The Orphan's Wish

The Orphan's Wish by Melanie Dickerson

Aladdin escaped a merciless master who forced him to steal, when a Priest took him back home to Hagenheim. There, he lives in an orphanage but has the opportunity to receive an education--and to he meets Lady Kirstyn, the daughter of the duke of Hagenheim. They quickly become friends. As they grow older, though, Aladdin comes to realize that he doesn't want the position offered to him--to be a steward to the duke. He wants to make his fortune and, even it's a long shot, become worthy to ask for Kirstyn's hand in marriage. He leaves Hagenheim, and he does manage to find his place in the world--but before he can see if Kirstyn might care for him as he cares for her, Kirstyn is kidnapped, and Aladdin doesn't know if he'll ever see her again.

I've read all of Melanie Dickerson's books, and while there are others that I like more, I still enjoyed this newest addition to the Hagenheim series. It started out a little slower for me than some of the others and didn't hook me quite as fast as some of her others, but I think that's definitely due to my own personality and preferences (I'm pretty feisty and feel a natural connection with characters who are pretty spirited, whereas Kirstyn and Aladdin are more sweet and kind than spirited.) That said, they are both lovable characters, always trying to help others and caring about each other so much. Aladdin's worries about not being good enough and wanting to appear as perfect as possible to others was realistically developed, as was Kirstyn's sense of being overlooked within her large family (although I wish the resolution of those feelings had been shown more strongly--and acknowledged by her family), and I think those feelings of insecurity and wondering if one matters will resonate with lots of readers.

I'm looking forward to the next book in the series--a retelling of Mulan!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

4 stars.

Grave Mercy

Grave Mercy
By Robin LaFevers
Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2012. 549 pgs. Teen fiction (I read the ARC).

Ismae, the daughter of Death himself, is forced into an arranged marriage to a man who doesn't realize that she has the evil mark upon her. When he discovers it, he intends to have her destroyed, but she is rescued instead and taken to a convent dedicated to serving Death. There she is trained in how to kill in various ways--weapons, poisons, etc.--and finds strength she didn't know she possessed. Before she takes her final vows, she is sent out on a mission that makes her challenge what she thought she knew about Death and her convent--and her own heart. Although she has long feared/hated men for their cruelty, her mission has her paired up with Gavriel Duval, the bastard son of the deceased duke, who is determined to protect his half sister and get her crowned before France can invade or corrupt barons force her into marriage. Although her abbess sends her to spy on Duval as well as eliminate anyone with the marque of death, Ismae finds herself drawn to Duval and wonders if he could really be the traitor the abbess says he is.

This is a first-rate piece of historical fantasy. With political intrigue, a well-developed setting, action, romance, and complex, engaging characters, this book pretty much has it all. Ismae and Duval are both such real characters, struggling to figure out what they want and what is right. There is some violence, and the idea of girls being trained to carry out death is gruesome. There's also some innuendo (since Ismae is posing as Duval's mistress and they do end up acting on their feelings--although it's not described in much detail so I wasn't even positive that was what actually happened), so it's probably more appropriate for older teens. Now I just have to anxiously await the second book in the series.

4.5 stars.