Anne OMalley

The Captive Maiden

Fiction

“Never was a Cinderella tale so fraught with menacing forces! Not only does Gisela have to contend with an evil stepmother and stepsisters who would move heaven and earth to prevent the local duke’s handsome son from pursuing her, but the evil knight Ruexner will stop at nothing to imprison the poor girl and force her into marriage. Ruexner is locked in a long-simmering grudge match against Valten, the duke’s son, who is equally smitten with our girl. Will Valten—attractive, honorable, and gifted with legendary fighting skills—overcome his nemesis to win his lady? How much luck can go Gisela and Valten’s way as they try to escape one calamitous tight spot after another? Expect high romance, melodrama, and Christian inspiration in a vivid medieval setting. Even when she seems doomed, Gisela will swoon at the thought of her handsome rescuer’s features: "How could he look so handsome with a bruised eye and dried blood at his temple?" Readers will appreciate Gisela’s pluck as she participates in her rescue—make that rescues—from Ruexner. Grades 7-10.”