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Escaping the Fortress: A Maid Maleen Retelling
A princess trapped in a tower. A stranger in an iron mask. One chance to escape—and fulfill—their fate.
Trapped in the fortress of Myrddin with only her maid for company, Maleena is there merely because she refuses to marry a man who loves another. Over the years, she has grown used to a quiet life. Then one day she finds a magical doorway within her tower to the forgotten faraway fortress of Caerwyn, in which lives a fellow faery, a man named Isegrim, who has been forced to wear an iron mask and iron shackles to conceal his face and mute his voice and magic. But Maleena has a secret she has told few she has the rare ability to read minds and discern truth, abilities so powerful they cannot be chained.
Now she has a reason to escape. But that is only the first problem. Will she be able to find a way to free him from his iron prison? Will she be able to discover who he really is? Or will they end up in the only fortress from which none can the fortress of death?
Imprisonment, injury, war, death, snakes.
Escaping the Fortress, a novella, is one of eleven stories in the INTO THE ENCHANTED series—a standalone collection of no-spice fairytale retellings where magic-born heroines discover their happily ever after. Brimming with magic, mystery, twists, and swoon-worthy moments, these stories can be enjoyed in any order!
Trapped in the fortress of Myrddin with only her maid for company, Maleena is there merely because she refuses to marry a man who loves another. Over the years, she has grown used to a quiet life. Then one day she finds a magical doorway within her tower to the forgotten faraway fortress of Caerwyn, in which lives a fellow faery, a man named Isegrim, who has been forced to wear an iron mask and iron shackles to conceal his face and mute his voice and magic. But Maleena has a secret she has told few she has the rare ability to read minds and discern truth, abilities so powerful they cannot be chained.
Now she has a reason to escape. But that is only the first problem. Will she be able to find a way to free him from his iron prison? Will she be able to discover who he really is? Or will they end up in the only fortress from which none can the fortress of death?
Imprisonment, injury, war, death, snakes.
Escaping the Fortress, a novella, is one of eleven stories in the INTO THE ENCHANTED series—a standalone collection of no-spice fairytale retellings where magic-born heroines discover their happily ever after. Brimming with magic, mystery, twists, and swoon-worthy moments, these stories can be enjoyed in any order!
130 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 31, 2025
15 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 26, 2026
✨🌸 Book Review 🌸✨
I have been meaning to review my last read of 2025 for some time and am finally sitting down to write it now. So, let us again consider Christmassy ways, with a special guest appearance of my new PINK tree, courtesy of my family this past December. ;) 😊🩷 This is the second retelling of "Maid Maleen" that I have read, the first having been BOOK OF A THOUSAND DAYS, an excellent novel by Shannon Hale.
A classic fairytale charm may be found in Seibert's writing style that allows the reader to be immersed not only in the atmosphere of the story itself but also in the essence of a fairy tale that captured me long ago as a young girl and has remained with me to this day. There is a literary quality to the syntax that resonates with me but of the sort of personality at times that brings to mind authors from years past such as Edward Eager and C.S. Lewis through the interspersing of a subtle cleverness of wording and refined progression of sentence flow. From the very first sentence, I was drawn into the story, in part also due to my love of portal fantasy.
The characters in ESCAPING THE FORTRESS operate within that classic framework to lovely effect. Maleena is a sweet, somewhat shy protagonist of quiet courage who may be considered countercultural in modern society. Intrigue is advanced through the appearance of a mysterious figure, Isegrim, and there are immediately unanswered questions about his history that create curiosity and thereby increase reader engagement. Without going into too much detail to avoid spoilers, I would say that I also very much like how he sometimes gave off Thor vibes ;) , with a sort of old-fashioned, dramatic way of speaking at a certain point in the story coupled with an overall innocent, eager earnestness and protective nature. The emotional journey of multiple characters adds to the "real" quality of the narrative and makes it that much more human. Likewise, the distinctive magical abilities of various characters add to their unique quality and that of their story and world. I also appreciated the epic introduction of some supporting members of the "cast," whether through suspenseful build-up or sudden, striking arrival. Unsurprisingly, I likewise applauded the bond that exists between two characters over books, which is something that I have always loved to see (and sometimes incorporate ;) ) in stories. BEAUTY AND THE BEAST fans, advance!
There are surprising revelations by the end of ESCAPING THE FORTRESS that you are unlikely to predict in their entirety. Without, again, giving away too much, I also found the center romance endearing in its soft, innocent tenderness. There was just something very pure and wholehearted about it all.
ESCAPING THE FORTRESS is a quick read at just 117 pages and therefore perfect for when you feel like reading a shorter but lovely book (or beating your husband at the end of the yearly Goodreads reading challenge ;) *). At the same time, given the abbreviated length inherent in a novella, readers may find that they would love to spend more time with the main characters. While plot points are resolved, there is certainly room for a sequel. I could also see this story as a full-length novel, which would be delightful in its own way but of course is not strictly necessary since this book still stands up very well on its own. Perhaps it is the greedy reader in me speaking. ;)
This is the first book that I have read by Jodie Seibert, and it was a wonderful introduction! ✨🌸
Available here:
https://www.amazon.com/Escaping-Fortr...
*Ok, so, we tied. This is the second year in a row that we tied (page count aside; we each had our own triumph in that area). I fully intend to win in 2026!! :D
I have been meaning to review my last read of 2025 for some time and am finally sitting down to write it now. So, let us again consider Christmassy ways, with a special guest appearance of my new PINK tree, courtesy of my family this past December. ;) 😊🩷 This is the second retelling of "Maid Maleen" that I have read, the first having been BOOK OF A THOUSAND DAYS, an excellent novel by Shannon Hale.
A classic fairytale charm may be found in Seibert's writing style that allows the reader to be immersed not only in the atmosphere of the story itself but also in the essence of a fairy tale that captured me long ago as a young girl and has remained with me to this day. There is a literary quality to the syntax that resonates with me but of the sort of personality at times that brings to mind authors from years past such as Edward Eager and C.S. Lewis through the interspersing of a subtle cleverness of wording and refined progression of sentence flow. From the very first sentence, I was drawn into the story, in part also due to my love of portal fantasy.
The characters in ESCAPING THE FORTRESS operate within that classic framework to lovely effect. Maleena is a sweet, somewhat shy protagonist of quiet courage who may be considered countercultural in modern society. Intrigue is advanced through the appearance of a mysterious figure, Isegrim, and there are immediately unanswered questions about his history that create curiosity and thereby increase reader engagement. Without going into too much detail to avoid spoilers, I would say that I also very much like how he sometimes gave off Thor vibes ;) , with a sort of old-fashioned, dramatic way of speaking at a certain point in the story coupled with an overall innocent, eager earnestness and protective nature. The emotional journey of multiple characters adds to the "real" quality of the narrative and makes it that much more human. Likewise, the distinctive magical abilities of various characters add to their unique quality and that of their story and world. I also appreciated the epic introduction of some supporting members of the "cast," whether through suspenseful build-up or sudden, striking arrival. Unsurprisingly, I likewise applauded the bond that exists between two characters over books, which is something that I have always loved to see (and sometimes incorporate ;) ) in stories. BEAUTY AND THE BEAST fans, advance!
There are surprising revelations by the end of ESCAPING THE FORTRESS that you are unlikely to predict in their entirety. Without, again, giving away too much, I also found the center romance endearing in its soft, innocent tenderness. There was just something very pure and wholehearted about it all.
ESCAPING THE FORTRESS is a quick read at just 117 pages and therefore perfect for when you feel like reading a shorter but lovely book (or beating your husband at the end of the yearly Goodreads reading challenge ;) *). At the same time, given the abbreviated length inherent in a novella, readers may find that they would love to spend more time with the main characters. While plot points are resolved, there is certainly room for a sequel. I could also see this story as a full-length novel, which would be delightful in its own way but of course is not strictly necessary since this book still stands up very well on its own. Perhaps it is the greedy reader in me speaking. ;)
This is the first book that I have read by Jodie Seibert, and it was a wonderful introduction! ✨🌸
Available here:
https://www.amazon.com/Escaping-Fortr...
*Ok, so, we tied. This is the second year in a row that we tied (page count aside; we each had our own triumph in that area). I fully intend to win in 2026!! :D
September 6, 2025
3.5 stars
This was a super fast book. I've never heard of this fairytale, but I like the retelling!
My first read by Jodie.
One of the best in the series so far!
This was a super fast book. I've never heard of this fairytale, but I like the retelling!
My first read by Jodie.
One of the best in the series so far!
July 27, 2025
Maybe a bit too short
Usually, I find myself frustrated with how a story was drawn out with useless details, so it is rare I say that I feel the story should have been longer. I felt I was in some kind of sped up version of this story. The writing was good, so I know the author has the ability to spend more time on character building and action scenes. The length is the only reason I couldn't give 5 stars. What a great idea she has here, and what cool characters I could have really gotten to know better.
Usually, I find myself frustrated with how a story was drawn out with useless details, so it is rare I say that I feel the story should have been longer. I felt I was in some kind of sped up version of this story. The writing was good, so I know the author has the ability to spend more time on character building and action scenes. The length is the only reason I couldn't give 5 stars. What a great idea she has here, and what cool characters I could have really gotten to know better.
February 8, 2025
decent book but didn’t pull me in as much as the rest of the series so far
Gosh this was a short book. Maid Maleen isn’t a fairytale I’m familiar with but it was a fairly interesting book with quite an interesting plot twist and ending. The iron mask bit definitely gave me The Man in the Iron Mask vibes! I just didn’t feel like it was a story that sucked me in like some of the others in this series.
Gosh this was a short book. Maid Maleen isn’t a fairytale I’m familiar with but it was a fairly interesting book with quite an interesting plot twist and ending. The iron mask bit definitely gave me The Man in the Iron Mask vibes! I just didn’t feel like it was a story that sucked me in like some of the others in this series.
January 14, 2026
Imprisoned
Many Maid Maleen retellings can be very sad, but while there are deaths, I loved the twists revealed along the way and the fulfillment of prophecies. Enjoyable, clean read that's not too long and has a happy ending.
Many Maid Maleen retellings can be very sad, but while there are deaths, I loved the twists revealed along the way and the fulfillment of prophecies. Enjoyable, clean read that's not too long and has a happy ending.
March 16, 2025
Nice story, but no feelings. The world building was neat but the characters had no depth.
November 29, 2025
This book was an easy & quick read...almost too quick. I liked the characters but was disappointed more details weren't shared throughout the story.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews