This was a very enjoyable read! Mulan is a favorite of mine and I think the author did a very good job spinning her own tale with Mulan as a main character. It was full of action, good relationships and hard to put down when reading. I'm looking forward to reading more from Melanie Dickerson, especially more in this Hagenheim series!

This Mulan retelling really, really did not work for me. I found the relocation of the story to Lithuania to be slightly odd, but my main complaint was that this undermined Mulan's martial side to become an extraordinarily sappy romance. The hero falls in love with Mulan almost immediately, and she is revealed to be a woman very early on in the plot, so that this just becomes a love story, and not a particularly deep one. It also concerned me that at one point the hero locks Mulan in her room to 'protect' her - that is just against the spirit of feminism that I was expecting.

I also didn't realise that this was Christian fiction, which rather ruined it for me, The religious themes are HEAVY and there is a lot of twisting of the story to include prayer, belief, random tangents into moralising at people, and a whole lot of personal shame and guilt and needing to forgive the enemy. This could definitely be better sign-posted as I found it deeply obtrusive into the story. I understand there is a market for this, but there are also people who would prefer to avoid it, so Christian fiction should be labelled as such.

I definitely cannot recommend this book.

Mulan doesn't look like all the other girls, nor does she act like them. Her mother wants her married, maybe to the butcher. Mulan wants to be a warrior. She dresses in men's clothes and practices shooting her long bow and using swords with a young friend who has been to war. Mulan has a secret, her father has died. No one must know or her mother will be homeless. So she dresses as a man to fight against the Teutonic Knights. Wolfgang and Steffan are brothers. Wolfgang wants to fight against the Knights, but Steffan wants power and glory, so he wants to fight with them. When Mulan meets Wolfgang, who is the son of a German Duke, will she be able to hide what she is? Will Wolfgang and his brother have to fight against and maybe kill the other? There are a lot of mentions of God and Christianity.. Of course these wars are being fought about religion. I thought it was well written with an eye to detail. I received this book from Net Galley and Thomas Nelson for a honest review. I voluntarily read this book.

I did not finish this book. I really tried though!

I loved parts of it, and didn't enjoy lots of other things. When I learned it was about Mulan, I must admit I was less than excited. That story has been told over and again, and none of the tellings interest me. Even though there is a twist this time, with the story taking place in Europe, it was not interesting enough to make me excited to read it.

I enjoyed a lot of the parts where Mulan was involved with action that moved the plot forward. However, the relentless battle scenes soon became monotonous, and all sort of blended together. I get that the plot hinges on her being involved in battles and war, but it was just too boring for me. I would have thought that once she saved the Duke's life he could've given her and her mother a house away from the Lord who owned their property, and then the story could've just been done with. But no. Oh well.

I liked Wolfgang as a person. I just think he was a little immature at times, and it drove me crazy how he eluded to the issue of what happened when he and his brother were kids, and then when it was revealed what happened it was kind of a let-down. Like I thought they had done something really bad. But they were the inadvertent cause of a boy's death. The way the elusions to the event were written were really poorly done. I just felt annoyed by them rather than intrigued. Also the brother, Steffan, was an annoying jerk.

I just couldn't get past 30% of the book. I thought I was at least halfway through, and just could not read any further. If you're into battles and romance that seems more written with teens in mind than adults, then this may be a perfect book for you! It just didn't do it for me. So sorry.

For those who enjoy a retelling of a classic with a Christian twist, The Warrior Maiden is definitely for you. A beautiful story where Mulan, the woman who took her father's place in the war gets a new look. Set in Lithuania, the story tells of a young maiden who wants to be more than just the woman she is destine to be and of a young duke wanting hard to please a father who seems impossible to please. This is a wonderful book for teens just coming to the age of adulthood. It reminds them that God created them to be special, to be the women or men He needs them to be. A wonderful story!!

**thank you Thomas Nelson for the ARC to review***

Oof, okay. This was a surprisingly quick read! There were lots of good things about this book, including a clear attempt at some historical research, and it was overall a fun, run-of-the-mill historical fiction romance read. Somewhat unsatisfying towards the end, when a lot of the tension doesn't really get resolved, but altogether a relatively engaging read. A few things, however, kept me from liking this book as much as I could have.

1) I did not realize this was Christian Fiction, because if it had been I would never have picked it up. I understand there is a good demand for such books, but I find them overly saturated with praying and religious themes (as this one was) and in particular an aberration of historically accurate religion. On top of that, it means that most of this book is super, super clean and I find it unnecessarily so. It's full of Christian ideas about guilt and righteousness and while it might be someone else's cup of tea, it really isn't mine. I like my historical fiction to be way, way, way messier (example: I love Game of Thrones, mostly for its moral greyness).

2) The ethnic/racial identities as they were represented. I'm a medieval history major, so this is a particular pet peeve of mine, but basically because of the frequent migrations of people across eastern Europe and especially the Mongol invasions and Turkic migrations, racial/ethnic identity was super in flux, and most recent research says that around 1500 (close enough to this historical period of the late 14th century) a Pole would have looked more like a Tatar or Mongol than like a Western European, in culture and in ethnicity. So our Mulan would not be such an outlier for her time as a result of her Asian features.

Would I read another book in this series? Probably not. Will I look for similar books that aren't Christian fiction and I am confident will spend less time on Christian themes? Definitely.

The Warrior Maiden had such a promising concept but eventually just wasn’t the book for me. I went in to this book not knowing it was a part of a series so that is my fault, I may have enjoyed it more if I understood some of the cameos from characters and references to previous stories. I was hoping for a twist on the classic Mulan story and while that is exactly what this is I found the religious themes in this to take me out of the story. The amount of religious content in this is astounding in my opinion and while I’m not against Christian fiction in any way it was a significant portion of the story which I wasn’t expecting. This would be a perfect story for a religious person who enjoys reading fiction in the younger bracket of the YA range and unfortunately that just isn’t me.

This book has quite a few good parts, but some parts that really let me down. There are aspects of the book that really, truly shine. Melanie Dickerson is an expert at romance and fantasy, and that really shows. I’m going to start with what really let me down in the story, then we’ll get to the stuff I liked!
My first issue with this book is the “diversity”. This is not ownvoices, and it is written by a white woman. The diversity is simply in Mulan’s appearance and a couple scenes of racism because of that. But there is no Asian culture brought into the story, which is upsetting considering it is based on a story rich in Chinese culture. The descriptors used are nothing new. “Almond shaped eyes” and stuff like that.
The issue above, leads into my next issue. Which is the retelling. Mulan is so rich in Chinese culture and all this book takes from Mulan is the cross dressing, taking her father’s place in a war, and a couple other things. This is very much so a loose retelling of Mulan. However, what it doesn’t have in rich Chinese culture, it does bring in some Lithuanian and Polish culture. I enjoyed seeing the historical aspects of the setting.
VERY MINOR SPOILERS, SELECT TO READ
My last issue with this story is near the end. I’m going to discuss it with as little spoilers as possible. I won’t say why, or where, but Wolfgang locks Mulan in a room to “protect her”. He ambushes her with this and it’s basically explained away with kissing and because he loves her. The story could have done without this, figured out some other way to deal with the issue. The whole thing made me very uncomfortable.
VERY MINOR SPOILERS END
Okay. Those were my issues with this book. Now that all that’s aired, let’s talk about what I loved!
I always love a story with a girl who like dresses up as a boy to do things that she “can’t” do because she’s a woman. I honestly think it’s so good? It’s one of my faves. And Melanie Dickerson handles this really well. She addresses the actual issues, like having to somehow not have boobs, and just the issues of trying to pass for a man. Mulan is ridiculously bad at it, but I think the whole situation as whole and well written and thought through.
The plot of this is a little different. It has several arcs, and spots were it could have ended but kept going. This isn’t a bad thing. It kept me on my toes. It had some very well written and intense battle scenes, which I very much enjoyed. I did expect the final conclusion to be a bit more, and would’ve liked for the book to continue for a couple more chapters to see Mulan get to meet Wolfgang’s family, rather than the epilogue that felt a little rushed.
I really enjoyed the tense relationship between Steffan and Wolfgang. There was a lot of depth to it, and I enjoyed watching it play out, and how Wolfgang relentlessly loved his brother, even when he did some awful things. Their relationship was very complex and had a lot of great layers to it.
We also got a sweet little sidekick in the story out of Andrei! He was so mature and really a fun add to the story. It would’ve been nice to have a little more of him featured, but I did enjoy what we got!
I saved the best for last y’all. I absolutely loved the romance. The tension, the different sort of slow burn, this was the kind of book where you want to yell “KISS THE GIRL” It’s got unrequited love ON BOTH SIDES which basically means they both like each other but assume the other person doesn’t return their affections. I enjoyed watching them fall for each other in the dual POVs. Like oh my gosh, y’all, THE TENSION in this romance is real. It’s legit the star of the show! I shipped very very hard.
This book was truly so good, but I have to knock a star because of the issues I have with it. I love it, but I acknowledge that it has some issues.

About this book:

“She knows women are 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 takes her father’s place in battle against the besieging Teutonic Knights, she realizes she has been preparing for this journey her whole life—and that her life, and her mother’s, depends on her success. As the adopted daughter of poor parents, Mulan 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.
Disguised as a young man, Mulan meets the German duke’s son, Wolfgang, who is determined to save his people even if it means fighting against his own brother. Wolfgang is exasperated by the new soldier who seems to be one step away from disaster at all times—or showing him up in embarrassing ways.
From rivals to reluctant friends, Mulan and Wolfgang begin to share secrets. 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. Can she be the son her bitter father never had? Or will she become the strong young woman she was 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.”


Series: Book #9 in the “Hagenheim” series. {Reviews of #1 Here, #2 Here, #3 Here, #4 Here, #5 Here!, #6 Here!, #7 Here!, and #8 Here!} {You do not have to read this series in order to understand them, but I highly recommend that you do read them in order.}


Spiritual Content- Scriptures are mentioned, read, quoted, & discussed; Many Prayers, Crossing, & Thanking God; Talks about God, His will, & forgiveness; ‘H’s are capitalized when referring to God; Many mentions of God & forgiveness; Mentions of prayers, praying, & blessings over food; Mentions of Christians & faiths; Mentions of Bibles; Mentions of chapels & crucifixes; Mentions of miracles; Mentions of blessings & being blessed; Mentions of prophecies & priests; Mentions of monks & monastery; Mentions of Church laws & excommunication; Mention of people thinking they’re doing something for God (taking other people’s land by force) & them using the Church as an excuse; Mentions of pagans; A few mentions of those & events in the Bible; A few mentions of the pope; A few mentions of sins; A couple mentions of Heaven; A couple mentions of crossing; A mention of the Holy Lands; A mention of someone’s religious zeal; A mention of guardian angels; A mention of a stained glass;
*Note: Many mentions of evil sorcery, pagan magic, witchcraft, & demonic trickery (including laws against it & the punishment of being burned at the stake); Mentions of evil people & evil actions; Mentions of a man thinking women are the devil’s favorite instrument for doing evil and working pagan magic; A few mentions of a demon-possessed man & his demons visibly leaving him; A mention of Satan’s tactic; A mention of a man looking like the devil himself; A mention of the devil’s schemes; A mention of asking if the devil is powerful in a land.


Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a form of ‘shut up’; A bit of sarcasm & eye rolling; Lots of Fighting in a war & Causing pain and injuries (Mulan does struggle with all of this & remembering, up to semi-detailed); Being shot, Pain, Injuries, & Blood/Bleeding (up to semi-detailed); Fires (up to semi-detailed); Many mentions of battles, fighting, killing, deaths, bodies, injuries, & blood/bleeding (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of a death & the body (from a sickness); Mentions of the death of a little boy from his father beating him; Mentions of executions & women being burned alive for witchcraft (whether they do it or not, barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of a plan to murder a duke & the attempt (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of fires & an enemy’s plan to burn people and their horses alive; Mentions of people & horses being killed in battles (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of beatings/torture, being left to die, injuries, blood/bleeding, & missing body parts (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of sword fights, injuries, & blood/bleeding; Mentions of violence & being threatened; Mentions of being choked; Mentions of Steffan’s harden heart & him mentioning that he’ll kill his family who are on the opposing side of the battle; Mentions of hatred; Mentions of lying, lies, & liars; Mentions of alcohol (wine & beer), drinking, & drunks; Mentions of Mulan being teased/bullied for looking different; A few mentions of a man being killed (barely-above-not-detailed); A few mentions of slitting throats; A few mentions of sheep being chased off a cliff and dying; A few mentions of a butcher preparing meat (barely-above-not-detailed); A few mentions of a man’s hatred for women; A few mentions of rumors; A couple mentions of a fight with a bear & injuries (Book #8); A couple mentions of a man smelling like bloody meat; A couple mentions of human waste & animal manure; A mention of an accident death; A mention of thinking someone had drowned;
*Note: A couple mentions of men using the bathroom at a tree.


Sexual Content- seven hand kisses (some barely-above-not-detailed), two cheek kisses, two forehead kisses, six not-detailed kisses, three barely-above-not-detailed kisses, and four semi-detailed kisses (one in a dream); Remembering a kiss & embrace (barely-above-not-detailed); Wanting to kiss & Staring at lips (barely-above-not-detailed); Touches & Embraces (barely-above-not-detailed); Wanting to touch & embrace (barely-above-not-detailed); Noticing, Nearness, Smelling, & Being flustered; A man tries to hit to Mulan about getting together (he touches her knee and she pulls out a knife on him); Mentions of Mulan being conceived out of wedlock while her biological father was fighting in a foreign land (an affair); Mentions of kisses & kissing; A few mentions of other illegitimate births; A few mentions of a vow of chastity & men never knowing a woman; A few mentions of wondering about being kissed & held in a man’s arms; A couple mentions of a man not taking advantage of a girl; A couple mentions of temptation; A couple mentions of jealousy; A couple mentions of blushing; A mention of a man’s mother embracing many lovers; A mention of a less noble reason why a man would keep a girl around (not true, said in meanness); A mention of the possibility of crude men doing worse thing to a woman; A mention of being warned about a type of men; A mention of men’s coarse talk; A mention of a married couple kissing; Love, falling in love, & the emotions;
*Note: A few mentions of hiding Mulan’s “things” (breasts) & her not being well-endowed; A couple mentions of Mulan’s curves; A couple mentions of infants dying at a young age; A couple mentions of a wife only giving birth to stillborns.

-Mulan, age 18
-Wolfgang Gerstenberg
P.O.V. switches between them & Steffan (x6)
Set in 1423
303 pages

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Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star
Early High School Teens- Three Stars
Older High School Teens- Four Stars
My personal Rating- Four Stars
The book I’ve been anticipating for over two years.
Was it everything I hoped? Yes and no.
First off, the parts I really liked:
~Mulan. Obviously. I’ve been sharing how excited I am about more diversity finally coming to the Christian YA market with this book and I just adore that we have Mulan of Asian descent in our fairytale retelling world. This counts for a lot in my eyes.
~It was different from the Disney ‘Mulan’. Now, don’t get me wrong, along with ‘Sleeping Beauty’ and ‘Frozen’, ‘Mulan’ and the sequel are some of my favorite Disney movies. However, I liked that this novel had its own take on the classic story. The Mushu-like character was very minor, and I would have liked seeing a bit more…he could have lightened the book up a little.
~Hearing about all the prior characters from this series. That was a bit bittersweet, though, just because this series seems to have only one book left now.
~I know this book is being promoted as a loose retelling of Mulan, but I would say it’s like the story of Mulan meets Joan of Arc (without the tragic ending of the last one).
~The great faith content. Mulan was a wonderful character who wanted to know about God due to what a couple priests told her when she was young. I also loved how quick she was to pray in the battle, as that is something I often feel is forgotten most of the time in Christian Fiction.
For the parts I wasn’t so thrilled on:
~Mainly, it was all the kisses towards the end and all the emotions happening quicker than I was expecting. If you’re okay with more kisses, than you should be fine, but I personally do think it got to be a bit much at one scene. Wolfgang was respectable towards Mulan, even after her secret was revealed (as he should as a fictional hero), so while that raised my view of him, he did seem a little meek-ish at times when he was with Steffan. (Which, side-note, I understand that completely because it’s an older sibling, but there were times I wished Wolfgang would be a little more blunt with his brother…then again, his way worked too for this plot.)
~The fighting. I was very appreciative that nothing went above semi-detailed, but since this was set during battles and fighting, there was quite obviously lots of fighting scenes. For my personal comfort level, I was okay with all of these parts, but those sensitive to such things might be warned.
~*~
So, while yes, I was disappointed with all the kissing towards the end, I love the fact that we’re seeing more diversity in our Christian YA. I do look forward to reading Steffan’s story in “The Piper’s Pursuit” releasing December 2019.


*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
*I received this book for free from the Publisher (Thomas Nelson) for this honest review.

This is the 5th book in Dickerson's Hagenheim series that I have read. This is a series that can either be read in order or as stand alones. I have to say this has probably been my favorite so far. Though I have not seen the Disney movie, Mulan, I thoroughly enjoyed this retelling of the fairy tale. The writing was beautiful and enchanting as every fairy tale should be. Dickerson is a masterful story teller with a carefully crafted plot and a detailed setting that drew me right into the middle of these warring countries.

I think this book would be thoroughly enjoyed by young adults.

** I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions are mine alone. I was not compensated for this review.

This book started off interesting and well written. I'm always interested in a Mulan-retelling.
I wanted to like this book but the emotion didn't grab me and keep my attention. As a Christian novel, I think its important to have examples of how to deal with negative emotions honestly and appropriately. For example, after being shot with an arrow, one does not realistically shrug it off and forgive the enemy the next day. There needs to be a struggle, dealing with anger, learning to forgive, etc. And this takes time. I would have really liked to see this, and aspects Christian readers can implement in their own life as a result of reading this novel.
I hope to come back to it later and finish reading the second half.

This book wasn't for me. I didn't really feel like Mulan was a strong femine character and the whole Ssian who was adopted by an European Family way back then doesn't really make sense or fit the story for me.

This wasn't a good retelling of Mulan's story, or even a good inspiration of her. It felt clumsy and confusing.

I had so many high expectations for this book – an adaptation of Mulan with a beautiful cover? Sign me up! – but I ended up being so, so disappointed with this book. If I had realized that, not only was it part of a larger series but it was a YA Christian historical romance that effectively white-washed Mulan into a good Christian, Lithuanian woman, I would have chosen another book instead.

If you’re familiar with the Disney movie Mulan, the plot is basically the same: Mulan disguises herself as boy and goes to war to take the place of her father, Mulan has some hero moments and impresses her compatriots, Mulan falls in love with some guy she meets on the battlefield, Mulan lives happily ever after.

Except, in this book, although she is still Asian (technically, half-Asian), she is raised in Lithuania in a Christian household that effectively serves to strip away everything that made Mulan, Mulan. I understand that the author had to move her to Europe to fit into the rest of her series, but I feel like it didn’t work. The book focused on the tension of Mulan being female yet at the same time ignoring the tension that would have existed due to the fact that she was Asian in Medieval Europe. I feel like it wasn’t a concept that the author cared about nor felt the need to pursue, and it really took away from the story.

Honestly, the whole tone of the book was so juvenile (even for YA). Not only was there insta-love between exactly who you’d expect there to be insta-love between, but the one-dimensionality of the characters and the overt moral theme (the characters were either “good” or they were “bad” – there were no in-between, morally-complex characters). Also, I really hated how, once Wolfgang found out Mikolai was Mulan, he decided that it was his moral duty to protect her as if she was a fragile damsel-in-distress, even though SHE HAD PROVED HERSELF ON THE FIELD OF BATTLE; and let’s not even mention the fact that, for the climax of the book – the ultimate showdown – Mulan was sidelined.

The author managed to take a story about a strong, independent Chinese woman, set it in Medieval Europe, and turn it into a story about a half-white Lithuanian, Christian woman who was strong – but only until she had a man to rescue her.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Title- The Warrior Maiden by Melanie Dickerson
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Rating- 3⭐
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Before we get into the meat of the matter, just a small disclaimer as usual. I received this complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. So don't sue me. Okay? Okay.
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The Warrior Maiden is a retelling of the popular Disney story, Mulan. Except...you know, this story takes place in Poland and has a lot of historically relevant things happening in it. I would probably classify this story into the genre of historical fiction, rather than Fantasy, but it does have those medieval and fantastical elements to it which does make it interesting.
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The thing that I liked the most about this novel was that there was a really interesting plot going on. I liked the battles, the war, the politics. I enjoyed seeing this...whole story being staged so well. However, I found the characters very bland and uninteresting. I found myself filling up all the gaps with the Mulan I already knew, but that just made everything so much more convoluted. I loved the action, but I didn't care about the actors. And that really took away from what could've been a great book, in my opinion.
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The writing style in this book is also just fine. Like, it's not bad or anything, but it isn't that great either. It's just perfectly normal and it doesn't deter you from reading more. I did enjoy the little nods to the past - as this book is a part of a series of retellings the author has written. Something would be happening and someone would say Aladdin and it would just make my evening xD
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The hardest thing for me to reconcile here was the romance. The characters, I felt, had absolutely no chemistry. They were good bros but they didn't really fit the romantic model, I think. And it was just really awkward when they started professing their love for each other in the story. The feminist aspect of the story- which, let's be real, is a big part of the whole Mulan canon- was handled a little oddly, I felt. Mulan was strong, but she wasn't. It was a little confusing and a little inconsistent in the way that it portrayed these characters and their stories.

All in all, it was a fun read, but I felt like it could've been so much more! Still, would recommend it if you're a fan of Mulan and other Disney characters and would like to see their stories told differently!

*I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

Reading this book was like trudging up a neverending hill. It seriously felt like I’d never finish it.

First, I obviously have never read anything by this author before, or I’d know that she writes Christian historical romances. Not my thing. I have no problem with religion in books when it actually belongs there. Religion is a huge part of my life. But it felt as if the Christian elements of this book were just shoved in. It was rather preachy and quite frequent. Characters would suddenly break into lengthy sermons out of nowhere and at every opportunity.

This is not the regular Mulan story, though it claims to be. Yes, she disguises herself as a man and takes her father’s place as a soldier. Yes, she “saves” a nation. But that’s basically where the similarities end. Don’t hate me, but I feel like this book was a disservice to the actual Mulan story.

In this book . . .
- Mulan is half Mongolian & half Lithuanian, raised in Lithuania.
- She is the illegitimate daughter of Mikolai, a soldier who had an affair with a woman while he was out on a war campaign. When her mother died, her father brought Mulan back home to be raised by his childless wife.
- Does she save China? No, she does not. She saves Poland, Lithuania, and the surrounding area. There is no China in this book.
- She is a very devout Christian. Very devout.

Sound like Mulan? Yeah, it doesn’t to me, either. I wish the author hadn’t brought Mulan into it, to be honest. Take inspiration from her and write about a girl who dresses as a boy and takes her father’s place in war, sure. But don’t completely change who Mulan is and still call her Mulan!

Aside from those complaints, I just wasn’t a fan of the writing. It felt very juvenile. There was a lot of telling rather than showing. The dialogue was stilted and uninteresting; it felt forced. The characters were bland. It just didn’t draw me in.

And on top of that, Mulan (18) and Wolfgang (20) created unnecessary obstacles for their relationship. Over and over and over.

Example . . .
Mulan: I want him to kiss me.
<Wolfgang finally kisses her.>
Mulan: Why would he do that? He probably didn’t mean it. I’ll pretend it didn’t happen.
- - -
Mulan: I’m a poor peasant, and he’s a duke’s son. He couldn’t want to marry me.
Wolfgang: Mulan, will you marry me someday when i have a house?
Mulan (to self): He only cares about a house—he doesn’t love me.
Wolfgang: Mulan, I love you.
Mulan (to self): He couldn’t possibly love me.
Wolfgang: Mulan, I love you! I want to marry you!
Mulan: You locked me in my room! (Said like fifty times.)

She. Drove. Me. Crazy.

Okay, pretty much every character drove me crazy. Rusdorf was like a villain in an old silent film—I could practically see him twirling his mustache. Steffan was like a bitter teenager throwing a tantrum (at 22 years old). Mulan didn’t really do much to earn her exalted warrior status—I think her greatest feat was climbing a cliff. Wolfgang was the least annoying character, but even he annoyed me with his overprotectiveness (“I’ll to get that guy and make him apologize!” type stuff).

So this was my first and last book by this author.

Note: Nothing bad but the writing.

Unfortunately, The Warrior Maiden just didn't do it for me. Maybe it's because it is to a point part of a series. While it's an interesting take on Mulan, I just couldn't get into the world or the writing. Ms. Dickerson's version of Mulan didn't do it for me but it more than likely will for others who have read her books.

I love Melanie Dickerson's books, and this one didn't disappoint! I wasn't sure how she would add Mulan to her world, but it was very convincing. I loved the protagonist.

A re-imagining of Mulan that takes place in Eastern Europe. The premise was interesting. However, I found the flow of the story to be some what bumpy. The transitions were too quick with little segue.

-- I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. Many thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher for this opportunity. --

This retelling of Mulan keeps the name, and the basic plot line of the Disney film, but that is where similarities end. Dickerson transports this familiar tale to the Poland of the eastern Crusades, a historical border region between what was considered Christian civiliziation and the wild East, and christianizes the tale. While a christian belief system makes sense in the setting, the extent to which religion is invoked by the characters seems less of a historical choice or a character trait specific to certain persons, but more of a missionizing effort of the author's. For me, this detracted from the otherwise perfectly good romp through a medieval-inspired world, retelling the story of a woman warrior.

Mulan is my favorite Disney movie so when I saw this retelling on NetGalley, I jumped at the chance to read it. I did not realize that it is a Christian retelling until I finished the book. My stance on religious books is that I will read them if the theme suits me and this one did. The action scenes and the bravery Mulan showed was my favorite part of the book. She is very good with a bow and arrow, which is my favorite weapon in books. I thought that sometimes the breaks for religious talk fit and other times, it felt forced. I can see how faith would play a roll in war but to read the bible while in the midst of a steak out felt strange to me. The issue I have is that this is a story from Chinese culture and putting it into Eastern European culture felt wrong to me. Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this book.