The Captive Maiden (Fairy Tale Romance Series)

Gisela meets the Duke's son, Valten, and they are drawn to each other; but her cruel stepmother and stepsisters join forces with Valten’s rival, Ruexner, to interfere. (Though reviews are inherently subjective, I prefer to provide some organization to my opinions through the use of a personal rubric. The following notes may contain spoilers.) Plot and Setting: 4 -- Plot has unique elements and no major holes, but a few shaky bits. Cinderella is a frequently adapted fairytale, but this version has an added focus on Valten's life and enemies (the tournament and Ruexner) in addition to the evil stepmother and ball. I liked these additions, but at the same time, it made it feel less of a fairytale adaptation. Also, Valten breaks his ribs, but after passing out from the pain, they oddly don't seem to bother him again--lucky for him! Setting is clear and believable. Timeline may be a bit hard to follow. It's a bit vague, but seems to cover just a few days. The time Gisela and Valten spend traveling while kidnapped/escaping is slightly unclear. How long/far did they travel? Characters: 4.5 -- Relatable, realistic, interesting, dynamic characters. One of my favorite things about this book is the contrast of how Valten is around Gisela and how he was around Sophie in the previous book. He's still shy around women, but he has a connection to Gisela. And Gisela finds him attractive for some of the same reasons Sophie found him intimidating. There's a lot of realism in their interactions and emotions, and I love it. Some minor characters have depth, while others may be slightly stereotyped or simplified. Evfemia, Irma, and Rainhilda are all pretty one-note mean girls. Definite strong points in the relationships between characters. Mechanics and Writing: 4 -- A handful of typos, punctuation issues, or word errors, but nothing that seriously hinders understanding. Loud for loudly, Jong for long, the bizarre 'mouthlips' that should've been one or the other, some trouble with compound/hyphenated words, and a few awkward phrases/word choices, including using glisten as a noun. One spot where the first word of a prayer was not italicized. Good use of POV (Gisela and Valten), with one spot where it switched from her to him without a section break. Though the section breaks in general were much clearer than the previous books! Yay! Generally skillful writing. An oddity in series continuity: In this book, we hear mention of Valten’s sister, Lindi, who apparently died in about 1403. This is weird only because she’s conspicuously NOT mentioned in three other books, when three separate characters have conversations where it would’ve made sense to mention her. It’s not crucial to any plots at all, just a bit mysterious and odd. Redeeming Value: 5 -- Well-developed, central, uplifting themes. Valten learns to rely on prayer and God's power rather than just his own strength. Gisela releases her pretence of not caring, works to forgive people who have wronged her, and discovers that God and Valten can truly love her. Sex, alcohol, violence, etc, are not glorified at all, though present. Quite a few fights, most in the context of the tournament and therefore governed by rules of chivalry, but more brutal fights involving Ruexner, both in the tournament and in the course of the kidnapping. Ruexner is ready to force Gisela into marriage, but even he has some scruples, and Valten and Friar Daniel are significantly more principled. Personal Enjoyment: 4.5 -- I loved it. Highly enjoyable and very entertaining, with perhaps an issue or two that tempered my pleasure. One I'll definitely read again.

My daughter’s thoughts: Melanie Dickerson has truly captured my attention with this outstanding story. Cinderella has always been one of my favorite princesses, but Melanie’s book proves fairy tales aren’t just for children anymore. Even grown-ups can enjoy these books. Much like her other book, The Captive Maiden, it was very intriguing, and I found it near to impossible to put down. I loved how the story plot led up to the ending, keeping me thrilled to the very last page. The ending itself was amazing and I loved every single word of it. But what really drew my attention was the beautiful cover. It is absolutely stunning! The girl who posed for the cover is beautiful and so is the magnificent dress she’s wearing. I feel both teenagers and adults would like this book as much as I did. Both this one and The Fairest Beauty were excellent books and I loved reading them. Having read them both, I must say that I cannot pick a favorite! My thoughts: I would have to say, I agree with my daughter on this one. When you have a cover that beautiful, the story had better live up to it and thankfully, this one does. The author captures the heart of Cinderella without overdoing it and making it cliche. I am also thrilled that we were able to see the older brother finally get his happily-ever-after too. This book does touch on sibling rivalry and jealousy which I think is normal for these circumstances and a lot of the time this can lead to insecurities. I love the emphasis that each of us needs to find our own way and make our own name in this world. What each of us determines to do, can make a difference in the entire world or even to one special person. I think Gisela’s story resonated in me with her decision to shut off her emotions and compartmentalize her hurtful past and present circumstances. Sometimes it’s easier to just tune out, but that never, ever solves anything. Melanie’s writing is one of my favorites and this would make a wonderful gift for the pre-teen/teen in your life. (Or ok, let’s be honest here, even the 42 year old in your life…) The author provided me the above book for review purposes. It will allow me to keep the books. I have no other connection to and have received no other compensation from Melanie Dickerson.

Eu realmente gostei do início do livro, porque percebe-se rapidamente que apesar do livro tomar o conto da Cinderela como inspiração, a sua versão é definitivamente bem diferente. Não me interprete mal, você encontrará a madrasta megera e sua filhas más, o príncipe encantado, a fada madrinha e o sapato perdido – que não é de cristal! Contudo, tais elementos foram delineados de forma bem original – o que realmente me agradou. O problema do livro, ao meu ver, restou no desenvolvimento da estória. A narrativa, em geral, é bem escrita e cheia de ação. O que manterá vários leitores entretidos. No entanto, os contratempos encontrados por Valten e Gisela chegam a ser tantos que passam a ficar monótonos. Chegou uma hora que eu já estava pensando: não acredito, mais um problema, sério? Além disso, os diálogos são um pouco infantis, e olha que eu adoro ler livros infanto-juvenis! Não sei. Neste caso, os diálogos simplesmente não combinavam com seus personagens. Para completar o herói e a heroína são um pouco chatos e sem graça. Acho que eu teria gostado de uma Cinderela mais atrevida e de um príncipe encantado menos formal. Gisela é a típica garota bondosa e generosa, mas sinceramente sem sal. Já Valten é um herói implacável mas não muito ousado. Em suma, eu achei o livro morno. A história de amor não me prendeu, nem me fez suspirar e considerei a narrativa muitas vezes monótona.

Again I love how's these stories connect and we get a more in-depth story about a character previously introduced to us. Then plot and pacing of these books make them an utter joy to read.

This book was filled with adventure, emotions and kept you on the edge of your seat. Considering the many amazing books Melanie Dickerson has created the Captive Maiden is one of the best. Melanie’s work is superb and continues to grow in skill and always creates a riveting story.

A lot of action, romance and drama! I think this book is great and would recommend.

Loved it, loved it, loved it. Melanie Dickerson did it again a great re telling of Cinderella