Monday 4 March 2019

Book Review: The Warrior Maiden

Book Description

From New York Times bestselling author Melanie Dickerson comes a fresh reimagining of the classic Mulan tale.
“When it comes to happily-ever-afters, Melanie Dickerson is the undisputed queen of fairy-tale romance, and all I can say is—long live the queen!” —Julie Lessman, award-winning author
She knew a woman was expected to marry, cook, and have children, not go to war. Can she manage to stay alive, save her mother, and keep the handsome son of a duke from discovering her secret?
When Mulan decides to take her father’s place in battle against the besieging Teutonic Knights, she realizes she has been preparing for this moment her whole life—and that her life, and her mother’s, depends on her success. As the adopted daughter of poor parents, she has little power in the world. If she can’t prove herself on the battlefield, she could face death—or, perhaps worse, marriage to the village butcher.
In her disguise as a young man, Mulan meets Wolfgang, the German duke’s son who is determined to save his people even if it means fighting against his own brother. Wolfgang is exasperated by the young soldier who seems to be one step away from disaster at all times—or showing Wolfgang up in embarrassing ways.
From rivals to reluctant friends, Mulan and Wolfgang begin to share secrets with one another. But war is an uncertain time and dreams can die as quickly as they are born. When Mulan receives word of danger back home, she must make the ultimate choice. Could she be the son her bitter father never had? Or would she become the strong young woman she has been created to be?
This fresh reimagining of the classic tale takes us to fifteenth-century Lithuania where both love and war challenge the strongest of hearts.
My Reflections:

This authour always hits the perfect blend of fairytale and fictional delight for me. I absolutely adore sharing these books with you and with my teenaged daughter. Honestly, I could go on forever, but I will stifle my accolades and get down to the review.

The premise of this book was of course loosely based on Mulan, but so cleverly done it captivates from page one. Dickerson nestles her character in the midst of a well defined Medieval series, and does so seamlessly!
Though it is supposed to resemble the favourite story of Mulan, it takes on its own blend of uniqueness and multidimensionality. 
Desperate to escape a disappointing and mundane future Mulan radically decides to cloke herself in men's clothes and stand with the rest of the army in the place of her dead father. To be honest she is partly doing it to save her "mother" from a life of hardship. However, the pull of adventure and the escape from a marriage to an old smelly guy helps seal her decision as well. 

Wolfgang was another fantastic character, determined to do the right thing and try and protect his rebel brother. He is definitely a knight in shining armour in more ways than one!
I loved his interactions with Mulan, his confusion to his feelings, the reveal that he is actually a she. Wow, it was perfect!

I can't wait for the next installment of this series. The intermeshing of the stories is what makes this authour so special. Though these are rated YA fiction, I think anyone would enjoy this author's work! 
So don't stop at this one, go out and check out all the titles penned by Melanie Dickerson!

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