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    The Healer's Apprentice
    The Healer's Apprentice
    The Healer's Apprentice
    Audiobook8 hours

    The Healer's Apprentice

    Written by Melanie Dickerson

    Narrated by Jude Mason

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    A realistic, fast-paced reimagining of the Sleeping Beauty fairytale full of royalty, romance, and danger. This masterful combination of love and heartbreak—combined with the novel’s surprise ending—is everything fans of fantasy, historical, and medieval fiction yearn for.

    Rose has been appointed as a healer’s apprentice at Hagenheim Castle, a rare opportunity for a woodcutter’s daughter like her. While she often feels uneasy at the sight of blood, Rose is determined to prove herself capable. Failure will mean returning home to marry the aging bachelor her mother has chosen for her—a bloated, disgusting merchant who makes Rose feel ill.

    When Lord Hamlin, the future duke, is injured, it is Rose who must tend to him. As she works to heal his wound, she begins to understand emotions she’s never felt before and wonders if he feels the same.

    But falling in love is forbidden, as Lord Hamlin is betrothed to a mysterious young woman in hiding. As Rose’s life spins toward confusion, she must take the first steps on a journey to discover her own destiny.

    The Healer's Apprentice:

    • An award-winning historical romance—a creative retelling of the Sleeping Beauty fairytale—by author Melanie Dickerson
    • Perfect for readers ages 13-18 and adults who enjoy historical romances similar to Eva Ibbotson’s
    • A romantic, fast-paced read—sure to entrance fans of fairytale retellings
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherZondervan
    Release dateOct 6, 2015
    ISBN9780310757795
    Author

    Melanie Dickerson

    Melanie Dickerson is a New York Times bestselling author and two-time Christy Award winner. Melanie spends her time daydreaming, researching the most fascinating historical time periods, and writing and editing her happily-ever-afters. Visit her online at MelanieDickerson.com; Facebook: @MelanieDickersonBooks; Twitter: @MelanieAuthor; Instagram: @melaniedickerson123.

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    Reviews for The Healer's Apprentice

    4/5

    240 ratings32 reviews

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    • 5/5
      I loved it the ending was a bit rushed however

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      Wonderfully written and engaging. We enjoy the hints throughout the story that keep us guessing.
    • 5/5
      Very entertaining - i loved this book — the characters, the setting and the twists and turns of events. Will start with the next in the series now.
    • 5/5
      Giving 5 stars because it does well within the genre it was written for. This is a great historical escape/romance fiction work. I was glad to see that the author did not back away from the spiritual side of the story. With fiction, we need something to be at least probably, and the spiritual aspects of this story were, indeed, probable and respresented well. Some of the story was a bit predictable, but I did not mind that because I like a good audiobook that helps me just get away from it all. I was not looking for a deep, cerebral mystery anyway. This is a good read!
    • 4/5
      Good book. A tiny bit predictable but a good listen. I will be checking out more of her books.
    • 5/5
      Wonderful read for 12 year olds and upI loved this story! Medieval times. Castles. Knights. And an author that took time to do the research needed to flesh out her story. The story is led by the heart and by the characters faith in God. This certainly goes with the era in which Christianity was a guiding force.
    • 1/5
      Quite possibly one of the worst books I've ever read, and I've read quite a few. It's thinly-veiled Christianity propaganda, wrapped inside a poorly-written Historical Fiction. I love HF, it is my favorite genre to read, but if you're trying to get teens to become Christians, most aren't going to like that you feel the need to try to trick them by putting it under the guise of a real book. At least let us know that this book isn't really HF before we waste our time and money on it.
    • 4/5
      Rose finds herself the object of romantic interest for the sons of the Duke but as an apprentice to the town healer, she is far below them in rank. There is intrigue regarding her own history, and confusion over who loves who. This story is entertaining but ultimately too predictable and the characters are too shallow to really engage.
    • 1/5
      This book is about a girl named Rose that came from a woodcutter’s big family. She is offered an apprenticeship for a healer, a doctor of sorts that sees something in her. The only other option is being married off so that she is no longer a burden for her poor family. One option that she could never have imagined was ever being noticed by the dreamy Prince. But one day he hurts himself and she helps heal him.I’m gonna stop right there because there is no way I can make this book sound remotely interesting. Given the book’s title, I thought Rose was going to find a conflict between wanting to be with the prince and keeping her apprenticeship. Yet right off the bat, we’re told she doesn’t even like her job. Um. What??? That’s right she gets queasy with the sight of blood and she’s not very good at seeing people get hurt. Which made me go “why the flip flap paddy wack did the Healer see in this inept girl? But then the whole mysterious-long-lost-princess trope shows up and it all clicks into place. “I’m a silly, insipid, pathetic creature” - Yeah, you kind of are. She’s pretty, well-liked by everyone (except for her mother).I’m all for the lost/missing princess stories but please make her compelling. Please make her more than a cliched trope. And for the love of GOD pLeaSE give her a better purpose other than to get married and have the prince’s babies. Rose was pretty bland but so was her love interest. What does Wilhelm even do? Isn’t he supposed to be an important person as the heir to the throne? I don’t know but he does have time to leave for weeks at a time to go looking for the guy who made his betrothed go into hiding. This book is all show AND tell. It’s absolutely awful. The ending was no better either. Unless you’re into the easy way out and a diabetes inducing sweet happily ever after.
    • 4/5
      This was a good book, but I much preferred Melanie's other books.

      Set in the 1300's, the story revolves around a young girl named Rose who works as an apprentice to the town healer. She meets Lord Hamlin, a future duke, and develops feelings for him. Sad thing is, she can never have him because he is destined to marry another woman.

      Lord Hamlin's brother takes an interest in her and she, for awhile, sets her sights on him. After all, if she can't have one, why not the other? But hopes lead to disappointment when she finds out that the brother's intentions are not very honorable. The relationship between them (if you can call it that), comes to a sudden end. She is heartbroken.

      But true love wins in the end...as always. That's the way fairy tales are!
    • 3/5
      My third read by Melanie Dickerson (although the first book she wrote) did provide some interesting background, as two of the successive books have as leading characters the children of the protagonists. I confess to being perhaps a little obsessed with the subject of surgery and the medical profession in the middle Ages, so I’m a big fan of Cadfael and have a liking for the mystery series The Chronicles of Hugh de Singleton for its details about surgical practice and medical procedures if nothing else.
      In this sense, The Healer’s Apprentice was satisfying, and in some ways a break from the norm, because the female healer was not accused of witchcraft or heresy as is the common misconception and trope in many fictional stories.

      On the simplest level this was a good story, which, aside from the inclusion of the evil magician, stripped away a lot of the fantasy content to create a more historical backdrop for the story of Sleeping Beauty. That may not be according to everyone’s taste, and sometimes the resemblance to the fairy-tale was rather remote, but generally in this story the shifting of the setting to fourteenth century Germany seemed to work.

      The element of Romance is arguably, essential to any good fairy-tale, or fairy-tale adaptation, yet I personally have to say I am rather going off romance stories at the moment, especially those of the fluffy, mushy and clichéd kind.
      This novel did seem to be an offender with its gorgeous heroine and wonderfully handsome, dashing- and of course muscular hero. In other ways Rose and Wilhelm were strong and interesting characters, but in this way far too typical of the genre.
      Perhaps inevitably for the genre, some parts were cliched and some incidents hopelessly convenient or a tad predictable.

      Also, their actions were at times frustratingly inconsistent with Rose being madly infatuated with Wilhelm’s brother one minute, then turning round and considering him the most evil person who ever walked the earth the next. Admittedly, she had a reason, was of that invariably capricious breed of people called a teenager.
      Her attitude towards her parents I found even harder to swallow. Like with her being convinced that her parents could not possibly have loved her because they sent her away as a child. Or might it not have been because they wanted to protect her from the evil magician intent on subjecting her to a lifetime of torture, the central basis of the plot, and all that?

      Even Wilhelm ended up looking down on them as cowardly and selfish for such a thing. I mean seriously, after all they went through, I rather think they ought to have appreciated the reasons for Rose’s parents’ choice to let her go. But no, all they do is whinge and condemn, making their response seem contrived it itself, and them immature.
      Did they learn nothing at all?

      Also, a few historical issues perhaps warrant mention- like the suspiciously out of place presence of the American chipmunk in the forests of Medieval Europe, and some elements of what appeared to be modern clichés and judgements. Such as Rose determined to marry for love, rather than practicality, or looking down on those who saw women only as breeding machines, or her being more ‘enlightened’ than the general populace who supposedly attributed almost every ill circumstance to demons.

      Altogether The Healers Apprentice was a good and generally clean (aside from the odd kissing scene that verged on the inappropriate- or just tiresome) story for young-adults. Perhaps also in could provide a more wholesome alternative to the fairy tales that present an ambiguous picture of magic as something which can be used for ‘good’. I just prefer my medieval stories with a little more substance.
    • 5/5
      This was a great book clean and appropriate for a teen audience. Loved the setting and the characters
    • 5/5
      I loved this book, which was kind of unexpected. It reminded me of Ella Enchanted, but a little more serious; I mean when you're dealing with assault, attempted rape, and demons, it's not really a light, humorous read. But somehow Dickerson pulled it off.

      I figured out the twist about halfway through, and the ending was predictable of course, but it was still enjoyable. I loved that the Rose stays faithful in trusting and waiting on God. Such a great story.

      I found the Q and A with Dickerson at the end interesting too. I think she did a much better job of retelling Sleeping Beauty, even though the story only had hints of the original, than Disney did. It stood alone well.
    • 3/5
      Being a healer's apprentice affords Rose many benefits. She reads Latin, writes stories, knows how to use herbs to heal, and earns an income that allows her to avoid marriage to a bachelor of her mother's choosing. Rose's problem is that blood makes her squeamish. When she must treat Lord Hamlin, the future duke, it isn't just the blood that makes her unsettled. His handsome features and personal integrity draw Rose's interest, in spite of his high social status and well-known betrothal. Lord Hamlin is committed to fulfilling his duty. Rose is committed to becoming a capable healer. Despite their friendship and attraction, Rose and Lord Hamlin must each learn to walk their own path and follow the One whose plans are greater than their own. Read more in The Healer's Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson.The Healer's Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson is based loosely on the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale. The story moved very fast in the beginning and right at the end, but for the majority of the time it was well-paced with intriguing characters and an engrossing story that felt original in spite of its fairy tale basis. The Healer's Apprentice is marketed as Young Adult reading and had definite YA overtones that were mixed with Middle Age Catholicism. I was creeped out by the strange pagan rituals and demonic possession scene. Had I known those were in the book, I wouldn't have read it. Given its Sleepy Beauty basis, I suppose this shouldn't have been as surprising to me as it was. With an obvious Catholic/Christian perspective, the name of Jesus prevails over the demons. However, for me, that didn't negate the disturbing scenes. Had that part of the fairy tale been creatively changed somehow, I probably would have given this book a five star rating. The creepiness factor brings it down to three. The Healer's Apprentice is well-written and engaging, but I wouldn't read it again or recommend it to any of my friends.
    • 4/5
      I'm writing this on my tablet so forgive my bad typing skills. :-)

      Well what can I say? She's done it again. I've fallen in love with her writing, her attention to detail, her sickly sweet romance, her historical research and her character developing. Despite the fact it was clear where this would end up, I enjoyed the ride and was constantly rooting for Lord Hamlin and Rose to be together. The fact is, she is an author who likes a happy ending and because this book and the Merchant's daughter are based on fairy tales you know she won't disappoint in making everything fall happily and perfectly in to place. The only difference is she constantly reminds the reader that it is because of God that it all works out great. This will put some people off but not me. I enjoyed it and I liked that she wasn't afraid to express her faith in her writing, though sometimes I found the constant reminder of faith a little grating, it was sometimes unnecessary to put in and didn't work at certain moments.

      I've also noticed with both the novels I've read of hers is that the villain is repulsive and ugly physically as well as mentally. To always view the villain as an ugly person is a bit cliched to me and her representation for the characters a little lacking in substance.

      Overall though the writing is always a delight to read and her description never fails to impress me, creating a clear and beautiful picture of the world she has created.

      It's one of those books you'll read again just because it makes you feel good.

      So for me because of the minor criticisms above mentioned she gets four stars for this.

      Nice one.
    • 3/5
      Rose, a woodcutter's daughter, is fortunate enough to have been apprenticed to the town healer, meaning that she won't be forced to marry just to secure her station in life. When she catches the eye of the duke's sons, her life starts to get extremely complicated. Wilhelm, the older son, is betrothed to a woman he has never met, and has spent years hunting the sorcerer who threatens her safety -- but he can't deny his feelings for Rose. Rupert, the younger son, romances Rose with flowers and jewelry and sweet words, but his love for wealth means that he will need to either marry a rich woman, or take a lucrative position in the church. Will Rose find happiness with either of the two?I picked this up because I read a favorable review of one of the author's other inspirational fairy tale retellings, and I decided to start with this one because it was the first. The story, very loosely based on Sleeping Beauty, is pleasant enough, and the author ably incorporates her research on life in the middle ages into the book. There are occasionally places where the characters do or say something that seems a bit modern for their time, but those instances are the exception rather than the rule. My main issue with the book was that I found the plot entirely predictable, and not in a good fairy-tale-retelling way. There's a twist at the end, and I saw it coming from a few chapters in. Even the characters saw it coming, but dismissed it for one reason or another. It seemed entirely too obvious, so I kept reading, thinking that perhaps the author would twist it a different way at the last moment and surprise me . . . but she didn't. Also, the main character has a dog named Wolfie, and for some inexplicable reason, that minor detail irked me all the way through. Wolfie. I just can't. (I do give the author credit for not hurting the dog, though -- I always read books where the main character has a close animal companion with a looming sense of dread!) All in all, I think this is the sort of book that I would have enjoyed as a teen, back when I was less picky and read a lot more inspirational fiction. As it was, I found it just okay, and wouldn't recommend it unless the mashup of inspirational fiction and fairy tale really, really appeals to you.
    • 3/5
      This is a historical, Christian retelling of Sleeping Beauty. Rose has been apprencticed to the healer at Hagenheim Castle, and Rose knows how lucky a woodcutter's daugher like her is to have such a place. Rose tries hard to live up to the expectations on her, but dealing with blood makes her sick. The duke's sons have returned from the university, and the elder, Lord Hamlin has been betrothed his whole life, but his fiance has been hidden away to keep her safe. Rose is attracted to him, but knows she can never be with him. The younger son, Lord Rupert, is interested in Rose, but now she is caught between the two.
    • 3/5
      This was interesting - I was a bit confused about characters' identities in the first few pages, and then I caught on. I knew from the publisher that this would be Christian - and I liked that it wasn't preachy or fundamentalist. I'm a clergy woman, so I read religion pretty much most of the time. But, I felt like I was reading two different stories, especially when the plot twists twisted a bit more. Maybe when I'm not so tired or stressed I'll return to this book with fresh eyes. And for once, a cover with the WHOLE woman/girl in the picture, not a bodice.
    • 2/5
      Cute story, a little heavy handed with the Mary Sue plot line. While I read a lot of fantasy novels, the "casting out of demons" parts bothered me a little bit. I'm not a big fan of equating religion with magic.
    • 5/5
      A wonderful retelling of Sleeping Beauty. That I loved. I liked it more than the original story.
    • 4/5
      I don't usually read books by Christian authors, or even LDS ones (unless they're mainstream like Meyer and Hale), but my daughter highly recommended it, so I'll give it a try and see how it goes. Update: I finished and I liked it. It was cheesy, it was fluffy, but sometimes you just need a cheesy, fluffy read. It was fun.
    • 3/5
      This is a genre blend of historical YA/Christian/romance/fairy tale fiction, set in the Fourteenth Century. Rose, raised by a poor woodcutter and serving as an apprentice to the village healer, somewhat improbably but providentially draws the favorable attention of the Duke of Hagenheim’s two handsome sons, Wilhelm, Earl of Hamlin and his younger brother, Lord Rupert. Both claim to love her, but neither brother could actually marry a girl of her low station, and in any event, Wilhelm (the better of the two) is betrothed to the mysterious Lady Salomea, who is in hiding because of the threats of an evil conjurer; Wilhelm has never even met her. The story is quite predictable, albeit pleasant. The religious sentiments expressed seemed appropriate for the time (during which religion sat cheek by jowl with older superstitious notions) but the constant pleas directly to God for help seemed a little modern - one would have expected prayers by hoi polloi to go to an intercessor, like a patron saint. Nevertheless, until the end when a crescendo of religious fervor is reached, the book is appealing, and of course the emphasis on piety (whereby even showing an ankle is considered risqué) assures that it can be read by tweens as well as teens.Evaluation: The characters are likeable and reasonably nuanced except for the evil conjurer, who is all bad (but possessed by Satanic demons, so nuance would really not be possible). This sweet fairy tale is appropriate for any level of reader.
    • 3/5
      I didn't realise this was a 'Christian' novel so sorry if my comments upset anyone. The story was good and I enjoyed it but...Sometimes there was a little too much swooning and tears whenever she saw either of the brothers. I would have liked a little more backbone from her. I felt that the author overemphasised her feelings. One or two words would have been enough but sentence after sentence, it just dragged on.There was a lot of gazing into eyes but not much dialogue (along with the swooning), I would have preferred a little more.I am now aware that this is a Christian novel but I noticed towards the end that the rate of 'O God and O Lord' almost trebled along with copious amounts of bible quotes and praying. It was a little overkill.The picture setting was great and the author clearly knows her stuff. Gunthur and Hildy were my favourites!A good read and I've given it four stars but I wouldn't read it again.
    • 3/5
      Melanie Dickerson’s debut romance has been nominated for the Young Adult Christy Award. It is set in Lower Saxony in the fourteenth century. Young Rose, ostensibly a woodcutter’s daughter, is apprenticed to the court healer of Hagenheim castle. She is not a particularly adept apprentice but soldiers on because she sees this position as the only way to avoid an arranged marriage. Called upon to dress the wounds of Wilhelm, Lord Hamlin, Rose is instantly smitten. Wilhelm returns the feelings but t...moreMelanie Dickerson’s debut romance has been nominated for the Young Adult Christy Award. It is set in Lower Saxony in the fourteenth century. Young Rose, ostensibly a woodcutter’s daughter, is apprenticed to the court healer of Hagenheim castle. She is not a particularly adept apprentice but soldiers on because she sees this position as the only way to avoid an arranged marriage. Called upon to dress the wounds of Wilhelm, Lord Hamlin, Rose is instantly smitten. Wilhelm returns the feelings but the pair is kept apart by Rose’s low social status and Wilhelm’s engagement to the mysterious Lady Salomea, who must remain in hiding until the evil conjurer who threatens her life is captured. In the meantime, Wilhelm’s younger brother, Rupert, is also attracted to Rose although his selfish motives are eventually unmasked.Rose and Wilhelm are appealing characters who rely on their Christian faith to help them choose duty above self-interest which in the end enables them to rejoice when it becomes apparent that they are meant for one another after all. The young adult audience for which this book is intended will delight in the circuitous path the young pair must travel before this title reaches its fairy tale ending.
    • 5/5
      I completely fell in love with this book. Very well written, with an enormous amount of description used through out. You will feel as tho you are there in the room with the characters as well as sitting at the table to eat their multi-course dinners. A must read!!!
    • 4/5
      The Healer's Apprentice is a new take on 'Sleeping Beauty' - the "cursed Princess" is hidden away somewhere, while her betrothed is searching for her would-be destroyer. But this is no ordinary 'Sleeping Beauty' story! There's a twist: the Hero, seemingly a failure at finding the evil sorcerer threatening his future bride (whom he has never met, knowing only her name), meets a charming young lady - a peasant girl, the daughter of a woodcutter, working as an apprentice to the healer of his father's court. I think you can see where this is going ... Rose and Wilhelm are engaging main characters - their interactions and conversations are sweet and sincere. Rose knows her mind and is very well educated for a woman (let alone a woodcutter's daughter!) - something she's not afraid to demonstrate. She also reads the Bible, having a knowledge of Scripture that most men in the town do not. She is more careful about revealing this, but does take on Wilhelm in theological matters as their uneven, unexpected friendship develops. As a reader I loved her, she is a great leading lady: faithful, loyal, with a gentle heart and a passion for doing what she knows is right, Rose is admirable.The true beauty of this story lays in the way it all plays out, so I'm going to try very hard not to divulge the twists and turns it takes. I will confess to having an inkling of a hunch somewhere around chapter 4, but I refused to give in and flip ahead to see if I was "right" or not. So very glad I refrained, because the development of the story was beautiful.
    • 4/5
      This book really drew me in...I didn't realize it was Christian fiction until the end of the book. But it was a good story (especially for free!). I figured out the twist about half-way through though.
    • 3/5
      A rare stand alone novel in the world of teen trilogies, The Healer’s Apprentice is a sweet fairytale romance with dashing lords, innocent maidens, and evil-doers. Rose is a peasant girl raised in a small village who was chosen by the castle healer to be her apprentice. Rose’s life gets a little turned around when the two young lords return home from abroad and she is called in to assist in healing one of them. The story felt like a typical fairytale romance, with a few good plot twists. I was not a huge fan of the heroine (Rose); she was so flighty! She couldn’t decide who she loved and waffling back and forth like that always bugs me. If you aren’t SURE you love someone, then it probably means you don’t. The writing flowed well, although at first it was a little confusing because one of the main characters is called by two different names (however, if you read in the back this is historically accurate for that time period). The story had Christian elements and occasionally seemed a little over dramatic in that way, but otherwise was an enjoyable read.
    • 4/5
      I have to say that I wasn't expecting a Christian story. If it alluded to that on the description I didn't notice. Some will say "thats a Christian publishing house"...well I don't know all the publishing houses and what the publish. I assume most others won't know that either. I also want to state the fact that I am not anti-Christian at all. I believe in God and the Bible and the commandments although my church attendance fluctuates. I have read all the Left Behind books so I am not against a religiously themed fiction tale. And I really love a good fairy tale. This was a good fairy tale and its based (loosely) on the Sleeping Beauty tale. It is the story of a poor woodcutter's daughter who is now an apprentice to the court's healer woman. Rose gains the interest of two brothers. The eldest, Lord Hamlin, is next in line to the throne. He is kind and has a great love of God and his people. Rupert, the younger brother, is a cad with a horrible reputation of loving and leaving the ladies. Although Rose loves Hamlin, she knows he is betrothed to marry a quality woman who is in hiding from a wicked man who threatened her with a curse. Lord Hamlin also fights his attraction to Rose. In the meantime, Rose tries to convince herself Rupert is the one for her. Because he isn't in line for the throne, it is feasible that he may ask her to marry him. And what girl wouldn't want this catch? There ends up being a lovely mystery involved, easy to solve, but still quite charming. Rose is a delightful character. She prays throughout the book and I really liked this about her. There were a few nice little twists, or side stories, that kept the book flowing. I didn't want to stop once I had started the tale. I did find it somewhat annoying at the end of the book at how things were resolved. I thought the book ended up a little too much on the preachy side when the theme of God and his path for your life was perfect through the first portion of the story. It was there but it wasn't too preachy. The end was out there. The last third or fourth of the book was weird. The fabulous characters really didn't take action. Others have said it on their reviews and I hoped they were exhauggerated but nope. They just prayed and prayed and didn't take any kind of action. I talked about this with my husband and he said it reminded him of the story that tells about a stranded man at sea. He could drown or starve but he has much faith in God to save him. Two or three boats come across the man and ask him if he wants a ride and the man declines saying "Nope, God will save me". So the man drowns. When he reaches Heaven he said "God, why didn't you answer my prayers?" and God says "Well I sent three boats to save you!". I believe God is a guiding hand in our life, as the book states. However, its ridiculous to not work with God and use our free will to help ourselves. Even with this complaint I can't give the book less that four stars. I truly found it deightful. And of course its clean and sweet and perfect for your younger teens to enjoy as well.
    • 3/5
      I got a copy of this book through the Amazon Vine program. This looked like a wonderful book, a great historical romance with a bit of fantasy flare to it. It was okay, in fact the beginning of the book was pretty good, but it declined from the middle of the book on. Keep in mind I approached this as a historical fantasy, I was not aware that the publisher was a Christian fiction publisher....so when characters started setting aside action to wait for God to save them and then the Duke of the realm used his divine right as a leader to banish demons I was confused and irritated.This is the story of Rose. Rose is apprenticed to the Healer of the realm. When the Duke's sons come for a visit; both of them are drawn to her beauty. Rose knows her place in the realm and, as a Healer's Apprentice, does not want the attention of either brother. When one of the brothers, Wilhelm, is injured Rose heals him. Wilhelm and Rose are drawn to each other's personalities, but it cannot be. Wilhelm is betrothed to a Princess whose identity will not be revealed until the evil mage is defeated. Meanwhile Wilhelm's younger brother, a rogue of sorts, has started courting Rose. Wilhelm struggles to keep his feelings for Rose under wraps while trying to hunt down the evil mage that plagues the realm.This book started out pretty good. It had a lot of a fairy tale feel to it, with a definite German tone. You can't help but love the characters in the beginning they are all so sweet, pure, and innocent. Rose is determined to be good and to have a life as a healer. Rose can get to be a little much at points; she is pure to the point of not exposing her arms, not touching a man's hand, or wearing makeup. But that seemed to be mostly cultural, so went well with the story. The writing is fairly well done and engaging; there are beautiful descriptions but the dialogue between characters is a bit stilted. I was really enjoying this as a sweet historical romance with a bit of a fantasy flare to it...then we get to the second half of the book.Keep in mind I did not know this book was released by a christian fiction publisher, so readers beware. As the book continues God is mentioned a lot (I mean a lot a lot) and scripture is quoted. Wilhelm is especially religious; all of which I don't have a problem with. The problem comes in when the characters decide to stop taking action and sit on their bums praying for God to save them. I was like "what is going on here?"..."Why are these wonderful characters waiting around for God to do their work for them rather than taking positive action themselves?"Then suddenly things get even stranger; Rose is haunted by demons and speaking in tongues. Wilhelm enters to save the day by using his power as a Duke to cast the evil forces out of his realm in God's name. It all got very weird, was very predictable, and made me very uncomfortable. I couldn't figure out why the author would drop such a sweet positive story and turn it into some weird parable of religious text.Overall I loved the beginning of this book. The characters are positive, sweet, and likable. The romance between Rose and Wilhelm is well-founded and they have great chemistry together. I hated the ending of the book, I thought the overpowering use of God as a solution to the characters problems and Wilhelm's sudden ability to make use of divine intervention were strange and distasteful. So just be warned; this is a Christian fantasy and gets very preachy towards the end of the book. If that's not your thing pick up a different book with sweet characters and wonderful romance; I recommend Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith or The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley. This book is appropriate for all young adults and older.