Charming Story with a Dash of Danger | Review of The Silent Songbird

About the Book

Evangeline longs to be free, to live in the world outside the castle walls. But freedom comes at a cost.

Evangeline is the ward and cousin of King Richard II, and yet she dreams of a life outside of Berkhamsted Castle, where she might be free to marry for love and not politics. But the young king betroths her to his closest advisor, Lord Shiveley, a man twice as old as Evangeline. Desperate to escape a life married to a man she finds revolting, Evangeline runs away from the king and joins a small band of servants on their way back to their home village.

To keep her identity a secret, Evangeline pretends to be mute. Evangeline soon regrets the charade as she gets to know Wesley, the handsome young leader of the servants, whom she later discovers is the son of a wealthy lord. But she cannot reveal her true identity for fear she will be forced to return to King Richard and her arranged marriage.

Wesley le Wyse is intrigued by the beautiful new servant girl. When he learns that she lost her voice from a beating by a cruel former master, he is outraged. But his anger is soon redirected when he learns she has been lying to him. Not only is she not mute, but she isn’t even a servant.

Weighed down by remorse for deceiving Wesley, Evangeline fears no one will ever love her. But her future is not the only thing at stake, as she finds herself embroiled in a tangled web that threatens England’s monarchy. Should she give herself up to save the only person who cares about her? If she does, who will save the king from a plot to steal his throne?

Releases November 8, 2016!

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My Rating

Spring

My Review

For fun and easy reading, I can always count on Melanie Dickerson's books! And I always enjoy trying out each new fairy-tale retelling.

The Silent Songbird is a retelling of The Little Mermaid. While you won't find the ocean starring in this tale, you will find a water rescue and a heroine (Evangeline, or "Eva") with a beautiful singing voice.

Eva is an interesting character. At times I found her a bit immature, which made it hard to really dive deep into her story and cheer her on. But she is supposed to be rather young, and her insecurities have a way of making her endearing in time, especially combined with her innocence and moments of insight and growth.

The hero (Wesley), on the other hand, pretty much swept me off my feet. ;) Granted, he's not perfect, and he has his own moments of immaturity and obliviousness. Still, I found him to be quite sweet. His family's interactions are touching...and especially fun to read about if you're familiar with one of Dickerson's earlier books, The Merchant's Daughter!

While The Silent Songbird didn't turn out to be a favorite, it met my expectations for an entertaining historical read with generally charming characters and a good dash of danger.

*With thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for providing me with an e-ARC of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.*

Other Melanie Dickerson Books I've Reviewed...
The Healer's Apprentice | The Merchant's Daughter | The Fairest Beauty | The Princess Spy | The Golden Braid | The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest | The Beautiful Pretender {Possibly my favorite so far!} | A Spy's Devotion {Regency}