Presenting Author - Melanie Dickerson

[Artemisia Thorne]

Name: Melanie Dickerson
Genre: Christian Romance
Audience: Young Adult, New Adult, Adult
Books: Hagenheim series, Medieval Fairy Tale series, Dericott Tales series, and more.


Summary: Melanie Dickerson has a bachelor’s degree in special education, specialising in hearing impairments, and worked as a teacher in the U.S., Germany, and Ukraine. She is now a Christian romance author with several awards to her name. She is a steadfast Christian and her writing reflects her beliefs.

Goodreads says:

Melanie Dickerson is a New York Times bestselling author, a two-time Christy Award finalist, two-time Maggie Award winner, Carol Award winner, two-time winner of the Christian Retailing's Best award, and her book, The Healer's Apprentice, won the National Readers Choice Award for Best First Book. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and Romance Writers of America (RWA). Melanie earned a bachelors degree in special education of the hearing impaired from The University of Alabama and has worked as a teacher in Georgia, Tennessee, and Ukraine. She lives with her husband and two children in Huntsville, Alabama.

Review: I am not religious, so Dickerson is not an author I would normally read from. However, since I first started reading her Hagenheim series in high school I have read the entire series, as well as her Medieval Fairy Tale series and the Dericott Tales series. While religion is a major factor in her books, it is not overwhelmingly so. For religious readers and the non-religious who are not against reading about religious beliefs and ways of life I believe Dickerson is a wonderful author and I strongly recommend her Hagenheim and Medieval Fairy Tale series.

[Artemisia Thorne]

Title: The Healer’s Apprentice
Author: Melanie Dickerson
Series: Hagenheim
Genres: Fairy Tales, Christian Romance
Audience: Young Adult, New Adult, Adult


Summary: Rose is a woodcutter’s daughter who works as a healer’s apprentice at Hagenheim Castle. When Lord Hamlin, the future duke, is injured and Rose must tend to him, she knows she has no chance with him, but that doesn’t stop the feelings that begin to grow within her, nor within him. Unfortunately, Lord Hamlin is betrothed to another, a young woman who has been in hiding for many years as an evil sorcerer hunts her down. As the pair battle their feelings for one another, a darkness grows steadily closer.

Goodreads says:

Rose has been appointed as a healer's apprentice at Hagenheim Castle, a rare opportunity for a woodcutter's daughter like her. While she often feels uneasy at the sight of blood, Rose is determined to prove herself capable. Failure will mean returning home to marry the aging bachelor her mother has chosen for her—a bloated, disgusting merchant who makes Rose feel ill.
When Lord Hamlin, the future duke, is injured, it is Rose who must tend to him. As she works to heal his wound, she begins to understand emotions she's never felt before and wonders if he feels the same. But falling in love is forbidden, as Lord Hamlin is betrothed to a mysterious young woman in hiding. As Rose's life spins toward confusion, she must take the first steps on a journey to discover her own destiny.

Review: I have lost count of how many times I’ve read this book. This is a Sleeping Beauty retelling that delves deeper than most I’ve read. There is such an extensive look into the individuals, backgrounds, and romances involved, it’s wonderful. Rose’s character is so well thought out, and as she plays a role in later books in the series this is so important. Lord Hamlin too is so dreamy and swoon-worthy without being over-the-top and agonisingly perfect. The plot itself is beautifully written. I love the way Dickerson lets the story play out the way it does, her writing just flows and it makes the book all the better.

I do have one complaint about this book. I am pagan, and since this is a Christian romance the evil sorcerer portrayed in this book is meant to be pagan also. However, while I don’t appreciate the way my beliefs are portrayed, I understand that this is simply the Christian worldview and try to ignore the fact of the sorcerers paganism when it is mentioned in the book. I don’t recommend this book for anyone who reacts strongly to Christian worldviews like this, but for those who can overlook it as simply another belief that doesn’t affect them then I will say without a doubt that you should read it, this is a great book.

[Artemisia Thorne]

Title: The Fairest Beauty
Author: Melanie Dickerson
Series: Hagenheim
Genres: Fairy Tales, Christian Romance
Audience: Young Adult, New Adult, Adult


Summary: Sophie lives as a maid in the Duchesses household, not knowing that she is the daughter of the late Duke until Gabe arrives claiming she is betrothed to his brother. The pair flee the Duchesses wrath and take shelter in the Cottage of the Seven. Despite knowing that Sophie is betrothed to his older brother, Gabe falls in love with her, and she with him. With Valten soon to discover of his betrothed’s rescue, the situation cannot be hidden forever, and a choice must be made.

Goodreads says:

Sophie desperately wants to get away from her stepmother's jealousy, and believes escape is her only chance to be happy. Then a young man named Gabe arrives from Hagenheim Castle, claiming she is betrothed to his older brother, and everything twists upside down. This could be Sophie's one chance at freedom—but can she trust another person to keep her safe?
Gabe defied his parents Rose and Wilhelm by going to find Sophie, and now he believes they had a right to worry: the girl's inner and outer beauty has enchanted him. Though romance is impossible—she is his brother's future wife, and Gabe himself is betrothed to someone else—he promises himself he will see the mission through, no matter what.
When the pair flee to the Cottage of the Seven, they find help—but also find their feelings for each other have grown. Now both must not only protect each other from the dangers around them—they must also protect their hearts.

Review: I love the character Sophie in this book. She is strong-willed and sassy, and shows all the traits of determination, independence, and courage. Her character maintains an underlying feel of fragility that seems to run through most Snow White retellings, but Dickerson has taken that and made it one of her strengths. The romance between Sophie and Gabe is also incredibly well written. I wouldn’t have expected a Christian author to write a romance between a young man and his brother’s betrothed, so I had originally feared it would be villainised in some way. While there is certainly talk of how this was wrong in essence, the overarching theme is that love will find a way. This is the main portion of the plot, there is very little action compared to some of the other books in this series, but it is undoubtedly one of my favourite. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve read this book and I have a feeling I’ll read it just as many times in the years to come.

[Artemisia Thorne]

Title: The Captive Maiden
Author: Melanie Dickerson
Series: Hagenheim
Genres: Fairy Tales, Christian Romance
Audience: Young Adult, New Adult, Adult


Summary: Gisela has been in servitude to her stepmother since her father’s death. One day she is able to escape her stepmother’s clutches and catches the eye of the Duke’s eldest son, Valten. As the pair grow close it seems Gisela may be able to escape her stepmother forever, Gisela’s happily ever after right on the horizon. Unfortunately, there is another out there who is far more dangerous than Gisela’s stepmother, and who poses much more of a risk to both her and Valten.

Goodreads says:

Gisela's childhood was filled with laughter and visits from nobles such as the duke and his young son. But since her father's death, each day has been filled with nothing but servitude to her stepmother. So when Gisela meets the duke's son, Valten—the boy she has daydreamed about for years—and learns he is throwing a ball, she vows to attend, even if it's only for a taste of a life she'll never have. To her surprise, she catches Valten's eye. Though he is rough around the edges, Gisela finds Valten has completely captured her heart. But other forces are bent on keeping the two from falling further in love, putting Gisela in more danger than she ever imagined.

Review: I’ve never been a huge fan of the typical ‘Cinderella’ type fairy tale. It’s not a feminist thing, it was just that I couldn’t understand why Cinderella didn’t do more to get out of her situation. Well, this version of the fairy tale was finally exactly what I had been looking for and I have read it several times. Gisela is strong, determined, independent, and brave. Her story maintains the typical Cinderella characteristics while delving deeper and creating a more vivid picture of who Cinderella/Gisela really is. Further, it gives Valten the romance he missed out on since his brother fell for his betrothed in ‘The Fairest Beauty’. As far as the plot goes, I was originally shocked when the typical storyline had already played out by halfway through the book. This book goes further than any Cinderella retelling I have ever read before, weaving a far greater tale full of deception and intrigue. I highly recommend it.