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.

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.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a sucker for a good fairy tale retelling and this one is top-notch!

Kat and Steffan's are great characters and the way they team up to find out what's going on is brilliant!

Melanie Dickerson does a fabulous job at bringing to life fairy tales. I have read and enjoyed every single one of her recreations. With The Piper's Pursuit, I was taken away with the first chapter and read the entire book in one day. I really enjoyed watching Katerina and Stefffan learn to fall in love while trying to find and uncover where the missing children have disappeared to. The story is full of heroics and brave characters willing to do anything to go the distance to free these children. I like the hidden idea of the prodigal son returning home in the character of Steffan. If you had read Dickerson's other novels, then Steffan has been always hanging around in the outskirts as a the bad boy who didn't listen to responsiblity. It was nice to see his story after he decided to change. The action kept my attention while I flipped rapidly through the pages. I think this might one of my favorite books by Dickerson. I loved the romance, daring rescues, and the happily-ever-after ending. If you are a fan of any of Dickerson's other novels, I highly recommend picking up this latest addition. It will take your mind away to a world of joy.

I received a complimentary copy of The Piper's Pursuit by Melanie Dickerson from Thomas Nelson Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

The Piper's Pursuit was a fun addition to the Hagenheim Series by Melanie Dickerson. We got to see how some old characters were doing while also hearing reference of even more. This book reference back to The Warrior Maiden more than I expected, but the references seemed to work. Overall, it was a fun addition to the series!

A new favorite adventure from the exciting Hagenheim series! A sequel to the previous book, The Warrior Maiden, but with a bit of recap, it can be read as a stand alone.
A wounded, repentant warrior, Steffan is finally on his way home from a war he regrets fighting. His determination to redeem himself lands him right in the middle of another battle, but this one is worth the risk.
Katerina is a brave, determined warrior type also, tirelessly working to rid the town of dangers that threaten the people. She and Steffan have some fun banter after the sparks fly, and she learns to trust him.
Loved how the gospel message is threaded in while Steffan realizes his need for forgiveness and mercy from his parents and God. Their reconciliation is a particularly touching part of the story. He and 'Kat' go through some serious trouble to fight the evil preying on the town, particularly the children. They are a great pair. This would make a great movie! Plenty of action and adventure keeps the story moving at a brisk pace.

Some mature subject matter makes this a better read for older teens. Overall an excellent read! Recommend!

Yet another fun and enjoyable read by Melanie Dickerson. Adventure, action, romance. There are some interesting unexpected twists on the Pied Piper story. There was even a touch of the prodigal son story. It's a story that both males and females would enjoy.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.