Read + Review: Court of Swans by Melanie Dickerson

Delia, the only daughter of Earl of Dericott, lived with her seven brothers on an estate in the English countryside. Her life was rather peaceful, though her father was infrequently home, which allowed for her stepmother to always be unpleasantly controlling. One day in 1381, she was hit with the news of her father’s death. Just two weeks later, all of her brothers, most of whom were still children, were arrested by soldiers on the accounts of treason against the king of England. Delia suspects political meddling to be behind this. No longer able to bear her stepmother, Delia herself acts to save her brothers from certain execution. She travels to London, a city unfamiliar to her, with the help of her aunt’s connections and under the disguise of working as a seamstress for the king’s court. Can she save her brothers from their fate while staying out of the countless secret agendas of the court?

For me, the book’s storyline was very intriguing, which I loved. I also found the book’s setting and how it is involved with the plot to be intriguing. It is also very realistic that a girl from the English countryside would be overwhelmed by a city such as London, which plays into the dynamics of the story. The characters’ backstories and their dialogue drew me into the book and I could not put it down. The book’s flow was great and the transitions between chapters made the plot move at just the right pace to not bore nor confuse the readers. However, I also felt the character development seemed a bit too fast and was a bit anticlimactic at times. The word choice used in this book could have also been much stronger and helped with the plot. Overall, the book is a great read!

As a history enthusiast, the most memorable part of the book is the time setting the book takes place. The medieval era is not commonly written about in fiction novels. The author, Melanie Dickerson, however, appears to be experienced with writing about medieval times, because the setting is masterfully applied in many details throughout the book.

Reviewed by Qingyuan, Twin Hickory Library