Falling for the Winged Witch: A Villainous Twist on Wild Swans and Jack and the Beanstalk
A widowed queen trapped by her past.
A giant who just wants to be left alone.
A fowl curse that could cost them both everything.
Lindy never wanted to get married or have children—especially not seven stepsons old enough to be her brothers and a doddering royal husband. Just when it seems like things couldn’t possibly get any worse, the king suddenly dies, and her sinister reputation for casting curses means that all eyes and fingers are pointed at her. Rather than support their new mother, her stepsons seem determined to do everything they can to make her life miserable. When the youngest fills her room with water fowl as a prank, Lindy finally decides to take things into her own hands—and everything goes wrong.
Atlas lives with his head in the clouds, and he likes it that way. His ancestral home is hidden away so high in the mountains that it’s practically inaccessible. But somehow the secret has slipped, and he keeps chasing away unwanted visitors. After the latest break-in ends with his prized goose missing, Atlas is forced to do the one thing never wanted: climb down the beanstalk.
Unfortunately, the scoundrel who took his goose is now a swan, and the only way to get him to tell Atlas where she is is to help the witch who cast the curse in the first place. The nettlesome woman won’t give him the time of day, refusing to speak until the sun goes down. When she does, it’s to instruct him in the most ridiculous task he’s ever heard of.
But Atlas really wants to get his goose and go home, and if knitting is the way to achieve that, so be it. If only the task didn’t threaten to knit his heart to hers in the process…
Falling for the Winged Witch is a combined retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk and The Wild Swans, featuring tropes such as Unlikely Allies, Found Family, and Opposites Attract. It is the third book in the To Win a Dark Heart series, which retells fairy tales as old as time, but this time it’s the villain’s turn to get a happy ending.
Readers also enjoyed
Sarah Beran
Sarah Beran is a writer who has found her true passion in blending enchanting tales with relatable characters, bringing magic, romance, and adventure to life through her unique lens. Living in sunny Southern California, Sarah is not only a writer but also a devoted wife, mother to two young children, and an elementary music teacher by day. Her life is filled with the hum of creativity, both in the classroom and in her writing.
When she's not guiding young minds in music, Sarah spends her free time running, creating new melodies, or immersing herself in a world of make-believe with her family. These moments of balance between the practical and the whimsical are often reflected in her stories, where everyday life meets the extraordinary. Her writing journey is one that began with a love for storytelling, evolving into a deep connection with the craft of creating worlds that feel both magical and grounded in reality.
To Win a Dark Heart
In this shadow tinged collection, familiar fairy tales tilt just slightly off their axis. The stories linger where old legends rarely pause, inside the thoughts of characters who usually stand at the edges of the light. The series, To Win a Dark Heart, follows figures shaped by curses, broken loyalties, and the kind of longing that thrives where magic and danger meet.
Book Reviews
I loved this twist on Wild Swans and Jack and the Beanstalk and how well the two were blended together. This was my first retelling for Jack and the Beanstalk but I have read several for Wild Swans since it is among my favorites. Atlas & Lindy (Belinda) were great characters and I enjoyed their banter and seeing how protective Atlas was as he saw through her armor. I was glad to see the princes learn their lesson and to appreciate and care for Lindy as the story progressed and the end was so fun. I look forward to reading more books in this multi author series as well as from Sarah Beran in the future.