Princess Elyse needs help escaping an arranged marriage. Her friend sends Sir Gerard, her brother, to help Elyse escape. They take a strenuous trip to Prague to get King Wenceslaus to help her and then return to face their foes. This is an intriguing tale of Kings and Queens and Knights. It is well worth your time to read. I enjoyed it immensely and will be looking up books 1 and 2 in this series so I don't miss anything!

I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book that I received from NetGalley. All views expressed are only my own honest opinion.

The third book in the Derricott series, this book was a pleasant read and good for a bout of escapism. I think that this book would appeal to young adults (or lovers of fairytales), especially those who see emotions as a bad thing as they could relate to the main female character's struggles.

I got this in exchange for a honest review. This is one I will be buying for our libraries and recommending. I personally enjoyed it and really got into it. There is a faith element, which I personally enjoyed.

3/5

Veil of Winter by Melanie Dickersonis the third instalment of her Dericott tales, this one a very loose retelling of Sleeping Beauty. In this book we follow one of the seven Dericott sons, Gerard, and his travels to the kingdom of Montciel. Our female lead this time is the Princess of Montciel, Elyce, and her plight is to save her people from a neighbouring king and her own father who want to enslave the people for their own profit. After Gerard has a vision to help Elyce, they have to work together to survive a harsh winter and gain allies in neighbouring countries.

As usual, Dickerson’s book is littered with feel good moments, daring sword fights, sweet romance, heavy religious themes, and fast-paced adventuring. I can always count on her books to bring a smile to my face.

Let’s start with Elyce. She had a great start, and her whole personal dilemma was interesting… at first. Then it became really repetitive. Obviously this “problem” was a big deal in the 14th century but I couldn’t help but scoff at her emotional plight (emotional being the key word). Anyway, I liked her at the beginning when she took matters into her own hands and actually did something, but very soon after she became very useless (imo).

Gerard was an interesting character. Very typical heroic man, and that’s all I have to say about him really.

I did like the mention of historical figures that were scattered through this book. Mainly of key figures like King Richard, Queen Anne and King Wenceslaus… however the dates that these monarchs ruled were off by about 100 years. Oops.

The plot was very typical, and the resolutions even more so. But that’s what I expected so I can’t be mad.

I reeaaally liked the previous book, Castle of Refuge, so that’s why I’m only giving this one 3 stars.

Hopefully I like the next instalment a bit more, but for sure I will be reading it no matter what.

This story is a different twist on the old Sleeping Beauty fairy tale. I found it to be interesting and have just enough romance. If you've read the first 2 books in this series, it will make more sense to you, but it's not totally necessary.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance e-copy of this book. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Thin relation to Sleeping Beauty; another very similar work to all of Dickerson's others. For those where Christian Fiction is a must, otherwise skip.

This is part of a new young adult series and follows one of the brothers. He is a knight and hears from his sister of a Princess's plight. He has a vision and goes to help.

Princess Elyce is being sold in marriage to the nephew of a neighboring kingdom in order to secure her Father's financial well-being, while also enslaving the people to work in mines. She loves her people and their way of life and decides to leave her home and try to stop her marriage and her father.

The characters are likeable, the story line developed well. Elyce has been abused by her family and has lots of self worth issues. Can she create a better ending than the one her father chose for her?

Review posted via Goodreads.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4627411144
Fantastic.
Another amazing book from Melanie Dickerson. In this Sleeping Beauty retelling, After learning of the evil plan of her father, the King, and the throne of a neighboring kingdom, Princess Elyce flees to get help from another ruler, more powerful than her father. Elyse's father and the king of the neighboring empire plan to marry Elyce and King Claude's nephew. The marriage will allow King Claude to use Princess Elyce's people as slaves for his mines. Unwilling to go through with her father's plan to marry her off for money, Elyce fakes her death and flees to get help. A knight, Sir Gerald feels God telling him to assist the Princess in her journey to save her kingdom. Together they make the tough journey to get assistance and overtake the corruption seeping in.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I absolutely adore Melanie Dickerson. Her work is amazing and always keeps me on my toes. This book had me up past my bedtime just to finish it! Such a page-turner! I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone!

Yeah, Melanie Dickerson is back!! Here again, was a book that showed her proficiency with character development combined with a cleverly crafted story. Lots of adventure as originated by a strong women protagonist with a significant, worthy purpose! An unlikely hero follows a prompting from God and comes to her aid providing the brawn to facilitate the success of her laudable goals. I like the side characters' contributions as well as their own developing side stories. The story was a bit predictable on occasion but then would take unpredictable turns at other times. A fun offering from an author I have very much enjoyed!

#VeilofWinter #NetGalley

Thanks to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the third book in the Dericott tales about seven siblings in the 1380s. I've read the previous two in the series and also the entire Haggenheim series by Melanie Dickerson and although those books were also rather predictable and repetitive (once you've read one HEA story, you've read them all, more or less) I enjoyed reading them. But this one I didn't like. The characters are weak, and the plot farfetched (even for a fairy tale - retelling) as it seems the writer didn´t do the due diligence historical background check. For instance, CPR in any form would not be introduced in Europe for several more centuries...

I feel like the target group is (Christian) teenagers no more than 16 yrs old. The telling was too plain and the plot did nothing to captivate me so if it was not for my obsession never to leave a book unfinished I had no real interest in trying to finish the book.

It is unfortunately not quite a 3 star but I´m rounding it up.

I really will never NOT love reading a Melanie Dickerson book! Her penchant for spinning fairytale like romance with kings and castles, derring do and stalwart heroes and heroines ( underscored by great virtues that will inspire YA and adults alike) is the perfect antidote to a world on fire.


another winner!

As always, another enjoyable historical fairytale retelling. Thus one was a Sleeping Beauty retelling. It had moments where it was a bit slower but overall an an enjoyable read. What was good was that it showed the characters striving to do their best and willing to ask God for help in all situations.
This was an ARC copy received from NetGalley and the publisher.

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

It was cute sleeping beauty retelling, loved the setting and Sir Gerard🤭

Melanie Dickerson is the queen of fairytale retellings. Veil of Winter is her version of The Sleeping Beauty and I like it much better than the traditional tale. I love the way she turns Magical stories into medieval stories that seem as though they may have happened. Her characters are strong and I adore the adaptations she makes. Ms. Dickerson proves that fairytales are not just for little girls.

Grab your favorite blanket and a mug of tea and settle in for a delightful tale of times gone by.

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher with no expectations. All thoughts are my own.

3 stars

A very sweet and teen friendly romance about a princess on a quest to save her people and a knight with a vision that guides him to her aid. Set in the fictional European kingdom of Montciel this romance follows the humble but faithful Princess Elyce. An alliance her father has made with the king of the neighboring kingdom of Valkenfeld worries her, less for the arranged marriage she doesn't want but for the harm the alliance seems likely to cause for her people. So she seeks a way to prevent it. Fortunately for her a knight from England has been given a vision at prayer that brings him to her side.

The story had an interesting premise, the two main characters were good and likeable, as were the small cast of side characters. I was hoping desperately for their success even if at a few moments it did not seem they would find it and I was rooting for their romance because they did clearly care for each other deeply. I think that as a teen I would have loved this story very much.

This is unquestionably a Christian romance, the faith of the characters was deep and touching, though if that isn't your preference it might easily seem like a bit much. To me the story also felt a bit simply written and a few things worked out perhaps a bit too conveniently. These things didn't work as well for me, but I think that is largely down to my own personal preferences rather than any real flaw in the book. I would have no trouble recommending this book for teens of faith who might find it a very empowering story of love and faith and good intent winning out over greed.

Overall I give this read a solid three stars for a sweet story and some enjoyable winter scenery and a little fairytale allusion that was quite pleasant. I have not read any of the others in the series and this worked nicely as a standalone. Still for readers of the entire series I am sure this will be a delightful addition.

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

Veil of Winter, by Melanie Dickerson, continues her Dericott Tales series. When Princess Elyce learns she is to be forced to marry as part of an alliance her father is making with a fellow king, she knows she must avoid this marriage no matter the cost. Elyce seeks out a potion that will put her to sleep and appear to be dead!

After Sir Gerald feels God leading him to assist his sister Delia’s friend, Princess Elyce, he arrives only to find the princess in a deep sleep. Gerald remembers hearing of someone saving a life, by pinching the nose and breathing into their mouth. When he takes this action, Elyce suddenly wakes up and she is not happy. Elyce is angry that this man had taken her first kiss. However, Elyce needs Gerald’s help to escape from the castle!

Soon Elyce begins to travel with her attendant, Gerald and his fellow knight through a snowstorm in an attempt to reach Prague. She hopes she can seek assistance from King Wenceslaus. Elyce must save her people from the evil plans that are part of her father’s alliance!

You will see many changes in Elyce’s life by the end of this tale!

A nice retelling of the classic sleeping beauty. The princess overhears her father, the king, speaking to a foreign King. On these chats, they agree to marry her to one of the neighbor kingdom's nephews in exchange for about for their mines. The process can not stand this unfair treatment for her people. And take the decision to drink a potion and fake her death. The plan does not go as she plans but fortunately, a knight is willing to help her in her journey to get help and fair treatment for her people.
Fun to read novel. The third book of a family saga in which every book follows a different brother. A recommendation for any fan of historical romance. The characters are easy to follow and the chances on the narrator give you a unique perspective.

I've read and enjoyed many of Dickerson's books, but this one was a bit of a struggle for me. I had a hard time connecting with the characters, which may have been due to a lot of internal dialogue. I did enjoy the medieval setting, as well as the marriage of convenience angle. However, this one felt more like a teen romance overall than I expected based on previous books. Overall, this was lackluster.

I feel like I am usually 50/50 with Melanie Dickerson books. I loved Beautiful Pretender and A Court of Swans, the first book in this series. This books was just ok. I didn't connect with the characters or find them that likeable. There also seemed like too much internal dialogue. In short, the book didn't click for me.

I do appreciate, however, how the author was trying to deal with emotions and being overly emotional. Perhaps if I was a teen, the book would have been more my cup of tea.

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the free e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Veil of Winter is another beautiful historical story of love written by Melanie Dickerson. She paints a story around historical events by peeking into relationships within fictional families. We see the motivations of the main characters by their thoughts and prayers.. The Veil of Winter is set in the mountains and travels to the city of their King. The insights of this travel clarified a long forgotten question I had of fiefdoms and countries.. I encourage everyone to read Veil of Winter. As an educator I would suggest it as an optional extension for students .in a middle age history class, especially for one who would enjoy a love story. .

I thoroughly enjoyed this thoughtful, pure romance set in medieval times. Everyone needs a Sir Gerard in their lives! Elyce's inner struggle, thinking she was unlovable because of the hurtful words and actions of her family, was skillfully written and can be relevant to anyone reading it. Elyce's race to save her people, and herself, made for an exciting read. This is my favorite book of the series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for access to this arc.