Time for the first book review of 2014! And I’m pleased to be talking about Melanie Dickerson‘s The Captive Maiden, an imaginative re-telling of the Cinderella story. As you may know, versions of the Cinderella have been around for centuries in many cultures throughout the world. Dickerson’s tale takes only the basics elements of the story and turns it into a new tale of adventure and romance.
Title: The Captive Maiden
Author: Melanie Dickerson
Genre: fairytale retelling
Age group: YA
Synopsis: Gisela had a happy childhood until her father died. Now she’s forced into a life of servitude for her stepmother and stepsisters, a fate she never expects to escape. So when she meets Valten–the duke’s handsome son–and finds out he’s giving a ball, she decides to attend even if it means disobeying her stepmother and only temporarily getting a taste of another life. Unfortunately, another man has his eye on Gisela, and he’s intent on her not enjoying the ball–nor any other days–with Valten.
This is the second of Ms. Dickerson’s books that I’ve read. I’ve also read The Healer’s Apprentice, but I enjoyed this one much more. You might think this one would be rather anti-climatic since we all know the Cinderella story so well. However, I found myself reading through it quickly because the story takes several turns that aren’t in the Disney or even Grimm Brothers’ versions that most of us know. In other words, despite expecting a happy ending, I was worried about how how main characters would get there. Without giving too much away, I’ll just say that there’s no glass slipper ending here.
If you enjoy fairytale re-tellings, check out Melanie Dickerson’s The Captive Maiden.
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