Collecting the first five volumes of Melanie Dickerson's YA Fairy Tale adaptions, the Fairy Tale Romance Collection is a great ebook bundle for those who prefer to read digitally!

(c.) 20015 by Zondervan

Title: Fairy Tale Romance Collection
Author: Melanie Dickerson
Published: 2015 by Zondervan

About the Book[s]:

Romance, intrigue, and danger abound in this five-book bind-up of Melanie Dickerson’s bestselling fairy-tale retellings.

The Healer’s Apprentice: Rose has been appointed as a healer’s apprentice at Hagenheim Castle, and when Lord Hamlin—the future duke—is injured, it is Rose who tends to him. As she works to heal his wound, she begins to fall in love, and wonders if he feels the same. But Lord Hamlin is betrothed to a mysterious young woman in hiding. As Rose’s life spins toward confusion, she must take the first steps on a journey to discover her own destiny.

The Merchant’s Daughter: Annabel is trapped in indentured servitude to Lord Ranulf, a recluse who is rumored to be both terrifying and beastly. She soon finds he is actually very kind and caring, and the two strike up a friendship that could soon become more. Then Annabel becomes involved in a situation that could possibly lead to Ranulf’s demise.

The Fairest Beauty: Sophie desperately wants to get away from her stepmother’s jealousy, and receives her chance when Gabe arrives from Hagenheim Castle to rescue her, claiming she is betrothed to his older brother. Though romance is impossible--she is his brother’s future wife, and Gabe himself is betrothed to someone else--the pair flee to the Cottage of the Seven to find help. Before long both must not only protect each other from the dangers around them, they must also protect their hearts.

The Captive Maiden: When Gisela learns the duke’s son, Valten--the boy she has daydreamed about for years--is throwing a ball in hopes of finding a wife, she vows to find a way to attend, even if it’s only for a taste of a life she’ll never have. To her surprise, she catches Valten’s eye. Though he is rough around the edges, Gisela finds Valten is everything she hoped he would be. But other forces are bent on keeping the two from falling further in love, putting Gisela in more danger than she ever imagined.

The Princess Spy: Margaretha has always been a romantic, and hopes her newest suitor, Lord Claybrook, is destined to be her one true love. But then an injured man is brought to Hagenheim Castle, claiming to be an English lord who was attacked by Claybrook and left for dead. And only Margaretha--one of the few who speaks his language--understands the wild story. It is up to her to save her father, Colin, and Hagenheim itself from Claybrook’s wicked plot.

The Artist Librarian Review:
I've been reading Melanie Dickerson's books since 2010 --Her fairy tale inspired stories are adapted into historical romance novels appropriate for teens (and adults) who enjoy sweet romance.  Though a bit formulaic at times (such as slightly repetitive story elements), that is common in fairy tales themselves.  Fans will love seeing her take on classic, well-known fairy tales.

The ebook Fairy Tale Romance Collection bundles Dickerson's first five YA medieval fairy tale romances, The Healer's Apprentice (originally published in 2010) which adapts Sleeping Beauty, The Merchant's Daughter (2011, Beauty & the Beast), The Fairest Beauty (2013, Snow White), The Captive Maiden (2013, Cinderella), and The Princess Spy (2014, The Frog Prince).  There are elements from each book that I like ... I don't really have a favorite, though The Healer's Apprentice holds a special place in my heart.  The romances are sweet and you'll see Dickerson's writing get better and better over the course of the series.  The books are all loosely connected and set in the German city of Hagenheim (minus The Merchant's Daughter, which is set in England, but is later connected to the other novels via The Princess Spy). For more details, you can read my full review of  The Princess Spy.

Having owned all of Dickerson's fairy tale titles in print, I was interested to see how this ebook bundle would compare.  I found the collection itself to be very navigable: you could easily jump to the book and chapter you wanted from the table of contents or because it's an ebook, search for a line or character.  Prologues, author's notes, and other addendum to the print versions can be found in the same order.  Curiously though, the discussion questions (from The Healer's Apprentice and The Princess Spy), author interview (first included in The Healer's Apprentice) and acknowledgements written for each individual book are collected together at the end of the collection.  But really, the only negative to me is that you don't get to see the gorgeous cover art each individual book has.  If you prefer to read digital books, I'd highly recommend picking up this ebook collection, which is currently less expensive than purchasing the five ebook titles separately!

[Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from BookLook Bloggers for review purposes.]

About the Author:

Melanie Dickerson is the author of The Healer's Apprintice, a Christy Award finalist and winner of the National Reader's Choice Award for Best First Book, as well as The Merchant's Daughter --also a Christy Award finalist-- and The Fairest Beauty, The Captive Maiden, and The Princess Spy.  Melanie earned a bachelor's degree in special education from the University of Alabama and has been a teacher and a missionary.  She lives with her husband and two daughters in Huntsville, Alabama.

I didn't intend to, but I ended up taking a week off of blogging for Thanksgiving (time off from school to relax, spend time with family, and ... work on school assignments). =P  If you celebrated the holiday, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did this year!  This week, I've got a couple new book reviews for you all, starting now!

(c.) 2015 by Thomas Nelson

Title: The Golden Braid (The Hagenheim / Fairy Tale Romance Series #6)
Author: Melanie Dickerson
Published: 2015 by Thomas Nelson

About the Book: 

"The one who needs rescuing isn’t always the one in the tower…

Rapunzel can throw a knife better than any man. She paints beautiful flowering vines on the walls of her plaster houses. She sings so sweetly she can coax even a beast to sleep. But there are two things she is afraid her mother might never allow her to do: learn to read and marry. 

Fiercely devoted to Rapunzel, her mother is suspicious of every man who so much as looks at her daughter and warns her that no man can be trusted. After a young village farmer asks for Rapunzel’s hand in marriage, Mother decides to move them once again—this time, to the large city of Hagenheim. 

The journey proves treacherous, and after being rescued by a knight—Sir Gerek—Rapunzel, in turn, rescues him farther down the road. As a result, Sir Gerek agrees to repay his debt to Rapunzel by teaching her to read. Could there be more to him than his arrogance and desire to marry for riches and position?

As Rapunzel acclimates to life in a new city, she uncovers a mystery that will forever change her life. In this Rapunzel story unlike any other, a world of secrets and treachery are about to be revealed after seventeen years. How will Rapunzel finally take control of her own destiny? And who will prove faithful to a lowly peasant girl with no one to turn to?"

The Artist Librarian Review:
I've been enjoying Melanie Dickerson's sweetly romantic fairy tale adaptations since her debut title, The Healer's Apprentice, in 2010. Following in the footsteps of her previous novels, The Golden Braid loosely connects to the nobles of Hagenheim Castle and is the first of Dickerson's novels to provide another perspective or point of view of past books' events. With an unexpected twist, Dickerson clearly demonstrates why she writes fairy tale adaptations with happily ever afters!

Dickerson always strives to give a more rounded complexity and depth to fairy tale characters. While not my favorite of Dickerson's heroine/hero duos, Rapunzel and Sir Gerek's lives felt more realistic to their medieval historical time period than some of her previous novels. With Rapunzel, she touches upon themes such as the role of women, legalism, and coming of age. Sir Gerek's past reveals a darker side to medieval family life than the one we've come to know through Duke Wilhelm and Lady Rose's.

Even characters such as Mother Gothel (with her suspicion of all, especially men) have a unique past. One of the most interesting things I found was how the second half of this novel tied in to the events of The Princess Spy. In fact, there were several times in this book where I wanted to re-read Margaretha's story (great cross-marketing potential here)! I was especially not expecting what Gothel's connection to Hagenheim was, nor the "mystery" alluded to in the title's summary that's tied to Rapunzel! At first, I disliked these revelations, but I can't really fault Dickerson since I am happy for the characters it affected. I suppose in a way it takes "happily ever after" to its ultimate conclusion ...

The story of Rapunzel is one of my favorite fairy tales, so I've read A LOT of adaptations. I didn't think this was Dickerson's best, but it's definitely a unique take on the tale, which is always a good thing! Regardless, I still would recommend her fans to check out The Golden Braid for the sweet fairy tale romances we’ve come to expect from the one and only Melanie Dickerson.

 I look forward to seeing what fairy tales Dickerson will put her spin on next!

Author Melanie Dickerson

About the Author:

"Melanie Dickerson is the Author of The Healer’s Apprentice, a Christy Award finalist and winner of the National Reader’s Choice Award for Best First Book. Melanie earned a bachelor’s degree in special education from the University of Alabama and has been a teacher and missionary. She lives with her husband and two daughters in Alabama. Visit her online at melaniedickerson.com"

[Disclosure: I received a hardcopy of this book from the publisher via Litfuse for review purposes.]

Have you read any of Melanie Dickerson’s books? What did you think? Or what’s your favorite fairy tale adaptation?

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine, where you feature a yet-to-be-released title you're anticipating!

Title: Winter (The Lunar Chronicles #4)
Author: Marissa Meyer
Release Date: November 10, 2015 by Feiwel & Friends

1. I'm guessing this is Levana's hand?

About the Book:

"Princess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mar her face, her beauty is said to be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana.

Winter despises her stepmother, and knows Levana won't approve of her feelings for her childhood friend--the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn't as weak as Levana believes her to be and she's been undermining her stepmother's wishes for years. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even have the power to launch a revolution and win a war that's been raging for far too long.

Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter defeat Levana and find their happily ever afters? Fans will not want to miss this thrilling conclusion to Marissa Meyer's national bestselling Lunar Chronicles series."

Why I'm "WoW" about Winter:
I'm a relatively new "Lunartic" (a Lunar Chronicles fan) since I came upon the series in early 2014, but I love these fairy tale adaptations!  I like to call them Fairy Tales + Sci-Fi = A Series You Don't Want to Miss!  I actually still haven't read the "prequel" Fairest yet, which was released earlier this year, but I should be able to get to it while I wait for the library to process Winter.  One of the things I'm so excited about is the page count:  832 pages!  Excuse me while I let that sink in a moment ... Book #3, Cress, was 550 pages and it was a pretty substantial hardcover.  I can't imaging what Winter might look like!  Even though I don't want to say good-bye to Cinder and co. (after all, it seems like I've only just gotten to know them), at least I'll have a lot of time with them before the book is over. 

Have you read or watched fairy tale adaptations? What is your favorite fairy tale or adaptation of?  What do you think makes a good fairy tale adaptation? Also, if you've participated in "WoW" feel free to share!1. Winter by Marissa Meyer book cover. Feiwel & Friends, 2015.

Throwback Thursday! This review was first written for my Special Topics in Librarianship: The Graphic Novel class in September 2014.

Title: Little Lit: Folklore and Fairy Tale Funnies 
Edited by: Art Spiegelman and Francoise Mouly
Published: 2000 by HarperCollins

About the Book:

A treasure and a treasury!

Innovative cartoonist and renowned children's book artists from around the world have gathered to bring you the magic of fairy tales through the wonder of comics. The stories range from old favorites to new discoveries, from the profound to the silly. A treat for all ages, these picture stories unlock the enchanted door into the pleasures of books and reading!

The Artist Librarian Review:
Editor Art Spiegelman is well known for his WWII graphic novel Maus.  I loved how all the art has a retro flair or vintage feel to them ... in fact, "The Gingerbread Man" by Walt Kelly was drawn in 1943, but all of the art feels like it could have been created over 50 years ago. I almost couldn't believe the copyright date says 2000.

The one that stood out to me the most was the "Fairy Tale Road Rage" and "Once Upon a Time" by Chris Ware -they're actually the last endpages, but it's amazingly witty. First, "Road Rage" is the instructions for the board game on the front endpages. I have to leave a small excerpt of the snarky directions:

"The smartest of all children will then deduce that, due to the similarity of these colors, some sort of relationship exists between the playing pieces, the spaces on the board, and the spaces on the storyboards. This child should be immediately excused from play and be signed up for top-level government service, as he or she is obviously more gifted than the adults who currently hold such positions."

The instructions also have a small six panel comic of two adult game collectors preparing to play the game.

"Once Upon a Time" is one of the most clever comics I've ever read. It's a circular, interconnecting comic of sorts. On each side of the page, there is a 8 panel comic with focus on a certain character (a frog, a wolf, a princess, and an old lady). You then flip the page a quarter turn (90 degrees) to read the next story. It's bittersweet, but definitely in the spirit of fairy tales. Though you can start anywhere, first I read the one I could clearly read with the pages open and facing me like a normal book. The art is simply illustrated but there's an adorable aspect to the work.

"The Fisherman and the Sea Princess" had some of my favorite art from that collection and that story ... wow. Kind of angsty and a bit reminiscent of the Cupid and Psyche legend (with Pandora's Box threw in).

Anyway, an interesting collection of stories. Definitely check it out if you have the chance. It's not just for children! =)

(c.) 2014 by Zondervan

Title: The Princess Spy
Author: Melanie Dickerson
Published: 2014 by Zondervan

Margaretha has always hoped to find her true love, but when an injured man is brought to Hagenheim castle, her world is thrown into disarray.  The mysterious Englishman is evasive in his answers, refusing to reveal his name or who left him for dead.  When he rescues a valuable heirloom, she knows the only way she could help repay him is to spy on her suitor, Lord Claybrook, who "Gawain" is convinced was involved in a murder.  But whom should she trust?

Melanie Dickerson's popular Christian YA fairy tale re-tellings continue with The Princess Spy, an adaptation of The Frog Prince.  Though loosely connected to her previous novels by featuring the children of the protagonists of The Healer's Apprentice and The Merchant's Daughter, like her other works, it can be read as a stand alone.

As always, it's enjoyable for me to see how Dickerson incorporates elements of her chosen fairy tale into her adaptation.  I learned in my English Literature class that in academia, one way they classify fairy tales is by subject or theme by the Aarne Thompson Uther system.   

The Frog Prince was the first English translation of the Brothers Grimm's The Iron Heinrich (or, The Frog King) and is ATU 440, that is Aarne Thompson Uther type 440 (the aptly titled "Frog Kings: Tales of Slimy Suitors").  Though details can change from tale to translation, the main story is this: A princess looses her golden ball in a pond or well and reluctantly befriends the frog who retrieves her plaything.  Later it is revealed that the frog was actually a handsome prince and one of the "morals" of the tale is the importance of  keeping your promises --highlighted when the frog appears at the castle and the princess doesn't want to let him in though she promised he could be her companion as seen in this excerpt from the Grimm's story:

The king said, "What you have promised, you must keep. Go and let the frog in."

 I think the primary way Dickerson chose to adapt this tale was through her female protagonist.  In the original tale, the princess comes across as a bit spoiled, maybe even bratty.  She carelessly promises the frog that he can live with her because she believes he can only stay in the water:

The princess thought, "What is this stupid frog trying to say? After all, he does have to stay here in the water. But still, maybe he can get my ball. I'll go ahead and say yes," and she said aloud, "Yes, for all I care. Just bring me back my golden ball, and I'll promise everything."

Margaretha is a much more likeable heroine.  Her talkative nature is seen as a fault or an annoyance by other characters at times, but I found it endearing and something that set her apart from Dickerson's past heroines.  Also, though she doesn't hurl the frog against a wall like in the earlier tales --Sorry folks, the transformation kiss?  That's a more recent addition!-- Margaretha is no shrinking violet.  Not to say that her hero is a pansy! The "frog" character, Colin, is completely human and never in a frog form (though he does spend some time in some ugly frog-colored garments).  One of the most cleverest of Dickerson's adaptation decisions in this novel was to create a bond between Margaretha and Colin through a language barrier.  The Duke's daughter is one of the only English speakers in Hagenheim castle, so Colin is forced to rely on her and it is the reason why kindhearted Margaretha initially feels she should help him.  Seeing their relationship grow and develop from this beginning was a pleasure.  The only criticism I could give is that some of her plots are beginning to seem a tad formulaic (the protagonists forced to travel together on a dangerous journey), but so were Brian Jacques' Redwall novels and they are still loved and enjoyed by many.

If you like sweet, fairy tale adaptations suitable for teens and up, definitely give Melanie Dickerson's books a try!  Side note: The Princess Spy has one of my favorite book cover art from 2014!  Just gorgeous --I love green!  Also, I appreciate how the author and cover artist coordinate these stories and their covers.  All of the dresses depicted on her book covers are described at least once in all the Dickerson's novels I can remember ...

*Disclaimer: I received a copy of this title from the publisher through their BookLook bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed are my own.*

Question: Fairy Tales + Sci-Fi = ?

Answer: A series you don't want to miss!

     I first came across Marissa Meyer’s books when researching sci-fi Little Red Riding Hood adaptations (it's a long story).  One of the only stories that came up in my online searches was book two, Scarlet.  When my professor said the novel was too long for the purposes of our English Literature class assignment, I put it aside and promised myself I would read it this summer.  When I finally borrowed the first two books in the series, I quickly devoured them, staying up late into the night to finish them.

(c.) Macmillan Publishers

 Book 1: Cinder

(c.) Macmillan Publishers