Castle of Refuge by Melanie Dickerson Review

 Happy Wednesday Friends :)

How have you all been doing as of late?

I know that all this COVID stuff can really drag you down, and sometimes it's hard to see the bright spot when it often seems like there's no end in sight.

Keep your chin up, and keep looking to Jesus as your anchor, as we all know He has a plan and purpose for everything, and I know that includes the current situation for our world. Keep praying, keep reading your Bible, and keep your relationship with Christ as number one in your life.

If you've been looking for a Christian fiction book to give your faith a much needed boost, then you definitely are going to want to check out the book I'm reviewing for you all today.

Castle of Refuge by Melanie Dickerson:

Source: Publisher via NetGalley

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication Date: June 1st, 2021

Genre: Christian Fiction/Young Adult Fiction/Fantasy/Historical Fiction

Series: The Dericott Tales

Synopsis:

Audrey is a viscount’s daughter who has suffered her sister Maris’s cruel, jealous behavior all her life. An act of malice led their father to send Maris to a convent, but Audrey was still left with scars. Three years later, Audrey’s father is determined to marry off his damaged daughter, and Maris is returning. Desperate, Audrey sneaks away.

However, life outside her home is dangerous, and she soon finds herself attacked, injured, and in dire straits. She is taken in at Dericott Castle to be nursed back to health. While there, she decides to keep her identity a secret and work as a servant in the castle. But she doesn’t count on falling in love with the young and handsome Lord Dericott, who lost his arm several months earlier.

Meanwhile, Edwin—Lord Dericott—is curious about the new, well-educated servant’s identity. When the man Audrey’s father wanted her to marry comes looking for her, each must make a life-changing decision about what to believe and whether or not love is truly worth trusting.

In this Ugly Duckling retelling, New York Times bestselling author Melanie Dickerson brilliantly crafts a high-stakes, encouraging tale about the power of love.

(synopsis from goodreads)

My Review:

In my opinion, Melanie Dickerson is one of the absolute best voices in fiction for young adults today. Her stories are always full of action, excitement and heartwarming moments, but most important of all, they never compromise on faith and Christian belief, and that's a rare thing to find in today's publishing world.

Right from the start, I was pulled right into Castle of Refuge, and could barely bring myself to put it down. Edwin and Audrey are both relatable characters who have been through more than anyone their age should have ever had to go through. Circumstances throw them together when Audrey is found sick and almost unconscious outside Edwin's family castle. The two immediately feel a connection, but she's hiding who she truly is, and Edwin is still unable to accept his new life after the loss of his arm and everything that went along with it.

Through finding friendship with each other, and learning to rely solely on our Heavenly Father's provision and guidance, Audrey and Edwin find their way to a new direction full of possibilities, however, Audrey's sister will stop at nothing to keep Audrey from experiencing the happiness she's determined she doesn't deserve, and dark and dastardly events may soon find their way to Dericott Castle.

Castle of Refuge is an exhilarating adventure from start to finish, and showcases the author's extreme talent in writing medieval fiction. She truly has a voice like no other, and I love how she's taken so many beloved fairy tales over the years and turned them into faith based reads that will appeal to a wide variety of readers. This particular story is beautiful, and has me now wanting to go back and read the first book in the series as soon as possible. I adored this one from start to finish. I highly recommend it to anyone who's a fan of fantasy, medieval fiction, and faith based reads. I'll be highly anticipating the release of book three!

Thanks so much to Thomas Nelson for allowing me to advance read and review this!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher (Thomas Nelson) in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Thanks so much for reading guys! May the Lord work in your life in amazing ways this week! See you all on Friday. :)