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Title: The Silent Songbird
Author: Melanie Dickerson
Series: Hagenheim #7
Genre: Historical/Fairy Tale Retelling
Audience: Young Adult
ABOUT THE BOOK
Evangeline longs to be free, to live in the world outside the castle walls. But freedom comes at a cost.
Evangeline is the ward and cousin of King Richard II, and yet she dreams of a life outside of Berkhamsted Castle, where she might be free to marry for love and not politics. But the young king betroths her to his closest advisor, Lord Shiveley, a man twice as old as Evangeline. Desperate to escape a life married to a man she finds revolting, Evangeline runs away from the king and joins a small band of servants on their way back to their home village.
To keep her identity a secret, Evangeline pretends to be mute. Evangeline soon regrets the charade as she gets to know Wesley, the handsome young leader of the servants, whom she later discovers is the son of a wealthy lord. But she cannot reveal her true identity for fear she will be forced to return to King Richard and her arranged marriage.
Wesley le Wyse is intrigued by the beautiful new servant girl. When he learns that she lost her voice from a beating by a cruel former master, he is outraged. But his anger is soon redirected when he learns she has been lying to him. Not only is she not mute, but she isn't even a servant.
Weighed down by remorse for deceiving Wesley, Evangeline fears no one will ever love her. But her future is not the only thing at stake, as she finds herself embroiled in a tangled web that threatens England's monarchy. Should she give herself up to save the only person who cares about her? If she does, who will save the king from a plot to steal his throne?
Evangeline is the ward and cousin of King Richard II, and yet she dreams of a life outside of Berkhamsted Castle, where she might be free to marry for love and not politics. But the young king betroths her to his closest advisor, Lord Shiveley, a man twice as old as Evangeline. Desperate to escape a life married to a man she finds revolting, Evangeline runs away from the king and joins a small band of servants on their way back to their home village.
To keep her identity a secret, Evangeline pretends to be mute. Evangeline soon regrets the charade as she gets to know Wesley, the handsome young leader of the servants, whom she later discovers is the son of a wealthy lord. But she cannot reveal her true identity for fear she will be forced to return to King Richard and her arranged marriage.
Wesley le Wyse is intrigued by the beautiful new servant girl. When he learns that she lost her voice from a beating by a cruel former master, he is outraged. But his anger is soon redirected when he learns she has been lying to him. Not only is she not mute, but she isn't even a servant.
Weighed down by remorse for deceiving Wesley, Evangeline fears no one will ever love her. But her future is not the only thing at stake, as she finds herself embroiled in a tangled web that threatens England's monarchy. Should she give herself up to save the only person who cares about her? If she does, who will save the king from a plot to steal his throne?
~ MY REVIEW ~
**4 stars**
It is always a pleasure to read another book by Melanie Dickerson! This latest release, The Silent Songbird is a historical retelling of The Little Mermaid. Though it's a non-magical retelling, set in the medieval era, I did see nods to the original fairy tale, which was fun.
This book follows Evangeline, young ward of the king ... a woman destined to an arranged marriage and stifled life. Until one evening, she takes a chance for freedom. With its medieval setting, wandering among servants and lords, attending festivals, and fighting villains, this imaginative romance story is sure to enchant those who love a happily-ever-after.
I enjoyed the twists and turns; the little mysteries and wondering which characters you could trust. I loved Evangeline's little journey of faith. -How open, honest, and vulnerable she was. No, she wan't perfect; but her heart was true. Seeing characters from The Merchant's Daughter was delightful! *smiles* The love story was sweet, as always. ^_^
Overall, I quite loved it! The book itself is absolutely gorgeous, and I enjoyed returning to its pages. I am, of course, looking forward to Melanie Dickerson's next two coming releases - another fairy tale retelling (from the THORNBECK series), and a regency romance!
I received a copy of The Silent Songbird from Booklookbloggers
This book follows Evangeline, young ward of the king ... a woman destined to an arranged marriage and stifled life. Until one evening, she takes a chance for freedom. With its medieval setting, wandering among servants and lords, attending festivals, and fighting villains, this imaginative romance story is sure to enchant those who love a happily-ever-after.
I enjoyed the twists and turns; the little mysteries and wondering which characters you could trust. I loved Evangeline's little journey of faith. -How open, honest, and vulnerable she was. No, she wan't perfect; but her heart was true. Seeing characters from The Merchant's Daughter was delightful! *smiles* The love story was sweet, as always. ^_^
Overall, I quite loved it! The book itself is absolutely gorgeous, and I enjoyed returning to its pages. I am, of course, looking forward to Melanie Dickerson's next two coming releases - another fairy tale retelling (from the THORNBECK series), and a regency romance!
I received a copy of The Silent Songbird from Booklookbloggers
Eeep you read this one already! :D I got a copy from Booklook too and I JUST started! *flailing* I'm so excited! ^_^ I mayyy have to read it a little slower than usual due to all the writing I'm doing for NaNoWriMo, but still. XD Nice review! <3
ReplyDeleteYes! After I got it in the mail, I finished it in about two days! :D Yay!! Isn't it beautiful?? I quite enjoyed the story! ^_^
DeleteHope you enjoy it too, Deborah! Thanks! :) And yay for NaNoWriMo!!! Best wishes! You can do it! <3 <3