Court of Swans

Gr 7-10–It is the summer of 1378 in Medieval England and dark-haired, blue-eyed Delia, the only sister among seven brothers, is adjusting to the marriage of her father to Parnella, who is not much older than Delia herself. Three years into the marriage, a new half-brother, Cedric, is born and Delia’s father is dead. The king of England’s guards arrest all seven of Delia’s brothers for treason and murder. Delia instantly takes a disliking to the handsome but dedicated captain of the guard, Sir Geoffrey Grenefeld, but her beauty catches his eye and he soon finds that he can’t seem to forget her. With a sense of unease, Delia flees her home in search of her distant Aunt Beatrice, the abbess of Rosings Abbey, as her only hope of freeing her brothers and proving their innocence. Aunt Beatrice secures Delia a seamstress position in the king’s castle so she can care for her brothers and attempt to free them. Sir Geoffrey recognizes Delia and soon realizes the arrest of the brothers was part of a calculated plot to steal their power and wealth, just as his uncle the king had stolen his own power and wealth. Will Sir Geoffrey risk what little he has left to help Delia and her brothers? Will they be able to prove the brothers’ innocence in time? Character background on the antagonists is lacking, and a relatively quick lead into romantic attraction, as well as a predictable plot, will be quickly forgiven by Dickerson’s fans. The inclusion of a character with an anxiety disorder adds a touch of realism to the situation; characters’ skin tones aren’t mentioned.