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Summary

Historical retellings perfect for the fans of fairy tales! Set in medieval Europe, these stories can be read individually or collectively, many books following the different members of the same family. Each novel gives a head-nod to a familiar fairy-tale: Sleeping Beauty (Healer’s), Beauty & the Beast (Merchant’s), Snow White (Fairest), Cinderella (Captive), Princess and the Frog (Spy), Rapunzel (Braid), the Litter Mermaid (Songbird), Aladdin (Orphan’s), Mulan (Warrior), the Pied Piper (Piper's), and a reversed Cinderella (Peasant's). 

Stats

Genre: Teen (13-16 years) historical romance/fairytale retelling

Series length: Eleven books

Violence: Some medieval violence, including kidnappings and sword fights.

Magic/Supernatural: Light supernatural, often with a head nod to the original fairy tale.

Romance: Strong fairytale-styled romance 

Christian/spiritual element: Overt Christian content

Recommendation: Excellent girls who fairytale retellings

You might like this book if you liked... 
the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Anderson, and Disney retellings of the fairy tales. 

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Opening Lines:

The townspeople of Hagenheim craned their necks as they peered down the cobblestone street, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Duke of Hagenheim's two handsome sons. The top-heavy, half-timbered houses hovered above the crowd as if they too were eager to get a peek at Lord Hamlin and Lord Rupert. 

Rose shifted her basket from her left hip to her right and wrinkled her nose at the stale smell of sweat from the many bodies pressed close, mingled with the pungent scent of animal dung. Chickens and children skittered about, the clucking and squealing adding to the excited murmurs. 

The Healer's Apprentice (Hagenheim, Book 1)
by Melanie Dickerson

A realistic, fast-paced reimagining of the Sleeping Beauty fairytale full of royalty, romance, and danger. This masterful combination of love and heartbreak—combined with the novel’s surprise ending—is everything fans of fantasy, historical, and medieval fiction yearn for.

Rose has been appointed as a healer’s apprentice at Hagenheim Castle, a rare opportunity for a woodcutter’s daughter like her. While she often feels uneasy at the sight of blood, Rose is determined to prove herself capable. Failure will mean returning home to marry the aging bachelor her mother has chosen for her—a bloated, disgusting merchant who makes Rose feel ill.

When Lord Hamlin, the future duke, is injured, it is Rose who must tend to him. As she works to heal his wound, she begins to understand emotions she’s never felt before and wonders if he feels the same.

​But falling in love is forbidden, as Lord Hamlin is betrothed to a mysterious young woman in hiding. As Rose’s life spins toward confusion, she must take the first steps on a journey to discover her own destiny

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Opening Lines:

Annabel sat in the kitchen shelling peas into a kettle at her feet. A bead of sweat tickled her hairline while only the barest puff of warm air came through the open door. 

"Annabel!"

​Her brother called from the main house. As she hurried to finish shelling the pea pod in her hand and see what Edward wanted, the pot over the fire began to boil over. She jumped up, banging her shin on the iron kettle on the floor. 

The Merchant's Daughter (Hagenheim, Book 2)
by Melanie Dickerson

An unthinkable danger. An unexpected choice. Annabel, once the daughter of a wealthy merchant, is trapped in indentured servitude to Lord Ranulf, a recluse who is rumored to be both terrifying and beastly. Her circumstances are made even worse by the proximity of Lord Ranulf’s bailiff—a revolting man who has made unwelcome advances on Annabel in the past.

Believing that life in a nunnery is the best way to escape the escalation of the bailiff’s vile behavior and to preserve the faith that sustains her, Annabel is surprised to discover a sense of security and joy in her encounters with Lord Ranulf.

​As Annabel struggles to confront her feelings, she is involved in a situation that could place Ranulf in grave danger. Ranulf’s future, and possibly his heart, may rest in her hands, and Annabel must decide whether to follow the plans she has cherished or the calling God has placed on her heart.

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Opening Lines:

Pinnosa passed through the town square and the cobblestone Marktplatz. Hagenheim Castle loomed straight ahead. Once she passed the guard at the gatehouse, she would need to find her way to the young lord. 

​A chill passed over her thin, old shoulders. This fever, brought on by rain and exhaustion, would probably kill her, but if she could only make it to the castle, could only tell them that Sophie was still alive, Pinnosa's life would have been in vain. Perhaps God would forgive her for helping the duchess perpetuate so many lies.

The Fairest Beauty (Hagenheim, Book 3)
by Melanie Dickerson

Sophie has long wished to get away from her stepmother’s jealous anger, and believes escape is her only chance to be happy. Then a young man named Gabe arrives from Hagenheim Castle, claiming she is betrothed to his older brother, and everything twists upside down. This could be her chance at freedom—but can she trust another person to keep her safe?

Gabe knows he defied his parents Rose and Wilhelm by going to find Sophie, and now he believes they had a right to worry: the orphan girl has stolen his heart. Though romance is impossible—she is his brother’s future wife, and Gabe himself is betrothed to someone else—he promises to himself he will keep her safe, no matter what.

​When the pair are forced to run to the Cottage of the Seven, they find help—but also find their feelings for each other have grown. Can they find a way to protect Sophie while also safeguarding their hearts?

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Opening Lines:

Gisela huddled by the fire in her attic chamber, clutching the miniature portrait that fit in her hand. The artist had painted it the year before, when Gisela was seven. Father had been so handsome.

Now that Gisela was eight and Father was gone, life could never be the same. If only she had stayed seven forever. 

The Captive Maiden (Hagenheim, Book 4)
by Melanie Dickerson

​Happily Ever After …
Or Happily Nevermore?

​Gisela’s childhood was filled with laughter and visits from nobles such as the duke and his young son. But since her father’s death, each day has been filled with nothing but servitude to her stepmother. So when Gisela learns the duke’s son, Valten—the boy she has daydreamed about for years—is throwing a ball in hopes of finding a wife, she vows to find a way to attend, even if it’s only for a taste of a life she’ll never have. To her surprise, she catches Valten’s eye. Though he is rough around the edges, Gisela finds Valten has completely captured her heart. But other forces are bent on keeping the two from falling further in love, putting Gisela in more danger than she ever imagined.

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Opening Lines:

Colin touched John's forehead with the back of his hand. "Burning hot."

John groaned and looked at him with unfocused, heavy-lidded eyes. 

The sun was low in the sky and the air was getting colder. Colin swept off his red cape and placed it around John's shoulders while they waited for the horses to finishe drinking.

If only he could find someone who knew about healing herbs, a healer who could help bring down John's fever. 

The Princess Spy (Hagenheim, Book 5)
by Melanie Dickerson

​Margaretha has always been a romantic, and hopes her newest suitor, Lord Claybrook, is destined to be her one true love. But then an injured man is brought to Hagenheim Castle, claiming to be an English lord who was attacked by Claybrook and left for dead. And only Margaretha—one of the few who speaks his language—understands the wild story.
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Margaretha finds herself unable to pass Colin’s message along to her father, the duke, and convinces herself “Lord Colin” is just an addled stranger. Then Colin retrieves an heirloom she lost in a well, and asks her to spy on Claybrook as repayment. Margaretha knows she could never be a spy—not only is she unable to keep anything secret, she’s sure Colin is completely wrong about her potential betrothed. Though when Margaretha overhears Claybrook one day, she discovers her romantic notions may have been clouding her judgment about not only Colin but Claybrook as well. It is up to her to save her father and Hagenheim itself from Claybrook’s wicked plot.

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Opening Lines:

"Rapunzel, I wish to marry you."

At that moment, Mother revealed herself from behind the well in the center of the village, her lips pressed tightly togehter.

The look Mother fixed on Wendel Gotekens was the one that always made Rapunzel's stomach churn. 

Rapunzel shuffled backward on the rutted dirt road. "I am afraid I cannot marry you."

"Why not?" I leaned toward her, his wavy hair unusually tame and looking suspiciously like he rubbed it with grease. "I have as much land as the other villagers. I even have two goats and five chickens. Not many people in Ottelfelt have both goats and chickens." 

She silently repeated the words an old woman had once told her. The truth is kinder than a lie.

​"I do not wish to marry you, Wendel." 

The Golden Braid (Hagenheim, Book 6)
by Melanie Dickerson

​From New York Times bestselling author comes The Golden Braid, a Rapunzel retelling that proves the one who needs rescuing isn’t always the one in the tower.

Rapunzel can throw a knife better than any man. She paints beautiful flowering vines on the walls of her plaster houses. She sings so sweetly she can coax even a beast to sleep. But there are two things she is afraid her mother might never allow her to do: learn to read and marry.

Fiercely devoted to Rapunzel, her mother is suspicious of every man who so much as looks at her daughter and warns her that no man can be trusted. After a young village farmer asks for Rapunzel’s hand in marriage, Mother decides to move them once again—this time, to the large city of Hagenheim.

The journey proves treacherous, and after being rescued by a knight—Sir Gerek—Rapunzel in turn rescues him farther down the road. As a result, Sir Gerek agrees to repay his debt to Rapunzel by teaching her to read. Could there be more to this knight than his arrogance and desire to marry for riches and position?

​As Rapunzel acclimates to life in a new city, she uncovers a mystery that will forever change her life. In this Rapunzel story unlike any other, a world of secrets and treachery is about to be revealed after seventeen years of lies. How will Rapunzel finally take control of her own destiny? And who will prove faithful to a lowly peasant girl with no one to turn to?

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Opening Lines:

"Servants may marry whomever they want, but a king's ward has no freedom at all." 

Evangeline broke off the song she was singing. A lump rose in her throat. Through her open window facing the castle bailey she watched the servants talking and laughing and milling about, finishing their morning chores. 

A kitchen maid was drawing a bucket of water at the well in the center of the bailey. A young man approached her. 

​Alma gave him the dipper, and he lifted it to his lips. 

The Silent Songbird (Hagenheim, Book 7)
by Melanie Dickerson

​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 joins a small band of servants journeying back to Glynval, their home village.

Pretending to be mute, she gets to know Westley le Wyse, their handsome young leader, who is intrigued by the beautiful servant girl. But when the truth comes out, it may shatter any hope that love could grow between them.

More than Evangeline’s future is at stake as she finds herself entangled in a web of intrigue that threatens England’s monarchy. Should she give herself up to protect the only person who cares about her? If she does, who will save the king from a plot to steal his throne?

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Opening Lines:

Ala ad'din's mother's eyes were closed as she lay on her funeral bier. 

People whispered and stared, but no one spoke to him. Just a few days ago his mother sat cross-legged on the floor while she sewed. Sometimes she would lay aside her work. He would crawl into her lap and gaze up at her as she sang to him. 

​There was no one to sing to him now. 

The Orphan's Wish (Hagenheim, Book 8)
by Melanie Dickerson

​A reimagining of the beloved folktale, Aladdin, set in medieval Germany.

Orphaned and alone, Aladdin travels from the streets of his Arab homeland to a strange, faraway place. Growing up in an orphanage, he meets young Lady Kirstyn, whose father is the powerful Duke of Hagenheim. Despite the difference in their stations, Aladdin quickly becomes Kirstyn’s favorite companion, and their childhood friendship grows into a bond that time and opposition cannot break.

Even as a child, Aladdin works hard, learning all he can from his teachers. Through his integrity, intelligence, and sheer tenacity, he earns a position serving as the duke’s steward. But that isn’t enough to erase the shame of being forced to steal as a small child—or the fact that he’s an orphan with no status. If he ever wants to feel equal to his beautiful and generous friend Kirstyn, he must leave Hagenheim and seek his fortune.

Yet once Aladdin departs, Lady Kirstyn becomes a pawn in a terrible plot. Now, Aladdin and Kirstyn must rely on their bond to save her from unexpected danger. But will saving Kirstyn cost Aladdin his newfound status and everything he’s worked so hard to obtain?

An enchanting new version of the well-known tale, The Orphan’s Wish tells a story of courage and loyalty, friendship and love, and reminds us what “family” really means.

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Opening Lines:

Galloping her horse past the big oak tree, Mulan pulled the bowstring taut. She aimed at the knothole with one eye closed and sent the arrow flying toward the target. it struck the tree but missed the knothole. 

"Don't shoot behind you!" Andrei flailed his skinny arms. "Keep the target in front of you." 

Shooting from a moving horse was much more difficult than when standing still, but she was improving. At least she'd escaped, for the moment, the cooking and cleaning chores. And practicing war skills kept her from facing the uncertain future--and her mother's grief. 

The Warrior Maiden (Hagenheim, Book 9)
by Melanie Dickerson

​A reimagining of the classic Mulan tale in medieval Europe, where both love and war challenge even the strongest of hearts.

When Mulan takes her father’s place in battle against the besieging Teutonic Knights, she realizes she has been preparing for this journey her whole life—and that her life, and her mother’s, depends on her success. As the adopted daughter of poor parents, Mulan has little power in the world. If she can’t prove herself on the battlefield, she could face death—or, perhaps worse, marriage to the village butcher.

Disguised as a young man, Mulan meets the German duke’s son, Wolfgang, who is determined to save his people even if it means fighting against his own brother. Wolfgang is exasperated by the new soldier who seems to be one step away from disaster at all times—or showing him up in embarrassing ways.

​From rivals to reluctant friends, Mulan and Wolfgang begin to share secrets. But war is an uncertain time and dreams can die as quickly as they are born. When Mulan receives word of danger back home, she must make the ultimate choice. Can she be the son her bitter father never had? Or will she become the strong young woman she was created to be?

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Opening Lines:

Did Katerina dare to stay out hunting past dark? The sun was going down, casting long shadows as she skirted the forest on her right and an empty meadow on the left. At least the town gate was visible ahead. 

She checked her crossbow, making sure the arrow was strung and ready. Her unruly brown hair was starting to come free from the leather tie taming it at the nape of her neck. 

She picked up her pace as she passed a particularly dark section of the forest. She could easily imagine the giant wolf, or whatever the beast was that had killed so many, coming out of those dense trees and leaping at her. Would she have time to aim her crossbow before she fired? She would only get one shot. 

The Piper's Pursuit (Hagenheim, Book 10)
by Melanie Dickerson

​A fairy-tale journey of intrigue and romance that reimagines the classic Pied Piper story.

A plague of rats. A giant beast outside the village walls. A host of missing children. And one young woman determined to save her people.

In 1424 Hamlin, Katerina faces threats from all sides. An outbreak of rats has overtaken the village, a mysterious beast is on a killing rampage of the village’s children, and Katerina’s evil stepfather is a dark presence inside the walls of her own home. Katerina is determined to hunt and kill the Beast of Hamlin herself before more lives are lost.

When Steffan, the handsome but brash duke’s son, comes to town seeking glory and reward, Katerina decides he might be the ally she’s been looking for—even though the only gentle thing about him seems to be the sweet music he plays on his pipe. But there’s more to Steffan than she suspects, and she finds herself drawn to him despite her misgivings.

Together Katerina and Steffan must stop the enemy from stealing the children of Hamlin. But their interference might create an even worse fate for the entire village.

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Opening Lines:

Adela stood watching her brother Steffan marry his true love, Katerina of Hamlin, memorizing how the autumn sun bathed everything in warm light and made the stained glass windows of Hamlin Cathedral spark and glow. She would begin to capture this moment with her paints and brushes as soon as she went to her room in her brother and sister-in-law's home.

The scene was perfect--a lovely wedding on the steps of the Cathedral. Katerina's violet gown brought out the rich color of her chestnut hair, and even Steffan looked handsome, in spite of the fact that he was her irritating older brother. 

The Peasant's Dream (Hagenheim, Book 11)
by Melanie Dickerson

​In this reverse reimagining of the Cinderella story, secrets and dangerous enemies threaten a fairy-tale romance.

Adela, daughter of the Duke of Hagenheim, is rarely allowed outside the castle walls. But one day, longing for freedom, she sneaks away to the market disguised as a peasant. There, she meets a handsome young woodcarver named Frederick.

Frederick, a poor farmer, is the sole provider for his family, and he often has to defend his mother from his father’s drunken rages. He dreams of making a living carving beautiful images into wood, and he is thrilled when the Bishop of Hagenheim commissions him to carve new doors for the cathedral. As Frederick works on the project, he and Adela meet almost daily, and it doesn’t take long for them to fall in love. Yet her true identity remains hidden from him.

​When disaster separates them, Adela and Frederick find themselves caught in the midst of deceptions far more dangerous than innocent disguises. As the powerful lords set against them proceed with their villainous plans, secrets emerge that put Frederick and Adela’s future at risk.