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The Silent Songbird
(Hagenheim #7)
by
Evangeline is gifted with a heavenly voice, but she is trapped in a sinister betrothal until she embarks on a daring escape and meets brave Westley le Wyse. Can he help her discover the freedom to sing again?
Desperate to flee a political marriage to her cousin King Richard II's closest advisor, Lord Shiveley—a man twice her age with shadowy motives—Evangeline runs away and ...more
Desperate to flee a political marriage to her cousin King Richard II's closest advisor, Lord Shiveley—a man twice her age with shadowy motives—Evangeline runs away and ...more
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Lisa at Farm Fresh Adventures
Loosely based on The Little Mermaid
Community Reviews
Showing 1-30
Start your review of The Silent Songbird (Hagenheim, #7)
England, 1384—
Evangeline is the illegitimate first cousin of King Richard II. She has never wanted for food, clothing, or shelter. She can read and write in Latin and English (and presumably French, although that never comes up). She’s also been blessed with good looks, natural athleticism, and an angelic singing voice. But Evangeline lacks the one thing she yearns for: freedom. She envies the peasants, even though their life is mostly hard labor, because at least they can marry as they choose.
W ...more
Evangeline is the illegitimate first cousin of King Richard II. She has never wanted for food, clothing, or shelter. She can read and write in Latin and English (and presumably French, although that never comes up). She’s also been blessed with good looks, natural athleticism, and an angelic singing voice. But Evangeline lacks the one thing she yearns for: freedom. She envies the peasants, even though their life is mostly hard labor, because at least they can marry as they choose.
W ...more
It is always a pleasure to read another book by Melanie Dickerson! This latest release, The Silent Songbird is a historical retelling of The Little Mermaid. Though it's a non-magical retelling, set in the medieval era, I did see nods to the original fairy tale, which was fun.
This book follows Evangeline, young ward of the king ... a woman destined to an arranged marriage and stifled life. Until one evening, she takes a chance for freedom. With its medieval setting, wandering among servants and l ...more
This book follows Evangeline, young ward of the king ... a woman destined to an arranged marriage and stifled life. Until one evening, she takes a chance for freedom. With its medieval setting, wandering among servants and l ...more
This is a reimagined fairy tale, loosely based on The Little Mermaid.
Evangeline is the King's ward and illegitimate cousin and has lived a very sheltered and nonexistent life inside the castle walls. She dreams of being amongst the peasants she watches from her window, longing for the freedom they have to choose. When King Richard tries to force her into a terrible marriage, she runs away and meets up with Westley. Westley is the son and heir of the Lord of Glynval. Evangeline pretends to be mut ...more
Evangeline is the King's ward and illegitimate cousin and has lived a very sheltered and nonexistent life inside the castle walls. She dreams of being amongst the peasants she watches from her window, longing for the freedom they have to choose. When King Richard tries to force her into a terrible marriage, she runs away and meets up with Westley. Westley is the son and heir of the Lord of Glynval. Evangeline pretends to be mut ...more
Nov 12, 2016
Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls)
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
own,
read-reviewed
GIF review & reactions:
I've been so excited about this novel because I get to see the le Wyse family again:
I was basically freaking out the entire time I was reading this novel:
{Actual footage of me freaking out:}
So, in the opening chapter poor Evangeline learns she’s supposed to marry a repulsive jerk:
And she wants to leave and Muriel's all like:
And then later when Eva says to Westley, "Are you all right? Please don't die. You are the most beautiful p ...more
Well, that was fun! Due to some real life stresses, I needed a fluffy read with a guaranteed happy ending and this was just the thing. While it had to be a challenge to write a non-magical Little Mermaid retelling, I thought Dickerson did a good job incorporating elements of the fairytale into Medieval England. Eva's singing for example, and then pretending to be mute. At the beginning, I had a moment where I imagined her singing "Part of Your World" out the window of her tower because she was l
...more
In this charming retelling of the Little Mermaid, Melanie Dickerson weaves together a beautiful take on the classic tale.
Evangeline is a beautiful maiden who is gifted with a gorgeous melodic voice. She is King Richard's cousin and is cared for in Berkhamsted Castle because she is orphaned. But, there is one thing that she longs for, and that is freedom.
So when her cousin King Richard promises her in marriage to one of his advisors who is a vile and cruel man, her longing of freedom becomes ev ...more
Evangeline is a beautiful maiden who is gifted with a gorgeous melodic voice. She is King Richard's cousin and is cared for in Berkhamsted Castle because she is orphaned. But, there is one thing that she longs for, and that is freedom.
So when her cousin King Richard promises her in marriage to one of his advisors who is a vile and cruel man, her longing of freedom becomes ev ...more
While you’re reading The Silent Songbird by Melanie Dickerson, you may find yourself humming the song “Part of Your World” from Disney’s The Little Mermaid movie. And a time or two, you may break into a reggae beat, imploring Westley to “Kiss the Girl” (woo woo). If a lobster/crab/whateverSebastianwas shows up to sing along, you might want to become concerned. Otherwise just embrace it. Because Melanie does a fabulous job of retelling The Little Mermaid (the Andersen version) and reshaping it to
...more
What the book is about:
Evangeline longs to be free, to live in the world outside the castle walls. But freedom comes at a cost.
Evangeline is the ward and cousin of King Richard II, and yet she dreams of a life outside of Berkhamsted Castle, where she might be free to marry for love and not politics. But the young king betroths her to his closest advisor, Lord Shiveley, a man twice as old as Evangeline. Desperate to escape a life married to a man she finds revolting, Evangeline runs away from the ...more
Evangeline longs to be free, to live in the world outside the castle walls. But freedom comes at a cost.
Evangeline is the ward and cousin of King Richard II, and yet she dreams of a life outside of Berkhamsted Castle, where she might be free to marry for love and not politics. But the young king betroths her to his closest advisor, Lord Shiveley, a man twice as old as Evangeline. Desperate to escape a life married to a man she finds revolting, Evangeline runs away from the ...more
The Silent Songbird was just what I was hoping. A light, fun read with romance and danger. It was easy to read and wasn't too deep, so I could easily fly through the pages. I liked the characters and the storyline was interesting. The villain was CREEPY and vile. I really did not like him at all.
I loved the ending and how everything happened the way it did. So seamless and just a perfect way to go.
All in all, a great read and one of Melanie Dickerson's books that I recommend.
*I received a comp ...more
I loved the ending and how everything happened the way it did. So seamless and just a perfect way to go.
All in all, a great read and one of Melanie Dickerson's books that I recommend.
*I received a comp ...more
Good! Review to come.
...... But this is definitely a love letter to Princess Bride! His name is Westley and at least twice, someone says "as you wish"
This is possibly my favorite Dickerson novel yet ❤️❤️❤️
...more
...... But this is definitely a love letter to Princess Bride! His name is Westley and at least twice, someone says "as you wish"
This is possibly my favorite Dickerson novel yet ❤️❤️❤️
...more
Aug 19, 2016
Tito
marked it as to-read
Ok, I'm not the biggest fan of Melanie Dickerson books, but this is based off of The Merchant's Daughter, and that was in my opinion the best Dickerson book written and one of my favorites. So imma go ahead and do some serious fangirling right now. So so so so so so so excited.
...more
...more
Ah, this was such a sweet story!
As usual, Melanie Dickerson didn't fail to deliver a lovely fairytale retelling. She always writes the kinds of books that are made for cozy winter evenings...the ones I can bring with me to snuggle up under the blankets with. They aren't usually incredibly deep (though I loved the themes in this one!), but they're always such a pleasure to delve into. ^_^
I was wavering between giving it 4 or 5 stars, but since I loved Westley so much, I guess 5 stars it shall be ...more
As usual, Melanie Dickerson didn't fail to deliver a lovely fairytale retelling. She always writes the kinds of books that are made for cozy winter evenings...the ones I can bring with me to snuggle up under the blankets with. They aren't usually incredibly deep (though I loved the themes in this one!), but they're always such a pleasure to delve into. ^_^
I was wavering between giving it 4 or 5 stars, but since I loved Westley so much, I guess 5 stars it shall be ...more
oh crap. This is the first Melanie Dickerson book I've ever tried, and I really don't like the writing (a very simplistic, super basic style of writing). And I'm realizing that I have tons and TONS of her books on my kindle that I've bought over the years. . .shit.
DNF @ 13%
DNF @ 13%
This was enjoyable. Not my favorite in the series but still very lovely. I was confused when they went back and forth with Mildred/Muriel's name. I wasn't sure what was going on. But later in the story, the mystery was solved. This was a super sweet read. Easy reading.
Lovely.
Another fluffy Dickerson.
There were a few elements that made me upset, but other then that it was a good book.
Another fluffy Dickerson.
There were a few elements that made me upset, but other then that it was a good book.
Wow, I was so excited to review this book. I couldn’t wait to get it early! And I was not disappointed. Sure, there are some downfalls, but overall it is pretty good.
The biggest thing that I didn’t like was the fact that Eva wanted to learn archery, swordsmanship, and knife-throwing. One thing that I do know is that in the medieval days the ladies did not learn that stuff. Nope, it was the men who protected the ladies. The ladies did not want to learn about those things. There is nothing wrong w ...more
The biggest thing that I didn’t like was the fact that Eva wanted to learn archery, swordsmanship, and knife-throwing. One thing that I do know is that in the medieval days the ladies did not learn that stuff. Nope, it was the men who protected the ladies. The ladies did not want to learn about those things. There is nothing wrong w ...more
The Silent Songbird (#7 Hagenheim) by Melanie Dickerson
In this delightful medieval “fairy tale” we travel back-in-time to the Berkhamsted Castle of 1384 Hertfordshire, England and then on to the quaint village of Glynval. Young, beautiful Evangeline, cousin and ward to King Richard II has just learned that she will be betrothed to his closest advisor, Lord Shiveley, a man twice her age. However, she longs to marry for love, so she does what any desperate ward of the king would do...runs away, o ...more
In this delightful medieval “fairy tale” we travel back-in-time to the Berkhamsted Castle of 1384 Hertfordshire, England and then on to the quaint village of Glynval. Young, beautiful Evangeline, cousin and ward to King Richard II has just learned that she will be betrothed to his closest advisor, Lord Shiveley, a man twice her age. However, she longs to marry for love, so she does what any desperate ward of the king would do...runs away, o ...more
This a sweet YA by Melanie Dickerson one of my favorite Christian Authors. Evangeline is forced to marry Lord Shivley by the King ( her cousin). King Richard think Lord Shively a good man since he is one of his "faithful" advisors, but Evangeline knows he is a evil and cruel man. Evangeline runs away to become a peasant so that she can marry for love. She and her maid Muriel leave with a group of men to Glynval. One of the men is Westley who is the son of the Lord of Glynval. She and her maid li
...more
Another fascinating fairy tale romp from Mrs. Dickerson. Teenage girls (and their mothers and sisters and grandmas) will love the protagonists Evangeline and Westley. Evangeline, the ward of King Richard, longs for a life of freedom in an era when wealthy women served as pawns in political machinations. She takes matters into her own hands when her ward insists that she marry an older man whom she doesn't trust. She disguises herself and runs away. Her maid, Muriel ends up coming along with her. ...more
Melanie has done it again with another exciting and romantic fairy tale retelling! Two thumbs up!
Dec 07, 2017
Tricia Mingerink
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
christian-historical-ya,
fairy-tale-retellings
I mostly enjoyed this part. Part of the problem, I think, is that I am a bit older than the target audience for this book. So some of its simplicity and character motivations stated right out there instead of done more subtly are all done for its younger target audience than an adult reader.
Still, this look had more action than the early Hagenheim books and I loved seeing Ranulf and other characters from book 2 reappear in this book (though it has been so long since I read that book that I can' ...more
Still, this look had more action than the early Hagenheim books and I loved seeing Ranulf and other characters from book 2 reappear in this book (though it has been so long since I read that book that I can' ...more
Silent Songbird
by Melanie Dickerson
Rating: 4/5
Book 7 of Hagenheim series
Thomas Nelson - Fiction | Historical Romance
Meet Evangeline. She has the most beautiful singing voice and is privileged to be a ward and cousin of the great King Richard II, so she gets to live at Berkhamsted Castle. She would completely be satisfied with her comfortable life, right?
Unfortunately, due to her royal blood (even if she was illegitimate) she has never been free to go and do whatever she wanted. The walls of Berk ...more
by Melanie Dickerson
Rating: 4/5
Book 7 of Hagenheim series
Thomas Nelson - Fiction | Historical Romance
Meet Evangeline. She has the most beautiful singing voice and is privileged to be a ward and cousin of the great King Richard II, so she gets to live at Berkhamsted Castle. She would completely be satisfied with her comfortable life, right?
Unfortunately, due to her royal blood (even if she was illegitimate) she has never been free to go and do whatever she wanted. The walls of Berk ...more
Nov 17, 2016
Deborah O'Carroll
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
ya,
romance,
reviewed,
5-stars-awesome,
own,
christian,
medieval-fantasy,
2016-reads,
fantasy,
faves
(Review originally posted on The Road of a Writer: https://deborahocarroll.wordpress.com...)
Another enchanting, romantic Young Adult fairytale retelling from Melanie Dickerson!
Evangeline, a young woman with a beautiful voice (and the ward of King Richard), is kept in a castle but longs to go out into the world. She finds her chance when she must escape marriage to a horrible man, and meets a caring young man named Westley le Wyse. Deception, scheming villains, and misunderstandings all stand in ...more
Another enchanting, romantic Young Adult fairytale retelling from Melanie Dickerson!
Evangeline, a young woman with a beautiful voice (and the ward of King Richard), is kept in a castle but longs to go out into the world. She finds her chance when she must escape marriage to a horrible man, and meets a caring young man named Westley le Wyse. Deception, scheming villains, and misunderstandings all stand in ...more
Evangeline is the King Richard’s cousin. Her beautiful singing voice is the jewel of the land, and she is admired by noblemen and peasants alike. But Evangeline has a problem. As the King’s cousin she is used to ‘reward’ Lord Shiveley through marriage. Lord Shiveley is a faithful ally to the king, but Evangeline is forced to accept the nuptials with no regard to her feelings and without the benefit of courtship. Lord Shiveley may seem loyal to the king, but Evangeline knows he is a cruel, brutal
...more
The Silent Songbird is a wonderful woven tale of deception, heroics deeds, forgiveness and love.
Evangeline (Eva) is the ward of King Richard whom has given her to the Earl of Shiveley. To escape being married off as a political pawn Eva runs away with a band of peasants, whose leader turns out to be Westley (the son of the Lord of le Wyse). She and her companion tell Westley that she is mute in they're looking for work so he takes them to Glynval to work for his family. All is good, well as goo ...more
Evangeline (Eva) is the ward of King Richard whom has given her to the Earl of Shiveley. To escape being married off as a political pawn Eva runs away with a band of peasants, whose leader turns out to be Westley (the son of the Lord of le Wyse). She and her companion tell Westley that she is mute in they're looking for work so he takes them to Glynval to work for his family. All is good, well as goo ...more
3.5 stars
THE GOOD
It was a captivating story. Evangeline was a good character though I would have to say that Westley was my favorite one.
There was quite a bit of action and suspicion on who was hurting Westley and almost drowned him.
Evangeline being mute was really cool. I still felt like I could somewhat connect with her character even though the only person she whispered to was Muriel.
THE EH ELEMENTS
I felt like this one wasn't her best. It moved really fast in the beginning and I felt l ...more
THE GOOD
It was a captivating story. Evangeline was a good character though I would have to say that Westley was my favorite one.
There was quite a bit of action and suspicion on who was hurting Westley and almost drowned him.
Evangeline being mute was really cool. I still felt like I could somewhat connect with her character even though the only person she whispered to was Muriel.
THE EH ELEMENTS
I felt like this one wasn't her best. It moved really fast in the beginning and I felt l ...more
So far, this has been a great christian fiction, fairy tale trope series. Every one of these books is similar while still being able to be it's own little story. I am greatly enjoying this easy to read sweet, innocent series.
The Silent Songbird was such a fun fairy tale to read. A retelling based on the story of The Little Mermaid, it had danger and adventure, along with a heroine who longed to be loved and valued for herself.
I liked Evangeline and Westley so much! Even when Westley wasn’t sure if he could trust Eva, there was this tension and attraction between them that made me want everything to work out for the two of them. Those plotting evil against Eva and Westley added even more obstacles to their happiness ...more
I liked Evangeline and Westley so much! Even when Westley wasn’t sure if he could trust Eva, there was this tension and attraction between them that made me want everything to work out for the two of them. Those plotting evil against Eva and Westley added even more obstacles to their happiness ...more
Another exciting romantic adventure tale! Taking place this time in medieval England, it continues the story begun in The Merchant's Daughter, one of my favorites in this series of fairy tale spins. Thoroughly enjoyed all the colorful characters, which include a dastardly villain, a kind hearted hero and a desperate young woman who learns to put her hope in God in her time of need. A good lesson in how lies grow and eventually will come to light also. The only thing that would have improved this
...more
As ward of King Richard II, Evangeline has lived under his rule and sequestered in Berkhamsted Castle. When she finds that he has guaranteed her hand in marriage to a deplorable older man she decides it’s better to run away and live as a servant than to suffer at the hands of a violent cruel older man. She manages to join Wesley le Wyse’s band of men on their way home. Disguised as a mute servant Wesley takes her in and offers her a position within his home.
Verdict: As another sweet novel by Me ...more
Verdict: As another sweet novel by Me ...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melanie Dickerson...: The Silent Songbird | 75 | 67 | Jun 26, 2017 07:11AM | |
| Coffee, Chapters ...: The Silent Songbird | 10 | 21 | Nov 28, 2016 08:30PM | |
| Sinopsis en Español // Synopsis in Spanish | 1 | 2 | May 14, 2016 04:30PM |
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Melanie Dickerson is a New York Times bestselling author, a two-time Christy Award finalist, two-time Maggie Award winner, Carol Award winner, two-time winner of the Christian Retailing's Best award, and her book, The Healer's Apprentice, won the National Readers Choice Award for Best First Book. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and Romance Writers of America (RWA). Mel
...more
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“Westley leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. “What is this?” Evangeline pulled away. The priest was giving them a horrified look. She hadn’t known his eyes could open that wide. “Are you kissing in the Lord God’s chapel? There is no kissing in the chapel! Unless it is to seal a marriage vow.” Westley stood and kept hold of her hand. He did not apologize. He only nodded at the priest as they left, and he led her down the steps. “I’ve never been asked to leave the chapel for kissing before,” he said. “Are you sure? Because you don’t seem very embarrassed about it.” “Why should I be embarrassed for kissing the woman I plan to marry?”
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“She wanted to say something daring like, “If you promise to kiss me again soon,” but she only whispered, “As you wish.”
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