My Review
“Court of Swans” by Melanie Dickerson is the first installment in her new fairy tale retelling series called “The Dericott Tales.” This book is a retelling of “The Wild Swans.” You do not need to be familiar with the tale to enjoy this sweet story.
This story seems to be aimed mostly for the middle grade and young adult audience, but I also enjoyed it as an adult. It is a plot-driven, quest type tale. Our main character, Delia, must rescue her falsely accused brothers before they are killed. I love the focus on the sibling relationships in this story and how much Delia will do for the love of her brothers. Delia is very brave as she faces many obstacles. She learns to be strong and courageous and to rely on God. In the treacherous palace, she must find out who is her friend and who is her foe. Who can she trust? Both Delia and the other main character, Sir Geoffrey, are brave and put themselves in danger to do what is right and just. They also pray and wrestle with the question of why God allows injustice. I found the pacing of the story to be a little slow at times, but it is still a great read.
I love the lessons that can be taken away from this fun, wholesome read. A big lesson the characters must learn is that sometimes God does not take away trials, but that He does walk with us through them. Delia and Geoffrey learn about not judging others, justice, and that God is the ultimate authority. They must learn that they have a choice as to how they respond to unfair things in life. I love how Ms. Dickerson incorporates faith and lessons into her stories.
Content: I give this book a PG rating. Some examples of the content are: mention of paramours and of a man who violated a woman; some men are drunk; mention of alcohol; a man accosts a woman with the intent of raping her but is not successful and nothing really happens; someone curses, but the words are not actually written.
Rating: I give this book 4 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.To purchase the book click here
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