Court of swans by Melanie Dickerson
Lady Delia and her seven Brothers was an amazing story set in 1381 England. It is about Knight’s, Kings and the love of a family. The stepmother caused the downfall of the family. Sir Geoffrey is a king’s knight that has to take the seven brothers to the Tower of London.
Delia hates him for this, But his kind ways eventually wins her heart.
Wonderful written and love the story. I would recommend this story to anyone. Melanie Dickerson is a great writer.
I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGallery. All opinions are my own.

Set between earls, ladies, kings and knights, this is a fairy tale retelling which snuggles in to a more realistic, historical world while plunging into a world of royal intrigue.

Delia is the only daughter in a household with seven brothers, all who are in various levels of training to be knights. Her step-mother is a difficult person but not impossible to deal with until their father dies. Not long after his grave has been covered, the king's knights arrive and arrest all seven brothers for treason, although the youngest is only ten years old. Knowing they are innocent of all charges and determined to save them from being executed, Delia sneaks away from her home and hides as a maid in the king's court. But helping her brothers is even more difficult than she ever imagined as she slowly uncovers more secrets and discovers that more than one person is weaving their own plans to gain money and power.

This is a very interesting tale, which weaves in wonderful ways, promising tension, emotions and a quick-pacing all the way through. I suspected that this one might slightly turn in a fantasy direction as a fairy tale retelling...but it remains solid in the historical fiction genre. And that's a good thing. The world is rich, the characters layered, and there's even a touch of true moments from history. On that end, it's a real treat.

There is a lot going on in these pages, and Delia has quite the adventure waiting for her. While I did read this one all the way through, however, I found myself skipping through paragraphs every now and then. I wanted to know what happened to Delia and her brothers (and her romantic interest), so for me, the tale is worth a read. But it also kept the characters and events an arm's length away thanks to the fact that most of the story came across as a telling and didn't allow the reader to really experience or see everything happen. The dialogue and a few scenes play out, but many others are treated as quick information with a glimpse into Delia's thoughts of what happens. There was so much that could have (and I think, should have) been built out, which would have made this a book impossible to lay down. Of course, that also would have meant two or three novels, but there is so much going on, that it would have been worth the exploration.

This is a religious read, and I enjoyed how the author wove this naturally into the tale. Delia prays and declares her trust to God without ever coming across as forcing it. It flows right in with her character and also fits the time period nicely. Even her brothers, when they are facing horrible prospects, mention their faith and prayer, but never dwell on it excessively or make it stick out. It's simply a part of who they are and, as said, actually slides right in with how people of that time might have thought.

Fans of historical fiction, royal intrigue, tension, and building romance, who also appreciate the Christian lean will enjoy this one.

I received an ARC through Netgalley.

This book is a start of a new series called the "Derricott Tale". It was an enjoyable read and contained themes such as having faith, trust and taking ownership of ones thoughts. It was historical fiction, set in about the 1300's.

I have enjoyed the previous works of this author a lot. I do feel like some of the characters and situations could have been better developed in this book. Several examples of that are Delia's job in the sewing room and Delia herself as she doesn't listen to the advice of others (on the other hand, I suppose that is life and some people are determined to do things their own way).

However, if you are the kind of reader who shuts off to these things, you will enjoy the book. I admit that I did, despite those areas which I felt needed a little more development. I will be reading the next in the series.

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

I was excited to see Dickerson move more into a historical genre. She writes excellent clean fairytales/historical accounts. The story, while more simplistic in nature then most romance/historical fiction novels, does a great job exploring a character within the time period of early England. I have always been more drawn into her depictions of scenery and world building then I have her characters, who often don't fill out their thoughts and emotions as I would like. However, Dickerson does a great job exploring a period romance in historically accurate detail. Well worth the read.

#netgalleyreview

3.5 stars.
"The only thing that stops us from being joyful is ourselves.... Our thoughts and beliefs cause us to experience either joy or bitterness, sour or sweet. It is our own choice."

I have enjoyed quite a few of Melanie Dickerson's YA medieval fairy tale retellings and this newest offering from the author is loosely based on the Wild Swan and also kicks off her new series The Dericott Tales. Set in 1381 England, the setting is memorable and the author does an incredible job of transporting the reader to the era of King Richard II's early ruling years. The story doesn't actually have much in common with the fairy tale except that there are multiple brothers to the heroine and she ends up making sweaters for each of them. As much as I loved the setting and have loved the author's previous books and series, this book fell a bit short for me. Sir Geoffrey and Lady Delia seemed one-dimensional and events and characters that were supposed to be plot twists felt somewhat forced and predictable. Faith thread in the story was strong and I did enjoy the Biblical wisdom discussed throughout the book. Delia's seven brothers were interesting and I am invested in learning more about their stories in the series even if I didn't absolutely love the first book. Fans of Melanie Dickerson's YA medieval stories and those who love medieval fairy tale retelling will likely enjoy the book.

I received a copy of the book from Thomas Nelson via JustRead Publicity Tours and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.

What do you do when all seven of your brothers are arrested and accused of murder and treason, including brothers who are just children? Well in Court of Swans, Delia finds herself in that very situation. Her father has passed away and she is now left with an evil, spiteful stepmother. Delia knows there is no truth to the charges against her brothers and sets out to save them.

Overall, I found this story to be enjoyable. In typical Melanie Dickerson fashion, there's a mix of romance, suspense, and action in a historic, fairy tale setting. Will Delia's brothers be proven innocent or will they be executed? Will they escape? What will happen next? Those parts of the story helped keep me reading. I found myself getting so frustrated with Delia though. She kept insisting she wasn't naive but couldn't see who not to trust. Maybe it was just my insight as the reader that she as a character wouldn't have, but I was like come on! She was even warned many times by different people to be mindful and she wasn't until it was almost too late.

I am planning to keep reading this series because I really enjoy Melanie Dickerson's books, but I will say that so far this series hasn't topped the Haggenheim series, which also follows a large group of siblings. I'm not familiar with the fairy tale this story is based on so that may impact how I feel about the story itself. Also, don't get me wrong, it wasn't a bad book, just not my favorite. If it's following these siblings, I'm sure it will be just as great as the Haggenheim series once it gets rolling.

I received a complimentary copy of this book and I'm leaving an honest and voluntary review.

Court of Swans transports the reader back in time to knights, kings, honor, and loyalty. With attention to detail and characters that pull you into the story, each part of the story draws you deeper in. Lady Delia has never known a father's love, but 7 brothers more than make up for that. She has a childhood full of fond memories and love from her brothers. But then her father, Earl of Dericott, remarries and strife enters Delia's home. Her step-mother creates even more division between her father and her siblings and herself. With all seven brothers knights or knights in training, it becomes a lonely time for Delia. Than the unexpected happens and Delia's father dies in a riding accident. While her brothers come home for the funeral, unscrupulous and greedy people work behind the scenes to steal the title Delia's father has left behind. What follows is a perilous journey through the tower of London, false witnesses, looming executions, heart stopping cloak and dagger hiding, evading capture, and a desperate hunt for the truth and a dependable witness. Through all of the trials, Delia must learn how to hold onto joy, truth, and hope. A constant through it all is also Sir Geoffrey. He arrives to arrest her brothers, following orders as he has always been taught and trained. But from the very first he has grave doubts and misgivings about everything that is happening. Those doubts only grow as he learns more about the family and who is involved behind the scenes. He has also lost his father and the title of Duke that was to be handed down. As more time passes, Geoffrey is convinced the brothers are as innocent as he and his father were. It doesn't hurt that Lady Delia is exactly the lady he has hoped to find. Together they fight to free her brothers and find the evidence needed to clear their names. But in the end they will need an audience with the king in order to accomplish all their goals.
Melanie Dickerson has written another adventure that takes the reader on an adventure through the English countryside and into London itself. Victorian England comes to life, transporting the reader to the green countryside and lives of knights, titled aristocracy, and the servants who make that life possible. With exquisite detail, each character shares their joys, hopes, fears, and struggles making the story vibrant and alive. This book was a struggle to put down, and even then the story stays with you. There was no way to leave Delia, Geoffrey and the others behind. I can not wait for the next book by this gifted author. A must read for sure! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in the review are completely my own.

A delightful story set in medieval times of a sister that does whatever it takes to save her brothers.... in the process, her faith in God is tested... and she may encounter a few handsome knights...

What a fascinating book! I have loved these stories by Melanie Dickerson. This one does not disappoint. Delia is the only daughter in a family of boys. Her father is an Earl and her family lives well until her father's death. Her brothers are arrested at the funeral and Delia is forced to flee.

Delia's mission is clear, she must save her brothers from being punished for a crime they did not and could not have committed. She is aided by Henry, a guard that has his own tragic past and who was the one ordered to arrest her brothers.

Through the course of the story, Delia and Henry work together to fight for her brothers' freedom and to prove their innocence.

This was a fantastically written story that illustrated her courage with a focus on the importance of family and faith.

These characters were relatable and I was easily drawn in to the story. This is one I would love to read again and can't wait for the rest of the books in this series as this was the first.

I received an early copy of this book and this is my honest review.

ARC COPy...it was hard for me to bond to chick-lit like this but it does has the merit of an interesting historical, clean romance retelling of the seven swans fairy-tale and complex court and political0social intrigue is involved.

My Rating: 3.75 stars
Contains Spoilers

Delia is the middle sister of seven brothers who are falsely imprisoned and sentenced to execution. She must find a way to save them before that happens. She also needs to get away from her stepmother who hates them all and possibly even had something to do with her father's death. The problem is she has no idea who to trust or where to get evidence to support her theory of who has accused her brother and who killed the man that they supposedly killed. Now her brothers are taken to the Tower of London and to be near them, she goes and becomes a seamstress for the king to have access to them as well as to try and get an audience with the king to plead her case. She was able to get this job because of her aunt who is an abbess nun, and because of that has some tiny amount of power.

Delia does get to talk and see her brothers a lot and while she goes to see them almost every day she is also becoming acquainted with two of the guards who say they want to help her brothers. This leads to a lot of uneasy feelings because her brothers told her not to trust anyone. This warning ended up being a good thing as one of them is not to be trusted and the other one can be trusted.
This entire experience ends up leaving Delia unsure of who to trust while also being too trusting at the same time because she wants to get her brothers out by any means necessary.


Overall I did enjoy this book. I did find myself getting rather annoyed with Delia at times because of how trusting she was considering the situation her brothers were in and how we had no idea who had falsely accused them and had them arrested. I found it interesting to learn about her aunt who was the abbess and how she had so much power to do certain things. Several of the other side characters were also interesting because of how they were connected to others and the way the story ended up coming together. I will say though when it comes to the story pacing the first half was rather slow and the second half flew by in no time at all.

I am interested to see what the next book is like and what else Delia and her family get up to.

I really, really wanted to like Court of Swans, but the religious overtones ruined it for me. I’m not a stranger to Christian fiction. I believe it can be written well, with strong crossover appeal. That could have been the case with Court of Swans, but it feels like the author is trying to shoehorn it in.

For example, more than once, Dickerson refers to the English language version of the holy writ (aka Bible) conveniently translated by monks at nearby monasteries.

Court of Swans is set in 1381. John Wycliffe didn’t complete his English translation of the New Testament until 1380. The Old Testament followed a few years later. Prior to that, some sections, mostly psalms, were translated to English from the preferred Latin.

It’s frustrating that the author practically ties herself in knots trying to explain how Delia knows the Holy Writ. Yes, this scenario is possible, but more unlikely than not. And definitely not with the tones of modern Christianity.

People living in the middle ages were religious, many devout. If Dickerson had stuck closer to the history books, I potentially could have believed her characters’ motivations. Instead, Delia in particular, comes across as one note. She experiences little growth and feels as if she’s playing a part rather than living the events.

I have read, and enjoyed, Dickerson’s prior books, but this one just fell flat on all levels. I’d suggest checking it out from the library prior to purchase.

Court of Swans is the first book in a planned duology. The second book is slated for a June 2021 release.

I’ve always been fascinated with the legend of the Wild Swans and was hooked when I read the synopsis of this version told as a YA historical fiction!

With that said, there is a very HEAVY religious influence in here. So much so that the characters had very little growth and development throughout the book. They placed all their faith in the belief, as they have a right to, but that resulted in their actions being childlike and made the story a bit flat for me. Especially when every other paragraph was a church saying or referenced the Bible. (Safe to assume the story has a Catholic influence).

There isn’t much adventure. Isn’t much romance. In fact, it was a little TOO innocent for a tale based on magic and deadly deceit.

Medieval intrigue from a different angle!

Fractured fairytale themes continue with Dickerson's take on The Wild Swans by Hans Christian Andersen where a princess rescues her eleven brothers from a spell placed on them by an evil Queen.
Set mostly in medieval London of 1381, historically at the time when King Richard of Bordeaux, is about to meet and marry Lady Anne of Bohemia, just after the Wat Tyler rebellion.
Delia, daughter of the Earl of Dericott, has a new stepmother--traditionally nasty and ambitious of course. A new brother is born but little is seen of the babe. (Curious in my mind.) Not long after, Delia overhears her stepmother bemoaning that her child will have no inheritance. To Delia a premonition of danger. As it was. The Earl dies in a fall from his horse. Swiftly following the funeral seven brothers (not eleven) are arrested for murder and treason--even ten year old Roland?
The young officer who comes to take the brothers, Sir Geoffrey Grenefeld, is troubled by this. He is the disinherited son of a Duke. (Triangulation of happenstance enters the storyline!)
Delia being a determined and brave young woman sets out to rescue her brothers. That in itself is surrounded by Anderson's fairytale attributes. A young girl willing to sacrifice herself to save her siblings. Having an aunt who's the abbess of a well known convent helps in setting Delia in the right direction.
As young woman with a strong faith Delia is frequently troubled by the idea of bad things happening to good people. The idea that despite her prayfull life and attitude, the way forward doesn't always have resolution is troubling. Job comes to Delia's mind. Her struggle with these concepts is real and worthwhile, but in saying that I don't feel that this title has encapsulated Dickerson's beliefs as seamlessly as other titles she's written.
In the end I found Delia too trusting, too wide eyed, frequently putting herself in harm's way. Medieval London and the court has a familiarity but to my mind the reality I feel would have been far more brutal.
Still I was kept wondering by the plot line and enjoyed some of the secondary characters. I'm sure some of these characters will be met again.

A Thomas Nelson ARC via NetGalley
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

In 1381, Delia's life grinds to a halt when after her father's death, his wife accuses her seven brothers of treason. They're brought to the Tower of London, and the child King Richard II tends to execute those that pose a threat to his position. Sir Geoffrey, the guard that had retrieved the boys, feels that something was wrong with the charge, but must follow orders. Delia becomes a seamstress to the crown and tries her best to save her brothers.

Court of Swans is the first book in the Dericott Tales, and is a retelling of the Seven Swans. She uses her position as a seamstress in the castle to get her brothers provisions that the guards won't provide, and Geoffrey's sense of honor and righteousness won't let him ignore the children in the cell. He helps to bring food and messages to the brothers and provides yarn to Delia so she can knit sweaters for her brothers. This is an obvious nod to the fairy tale, as is Delia sighting seven swans in the river trying to swim after another one. In keeping with the times, Delia's thwarted by another knight interested in gaining her favor only to get into her bed, though he isn't terribly concerned about her consent. She stands up for herself and makes use of her surroundings as best as she can, and is certainly brave and loyal.

Also in keeping with the times, she and Geoffrey often rely on prayer and the hopes of divine intervention for justice. He had been dealt just as massive a wrong by his uncle taking his inheritance prior to becoming one of the King's advisors. There are several events that certainly seem like divine intervention that bring us to our happily ever after. Geoffrey is more than willing to abandon his post to help Delia, and she would sacrifice everything for her brothers. I liked Delia and felt sorry for her brothers, who were used as pawns in others' plans for wealth and power. Because this is the first in a series, I'm sure other books will focus on her seven brothers, giving each of them a happily ever after that they deserve.

Melanie Dickerson is back with a brand new series entitled "The Dericott Tales" which is set in medieval England. The Court of Swans is the first book to feature the Dericott family which includes 7 boys and 1 girl along with the required wicked stepmother and dashing soldier. Knowing that Dickerson specializes in reimaginging fairy tales, I read trying to discern what fairy tale was the basis of this book without success. I later learned the underyling story is Hans Christian Anderson's "The Wild Swans," an unfamiliar story to me. Being unfamiliar with this story was helpful in that I could not foresee what was going to happen and was just able to enjoy the story.

Dickerson's characters continue to rely on God, pray, and recall scripture teaching as appropriate for individuals of their station and time period, but there is not an explicit "how to become a Christian" section. I find this clean but not overly religious approach opens up the series to a much larger audience. I did find The Court of Swans a bit edgier than some of the previous books I have read by Dickerson. Specifically, the main character Delia, has an unseemly encounter with a gentleman which could be upsetting to younger readers although it turns out fine. For this reason, I recommend this book for early high school readers or for a read-together. Of couse, Dickerson's books while aimed for a YA audience are equally enjoyable for adults.

I received a complementary copy of The Court of Swans from Thomas Nelson via NetGalley.

Court of Swans is a perfect example of Melanie Dickerson’s ability to retell fairytales in a way that moves and captures your heart. I am not familiar with The Wild Swans, but that in no way diminished my ability to fully appreciate the beauty of this moving tale. Delia is young and naive but loves her brothers fiercely and will do whatever it takes to see them rescued from their unjustified imprisonment. Along the way, her ability to know who to trust is challenged and she must cling to her faith and what she knows to be true. Friends and allies can come from the most unexpected places and this tale does a great job of taking the reader through this lesson.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own, freely given.

Court of Swans - Melanie Dickerson

I was kindly #gifted the e-copy of this book via Harper360YA and Netgalley and this was completely out of my comfort zone, but I'm always happy to give something new a go, and I'm really pleased that I did. I quickly became immersed in Delia's world, and extremely invested in her quest to clear her brothers names. I must admit that the romantic aspect that came out of this book was just the icing on the cake. A very much needed bit of escapism!

The Wild Swans is one of my all time favorite fairy tales so I was excited to read a retelling.
Delia Dericott’s brothers are arrested and taken to London and It’s up to her to find a way to save them. My initial excitement for this book faded a bit as it’s a bit slow and I found myself constantly frustrated by Delia. Yes, she was brave but sometimes not very smart. I liked the historical aspect of this book, but mainly that was all.

When Delia’s seven brothers are falsely accused of murder and treason on the day of their father’s funeral and sent off to the Tower of London to be executed, Delia immediately rushes to London to try to save them. But what can she do? And who can she trust to help her?

This is another of Melanie Dickerson’s fairytale retellings - this time it’s Hans Christian Andersen’s The Wild Swans. And while this one still has a mediaeval setting, unlike her Hagenheim retellings, this one is set in England - largely in London.

I probably enjoyed this one the most of any of her retellings because it was a little more heavy on the suspense than her usual. I would probably label this the Young Adult equivalent to one of Abigail Wilson’s books. (I probably noticed this so strongly because I read it immediately after reading hers!) But it had an exciting storyline and was quite unpredictable at times! I also thought that both Delia and Geoffrey were really well developed as characters, and her brothers were just lovely! Definitely worth the read! Especially if you’ve enjoyed her other fairytale retellings!

Thanks so much to @thomasnelson and @netgalley for the ARC. I was only required to provide an honest review in return. And I really enjoyed it!