22. Court of Swans

Court of Swans (The Dericott Tales #1) Melanie Dickerson. 2021. [January] 328 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Delia’s stomach felt sick as she watched her father marry Parnella, a woman whom she had met only two times. 

Court of Swans is a historical novel set in England largely taking place in 1381 during the reign of Richard II. (The prologue is set in the summer of 1378). It is a retelling of fairy tale The Wild Swans. Delia, our heroine, is forced to save her seven brothers after they are cruelly accused of murder and treason and imprisoned in the Tower of London. 

That is the short description. It doesn't really tell you how I feel about the characters, the writing, the PACE.

I found Court of Swans to be an INTENSE, fast-paced, emotional read. I loved getting to know Delia and her seven brothers: Edwin, Gerard, Berenger, Merek, Charles, David, and Roland. I loved their devotion and loyalty to one another. They love each other fiercely and tenderly. 

I loved the romantic element. I also loved that it wasn't quite front and center. Delia is all about saving her brothers. As it should be. Her attention isn't split by noticing cute knights. And the romance between Delia and one of the knights, Sir Geoffrey, was well done. It wasn't rushed. It wasn't insta-love. 

I loved the setting. I loved that it was set in England. I loved that it brushes with royalty. It isn't just set in the reign of Richard II, we get glimpses of the royal court. At one point in my life I was trying to read historical fiction set during the reigns of ALL the kings and queens of England. Richard II isn't as well known as some of the other kings. 

If I could change one thing about this historical novel it would be to remove the references to Delia, our main character, OWNING and READING a Bible in an English translation. Mentioning that this Bible belonged to her mother BEFORE she married. 

Part of me understands that a Christian author would want her heroine to be able to quote Scripture word for word and draw great comfort from Scripture. But the other part of me is upset. The first complete translation of the Scriptures into English was done circa 1382 to 1395. The New Testament was completed first perhaps around 1380/1381. But copies would have been BY HAND--not printing press. (And the first Bible printed by the printing press was about 180 copies. This was ) So the idea that even among noble families copies of the Bible in English would have been likely is small, ridiculously small. Unimaginably expensive it would have been to own a Bible at all--and English translations weren't common in 1381. Now for a wealthy noble family, something in Latin I could probably accept. Probably. 

Now according to what I have read, some translations of the Psalms into English was occurring decades earlier. But Delia didn't say she had a copy of the Psalms. 

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible