Monday, March 19, 2018

Rediscover Aladdin's Epic Journey | Review of The Orphan's Wish {Coming Summer 2018!}



About the Book (from Thomas Nelson)

From New York Times bestselling author Melanie Dickerson comes an inspired retelling of the beloved folk tale of Aladdin.

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 Kirstyn 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 fairy tale, The Orphan’s Wish tells a story of courage and loyalty, friendship and love, and reminds us what “family” really means.

Available June 26, 2018!

My Rating

Spring

My Review

As always, Melanie Dickerson is creative in her twists and new takes on fairy tales and history! The Orphan's Wish gives new life to characters like Aladdin and Abu, while adding in the beloved royal family from previous Hagenheim books (although Kirstyn's older siblings don't play much of a part, as the main focus is on Kirstyn herself).

One of the things I appreciated most about this story was Aladdin's struggle with appearing "perfect" to others. His desire manifests itself in different ways that redirect the plot and help to open Aladdin's eyes. He is an admirable but realistically imperfect character, and a lot of the faith elements that resonated with me came from his part or lines in the story.

As for Kirstyn, she endures much in the first half of the book, but the drama doesn't end there. Although, I confess the second half felt a little less engaging to me as previous threats faded to the background and new troubles arose. A thread of tension remains, but I would say what appealed to me about the plot in the second half of the book was the cleverness of the retelling and Aladdin's growth rather than the uncertainty of what would happen next.

In this tale, there's a big emphasis on friendship, which is sweet, especially when Aladdin and Kirstyn are children. But their relationship has a bit of "modern" suspense that might detract from the historical elements.

The Orphan's Wish hasn't usurped the position of "favorite" among Melanie Dickerson's books for me (I believe The Beautiful Pretender still holds that claim), but it does find its place in this fairy-tale series as another enjoyable story with its own unique message and characters.

*With thanks to Thomas Nelson through NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary e-ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*

My Reviews of Other Melanie Dickerson Books...

The Healer's Apprentice | The Merchant's Daughter | The Fairest Beauty | The Princess Spy | The Golden Braid | The Silent SongbirdThe Huntress of Thornbeck Forest | The Beautiful Pretender {I think it's my favorite so far!} | A Spy's Devotion

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