Medieval intrigue from a different angle!

Court of Swans (Dericott Tale #1) by Melanie Dickerson       

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Fractured fairytale themes continue with Dickerson's take on The Wild Swans by Hans Christian Andersen where a princess rescues her eleven brothers from a spell placed on them by an evil Queen.

Set mostly in medieval London of 1381, historically at the time when King Richard of Bordeaux, is about to meet and marry Lady Anne of Bohemia, just after the Wat Tyler rebellion.

Delia, daughter of the Earl of Dericott, has a new stepmother--traditionally nasty and ambitious of course. A new brother is born but little is seen of the babe. (Curious in my mind.) Not long after, Delia overhears her stepmother bemoaning that her child will have no inheritance. To Delia a premonition of danger. As it was. The Earl dies in a fall from his horse.  Swiftly following the funeral seven brothers (not eleven) are arrested for murder and treason--even ten year old Roland?

The young officer who comes to take the brothers, Sir Geoffrey Grenefeld, is troubled by this. He is the disinherited son of a Duke. (Triangulation of happenstance enters the storyline!)

Delia being a determined and brave young woman sets out to rescue her brothers. That in itself is surrounded by Anderson's fairytale attributes. A young girl willing to sacrifice herself to save her siblings. Having an aunt who's the abbess of a well known convent helps in setting Delia in the right direction.

As young woman with a strong faith Delia is frequently troubled by the idea of bad things happening to good people. The idea that despite her prayfull life and attitude, the way forward doesn't always have resolution is troubling. Job comes to Delia's mind. Her struggle with these concepts is real and worthwhile, but in saying that I don't feel that this title has encapsulated Dickerson's beliefs as seamlessly as other titles she's written.

In the end I found Delia too trusting, too wide eyed, frequently putting herself in harm's way. Medieval London and the court has a familiarity but to my mind the reality I feel would have been far more brutal.

Still I was kept wondering by the plot line and enjoyed some of the secondary characters. I'm sure some of these characters will be met again.

A Thomas Nelson ARC via NetGalley