Review of The Warrior Maiden by Melanie Dickerson

About the Book ~

She knew a woman was expected to marry, cook, and have children, not go to war. Can she manage to stay alive, save her mother, and keep the handsome son of a duke from discovering her secret?

When Mulan decides to take her father’s place in battle against the besieging Teutonic Knights, she realizes she has been preparing for this moment her whole life—and that her life, and her mother’s, depends on her success. As the adopted daughter of poor parents, she has little power in the world. If she can’t prove herself on the battlefield, she could face death—or, perhaps worse, marriage to the village butcher.

In her disguise as a young man, Mulan meets Wolfgang, the German duke’s son who is determined to save his people even if it means fighting against his own brother. Wolfgang is exasperated by the young soldier who seems to be one step away from disaster at all times—or showing Wolfgang up in embarrassing ways.

From rivals to reluctant friends, Mulan and Wolfgang begin to share secrets with one another. But war is an uncertain time and dreams can die as quickly as they are born. When Mulan receives word of danger back home, she must make the ultimate choice. Could she be the son her bitter father never had? Or would she become the strong young woman she has been created to be?

This fresh reimagining of the classic tale takes us to fifteenth-century Lithuania where both love and war challenge the strongest of hearts.

For more information about Melanie Dickerson and her books, check out her website here!

My Thoughts ~

The Warrior Maiden is amazing! I know that's really simple, but it's the truth! The Warrior Maiden is one of Melanie Dickerson's best books - EVER!!!

Disney's Mulan holds a special place in my heart (it's the first movie I remember seeing in theater), so I had high expectations for this story. And it more than lived up to them! To start, I will always be in awe of how the author weaves the fairy tale we all know and love into the Medieval world she has created, and after nine books, we also know and love this world! The execution of this in The Warrior Maiden is flawless! I even felt breathless on more than one occasion because the author had raised the stakes so much that it didn't matter that I knew everything would work out in the end; all that mattered was what was happening right there!

Wolfgang was such an amazing hero! Handsome, brave, loving, and Godly! His pride got the best of him a couple times, but that only made me love him more. Through Wolfgang's past, the author shows that God's forgiveness has nothing to do with how good we are, but rather how great His grace is. This tender message warmed my heart so much!

Mulan earned a spot as one of my favorite heroines! It was so cool to see her embrace her differences as the unique woman God had created her to be! Her personality was so vivid! I could feel the sting of rejection that she faced from her father, and I could understand all way to my core why she was afraid to let herself love Wolfgang. Mulan is the type of heroine that will empower young and not-so-young women to not only fight for themselves, but to know that it's also okay to need someone to fight with you or for you. And to love with an open heart.

Five Stars ~ If I could, I would give a hundred stars to The Warrior Maiden by Melanie Dickerson! It is that good!!! The Warrior Maiden is the ninth book in the author's YA Hagenheim Series, but it can be read as a standalone. I am looking forward to the redemption of a certain character in the next book, The Piper's Pursuit, coming December 2019!

Disclaimer ~ In accordance with FTC regulations, I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not compensated, nor was a positive review required. All opinions expressed are my own.

See you next time, and God bless you guys!!!

Hugs!

~V. Joy Palmer

V. Joy Palmer is the author of Love, Lace, and Minor Alterations and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She is also an avid blogger and co-founder of Snack Time Devotions. In her spare time, Joy is an unprofessional chocolate connoisseur/binger, and she loves acting crazy and drinking coffee with the teens she mentors. When Joy isn’t urging the elves that live in her computer to write, she’s hanging out with her husband, their adorable baby girl, and their socially awkward pets.

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