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 … 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?
Praise for Melanie Dickerson:
“When it comes to happily-ever-afters, Melanie Dickerson is the undisputed queen of fairy-tale romance, and all I can say is–long live the queen!” –Julie Lessman, award-winning author
This is a novel in the Hagenheim series by New York Times bestselling author Melanie Dickerson, but it can be read as a standalone. Includes discussion questions.
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4.5 stars
I admit I haven’t watched or read anything about Mulan, so Melanie Dickerson’s retelling was completely new to me. But Dickerson’s story was great.
Mulan is a likable character with her quiet manner, courage, commitment to her mother, and faith in God. Strong, competent Wolfgang makes an excellent complement to her.
Dickerson expertly balances strained family relationships, political contentions, battlefield action, and a sweet and steady romance, giving readers an engaging, exciting, and thoroughly fulfilling story.
As hard as it is to choose just one, The Warrior Maiden may be my favorite of Dickerson’s retellings yet.
Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
First off, I loved the fitting title and gorgeous cover of the book.
I also loved the well-paced story line that held my attention from beginning to end. I liked that The Warrior Maiden was loosely based on the Mulan movie, but didn’t strictly adhere to the movie’s plot. The author gave fresh resolutions to scenarios from the movie. There was a different setting and reason for war. These variations allowed the story to give a nod to the original while retaining its own uniqueness.
I also liked that the author subtly addressed gender equality through the character of Mulan and her experiences. Though sometimes moody, Mulan’s determination and resilience made her a strong female leader. Her ability to deal with difficult situations inspired others to have confidence in her. She demonstrated solid confidence and faith in God numerous times.
Unfortunately, I felt like this book was not as well-written as some of Melanie Dickerson’s other books. Especially in the beginning, some conversations felt choppy and stilted. My husband and I agreed that certain things the characters did were unrealistic. (Not naming them because I don’t want to include spoilers.) Plus, I strongly disliked Mulan’s pet name for Wolfgang.
Bottom line: I loved the story enough to overlook the sometimes mediocre prose and give it a permanent home on my bookshelf.
Lastly, The Warrior Maiden is part of Melanie Dickerson’s YA Fairy Tale Romance series. I have read some, but not all of them and this functioned fine as a stand-alone.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. 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.”
The Warrior Maiden ( Hagenheim #9 )
By; Rachel Good
The Warrior Maiden is book nine in The Hagenheim series. The author has another winner in her fairy tale of the classic Mulan Tale. I love the story and the characters, both were well written and realistic. Mulan is not afraid to go to war as her father’s son. Can she keep her secret? What will happen to her if she is found out? Mulan is a brave and courageous woman. She meets Wolfgang and they become friends. Will he find out her secret? I really enjoyed this fairy tale of Mulan.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. but was not told that I had to give a positive review. All opinions are my own.
Normally I love this author and her novels but this one wasn’t good. The events were just too unrealistic. It’s supposed to be a Christian book and yet the main character lies and deceives without any remorse. I know it it part of the Mulan story, but biblically a woman is not to dress or make herself look like a man. These are just some of the reasons I did not like this novel.
A woman shall not wear a man’s garment, nor shall a man put on a woman’s cloak, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD your God. (Deuteronomy 22:5, ESV)
This was a great story. I loved Mulan and her tenacity as she fights to make a name for herself as well as help her mother not lose her home. Wolfgang is a man of integrity. I enjoyed watching how he looks out for those who are around him. Both are great team members and the way they fight through all the treachery and deceit. This book kept me captivated to the very end. I would recommend this to anyone that loves romance and a strong woman character that won’t back down when the going gets tough.
“God is great. He has blessed me for His purposes, to do His good will. I had very little to do with it.”
3.5. This was an enjoyable read, and I really like reading YA type books in between the heavier subjects of other genres.
I’ve never seen the Disney movie Mulan so I have no idea about how close it is or isn’t. To be honest, I really enjoy these books as simply stories of their own. This is a well done story about a girl who becomes a warrior for her mother.
The characters are enjoyable, the story is well done, and I enjoyed watching the characters grow in their faith as the book progressed. It’s what I like to see most in a YA novel. I thought the book well done. It’s not a deep read as i usually pick, but I have found that lighter more enjoyable reads are so necessary to break up the others. This was a fun read for me…and I liked that! I always enjoy Melanie Dickerson’s books.
“He is a kind and gentle Father who loves us. After all, everything before Jesus was leading up to this provision, the sacrifice of the Son, as the way to be forgiven and welcomed into heaven.”
God forgives us for being careless and not knowing what to do. We’ll never be able to be good enough to makeup for what happened…God’s grace is sufficient.”
“God will make a way.”
I received this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
A retelling of Mulan in Medieval Europe
There is an ancient Chinese ballad about a maiden who takes her father’s place in the Chinese army and saves the day. You are probably familiar with the story from the Disney movie. (I’ve attempted watching the movie twice but fell asleep both times!)
Author Melanie Dickerson places Mulan in Europe and instead of battling the Huns, she joins the army of a Duke to fight against the Teutonic Knights, a group of militaristic monks. I really appreciated how the author showed who these monks were in such an interesting way that integrated into the story so well.
I don’t always relate to strong women characters. Do I believe women should be shy and retiring? Absolutely not! But I don’t get women trying to be like men in every way. Mulan was very relateable, though. While she disliked the “”womanly”” arts of cooking and cleaning, preferring to be outdoors and learning archery, she was still very much a woman. She only joined the army out of necessity, to save her mother from eviction. Her strength in the face of fear was very admirable as was her compassion and kindness.
I loved Wolfgang! He is a younger son in the family of the Duke of Hagenheim, the family involved in all the stories of this series. He struggled with feelings of guilt related to an incident in his childhood and subconsciously tried to earn forgiveness. His love for his brother caused him to make some choices that almost got Mulan hurt, and that broke his heart.
There were some beautiful spiritual truths that came out through this narrative as both Mulan and Wolfgang sought to figure out their place in the world.
Most of the story was wonderful, with fun situations and a great picture of what it would have been like for a woman to attempt impersonating a man at that time in history. There was a section, however, pertaining to one of the battles, that seemed to lack some details and appeared a bit abrupt.
If you enjoy young adult fairy tale retellings or even just medieval fiction, I recommend this for your library.
Read with a Preview at AmongTheReads.net
I was given a copy of this book. I was not required to give a favorable review nor was any money received for this review. All comments and opinions are my own.
Before I begin this review: I firmly hold to the fact that any book reviewer has an absolute right to say what they like or hate any book. There’s no way everyone will like every book. If your review disagrees with mine, that’s ok.
It looks as if my review will differ greatly from some others on this particular book. But that’s the beauty of what we as readers have the privilege of sharing, and we can give each other grace to disagree agreeably.
I’m going to begin by addressing a couple of aspects of this book that seem to have others upset in their reviews.
First: This is a book published by a major Christian publisher, written by a well-known Christian author who has written quite a few Christian fiction books.
So why is it a surprise that the characters in the book are Christian? That’s the viewpoint of the author, and it’s not like anyone tried to hide it. I’ve lately made the mistake of choosing a book from a genre that I would not have chosen if I’d read the book description a little more closely. But that’s my fault. I didn’t blame the author for that. I was not her intended audience.
Second: This is not the first time any author—secular or Christian—has changed the details of a popular character in literature.
(I mean, how many variations have we read that feature Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy in different time periods or locations?). The author of this book has changed details about Mulan to fit her book series. I thought it gave the story a different twist and I enjoyed that.
Third: And I did enjoy this story. I felt that this story did justice to the character of Mulan. She’s brave, strong, independent, fierce, and compassionate. She’s a true warrior. She has a deep love for her mother and is willing to sacrifice everything to take care of her. I also liked the character of Wolfgang. He shares the same characteristics as Mulan, and that makes for a sweet love story between them as they care for each other and help each other during battle.
I don’t want to give away the plot in this story, but it shows just how much they are willing to sacrifice for the other. That makes them true equals in the best of ways.
If you are a fan of this series of Melanie Dickerson, you’ll like this book.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
In Ms. Dickerson’s latest release, The Warrior Maiden is a new twist to the fairytale Mulan. In this novel, Mulan must go to battle to take her father’s place so that she can protect her mother. Mulan’s faith is key throughout this novel. I loved how sure she was that God would protect her. She befriends Wolfgang, who is fighting for what he believes is right. They are both fighting against the Teutonic Knights who say everything they do is right and justified, because God is behind them. Together they discover more about each other- their strengths and weaknesses. They also befriend people of title and importance that could prove allies to them both. This is a great retelling of a classic fairytale! If you enjoy historical romance novels, I believe you will enjoy reading this one. I highly recommend this book!
***I was given a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher. This is my honest opinion. Even though I received this copy free, this is my own opinion.
Melanie Dickerson is pretty popular for re-creating popular fairy tales and dropping the characters into Hageheim, her city in Germany. With her newest story, The Warrior Maiden, it is a Mulan re-make. While I have seen the Disney version, Dickerson did not follow that story line. She wrote something completely different. Not in a bad way. I actually really liked this version. Better than the Disney version.
Again, Dickerson takes a well-known Disney story and transforms it into a romantic recreation. I really don’t know much about Mulan outside of the Disney version, but I enjoyed this one. Dickerson does a fabulous job at bringing Mulan to life with a back-story and the reasons why she joined the army to fight for what she believed in. She jumped off the page as a character.
In Dickerson’s version, Wolfgang, the hero, realizes Mulan is a woman but he allows her to see her for who she really is and falls in love with her no matter what. The story is about sacrifice for the ones you love. Mulan sacrifices for her mother and Wolfgang while Wolfgang sacrifices for Mulan, her mother, and his brother Steffan.
The plot moves pretty quickly. I spent less than a day devouring the novel. I couldn’t wait to see how the predictable ending would happen. Of course, it is a fairy tale, so it has to have a happy ending. Dickerson is wonderful at creating an ending to satisfy an romantic at heart. While the plot line was different than Disney, the romance felt predictable and pre-determined.
The spiritual element strength the characters. It did not interrupt the story or preach at the readers. Dickerson allowed it to flow naturally from each individual character. I enjoyed that.
Overall, The Maiden Warrior is a much stronger version of the Mulan story than the Disney version. I liked how heroic Mulan was and the back-story to her story. Dickerson invited me back to the setting I’m familiar with and kept me engrossed in the story. A must read for fans of Dickerson or any fairy tale story.
I received a complimentary copy of The Maiden Warrior by Melanie Dickerson from Thomas Nelson Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.
‘God knew you were brave and fierce. And that you would give Him the glory.’
I have long been a fan of Melanie Dickerson and her faith based retelling of fairy tales. Because I think you’re never too old for fairy tales! I love how she fleshes them out and adds the spiritual element. I had never heard the story of Mulan, so this was new to me. Mulan was such a brave and fearless warrior. I truly enjoyed this installment from Dickerson’s pen.
*My thanks to Thomas Nelson Publishers a copy of this book via Net Galley. The opinion stated here is entirely my own.
Another incredible fairy tale retelling from this fantastic author! Mulan is a perfect story to tell again and again, and Dickerson really breathes fresh life into these characters, who remind us what love in the truest sense of the word looks like in action: selfless and giving with no expectation of reward. The setting is stunning and believable – I could close my eyes and picture where this compelling story was taking place throughout. If you’re a Dickerson fan, this is a don’t miss, and if you aren’t, it’s a great one to start with.