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A review by egbella
A Noble Match by Kirsten Fichter
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is one of the best books I've read this year - no exaggeration. I loved this story! I've never read a Thumbelina retelling before, but this one was masterfully done. Very unique and engaging, with just enough tie-backs to the original tale that I couldn't help but smile when I caught them. I have a feeling there were some that I missed, they were so cleverly woven in!
The characters... my heart <3 Firstly, I adore the protagonist, Miette. She is so sweet and optimistic and lovely, and I was very convicted by her joy even in the midst of grief. As someone who's lost an older brother, I found myself relating to her very much, except I wish I could remain as faithful and joyful as she does! She is the sweetest thing and I was rooting for her the entire time.
Also, the love interest, Gavin (unrelated: the names in this book are superb), was such a fantastic and interesting character. I loved their grumpy x sunshine dynamic and that they both had things to teach one another throughout the story. Their care for one another, and the way they both valued duty and responsibility was inspiring. I was very sad when I thought they might not end up together, haha.
Also! Honorable mention to the last suitor, Warren. His character is AMAZING. I loved him so much, and would have read an entire book with him as a protagonist haha. I don't have coherent thoughts to share, I just loved his character.
Although this was a sweet love story, this book also has great tension and intrigue! I was genuinely not expecting some of those plot twists, and my husband can attest that I was /stressed/ near the end. I knew deep down that there must be a happy ending, but the circumstances kept getting worse, and I didn't know how they were going to pull it off. Ultimately, the ending was perfect. Short, sweet, satisfying, and it made sense. I really didn't notice any loose ends left behind.
The faith element was also masterfully woven in. I never felt it was pushy or cheesy, but it was prominent enough to believe that the characters truly believed what they were saying when they spoke of their Lord and Creator. The themes of grief, love, duty, and hope were powerful.
Lastly, there wasn't a ton of time spent on the world-building aspect of this story (it would have been too long otherwise), but what was there was excellent! I enjoyed the references to the war and rebellion, the different kingdoms, and also the unexpected elements, such as flying suits! I wasn't expecting that at all, but it was a very fun twist on a typical medieval fantasy setting. I pictured them as jet packs of sorts. The descriptions and writing style of it all was gorgeous.
Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes Thumbelina retellings or just medieval fantasy in general, Christian themes, sweet love stories, tension and intrigue, and a beautiful writing style. I absolutely loved it and would honestly read an entire series about these characters! This is one I'm going to keep coming back to as a lovely comfort read <3
Note: the story of the author's nieces at the end made me cry. What a sweet duo and they are in my prayers. The themes in the book definitely reflect the emotional journey that they're all on together.
Content to mention: Mild peril, fighting, talks of war, political tension, non-described injuries/burns, betrayal, mentions of characters swearing but no specific words, brief mention of a possible hanging, themes of grief and loss, discussions of a pre-story family death. No explicit language, spice, gore, or excessive violence!
** I received an ARC copy of this book, but was not required to leave a review - much less a positive one. All thoughts expressed are my own. **
The characters... my heart <3 Firstly, I adore the protagonist, Miette. She is so sweet and optimistic and lovely, and I was very convicted by her joy even in the midst of grief. As someone who's lost an older brother, I found myself relating to her very much, except I wish I could remain as faithful and joyful as she does! She is the sweetest thing and I was rooting for her the entire time.
Also, the love interest, Gavin (unrelated: the names in this book are superb), was such a fantastic and interesting character. I loved their grumpy x sunshine dynamic and that they both had things to teach one another throughout the story. Their care for one another, and the way they both valued duty and responsibility was inspiring. I was very sad when I thought they might not end up together, haha.
Also! Honorable mention to the last suitor, Warren. His character is AMAZING. I loved him so much, and would have read an entire book with him as a protagonist haha. I don't have coherent thoughts to share, I just loved his character.
Although this was a sweet love story, this book also has great tension and intrigue! I was genuinely not expecting some of those plot twists, and my husband can attest that I was /stressed/ near the end. I knew deep down that there must be a happy ending, but the circumstances kept getting worse, and I didn't know how they were going to pull it off. Ultimately, the ending was perfect. Short, sweet, satisfying, and it made sense. I really didn't notice any loose ends left behind.
The faith element was also masterfully woven in. I never felt it was pushy or cheesy, but it was prominent enough to believe that the characters truly believed what they were saying when they spoke of their Lord and Creator. The themes of grief, love, duty, and hope were powerful.
Lastly, there wasn't a ton of time spent on the world-building aspect of this story (it would have been too long otherwise), but what was there was excellent! I enjoyed the references to the war and rebellion, the different kingdoms, and also the unexpected elements, such as flying suits! I wasn't expecting that at all, but it was a very fun twist on a typical medieval fantasy setting. I pictured them as jet packs of sorts. The descriptions and writing style of it all was gorgeous.
Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes Thumbelina retellings or just medieval fantasy in general, Christian themes, sweet love stories, tension and intrigue, and a beautiful writing style. I absolutely loved it and would honestly read an entire series about these characters! This is one I'm going to keep coming back to as a lovely comfort read <3
Note: the story of the author's nieces at the end made me cry. What a sweet duo and they are in my prayers. The themes in the book definitely reflect the emotional journey that they're all on together.
Content to mention: Mild peril, fighting, talks of war, political tension, non-described injuries/burns, betrayal, mentions of characters swearing but no specific words, brief mention of a possible hanging, themes of grief and loss, discussions of a pre-story family death. No explicit language, spice, gore, or excessive violence!
** I received an ARC copy of this book, but was not required to leave a review - much less a positive one. All thoughts expressed are my own. **
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Violence, Grief, Medical trauma, and War