Renee C. (steelergirl83) reviewed The Healer's Apprentice (Fairy Tale Romance, Bk 1) on + 54 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
I am a huge fan of fairy tales and I really enjoyed this story that is loosely based on Sleeping Beauty. It has all the elements I look for in a story, not only is there a great plot, a swoonworthy hero, and an intelligent heroine there's a great message for girls everywhere about waiting for the right guy to come along. Rose, the heroine, not only has to deal with learning that her parent's aren't who she believed them to be but also deal with a very handsome young man who isn't who he seems to be. I'm sure that even though this story takes place centuries ago girls will be able to relate to the pressures that Rose faces in her life.
A lot of stories can get boring or tedious to read if they come across as too preachy but this is definitely not one of those books. Ms. Dickerson does such a wonderful job making the story romantic and entertaining while still maintaining a Christian theme. I know as a reader I like all kinds of books both general market and Christian fiction so it's great to see this book which kind of mixes the two. There's an evil sorcerer and black magic but also characters who rely on their faith in God to get them through rough spots and protect them from harm. The Healer's Apprentice is a great book for readers both young and old who love a good fairy tale! I would love to see the author do more stories along this maybe something like Snow White or Cinderella! Here's to hoping! ;-)
* I received my influencer copy from the publisher in exchange for posting my thoughts on the book.*
A lot of stories can get boring or tedious to read if they come across as too preachy but this is definitely not one of those books. Ms. Dickerson does such a wonderful job making the story romantic and entertaining while still maintaining a Christian theme. I know as a reader I like all kinds of books both general market and Christian fiction so it's great to see this book which kind of mixes the two. There's an evil sorcerer and black magic but also characters who rely on their faith in God to get them through rough spots and protect them from harm. The Healer's Apprentice is a great book for readers both young and old who love a good fairy tale! I would love to see the author do more stories along this maybe something like Snow White or Cinderella! Here's to hoping! ;-)
* I received my influencer copy from the publisher in exchange for posting my thoughts on the book.*
Helpful Score: 2
The Healer's Apprentice is set during the Middle Ages in Saxony (Germany) and is loosely based on the Sleeping Beauty fairytale. It is the story of a poor woodcutter's daughter, Rose, and Lord Hamlin, the Duke's son, and their forbidden love. Rose is apprenticed to Frau Geruscha, the village healer, and though Rose tries hard to learn her future trade, she is sickened by the sight and smell of blood. When she must treat Lord Hamlin's injury, they begin to be drawn to each other. Rose's lack of social status and the fact that Lord Hamlin has been betrothed to Lady Salomea since he was 5 years old are obstacles that seem impossible to overcome. This is a Christian version of the fairy tale, however, and nothing is impossible with God. Lord Hamlin and Rose both have a strong faith, which helps them hold on to hope. Most of the story was predictable, though there were a few twists that surprised me, including the climax of the conflict. My Kindle dictionary got a workout while I read this book, but I enjoyed learning about some of the clothing, Church services, food, music and dances of the Middle Ages. This story is listed as YA, but I enjoyed it thoroughly, and I'm looking forward to The Merchant's Daughter, based on Beauty and the Beast, which releases later this year.
Helpful Score: 2
Great fairy tale. Romance without the trash!
Karissa E. (ophelia99) reviewed The Healer's Apprentice (Fairy Tale Romance, Bk 1) on + 2527 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I got a copy of this book through the Amazon Vine program. This looked like a wonderful book, a great historical romance with a bit of fantasy flare to it. It was okay, in fact the beginning of the book was pretty good, but it declined from the middle of the book on. Keep in mind I approached this as a historical fantasy, I was not aware that the publisher was a Christian fiction publisher....so when characters started setting aside action to wait for God to save them and then the Duke of the realm used his divine right as a leader to banish demons I was confused and irritated.
This is the story of Rose. Rose is apprenticed to the Healer of the realm. When the Duke's sons come for a visit; both of them are drawn to her beauty. Rose knows her place in the realm and, as a Healer's Apprentice, does not want the attention of either brother. When one of the brothers, Wilhelm, is injured Rose heals him. Wilhelm and Rose are drawn to each other's personalities, but it cannot be. Wilhelm is betrothed to a Princess whose identity will not be revealed until the evil mage is defeated. Meanwhile Wilhelm's younger brother, a rogue of sorts, has started courting Rose. Wilhelm struggles to keep his feelings for Rose under wraps while trying to hunt down the evil mage that plagues the realm.
This book started out pretty good. It had a lot of a fairy tale feel to it, with a definite German tone. You can't help but love the characters in the beginning they are all so sweet, pure, and innocent. Rose is determined to be good and to have a life as a healer. Rose can get to be a little much at points; she is pure to the point of not exposing her arms, not touching a man's hand, or wearing makeup. But that seemed to be mostly cultural, so went well with the story. The writing is fairly well done and engaging; there are beautiful descriptions but the dialogue between characters is a bit stilted. I was really enjoying this as a sweet historical romance with a bit of a fantasy flare to it...then we get to the second half of the book.
Keep in mind I did not know this book was released by a christian fiction publisher, so readers beware. As the book continues God is mentioned a lot (I mean a lot a lot) and scripture is quoted. Wilhelm is especially religious; all of which I don't have a problem with. The problem comes in when the characters decide to stop taking action and sit on their bums praying for God to save them. I was like "what is going on here?"..."Why are these wonderful characters waiting around for God to do their work for them rather than taking positive action themselves?"
Then suddenly things get even stranger; Rose is haunted by demons and speaking in tongues. Wilhelm enters to save the day by using his power as a Duke to cast the evil forces out of his realm in God's name. It all got very weird, was very predictable, and made me very uncomfortable. I couldn't figure out why the author would drop such a sweet positive story and turn it into some weird parable of religious text.
Overall I loved the beginning of this book. The characters are positive, sweet, and likable. The romance between Rose and Wilhelm is well-founded and they have great chemistry together. I hated the ending of the book, I thought the overpowering use of God as a solution to the characters problems and Wilhelm's sudden ability to make use of divine intervention were strange and distasteful. So just be warned; this is a Christian fantasy and gets very preachy towards the end of the book. If that's not your thing pick up a different book with sweet characters and wonderful romance; I recommend Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith or The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley. This book is appropriate for all young adults and older.
This is the story of Rose. Rose is apprenticed to the Healer of the realm. When the Duke's sons come for a visit; both of them are drawn to her beauty. Rose knows her place in the realm and, as a Healer's Apprentice, does not want the attention of either brother. When one of the brothers, Wilhelm, is injured Rose heals him. Wilhelm and Rose are drawn to each other's personalities, but it cannot be. Wilhelm is betrothed to a Princess whose identity will not be revealed until the evil mage is defeated. Meanwhile Wilhelm's younger brother, a rogue of sorts, has started courting Rose. Wilhelm struggles to keep his feelings for Rose under wraps while trying to hunt down the evil mage that plagues the realm.
This book started out pretty good. It had a lot of a fairy tale feel to it, with a definite German tone. You can't help but love the characters in the beginning they are all so sweet, pure, and innocent. Rose is determined to be good and to have a life as a healer. Rose can get to be a little much at points; she is pure to the point of not exposing her arms, not touching a man's hand, or wearing makeup. But that seemed to be mostly cultural, so went well with the story. The writing is fairly well done and engaging; there are beautiful descriptions but the dialogue between characters is a bit stilted. I was really enjoying this as a sweet historical romance with a bit of a fantasy flare to it...then we get to the second half of the book.
Keep in mind I did not know this book was released by a christian fiction publisher, so readers beware. As the book continues God is mentioned a lot (I mean a lot a lot) and scripture is quoted. Wilhelm is especially religious; all of which I don't have a problem with. The problem comes in when the characters decide to stop taking action and sit on their bums praying for God to save them. I was like "what is going on here?"..."Why are these wonderful characters waiting around for God to do their work for them rather than taking positive action themselves?"
Then suddenly things get even stranger; Rose is haunted by demons and speaking in tongues. Wilhelm enters to save the day by using his power as a Duke to cast the evil forces out of his realm in God's name. It all got very weird, was very predictable, and made me very uncomfortable. I couldn't figure out why the author would drop such a sweet positive story and turn it into some weird parable of religious text.
Overall I loved the beginning of this book. The characters are positive, sweet, and likable. The romance between Rose and Wilhelm is well-founded and they have great chemistry together. I hated the ending of the book, I thought the overpowering use of God as a solution to the characters problems and Wilhelm's sudden ability to make use of divine intervention were strange and distasteful. So just be warned; this is a Christian fantasy and gets very preachy towards the end of the book. If that's not your thing pick up a different book with sweet characters and wonderful romance; I recommend Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith or The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley. This book is appropriate for all young adults and older.
Julie J. (faithfulgirl) reviewed The Healer's Apprentice (Fairy Tale Romance, Bk 1) on + 28 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Rose is a young woman who is apprenticing under the town healer. Rose, however, does not like blood and cannot stand the smells associated with illness. What else is there for this young woodcutter's daughter to do?
Lord Hamlin has long been betrothed (since the age of 5 actually) to Lady Salomea. He's never met her because she's in hiding from the evil Moncure. Setting his sights on Rose gives him a bit of challenge though. Can he possibly be faithful to his betrothed or will his brother Lord Rupert win Rose's favor?
This is a spin-off so to speak of the story of Sleeping Beauty, only with a few twists. It is a good story but I did feel that the characters were lacking a bit. I wasn't really connected to any one character and became slightly bored with the story in the middle. It did pick up and had a very predictable ending that I figured out around the middle of the book. I do think young girls (8+) will enjoy this book as it gives hope for the fairytale ending.
I appreciate the author's note about how she came about developing this story and how she strived to keep to keep this book as historically accurate as possible. She is honest about a couple of areas where she knows she struggled in doing so.
I would have to say that the most discouraging thing to me about this book is that I never got a clear picture of what the characters looked like. I kept asking myself what each one would look like if I were to jump in the book and see them.
I do recommend this book and believe that the younger set will have a larger appreciation for this book!
Lord Hamlin has long been betrothed (since the age of 5 actually) to Lady Salomea. He's never met her because she's in hiding from the evil Moncure. Setting his sights on Rose gives him a bit of challenge though. Can he possibly be faithful to his betrothed or will his brother Lord Rupert win Rose's favor?
This is a spin-off so to speak of the story of Sleeping Beauty, only with a few twists. It is a good story but I did feel that the characters were lacking a bit. I wasn't really connected to any one character and became slightly bored with the story in the middle. It did pick up and had a very predictable ending that I figured out around the middle of the book. I do think young girls (8+) will enjoy this book as it gives hope for the fairytale ending.
I appreciate the author's note about how she came about developing this story and how she strived to keep to keep this book as historically accurate as possible. She is honest about a couple of areas where she knows she struggled in doing so.
I would have to say that the most discouraging thing to me about this book is that I never got a clear picture of what the characters looked like. I kept asking myself what each one would look like if I were to jump in the book and see them.
I do recommend this book and believe that the younger set will have a larger appreciation for this book!
