I’m a little late to Melanie Dickerson’s fairy tale party, and I’m a bit perturbed. I love fairy tale retellings, so I was eager to try Dickerson’s stories out, especially since I liked her Regency Spies of London series. I thought about starting at the beginning of the series, but my mother had just bought The Warrior Maiden, and I’d heard you could read the books out of the order, so like the little rebel I am, I did. I was completely intrigued how Dickerson would do a retelling of the classic story of Mulan.
Dickerson’s writing style isn’t my favorite, but she can tell a good story and create fun characters, the kind of characters you want to go on an adventure with. And Mulan was one of those characters.
In a way, I was disappointed by how quickly Mulan’s identity was discovered, but I also appreciated how realistic it was. In battle, it’s hard to hide your gender for long. I also felt like her friendship with Wolfgang was a bit rushed, but I did enjoy watching their relationship grow.
Besides the characters, I also enjoyed the battle scenes. Dickerson didn’t skimp much on detail or drama, and it was in these dramatic moments I could truly appreciate Mulan’s bravery. She’s scared, but she keeps pushing forward despite her fear. I enjoy when strong female characters aren’t expected to be fearless all the time. They have their vulnerable moments like everyone else.
I’ve read some reviews that complained that this story wasn’t more like the Disney version, but I don’t know why that would even be necessary. This isn’t Disney’s adaptation, it’s Melanie Dickerson’s adaptation. And it’s a good adaptation, too.
Want to check it out yourself? Click on the picture to purchase it from Christian Book Distributors or check out your local Christian bookstore.
