And so he grows up, marked by difference, a prince struggling to find his place in his father's kingdom while his wing pulls him toward the open sky. Ardwin barely knows how to speak to his family, yet his wing gives him the power to understand every other creature in the forest.

Half the time Ardwin wishes his wing were gone. Yet when he learns that his father plans to have the wing severed, he knows he must flee . . . to save his life and find his way.

Birdwing is the story of a boy who falls, half-healed, out of myth and into the world. Can a young man like that find peace? Or will his very existence become grounds for war?

"An emotive fairytale extension thoughtfully explores the life of Ardwin, a prince with a swan's wing instead of a left arm . . . The journey holds . . . surprises . . . [with] memorable images created along the way as Martin touchingly weaves together fairy tale, the wildness of animals and lyrical characterization." - Kirkus Reviews

"In a magical tale woven by master storyteller Rafe Martin, characters have "fallen out of legend" into a tale of extraordinary beauty and philosophical depth. An evil queen, an enchantress, a winged warrior, a gray-eyed goose girl who's really a princess, a snow lion, giants, mechanical men, and a sarcastic talking horse mix it up in a fairy tale adventure as inventive and soaring as Harry Potter and Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials. . . Martin has made a fairy tale world completely believable and readers . . . will ponder deep questions of what it means to be human, whether differences are curses or gifts, and how to make one's life a worthy story." - Bookpage

"Extraordinary . . . The marvelous thing about Birdwing is that, given its highly literary origins, it is so tough, colloquial, funny and moving." -- The Washington Post

Rafe Martin has written an absolutely faithful and exceedingly satisfying continuation of "The Six Swans." -- New England Children's Book Advisory, rated a "desert island book for all time."

"The many original characters and unusual adventure scenes ensure that readers will remember this well-paced fantasy." -- Booklist

"A ripping good story." -- Voice of Youth Advocates

"'What if…' provides a firm platform for the author's extended (358 page) incredibly imaginative back story for the old Grimm tale "The Six Swans." . . . Throughout, Martin evokes strong human emotions. The scene where Rose and Ardwin confront each other depicts two very conflicted adults with mixed feelings of duty and choice, and the consequences of choosing. Such intense emotion is leavened, for example, in the humor of the innkeeper's wife, a terrible cook with a direct link to Mrs. Malaprop. In all, a deeply satisfying read!" -- John Warren Stewig, Carthage College Center for Children's Literature.