A standalone retelling of Andersen's The Wild Swans in two intertwined timelines.
Quick answers
- How many books are in The Wild Swans? The Wild Swans's Core Canon is 1 book.
- Is The Wild Swans finished? Complete (1999).
- How much reading does The Wild Swans take? Low reading commitment (estimated from 1 Core Canon book).
- How is The Wild Swans ranked? #835 in this site's official ranking, based on 439 reader ratings across 1 Core Canon book. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #835?
Ranked #835 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 3.73 across 1 core book.
- A smaller readership (439 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- 0.14 behind #834, Kay Harker.
- Below the top-10 average of 4.46.
Why explore this universe?
Rated · 1 book · Complete · 439 ratings · Ranks #835 overall
Good choice if you want a quick, low-commitment fairy-tale retelling fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
A single Core Canon work: no sequencing question to resolve.
Awards (verified)
- Mythopoeic Award (Adult Literature), 2000: nominated: The Wild Swans
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Suggestions computed from what The Wild Swans and each of these worlds have in common on record (subgenre, audience, shape, reading commitment and score), not a documented narrative connection.
- Ghost Talkers Historical fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 3.87
- Malice Duology Fairy-tale retelling · Complete · Low commitment · 3.86
- A Market of Dreams and Destiny Historical fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 3.86
- The White Raven Historical fantasy / Mythic fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 3.85
Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.73 across 439 ratings on 1 Core Canon book. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Canon Extension: 31 universes; 3 candidates ruled out; open items closed accepted 2026-11-02
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- Wikipedia: Peg Kerr Tier 2
- Publishers Weekly Tier 2
- Rambles review Tier 2
- Worlds Without End Tier 2
Last reviewed: 2026-11-02
Rule: Core Canon = The Wild Swans (1999).