New York Times bestselling author Melanie Dickerson beautifully re-imagines “The Goose Girl” by the Brothers Grimm into a medieval tale of adventure, loss, and love. “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 of The Daughters of Boston, Winds of Change, … Change, and Heart of San Francisco series
She lost everything to the scheme of an evil servant.
But she might just gain what she’s always wanted . . . if she makes it in time.
The impossible was happening. She, Magdalen of Mallin, was to marry the Duke of Wolfberg. Magdalen had dreamed about receiving a proposal ever since she met the duke two years ago. Such a marriage was the only way she could save her people from starvation. But why would a handsome, wealthy duke want to marry her, a poor baron’s daughter? It seemed too good to be true.
On the journey to Wolfberg Castle, Magdalen’s servant forces her to trade places and become her servant, threatening not only Magdalen’s life, but the lives of those she holds dear. Stripped of her identity and title in Wolfberg, where no one knows her, Magdalen is sentenced to tend geese while she watches her former handmaiden gain all Magdalen had ever dreamed of.
When a handsome shepherd befriends her, Magdalen begins to suspect he carries secrets of his own. Together, Magdalen and the shepherd uncover a sinister plot against Wolfberg and the duke. But with no resources, will they be able to find the answers, the hiding places, and the forces they need in time to save both Mallin and Wolfberg?
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The Noble Servant by Melanie Dickerson is a clean, Christian, YA fairytale retelling of The Goose Girl, set in Medieval Germany.
On her way to marry the Duke of Wolfberg, a man she had only met once, Magdalen is waylaid by her own guards and servants. Her jealous handmaid switches places with Magdalen, blackmailing Magdalen into becoming a servant and then a lowly goose girl in the castle she was supposed to be mistress of.
I loved the Goose Girl fairy tale ever since I read Thorn by Intisar Khanani. It is just so creative – a lady switching places with her servant and living as a goose girl under her betrothed’s nose until her identity is finally revealed. Melanie Dickerson’s retelling was not quite as good as Intisar’s, but I did really enjoy it.
There was no magic in this book (so no creepy talking horse head, thankfully), but Melanie Dickerson creatively and successfully re-imagined the parts with magic. I especially enjoyed what the author used in place of the aforementioned horse. Also, the romance was woven into the story very well where the original fairy tale did not have romance at all, only an arranged marriage between strangers. And I really enjoyed the details about the duke and his side of the story. Speaking of which, there was more danger afoot than that of Magdalen being blackmailed by her own servant and guards. The duke was having problems as well, and everything came to a satisfying conclusion. The issues the duke was dealing with also brought up a moral dilemma for him, and I appreciated the character development and Christian morality that were considered as a result.
On the whole, I enjoyed this clean fairy tale retelling and would recommend it to YA readers.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not compensated or otherwise obligated to review it, and everything I wrote was my own opinion.
Melanie Dickerson does an amazing job as a writer and this book is proof of that.
I’ve never read a Melanie Dickerson book I didn’t like. Relatable characters, happy endings, fairytale setting, inspiring themes, what more could you ask for??
I enjoyed this book. It was an easy read and great for sweet entertainment and good ending
It was a life lesson sort of story. Beautifully written.
Definitely a YA read. Clean, but a little too elementary at times.
Personally, I love this author’s series. No cliffhangers so they each stand alone. Though they reference fairy tales, there is none of that cute stuff. Just honest reading with a story build-up that keeps the reader glued to the page. I find myself actually feeling the main character’s thought processes and feelings. I heartily recommend this book.
A real page turner
Melanie Dickerson did it again. I truly enjoyed The Noble Servant, her latest installment in her A Medieval Fairy Tale series. With brave and heroic characters and a plot that keeps on moving to the conclusion, I had a hard time putting the novel down. I finished it in one day.
As always, Dickerson grips me with how well she can bring this historical time period to life. I honestly feel like I’m roaming the castles, the field, and glancing at the sea with the characters. I enjoy her attention to detail and how she captures my imagination as I spend a couple of hours in the past. While the research flows from the previous novels, I did not have a hard time swallowing anything she presented in her novel. It flowed seamlessly and presented an united story.
This time around, I watched Lady Magdalen and Steffan as they were forced into a treacherous situation where they had to hide their true identity or be killed. While Magdalen and Steffan grew into their roles as the geese and sheep herder, their bravery and compassion for the less fortunate shone on the page. While trying to keep their true identity a secret, they stood up for the underbelly of society and took their beatings. The downside to their characters is that Magdalen and Steffan were nice people at the beginning of the story and stayed the same way throughout. No character transformations.
The romance was slow moving, which is how I like it. Steffan and Magdalen would spend many hours talking together, learning more and more about each other and falling in love as an end result. What girl doesn’t want a guy who will listen and share his ideas with them? I enjoyed Steffan and could completely understand why Magdalen fell in love with him. On the other hand, the plot moved at a nice pace, especially after they escaped from the castle and where on the hunt from Steffan’s uncle. It was a nice change of pace to see them trying to survive in the mines without rushing the story along.
Dickerson’s The Noble Servant is a great continuation of her Medieval Fairy Tales with a wonderful romantic story between well-deserving characters who are on the hunt to right a evil plot against them. I highly recommend this book to young and mature adults alike. This is a book that should be bought and placed on the keeper shelf.
I received a complimentary copy of Melanie Dickerson’s The Noble Servant from Thomas Nelson Publishing and the opinions stated are all my own.
I received a copy of this book from The Fiction Guild. I was not required to give a favorable review. All thoughts are my own. This is a wonderful 3rd in the series of fairies tales that have been written so that you have a better understanding of the who story line. Melanie is a wonderful author and I have loved each one of the books in this series,
I read this book a long time ago, but I did like it even though it was a bit like a fairy tale.
Loved the idea of rewriting a fairy tale.
Like the author very much.
I wanted to like this book. But it didn’t live up to its promise.
the end.
Quite a good fairy-tale re-writing. I enjoy Melanie Dickerson’s characters and her action and dialog based plots. Although I am confused because the main character is not blonde, like the cover shows.
Loved
Melanie Dickerson works her story-telling magic again with a character based in the Brothers Grimm fairy-tale, The Goose Girl. Dickerson fans first meet Magdalen of Mallin in The Beautiful Pretender. She is a true friend to Avelina, who ends up marrying the Margrave of Thornbeck. But, two years have past and Magdalen struggles in an unwelcoming home and suffers to watch the people of her land battle poverty. An unexpected invitation to marry the Duke of Wolfberg offers Magdalan a chance to improve the state of her home and people. She also hopes the the Duke will remember her from her brief time at Thornbeck and perhaps may come to feel a fondness for her as she has felt for him over the last two years. However, all is not as it would seem in Wolfberg. Magadalen loses her identity, and while caring for some testy geese discovers nothing is as it would seem! This is a delightful young adult tale about identity, faith, self-control, and finding the courage to face the challenges of life even when the outcome may be difficult and painful. Beautiful cover and well written tale – Another good story in the Thornbeck series!