Court of Swans by Melanie Dickerson

About:

Where there is wealth and power, there’s always someone willing to do anything to take it.

England, 1381: Delia’s idyllic life as daughter of an earl is shattered when her father dies and his wife accuses Delia’s seven brothers of treason and murder. The youngest is only ten years old, but this doesn’t stop the guards from hauling them off to the Tower of London. There they await a grim fate, as child-king Richard II is executing anyone who poses a threat to his throne. Delia is their only hope for pardon and freedom.

Sir Geoffrey did not expect his first assignment as captain of the guard to be the arrest of boys so young. He dutifully imprisons the brothers, but he can’t ignore the sense, rooted in personal experience, that injustice and treachery are at work.

Determined to rescue her brothers, Delia secures a position as a seamstress for the queen. Her quest is all but impossible as the executions continue. Sir Geoffrey offers to be her ally, but should she trust him in a court where everyone has an agenda?

From New York Times bestselling author Melanie Dickerson comes a tender retelling of “The Wild Swans,” where the virtues of loyalty and love face a harrowing showdown with power and fear.

My thoughts:

I have loved Melanie’s books so I never hesitate to read her newest releases.

This book had a great message, a questions many of us struggle with, where is God when bad things happen to us? Delia struggled with this throughout the book, wondering why this horrible thing had happened to her brothers as she fought for them.

But, honestly, I almost felt like someone else had written this book. It just didn’t have the same character depth and likeability that Melanie’s others books have. I had to force myself to keep reading because I really didn’t connect with the book. It felt a bit immature. Technically this is YA novel so maybe a middle school or high school student would like this more. This one wasn’t for me though.

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A copy of this book was given to me through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.