Review: Fortress of Snow by Melanie Dickerson

Fortress of Snow

by Melanie Dickerson

About the Book

When her father dies and her brother, Warin, abandons her, Mazy is forced to seek help from her beloved older brother Sir John, who is training knights at the great estate of Strachleigh. While there, she becomes friends with the kind and loyal Sir Berenger. Circumstances then force them apart: Berenger goes to Prague, while Mazy and her brother move to London. There, Mazy puts her knife-throwing skills to excellent use as she defends herself, and she learns to make breads to sell in the market to earn money. Her business is expanding when Berenger returns to London and they are reunited.

Romance is just beginning to bloom when the king offers Berenger a new mission that also serves as a chance for a title: Berenger is to marry the recently widowed Lady Bristow and take over her estate. To Mazy’s dismay, Berenger agrees to go to Bristow Castle to visit her and make his decision.

But Bristow Castle is hiding secrets, and the only person who might be able to save the knight in distress is the damsel Mazy herself. 

My Thoughts

The queen of medieval fiction returns with an adventurous romance.

I love Melanie Dickerson’s medieval retellings of classic fairytales. She has an engaging style of writing, and her characters endear themselves to you as you read. Her latest offering, Fortress of Snow, is no exception.

Mazy is a complex heroine. On the outside, she is a beauty that catches the eye of everyone she meets, and her shy and uncertain demeanor lead most to believe she needs to be protected. Yet her skill with a knife and at archery make her a force to be reckoned with. It was refreshing to see a woman of that era claim such independence as she flees her uncaring brothers in the wake of her father’s death. Berenger is an upstanding hero who rises to his title of knight. He’s kind and caring, protective of Mazy, while also giving her the room to be independent. These two winsome characters combined with an enchanting medieval setting and lots of rollicking action culminate in a delightful novel.

Fans of historical fiction with doses of romance and adventure in equal measure will most certainly want to read Fortress of Snow.

I received complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.