Court of Swans: An Honest Review

                                                                            

COURT OF SWANS 

the dericott tales Book #1

 ~5 stars~

Author: Melanie Dickerson

Title: Court of Swans

Series: The Dericott Tales

Genre: Christian Fiction/Historical Fiction

Audience: Young Adult

 

Synopsis:

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?

 

My Review:

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was a beautiful retelling of "Wild Swans" and once again Dickerson managed to capture faith, romance, and adventure in another one of her fabulous fairy-tale retellings. 

First of all, the character of Lady Delia was very well constructed. Delia's personality was very sweet and very loving but it also molded with a determined and adventurous side of her as well. Dickerson also incorporated a conflicting element in Delia's character development which I found to be one of the main aspects of the novel that made me enjoy it so much. Delia is constantly struggling with her idea of a loving God but also finds herself battling the possibility that the Lord might also allow something bad to happen to those that she cares about. And that is a constant struggle for her throughout out the book; learning to trust in God when she isn't sure what to expect from His hand. Seeing Delia's courage rise and her relationship with God grow was really amazing and drove me to keep reading.

Sir Geoffrey's character is also amazingly plotted out. There is a lot of conflicting ideals that he has to face, but they are on a more personal and materialistic level, which I think is nice, because the two protagonists are both going through separate struggles. He often has to weigh the cost of doing what he thinks is right morally, but also what is right by his King and by his position as a knight. There are huge steps which are taken in his character development and he has to process that sometimes those in authority aren't just or are being manipulated to do something unjust and then what course of action has to be taken in that scenario. He is also a very considerate and very fair individual and his kindness along with his conflict really drew me to him.

The romance between the two main protagonists was beautiful. I liked how it wasn't really love at first sight, but it went from infatuation to admiration and then onto a love that was build on a strong foundation of genuine care and devotion for each other. It was also really nice because their relationship kept you hooked until literally the last couple chapters when things finally came together officially. 

Something that I felt was very new and refreshing about the other aspects of this book was that Dickerson gave very unique and endearing characters to Delia's seven brothers. It gave me a very deep feeling of concern for them and respect for them, which was quite a new experience for me. I grew more and more involved in the characters of her brothers as the book carried on and I really am looking forward to hearing more about their own individual stories in the books to come. 

The plot in general was very lovely, it kept me on the edge of my seat - literally! It also stole away many hours of sleep, I must confess. It was intricately woven and the way that Delia and Geoffrey's stories and pasts interlocked was captivating and it was amazing to see the mystery unfold. The antagonists were well done and I felt that the book brought you to encounter many many people along the way that I actually grew quite fond of. I was also holding breath as I read the story of the brothers escaping and trying to stay hidden and then being caught again - it really captured my adventurous side. 

 I highly recommend this book for young adults, or adults who are young at heart!

Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐