As much as I love Melanie Dickerson’s novels, I am gonna give this a 3.5 stars. I just didn’t connect with this one as her others. Connection with characters is a big thing for me. I do love her writing style and how she keeps the storyline flowing.

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

The Piper’s Pursuit
By Melanie Dickerson
Melanie Dickerson does a wonderful job retelling the classic fairytales. I have enjoyed her previous books and The Piper’s Pursuit was no different.
Steffan has been away from his family working out where he went wrong and how to make things right in his life. The town of Hamlin is a stop along the way home but upon entering the city he meets the fierce and mysterious Katerina. Drawn to Katerina, Steffan finds himself quickly tangled in her and the town’s wellbeing. Steffan does not see himself as a hero, quite the opposite but Hamlin needs someone to save them from the beast that is stealing their children and the rats that are swarming the city. Katerina and Steffan must work to trust one another and in doing so free themselves from their past.
What a fun read!
Some other books by Melanie Dickerson you might enjoy are:
The Warrior Maiden
The Orphan’s Wish
The Silent Song
And The Golden Braid
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Hold on to your seats because this is going to be a bumpy ride.

Melanie Dickerson never lets me down. As a lover of fairytale retellings, I have become quiet a fan of hers.

Katerina doesn't need to be rescued. She's a strong independent woman with one thing on her mind. Freedom. Having lived under her harsh and cruel stepfather, she sees only one way out. Kill the beast of Hamlin, receive the reward, convince her mother to join her, and leave Hamlin for good.

Steffan knows that he betrayed his father, the Duke of Hagenheim but he's not ready to face him. He's the fallen brother, no good compared to any of his other siblings. He needs to show his father that he's worthy and the only way he can do that is by killing the Beast of Hamlin. There's only one person who stands in his way...the mayor's beautiful daughter Katerina. She nothing like the other maiden's he's met before. She's feisty and doesn't take kindly to his charming ways.

This book was excellent. I finished it in two days. If you are a fan of fairytale romances, then look no further. You're next adventure is here.

This book is appropriate for ages 13+ for some mild violence

Melanie Dickerson's latest young-adult novel, The Piper's Pursuit, is a play on the age-old Grimms fairy tale, The Pied Piper. This new tale is set in the middle ages in a town by the name of Hamlin; however, you will also encounter out-of-control rats, as well as a character, who uses flute playing to control the young children in this town!

The main characters in this tale, Katerina and Steffan, will take up the fight against this evil character, who is using his control of the children in a way you would never imagine. By the final page you will see Katerina and Steffan utilize their faith in God to bring them through this trial!

I really enjoyed this book! It was exciting! It takes you on a wild adventure that you will never forget!

The Piper’s Pursuit is a retelling of the Pied Piper, and is the 10th book in the Hagenheim series.

This wasn’t quite as good as the rest in this series. But what I like about all these books are the endearing characters who strive for redemption and honor. And the sweet romances, even if they do get a little too sweet and cliche.

But I found The Pied Piper retelling weird sometimes, and forced to be able to fit the fairytale. And the rat plot point, kinda pointless. Things happened too quickly in the beginning. So I wish that had been drawn out more.

Nonetheless, I have a soft spot for this series. I love that they’re all connected to the same family. Each book is a retelling of a fairytale, and I’m obsessed with those, so that’s another reason why I love this series. I love finding more obscure retellings, like The Pied Piper, so even though this retelling may not have quite worked, I still appreciated the story.

And what’s most important to me in a story is the characters. The ones here may not be very complex or interesting, but they feel like normal people just wanting to do the right thing.

I’d recommend these books to people who like historical/medieval fiction, fairytale retellings, and Christian fiction.

This is one of my favorites of this author so far, and I've liked all of them! This one didn't shy away from issues like emotional and sexual abuse and manipulation. Katerina was a very strong female lead who felt the need to take care of herself and everyone around her, but learns that there is a time when it is appropriate to lean on others.

This is a very Christian book, which I personally prefer. The relief Steffan finds when seeking repentance and confession was satisfying and realistic.

I did notice a couple of flaws in this ARC, but can only remember the one. In the previous book, The Warrior Maiden, Steffan's sister-in-law Mulan's mother says of her miraculous healing salve, "I can tell you how to make it, but it works best after it has cured for eight days or more." In this book, at one point Steffan gives the salve recipe to a cook so he can have some to use that day since his supply had been confiscated. Hmmm. It still did the trick, but the unaddressed inconsistency bothered me a bit. Not a biggie, but it niggled. The description of getting rid of the rat infestation seemed quite far-fetched after so much realism, but it's a story.

#ThePipersPursuit #NetGalley

Thanks to Thomas Nelson Publishing and Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Piper’s Pursuit takes place in Hamlin in 1424. The city has been overtaken by rats and a beast stalks the forest outside the city gates, snatching children who wander too far from their parents. Katerina, the step daughter of the less than honorable Bürgermeister, will do anything to save her city. When the Duke’s son, Stefan, strolls into the city, Katerina is less than impressed. However, a partnership quickly forms between the two as sinister plots and plans begin to reveal themselves. It will take all their cunning and faith to save Hamlin and its people from the hands of evil that have enclosed themselves around them.

I enjoy Dickerson’s writings for a multitude of reasons. They almost always contain fairy tale element, and I’m a sucker for retellings, and the heroines are often dealing with some trauma or abuse that has happened in their life, and I love to see survivors rise. The Piper’s Pursuit contains all of this and more. There is personal sacrifice, atonement, a heartwarming romance, and young woman who would do anything to save her town from the beasts that have threatened it, regardless of who they may be.

Katerina and Stefan were both battling their own demons throughout the book. Some were ghosts of the past, a fight for redemption, while yet others were clear and present. I love these kinds of stories, where one must overcome something to gain something more, and learn to forgive in order to rise from the chains of the past. All of the characters were well fleshed out, and the setting felt very real, although I would have enjoyed a more in depth description of the town itself.

The twists and turns were often predictable, but it really didn’t even matter. The ride was still amazing and fun and you just 100% want things to turn out okay for the main characters. I was so there for it.

NetGalley doesn’t allow a reader to refrain from rating a book so threes stars simply because I have to put something and I don’t want to damage the books rating when I didn’t finish it. I wish I’d realised it was a follow on from the previous book rather than just set in the same world. (I had issues with the Warrior Maiden). This had bits of the legend of Maive of Connacht in it, not sure if it was deliberate but after the last book I wince when I see the author take something from another culture and just add it willy nilly to her own world. It was also loosely a retelling of The Pied Piper of Hamlin. The story was ok but in the end I got fed up of the references to Christianity. I’m not Christian but it doesn’t bother me unless it’s heavy handed. This felt heavy handed to me. I think maybe I’m just moving away from being in this target audience which saddens me since I enjoyed the early books in this series.

Definitely one of Dickeron's better told retellings. Unique and immersive, the Piper's Pursuit is a fresh look at one of time's oldest tales.

This book was written in such an engaging way. I loved the characters, the story telling and the plot. Unfortunately I didn’t know going in that this was Christian fiction. As some one who has had a bad past with religion the subtle religious aspect made me very uncomfortable. But if you are a religious person or the topic doesn’t make you uncomfortable I definitely recommend this author and this book!I will definitely recommend it to anyone asking for a good Christian fiction.

In this retelling of the Pied Piper, Steffan and Katerina set out to kill the wolves, rid the town of rats, and find the missing children. But things are so much complicated than they appear. Will Steffan and Katerina be able to solve all the problems facing the town?

The Pied Piper has always seemed to be a more fantastical tale so I was curious to see how Dickerson would approach the story. I appreciated her take and the way that everything was explained.

Loved it! I loved the raw emotions (pain, hurt, and forgiveness) felt from the characters, as well as the adventure and romance in the story. Ranks up there with my other Melanie Dickerson favorites!

As with all of Ms. Dickerson's fairytale recreations, this one is so interesting. It's also unique, in that I've never heard of a retelling of the classic Pied Piper until now. The main characters go through many changes and reveal so much growth, and the thread of faith throughout ties this story together nicely.

I'll definitely continue seeking out Ms. Dickerson's stories in this Hagenheim series. Although I enjoyed some of the others in the series a bit more than this one, it's still very enjoyable and enchanting.

I received a complimentary ecopy of this book from NetGalley and was under no obligation to post a positive review.

This book is n. 10 in "the Hagenheim" series, and it's a re-telling of "the pied pipper".

We are going to follow the character of Stefan, who was introduced to the readers in a previous book by the same author, as he wants to be worthy of his family and in his journey he finds a girl called Katerina, who is trying to save the children from her town from disappearing. At the beginning their relationship seems not to be off to a great start, but as the book progresses so do their relationship, and they find themselves unifying their resources to haunt the Beast that is terrorizing the town and stealing the children..

The story is told by their respective POWs, and offers and insight into their fears and desires, and also in their vulnerabilities.

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

I have been listening to the audio books of this series while working on a lot of data entry at work. I was SO EXCITED and hopeful when I finished Mulan's story that Stefan would have his own story soon. Imagine my glee at not only discovering that was the case but also that it was on Net Galley for a review! There was some screeching done.

I loved this book. The story of the Pied Piper has always creeped me out a bit and this story still held a bit of that edge. I loved Stefan's growth of character. Katerina was an amazing Heroine and I was cheering so hard for them both.

I love all of the books Melanie has written in this series so far. I love that she leaves the core of the story but has a believable spin of her own in there as well. Highly HIGHLY recommend.

Thank you to Net Galley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the E-Arc for honest review

I read my very first Melanie Dickerson book in 2011, shortly after discovering digital books, and it was the first one in the Hagenheim series. Since then, I have read each book in this wonderful medieval young adult series and loved each one, so I was excited to receive a complimentary advance copy from #ThomasNelson through #netgalley. This volume picks up the story of Steffen, the "prodigal son" whose story coincided with his brother Wolfgang's in the previous volume. His deeds in that adventure left him estranged from his family, but now he is wanting to become worthy of the family name. In his quest, he learns that rescuing and caring for 52 children is more daunting than battling a hundred giants, and that God gave His Son to make us worthy. Accepting God's forgiveness because of His work on the cross can free us from the guilt we are carrying. I love that I can recommend these sweet romance stories to young women and teens because they are clean.

I’m tardy to the party when it comes to Melanie Dickerson’s work.

When I requested to review this one, it was a spur of the moment decision based off of the fact that out of the hundreds of fairytale retellings I’ve seen out there, I hadn’t come across a Pied Piper Of Hamlin inspired one until now.

After I received my approval, I was shocked to find that Melanie has an extensive collection of Historical Fantasy novels, all of which feature strong female leads, and many of them also featuring familiar characters.
In fact, this book is #10 in The Hagenheim Series.
#9 is The Warrior Maiden. It’s MULAN, guys. I bought it. 🤭

So, 1424, Hamlin, Germany.
The town of Hamlin is living in terror. There are beasts attacking people in the woods, children keep disappearing, and the streets are being overrun with a plague of rats.

Good thing they have their wonderful Mayor Henneck. He’s devised a plan to keep them safe. He’s announced a reward. Anyone that can kill the beast will not only receive gold and riches, but also his daughter’s hand in marriage.
The townspeople are anxiously hiding away, hopeful the Mayor’s plea will work.

There’s one young woman who’s on a mission to take matters into her own hands to save her town. Armed with her crossbow, she sets out every day on the hunt for the beast.
She’s fearless, determined, beautiful, strong... and also happens to be the Mayor’s daughter, Katerina. STEPdaughter, that is.
And she wants nothing to do with her Stepfather OR the terms of his reward.

In a distant village, a traveler has gotten word of this reward. He could really use the money... a wife, not so much.
What he REALLY wants is to do something to redeem himself so he can go back home without shame.
This man isn’t just ANY traveler.
He is Steffan of Haggenheim.
The Son of Duke Wilhelm Of Haggenheim.
And he’s been on a path of rebellion and done things that he fears he can never atone for.
This plan to kill the beast and gain some glory and a good name should be simple.

That is, until Katerina and Steffan meet.
Things do not go smoothly between the two.
She makes it clear she wants nothing to do with him. She finds him annoying, entitled, (obviously he only wants one thing). She is independent. And marriage is out of the question.

Steffan, bless his heart. He just can’t help but to take her standoffish behavior and counter it with sarcasm and teasing. This creates a fun dynamic between the two.

They eventually are left with no choice but to work together to hunt the beast and solve the mystery.

Told from the alternating perspectives of Katerina and Steffan, I loved how as the story progressed, the characters just gained so much more depth as their backstory is revealed.

A man who is desperately seeking redemption And a woman who has built a wall so high around her she doesn’t even know if there’s a hammer strong enough to bring it down. Or if she even WANTS to.

This is a beautiful story of two broken people.
Everyone always wants to focus on the end of these stories, but I actually more appreciated the attention and insight given to the thoughts and insecurities going on in both the male and the female perspectives.
I thought it was done in a way that showed a vulnerability that, while not shown much these days, is very real.

It’s also a great adventure as well, don’t get all hung up on the emotional part! That’s the reason I DID enjoy this more than I expected.
I have an aversion to romance novels. But this one had a perfect balance of heart/fun stuff and I was able to lose myself in the story quite easily.
4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review will be distributed among my other platforms, (blog, Instagram, Goodreads, Edelweiss) within the next few days after I’m able to take a feature photo. Links below for future reference.

My Review of The Piper's Pursuit:
This book doesn't come out until December and I'm so glad I was able to get an ARC from NetGalley. The cover alone had me in love with the book before I even read the first word. After the last book I have been so very eager to read this one and it was WONDERFULLY PAINFULLY GOOD!!!
Steffen was the one guy in this series that I liked but couldn't get a feel one completely . . . He's my favorite too with his mysteries and dark attitude that readers just know soon end and he'll be the most romantic and sweet if somewhat sappy and joking.

This was an enjoyable story. The characters were good and showed a great about of character development. There were a few different places it felt the story could end and it was nice that it continued.