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Vivid, Ashley Bustamante
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"In a city where debts are paid in blood, one young man will learn that everyone needs help sometimes if they want to survive." New in the Lorehaven library: A Matter of Blood, Lauren H Salisbury
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Maxine Justice, Galactic Attorney, Daniel Schwabauer
Mordizan, Alyssa Roat
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The Choice, Bradley Caffee
The Obsidian Butterfly, Lani Forbes
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When The English Fall
“When The English Fall tells a bittersweet tale of community and commitment that plunges fearlessly into hard questions about the end of the world.”
—Lorehaven on May 20, 2022

Clawing Free
“Clawing Free is an absorbing tale that seamlessly joins modernity and myth.”
—Lorehaven on May 13, 2022

Vivid
“Ashley Bustamante’s Vivid paints a world built on secrets and carefully controlled color palettes.”
—Lorehaven on May 6, 2022

Prophet
“If great fiction dares explore culture wars, it must show more than perfect people smiling before a flat backdrop. Frank E. Peretti’s 1992 novel Prophet reflects this reality.”
—Lorehaven on May 4, 2022

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112. How Does Fiction Help Us Love Our Enemies Even If We Must Defeat Them?
Fantastical Truth, May 17, 2022

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Lorehaven helps Christian fans explore fantastical stories for Christ’s glory: fantasy, science fiction, and beyond. Articles, the library, reviews, podcasts, gifts, and the Lorehaven Guild community help fans discern and enjoy the best Christian-made fantastical stories, applying their meanings to the real world Jesus Christ calls us to serve. Subscribe free to get any updates you choose and to access the Lorehaven Guild.
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Author:
Melanie Dickerson
Ages:
young adult
Genres:
BookTags:
apprentice fantasy healer medieval romantic
Publisher:
Zondervan

The Healer’s Apprentice

Lord Hamlin, the future ruler of the region, is injured and Rose must overcome her squeamishness to save him. He is everything that is noble and good. But he is already betrothed to a mysterious woman in hiding. Romantic medieval fantasy by Melanie Dickerson.
Melanie Dickerson · for young adult readers · October 2010

When destiny sleeps, it can only be awakened by true love’s kiss.

A woodcutter’s daughter becomes the town healer’s apprentice. Rose’s job is to care for the sick and injured in Hagenheim Castle. But she gets sick at the sight of blood and is more suited to making up stories than sewing up wounds. She is determined to overcome her weakness and prove herself a competent healer, or she faces marrying a disgusting old merchant her mother has picked out for her.

Lord Hamlin, the future ruler of the region, is injured and Rose must overcome her squeamishness to save him. He is everything that is noble and good, but loving him is forbidden. He is already betrothed to a mysterious woman in hiding.

With two noble-born brothers vying for her affections, Rose learns that the people of Hagenheim are not always who they seem.

Young adult medieval romantic fantasy

  1. Morgan L. Busse says:
    June 7, 2012 at 9:38 am

    I love fairytale retellings! And what I love about Melanie’s books is that she places them in our world, without the magic. As if they had really happened sometime in the past.
    The Healer’s Apprentice is the retelling of Sleeping Beauty in 14th century Germany.

    Reply
  2. Sparksofember says:
    February 25, 2015 at 4:50 pm

    I enjoy historicals and romantic adventures so, needless to say, this book was right up my alley.  It’s a realistic retelling, loosely based on (or should I say inspired by), a popular fairy tale but I wasn’t aware of that when I started reading and, even after I knew, it took me a good chunk of the book to figure out which story. I really liked that aspect – that it was such a unique take on the tale that I had no idea where it was going to go.

    Almost all of the characters are likeable – even one who ends up being a cad was rather likeable on the surface. He reminded me of Willoughby from Sense & Sensibility – someone you pity because they had such potential. The romance was well-developed and it hit my absolute favorite trope when it comes to romance with simmering attraction that is always held back due to various obstacles.

    While not a magical fantasy, it touched upon those spots by containing unique spiritual warfare. It’s a tricky subject and I appreciated the effort though I did have some frustrations with the way a few things went.

    SPOILERS FOLLOW: – For those who have already read the book only: Namely, I do not believe Christians can be demon possessed and I believe the Holy Spirit protects us from such attacks. While Rose was never possessed or attacked outright (as it was more of a fear attack?), I had niggles over that whole situation. As for the big bad guy – whatever he sprinkled on Rose didn’t bother me too much. But I didn’t like that her prayers & the prayers of Frau Geruscha didn’t drive the demons from her room in the first place and then that she was so terrified that she couldn’t even pray later and Hamlin had to save the day. And why was Frau Geruscha telling him what to pray? Didn’t he already know? And why didn’t she just pray herself? The man’s gotta do it?

     All in all, a highly recommended read! 🙂

    Reply

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Lorehaven helps Christian fans explore fantastical stories for Christ’s glory: fantasy, science fiction, and beyond. Articles, the library, reviews, podcasts, gifts, and the Lorehaven Guild community help fans discern and enjoy the best Christian-made fantastical stories, applying their meanings to the real world Jesus Christ calls us to serve. Subscribe free to get any updates you choose and to access the Lorehaven Guild.