The Piper's Pursuit
(Hagenheim #10)
By Melanie Dickerson
YA Fairy Tale Retelling, Christian, Historical
Hardcover, Audiobook, ebook, 320 Pages
December 3rd 2019 by Thomas Nelson
A fairy-tale journey of intrigue and romance that reimagines the classic Pied Piper story.
A plague of rats. A giant beast outside the village walls. A host of missing children. And one young woman determined to save her people.
In 1424 Hamlin, Katerina faces threats from all sides. An outbreak of rats has overtaken the village, a mysterious beast is on a killing rampage of the village’s children, and Katerina’s evil stepfather is a dark presence inside the walls of her own home. Katerina is determined to hunt and kill the Beast of Hamlin herself before more lives are lost.
When Steffan, the handsome but brash duke’s son, comes to town seeking glory and reward, Katerina decides he might be the ally she’s been looking for—even though the only gentle thing about him seems to be the sweet music he plays on his pipe. But there’s more to Steffan than she suspects, and she finds herself drawn to him despite her misgivings.
Together Katerina and Steffan must stop the enemy from stealing the children of Hamlin. But their interference might create an even worse fate for the entire village.
Praise for The Piper’s Pursuit
“
The Piper’s Pursuit is a lovely tale of adventure, romance, and redemption. Kat and Steffan’s righteous quest will have you rooting them on until the very satisfying end!” —
LORIE LANGDON, author of Olivia Twist and the DOON series
(Affiliate links included.)
My Review:
The Piper’s Pursuit by Melanie Dickerson lands as
book ten in her Hagenheim series, but reads fine as a stand-alone novel. I did
enjoy the little mentions of Wolfgang and Mulan from The Warrior Maiden,
plus cameos of Duke Wilhelm and Rose, the original couple featured in The Healer’s
Apprentice.
The Piper’s Pursuit entertains as it creatively
retells the Pied Piper tale. Replete with danger and suspense, I found the
story engaging in spite of a few predictable moments. Themes of gender equality
and the necessity of confronting evil added depth to the story. Wrapping around
those themes is a sensitivity to abuse victims that plays out in Katerina’s
trust issues. I appreciated the author’s portrayal of Katerina as a strong and wise young woman in spite of past oppression. The suspense and embedded themes
shine equally well in this novel while a sweet romance grows between Katerina
and Steffan.
Readers who enjoy Young Adult fairy tale retellings will probably
like The Piper’s Pursuit by Melanie Dickerson. In keeping with its YA
branding, the romance is very clean and the prose had that YA feel where it’s
not deeply beautiful, but it’s entertaining. The Piper’s Pursuit was an
easy, fast read for me that has a permanent home on my bookcase.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a
copy of this book by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.
Other Books in the Series:
(Linked to an Amazon affiliate link.)
About the Author:
Melanie Dickerson is the New York Times bestselling author who combines her love for history, adventure, and romance. Her books have won a Christy Award, two Maggie Awards, The National Reader’s Choice Award, the Christian Retailing’s Best Award, the Book Buyer’s Best Award, the Golden Quill, and the Carol Award. She earned her bachelor’s degree in special education from The University of Alabama and has taught children and adults in the U.S., Germany, and Ukraine. Now she spends her time writing stories of love and adventure near Huntsville, Alabama.
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