I love how this author creates her own spin on familiar fairy tales and naturally weaves in the faith message. It’s a win in for the reader. This novel is no exception and is loosely based on the Pied Piper. Readers are introduced to Katerina a feisty, determined young lady who is the stepdaughter of the Mayor. Children are disappearing at an alarming pace and bodies of adults are discovered eaten by a huge, horrible beast who lurks on the outskirts of town. Her mission is to find the missing children; protect the towns people she loves and make sure her mother’s safe given her stepfathers’ threats.

Then in walks Steffan, who has been on a long journey like the prodigal son in the bible. He has learned a lot about life, himself and his family. He wants to help Katerina, but she’s been hurt and has a hard exterior, snapping at anyone who tries to get close to her. She has been deeply wounded; the story implies sexual assault which explains her hard facade. She trusts no one. A reward is offered to the person who kills the beast. Steffan sees this opportunity to earn some money to get back home. The mayor is also offering his daughter’s hand in marriage - he’s not interested in that, but he does want to help this woman protect her town and uncover its secrets.

I enjoyed this engaging, intriguing read that featured a strong woman who learns to trust others and herself, deepens her faith, and leans on God to do the task she ahead of her. I enjoyed the brave yet tender hearted Steffan as he struggles with his past deeds, his faith and the direction his life has taken. He’s a changed man and has done some pretty horrible things. He feels he has to redeem himself by doing more good things that will outweigh his bad. He learns about receiving forgiveness from God and to forgive himself. Life doesn’t give you do-overs and we can’t do enough good things to wipe out the bad. Total forgiveness that wipes the slate clean comes from Jesus. He paid the price for all of us. We just have to accept it. Love how this message naturally flowed through the story.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins! www.bookfun.org
The Book Club Network blog www.psalm516.blogspot.com

This book was engrossing right from the beginning; it just totally pulled me. in. I didn't expect that since the story of the Pied Piper isn't exactly one of my favorites, but this was so well written. I loved tough, defensive Katerina and her determination to help her town be rid of the beast and to find the missing children. I also loved Steffan, who is struggling with his past and looking for redemption. The plot moved along quickly and was really interesting, and I enjoyed seeing the characters' growth throughout the story. This was just a pleasure to read!
4.5 stars.
I read an ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I really love the cover for this book. I think it's so pretty.

This story has excellent character growth, for Steffan especially. He holds much guilt and remorse over past decisions and actions and is anxious to prove himself better. His road to redemption is a satisfying one. I love how hard he worked to be someone Katerina could trust and depend on.

Steffan and Katerina have quite the adventure, trying to solve the mystery of the missing children. There is danger everywhere and working together proved to be better than working alone. The author did an excellent job at creating a villain of Hennek. My skin crawled right along with Katerina's every time he appeared. I love the way Katerina stood tall and didn't cower to his vile words and actions.

I enjoyed the story but mostly the character growth. The romance is gentle and very slow building- definitely not the prominent part of the story. This one got a little long winded with the whole "confession" and I will admit to skimming over that part but overall there was much to enjoy here.

Content: mention of abuse, bullying. Some violence, fighting. Kissing. Christian elements.

- I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Piper's Pursuit by Melanie Dickerson is the 10th book in the Hagenheim series. And after the disappointment of the last two though I think I was in the minority. I was hesitant to try this one, but I went ahead and gave it a go. While it wasn't my favorite of the series. I did enjoy it. It was a different retelling and one I've never read before, The Pied Piper and as a German fairy tale so the setting makes since. I think that this one is going to be my last of Melanie's fairy tale retellinngs mainly because I'm no longer in the target audience for her books.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

In the tradition of Melanie Dickerson’s fairytale retellings, you will adore Katerina and Steffan. Even though this is written as a Young Adult romance, romantics of all ages will appreciate the creative take on the Pied Piper. Katerina and Steffan are determined to rise above the past that threatens to define them. They are driven to rescue, save and protect the people of Hamlin who had been lied to and stolen from by the evil mayor. Katerina is willing to fight, no matter the cost and Steffan is committed to never leaving her side. The outcome will warm your heart and leave you with smiles for the rest of the day.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own and freely given.

This is book 10 in Dickersen’s Hagenheim series, all apparently fairytale retellings. I haven’t read any of the others but did feel that this retelling of the Pied Piper of Hamelin could be read alone; while there is reference made to the hero Steffan’s actions in previous books, it wasn’t confusing or necessary to know about.

In 1424, things are very wrong in the small German town of Hamlin. There’s a plague of rats and worse by far, children have been disappearing for months, supposedly killed by the Beast of Hamlin, a terrifying wolf-creature. Stepdaughter of the mayor, Katerina is determined to save her people, but she can’t do it alone. When a handsome stranger turns up and helps her defeat a wolf on his first day in town, she takes the first tentative steps towards trusting.

I’d call this a YA novel aimed at the younger end of the target demographic. I’d probably have adored this when I was about 12, but older me started nit-picking right away - 52 children missing from a small town is catastrophic, an entire generation missing, and there’s no way the townspeople wouldn’t have been in open revolt by that stage. The thing with the rats was weird and made no sense, because any peasant knows how to kill a rat. Cats and dogs were kept for the purpose, and a mayor eager to splash cash around should have been importing ratting terriers to deal with it immediately.

The Christian themes get very heavy-handed towards the end of the book - Steffan confessing his sin of wanting to kiss Katerina made me roll my eyes. I don’t mind a certain amount of prayer and thanksgiving in historicals particularly because religion was a major part of everyday life in those times, but here it comes off evangelical and self-righteous, especially when Katerina is attempting to get the villain to have a change of heart by telling him God won’t forgive him.

I’m obviously not the target market for this book, being neither 12 nor evangelical Christian. However, if you’re a parent who considers that this might be suitable for a child you’re choosing reading material for, bear in mind there are some uncomfortable themes in here, such as Katerina’s abusive stepfather and hints at sexual violence as well as enslavement of children, cruelty to animals and other difficult topics. I guess I’m struggling to see who would actually be the appropriate target audience here, because I can’t think of anyone I’d recommend it to. Two stars.

Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley.

I have been so hooked on Melanie Dickerson's books since the first one I read! She does such a fantastic job of blending historical settings, fairy tales, and faith into a beautiful work that encourages, teaches, and entertains in The Piper's Pursuit.

This story is, as you might have guessed, a retelling of the legend, The Pied Piper. Continuing the account of the Duke of Hagenheim's family, Steffan now gets his story told.

Steffan has changed so much since The Warrior Maiden. Which is such a good thing - he was pretty awful. Now he thinks he needs to redeem himself, performing enough good deeds to somehow undo the bad.

Katarina was determined to free her village of the beast who terrorized it. When saddled with the arrogant, yet handsome, duke's son to help her in this quest, she never expected things to turn out as they did! She had to learn to trust and not attempt to do everything by herself.

I love the clear manner in which the Gospel was presented. Forgiveness, redemption is not earned. We can't undo the wrongs we have done and can't do enough good to erase them. Forgiveness comes only through God's son, who sacrificed His life for our salvation.

The more serious topics of addiction and abuse are broached in this tale, yet in a sensitive manner and without too much detail.

Readers who enjoy adventure and romance will want to be sure to read The Piper's Pursuit. While part of a series, it is a fantastic story on its own.

Readers of Melanie Dickerson’s The Warrior Maiden have already met Steffan (and most likely formed some sort of an impression of him). Yet, in The Piper’s Pursuit, we get a more complete picture of this young man.

Steffan is challenged by Katerina—a strong young woman he quickly comes to respect and admire and someone who makes him wish he were worthy of her affection. Kat is brave and courageous who at first seems standoffish but beneath that tough exterior lays a compassionate heart for the people of Hamelin.

While this is a retelling of The Pied Piper, the whole rate storyline doesn’t fit well. There’s plenty going on—the missing children, Kat’s stepfather, and the growing romance between Kat and Steffan—without the someone misplaced plotline.

That aside, Dickerson weaves a story of redemption, learning to give yourself forgiveness and grace for past mistakes, and good conquering evil that is an entertaining addition to the entire Hagenheim series (and readers of the entire series will enjoy the connections to the other stories throughout The Piper’s Pursuit).

Disclosure statement:
I reviewed a complimentary copy of this book and all opinions are my own.

I have loved this series by Melanie Dickerson, but was a little hesitant about this book, simply because I’ve never cared for the Pied Piper story. I should have known, however, that this author can put a great spin on any fairytale, and I ended up very much enjoying this book. Although there’s some elements of the Pied Piper tale, this book focuses on Prince Steffan and his desire to reconcile with his family (especially his father) and become a person of whom they could be proud. I loved the elements of the Biblical account of “The Prodigal Son” and watching Steffan become a man of great character. The author brought the combination of both” Piper” and “Prodigal” together perfectly, and made for an exciting story.

Katerina is an excellent heroine in this story. She’s intelligent, brave, loyal, compassionate—and beautiful. It’s no wonder that Steffan falls in love with her, and seeks to help Katerina realize she can trust him. The two go through harrowing experiences together before they find their happily-ever-after. This is an entertaining clean and sweet story. You can easily read this book as a stand alone story, but if you have been following the series, you’ll especially enjoy Prince Steffan’s storyline.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

I have enjoyed these fairy tale retellings that Melanie Dickerson puts a new twist upon for adult readers. This one based on the Pied Piper of Hamlin along with a connection to the story of the Prodigal Son was my favorite so far.

Katerina is a strong young woman who cares deeply for her town and its people. She has a wicked stepfather who has educated her and trained her in the use of sword and longbow just to show her off in public; but behind closed doors, he berates and threatens her. Children are missing and a large beast has killed several people and the town is overrun by rats. Steffan is the youngest son of the Duke Of Hagenheim, but he has spent the past years running wild. Now he's heading home, but his attitude and guilt over the things he has done still haunt him.

This story was filled with the normal fairy tale characters both good and evil; and generally, is the typical fairy tale that shows good winning over evil. But Dickerson added descriptive scenes with fleshed-out characters along with a well written Christian theme.that made this book a very enjoyable read.

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions are mine alone. I was not compensated for this review.

The Piper's Pursuit
by Melanie Dickerson
Book 10 of the Hagenheim series
Rating: 4/5

Warning: you may lose sleep if you start reading this book. Also, this book can be read as a standalone novel. It's more fun if you read the previous books, but it is not necessary for understanding.

Melanie Dickerson has some of the best retellings out right now with a Christian perspective. The writing is well done and the characters are authentic. I am such a huge fan and was impatiently waiting for this book to be released. When I saw a chance to review an ARC, I knew I had to take it. You will not regret picking up this book (or buying it online) because it's that good.

A reimagined fairytale of the Pied Piper, this book is full of action, love and adventure. Our heroine, Kat, is on a mission to take down the Beast of Hamlin and will do whatever it takes to save the children that have been disappearing from their village. Steffan arrives in Hamlin looking to make a difference so he can return home to Hagenheim and his family without disgrace. He is obviously fascinated by Kat and must join her on this quest to figure out what is happening in Hamlin.

Kat is a strong female lead who knows how to use her crossbow and is extremely intelligent. She has her own problems and issues to deal with like you and me. She struggles with trusting others due to past hurts. Sound like anyone you know?

Steffan is the black sheep of his family and so remorseful over his past deeds. Can he learn to forgive himself and trust in God's forgiveness? How often do we struggle with forgiving ourselves when God has already extended his grace and forgiveness?

I loved the main characters and the growth they show throughout the story. I took one star away because the ending seemed a bit short to me. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and cannot wait for the next one!

I highly recommend this book for those that enjoy fairytale retellings with a strong female lead and clean romance incorporating faith.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.

(4.5 stars) – an exciting twist on the classic fairytale

PTSD/PARENTAL WARNING ***Though not graphic, this story does contain a threatened rape scene***

The book has a very beautiful, eye-catching cover that did a great job grabbing my attention!

Katerina is trying to save her town and Steffan is trying to reclaim his honor. Things are not as they seem though. Kat’s stepfather says he’s a Christian but he’s not. He’s actually pretty cruel, and she wants very much to get away from him.

Kat and Steffan don’t get along so well at first, but they eventually learn to work together as a team. They also learn about trusting in God, forgiveness and mercy. There’s a lot of action and suspense, which was good, but I liked the romance and wouldn’t have minded a little more of it.

Ironically, the rats seemed secondary, almost like an add-on to the story in order to tie it to the original tale.

There were a few surprising twists and a few not so surprising. All in all, it made for an entertaining read! This was my first book by this author and I enjoyed it so much that I am looking forward to exploring the rest of her works.

*Clean romance level: sweet kisses

*Religion: Christian and natural to the story

3.5/5
I don’t typically pick up historical fiction romance stories, but this one was interesting! It is a fairytale retelling of the Pied Piper while following the story of Katerina and Steffan. The village of Hamlin is being plagued by a host of rats in the village while a mysterious beast outside the walls kidnaps children and kills townspeople. Katerina’s step-father is the mayor of Hamlin, who seems to have a dark secret, and Katerina is determined to figure out what the root cause of the troubles in her village.

I enjoyed Katerina as a character as she wields a crossbow and doesn’t submit to men or the societal role women are placed in. She is headstrong with an iron will and follows her heart to do what is right. Steffan is the son of the Duke, who owns the land of Hamlin, and is trying to atone for his past sins. He is protective and shows strong character to aid Katerina in her quest. They embark together on the pathway to answers and that’s where action, secrets, and romance ensues!

An updated retelling of the classic fairy tale of THE PIED PIPER OF HAMLIN but this one involves a tough heroine who must place her trust in a nobleman's son. We have all the classic themes here - mean stepfather, lovable but misunderstood nobleman's son, tough gutsy female heroine who doesn't need a man to take care of her business and a beast who is abducting children. The mystery of who and why is another matter and with that, we also have the potential romance between these two unlikely hunters. Romance driven young adults will enjoy this as well as older middle graders who enjoy twisted retellings of old tales. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

Y’all, there was no way I wasn’t going to love this. Everyone knows that I am a sucker for fairy tale retellings, especially good ones, and this did not disappoint! Also, it turns out that this is actually part of a series of books set in the same universe – this is actually book #10! – but it looks like the books can call be read as standalone books as well. This one definitely could. There were some hints about events that happened prior, but none were needed to follow Katerina’s story.

Speaking of Katerina, let’s dive into our main character. She. Is. Awesome! I love a strong female character who isn’t about to let men dictate what she can and cannot do! She loves the people of her town so much and is willing to risk her life to help save them from her lecherous stepfather, who is the mayor of the town. She’s a tough girl, which does make it hard to fall in love, but when you have someone like Steffan waiting for you, you just can’t help yourself. Steffan was a lovely counterpart to Katerina. Definitely not perfect. He had a past that was full of all sorts of bad things – betraying his family, killing people in battle needlessly. He is fascinated by Katerina and definitely falls for her, but he is also patient, especially when he realizes what her stepfather and his men have put her through.

Speaking of the stepfather, UGH! Hennek is a terrible, terrible man, one who truly believes that he is following the will of God in all of his terrible pursuits. Enslaving children. Stealing from the town. Terrorizing the women in his household. In short, an excellent villain that you desperately want to be defeated. His end was quite satisfying.

I definitely enjoyed the writing in this book. It was simple and elegant, very fitting for the fairy tale setting. I also liked the fact that even though it was a fairy tale retelling, it was very realistic – no magic or magical items. Even the beast has a real world explanation. All in all, it was just a very charming read. Very enjoyable and I would definitely recommend it. I would also recommend checking out the other books in the Hagenheim series, as I’m sure they would give the story world even more depth and beauty.

Dickenson takes the tale of the Pied Piper and transforms it into a story of forgiveness and trust. It was so refreshing to have a strong heroine to follow through the story. She is a wonderful balance of strength and softness. The chance to catch up with Steffan was also well worth the read.
The book combines compelling characters with a wonderful story line that will leave you reading well past your bed time. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I have to admit that I have never read the original story of the Pied Piper so I felt a little behind on where the story was coming from. But that did not make it any less of a good read. The redemption arc of Steffan was something that I really needed. If you have read any of the other books you know that poor Steffan has had it rough and made a few wrong choices.

I was excited to read this one, and easily found myself captivated by Katerina's story! I have limited to no fore knowledge of the Pied Piper, I just knew it involved a plague of mice, but I found that this story does a wonderful job of telling the story and keeping readers interested, while also telling a story of a strong young woman, who's story is full of thrilling adventures full of action and mystery, the promise of danger, suspense, romance, redemption and love.

I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this book, besides some kind of romance. According to GoodReads this is book 10 in a series, but it is definitely possible to read this as standalone! I have not read any of the other books, and I had no problems whatsoever, if I didn’t know it was a series I wouldn’t be able to tell!
This book was such a pleasant surprise! I was very invested and read the whole book in one day! (I didn’t have anything else I had to do haha)
In the beginning of the book there was some kind of ‘mystery’ with missing children, a beast and an untrustworthy mayor. I thought solving this was what we were going to read about during this book, but actually we know the answers already halfway through the book, and the second half was solving the problems coming from this. Which was different from what I had expected, and I liked that!
I quite enjoyed the main character, she really could fend for herself!
There were quite some predictable things, the romance for example, but in this book I didn’t mind too much since there were also enough unexpected things. And this ‘balance’ made me continue reading, ‘just one more chapter’!
The reason why I took a star is the ending. I think it was a bit too long, definitely could have been 20 pages shorter! Also one of the last chapters felt very random and unnecessary. I definitely think that could have been left out easily!
I do really like that this was a retelling of Pied Piper of Hamelin! I don’t think I’ve seen that before!

When Steffen traves to Hamlin and learns of the beast terrorizing the people, he knows that he must stop it. Unfortionaly, to do that, he must work with Kat, the daughter of the mayor. They start hunting the beast and learn more than they could ever imagine, resulting in their lives being in danger.
Oh boy, so much of this book was phenomenal and I'm not quite sure where to start.
The plot was so intriguing that I could not put this book down, choosing to read it in one sitting instead. Everything about the plot and characters seemed more real than the previous books in the series. The characters struggled with forgiveness, their pasts, and what God has to say about that.
However, the writing seemed a lot more similar to Dina L. Sleiman's fairy-tale retellings as opposed to Melanie's typical book.
Overall, this was the best Dickerson book that I've read yet and I'd recommend it to anyone who appreciates a clean fairy-tale.

Rating: 5 Stars
Content: 5 Stars

*I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. All thoughts are my own and a positive review was not required.