I thought this might be a retelling of the Wild Swans, and it was. It wasn't clear, but there were a few references. I like that the plot was different from other historical romances I've read. Delia is a lovely character, though a bit naive. I'd have preferred it if she took the time to get to know Geoffrey better, but thought the romance was cute anyway.

#courtofswans #netgalley

I have had a hard time getting into Melanie Dickersons books lately, but wanted to give it another try. I just couldn't get into it.

(I did not know this was a retelling of an old Fairytale The Wild Swans!)

Court of Swans by Melanie Dickerson is about Lady Delia, the Earl of Delicotts daughter and her 7 brothers.

The story begins as the Earl remarries and immediately the stepmother Parnella is very frosty to all the children. Then as the children grow older and the new wife has a baby, things turn bad for the whole family. The Earl dies a suspicious death and then the 7 sons are arrested by Sir Geoffrey for murder and treason to the King.

This all happened in the first few chapters and then I couldn’t put the book down. I thought Delia was a bit naive at times with her trust, but I knew Geoffrey would come to like her quickly and help her brothers. The ending was a bit rushed and had to fit into the last 12 minutes of the book, so that was not my favorite part.

If this is a series, then I can’t wait for Edwin’s story!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ebook arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

Lady Delia is like any other young woman in England in the medieval era.
Except she is no coward nor is she naive.
After her beloved father's sudden death, she is in the hands of her Stepmother, who is a vain and unkind woman. Extremely jealous, the woman seems behind all of the sudden problems that occur. When all of Delia's brothers are locked up for treason charges, Delia refuses to let her stepmother get away with it.
With the help of some dashing guards and her aunt, Delia gets into the royal court. Working hard to stay safe and keep her loved ones protected, she is an inspiration and her faith in God is powerful.

Just two weeks after Delia’s father, the Earl of Dericott, dies under questionable circumstances, her seven brothers are falsely accused of treason against the king and taken away to The Tower of London. Their only hope to live is that Delia will be able to prove her brother’s innocence before they are executed... but in order to do that, she may need the help of the captain who arrested her brothers in the first place. But can she trust him?

I knew nothing about the fairytale this book is based on, “The Wild Swans”, so I went into this story not knowing what to expect... except for the expectation of liking it because it’s Melanie Dickerson. And I’m so happy to say, I did!

The story gets to the action at the very beginning which I really liked. I was drawn in only a few pages in and had a hard time putting it down after that.

There were a lot of characters in here as you can imagine since there are seven brothers. I’ll start off by saying, I loved the brothers and I cannot wait to get their stories!! I get excited just thinking about it. Since this story is about Delia, their sister, there wasn’t a whole lot of characterization given to them so that makes me even more excited to get to know them in the coming books!
Delia was a great main character. She was seriously determined and didn’t give up. Her love for her brothers and their love for her was so sweet. I loved it!
Geoffrey was a pretty great character too. He’s conflicted by what his duty as a knight of the king is and what he is knows in his heart is right. His desire to do right and do as God would have him do was really admirable and that’s what made him a great hero.
Besides our main characters, the bad guys were definitely easy to dislike. I was so cautious of everyone Delia came in contact with that I was giving her serious talks in my head not to trust anyone. 😂

The plot was fast-paced and kept my interest the entire time. Since everything seemed impossibly doomed, I had no idea how things were ever going to make it out alive. Needless to say, the suspense in here was great and kept me turning the pages.

The faith content in here was something I loved a lot. I love how Delia and Geoffrey pray and put their trust in God, even when they can’t understand why things are happening as they are.

The romance was completely sweet and clean, nothing but a kiss. I appreciate that so much!

In the end, I really enjoyed this book. It had a lot of suspense, a sweet romance, and a plenty of action. I’m beyond excited for the rest of this series, especially Edwin’s story in the next book!

Court of Swans is set in the era of kings, queens, knights and castles. When researched properly, I find books about this time frame intriguing.
Pretty much if you enjoy a well written historical, romance fiction with a fairy tale aspect, you will like Court of Swans.
Perfect book to give to a young adult.
Thank you to NetGallery, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own.

"Court of Swans" was a good story about the power of faith. As Lady Delia Dericott discovers, God will not prevent discomfort, unfairness, harm, or injury from affecting you or the ones you love. When her seven brothers are home for the funeral of their father, they are arrested and charged with murder and treason against the king. The charges are preposterous, especially since the brothers have not been together in months (and therefore unable to plot a murder and treason), the youngest is ten years old, and they have no connection to the village where the murder of the king's coroner took place. Delia seeks assistance from her aunt Beatrice, the abbess of Rosings Abbey. They come up with a plan for Delia to work as a sewer for the king's household in the hopes that she can become one the queen's ladies in waiting once the young king marries, and then plead with the queen to intervene with the king on behalf of her brothers. While in the king's employ, Delia is able to visit her brothers in the Tower of London and bring them food and blankets.

On her first visit to the Tower to visit her brothers, she is seen by Sir Geoffrey Grenefeld, captain of the guard, the person who arrested her brothers. He regrets his actions and doubts that the brothers, at least the younger brothers, are guilty, but he had no choice but to follow orders. Geoffrey offers to assist Delia as he is able. Sir Elliott, another Tower guard, also expresses interest in helping Delia. Geoffrey warns Delia against trusting Elliott, as he has a reputation as a cad, and Elliott advises Delia not to put too much faith in the promises of Geoffrey, as he does not have the influence he claims. Delia is too trusting, which will prove dangerous for her and her brothers. However, she will eventually place her faith in the right people. While God will not shield you from all harm and discomfort, with faith, God will provide you with the means to endure your trials.

The characters are interesting and enjoyable. The plot is well paced with some good twists. A book well worth reading.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

A unique, inspirational fairy tale retelling from Melanie Dickerson! Court of Swans is an intriguing introduction to Dickerson’s new Dericott Tales series, and I’m very excited for the brothers’ stories. I had a bit of a hard time connecting with Delia and Geoffrey, as the focus was more on plot than character, and some of the story was a bit shallow. Dickerson does have a talent for taking an age-old fairy tale and creating a fresh, exciting version, and for that reason alone I sincerely recommend this story! 3/5 stars

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

Readers are introduced to Delia and her seven brothers at their father’s wedding. After the wedding, the brothers are excited to be off to knighting school, but sad to leave Delia behind to deal with their stepmother alone. She was not the mothering type and she could not stand noisy children. Delia and her brothers are close. She reassures them she will be okay. She is convinced she could love her stepmother and show her she has nothing to fear from her. Sadly, Delia is wrong.

Things become unbearable after their father’s wife brings forth a newborn son to the mix, and then has an accident that changes everything. Things take an unexpected turn for Delia and her brothers which has her fighting for her family harder than ever.

This is a delightful, easy, fun read that will keep you entertained, as these characters face unthinkable challenges, all the while trying to show kindness to others even under brutal conditions. All the while putting one foot after the other learning how to walk in faith and trust God even in their darkest hour.

This is the first book in a new series titled The Dericott Tales set in England. It is a clean reimagining, fairy-tale. The author includes questions to help create a lively discussion time for your book club.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog

I feel like this wasn't a strong title in Melanie Dickerson's book line up because I felt myself not caring about the characters or the story. The writing was fine though.

This was a creative adaptation of the story' of Snow White and the seven dwarfs. I enjoyed the setting and the time period, England in the 1300s is not a time period I'm very knowledgeable about so I felt like I was learning along with the story which I enjoyed. I enjoyed the two main characters, both of whom were strong and protective in their own way. This was a creative set up for the story, a sort of enemies to lovers although the enemy component fades into something less than shortly after she gets to know him. This was an interestingness look into the time period, the monarchy of the day and the politics of the day. I always enjoy seeing family stories and this was no different. I enjoyed seeing how the young woman in the family was the one to ultimately save her seven brothers from a horrific and unwarranted death sentence. I enjoyed the twists and turns in the story and hope that her oldest brother is the focus of the next book in the series because I want to know what happens to him next! Thanks to netgalley for making this book available to me!

So excited for this new series from Melanie Dickerson. She is one of my favorite authors and this book Court of Swans, is a winner. Reimagined from the fairytale, The Seven Swans. The story takes place in medieval England, with plenty of knights, ladies, swords, battles, castles and villains. Well written, the plot keeps you turning page after page, and keeps you up all night, to see if justice prevails. The characters are well defined and you will love the Hero’s and Heroines and despise the villains. As any fairytale should be. The last thing I really enjoyed about this book and all of her books is - relying on their faith in God to get through tough times and gratitude to him for their blessings. Just the right amount of Christian beliefs, battle/sword fights and sweet romance for a PG rating. There are many characters that i look forward to a wonderful series.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this book. This is my honest review.

Melanie Dickerson never fails to entertain with her retelling of classic fairy tales with her unique inspirational bent. I have thoroughly enjoyed each one. Don’t miss this one.

My thanks to Thomas Nelson Publishers for a copy of this book via Net Galley. I received no compensation and the opinion in this review is my own

I always enjoy Dickerson’s medieval fairytale retellings. This one wasn’t as good as others I’ve read, but it still had its good moments.

What I like about her books is that they are simple and sweet. Court of Swans was a little more on the simpler side. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I liked the premise of the plot, but the execution of it wasn’t quite to my liking.

One thing I liked was how much Delia cared for her seven brothers. And they for her. I really liked her youngest brother, and how protective Delia felt over him.

I also like how Dickerson brings in God and religion in her novels. It’s nice to see characters stick to their morals and try to do what’s right, even when it’s hard.

One thing I failed to love was the romance. I didn’t feel any chemistry or real love between Geoffrey and Delia. I could tell they had sweet feelings for one another, but I wasn’t quite invested in their relationship. While I appreciated the serious tone of the story, I would have liked a little more banter or laughter or something between the two.

Part of the problem may be that I felt their characterization a little lackluster. I’m not sure.

In the end, it was a nice story with a nicely wrapped up ending. And I really love the cover.

I was so disappointed that I didn't like this book as much as I wanted to. I love Melani Dickerson as an author, and this book had so much promise with the storyline but it seemed so disjointed, so unfinished! I think it needed a few more rewrites to polish it up. I took a while to write this review, both because of the disappointment, but also because I'm not sure where to start with what was frustrating about it. Again, the storyline had great promise. I did like the faith in God that got them through, but it came across as preachy often. I liked that Sir Henry exhibited such honor as to be willing to risk so much for the principle of what was right, but something still seemed off sometimes. And what was with the eight swans she kept seeing - nothing? Just a not to the original story to make it fit? Bits and pieces of it were terrific though, like the abbey's involvement, the Delia's aunt's willingness to stand for the right, the king's fiance... So, good storyline, but not Melanie Dickerson's best delivery.

I received a prerelease version from NetGalley for an honest review. #CourtofSwans #NetGalley

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas Nelson Fiction, and Ms. Dickerson for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this title. Thomas Nelson Fiction contacted me by email and requested me to add the following text to my review: "I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own." I generally add this text - or a version of it - to my review of NetGalley ARCs anyway, and I was somewhat discomfited to be instructed to do so, but I have honored the request.

I've categorized this book as young adult but frankly it would be suitable for an upper MG reader as well. It contains what I would call "gentle" romance, inasmuch as there is any romance at all. Feelings are made more or less plain (if generalized) but nothing is really done about them other than a hug here or there, so it's definitely safe for younger readers.

This is, as I believe all of Ms. Dickerson's works are, a Christian fiction novel. I think that the British medieval setting is a great fit for Christian fiction, since most medieval Europeans were extremely devout. The pious conduct and dialogue of (most of) the main characters is historically appropriate. Some of the costuming choices and actions, as other reviewers have pointed out, were not strictly historically accurate but I think this is easy to overlook.

Court of Swans is also a very loose retelling of the Six Swans fairy tale (also known as the Seven Wild Geese, The Wild Swans, etc). Let me emphasize: VERY loose. It is strictly historical fiction with no magic or magical realism, which is certainly in keeping with Christian fiction, but which does remove some of the charm from the fairy tale. Without that fairy tale charm the story does drag a little at a few points, particularly all the time Delia spends sewing and knitting and praying. Delia's long days spent fervently praying that God should assist her brothers seem overly complacent and inactive, in comparison with the end where she ultimately ends up dashing about the country looking for evidence to exonerate them in a single day. If only she had been doing that in the first place, am I right?

I love fairy tale retellings and had hoped that this would have a little more fairy tale to it. I enjoyed it nonetheless, but wasn't blown away. I think it was just a little too gentle for me. Maybe more action or more intrepidness on the part of the heroine would have made up for the excision of the magic from the narrative.

I love books that evoke big emotions in me and this one did not disappoint . I love historical fictions and faith based stories and this has both !! The beginning went a bit fast but as we got to the heart of the story things took on a more normal pace.
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This is a story of faith, family , betrayal and survival . We meet Delia and her brothers who are alone in the world after their fathers died and to make things even worst , the boys are arrested for plotting against the king. Delia has decided to save her brothers from such a dire faith . Risking it all she set off to rescue them with just her resilience and faith to carry her through .
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Delia is bold, fierce , head strong and oh so frustrating!!! Many times while reading I found myself screaming at her 😂😂. I hate when female characters are so trusting , because I’m caution of everyone . Periodt lol
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This book address one issue that I believe everyone had wondered and that is “ why do bad things happen to good people “. i have so many quotes !I hope this continues into a series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for this ARC! / ¡Gracias a NetGalley y a Thomas Nelson Fiction por este ARC!

English Review:
2 / 5 stars
Court of Swans is a historical fiction novel about Delia and how her seven brothers are being accused of burning down the King´s Coroner house. In this story, we follow Delia and Sir Geoffrey, the knight that arrested the seven brothers and is now doubting they´re even guilty, as they desperately try and save Delia´s brothers before is too late.

The truth is, none of the things I said above are shown as clearly as they should have in the synopsis of this novel. Instead, this book is promoted as a re-telling of the classic tale "The Wild Swans" and promises action and drama, which are vaguely found in this book. The truth is, this book is all about Delia finding her brothers; it doesn´t have subplots, magic, or anything that can show any indication of the re-telling the synopsis promised.

Another thing that bothered me about this book, is how repetitive it is. It is said that Delia is someone that really cares about her brothers, but besides of crying at every chance she gets. praying to God to help her find them and following Sir Geoffrey´s orders, Delia doesn´t do much to help them; it is just a constant cycle of the three actions I said above over and over again. Talking about the characters, I didn´t really care for any of them. As I said before, they felt really repetitive and not with a mind of their own.

I do think this book deserves two stars because, even if it´s not what I was promised, it is good as an historical fiction, showing really well how London´s society and people used to affect everything around them.

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

Reseña en Español:
2 / 5 estrellas
Court of Swans es una novela de ficción histórica sobre Delia y como sus siete hermanos están siendo acusados de quemar la casa del juez de instrucción del Rey. En esta historia, seguimos a Delia y al señor Geoffrey, el caballero que arrestó a los siete hermanos y que ahora está dudando que son siquiera culpables, mientras los dos tratan desesperadamente de salvar a los hermanos de Delia antes de que sea demasiado tarde.

La verdad, ninguna de las cosas que mencioné anteriormente son enseñadas con la claridad que deberían en la sinopsis de esta novela. En cambio, este libro es promocionado como un re-telling del cuento clásico "Los cisnes salvajes" y promete acción y drama, los cuales son vagamente encontrados en este libro. La verdad es, este libro es todo sobre Delia encontrando a sus hermanos; no tiene tramas secundarias, magia, o nada que enseñe alguna indicación del re-telling que la sinopsis prometió.

Otra cosa que también me molestó de este libro, es lo repetitivo que es. En el libro se menciona que Delia es alguien a quien de verdad le importan sus hermanos, pero además de llorar a cada oportunidad que tiene, rezarle a Dios por ayuda para encontrarlos y seguir todas las órdenes del señor Geoffrey, Delia no hace mucho para ayudarles; solo es un ciclo constante de las tres acciones que mencioné anteriormente una y otra vez. Hablando de personajes, la verdad no me importaron mucho. Como dije anteriormente, se sintieron muy repetitivos y no con una mente de ellos mismos.

Si creo que este libro merece dos estrellas porque, incluso si no fue lo que se prometió, si es bueno como ficción histórica, enseñando muy bien como la sociedad y gente de Londres solían afectar todo a su alrededor.

In Court of Swans, Delia's seven brothers are falsely accused of treason and arrested. Determined to prove their innocence, Delia sets out for London and the king's palace to seek vindication for her brothers.

The premise of the story is great. It hints at danger, excitement, and a character who is willing to risk all for those she cares about. While Delia was willing to do a lot for her brothers, I struggled to like her. Delia seemed to do the opposite of what people smarter and more experienced than herself advised and then she's surprised when she ends up in trouble.

The mystery of who accused her brothers played a minor role in the story as the most of this book seems to focus on the brothers time imprisoned in London and Delia's countless hours knitting them sweaters.

Okay, that was a bit of an exaggeration,  but not much. Only at nearly 80 percent in the book did Delia make an attempt to prove her brother's innocence and it wasn't even really her that did the work. She was handed a large chunk of the puzzle and then it pretty much just unraveled from there.

The romance element between Geoffrey and Delia wasn't developed much as she spent most of the book trying to decide whether she should trust Geoffrey or Elliot. (It was pretty obvious who could be trusted because their actions spoke more loudly about their characters than their words did.)

While I did not connect with the characters, I loved the way the theme was woven throughout the story. Ms. Dickerson explored the age-old theme which asks where is God when bad things happen.

Delia had to walk through a difficult time and it felt as though God had abandoned her. She eventually came to the realization that though life can be hard, God walks with us through good times and bad.

I received an advanced reader's copy from the publishers through NetGalley; a positive review was not required.

I really enjoyed this book. It was not overly referential of fairy tales, which left me guessing enough at the particulars of how the story would unfold. The characters were likeable, and the book pacing was well-done. There was some romance, but there were also other themes, like sibling love and loyalty. Although this book is marked "teen," I think that any person who enjoys religious historical fiction would enjoy this book.

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