The Princess Spy (Hagenheim Series #5) by Melanie Dickerson: A Book Review

The Princess Spy (Hagenheim Series #5)
Author: Melanie Dickerson
Genre: YA, Historical Fiction, Christian
Publisher: Zondervan
Release Date: 2014
Pages: 300
Source: Personal Collection
Synopsis: Margaretha has always been a romantic, and hopes her newest suitor, Lord Claybrook, is destined to be her one true love. But then an injured man is brought to Hagenheim Castle, claiming to be an English lord who was attacked by Claybrook and left for dead. And only Margaretha—one of the few who speaks his language—understands the wild story.

     Margaretha finds herself unable to pass Colin’s message along to her father, the duke, and convinces herself “Lord Colin” is just an addled stranger. Then Colin retrieves an heirloom she lost in a well, and asks her to spy on Claybrook as repayment. Margaretha knows she could never be a spy—not only is she unable to keep anything secret, she’s sure Colin is completely wrong about her potential betrothed. Though when Margaretha overhears Claybrook one day, she discovers her romantic notions may have been clouding her judgment about not only Colin but Claybrook as well. It is up to her to save her father and Hagenheim itself from Claybrook’s wicked plot.
      
     My Review: The Princess Spy is a retelling of The Frog Prince. Margaretha is being pursued by Lord Claybrook, a dashing English nobleman. He seems like a good man and it appears that Margaretha has found her true love at last. However, an injured man named Colin ends up at Hagenheim and warns Margaretha that Lord Claybrook is not who he seems to be. Because of Colin’s warning about Lord Claybrook, she overhears Claybrook’s plans to kill her father and brother, and plots to take over Hagenheim. Can Margaretha save her family before it is too late?

     I didn’t really like Margaretha in The Captive Maiden. She seemed to be a bit of an airhead. However, in The Princess Spy, she really grew on me and became a likeable character. She is very energetic and has a bubbly personality. She is also mature and clever. I love that she is very stubborn and is willing to do anything to rescue her family. I also love how strong she is and that she can fight and take care of herself. I also like that her love interest is Colin, who is the descendant of Annabel and Ranulf in The Merchant’s Daughter. I liked the interactions between Colin and Margaretha, for it is very amusing because they are very alike. Both of them are very strong-willed and have their own ideas about how they should solve the situation. Yet, they are a good pair because they have to make hard choices and must rely on each other to solve them.

     Overall, this story is about friendship, family, courage, love, trust, hope, and choices. The message of the book is to trust in God. I liked how this book was connected to all of the other books in the series. All the characters were really fun, and the villain was very interesting. This story was very fast-paced and action-packed. This book also had a lot of intrigue. In fact, I was hooked from the very first page because it opens with a murder and the hero seeking revenge. All of Mrs. Dickerson’s books are standalones, and it is not necessary to have read other books in the series. However, I find it is helpful to begin with the oldest novel, The Healer’s Apprentice, and read them chronologically. Many characters reoccur in other stories, and when they do show up, one is more familiar with them and how they affect the overall world in her novels. It is fun to see the threads come together over time and follow the storylines of some characters across several years. I recommend this book to lovers of fairy tales, their retellings, and anybody who wishes to read a fun series that is Christian-based.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars