Happy Wednesday Friends :)
I pray today finds you all doing well, and I want to thank you all for joining me for another book review here on The Preppy Book Princess.
Unfortunately, I had an accident a couple of days ago, and I've damaged my left hand in the process. Book reviews are a little hard to write one handed, so I'm thankful that I already had this one pre typed up.
I'm not sure how reviews are going to for the few days after this one, but for today, I'm excited to share this one with you all.
I'm thankful that I've actually had pretty positive experiences with most of the books I've been reading lately, as I honestly cannot stand when a book you've been super excited to read ends up being a big disappointment.
I recently had the chance to sit down with Melanie Dickerson's upcoming release, and it ended up being amazing!
I can't wait to tell you all about it, but first, if you'd like to check out my reviews of the first three books in the series, you can do so using the links below:
Otherwise, keep on reading down below for today's full review.
Fortress of Snow by Melanie Dickerson:
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Publication Date: December 1st, 2022
Genre: Christian Fiction/Young Adult/Fantasy
Series: The Dericott Tales
Synopsis:
When her father dies and her brother, Warin, abandons her, Mazy is forced to seek help from her beloved older brother Sir John, who is training knights at the great estate of Strachleigh. While there, she becomes friends with the kind and loyal Sir Berenger. Circumstances then force them apart: Berenger goes to Prague, while Mazy and her brother move to London. There, Mazy puts her knife-throwing skills to excellent use as she defends herself, and she learns to make breads to sell in the market to earn money. Her business is expanding when Berenger returns to London and they are reunited.
Romance is just beginning to bloom when the king offers Berenger a new mission that also serves as a chance for a title: Berenger is to marry the recently widowed Lady Bristow and take over her estate. To Mazy’s dismay, Berenger agrees to go to Bristow Castle to visit her and make his decision.
But Bristow Castle is hiding secrets, and the only person who might be able to save the knight in distress is the damsel Mazy herself.
(synopsis from goodreads)
My Review:
Melanie Dickerson is one of my favorites, and I always look forward to getting to pick up new stories by her. I've loved all three of the previous titles in The Dericott Tales, and I couldn't wait to dive right into the fourth. This one actually ended up being my favorite of the series so far, and I read the majority of it in one sitting. The plot was perfectly paced, the mystery kept me guessing, I enjoyed both of the main characters, and I was definitely rooting for their happily ever after.
As keeping with tradition for this author, this title is a loosely based retelling, this one being of the Snow Queen. I'm not super familiar with that particular tale, so I can't speak for how close it stays to the original, but I can say it was a wonderful story that was well crafted and well plotted, and kept me engaged right throughout.
With castles and knights, dastardly villains, nefarious family members, and a hero and heroine who are determined to stand for truth, Fortress of Snow was truly Melanie Dickerson at her best, and I never wanted to see this story end.
I think Berenger is my favorite yet of the heroes from this series, and Mazy was definitely not your typical damsel in distress. I enjoyed how refreshing both characters were, and I think the mystery featured in this one was my also my favorite yet of the series. Many factors were at play, and I loved that it kept me guessing.
Also, I can't conclude my review without gushing over the beautiful cover! I've pretty much loved every one of Melanie's covers, but this one definitely takes the cake!
Final Rating: 5/5.
I'd highly recommend this one to anyone who enjoys clean, young adult fantasy, and I appreciated that you'd be able to read this one without being too lost if you haven't read the previous three books beforehand!
Thanks so much to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for allowing me to advance read and review this one!
I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher (Thomas Nelson) via NetGalley. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thanks so much for reading guys! Have a great rest of your day :)
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