The Noble Servant by Melanie Dickerson

The Noble Servant by Melanie Dickerson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Noble Servant is a fairy re-telling of the Goose Girl story. I don't believe I've ever read this story (gasp!) before and as I was reading this book, I didn't have anything to compare it to as other reviewers have.

I absolutely love a good fairy tale and this one is no exception. This is the story of Lady Magdalen (I just love that name!!) and Duke Steffan. They are both in the wrong place at the wrong time and things get really messy really fast! Lady Magdalen has her sites set on marrying Duke Steffan and when a letter arrives to her home requesting she come marry him, she jumps at the chance! I mean, who wouldn't want to marry a Duke! On her quest to reach her future husband's home, Magdalen is hijacked by her ladies maid and the maid's father and is demanded to change places with Agnes. Fearing for her life, Lady Magdalen complies and ends up becoming the Goose Girl at the castle. Can she stop the wedding of her ladies maid to the Duke? Whatever will she do?

This is the third book in a series of medieval fairy tales. I have not read the other 2 books so I'm not sure if these characters appear in other novels by Melanie Dickerson or not. However, I did not feel like I was missing any pieces by reading a book "out of order". I love Ms. Dickerson's writing style and how she weaves a great story! There is romance, suspense, and even a few comical moments throughout.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it!

I did receive a complimentary copy of this book from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

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The Golden Braid by Melanie Dickerson

The Golden Braid by Melanie Dickerson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Calling all fairy tale lovers! This version of Rapunzel (or Tangled for the younger readers) is a delight to read!! I love how Melanie Dickerson wove this love story with themes of spiritual perseverance, forgiveness, and faith! This is a super fun read and one I highly recommend!

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The Healer's Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson

The Healer's Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This book was my first Kindle e-book purchase and I anxiously dived in after hearing many good things about it.

Rose is a young woman who is apprenticing under the town healer. Rose, however, does not like blood and cannot stand the smells associated with illness. What else is there for this young woodcutter's daughter to do?

Lord Hamlin has long been betrothed (since the age of 5 actually) to Lady Salomea. He's never met her because she's in hiding from the evil Moncure. Setting his sights on Rose gives him a bit of challenge though. Can he possibly be faithful to his betrothed or will his brother Lord Rupert win Rose's favor?

This is a spin-off so to speak of the story of Sleeping Beauty, only with a few twists. It is a good story but I did feel that the characters were lacking a bit. I wasn't really connected to any one character and became slightly bored with the story in the middle. It did pick up and had a very predictable ending that I figured out around the middle of the book. I do think young girls (8+) will enjoy this book as it gives hope for the fairytale ending.

I appreciate the author's note about how she came about developing this story and how she strived to keep to keep this book as historically accurate as possible. She is honest about a couple of areas where she knows she struggled in doing so.

I would have to say that the most discouraging thing to me about this book is that I never got a clear picture of what the characters looked like. I kept asking myself what each one would look like if I were to jump in the book and see them.

I do recommend this book and believe that the younger set will have a larger appreciation for this book!



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