The Warrior Maiden by Melanie DickersonMy rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Source: Netgalley
Genre: Fairy-Tale Retelling
Book Description: From New York Times bestselling author Melanie Dickerson comes a fresh reimagining of the classic Mulan tale.
Mulan isn’t afraid to pretend to be a son and assume her father’s soldier duties in war. But what happens when the handsome son of a duke discovers her secret?
Mulan is trying to resign herself to marrying the village butcher for the good of her family, but her adventurous spirit just can’t stand the thought. At the last minute, she pretends to be the son her father never had, assumes his duties as a soldier, and rides off to join the fight to protect the castle of her liege lord’s ally from the besieging Teutonic Knights.
Wolfgang and his brother Steffan leave Hagenheim with several other soldiers to help their father’s ally in Poland. When they arrive, Wolfgang is exasperated by the young soldier Mikolai who seems to either always be one step away from disaster... or showing Wolfgang up in embarrassing ways.
When Wolfgang discovers his former rival and reluctant friend Mikolai is actually a girl, he is determined to protect her. But battle is a dangerous place where anything can happen — and usually does.
When Mulan receives word that her mother has been accused of practicing witchcraft through her healing herbs and skills, Mulan’s only thought is of defending her. Will she be able to trust Wolfgang to help? Or will sacrificing her own life be the only way to save her mother?
My thoughts: I love fairy-tale retellings when they are well done. This book was very well done! I wasn't sure how the story of Mulan would be told in a German/Polish setting. The only similarities to the story that I am familiar with are that Mulan is Asian and that she fights in her father's place because he is unable to.
This really was a fresh and unique take. Mulan is amazing. Really, who doesn't love a woman warrior in a time when women were basically oppressed? Wolfgang is an unlikely romantic interest for her. He is the son of a Duke and a warrior. He always thought that he would be the typical male defender of his home, not fighting as an equal partner, but he overcame his preconceived notions to fall in love with Mulan, sigh.
There is a lot of great story from the beginning to the end, I don't think anything I have mentioned would be a spoiler because we expect a happily-ever-after from a good retelling. This story has action and adventure, it also has descriptions of the time and the political climate. I have read a few of the stories in this series and realize that I have a lot of catching up to do.
This book contains kissing and non-graphic war violence.
Source: I requested a review copy using Netgalley. My thanks to Thomas Nelson for the ebook copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
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About the Author: (Taken from Goodreads) Melanie Dickerson is a New York Times bestselling author, a two-time Christy Award finalist, two-time Maggie Award winner, Carol Award winner, two-time winner of the Christian Retailing's Best award, and her book, The Healer's Apprentice, won the National Readers Choice Award for Best First Book. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and Romance Writers of America (RWA). Melanie earned a bachelors degree in special education of the hearing impaired from The University of Alabama and has worked as a teacher in Georgia, Tennessee, and Ukraine. She lives with her husband and two children in Huntsville, Alabama.
Visit her WEBPAGE.
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