What do you think?
Rate this book
Hagenheim #1-5
Fairy Tale Romance Collection
Melanie Dickerson is the award-winning author of The Fairest Beauty, a Golden Quill finalist; The Merchant’s Daughter, a Christy Award finalist and winner of the Carol Award;and The Healer’s Apprentice, a Christy Award finalist and winner of the National Readers Choice Award for Best First Book. She is a member of Romance Writers of America (RWA) and American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). Melanie lives with her husband and two daughters near Huntsville, Alabama.
1235 pages, Nook
First published April 7, 2015
195 people are currently reading
947 people want to read
About the author
Melanie Dickerson
41 books6,538 followersMelanie Dickerson is the New York Times bestselling author of happily-ever-after romance. She believes in love, laughter, afternoon tea, and the power of story.
With a million books sold and numerous awards, including two Christy Awards, two Golden Quills, a National Readers Choice Award, Christian Retailing’s Best, and Book Buyers’ Best Awards, her books have hit #1 in her category on the New York Times bestseller list.
When she’s not writing, Melanie can be found watching Pride and Prejudice for the hundredth time, cozying up to her handsome hero husband, or shaking her head at her slightly unhinged Jack Russell terrier. She lives in the beautiful foothills of the Appalachians near Huntsville, Alabama.
With a million books sold and numerous awards, including two Christy Awards, two Golden Quills, a National Readers Choice Award, Christian Retailing’s Best, and Book Buyers’ Best Awards, her books have hit #1 in her category on the New York Times bestseller list.
When she’s not writing, Melanie can be found watching Pride and Prejudice for the hundredth time, cozying up to her handsome hero husband, or shaking her head at her slightly unhinged Jack Russell terrier. She lives in the beautiful foothills of the Appalachians near Huntsville, Alabama.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
June 3, 2020
The first 5 books of this series are cute, inspiring and sweet. Every story follows the same outlines but each character is unique and the adventure is always fun. Nice clean christian fiction books for anyone who loves fairy tales and clean reading.
March 23, 2016
I love Melanie Dickerson, her writing is so unique, her books are so good. I can't wait till I read Beautiful Pretender it looks so good!
August 14, 2020
I've enjoyed all of these books.
April 29, 2015
Melanie is such an awesome writer! It is amazing how she weaves stories from classic fairy tales, creating her own stories – believable stories – and uses them to tell a story of hope, love and faith. She excels at creating realistic characters, even in her retelling of fairy tales that far surpass the good — and bad — in most people. I read this story — and I want to meet Gisela and Valten, Sophie and Gabe, Annabel and Ranulf, Rose and Wilhelm.
Her characters are perfect – well written, entertaining and represent the same values and flaws of the heroes and villains that inspired them. If you enjoy reading exciting, medieval fiction… with a happily ever after, don’t miss this wonderful series!
The Healer’s Apprentice: Wow! I could not believe this was Melanie Dickerson’s debut novel… within a few minutes, I was lost in an enchanted world with castles and cobblestones… until the very end. I loved how Lord Hamlin noticed Rose – right from the start! Even though he visited her – and danced with her – he always remained chivalrous, even though he wanted to be with her.
But honestly, I wanted to smack Rose when she let herself be deceived by someone she had been warned was not honorable… but handsome young men can be very persuasive – and young, innocent girls are easy prey. Rose may have enjoyed his supposed affection for her, especially after feeling unloved by her mother, but thankfully she never allowed herself to go too far with him.
This story reminds me that evil exists – and it’s not always ugly, but sometimes can be wrapped up in a pretty package. The right path is not always the easy path, but it’s the right choice. Melanie did a wonderful job showing how difficult it can be to make the right choice, especially when others are urging you to take the other path.
The Merchant’s Daughter: Oh my! It’s so romantic! It’s so much better than the story of Beauty and the Beast… with wonderful, boisterous characters — that at times seem to be easily led astray (like so many of us). I can honestly admit — I lost lots of sleep — but it was SO worth it!
Yes, there’s a beast, but a far more realistic one… a hero! There are lots of twists and turns, with many surprises along the way — some good and some bad — but that’s the way real life happens! That’s just one more reason the stories by Melanie Dickerson are so believable — and awesome!
The Fairest Beauty: Are there any good stepmothers in fairy tales? I certainly can’t think of any! The Fairest Beauty is a wonderful story, with poor Sophie as our beloved Snow White. The duchess is indeed very bad – evil would better describe her – and Sophie is doomed… or is she?
The characters in The Fairest Beauty are marvelous! Sophie is the kind, sweet-hearted young girl you would expect; after growing up with an evil duchess telling her how wicked and ugly she is, Sophie is the epitome of goodness. Melanie Dickerson creates characters who cry out to God for help, for wisdom, for strength to overcome the evil. This is an excellent choice to make for something inspiring to read.
The Captive Maiden: This is possibly my favorite… I think Gisela is the most inspirational “Cinderella” I have ever encountered. No matter how despicably she’s treated, she returns good for evil. This is the pure, selfless, beautiful person that Lord Hamlin — Valten — is drawn to in a way he has never before experienced.
I must say, I wasn’t sure what to think of Valten, when introduced to him in The Fairest Beauty. He seemed someone who was only interested in participating in tournaments and proving himself as the victor in the games. But he is so much more… Valten is most definitely a hero!
Surprises… oh yes, Melanie writes a wonderful Cinderella story, with lots of surprises, and emotion, and inspiration! Characters so true-to-life, you find yourself believing in them – but even more important, believing in yourself.
The Princess Spy: Margaretha’s story is a wonderful version of The Frog Prince… it just might be the best one yet. There were many things I never saw coming — always a plus in my opinion — rather than the predictable ho-hum stories that many authors churn out today.
Poor Margaretha thought her future was settled; she would marry Lord Claybrook and live happily ever after. But when a man shows up, she is the only one who can speak his language. Even worse, he claims to have been attacked by Lord Claybrook!
There was fast-paced adventure full of surprises and unexpected plot-twists — Melanie sure knows how to keep me on my toes!
Read
September 25, 2025#1: The Healer's Apprentice 3* 4/(17-)19/22 (335)
spring 1386; town of Hagenheim & Castle Hagenheim in the Hartz Mountains, Lower Saxony, Holy Roman Empire (today's Germany); Rose Roemer , Lord Hamlin (full name: Wilhelm Gerstenberg, Earl of Hamlin); only faint traces of Sleeping Beauty recognisible
#2: The Merchant's Daughter 4.5* 9/(11-)17/22 (293)
fall 1352; Glynval, England; Lord Ranulf le Wyse, Annabel Chapman; with elements of Beauty and the Beast
#3: The Fairest Beauty 2.5* (10/31/22-)11/12/22 (321)
spring 1409 or 1410 (no year refence, inferred from details of the next in series); Cottage of the Seven (most likely Thuringia), Hohendorf (Bavaria) & Hagenheim (the Hartz Mountains, Lower Saxony), Holy Roman Empire (today's Germany); Sophie , Gabe aka Lord Gabehard, Gerstenberg, second son of Duke Wilhelm of Hamlin; loose Snow White retelling
#4: The Captive Maiden ?* 10/?/22 (284)
(spring 1403, &) spring 1412; town of Hagenheim & Castle Hagenheim in the Hartz Mountains, Lower Saxony, Holy Roman Empire (today's Germany); Gisela ?, Lord Valten Gerstenberg, Earl of Hamlin; Cinderella retelling?
#5: The Princess Spy ?* 11/?/22 (313)
spring 1413; Hagenheim, the Hartz Mountains, Lower Saxony, Holy Roman Empire (today's Germany); Margaretha Gerstenberg, Lord Colin ?; Frog Prince retelling?
*
spring 1386; town of Hagenheim & Castle Hagenheim in the Hartz Mountains, Lower Saxony, Holy Roman Empire (today's Germany); Rose Roemer , Lord Hamlin (full name: Wilhelm Gerstenberg, Earl of Hamlin); only faint traces of Sleeping Beauty recognisible
#2: The Merchant's Daughter 4.5* 9/(11-)17/22 (293)
fall 1352; Glynval, England; Lord Ranulf le Wyse, Annabel Chapman; with elements of Beauty and the Beast
#3: The Fairest Beauty 2.5* (10/31/22-)11/12/22 (321)
spring 1409 or 1410 (no year refence, inferred from details of the next in series); Cottage of the Seven (most likely Thuringia), Hohendorf (Bavaria) & Hagenheim (the Hartz Mountains, Lower Saxony), Holy Roman Empire (today's Germany); Sophie , Gabe aka Lord Gabehard, Gerstenberg, second son of Duke Wilhelm of Hamlin; loose Snow White retelling
#4: The Captive Maiden ?* 10/?/22 (284)
(spring 1403, &) spring 1412; town of Hagenheim & Castle Hagenheim in the Hartz Mountains, Lower Saxony, Holy Roman Empire (today's Germany); Gisela ?, Lord Valten Gerstenberg, Earl of Hamlin; Cinderella retelling?
#5: The Princess Spy ?* 11/?/22 (313)
spring 1413; Hagenheim, the Hartz Mountains, Lower Saxony, Holy Roman Empire (today's Germany); Margaretha Gerstenberg, Lord Colin ?; Frog Prince retelling?
*
November 8, 2015
RESEÑA COMPLETA EN ESPAÑOL
In each book there is a new version of some famous stories including: Sleeping Beauty , Beauty and the Beast , Snow White, Cinderella and the Frog Prince. However, these versions are made to suit the times in which they are narrated, and therefore are very credible. In fact, the setting of each novel is so precise that one can imagine the scene perfectly.
In addition to the romance there are some mysteries and twists in the stories that are not in the original tales. This makes it very easy to read, and even addictive.
What I liked is the way in which the author combined the faith of the characters and how they had practical effect on their lives.
What I found almost annoying was the fact that every single female protagonist was loved by their beauty, also, some of the books were pretty predictable so the “surprises”weren’t surprises at all.
However, I still recommend this book. If you want to read fairy tales but in a new and improved version then you'll like this book.
-I received a free eBook from BookLookBloggers but this fact didn’t influence the review-
June 9, 2015
Five different young ladies fall in love during the medieval time period. Each story plays with a fairy tale plot line and includes romance and intrigue. All of the stories are connected by family ties, but can also be read as a stand alone story. Each story also has an element of faith woven throughout.
I really enjoyed reading these stories. They seem to have a YA feel, but that might be because of the fairy tale theme. The stories are more realistic than the originals, but still felt like a romantic fairy tale. There were some implausible and over the top spots, but overall this was a set of super sweet stories that I won't mind sharing with my daughter when she gets a little bit older. I really appreciated the way the author wove the message of faith through each of the stories.
I received this book free of charge from BookLook Blogger in exchange for my honest review.
I really enjoyed reading these stories. They seem to have a YA feel, but that might be because of the fairy tale theme. The stories are more realistic than the originals, but still felt like a romantic fairy tale. There were some implausible and over the top spots, but overall this was a set of super sweet stories that I won't mind sharing with my daughter when she gets a little bit older. I really appreciated the way the author wove the message of faith through each of the stories.
I received this book free of charge from BookLook Blogger in exchange for my honest review.
June 2, 2020
First 5 in this series! Loved all!!
I loved all these books! Number 3 was a smidge slow for me. Can’t wait to read the other 6! I love castles and knights and all the medieval stuff! I love all the horses! And that they had to fit like men! No guns! Loved the spiritual parts as well, reminding us to trust in God at all times no matter how bleak things seem. And even if evil does sometimes win on Earth, we have a Heavenly Father preparing a place for us and soon evil will permanently lose forever!!
I loved all these books! Number 3 was a smidge slow for me. Can’t wait to read the other 6! I love castles and knights and all the medieval stuff! I love all the horses! And that they had to fit like men! No guns! Loved the spiritual parts as well, reminding us to trust in God at all times no matter how bleak things seem. And even if evil does sometimes win on Earth, we have a Heavenly Father preparing a place for us and soon evil will permanently lose forever!!
August 10, 2017
Things I love about these books:
- The storylines are woven and connected with a web, and it is fun hearing about the "happily ever afters" of characters from the previous books
- The stories are clean and faith-based
Things I don't love:
- The writing is simple, which makes them easy to read, but doesn't provide much depth. While the characters develop, I don't think it's a develop that changes me as well
- The storylines are woven and connected with a web, and it is fun hearing about the "happily ever afters" of characters from the previous books
- The stories are clean and faith-based
Things I don't love:
- The writing is simple, which makes them easy to read, but doesn't provide much depth. While the characters develop, I don't think it's a develop that changes me as well
April 30, 2018
HATED this book. I only read the first one and it was soooo bad there was no way I was going to try another one. I usually can at least see why others may like or hate a book, but this one is beyond my ability to understand why anyone would like it.
April 17, 2015
In conclusion: I liked it as much as I didn't. So I can't say it was terrible, but it'd be a lie if I say they're the best books ever.
Was good for hanging out but wasn't memorable.
Was good for hanging out but wasn't memorable.
Read
May 19, 2020These books are a fantastic way to enter the fairytale world of happily ever after. I enjoyed stepping into hagenheim and meeting all the characters. This is a series you don't want to miss!
December 11, 2023
I didn't really enjoy this series apart from the first book, though that's just a personal dislike of the style of these stories.
Romance: CLEAN. No curse words or explicit scenes.
Romance: CLEAN. No curse words or explicit scenes.
December 3, 2025
The Healer's Apprentice: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Merchant's Daughter: ⭐⭐⭐
The Fairest Beauty: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Captive Maiden: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Princess Spy: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Merchant's Daughter: ⭐⭐⭐
The Fairest Beauty: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Captive Maiden: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Princess Spy: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
June 9, 2017
The Healer's Apprentice: 3*. Probably my favorite of the series. Maybe that's because I read it first. It was sweet.
The Merchant's Daughter: 3*. Much the same as the first.
The Fairest Beauty and The Captive Maiden: 2*. I did take a break and read another book before coming back to these two. Yet I got about half way and didn't even skim, just jumped to the end to see what happened.
The Princess Spy: Can't bring myself to start it. Will put in To Read and give myself some time.
The Merchant's Daughter: 3*. Much the same as the first.
The Fairest Beauty and The Captive Maiden: 2*. I did take a break and read another book before coming back to these two. Yet I got about half way and didn't even skim, just jumped to the end to see what happened.
The Princess Spy: Can't bring myself to start it. Will put in To Read and give myself some time.
March 5, 2022
Fairy Tale Romance Collection by Melanie Dickerson – A really lovely collection of medieval German historical fiction that blend fairytales beautifully into a family legacy. Each novel has a personal review as well! Happy Reading!
March 22, 2022
What a fantastic series, with more to come! Melanie Dickerson took the fairytales we all know and love and switched out the magic for Christianity! Best idea ever! And it really works! It makes sense!
May 13, 2018
Pretty good books! RTC...
July 11, 2019
Read this series! It’s amazing! I love it! And the others that are related to this series, you should read them too!
February 3, 2017
Best series ever!!!
October 12, 2015
This review is from: Fairy Tale Romance Collection: The Healer's Apprentice, The Merchant's Daughter, The Fairest Beauty, The Captive Maiden, The Princess Spy (Fairy Tale Romance Series) (Kindle Edition)
Melanie Dickerson takes on the re-telling of age old tales in her Fairy Tale Romance Collection.
The Healer's Apprentice tells a new version of the story, Sleeping Beauty. This tale opens up in the year 1386 in Hagenheim, Germany. Rose and her friend, Hildy, are watching the parade that is welcoming home the Duke's sons. When Lord Hamlin's eye catches sight of Rose, his face instantly softens. You sense something exciting is going to happen! When Rose learns that he is awaiting his bride to arrive in town, she knows she must not dream about him. This tale will keep you guessing who Lord Hamlin's bride really is until the final pages!
The Merchant's Daughter is a recounting of The Beauty and the Beast. This story begins in the year 1352 in Glynval, England. Annabel must pay off her family's fine by working as an indentured service for Lord Ranulf for 3 years. The talk in town is that he looks like a beast, with a scar running down one-side of his face! Discover along with Annabel what type of man Lord Ranulf really is!
The Fairest Beauty retells the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. We once again return to Hagenheim Castle in Germany for this tale. When an old woman brings word that the betrothed of Duke Wilhelm's oldest son, Valten, is in grave danger, his younger son, Gabe, decides to ride to her rescue! Gabe must battle with the evil Duchess Ermengard to bring Sophie away to safety!
The Captive Maiden is a new depiction of the age-old story of Cinderella. When Grisela's father died, she was only eight years old. She was left alone with a stepmother who had no compassion for her! Gisela seems to have no hope, working as a servant to her stepmother and her stepsisters. When Grisela (now seventeen) visits the town square in Hagenheim, she crosses paths with Valten, the son of a Duke Wilhelm. Will he be the one who will rescue her? Watch and see what will develop between them!
To wrap up this book, The Princess Spy is a fresh adaption of the Frog Prince. Duke Wilhelm and Rose's oldest daughter, Margaretha, is bound to find the man God has planned for her in this tale full of lots of conversation and adventure! It is also great to see the connection this tale has to The Merchant's Daughter!
This book is filled with exciting tales for any young adult just venturing into the world of the written word!
I received this book from Zondervan in exchange for my unbiased review
http://penlessreview.blogspot.com/
April 17, 2015
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Five of the most popular fairytales being re-written in a historical setting, no fairy godmothers, no magic, but a lot of faith in God. The first four books, The Healer’s Apprentice, The Merchant’s Daughter, The Fairest Beauty and The Captive Maiden were very easy to figure out which fairytale it was from.
The Healer’s Apprentice was a retelling of Sleeping Beauty, with Rose Roemer, not much of a stretch there to see a parallel there. An evil man is bent on destroying the daughter of his enemy, and she is hidden away her entire life for her safety. In plain sight seems to be the order of the day here as her betrothed searches here and there to find the evil man, destroy him, and bring his betrothed (whom he has never met) into safety.
In The Merchant’s Daughter, this is a beautiful retelling of Beauty and The Beast, one of my absolute favorite fairytales. A daughter takes upon her family’s sentencing and goes into servitude to the local lord for three years, the lord being supposedly terrifying to look upon and “beastly”.
Fairest Beauty is a retelling of Snow White, complete even with the Cottage of the Seven. No, they are not dwarves, at least not all of them, but they are all misfits and shunned by society. Add in a romantic twist of denied love, and you get a wonderful retelling of the story.
The Captive Maiden, a story of Gisela, the daughter of a horse breeder and merchant who remarried and later died. The stepmother and two step-sisters (sound familiar?) waste away the family fortune on gowns and carriages. A kindly neighbor helps Gisela out to go to the tournament, where she becomes crowned the Queen of Love and Beauty. And thus the tale of Cinderella arises.
The last book is supposed to be a retelling of The Princess and the Frog, but I certainly couldn’t figure that one out, besides a very small scene where Colin is put into some clothes that remind her of a frog.
I don’t really see these as being Christian novels. Yes, they make an awful lot of “Oh God” and “Oh Jesus” remarks, but these novels are set in the 1400s, when the Church and God held a huge amount of sway over the common people’s life. I see these remarks more of a historical setting, not necessarily making the novels Christian, just as someone saying “Jesus Christ” doesn’t make them a Christian.
These books each had their positive and negative points, but overall, they were all very well-written, and I like how they were all tied together so we could see the characters from previous books in the current one.
Five of the most popular fairytales being re-written in a historical setting, no fairy godmothers, no magic, but a lot of faith in God. The first four books, The Healer’s Apprentice, The Merchant’s Daughter, The Fairest Beauty and The Captive Maiden were very easy to figure out which fairytale it was from.
The Healer’s Apprentice was a retelling of Sleeping Beauty, with Rose Roemer, not much of a stretch there to see a parallel there. An evil man is bent on destroying the daughter of his enemy, and she is hidden away her entire life for her safety. In plain sight seems to be the order of the day here as her betrothed searches here and there to find the evil man, destroy him, and bring his betrothed (whom he has never met) into safety.
In The Merchant’s Daughter, this is a beautiful retelling of Beauty and The Beast, one of my absolute favorite fairytales. A daughter takes upon her family’s sentencing and goes into servitude to the local lord for three years, the lord being supposedly terrifying to look upon and “beastly”.
Fairest Beauty is a retelling of Snow White, complete even with the Cottage of the Seven. No, they are not dwarves, at least not all of them, but they are all misfits and shunned by society. Add in a romantic twist of denied love, and you get a wonderful retelling of the story.
The Captive Maiden, a story of Gisela, the daughter of a horse breeder and merchant who remarried and later died. The stepmother and two step-sisters (sound familiar?) waste away the family fortune on gowns and carriages. A kindly neighbor helps Gisela out to go to the tournament, where she becomes crowned the Queen of Love and Beauty. And thus the tale of Cinderella arises.
The last book is supposed to be a retelling of The Princess and the Frog, but I certainly couldn’t figure that one out, besides a very small scene where Colin is put into some clothes that remind her of a frog.
I don’t really see these as being Christian novels. Yes, they make an awful lot of “Oh God” and “Oh Jesus” remarks, but these novels are set in the 1400s, when the Church and God held a huge amount of sway over the common people’s life. I see these remarks more of a historical setting, not necessarily making the novels Christian, just as someone saying “Jesus Christ” doesn’t make them a Christian.
These books each had their positive and negative points, but overall, they were all very well-written, and I like how they were all tied together so we could see the characters from previous books in the current one.
February 1, 2016
Melanie Dickerson takes on the re-telling of age old tales in her Fairy Tale Romance Collection.
The Healer's Apprentice tells a new version of the story, Sleeping Beauty. This tale opens up in the year 1386 in Hagenheim, Germany. Rose and her friend, Hildy, are watching the parade that is welcoming home the Duke's sons. When Lord Hamlin's eye catches sight of Rose, his face instantly softens. You sense something exciting is going to happen! When Rose learns that he is awaiting his bride to arrive in town, she knows she must not dream about him. This tale will keep you guessing who Lord Hamlin's bride really is until the final pages!
The Merchant's Daughter is a recounting of The Beauty and the Beast. This story begins in the year 1352 in Glynval, England. Annabel must pay off her family's fine by working as an indentured service for Lord Ranulf for 3 years. The talk in town is that he looks like a beast, with a scar running down one-side of his face! Discover along with Annabel what type of man Lord Ranulf really is!
The Fairest Beauty retells the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. We once again return to Hagenheim Castle in Germany for this tale. When an old woman brings word that the betrothed of Duke Wilhelm's oldest son, Valten, is in grave danger, his younger son, Gabe, decides to ride to her rescue! Gabe must battle with the evil Duchess Ermengard to bring Sophie away to safety!
The Captive Maiden is a new depiction of the age-old story of Cinderella. When Grisela's father died, she was only eight years old. She was left alone with a stepmother who had no compassion for her! Gisela seems to have no hope, working as a servant to her stepmother and her stepsisters. When Grisela (now seventeen) visits the town square in Hagenheim, she crosses paths with Valten, the son of a Duke Wilhelm. Will he be the one who will rescue her? Watch and see what will develop between them!
To wrap up this book, The Princess Spy is a fresh adaption of the Frog Prince. Duke Wilhelm and Rose's oldest daughter, Margaretha, is bound to find the man God has planned for her in this tale full of lots of conversation and adventure! It is also great to see the connection this tale has to The Merchant's Daughter!
This book is filled with exciting tales for any young adult just venturing into the world of the written word!
I received this book from Zondervan in exchange for my unbiased review
http://penlessreview.blogspot.com/
The Healer's Apprentice tells a new version of the story, Sleeping Beauty. This tale opens up in the year 1386 in Hagenheim, Germany. Rose and her friend, Hildy, are watching the parade that is welcoming home the Duke's sons. When Lord Hamlin's eye catches sight of Rose, his face instantly softens. You sense something exciting is going to happen! When Rose learns that he is awaiting his bride to arrive in town, she knows she must not dream about him. This tale will keep you guessing who Lord Hamlin's bride really is until the final pages!
The Merchant's Daughter is a recounting of The Beauty and the Beast. This story begins in the year 1352 in Glynval, England. Annabel must pay off her family's fine by working as an indentured service for Lord Ranulf for 3 years. The talk in town is that he looks like a beast, with a scar running down one-side of his face! Discover along with Annabel what type of man Lord Ranulf really is!
The Fairest Beauty retells the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. We once again return to Hagenheim Castle in Germany for this tale. When an old woman brings word that the betrothed of Duke Wilhelm's oldest son, Valten, is in grave danger, his younger son, Gabe, decides to ride to her rescue! Gabe must battle with the evil Duchess Ermengard to bring Sophie away to safety!
The Captive Maiden is a new depiction of the age-old story of Cinderella. When Grisela's father died, she was only eight years old. She was left alone with a stepmother who had no compassion for her! Gisela seems to have no hope, working as a servant to her stepmother and her stepsisters. When Grisela (now seventeen) visits the town square in Hagenheim, she crosses paths with Valten, the son of a Duke Wilhelm. Will he be the one who will rescue her? Watch and see what will develop between them!
To wrap up this book, The Princess Spy is a fresh adaption of the Frog Prince. Duke Wilhelm and Rose's oldest daughter, Margaretha, is bound to find the man God has planned for her in this tale full of lots of conversation and adventure! It is also great to see the connection this tale has to The Merchant's Daughter!
This book is filled with exciting tales for any young adult just venturing into the world of the written word!
I received this book from Zondervan in exchange for my unbiased review
http://penlessreview.blogspot.com/
February 17, 2016
I've been reading Melanie Dickerson's books since 2010 --Her fairy tale inspired stories are adapted into historical romance novels appropriate for teens (and adults) who enjoy sweet romance. Though a bit formulaic at times (such as slightly repetitive story elements), that is common in fairy tales themselves. Fans will love seeing her take on classic, well-known fairy tales.
The ebook Fairy Tale Romance Collection bundles Dickerson's first five YA medieval fairy tale romances, The Healer's Apprentice (originally published in 2010) which adapts Sleeping Beauty, The Merchant's Daughter (2011, Beauty & the Beast), The Fairest Beauty (2013, Snow White), The Captive Maiden (2013, Cinderella), and The Princess Spy (2014, The Frog Prince). There are elements from each book that I like ... I don't really have a favorite, though The Healer's Apprentice holds a special place in my heart. The romances are sweet and you'll see Dickerson's writing get better and better over the course of the series. The books are all loosely connected and set in the German city of Hagenheim (minus The Merchant's Daughter, which is set in England, but is later connected to the other novels via The Princess Spy). For more details, you can read my full review of The Princess Spy.
Having owned all of Dickerson's fairy tale titles in print, I was interested to see how this ebook bundle would compare. I found the collection itself to be very navigable: you could easily jump to the book and chapter you wanted from the table of contents or because it's an ebook, search for a line or character. Prologues, author's notes, and other addendum to the print versions can be found in the same order. Curiously though, the discussion questions (from The Healer's Apprentice and The Princess Spy), author interview (first included in The Healer's Apprentice) and acknowledgements written for each individual book are collected together at the end of the collection. But really, the only negative to me is that you don't get to see the gorgeous cover art each individual book has. If you prefer to read digital books, I'd highly recommend picking up this ebook collection, which is currently less expensive than purchasing the five ebook titles separately!
[Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from BookLook Bloggers for review purposes.]
The ebook Fairy Tale Romance Collection bundles Dickerson's first five YA medieval fairy tale romances, The Healer's Apprentice (originally published in 2010) which adapts Sleeping Beauty, The Merchant's Daughter (2011, Beauty & the Beast), The Fairest Beauty (2013, Snow White), The Captive Maiden (2013, Cinderella), and The Princess Spy (2014, The Frog Prince). There are elements from each book that I like ... I don't really have a favorite, though The Healer's Apprentice holds a special place in my heart. The romances are sweet and you'll see Dickerson's writing get better and better over the course of the series. The books are all loosely connected and set in the German city of Hagenheim (minus The Merchant's Daughter, which is set in England, but is later connected to the other novels via The Princess Spy). For more details, you can read my full review of The Princess Spy.
Having owned all of Dickerson's fairy tale titles in print, I was interested to see how this ebook bundle would compare. I found the collection itself to be very navigable: you could easily jump to the book and chapter you wanted from the table of contents or because it's an ebook, search for a line or character. Prologues, author's notes, and other addendum to the print versions can be found in the same order. Curiously though, the discussion questions (from The Healer's Apprentice and The Princess Spy), author interview (first included in The Healer's Apprentice) and acknowledgements written for each individual book are collected together at the end of the collection. But really, the only negative to me is that you don't get to see the gorgeous cover art each individual book has. If you prefer to read digital books, I'd highly recommend picking up this ebook collection, which is currently less expensive than purchasing the five ebook titles separately!
[Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from BookLook Bloggers for review purposes.]
April 15, 2015
The first book in the Fairy Tale Romance Collection is the book The Healer’s Apprentice. In this book, a twist of Sleeping Beauty, Rose falls in love with Lord Hamlin, the duke’s son. The message of this book, I would say, is about being independent but courteous. I enjoyed this book, and would recommend it for ages twelve through seventeen.
The Merchant’s Daughter is the second book of the series. It was a spin off of Beauty and the Beast. Lord Ranulf le Wyse meets Annabel, and against all odds they are able to marry by the end. The theme was one of standing strong through turmoil. To be quite honest, however, i do not know how this book ties in to the rest of the series. i would say that although this book was all right, it was not my favorite. There were a few questionable scenes. So, I would say for this book, readers need to be at least thirteen years of age.
The Fairest Beauty, the third book of the Fairy Tale Romance series, is centered on Gabehart (Lady Rose and Lord Hamlin’s second son) and his love for Sophia, another duke’s daughter. The book is based upon the story of Snow White. Staying true to yourself is the underlying theme in this book. This book was excellent, but I would still restrict it to ages twelve and up for some intense scenes.
The fourth book in this collection is called The Captive Maiden It focuses on Gisela’s love for Valten, who is Gabe’s older brother in the previously mentioned book. This was an exciting twist of the fairy tale Cinderella. The message in this book is one of staying faithful to your love, come what may. This book is my favorite in the series, and I would recommend it for ages twelve to seventeen.
The fifth and final book in this series is entitled The Princess Spy. This is an intriguing spin off of the story of The Frog Princess. Margaretha, the eldest daughter of Lady Rose and Lord Hamlin, falls in love with Lord Collin. The theme of this book is to love and protect your family. This book is most enjoyable for ages twelve to sixteen.
The ebook Fairy Tale Romance Collection was released in February of 2015 by Zondervan. Ms. Melanie Dickerson authored it. Thank you to Zondervan and Ms. Dickerson for providing me a copy of the ebook to review.
The Merchant’s Daughter is the second book of the series. It was a spin off of Beauty and the Beast. Lord Ranulf le Wyse meets Annabel, and against all odds they are able to marry by the end. The theme was one of standing strong through turmoil. To be quite honest, however, i do not know how this book ties in to the rest of the series. i would say that although this book was all right, it was not my favorite. There were a few questionable scenes. So, I would say for this book, readers need to be at least thirteen years of age.
The Fairest Beauty, the third book of the Fairy Tale Romance series, is centered on Gabehart (Lady Rose and Lord Hamlin’s second son) and his love for Sophia, another duke’s daughter. The book is based upon the story of Snow White. Staying true to yourself is the underlying theme in this book. This book was excellent, but I would still restrict it to ages twelve and up for some intense scenes.
The fourth book in this collection is called The Captive Maiden It focuses on Gisela’s love for Valten, who is Gabe’s older brother in the previously mentioned book. This was an exciting twist of the fairy tale Cinderella. The message in this book is one of staying faithful to your love, come what may. This book is my favorite in the series, and I would recommend it for ages twelve to seventeen.
The fifth and final book in this series is entitled The Princess Spy. This is an intriguing spin off of the story of The Frog Princess. Margaretha, the eldest daughter of Lady Rose and Lord Hamlin, falls in love with Lord Collin. The theme of this book is to love and protect your family. This book is most enjoyable for ages twelve to sixteen.
The ebook Fairy Tale Romance Collection was released in February of 2015 by Zondervan. Ms. Melanie Dickerson authored it. Thank you to Zondervan and Ms. Dickerson for providing me a copy of the ebook to review.
April 5, 2015
Melanie Dickerson knew what she was doing when she started writing YA novels. All girls, whether 3 years old or 90 years old, want to be a princess!! In retelling these fairy tales, she has won over the hearts of many!
In this collection, we have Melanie first book. The story of “Sleeping Beauty” is retold in The Healer’s Apprentice. We are introduced to Rose Roemer. She is an apprentice under the watchful eye of her protector. Of course, you are familiar with the story and can guess the rest (;
Next, in Melanie’s second book, The Merchants Daughter, we are introduced to Annabel as she must work for the the man that “has a beard and one of his arms is afflicted”. She finds herself inside the castle in the midst of a “Beauty and the Beast” retelling.
In her third book, The Fairest Beauty, she begins to introduce characters we will see throughout the rest of her books. Sophie is a servant in her own father’s home because he has died and she is left with her evil stepmother. Nope! Not “Cinderella”! Not yet!! This is the retelling of “Snow White”.
Now we have “Cinderella”!! In, The Captive Maiden, we find the story of Sophie and Valten. This, Valten, is the brother of Gabe (whom Sophie married in the last book!!)! I don’t need to tell you the details. You get the idea! It’s everyone’s favorite fairy tale!
Lastly, The Princess Spy, is a retelling of “The Princess and the Frog”. Now, this was a bit of a stretch, as far as calling it a “retelling” of that particular story. However, it was still fun and entertaining. The story is centered Margaretha, who is the sister of Gabe and Valten.
Whew! Did you follow all of that? Well, you will have to check them out for yourself! The link for this set is in the pic above. The individual links are also posted.
My thoughts? Love these books. They are written for YA, but so much fun. I, personally, like her first book the most. They are all wonderful! We need more of these type for our youth.
Keep an eye out for Melanie’s new book, The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest. Release date is set for May 12th.
Thanks, booklookbloggers, for this wonderful collection! As always, this is my honest opinion. Here’s to many more!!
In this collection, we have Melanie first book. The story of “Sleeping Beauty” is retold in The Healer’s Apprentice. We are introduced to Rose Roemer. She is an apprentice under the watchful eye of her protector. Of course, you are familiar with the story and can guess the rest (;
Next, in Melanie’s second book, The Merchants Daughter, we are introduced to Annabel as she must work for the the man that “has a beard and one of his arms is afflicted”. She finds herself inside the castle in the midst of a “Beauty and the Beast” retelling.
In her third book, The Fairest Beauty, she begins to introduce characters we will see throughout the rest of her books. Sophie is a servant in her own father’s home because he has died and she is left with her evil stepmother. Nope! Not “Cinderella”! Not yet!! This is the retelling of “Snow White”.
Now we have “Cinderella”!! In, The Captive Maiden, we find the story of Sophie and Valten. This, Valten, is the brother of Gabe (whom Sophie married in the last book!!)! I don’t need to tell you the details. You get the idea! It’s everyone’s favorite fairy tale!
Lastly, The Princess Spy, is a retelling of “The Princess and the Frog”. Now, this was a bit of a stretch, as far as calling it a “retelling” of that particular story. However, it was still fun and entertaining. The story is centered Margaretha, who is the sister of Gabe and Valten.
Whew! Did you follow all of that? Well, you will have to check them out for yourself! The link for this set is in the pic above. The individual links are also posted.
My thoughts? Love these books. They are written for YA, but so much fun. I, personally, like her first book the most. They are all wonderful! We need more of these type for our youth.
Keep an eye out for Melanie’s new book, The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest. Release date is set for May 12th.
Thanks, booklookbloggers, for this wonderful collection! As always, this is my honest opinion. Here’s to many more!!
September 24, 2015
About the connection between those books. Rose and Lord Hamlin (The Healer's Apprentice) are the parents of Gabe (The Fairest Beauty), Valten (The Captive Maiden), and Margaretha (The Princess Spy). And Colin (The Princess Spy) is the grandson of Annabel and Ranulf (The Merchant's Daughter).
As much as I love this whole series (you'll know if you read my pervious review!), and I hope you'll enjoy them as I do. However, some of you may think it's horrible. But I'll provide some reading tips so you can enjoy the whole series. Set yourself at the period, just read the book as if you live in medieval term too! So when you read the plots you won't feel shallow, instead, you can fall in love with the romantic series as I do! Second, remind the period if that time, you'll find the male characters were really in love with the female characters because of their inner beauty, not like those who just see appearance. Last but not least, if you are hesitated about all the God in the series, don't be! It actually gives us really good opinion not just for the characters but also ourselves to learn! I'm far from a Christian, yet I really enjoy reading the whole books! If you try all those tips and still find it boring to read... I can only say that you're too sad to miss the great series!
Melanie Dickerson is so kind to answer my question about the story! (thank you soooo much!). As I was informed, there'll be a surprise in the sixth book! I'm really looking forward to it!
The series is full of adventure and romance, I'm kind of the person who hate romance stories, but Melanie Dickerson wrote them so we'll even I fallen for it. As for the adventure, it just give us a brand new sight from the contemporary novel plot ( something called...dysutopia) I'm madly in love with fairy tales again because of this series! For those who love all of the topic I mention above, make sure you read the books right away!
This is originally post on my blog
Vivian's Book Pavilion
http://viviansbookpavilion.blogspot.com/
As much as I love this whole series (you'll know if you read my pervious review!), and I hope you'll enjoy them as I do. However, some of you may think it's horrible. But I'll provide some reading tips so you can enjoy the whole series. Set yourself at the period, just read the book as if you live in medieval term too! So when you read the plots you won't feel shallow, instead, you can fall in love with the romantic series as I do! Second, remind the period if that time, you'll find the male characters were really in love with the female characters because of their inner beauty, not like those who just see appearance. Last but not least, if you are hesitated about all the God in the series, don't be! It actually gives us really good opinion not just for the characters but also ourselves to learn! I'm far from a Christian, yet I really enjoy reading the whole books! If you try all those tips and still find it boring to read... I can only say that you're too sad to miss the great series!
Melanie Dickerson is so kind to answer my question about the story! (thank you soooo much!). As I was informed, there'll be a surprise in the sixth book! I'm really looking forward to it!
The series is full of adventure and romance, I'm kind of the person who hate romance stories, but Melanie Dickerson wrote them so we'll even I fallen for it. As for the adventure, it just give us a brand new sight from the contemporary novel plot ( something called...dysutopia) I'm madly in love with fairy tales again because of this series! For those who love all of the topic I mention above, make sure you read the books right away!
This is originally post on my blog
Vivian's Book Pavilion
http://viviansbookpavilion.blogspot.com/
January 8, 2016
The Fairy Tale Romance Collection contains 5 fairy tales set in Medieval times. Each book may be read individually, but I would recommend reading them in order as they are connected. All of the books are set in the Holy Roman Empire, in Saxony, except for the Merchant's Daughter which is set in England.
The Healer's Apprentice is a compelling story, with some twists that keep it from being predictable. The author pays great attention to detail, and I always enjoy learning something new about a time period or region. The only things I didn't like about this story are that the end is somewhat anti-climactic and I wasn't sure which fairy tale I had read until I double checked in the book description on Amazon. Even with those problems I recommend this book and will read it again.
The Merchant's Daughter is a retelling of the Beauty and the Beast. The love story is fun and reading the beauty and the beast without having witches or spells was a nice change. My favorite part though is when Annabel reads the Bible for the first time. Oh to have the thirst for the Word of God that she does!
The Fairest Beauty is a retelling of Snow White. Very enjoyable read! I especially liked what the author did with "the seven" and Gabe. I loved Gabe. =)
The Captive Maiden is a fun retelling of Cinderella, complete with lost slipper, wicked step-mother, and handsome prince...err…earl. I think Valten may be my favorite hero in the Fairy Tale Romance Collection.
Margaretha is spunky, stubborn, and she talks too much, a fault I can readily identify with. She rescues the hero about as many times as he rescues her. The Princess Spy rounds out the Fairy Tale Romance Collection well as it ties all the stories together. (Though I am eagerly anticipating reading The Golden Braid which ties in to the Princess Spy, I think.)
P.S. My husband insists the next fairy-tale in this series should be a re-write of the Three Little Pigs! =)
The Healer's Apprentice is a compelling story, with some twists that keep it from being predictable. The author pays great attention to detail, and I always enjoy learning something new about a time period or region. The only things I didn't like about this story are that the end is somewhat anti-climactic and I wasn't sure which fairy tale I had read until I double checked in the book description on Amazon. Even with those problems I recommend this book and will read it again.
The Merchant's Daughter is a retelling of the Beauty and the Beast. The love story is fun and reading the beauty and the beast without having witches or spells was a nice change. My favorite part though is when Annabel reads the Bible for the first time. Oh to have the thirst for the Word of God that she does!
The Fairest Beauty is a retelling of Snow White. Very enjoyable read! I especially liked what the author did with "the seven" and Gabe. I loved Gabe. =)
The Captive Maiden is a fun retelling of Cinderella, complete with lost slipper, wicked step-mother, and handsome prince...err…earl. I think Valten may be my favorite hero in the Fairy Tale Romance Collection.
Margaretha is spunky, stubborn, and she talks too much, a fault I can readily identify with. She rescues the hero about as many times as he rescues her. The Princess Spy rounds out the Fairy Tale Romance Collection well as it ties all the stories together. (Though I am eagerly anticipating reading The Golden Braid which ties in to the Princess Spy, I think.)
P.S. My husband insists the next fairy-tale in this series should be a re-write of the Three Little Pigs! =)
August 14, 2024
I love this entire series and look forward to reading them again. Think "Medieval Germany meets fairytale retellings."
I had given up on reading fairytale retellings in general because they seemed too predictable, but these stories were pleasantly surprising with every page. There were many times when I thought, "Oh, this story must be wrapping up now because Cinderella is leaving the ball, etc." but I was completely wrong!
These books are a refreshing take on the classics while also presenting sweet love stories and uplifting messages of faith, family, and courage.
I had given up on reading fairytale retellings in general because they seemed too predictable, but these stories were pleasantly surprising with every page. There were many times when I thought, "Oh, this story must be wrapping up now because Cinderella is leaving the ball, etc." but I was completely wrong!
These books are a refreshing take on the classics while also presenting sweet love stories and uplifting messages of faith, family, and courage.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews