This was a fun fairytale type of story about Steffan, the son of a duke and Katerina, stepdaughter of the local mayor or Burgermeister in the small town of Hamlin.

Steffan is looking for redemption and a way to get back into the good graces of his parents and family. He has heard that there is a wild beast in Hamlin who is killing the locals. He wants to reward for killing the beast. What he finds is a lot more than a wild, killing beast.

Katerina, is the stepdaughter of the mayor who is an awful, evil man. He is corrupt and cruel and completely delusional. Katerina is determined to save the town, her mother and herself. She is going to need help but she doesn't trust anyone. Then, Steffan shows up. Will she be able to put her trust in this arrogant son of a duke? Will Steffan be able to receive the redemption he longs for?

This was a clean, romantic story with lots of drama. I enjoyed reading how strong Katerina was and how kind and wonderful Steffan was. There is a happy ever after ending which is my kind of romance.

I was given an arc copy of this book and I willingly offer my honest review.

Melanie's books never cease to amaze me. Her ability to bring my favorite fairy tales to life in a beautiful and pure way just makes my heart soar.

In The Piper's Pursuit, Katerina's goal is to keep her people safe. Especially from her evil step-father. Marinated in lies and bathed in deception...the town of Hamlin is under the thumb of the mayor, Henneck. I so love Kat's heart. She is protective and kind, she has her people's best interest as her priority and defeating the beast of Hamlin to keep her people safe. And then...Steffan of Hagenheim had the audacity to show up on her door! Although it's a good thing he did.

This story is riddled with danger and adventure. From fighting the beast, fleeing Henneck and his guards, protecting children, and freeing a city...Kat and Steffan will take you on a journey as they pursue truth, freedom, and love.

TRIGGER WARNING: There are a couple of elements in this story that deals with small children being treated very poorly and being hurt. I had to skim a couple of these scenes because it was causing some anxiety. It isn't graphic or anything, but I have a really hard time reading anything about kids being hurt.

I received a complimentary copy of The Piper's Pursuit from the publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

I love this series which takes old children's stories and combines them with a Duke's family for an original take. This book takes the Pied Piper of Hamlin story and pulls the Duke's wild and rebellious son to the town and it's persecuted daughter, Katerina. Steffan is dissatisfied with his chosen lifestyle and is seeking a fortune when he meets the daughter of the mayor of Hamlin. Author Melanie Dickerson take readers on another adventure with a magnetic plot and characters that flesh out the old Pied Piper story.
This is an excellent read. Katrina is another strong female in the series, ready to fight for her beloved townspeople, especially the children. The story opening drew me in and the characters kept me interested.
This is a story of forgiveness, love and redemption. There is a tasteful telling of domestic and child abuse. (A portion of the book may be considered violent by some readers. )
I recommend this book to those who enjoy classic tales with a clean romantic twist. It's a good story. This is a stand-alone book. If you are a Nadine Brandes fan, I think you will like Melanie Dickerson's books.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced copy of this book. This is my own unsolicited opinion.

As someone who went into this having read none of the previous books in this series, I can say with confidence that you do not NEED to read them to enjoy this book. A fun retelling of the Pied Piper fairytale, Katerina is a fun, badass, stubborn character who does get some credit where it is maybe due to Steffan, but she is still independent and strong and badass!
The monster in this book was incredibly cool to read about and kept me super interested! Overall a really great book with fantastic writing!

Gah! This was such a good book!! I love Melanie Dickerson so much. Her writing is so beautiful and her stories are so amazing that I can hardly put them down. Though this wasn't my absolute favorite (I slightly blame that on the fact that I had to read this one on e-book in not in paperback) I still enjoyed it so much.

I loved all the characters. Kat and Steffan were so cute together and I loved seeing their development throughout this book. I loved the redemption arc of Steffan in this book, that probably was my favorite part about it all. I love quality redemption stories and this one is at the top of my list!

I really loved getting to see the Piped Piper as a retelling. This fairytale fit perfectly in with what the original fairytale was about. I loved Kat's and Steffan's influence in the fairytale and how everything came together!!

I really enjoyed this retelling of the Pied Piper. Katerina is brave and strong in overcoming her circumstances and the evil surrounding her. She truly cares for her town and the people therein. Her stepfather is pure evil. Lord Steffan's story of redemption is beautiful. He is trustworthy, kind, brave and true. When he teams up with Katerina to rid the town of the Beast of Hamlin they are caught up in a much larger scheme. They not only face four legged beasts but also two legged beasts. I found this story to be very enjoyable to read.

I didn't realize until well into the book that this book is a part of a long series; however, that being said it works as a standalone too. I was never lost reading this book or left wondering who certain characters were. It's a very interesting time period - medieval Germany. The plot is well developed, complicated, and fast-paced. You will not be bored reading this book!

“The Piper’s Pursuit” was the tenth book of the Hagenheim series by Melanie Dickerson. It was published on December 3, 2019, by Thomas Nelson through HarperCollins.

Like the others in the series, this book takes a spinoff of a classic fairy tale as only Dickerson could accomplish, with Christian themes interwoven throughout a spectacular tale. As one might guess from the title, “The Piper’s Pursuit” takes a page out of the Pied Piper tale of lore. Katarina lives with her evil and manipulative stepfather in Hamlin. When a seemingly arrogant and flirtatious young man named Steffan rides into town, Katarina writes him off as another abusive manipulator. She isn’t sure if she can trust him at first, but eventually the two must join against a greater evil. A mysterious beast is plaguing the village, making off with the children – and Katarina must find a way to stop it, before more lives are lost.
We see the return of Steffan, one of the younger brothers of Margaretha (see “The Princess Spy”) and son of Rose and Wilhelm Hamlin from the beginning of the series. In “The Warrior Maiden”, Steffan went through a rebellious phase; however, his character went through a powerful redemptive arc that shows parallels for Christians in relation to God’s mercy despite our wanderings. In this book, he seeks to prove his change of heart. Although he certainly makes mistakes at the beginning, flirting and showing a rather brusque and arrogant manner in general, he truly does learn and grow throughout the story. He learns kindness and chivalry, learning to give and receive love in the process.
I also really enjoyed seeing Katarina stand up for herself and seek out solutions throughout the tale. She presents a wonderful role model for girls, especially in such tumultuous days as this. Katarina’s character does show strength and feminism, being the main hero. However, Dickerson also pulls out some loving and kind qualities, emphasizing the fact that women can be both strong and gentle.
In addition to being such dynamic characters on their own, Steffan and Katarina show yet more in their love. Each comes from a very different background, each with their own hurt and insecurities. But together, they were able to help support one another in Christ and complement one another’s weaknesses. I believe the two were very well-suited to one another and applaud Mrs. Dickerson on her development of relationships in this book.
I was not paid to provide a positive opinion. I was given a free ebook copy of the book for the purpose of giving an honest review.

Loosely based on the classic tale of the Pied Piper, The Piper's Pursuit features Katerina, stepdaughter to the mayor of Hamlin and skilled hunter with trust issues, trying to solve the mystery of the town's missing children. Enter Steffan, youngest son of the town's lord and former soldier seeking redeption, who accompanies Katerina on her quest. As in the original fairy tale, there is a fearsome Beast of Hamlin they must contend with, and they uncover a far greater secret than location of the missing children.
Filled with adventure, romance and romantic tension, this is unltimately a tale of good and evil and the paths to recemption.
I found the romance laid on a bit thick for my liking but I can see why others would have liked it.

**I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

Katerina cares deeply for the people of her village, she is a skilled huntress, living her her mother and cruel step-father, the Burgermeister of Hamlin. The town has become overcome by rats, and the children of Hamlin are slowly disappearing.



Steffan has been running from his past, trying to find some way to make up for his wrongs and how he hurt his family. He offers his service to the town of Hamlin, to fight the beast and rid the town of rats.



Katerina and Steffan are uneasy allies at first, thrown together by circumstances. Steffan quickly sees the benefits of joining forces with Katerina, as he is also intrigued by her fierce independence. He is drawn to her plight, as well as that of the village, offering help and support. Katerina is distrustful of men after living under the roof of a cruel and selfish man. I admired her willingness to take action and her love for the villagers.



I liked how Ms Dickerson used this story to explore stronger themes of forgiveness and hypocrisy, as well as moving forward from past hurts. At times the story felt predictable yet, there were also some beautiful emotional moments that made this story sing. Enjoyable read.



I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Most of Melanie Dickerson's Hagenheim series is set in Medieval Germany, in one of the towns under the jurisdiction of the Duke of Hagenheim. The Piper's Pursuit is no exception. The majority of the book takes place in Hamlin, which is a small town. In this town, not only are rats plentiful but the villagers also live in constant fear of the child-stealing mystery beast. The story follows Katerina, the independent, brave, and headstrong step-daughter of the mayor and Steffan, who used to be the black sheep of the Duke’s family. During the book, circumstances force both Katerina and Steffan to flee to Hagenheim accompanied by many children. However they both also undergo spiritual journeys as Steffan is trying to change from the rebellious person he used to be and Katerina is learning to trust. Just like the rest of the series, The Piper's Pursuit was a very well-written book that I couldn't put down. I’d recommend this book to anyone who likes fairytales, romance novels, Christian fiction, or stories like Robin Hood or The Legends of King Arthur. I’m giving it five stars because I’ve loved almost every book in this series and although I came into this one with high expectations (which can be a recipe for disaster!), it did not disappoint!

I enjoyed this creative retelling of the story of the Pied Piper of Hamlin. Not only are rats terrorizing the village, but a killer monster lurks outside the town. And many of the children have disappeared. Katerina seeks to find out what’s actually going on. Can Steffan, the duke’s son who just came to town, help solve the crimes? Is Katerina’s wicked stepfather involved somehow? The suspense and intrigue keep readers turning pages to get to the end. This may be marketed for young adult, but older readers will appreciate the exciting story too. I received a copy from the author/publisher. All opinions are my own.

I'm not really familiar with the Pied Piper of Hamelin story, so I thought this was a worthy retelling. It's a little darker than some of Melanie Dickerson's other retellings, and just as a note to parents touches on some mature content.

I loved Staffan. He's that perfect mix of strong, manly, yet vulnerable and hurting from past mistakes. I wouldn't call him a rake as he wasn't immoral inn that sense. More a wayward or prodigal son.

Katerina, yeah wasn't so keen on her, and her stepfather's evil is just doo obvious. He's barely even convincing as a creep, and at times what he did came over as so over the top he could have been acting. Or a character in a book ☺His men were almost cartoonish in their badness.

The plot was interesting, at least initially when you want to find out what's happened to the children, but that's revealed just over halfway through and then it just be gets sort of choppy and all over the place.

Also there were various scenes that came over as implausible , not did I care for most of the fight scenes. I get it. Swords strapped to your back look way cooler than the usual hanging at the side, but you would think that guys would learn their lesson about practicality when people kept stealing their weapons. Nobody ever managed to do that to Staffan though. Odd.

Finally some of the characters attitudes came over as too modern to be credible for the time period. And although they do things like going to confession I don't know sometimes the religion seemed a little modern too.

I'd certainly still recommend Thurs authors work and keep reading her future titles, but I don't think I'm the target audience at 31 and not having teenage daughters.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a PDF of this title. I as not required to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own.

Another great book in the Hagenheim series! Ms. Dickerson is the Queen of fairy-tale re-tellings! Just when I think I have a favorite book she writes another one. And to think she's written ten books in this series. I am so glad that I have not only read all of them to date, I have them to pass down to my grandchildren. A definite must read!

Two little bits of housekeeping before the real review.

First, The Piper's Pursuit is book ten in the Hagenheim series. Yes, ten. I didn't know that when I picked it up. NetGalley really needs to start listing things like that as a standard. There are a few references to Steffan's family and earlier events. They were noticeable but only minor mentions, like cameo references. I think fans of the series will appreciate them and I don't think the references affected my understanding of the story.

Second, I didn't know this was Christian fiction either. There's a noticeable amount o references to God, Christian values, etc. Whether this is good or bad will obviously depend on what you went into the story looking for. I wasn't particularly keen, but I think it'd be unfair to add/remove stars or factor this into my review -- like judging an MG for being aimed at kids, or a historical for being set in the past -- but it's something that I think you should know: whether it makes you more or less likely to pick it up.

Moving on...

The Piper's Pursuit was a light-weight, fun and easy read.

I'm a big fan of fairytale retellings and The Piper's Pursuit definitely gets points for originality. I don't think I've ever seen a pied piper retelling before, so Dickerson gets big points for that. It's a pretty simple fairytale, without too much to work with but The Piper's Pursuit manages to flesh out the story into something more complex and exciting. Steffan and Kat make for strong , likable protagonists and faced against Hennek, the mayor of Hamlin and a truly slimy villain, there's a strong element of danger throughout. The plague of rats in Hamlin, missing children and deadly Beast stalking the town, add an air of mystery and tie all the other elements together.

The romantic plotline was sweet and well-paced. It fitted well within the adventure and mystery storyline. It has a sort of enemies-to-lovers trope going on. The Piper's Pursuit a sweet romance, the kind of thing perfect for when you want a bit of drama, but also want to know it's all going to work out in the end. It's a comfort read: cute, angst-free, and feel-good.

This story is a retelling of the Pied Piper, but also has elements of The Prodigal Son from the Bible. Katerina is another strong female role, like many of Melanie Dickerson's heroines. She is feisty and independent, and I really enjoyed her.

Steffan was not a particularly likeable character in The Warrior Maiden but I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly I took to him in this story. The author did a good job of giving these two a lot of depth.

I would say these books are geared to a young adult audience and this one in particular is more in line with what I would like to see for that age in terms of romance. It's there, but there's decidedly less kissing and touching and desiring than in some of the previous books in the series. Good job on dialing that back a notch.

It's a quick and easy read, entirely entertaining, I am always excited when another book comes along in this series and this one was well done.

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

The Piper’s Pursuit by Melanie Dickerson is charming, humorous, and a wonderful fairtytale retelling that takes readers on a thrilling and fun adventure filled with action, mystery, danger, suspense, romance, redemption, and love.

Having no knowledge of The Pied Piper fairytale, I have to say… I still really enjoyed this story and could not stop reading. Even though there are a few things that I didn’t like, Dickerson managed to capture my heart with her storytelling that I’m quite excited to read the other books in this series.

I like the overall storyline and I think the plot is well-developed with enough intrigue, plenty of thrills, and many lighthearted moments that will keep readers engrossed until the very end. The alternating POVs between Katerina and Steffan are interesting and seeing them both become more open with each other was enjoyable for me. I think they’re both complex, loveable, and great leaders. I like their chemistry, bantering, friendship and romance. Some parts are kind of cheesy, but I think it’s still quite adorable and sweet. There’s definitely a little swoon here and there. The side characters are pretty great too and while I did not like Hennek at all, I think he played his role as a villain really well. There’s a few parts that are a bit predictable, but Dickerson was able to sneak in some unexpected twists which was fun. The story definitely concludes with a lovely happily ever after that had me smiling and just feeling… well happy.

All in all, The Piper’s Pursuit is a fantastic tale full of adventure and so much heart. It’s interesting, surprising, and delightful in its own ways that I finished reading it in less than 8 hours. I enjoyed the entertaining plot, the fascinating characters, the journey to redemption and forgiveness, the thrilling scenes, the lighthearted moments, and the slow-burn romance. But more than anything, I love that Dickerson has created a story that is not only fun and charming, but also incredibly meaningful and truly inspiring. I’m definitely adding Dickerson’s other books on my TBR and I think you should too.

I received a copy of this book from the author and publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review and for participating in a Blog Tour hosted by The Fantastic Flying Book Club. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A Merry Dance to The Piper’s Pursuit, Another Romantic Retelling
After really enjoying Melanie Dickerson’s Mulan retelling, The Warrior Maiden, set in the Hagenheim world I knew I wanted to take a chance on reading The Piper’s Pursuit. We pick up with Steffan after he leaves his twin brother and his new bride. This time we’re going to explore an unusual fairy tale to retell, The Pied Piper.

Did the retelling in The Piper’s Pursuit delight this Fangirl?
This was quite different from The Warrior Maiden, which focused on a girl being accepted in a man’s domain. I enjoyed the merging of modern girl with medieval times. I’m pleased to say that remains the same in The Piper’s Pursuit. It’s the kind of characters that Katerina and Steffan are that changes things up. Steffan has done some things he needs forgiveness to overcome. And Katerina has experienced a plethora to which she much grant forgiveness to find peace. Quite a bit more discussion of religious topics is needed to get these ideas fleshed out. It does bond our couple together and make their relationship heartfelt. I just liked these two and was willing to follow them around until they found happiness.

A fun Pied Piper retelling with lots of feels.
The mystery of the rats, the beast of Hamlin and the missing children was a fascinating way to interpret this fairy tale. I only know the original story as a cautionary tale to pay your debts or you’ll lose something more precious to you than money. While I guessed early on what was happening I was happy to sleuth with Katerina and Steffan as they sought their own answers. The inclusion of the children really upped the tension for me.

A woman learning to trust men after too much betrayal.
Katerina was a fascinating choice for Steffan, who I met in The Warrior Maiden. She had good reason and history with some rotten men to not trust Steffan. He’s a bit of a charmer when he wants to be and at first just wants a quick buck so he can keep traveling. We see that in order to protect herself she hates on men, just to be on the safe side. It was neat to see Steffan persist and show her she could rely on him.

A man willing to follow the judgement of a leading lady.
Steffan is a Duke’s son and could easily have fallen into that alpha male role that many readers enjoy. Instead he knows the value of an intelligent woman. He doesn’t push Katerina or her trust issues. He’s patient and allows her to choose. At the same time in key moments he asks her to trust him when it’s a situation made for his talents. I really love seeing the give and take in their relationship.

The Piper’s Pursuit gives us another modern medieval romance.
The bottom line is I really liked both Katerina and Steffan. I wanted to see them solve the mystery of the missing children. I wanted Katerina to learn to trust a man again. I wanted Steffan to find a place he belongs. Ultimately this was an excellent pairing of modern thinking with medieval setting. The unusual fairy tale twists add the perfect circumstances for each couple of this series to come together in a fun, heartfelt way.

The Piper’s Pursuit was a little religious and a tad sickenly sweet but was a cute and fun rendition of The Pied Piper fairy tale. While I don’t think this retelling was cast in a whole lot of mystery, I did feel like it allowed Katerina and Steffan to shine as individuals as they worked toward becoming a couple.

The Piper’s Pursuit is a fun retelling of The Pied Piper set in Melanie Dickerson’s stellar medieval world, Hagenheim. If you’re looking for something light, cute and heartfelt you’ll want to read Katerina and Steffan’s story.

Dickerson is a wonderful story teller. This book was highly entertaining and a definite different take on the pied piper, although it was complete unplausible. The characters were good and you didn't feel an Insta love. I did wonder how proper some of the traveling was. One girl with a company of men? Even if they were all noble, shouldn't there be one more female to act as a chaperone?

I received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

This imaginative retelling of the Pied Piper of Hamlin kept me interested all the way through. There were several times I found myself trying to figure out how what turns the story would take next, and I continued to be surprised! Woven together with characters from other novels by Melanie Dickerson, this was a real treat!