“Fairy tales are more than true; not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” ― G.K. Chesterton

Thursday, January 9, 2020

Ms. Dickerson Nails it Again with this Fairy-Tale Retelling--"The Piper's Pursuit" by Melanie Dickerson--Review






My Review

"The Piper's Pursuit" by Melanie Dickerson is the tenth book in Ms. Dickerson’s “Hagenheim” series.  This is a series of fairy-tale retellings set in a non-magical medieval world.  This story is a loose retelling of “The Pied Piper of Hamelin.”  

There are so many things to love about Ms. Dickerson’s books.  I love that this quest-like story involves a mystery as well.  Who is the mysterious beast and why are children disappearing from Hamlin?  

Our main characters, Katerina and Steffan, work together to fight evil and figure out the mystery.  I love both characters and their personalities and I think they have a great chemistry.  Each grows personally throughout the story.  Ms. Dickerson gives these characters some great dialogue and quips that had me smiling as I read.  As in a lot of Dickerson’s novels, the characters pray when in danger.  They learn about finding their worth in Christ and not by the things they do.  There are some heavier subjects in this novel than in some of the past books of the series.  Katerina has a stepfather who is abusive to herself and her mother.  Dickerson deals with this topic with great care and sensitivity.

I love this story and can’t wait for the next book!

Content: I give this book a PG-13 rating due to the topic of abuse.  Some examples of the content are: gruesome descriptions of victims of the beast; there is a controlling and emotionally and physically abusive husband and father; allusions to alcoholism in a character’s past; child slavery; a man suggests having his way with a girl.

Rating:  I give this book 5 stars.

I want to thank Melanie Dickerson and Thomas Nelson for the complimentary copy of this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I express in this review are my own. This is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s CFR 16, Part 255.




About the Author

Melanie Dickerson is the New York Times bestselling author who combines her love for history, adventure, and romance. Her books have won a Christy Award, two Maggie Awards, The National Reader’s Choice Award, the Christian Retailing’s Best Award, the Book Buyer’s Best Award, the Golden Quill, and the Carol Award. She earned her bachelor’s degree in special education from The University of Alabama and has taught children and adults in the U.S., Germany, and Ukraine. Now she spends her time writing stories of love and adventure near Huntsville, Alabama.

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