22. Court of Swans

Court of Swans (The Dericott Tales #1) Melanie Dickerson. 2021. [January] 328 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Delia’s stomach felt sick as she watched her father marry Parnella, a woman whom she had met only two times. 

Court of Swans is a historical novel set in England largely taking place in 1381 during the reign of Richard II. (The prologue is set in the summer of 1378). It is a retelling of fairy tale The Wild Swans. Delia, our heroine, is forced to save her seven brothers after they are cruelly accused of murder and treason and imprisoned in the Tower of London. 

That is the short description. It doesn't really tell you how I feel about the characters, the writing, the PACE.

I found Court of Swans to be an INTENSE, fast-paced, emotional read. I loved getting to know Delia and her seven brothers: Edwin, Gerard, Berenger, Merek, Charles, David, and Roland. I loved their devotion and loyalty to one another. They love each other fiercely and tenderly. 

I loved the romantic element. I also loved that it wasn't quite front and center. Delia is all about saving her brothers. As it should be. Her attention isn't split by noticing cute knights. And the romance between Delia and one of the knights, Sir Geoffrey, was well done. It wasn't rushed. It wasn't insta-love. 

I loved the setting. I loved that it was set in England. I loved that it brushes with royalty. It isn't just set in the reign of Richard II, we get glimpses of the royal court. At one point in my life I was trying to read historical fiction set during the reigns of ALL the kings and queens of England. Richard II isn't as well known as some of the other kings. 

If I could change one thing about this historical novel it would be to remove the references to Delia, our main character, OWNING and READING a Bible in an English translation. Mentioning that this Bible belonged to her mother BEFORE she married. 

Part of me understands that a Christian author would want her heroine to be able to quote Scripture word for word and draw great comfort from Scripture. But the other part of me is upset. The first complete translation of the Scriptures into English was done circa 1382 to 1395. The New Testament was completed first perhaps around 1380/1381. But copies would have been BY HAND--not printing press. (And the first Bible printed by the printing press was about 180 copies. This was ) So the idea that even among noble families copies of the Bible in English would have been likely is small, ridiculously small. Unimaginably expensive it would have been to own a Bible at all--and English translations weren't common in 1381. Now for a wealthy noble family, something in Latin I could probably accept. Probably. 

Now according to what I have read, some translations of the Psalms into English was occurring decades earlier. But Delia didn't say she had a copy of the Psalms. 

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Book Review: The Golden Braid

The Golden Braid. Melanie Dickerson. 2015. Thomas Nelson. 368 pages. [Source: Review copy]

I definitely enjoyed reading Melanie Dickerson's The Golden Braid. I really should treat myself and reread all of her fairy tale romances. I think a second reading would help me see all the possible connections between the books. (The books can stand alone, however.)

The Golden Braid is a retelling of Rapunzel. I enjoyed it even more than I thought I would. I loved, for example, how Rapunzel does not start off locked away in a tower like you might expect. Rapunzel's "mother" does seem odd from the start, but, her slip into definite madness comes with the passage of time--over the course of half the book. She does not come across as PURE EVIL from page one. Though, of course, one does know it IS coming sooner or later.

Rapunzel's character was nicely done. Readers learn early on that Rapunzel is eager to learn anything and everything. Well, everything perhaps midwifery! Rapunzel, more than anything perhaps, wants to learn to read and write. Unfortunately, Rapunzel and her mother rarely stay in any town or village long enough for Rapunzel to go about seeking a teacher. Her mother knows that Rapunzel's dreams lean towards learning and not towards romance. But that doesn't stop her from lecturing her daughter day and night about the evils of the opposite sex. Rapunzel holds hope that they will eventually travel to a village or town and her mother will consent to her learning to read and write. It hasn't happened yet, but, Rapunzel holds onto her dream.

The novel opens with mother and daughter about to move again. On their journey, the two are attacked. They are "saved" by a knight. Readers can very well guess that this knight will be THE KNIGHT to save Rapunzel from her tower-fate. But predictability can be a great thing in a romance, particularly a fairy tale adaptation. Gerek is his name, I believe. And the two do not fall instantly in love with one another, which is a good thing, in my opinion. Rapunzel has heard a million bad things about guys, and, she's not ready to give her heart away within seconds of meeting a handsome knight. Rapunzel is curious, but, curious for all the right reasons. He seems smart, well-traveled, like he might know how to read and write in multiple languages. Perhaps he can tell her more about where they're heading, and if there is someone that might be willing to teach her. The two remain guarded with each other. He puts up boundaries because he doesn't want temptations. Boundaries are second nature with Rapunzel.

After Rapunzel ends up saving HIM, he ends up with two broken bones, and a long duration in bed; he stays at a monastery to recuperate. She ends up working--cleaning the women's rooms--in exchange for lessons. Her big dream of learning to read and write, well, it gets off to a good start. Good but oh-so-grumpy start.

But the lessons end up being a BIG, BIG, BIG secret from her mother, and, when she does find out--we all knew it was coming--threats are made. Rapunzel has a BIG choice to make. To stay with her mother no matter what, or, to run away from her only family...

I love that so much of the book is spent away from the tower. The book has familiar touches of the Rapunzel story without a doubt, but, it is unique too.

I would definitely recommend this one.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Book Review: The Merchant's Daughter

The Merchant's Daughter. Melanie Dickerson. 2011. Zondervan. 285 pages. [Source: Library]

I really loved rereading The Merchant's Daughter by Melanie Dickerson. It is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, a realistic retelling minus the magic, I suppose. The heroine is a beautiful young woman, Annabel. Annabel's father was a wealthy merchant, but, his ship was lost and he was heavily in debt. Annabel's mother and brothers refused to serve their lord by working their required number of days per year in the field. (They could not afford to pay to opt out of manual labor.) Soon after the novel opens, Annabel learns that one member of her family will have to enter the service of Lord le Wyse for three years. Though she has two older brothers, she has a feeling the only one doing the working will be herself. Of course, entering into service isn't her only option. One of her brothers has graciously accepted a marriage proposal on his sister's behalf. He has promised Bailiff Tom that Annabel would just love to marry him. She despises him. Working for Lord le Wyse has to be better than marrying a man she absolutely hates, right?! 

So Lord le Wyse when we first meet him isn't exactly a people-person. Ranulf doesn't make a great first impression: he's got more than his fair share of scars on his face and one of his hands is disfigured. (He comes by these injuries honorably, but, most don't know the story, or, at least the full story.) 

There is not an instant connection between Annabel and Lord le Wyse. He's distrustful for better or worse: she's new, she's young, she's beautiful. She fears that his bad temper is more than surface deep. But these two grow closer and closer and closer. And it begins with her nursing him and reading to him. 

I loved every minute of this one. I did. I really, really, really loved it. 

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible