Set in 1365, Melanie Dickerson’s “The Noble Servant” is a medieval retelling of “The Goose Girl” fairy tale.
Lady Magdalen of Mallin is a deceased baron’s daughter from a poor region, who must marry well to save her people. When she receives an invitation to marry the handsome Duke of Wolfberg, whom she met two years ago, she quickly agrees to the arrangement.
During the journey, her maidservant Agnes, along with her father Ehrlich, threaten and force Magdalen to switch places. Agnes will now be the Lady of Mallin, set to marry the handsome Steffan, and Magdalen will be the servant.
As Magdalen is forced to serve as the castle’s goose girl, she must figure out a way to safely reveal her true identity. And when she realizes the duke isn’t who he says he is, and a mysterious yet handsome shepherd reminds her of someone from her past, she must learn to trust others for help. Can Magdalen and the shepherd overthrow Agnes’ misdeed, and fight Steffan’s uncle Lord Hazen’s evil plot?
“The Noble Servant” is a lovely story, and a loose retelling of a fairy tale I wasn’t as familiar with, so I enjoyed getting to know “The Goose Girl” a little better through Magdalen’s story.
Dickerson fills her story with delightful characters, and lots of gems from which to learn. It is more than just a love story, although that is an extremely prevalent theme, including the desire for true love and the fear of truly falling in love. But it also deals with guilt and forgiveness (both of one’s self, and others); turning to God in times of need; the reliance upon and importance of prayer; we all go through trials, and the restoration we can see after those trials; giving up control and relying on the help of others; and the ability and willingness to wait on the Lord.
Faith is an overwhelming theme throughout “The Noble Servant” — faith in others, but more importantly, faith in God. As Steffan says to Magdalen: “That is why we call it faith — His loving-kindness is not seen or fully known at times, but we have faith that it exists.”
Another goodie for Dickerson fans found in “The Noble Servant” is the return of Avelina of Thornbeck, found in an earlier series.
Dickenson does another great job retelling a classic fairy tale, but setting it in medieval times so it still has that fairy tale feel to it.
Five stars out of five.
Thomas Nelson provided this complimentary copy for my honest, unbiased review.