Violet was the daughter of a landowner, she liked to sing, and she knew how to read, in the year 1386 most women could not read.
Violet is protective of her family, her grandmother tells her about being robbed by Baron Dunham's men, and she informs Sir Merek, a recent acquaintance about the incident, which he promises to investigate after speaking with her grandmother. When he told Baron Dunham about it, he said it was a lie and he wanted to know who accused him. But Sir Merek thinks his boss is lying so he does not reveal Violet's name.
Then it was Violet's family's turn to be robbed, the thieves took money and found a letter Violet had written to the king about Baron Dunham - they told the baron about the letter and Violet. Sir Merek heard about it - how can he save Violet?

Cloak of scarlet by Melanie Dickerson Christian historical fiction
Young adults and up
**This book is available august 15, 2023 preorder now!**

The villainous Baron of the land has terrorized Violet’s village, over taxing the people into starvation and harshly punishing them for their inability to pay. He control the area with an iron fist, silencing any and all opposition. Despite the risk (and fierce protests of her adoptive family) Violet writes a letter to the king to expose the evil Lord. When her actions are found out and she is taken to the evil Baron Dunham is more interested in her unique eyes than her crime. A shocking revelation about her birth mother shakes her life and changes all she thought she knew. She will have to lean on God to protect her and her family.

Sir Merek has worked hard at controlling his hot temper since he and his brothers were imprisoned fro a crime they did not commit, now he is serving the king as a noble Knight. When he is sent by the king to aid Baron Dunham he comes across a fiery woman with Violet eyes, the two immediately clash. Her accusations against the Baron and him test his temper control. But is she right? Is the Baron not what he appears? He seeks to uncover the truth and trust God to keep him safe in a castle full of deceit.

Well, Melanie has done it again! This book is all that I anticipated and more! I have been waiting for Merek’s book since I read the first Dericott story (court of swans). This book has it all deep characters, a vivid setting, a faith filled story line, an adorable romance, and a cool quirky grandma. If you don’t like Christian fiction, this book isn’t for you (but I have to say you’d be missing out!), but if you are looking for an exciting, clean and wholesome, faith filled read you have found it! I highly recommend this book and all of Melanie Dickerson’s. The only downside to her books is that they end and the next one isn’t out yet!

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Cloak of Scarlet is another wonderful book written by Melanie Dickerson. I thought this Little Red Hiding Hood retelling to be fabulous. Five stars.

I have read the other books in this series and enjoy them to varying degrees (loved the first one). I would put this one in the OK category. Not my favorite, a slow start, but really got better in the end. I would have preferred for the last 15% of the book to have been expanded.

These books I believe are more young adult and I can certainly tell when reading it.

This is the first book by Melanie Dickerson I've read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! It combines some of my favorite things: fairy tales, suspense and adventure, and faith.

Although the novel is inspired by Red Riding Hood, the plot is much more expansive. I liked the nods to the tale like the red cloak, the grandmother, and the woods. The story itself is solid, with Violet and Merek finding their way to knowing themselves and God better while fighting to triumph over evil. There were quite a number of plot twists. At one point, I was rather exasperated wondering if there'll ever be a happily ever after. But they did, and I found the ending very satisfactory.

I enjoyed this so much that I've already hunted down the rest of the titles in this series, as well as other books by Dickerson. My new favorite author!

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

This Little Red Riding Hood retelling is classic Melanie Dickerson. And fans of this author's work will not be disappointed. As a clean, teen novel this was a decent read. I liked the gentle romance between Violet and Merek. There were some awkward statements that I have noticed in the last few Dickerson novels - quite a few mentions of mistresses and consummating marriages that I elevate the appropriate reading level (and were disappointing to me, because they were not necessary for the story to progress). Melanie Dickerson is an author I would often recommend to the young adult/teen Christian audience and some of these moments are giving me a pause. Melanie Dickerson fills such a need in appropriate reads for our young adults, hopefully her future books will have less of this talk in them.

2.5/5 stars (rounded up to 5 stars.

Cloak of Scarlet by Melanie Dickerson captures the world of Little Red Riding Hood and a story of injustice seeking justice. Dickerson, again, crafts delightful characters that see something being wrong and want to make things right, even so far, as to put their own lives at risk. Again readers are returned to Dericott, a familiar setting if readers have read the previous novels in this series. The setting is realistic and hauntingly familiar. Even readers have not been thrown into a dungeon, they have seen enough movies to understand the dirt and shame of having to spend days in this type of setting. As for the plot, it was predictable, but it was still enjoyable to read and lose oneself in for a couple of hours. The romance takes center stage, but of course, this is a young adult novel, so kissing is at far as the novel takes the readers. I enjoy how her novels show young readers that it is okay to fall in love, but covers the bases of the Godly man with the correct virtue and honesty to wait for. Overall, Cloak of Scarlet by Melanie Dickerson will delight readers of any of her works, and I can't wait to add it to my bookshelf.

I received a complimentary copy of Cloak of Scarlet by Melanie Dickerson from Thomas Nelson Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

You will not want to put this read down!
The main character is a strong woman, not knowing her biological parents, and living in a time that women did as they were told.
There is intrigue, suspense, castles, and dungeons of bygone days. Knights and titled nobility that ruled the land.
I received complimentary copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

I love this series so much. In fact, so do my teenagers. I have to hide the fact that I have each new book if I want to read it before they steal it away and I don't get to read it for months.

This book is about Violet and Sir Merek. It's Merek's family that the series follows. But lucky for you this series can be read as each book as a stand-alone novel instead of having to read them in order. However, I highly suggest you read the entire series starting with book one. You will not be sorry. They're all amazing. Well, everything by Melanie Dickerson is amazing actually.

Violet is an orphan taken in by a new family. She was about six years old when her mother died and she was left alone in the world. Her grandmother took her and gave her to her parents(the ones who raised her). They did well with her and she had a great life. Now as she visits her grandmother she finds out that the local Baron is stealing from his citizens through his knights. They took her grandmother's money and her hog for winter meat.

She can't stand silent! She must find a way to stop the Baron. Even though she's just one girl she knows she has to do something. She's a bit hot-tempered and doesn't think everything through. So when she meets up with Sir Merek for the second time she accuses him of being a thief and stealing from the citizens. He's a new knight of Baron Dunham and has no idea this has been going on but tells her he will look into it.

From here the story really takes off and you're going to want to read it all at once! Keep in mind that Violet doesn't know who her father is (foreshadowing anyone) and that each book focuses on one of a set of siblings and they end up getting married (lol). Watch as both battle their tempers and to think before they act.

Amazing novel! I highly recommend you read it and every one of the books in the series!

I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received through Netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.

Sweet series. I enjoyed this story because there was a lot of action. There is not a lot of depth to these stories, and the writing is very simplistic, but a very nice getaway book.

I just reviewed Cloak of Scarlet by Melanie Dickerson. #CloakofScarlet #NetGalley

Absolutely amazing! Christian fiction at its best. Trust in the Lord always. Such an inspiring read. Just what I needed.

What a fun re-telling of Little Red Riding hood. I loved how Melanie incorporated bits here and there of the traditional story but LOVED all the new twists and turns making it a one of a kind.

I received an ARC of Cloak of Scarlet for free from Netgalley and am leaving this review voluntarily.

I am genuinely disappointed that I did not enjoy Cloak of Scarlet as much as I thought I was going to. The story was there, and I found the "Little Red Riding Hood" retelling enjoyable, but that wasn't enough for me to love it.

Everything happened very quickly. I have no problems with a fast-moving plot, but it felt like the characters didn't truly develop because it was so fast. Not to mention that I didn't believe that they had genuinely fallen in love by the end. It was an insta-love situation, if only because there was no time for actual character development. The author leaned heavily on a singular character trait for all the characters, leaving me feeling bereft and unsatisfied.

Then there's the matter of the actual plotline. Again, I have no problems with a fast-moving plot. As long as everything still gets the attention it deserves, there's nothing wrong with moving things along. But there was no real substance to the plot. Everything felt very "because this happened, now this has to happen." Nothing was surprising, which isn't bad, but it didn't have the details and intrigue that make things that didn't surprise you still enjoyable.

Essentially, there just wasn't enough. Not enough story, not enough character development, not enough details in general. Even the writing style itself was very straightforward. I still liked Cloak of Scarlet for what it was: a very basic romance. But I was looking forward to more, and I didn't get it.

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


Cloak of Scarlet by Melanie Dickerson brings a fresh, fun spin to the tale of Little Red Riding Hood. Cloak of Scarlet was my first time reading Dickerson’s work, but I have heard about her work for quite some time. The novel focuses on Violet Lambton and Sir Merek Raynsford of Dericott. While they clash at first as Violet brings accusations against the Baron that Sir Merek has just joined, they soon begin to gravitate toward one another. Violet has an impulsive and fiery passion, and a stubborn streak that Sir Merek finds can rival his own. Thankfully they are equally as kind and honest. Together, they work to right the injustices carried out on the villagers by the corrupt baron and his knights while protecting Violet from a forced marriage. But as any good story goes, they also face their black moment. Lives and safety are in danger, and the hope of completing their quest seems lost. Be sure to give this beautiful story of beauty and heroism a read.

We need more chivalry in today's world!!!

Violet is a sweet, innocent protagonist who wants to stand up for what's right. She wants to do something to stop the evil baron from stealing money from the villagers, while ensuring she keeps her family from harm.

Sir Merek is a sweetheart who takes his duties as a knight very seriously. He always wants to protect those around him, especially the determined purple-eyed girl who seems bent on defying the baron. He does not want to accept that the baron he has been asked to serve under is doing anything underhanded, but when he starts to notice that some of Violet's claims are correct, he wants to do everything he can to help her.

I absolutely LOVED the romance in this book!!! Could there have been more? ALWAYS. But this still satisfied my desire for a little bit of romance in my life. I loved how determined Merek was to protect, help, and just be there for Violet!

As a retelling of Red Riding Hood, this book needed some work. The only similarities between this novel and the fairy tale were that Violet wears a red cloak and delivers goodies to her grandmother (who lives in the woods). THERE ISN'T EVEN A WOLF!!! I didn't feel like this necessarily took away from the story, but readers might be disappointed that it is not a better retelling.

I found the viscount's character intriguing and would have loved to see his character arc flushed out a little more!

I would highly recommend this sweet, clean romance to anyone who loves Christian fiction!

Content warnings: It is revealed that Violet was conceived out of wedlock as a result of a rape. It is also revealed that Violet's mother starved to death to keep Violet alive.

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

I received a free ARC of 'Cloak of Scarlet' through NetGalley; all opinions expressed here are my own.

Pros: I thought the messages were excellent, and especially thought-provoking in places. I particularly liked the conflict between accepting circumstances beyond your control, and fighting back even when things seem hopeless. The strong Christian themes were refreshing, and I appreciated how well drawn Violet's character was. She's strong and, while extremely humble, is not afraid to have high standards and to realize when she is being treated unfairly.

Cons: I did not really like Merek- perhaps this is because I have not read the earlier books in the series and don't have his backstory, but he came across as too arrogant and angry. I realize that his character arc was supposed to grow and develop over the course of the story, and I think the author was successful in showing change, but I didn't feel like he was quite ready for a relationship just then. Maybe if there had been more time for the character development to occur, and for us to see a significant and lasting difference, it would have felt more natural. I honestly liked Willmer slightly better, although his plan of conforming to the baron's evil behavior until he could escape was admittedly problematic.
Additionally, I was not a fan of the writing style of this book; it seemed rather juvenile (the conversation at the end felt especially awkward).

In the end, then, I would recommend this book as a fun read. It's not especially awe-inspiring in terms of the writing, but the plot is engaging and the romance does turn out to be sweet in the end. The positive messages were also very strong throughout, and in the end that's what matters most.

First and foremost, Thank you to the author and NetGalley for this read! Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I am and always will be two things: A sucker for a Fairy tale retelling & A sucker for Melanie Dickerson. I have followed Melanie and her book since I discovered The healers apprentice. With this new book, I can honestly say I was well pleased. I loved the relationship between the characters. The romance was everything I am used to getting with Melanie Dickerson, so Four stars, I would def recommend this book.

A retelling of Little Red Riding Hood with a romance and a happily ever after…yes, please!

I’ve read this author several times and it’s always sweet stories with romance and adventure. To me her books read like Christian Young Adult novels.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for this read!

I will start this by saying that Melanie Dickerson is one of my "auto buy" authors. I have read about 90% of her books and have been looking forward to Cloak of Scarlet. So let's just say that getting an arc copy was a dream come true for someone who impatiently waits for books to be released.
With everything I said above, this book did not disappoint! Read it now! I love The Dericott Tales so much and this was the icing on the cake.
Grandmother and Violet are such great main characters. I love the drive and determination to stop the villain, with so many surprises and turns along the journey.
I will be recommending this book to everyone who asks about it, and even those who don't.
Thank you net galley for letting me read this arc of Cloak of Scarlet. I can't wait to buy it to add to my collection.

This is the fifth book of the 'Derricott Tales' Series. This time with the fairy tale of Little Red Riding Hood, our story beginnings with Violet and her red cloak. The fairy tale is changed to make the story flow in the setting of 1348 a.d. in the time of King Richard with knights and villains. The book was well written and the fairy tale flows into the story woven for us. It quickly caught my attention and kept it.

Grandmother is a important person to Violet, just as in the original Red Riding Hood tale. Grandmother is a wonderful woman, who shares her wisdom to Violet. The theme of the story is very well written and threaded throughout the story. I would highly recommend this book to others.

This is my personal opinion on this book. I received a complimentary copy of the book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.