I received a copy of The Silent Songbird off Netgalley in return for an honest review. The Silent Songbird is the seventh instalment in Melanie’s iconic Hagenheim series. This time we follow Evangeline in her escape from a disastrous betrothal and her subsequent adventures in a non-magical Little Mermaid retelling! So let’s get into it…

I need to start this review off by saying that I love this series. I think it’s so fun, engaging and inspiring and Songbird is no exception. It’s a wonderful take on The Little Mermaid, focusing more on the loss of someone’s voice both literally (well, kind of, read to find out) and metaphorically in terms of being a woman in Medieval times and suffering at the hands of the Patriarchy. That’s what I love about Melanie’s writing, it has so many levels. I particularly loved the emphasis she put on singing. As a singer myself, I was able to appreciate the value of being able to use your voice in that way.

A key feature of the Hagenheim series is the romance – and this one is particularly good! It’s a real slow burner full of twists and turns and will-they-won’t-theys which made this book impossible to put down. Her love interest is a bit of a dreamboat, I have to say. There’s some really funny moments too, notably the p81OM12ln4nL.jpgig scene! Runaway pigs…need I say more? It’s truly wonderful.

The book also has some really encouraging strong female friendships, which is really refreshing. Too often in books, the women are always at each other’s throats. I really loved seeing those dynamics here and the sacrifices that as friends, sometimes you have to make.

Evangeline is such a great character. She’s so strong and determined, which is also great to see. One thing I liked about her most actually is how morally ambiguous she is. She’s not perfect, by any means. She lies, she betrays people and causes a lot of trouble. I found myself at times saying “WHY Eva!?” when she made her biggest mistakes, but in terms of character growth, it’s really important that she makes those mistakes and hopefully learns from them in the long run. In terms of the original story, Ariel isn’t perfect either so this was a really clever nod toward the original story whilst bringing it to a whole new level.

The growth and hope the characters find through God in the story is subtle but inspiring and makes for a great Christian lit read, without it being too overpowering.

The series also is not ending there! Melanie tweeted me and said she’s currently working on an Aladdin retelling and a Mulan one is coming soon. MULAN. A MULAN RETELLING. So I cannot wait for that!

A great addition to one of my favourite series and cannot wait for more!

Rating: ★★★★★

About this book:

“Evangeline longs to be free, to live in the world outside the castle walls. But freedom comes at a cost.
Evangeline is the ward and cousin of King Richard II, and yet she dreams of a life outside of Berkhamsted Castle, where she might be free to marry for love and not politics. But the young king betroths her to his closest advisor, Lord Shiveley, a man twice as old as Evangeline. Desperate to escape a life married to a man she finds revolting, Evangeline runs away from the king and joins a small band of servants on their way back to their home village.
To keep her identity a secret, Evangeline pretends to be mute. Evangeline soon regrets the charade as she gets to know Wesley, the handsome young leader of the servants, whom she later discovers is the son of a wealthy lord. But she cannot reveal her true identity for fear she will be forced to return to King Richard and her arranged marriage.
Wesley le Wyse is intrigued by the beautiful new servant girl. When he learns that she lost her voice from a beating by a cruel former master, he is outraged. But his anger is soon redirected when he learns she has been lying to him. Not only is she not mute, but she isn't even a servant.
Weighed down by remorse for deceiving Wesley, Evangeline fears no one will ever love her. But her future is not the only thing at stake, as she finds herself embroiled in a tangled web that threatens England's monarchy. Should she give herself up to save the only person who cares about her? If she does, who will save the king from a plot to steal his throne?”


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


Spiritual Content- Many Prayers; Scriptures are mentioned, quoted, read & remembered; Bible reading; Church going & sermons; Many talks about God, His plan, servants of God, & Bibles; Talks about & Mentions of those in the Bible; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Evangeline imagines God as the father she never knew; Many mentions of God, Jesus & peace; Many mentions of Bibles, Bible reading, & books of the Bible; Many mentions of churches, chapels, priests, confessions, sins & miracles; Mentions of prayers; Mentions of thanking & praising God; Mentions of forgiving; Mentions of others not liking talks about God; A few mentions of blessings; A few mentions of Christians;
*Note: Someone accuses another of being the devil’s servant, trying to poison them with Satan’s cap mushrooms; A mention of satanic dreams; Mentions of evil & the devil.


Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘stupid’, two ‘dumb’s, & two forms of ‘shut up’; a couple mentions of curses (said, not written); A bit of Sarcasm; Pain & Blood (up to semi-detailed); Fighting, being held at knife point, being slapped, shooting arrows at others & where they land (up to semi-detailed); A mob, injuries/wounds & bruises (up to semi-detailed); A couple threats of suicide & dying; A few mean, jealous girls & their unkindness; Many mentions of deaths, killing, murders, almost killing/murders, fighting & knives (up to semi-detailed); Many mentions of beatings & men beating their wives (up to semi-detailed); Many mentions of lies, lying & deception; Mentions of pain, injuries/wounds, blades & blood (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of being hit & almost drowning (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of plagues/illness & deaths; Mentions of threats of harm, killing & breaking a neck; Mentions of torture, abuse, bruises & pain; Mentions of punishments, pillories, thievery, flogging & mobs; Mentions of hunting & meat (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of drunks, drinking, the devil drink & strong ale; Mentions of hating & hatred; Mentions of treachery; Mentions of gossip; A few mentions of kidnapping & ransom; A couple mentions of slitting throats; A couple mentions of hangings & robbing; A couple mentions of throwing up; A mention of a massacre; A mention of beheading.


Sexual Content- a hand kiss, three cheek kisses, seven forehead kisses, three not-detailed kisses, two barley-above-not-detailed kisses, and three semi-detailed kisses; Remembering a kiss (barley-above-not-detailed); Wanting to, Longing to be, & thinking about being kiss(ed) (up to semi-detailed); Talks about & mentions of kissing & kisses; Touches, Shivers/Tingles, Embraces, Smelling & Nearness (up to semi-detailed); Noticing; Evangeline was born out of wedlock; Evangeline is supposed to marry a repulsive man who’s much older than her; Mentions of men leering at (one stares at her chest) and touching Evangeline without her permission & their lewd comments; Mentions of wondering about kissing & touching, but also not taking advantage of someone else; Mentions of kissing; Mentions of reputations & Ruth laying at Boaz’s feet; A few mentions of men expecting a plaything for a wife & planning to make her submit to him; A few mentions of flirting; Mentions of illegitimate children; Mentions of married couple’s romantic bond; Mentions of love & falling in love; A few mentions of a girl who went to the woods with a guy alone and ended up with child (no details); A few mentions of attacks; A few mentions of staring at someone’s lips; A couple mentions of men’s lusts; A couple mentions of what to expect on a wedding night (it’s cut off, no hints); A couple mentions of unwanted attention from men; A mention of a man asking Evangeline to go home with him; A mention of a married couple kissing (barley-above-not-detailed); Love, falling in love & the emotions;
*Note: A few mentions of striking an attacker in-between his legs/groin.

-Evangeline, age 17
-Westley le Wyse, age 21
P.O.V. switches between them
Set in 1384 {Medieval}
283 pages

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Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- Two Stars
Early High School Teens- Three Stars
Older High School Teens- Four Stars
My personal Rating- Four Stars (and a half)
{Add half a star for those who have already read the previous books in the series.}
Ahh. That was so worth the wait! “The Merchant’s Daughter” has always been my favorite in this series because of Ranulf le Wyse and the whole plot. And let me just tell y’all, his son is just as wonderful. Add in another heroine who wants to read the Bible for herself and I’m so happy. *tears up*
Really, though, all fangirl emotions aside, Miss Melanie Dickerson hit it out of the park with “The Silent Songbird” and I truly just adore the le Wyse family. I would love to see a spin-off series featuring all of Westley’s siblings. Pleeeeease???


*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 book is full of excellent reading material! Romance, political intrigue, nobility posing as peasants, evil villain, a damsel who is not in distress, and men of honor and integrity.

The Silent Songbird is set during medieval times. That is a plus for me, that time period has always been fascinating to me. Maybe because I grew up with a mother who loved the Arthurian Legend. Put in a castle, feuding land holders, knights, and chivalry - I am hooked.

This book's MC is Eva. She is an illegitimate cousin to King Richard. She is to be used as a political pawn when she is betrothed to a cruel man. She is the damsel not in distress because she takes charge of her future. She leaves the castle, she becomes a servant. The book follows her life as a servant and the consequences to her running away from a betrothal.

I enjoyed the characters. The villains were not over the top, but believable. The book has some violence and kissing.

I love, let me repeat, love Melanie Dickerson's fairy tale retellings. This one has a swoony hero, Westley and a damsel in distress, Evangeline. I loved these two characters, so much! Since this is a retelling of The Little Mermaid, don't be surprised if while reading of Evangeline's life in Glynval you picture a lobster, a seagull, even an evil octopus, Lord Shiveley chasing Evangeline.
As usual Melanie does a great job weaving a sweet romance, and placing a biblical theme of redemption and grace, that is not preachy but subtle, yet real.
This is a story not to miss! I highly recommend this and others in the series.

Well done, Ms. Dickerson! Can't wait for your next one!

I received a copy of this book via the publisher. I was not required to write a review, all thoughts are mine alone.

Award-winning author Melanie Dickerson continues her medieval retelling of fairy tales, this time loosely basing her novel on the story of The Little Mermaid.

In The Silent Songbird, 17-year-old Evangeline, cousin to King Richard II, is known for her beautiful singing voice. She is unhappily betrothed to a much older man whose character is suspect and whose first wife died under mysterious circumstances. Evangeline runs away, seeking a life where she can marry for love instead of politics.

She pretends to be a mute servant to avoid detection and joins a band of servants on their way to their home. She becomes acquainted with Westley le Wyse, who is intrigued by her. But when the truth is revealed, it shatters any hope of a future together. When Evangeline finds herself in the midst of a plot that threatens the king, where can she turn?

As in her earlier books, the faith element is clearly evident yet not preachy. Dickerson’s tales feature wholesome relationships while still building a strong attraction between the main characters, making this a good choice for teen readers. Dickerson is a masterful storyteller with a carefully crafted plot, richly-drawn characters, and detailed setting. The reader is easily pulled into the story.

Dickerson magically transports you from your world and into a fairy tale! I felt like I was in the midst of the medieval times watching Eva and her story unfold! Captivated from the beginning, Dickerson's storytelling kept me engrossed and engaged until the very last word. Eva was a great protagonist with a fiery spirit, determination and no fear! I imagine all girls and women alike would aspire to have her qualities! A beautifully written tale about the King's cousin and her desire to choose her own groom, The Silent Songbird is Christian fiction at its best! I received a copy via Netgalley and I was under no obligation to review it.

“The Silent Songbird” is Melanie Dickerson’s retelling of The Little Mermaid in a medieval English setting. Because my children are now grown and have not blessed me with grandchildren, I am out-of-the-loop when it comes to stories like The Little Mermaid so I am unable to share whether the story remains true to the original one. I can, however, agree with Dickerson’s many fans that the book is very readable and entertaining yet set on a firm foundation of faith.

When Evangeline, the king’s ward learns that she will be forced to marry the cruel Lord Shiveley, she takes desperate steps to flee, believing she would much prefer life as a servant. In order to avoid capture, Evangeline must deceive those with whom she has taken refuge and learns to her regret that her deception has led to distrust by the very man she has learned to love. Is there anything Evangeline can do to make up for her deception and win the heart of Westley le Wyse?

“The Silent Songbird” is one of those books that pulls the reader right into the story. The plot moves along at a good pace and contains just the right balance of drama, danger, and romance to keep things interesting. Several lessons could be gained from this story including truthfulness, bravery, and loyalty. I’m sure other readers could find even more positive life lessons within its pages. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with “The Silent Songbird” and recommend this clean, fairy tale based romance to those who enjoy such stories. I believe it to be appropriate for teens and young adults.

First sentence: Servants may marry whomever they want, but a king's ward has no freedom at all.

Premise/plot: Evangeline (Eva) is the ward of King Richard II. (The fictional ward of Richard II that is.) When she learns that she is going to be forced to marry an "old" man with thick lips, Lord Shiveley, she does something drastic: she runs away. Her maid, Muriel, comes with her--reluctantly. The two join a company of traveling men led by Westley le Wyse. Muriel tells everyone that her red-headed mistress is mute, and, that her muteness is a result of being beaten. Eva falls for Westley instantly. And oh how she wishes she could talk to him! Westley is attracted to her as well, and takes an interest in her welfare once they arrive at his parents' estate. This "servant" knows NOTHING about housework or fieldwork or work-work. (On her first day at "work," she almost kills someone!)

Westley and Eva come to bond--both before and after her muteness--over the Bible. It turns out that in 1384--a good number of years before Wycliffe's team translates the Bible into English--that Westley, or rather his family, owns TWO copies of the Bible: one in English and one in Latin. (I find this a bit far-fetched. The family might be closer to nobility than peasantry. But. I don't think Bibles were so common place--remember each copy would have had to have been hand-written--that every family would have owned their own.) But it does make for a convenient Christian romance--let's have a beautiful woman and a handsome man sitting together in the evenings meditating on Scripture!

There are two conflicts in this one. 1) Evangeline is being pursued by Lord Shiveley. The King himself promised Shiveley his ward's hand in marriage. And for the first hundred pages--or so--the only one who truly finds him repulsive is Eva. (Conveniently close to the end of the novel, it's revealed that he is an actual villain.) 2) Someone is trying to kill Westley. Only Eva can identify him. I believe this conflict exists mainly to give Eva motivation to SPEAK and to come clean with Westley about her past.

My thoughts: I liked this one. I didn't love, love, love it. But I liked it well enough. I think Westley is a great hero. Eva is an interesting heroine. I just wish that she'd started out a bit more mature. Her whining at the beginning of the novel--about how she could never, ever, ever marry Lord Shiveley because he was oh-so-old and just look at how thick his lips were! Ewwww!--irritated me a bit. In that way she did remind me of Ariel. And since this was supposed to be loosely based on Little Mermaid, I suppose that's okay!

Evangeline is a Ward of the King. She was raised in the castle and feels close to the king. It’s unbelievable to her that he decides to betroth her to his advisor, who has shown his evil side to her. She cannot get the king to change his mind, so she hides away with a merchant group who was traveling back to their home – pretending to be a mute servant. Even though she is pursued, she is protected by Westley and treated well despite her shortcomings.

She is ultimately found out, but also uncovers subterfuge where she is and against King Richard. Not only is she in danger, but Westley as well. As is their relationship when he learns that she has been lying to him and his family all along.

Quick and easy read. Christian Historical Fiction.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the Thomas Nelson--FICTION - Netgalley book review bloggers program. 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”.

It is no secret that I tend to really like historical fiction, especially Christian historical fiction. I just enjoyed this novel a lot.

Sure, this novel may be a bit predictable at times. There is a bit of insta-attraction going on. It isn’t to the level of insta-love but it is definitely insta-attraction the first time Evangeline sees Wesley.

Evangeline is the ward of her cousin, King Richard II of England. She has grown up basically a prisoner at a remote castle, all for her own safety. Now, however, the King is going to betroth her to a man over twice her age who she finds revolting. It is all the game of politics and Evangeline finds herself the pawn.

I really liked the character of Evangeline. She is a devout Catholic, as was most of England in this time period. If I am ever able to read any historical fiction with devout Catholic characters who aren’t crazy, that makes me happy. Evangeline has her quirks, but she is generally a very devout girl.

On the topic of religion, there are some interesting things going on here. The Protestant Reformation hadn’t occurred yet, and was in fact well over 100 years from its beginning, yet seems to be present a bit. This was kind of odd. There was nothing wrong, at this time period, for people to read the Bible in Latin or the English translations. It is a misconception that there was no English Bible until after the Protestant Reformation. This just irked me a little bit since I am such a Theology-nut.

Anyway, I loved the romance between Evangeline and Wesley. It starts so slow and they are definitely more friends as each thinks the other not worthy marriage material. Wesley thinks Evangeline is a peasant serving girl and Evangeline knows Wesley isn’t important enough in England to marry the ward of the King. I enjoyed their friendship that evolves as the book goes on.

I feel like I want to say so much more about this book, but I don’t want to spoil anything. I have to say, you should read this book if you like historical fiction.

Romance, clean, Christian
Evangeline's story and Westley's, was an interesting read. More of a 3.5 for me as a reader, but still complex enough I will round up. There were a few little things that didn't quite connect with me as a reader, but overall it was an interesting period novel that was interesting with all of the things that were portrayed as part of a typical day for a servant. While E. was not typical (she couldn't do anything a normal servant could) and that created a bit of disbelief on my part, the attraction, the things that happened with the other characters and the gradual unfolding of the story, still made for a compelling read. I do think this might appeal more to younger readers (or rather perhaps less sophisticated readers) who might be willing to suspend their disbelief.
Still a beautiful 'world', believable conflict, and a sweet song of a read. Some very interesting conflicts, and political machinations and maneuvering. Another good read for me.
I received a copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Growing up locked in a country palace would certainly make a girl long for freedom. So when Evangeline’s guardian arranges for her to marry a creepy older man, she takes the excuse and runs away with her closest servant-friend. Her disguise? Wearing peasant’s clothes and pretending to be mute, since one of her most recognizable features is her beautiful voice. Evangeline and her friend soon working at a noble’s manor, and she and the noble’s son Wesley feel the beginnings of attraction. But deception is never a good basis for a romance, and trouble seems to follow both of them.

I didn’t catch it at the beginning, but The Silent Songbird is definitely a Little Mermaid retelling . . . minus the mermaid. It was a really sweet story, complete with the prince, mute princess, and deceptive witch. Relatively speaking, anyway. I loved the romance, though it was a little frustrating to watch them suffer because of the deception. Why can’t people tell the truth? Because they don’t know whether they can trust the other. But by the time they know they can trust the others enough to tell them, the others’ trust in the first is broken. Isn’t it the way it always goes in stories like these? In any case, I enjoyed this particular rendition of the tale. It followed the fairy tale pretty well, considering there is no magic, and added some great complications and twists. The historical background was fantastic, as always, and the characters were developed well.

I enjoyed The Silent Songbird and look forward to the next novel by one of my favorite authors. I recommend it to fans of clean historical romance and fairy tale retellings.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Melanie had done it again with another exciting and romantic fairy tale! Two thumbs up!

The Silent Songbird by Melanie Dickerson is a truly lovely romance written for young adults. The story is clean in writing, no profanity at all, and the sweet romance is just right for readers of any age. I truly liked how the author managed to keep the story interesting and how she created enough tension that I wanted to keep turning the page.

Recommend.

Review written after downloading a galley from NetGalley.

The story begins at Berkhamsted Castle in the year 1384. Evangeline is the ward of the young King Richard, and he's just arranged for her to marry a close adviser of his, the middle-aged and odious Lord Shiveley. Although her companion Muriel advises her to make the best of it, Evangeline decides to make a run for it instead. Posing as a peasant and seeking hard manual labour seems a far better fate, and on the spur of the moment, Muriel decides to go along for the ride. As part of her disguise, Evangeline pretends to have lost her voice.

Lord Westley leWyse is the young nobleman whose family they end up working for. Although he ponders the identity of a girl with a beautiful singing voice he once caught sight of at the castle, he also finds himself intrigued by the mysterious, mute 'Eva'. Little does he know they are one and the same person.

Melanie Dickerson writes fairy tale adaptations, and this one is based on The Little Mermaid. Evangeline has Ariel's bright red hair, and I guess her uncommon tallness somehow stands in for a tail. Luckily for Dickerson's readers who love happy endings, she follows the Disney adaptation rather than Hans Christian Andersen's original, in which the little mermaid's fate was far bleaker :)

This tale reminds me of the Barbie princess movies my daughter used to own, since Evangeline and Westley have a real Barbie and Ken quality. He's handsome and just while she's kind and sweet (and tall and willowy to boot). The setting is all pastoral and lovely. She messes up every chore she attempts to undertake since she's never been taught how to do these things, but she isn't dismissed from service because she's so cute and willing. And when she really puts her mind to learning something, she's brilliant.

I found suspension of disbelief is called for a bit too often. Evangeline's ruse of being unable to speak didn't seem strictly necessary from the start. There was no real reason why she couldn't have posed as a peasant if she could talk. She didn't have to sing, after all. And Muriel carried it off OK. All Evangeline seemed to achieve was to make it annoying for herself to remember to keep up the pointless pretense. It was necessary for one reason alone, which was to jam this story into the Little Mermaid mould, and I think it showed.

And however much of a heartthrob Westley is reported to be, he comes across a bit slow on the uptake. The king's guards are searching specifically for a tall redhead, Eva turns pale and stoops on the spot, yet he still chooses to believe the lie he was told about her origins. Still, I guess he's no thicker than the guards who glance at her, shrug their shoulders when they fail to catch her eye and walk straight past. This story doesn't speak much for the common sense of men in the 1300's.

Since I'm getting to parts where plot spoilers might be an issue, I'll stop. Overall, if you're looking for a feel-good, romantic, historical HEA, this fits the bill, although I've got to warn you I did a fair bit of eye rolling.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for my review copy.

A middle grades medieval romance adventure loosely based on The Little Mermaid. This novel is the second I've read by the author (I liked her Rapunzel adaptation too) and both are Christian-based. The characters are written with a mixture of reality and what a young hopeful reader would like them to be. A good choice for young girls, especially those who like fairy tale retellings and MCs learning about true strength and bravery.

Net Galley Feedback

Good writing and character development. The author does a good job with the storyworld she's created. A strong work.

OK. Stop what you're doing and READ this review...wait, read this review and then go grab yourself a copy of Melanie Dickerson's The Silent Songbird. O, how I LOVE this story, loosely based on The Little Mermaid. The Silent Songbird have a lot going for it. First, just stare at that lovely cover. Really! Don't you think it's just perfect? And once you read the book, you'll agree that the cover model is the perfect Evangeline.

Next, let's talk about Evangeline, also known as Eva. She's spunky with a certain sweetness that makes you want to be her friend and protect her. Her faith in God, though she questions her future makes this fairy tale more than just a story. It relates as Eva questions what marriage means, as well as God's plan for her future. Her internal strength shines despite seemingly lost about her place in life.

Westley, ahhh. Now that's a name meant for a prince, OK, a lord or a hero of the story. Yet, he's not really the hero, but more the love interest of Eva (because you know Eva's our heroine!). However, that doesn't make him less worthy, because he is just as kind and sweet and brave! O, swoon-worthy is sure, especially the times those two get together.

And then we have the plot. Simple fairy tale, yet filled with so much more. There are funny moments from Eva's early attempt at "peasantry", and as mentioned before, the melt-your-hearts times with the romance. Then there's the action and and conspiracy (of the characters) that add a tad bit of suspense - just a tad. I read The Silent Songbird, with a heart opened to what one loves about fairy tales and sweet romances. Add in the great supporting characters, both good and evil characters alike, we have a tale that plays out beautifully in your mind as you take in each word. You might also find a little nod to our favorite Princess Bride.

The Silent Songbird is the 7th of the Hagenheim / Fairy Tale series, but it reads perfectly well as a stand-alone novel. The only thing is you might just want to head backwards and read the other six! So, what are you waiting for?

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not required to write a positive review, and have not been compensated for this. This is my honest opinion.
For my review policy, please see my Disclosure page.