Veil of Winter
Princess Elyce fakes her own death to escape marriage to a horrible King's nephew.
Princess Elyce cares deeply for her people in the fictional medieval kingdom of Montciel. Her father King Leandre promises her hand in marriage to a despot's nephew in exchange for Elyce's people. King Claude intends to use the people of Montciel as slaves, first for digging a new mine and then for mining riches to benefit both kings.
It pains Elyce to think of her gentle people, all of whom work in the sun, toiling below ground for a foreign king. She cannot go through with the marriage and decides to fake her own death to escape both the marriage and the castle. Elyce will travel to Prague to appeal to King Wenceslaus for her people's safety.
Meanwhile in England, Lady Delia from Court of Swans has received a letter from Elyce about her quest to free her people. Delia sends her brother Sir Gerard to aid Elyce in her journey.
When Gerard arrives, Elyce's plan has gone awry and her father knows she isn't dead. She is trapped in a deep sleep when she should have been awake already. Gerard has had a vision from God that he must help this woman and immediately volunteers his service to get Elyce to Prague.
Elyce and Gerard both have luck on their side during their journey, making for an entertaining tale that stretches believability to its limits -- this couple truly is blessed by God for all their lucky turns. The result is a novel with no loose ends and the ending tied up in a neat bow.
Recommended for teens who enjoy the medieval world of fantasy novels who won't mind the absence of fantastical creatures and magic. Parents looking for clean romance or Christian romance for their teens will also want to check out the series.
Melanie Dickerson is a former special education teacher who graduated from the University of Alabama. She lives outside of Huntsville, Alabama.
Series: The Dericott Tales, #3
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Length: 336 pages
Release Date: June 14, 2022
I received an electronic galley copy of this title from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.