This Mulan retelling takes place in medieval times and is set in Poland and Germany instead of Asia. Mulan is forced to make a choice: either she must marry the disagreeable butcher, or she must disguise herself as a man and fight as a soldier in the Polish battle against the Teutonic Knights. Since her father is dead, those are the only two options she has in order to keep her mother's house. Mulan decides to fight, and soon she butts heads with Wolfgang, one of the leaders in the army. Soon she is in the midst of the most difficult circumstances she has faced yet. Will she be able to keep her identity a secret, and what will she do when she faces the vengeance of a deadly foe?
Though this retelling was different, I enjoyed it very much. Melanie Dickerson's writing is always excellent, descriptive, realistic, and God-centered. I could easily envision each event as it unfolded, and I absolutely loved Mulan and Wolfgang as characters. Their courage, intelligence, and quick thinking were quite admirable. The relocation of the story from Asia to Europe actually worked for me with a conscious suspension of disbelief, although I could understand why some people might not like that. If you're searching for a clean, excellent fairy tale retelling, Melanie Dickerson is one of the best fairy tale writers out there. I highly recommend this book and am eagerly anticipating the next one.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. A positive review was not required, and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Oh, man. I’ve forgotten how much I absolutely adore Melanie Dickerson’s medieval fairytale retellings. It’s been too long since I’ve read one! The Warrior Maiden sets the story of Mulan in Lithuania as the German Teutonic Knights invade Poland and Lithuania. The author is quite clever in merging Mulan into a European culture and having her meet Wolfgang, one of the sons of Duke of Hagenheim, while they’re together on a quest to assist the Duke Konrad, his father’s ally, against the Teutonic Knights. I didn’t read all of the books in the Hagenheim series but this can definitely be read as a stand-alone. There is great dialogue, plenty of medieval war action, fast-paced and intriguing plot, beautifully crafted characters, and a strong thread of faith woven through themes of forgiveness, mercy, grace, redemption and acceptance.

Mulan is a strong and compassionate woman who masquerades as a soldier to protect her mother. Wolfgang is a swoony hero, fierce and protective - a loyal and faithful knight at the core though he hasn’t been knighted yet. The plot broadens to include Wolfgang’s older brother Steffan, whom we’ll hopefully meet in the next novel.

Anyone who enjoys medieval YA fairytales would love this book and all of Melanie Dickerson’s other novels! I received a copy of the book from Thomas Nelson via NetGalley and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. This is a Mulan retelling and it was nothing like I thought it was going to be. I understand that idea behind it, but when I actually read the book there was so much more to this new spin on the tale. The location was somewhere else and there is so much going on that it is so hard to put in to words. The the matter that happens with her mother and being discovered by the duke's son after everything that took place. I don't want to tell too much since is a over the top crazy read.

Beautiful retelling!!! I am a huge fan of retellings and this one was such an engaging one!!! A new take on Milan that will keep you glued to your seat! I loved it!!!

Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book Series: Hagenheim Book 9

Rating: 1.5/5

Diversity: Mulan is half-Asian in this one.

Publication Date: February 5, 2019

Genre: Adult Christian Romance

Recommended Age: 15+ (war and romance)

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Pages: 320

Amazon Link

Synopsis: Mulan isn’t afraid to pretend to be a son and assume her father’s soldier duties in war. But what happens when the handsome son of a duke discovers her secret?

Mulan is trying to resign herself to marrying the village butcher for the good of her family, but her adventurous spirit just can’t stand the thought. At the last minute, she pretends to be the son her father never had, assumes his duties as a soldier, and rides off to join the fight to protect the castle of her liege lord’s ally from the besieging Teutonic Knights.

Wolfgang and his brother Steffan leave Hagenheim with several other soldiers to help their father’s ally in Poland. When they arrive, Wolfgang is exasperated by the young soldier Mikolai who seems to either always be one step away from disaster... or showing Wolfgang up in embarrassing ways.

When Wolfgang discovers his former rival and reluctant friend Mikolai is actually a girl, he is determined to protect her. But battle is a dangerous place where anything can happen — and usually does.

When Mulan receives word that her mother has been accused of practicing witchcraft through her healing herbs and skills, Mulan’s only thought is of defending her. Will she be able to trust Wolfgang to help? Or will sacrificing her own life be the only way to save her mother?

Review: I did enjoy that this book had a lot of world building and the character development for some characters was pretty good. The writing was also well done.

However, the character development for Mulan was really bad in my opinion. This Mulan only focused on romance instead of her family and honor and it really made me sad to see this. This Mulan was definitely not the Mulan I know and love. Her character development was almost entirely dependent on her romance too. I know this is a romance novel, but there’s a way to develop characters outside of romance. The book is set in medieval Lithuania, the characters are Christian, and the Mulan character is Half-Asain. I just got a really weird vibe from this and I can’t really explain it. It’s just so off to me that this deviates so much from the original storyline and I do not love how this was written.

Verdict: Not my style.

I usually love this author’s books for the most part but unfortunately this one didn’t work for me. I’m starting to get more critical in my book reading at this time.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this book!

Melanie Dickerson takes the classic legend of Mulan, transporting it to Lithuania and into the Hagenheim Universe. I was so excited when I heard that the next book in the Hagenheim Dynasty was Mulan. I love how Ms. Dickerson has been embracing more diverse heroes and heroines with the additions of Mulan and Aladdin. Mulan has always been one of my favorite stories because of her bravery, patriotism, and loyalty to her family, as well as her Asian ethnicity (I'm Asian-American).



Mulan bravely volunteers to serve her country in place of her deceased father in order to protect her mother from being thrown out of her home. Skilled with a bow, she is small and quick, with a wide streak of stubborn. I admired her faith and relationship with her mother, though there is not a lot between them in the book, it is clear that her mother is a kind, godly woman.



Wolfgang and his brother Steffan are sent to fight alongside the Lithuanians against the Teutonic Knights, but Steffan instead chooses to fight with the Teutonic Knights. Wolfgang stays true to his duty, determined to act honorably in his obligations and in battle. He is a fierce fighter, faithful friend, and noble to the core.



Overall, a riveting story, with a worthy heroine and hero who bravely stand up for what they believe in. I found some of the facets of the story interesting in how they seemed to be drawing a parallel between events of the story and modern day legalism and Christianity in politics. There are strong themes of family, faith, and second chances. Plenty of action keeps the story going, I liked how the book was realistic about Mulan's strengths and weaknesses. A must read for fans of Melanie Dickerson's Hagenheim Series!





I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

In The Warrior Maiden, eighteen year old Mulan faces two choices to provide support for her widowed mother: marry the wealthy butcher or takes her adopted father’s place in the army, disguising herself as a young man. With her Asian features, she stands out in their Lithuanian village, limiting her choice of suitors. Although small in stature, she is skilled as an archer and foolishly courageous. However, she is not an experienced soldier, yet she would rather take her chances in the army.

She hopes to keep her identity from Wolfgang, the son of a German duke, who leads the small army in its fight against the Teutonic Knights. What happens when Mulan’s identify is revealed? Will Mulan and Wolfgang be in time to rescue her imprisoned mother? Will her mother – a herbalist and healer – be tried as a witch by the Knights? Will Mulan’s bravery make her a national hero or a pariah? What does her future hold?

Dickerson’s novels feature wholesome relationships, making this series a good choice for teen readers. Her characters learn the meaning of values like sacrifice, courage, and nobility as they adjust to life’s difficult situations. Her novels are filled with well-researched historical detail, endearing characters, light romance, and a faith element that is evident but not preachy. Readers will enjoy this medieval retelling of a familiar tale and look forward to the next one, The Piper’s Pursuit, coming in 2020.

The Warrior Maiden #9 Hagenheim series by Melanie Dickerson

The Warrior Maiden is a faith-based retelling of the fairy tale Mulan (I had never heard of the fairy tale Mulan before reading this book) set in 1423 Lithuania. I enjoyed this medieval story with brave knights, powerful dukes, fair maidens, warriors and the spiritual elements woven within the story-line. Mulan certainly is a surprising character and Wolfgang is not only handsome but strong and wise but a little baffled by Mulan, who he knows as the brave warrior Mikolai. There are some tense moments when a serious injury reveals a closely guarded secret. Will the secret be kept in confidence or will it be shared bringing even more danger? An enjoyable retelling of the fairy tale Mulan.

~I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher via NetGalley (no monetary gain were exchanged), this is my honest review~

Melanie Dickerson's Hagenheim stories have been a bit hit or miss for me lately. I was pretty disappointed with her retelling of Aladdin so I wasn't sure about this one. However, I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this "retelling" of Mulan.

I thought the characters were interesting and of course the idea Mulan doing whatever she can for her family is such a great storyline. Once again Dickerson struggles a bit with telling instead of showing, but overall the story was very enjoyable.

The Warrior Maiden is one of many Young Adult novels by Melanie Dickerson and is a great quality romance for any age group but especially for her target audience of which I'm not one.

I enjoyed the story of Mulan and Wolfgang very much. It is loosely based on a fairytale story. Her Characters, descriptions of battle, and scenery are enthralling. I found myself laughing at the twists Mulan finds herself in when she is pretending to be male.

A very enjoyable read I give 4 stars and recommend for all ages. Thanks to Thomas Nelson Publishing for allowing me read this ebook through Netgalley. This review is my expressed honest opinion.

I can't believe this is the ninth book in the Hagenheim series. It seems only yesterday I was glued to my kindle with 'The Healer's Apprentice' starving for more stories. For those who are not familiar with the series, each of these books retells a fairytale and can absolutely be read as standalone. I had religiously followed them until book five . . . well, then life intervened, as usual, directing me to other pursuits. But now, I am finally reunited with one of my favourite series and this time we have the story of Mulan.
Time for a confession. I started the novel without any idea whatsoever of the story of Mulan. Ok, I know it's about a girl who disguises as a boy but obviously, I am one of those few who missed the Disney remake. Still, that was not a problem as Melanie's able hands will pull you to the story whether you know the premise or not. Her writing is beautiful as always, but sadly not the best. Nothing has so far topped the first book in the series for me. I need a slightly better dose of mystery and angst to give five stars.
That being said, this is still a good one for all fairytale enthusiasts. War, intrigue, rumours of sorcery . . . oh, the plot thickens with every page. It is not always we come across a retelling of Mulan; as a matter of fact, this is my first one. So if you love fairytale retellings, don't miss this amazing series.

I received an E-Galley from Netgalley. Thank you for the copy!

I want to say that this book has a Christian base which is very interesting but I feel wasn’t talked about. I did find myself having a hard time getting into the story. The story it’s self was so cute and good but I just couldn’t be get into it. This is just my personal opinion. The ending for me was amazing! Honestly I think it lack a little and I wish there was more to the story or more similar to the Disney story.
I still really enjoyed the story for the most part, I just wish there was a little more to the story.

Melanie Dickerson's fairy tale retellings are like no other. They pull you in immediately, keep you turning pages and have you wanting more. Her ability to take a story we or our children grew up with and turning it on it's head is a skill like no other. I highly recommend this story!

Such a fun retelling of the Mulan story with a gentle faith element. My teen daughter really enjoyed this book, as she enjoys all of Melanie Dickerson's fairy tale reimaginings. She particularly loved the strong character of Mulan and the sweet romance between her and Wolfgang.

Melanie Dickerson is one of my top favorite authors. I LOVE that she re-told Mulan. It is very hard to find great Christian re-tellings. THE WARRIOR MAIDEN is up there for me. It was fairly decent read in terms of time consumed to sit and read. It was brilliant.

Thank you, NetGalley for approving my request.

I have read all of Melanie Dickerson's fairy tale based stories, and all have been good. The Warrior Maiden is the story of Mulan, but it bares very little resemblance to the Disney movie we all love. Nevertheless, the story is entertaining and great for teens.

Dickerson gives readers a glimpse into medieval life and creates memorable characters. The battle scenes are exciting without being gruesome, and is light on romance and Christianity.

Overall, I would recommend this book for teens who love history and love to read.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but I enjoyed reading this. An interesting story with fun characters. Well written.

This was a very enjoyable read! Mulan is a favorite of mine and I think the author did a very good job spinning her own tale with Mulan as a main character. It was full of action, good relationships and hard to put down when reading. I'm looking forward to reading more from Melanie Dickerson, especially more in this Hagenheim series!

This Mulan retelling really, really did not work for me. I found the relocation of the story to Lithuania to be slightly odd, but my main complaint was that this undermined Mulan's martial side to become an extraordinarily sappy romance. The hero falls in love with Mulan almost immediately, and she is revealed to be a woman very early on in the plot, so that this just becomes a love story, and not a particularly deep one. It also concerned me that at one point the hero locks Mulan in her room to 'protect' her - that is just against the spirit of feminism that I was expecting.

I also didn't realise that this was Christian fiction, which rather ruined it for me, The religious themes are HEAVY and there is a lot of twisting of the story to include prayer, belief, random tangents into moralising at people, and a whole lot of personal shame and guilt and needing to forgive the enemy. This could definitely be better sign-posted as I found it deeply obtrusive into the story. I understand there is a market for this, but there are also people who would prefer to avoid it, so Christian fiction should be labelled as such.

I definitely cannot recommend this book.