Loved this retelling of Cinderella, with a historical setting in medieval Germany. Valten is a man's man--great at all the tournaments, admired by many, but hopeless with knowing how to talk to a woman. Poor Gisella has much to be bitter about, but is still sweet and holds onto her simple faith. She needs a champion and Valten needs a purpose. There is a super villain, sword fights, danger, adventure and romance. Melanie Dickerson has another wonderfully told tale; had a hard time putting it down. Makes me want to reread the whole series. Great read--recommend!
As much as I have enjoyed Dickersons books and The Merchants Daughter holding a special place in my heart, The Captive Maiden has easily become my favorite book by this beloved author. The cover alone captivates the reader and when opened the story grabs you from the first page.
Even though I love the cover of this book, the man in the background didnt appeal to me so I chose an actor who takes on Valtens identity instead. Valten has been a champion his whole life, trying to prove himself in every area knowing his younger brother is the charmer of the two. Since Valten isnt comfortable around the ladies and isnt much of a talker, he finds that being active is more his style. I enjoyed his description of being a tall and intimidating warrior yet he is respectful, honorable, and loves his family deeply. More than once he reflects on how his sisters respond to him to help guide his treatment of Gisela. The longer he knows Gisela, the more he wants to please her. Even if this man doesnt know how to express himself smoothly, I found his heart to be utterly heroic and humble.
Gisela meets Valten when they are just children, but after her father dies her life becomes enslaved to her stepmother and stepsisters. In childhood, she dreams of the young man Valten is and how he gets along with the horse he purchased from her father, as she becomes older she no longer has such silly notions. The one thing Gisela loves more than anything is her horses. Then she has an encounter with Valten and there is an instant connection between them. Valten feels protective of Gisela right away and the need to protect her only grows more intensely throughout the story.
I thought of the movies A Knights Tale and Ever After while reading this book. I was utterly surprised at the chances Gisela takes to see Valten compete in the tournament, but I loved her all the more for it. She greatly teaches me that some risks are well worth it. One of my FAVORITE characters in the story is easily Valtens sister, Margaretha!! She just adds the perfect dose of lightness to the intensity and awkwardness Gisela and Valten find themselves in more than once, her chattiness (I think I just made that word up) is perfectly done. She makes one mistake in the story not realizing how grave the situation is, but she more than makes up for it.
More elements I loved in this story:
The villain, one of the knights, is the perfect challenge to Valtens character. Even though I despised the bad guy and every action he took to defy Valten, hes an extremely well written villain that brings the right amount of danger to the story. Valten and Gisela are constantly tested with the evil they face, but it only brings them closer to each other and their faith.
I truly loved Giselas best friend, Ava, the friar that Gisela meets, and Valtens family. A good book should always have strong main characters, but an exceptionally good book will also have minor characters that enhance the story even more. Dickerson does a stand up job with each of them.
This book is all about trusting Christ and keeping Him close in prayer. Since Gisela and Valten are both believers and both find themselves in dangerous situations, they must rely on prayer more than their own strength (although they have plenty of both). As they look to Christ in their dilemmas, Im reminded to do the same with my own. They also see their prayers answered several times in crucial moments and it just made me love the story even more.
There are characters I loved from The Fairest Beauty that make an appearance in this book..it was like Snow White meeting Cinderella, sigh.
Gisela has many insecurities, but in the midst of danger she is able to overcome them. Valten also finds himself feeling inadequate in certain situations and must overcome his doubts with Gisela. He learns to stop comparing himself to his brother, stop proving himself in the kingdom, and letting God be his strength in diverse circumstances. Gisela yearns to protect him and they both make sacrifices for one another. Gisela even teases Valten saying maybe shell be the one to rescue him, I just loved that! I truly enjoyed witnessing them get past these burdens and find the real strength within themselves. Their first kiss happens when they are tied up and blindfolded, but it was appropriate and enjoyable because they are both humble warriors.
Everything in this book made sense to me, was appealing for me, and every disaster this couple overcomes made the story that much more precious to me. I also fell in love with each dress Gisela wore, she appreciated the chance to wear them and she outshines every woman in the story effortlessly. Even though she is greatly abused by her stepmother, the story does not focus on that abuse and very little detail is described. However, Dickerson brilliantly makes it clear how evil the stepmother is without glorifying this mistreatment. I was taken into this story as Gisela fights for her freedom, trusts in God, and even finds the strength to forgive all who have wronged her. Im grateful for Gisela and for this author who beautifully writes her story.
I highly recommend The Captive Maiden for readers of all ages, but especially for those who enjoy young adult Christian novels as well as those who appreciate fairy tale retellings with an extra dose of adventure, faith, justice, spunk and beautiful heroes. This book will capture your heart, inspire you, captivate you, keep you cheering for its main characters, and illustrate a protective and loving God who is fierce and relentless in pursuing us..believers and unbelievers alike.
I want to give a special THANK YOU to the author (and Zondervan) for the complimentary review copy provided. Thanks for thinking of me and allowing me to review this incredible book. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own.
Even though I love the cover of this book, the man in the background didnt appeal to me so I chose an actor who takes on Valtens identity instead. Valten has been a champion his whole life, trying to prove himself in every area knowing his younger brother is the charmer of the two. Since Valten isnt comfortable around the ladies and isnt much of a talker, he finds that being active is more his style. I enjoyed his description of being a tall and intimidating warrior yet he is respectful, honorable, and loves his family deeply. More than once he reflects on how his sisters respond to him to help guide his treatment of Gisela. The longer he knows Gisela, the more he wants to please her. Even if this man doesnt know how to express himself smoothly, I found his heart to be utterly heroic and humble.
Gisela meets Valten when they are just children, but after her father dies her life becomes enslaved to her stepmother and stepsisters. In childhood, she dreams of the young man Valten is and how he gets along with the horse he purchased from her father, as she becomes older she no longer has such silly notions. The one thing Gisela loves more than anything is her horses. Then she has an encounter with Valten and there is an instant connection between them. Valten feels protective of Gisela right away and the need to protect her only grows more intensely throughout the story.
I thought of the movies A Knights Tale and Ever After while reading this book. I was utterly surprised at the chances Gisela takes to see Valten compete in the tournament, but I loved her all the more for it. She greatly teaches me that some risks are well worth it. One of my FAVORITE characters in the story is easily Valtens sister, Margaretha!! She just adds the perfect dose of lightness to the intensity and awkwardness Gisela and Valten find themselves in more than once, her chattiness (I think I just made that word up) is perfectly done. She makes one mistake in the story not realizing how grave the situation is, but she more than makes up for it.
More elements I loved in this story:
The villain, one of the knights, is the perfect challenge to Valtens character. Even though I despised the bad guy and every action he took to defy Valten, hes an extremely well written villain that brings the right amount of danger to the story. Valten and Gisela are constantly tested with the evil they face, but it only brings them closer to each other and their faith.
I truly loved Giselas best friend, Ava, the friar that Gisela meets, and Valtens family. A good book should always have strong main characters, but an exceptionally good book will also have minor characters that enhance the story even more. Dickerson does a stand up job with each of them.
This book is all about trusting Christ and keeping Him close in prayer. Since Gisela and Valten are both believers and both find themselves in dangerous situations, they must rely on prayer more than their own strength (although they have plenty of both). As they look to Christ in their dilemmas, Im reminded to do the same with my own. They also see their prayers answered several times in crucial moments and it just made me love the story even more.
There are characters I loved from The Fairest Beauty that make an appearance in this book..it was like Snow White meeting Cinderella, sigh.
Gisela has many insecurities, but in the midst of danger she is able to overcome them. Valten also finds himself feeling inadequate in certain situations and must overcome his doubts with Gisela. He learns to stop comparing himself to his brother, stop proving himself in the kingdom, and letting God be his strength in diverse circumstances. Gisela yearns to protect him and they both make sacrifices for one another. Gisela even teases Valten saying maybe shell be the one to rescue him, I just loved that! I truly enjoyed witnessing them get past these burdens and find the real strength within themselves. Their first kiss happens when they are tied up and blindfolded, but it was appropriate and enjoyable because they are both humble warriors.
Everything in this book made sense to me, was appealing for me, and every disaster this couple overcomes made the story that much more precious to me. I also fell in love with each dress Gisela wore, she appreciated the chance to wear them and she outshines every woman in the story effortlessly. Even though she is greatly abused by her stepmother, the story does not focus on that abuse and very little detail is described. However, Dickerson brilliantly makes it clear how evil the stepmother is without glorifying this mistreatment. I was taken into this story as Gisela fights for her freedom, trusts in God, and even finds the strength to forgive all who have wronged her. Im grateful for Gisela and for this author who beautifully writes her story.
I highly recommend The Captive Maiden for readers of all ages, but especially for those who enjoy young adult Christian novels as well as those who appreciate fairy tale retellings with an extra dose of adventure, faith, justice, spunk and beautiful heroes. This book will capture your heart, inspire you, captivate you, keep you cheering for its main characters, and illustrate a protective and loving God who is fierce and relentless in pursuing us..believers and unbelievers alike.
I want to give a special THANK YOU to the author (and Zondervan) for the complimentary review copy provided. Thanks for thinking of me and allowing me to review this incredible book. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own.
I loved The Captive Maiden! Gisela and Valten were the perfect heroine and hero!
Wonderful retelling of the Cinderella story!! Love Melanie Dickerson!
Wonderful retelling of the Cinderella story!! Love Melanie Dickerson!
About this book:
"Happily Ever After...Or Happily Nevermore?
Gisela's childhood was filled with laughter and visits from nobles such as the duke and his young son. But since her father's death, each day has been filled with nothing but servitude to her stepmother. So when Gisela meets the duke's son, Valten--the boy she has daydreamed about for years--and learns he is throwing a ball, she vows to attend, even if it's only for a taste of a life she'll never have. To her surprise, she catches Valten's eye. Though he is rough around the edges, Gisela finds Valten has completely captured her heart. But other forces are bent on keeping the two from falling further in love, putting Gisela in more danger than she ever imagined."
Series: All of Melanie Dickerson's books are connected: "The Captive Maiden" in considered #4 in this series. "The Healer's Apprentice"(#1, review Here!), "The Merchant's Daughter" (#2, review Here!), "The Fairest Beauty"(#3, review Here!), "The Captive Maiden"(#4) and coming in November, "The Princess Spy"; should be read in this order for the least amount of spoilers.
Spiritual Content- Many Prayers; Crossing when talking of the dead; Scriptures; A mention of Babylon's Fiery furnace; A friar witness & talks about God; A mention of Goliath {"Some children at one of his tournaments in Burgundy had taken to calling him "Goliath". Not the most endearing biblical character."}; Strong Faiths & Talks about God.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: two shut up's, a jerk is called a devil', and curses are said but not written; Mentions of killing older horses for their meat & hides; Two pheasants are killed & prepared (detailed); Wine is drank; Blood (highest being semi-detailed); Kidnapping a girl.
Sexual Content- a few not-detailed kisses, a semi-detailed kiss & a detailed kiss; Hand kissing, wanting to kiss & almost kisses; a women is sold; hints about marriage (not-detailed); Love, falling in love, & the emotions.
-Gisela Mueller, age 17
-Valten, Earl of Hamlin, age 24
P.O.V. switches between them
Set in 1412 (Prologue set in 1403) {Medieval}
281 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star (and a half)
Early High School Teens- Two Stars
Older High School Teens- Three Stars
My personal Rating- Two Stars (and a half)
{ Not for girls sensitive to blood. }
First, let me oooh-and-aww over the dress on the cover! Talk about stunning! Too low for my comfort but that's the time period. This was a neat twist on the Cinderella story but because of the blood, I lowered it a bit on My personal Rating.
*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.
*{{'Books for Christian Girls' reviews all genres of Christian books, writing down all the Spiritual, Negative & Sexual content and does ratings for girls ages 9-19.
Keep in mind, when reading a BFCG review, ignore the things that don't bother you, but take notice of the things that do.}}
"Happily Ever After...Or Happily Nevermore?
Gisela's childhood was filled with laughter and visits from nobles such as the duke and his young son. But since her father's death, each day has been filled with nothing but servitude to her stepmother. So when Gisela meets the duke's son, Valten--the boy she has daydreamed about for years--and learns he is throwing a ball, she vows to attend, even if it's only for a taste of a life she'll never have. To her surprise, she catches Valten's eye. Though he is rough around the edges, Gisela finds Valten has completely captured her heart. But other forces are bent on keeping the two from falling further in love, putting Gisela in more danger than she ever imagined."
Series: All of Melanie Dickerson's books are connected: "The Captive Maiden" in considered #4 in this series. "The Healer's Apprentice"(#1, review Here!), "The Merchant's Daughter" (#2, review Here!), "The Fairest Beauty"(#3, review Here!), "The Captive Maiden"(#4) and coming in November, "The Princess Spy"; should be read in this order for the least amount of spoilers.
Spiritual Content- Many Prayers; Crossing when talking of the dead; Scriptures; A mention of Babylon's Fiery furnace; A friar witness & talks about God; A mention of Goliath {"Some children at one of his tournaments in Burgundy had taken to calling him "Goliath". Not the most endearing biblical character."}; Strong Faiths & Talks about God.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: two shut up's, a jerk is called a devil', and curses are said but not written; Mentions of killing older horses for their meat & hides; Two pheasants are killed & prepared (detailed); Wine is drank; Blood (highest being semi-detailed); Kidnapping a girl.
Sexual Content- a few not-detailed kisses, a semi-detailed kiss & a detailed kiss; Hand kissing, wanting to kiss & almost kisses; a women is sold; hints about marriage (not-detailed); Love, falling in love, & the emotions.
-Gisela Mueller, age 17
-Valten, Earl of Hamlin, age 24
P.O.V. switches between them
Set in 1412 (Prologue set in 1403) {Medieval}
281 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star (and a half)
Early High School Teens- Two Stars
Older High School Teens- Three Stars
My personal Rating- Two Stars (and a half)
{ Not for girls sensitive to blood. }
First, let me oooh-and-aww over the dress on the cover! Talk about stunning! Too low for my comfort but that's the time period. This was a neat twist on the Cinderella story but because of the blood, I lowered it a bit on My personal Rating.
*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.
*{{'Books for Christian Girls' reviews all genres of Christian books, writing down all the Spiritual, Negative & Sexual content and does ratings for girls ages 9-19.
Keep in mind, when reading a BFCG review, ignore the things that don't bother you, but take notice of the things that do.}}
