Review: The Warrior Maiden by Melanie Dickerson
Do you need a light-hearted romantic adventure to brighten your reading schedule? If so, The Warrior Maiden is the perfect pick!
A reimagining of the classic Mulan tale in medieval Europe, where both love and war challenge even the strongest of hearts.
When Mulan takes her father’s place in battle against the besieging Teutonic Knights, she realizes she has been preparing for this journey her whole life—and that her life, and her mother’s, depends on her success. As the adopted daughter of poor parents, Mulan has little power in the world. If she can’t prove herself on the battlefield, she could face death—or, perhaps worse, marriage to the village butcher.
Disguised as a young man, Mulan meets the German duke’s son, Wolfgang, who is determined to save his people even if it means fighting against his own brother. Wolfgang is exasperated by the new soldier who seems to be one step away from disaster at all times—or showing him up in embarrassing ways.
From rivals to reluctant friends, Mulan and Wolfgang begin to share secrets. But war is an uncertain time and dreams can die as quickly as they are born. When Mulan receives word of danger back home, she must make the ultimate choice. Can she be the son her bitter father never had? Or will she become the strong young woman she was created to be?
Mulan is one of my favorite Disney movies, and the ancient legend in general is fascinating to me, so I was eager to see how Melanie would put her own spin on it. True to her brand, she crafted an entertaining, God-centered romance full of action and adventure with an admirable heroine.
I have been following along with this series since around the time book three, The Fairest Beauty, came out seven years ago! I’ve been with this family of characters for so many years, they feel like friends to me. It will be sad to bid them farewell when the final book releases next month! That being said… I enjoyed getting to know the second to youngest member of the Gerstenburgs-Wolfgang. I’ve “known” him since he was a little boy, so it was fun to see him as a grown man.
Somewhat surprising, however, is the fact that my favorite character in this book wasn’t the hero or heroine… It was the misguided Steffan Gerstenburg, Wolfie’s older brother. I loved the fact that Melanie used this book to flesh out Steffan’s inner struggles and quest for purpose in his life, leading up to his main story in the next book, The Piper’s Pursuit (which I can hopefully buy and read soon!). It made this book feel almost like part one of a two part story, where you are left wondering what will happen next.
The plot was fast paced, and Mulan and Wolfgang’s love story has a fitting and logical resolution, which left me happily envisioning the kind of life they might share in the future. Hopefully Melanie will give a peak into that life in the next (and last) two books!
Overall, 4/5 Stars for Melanie Dickerson’s version of Mulan. If you enjoy YA fiction-romance, especially-fairytale retellings, medieval fiction, and fun, easy reads perfect for a relaxing weekend at home, you will enjoy The Warrior Maiden!
