Books for Christian Girls: "A Noble Match" by Kirsten Fichter

About this book:

  “Can one sparrow protect Thumbelina from suitors and rebels?
    As the little sister to the crown prince, Miette was never meant to be in a position of power. When her brother Cassoway dies, the kingdom of Barlencoy suddenly becomes her most unwelcome gift. The land is torn apart by the classes, and rebellion boils at her doorstep. War is looming, and no one seems afraid of it. The kingdom may be hers, but she has no voice to quieten the tremors that threaten to tear everything she knows and loves apart.
    But a marriage also looms on the horizon. With rebels after her head, it’s difficult to focus on the suitors after her heart. Miette knows she must choose a husband soon, but how can she when her heart secretly yearns for her brother’s best friend? Gavin Vollo is the perfect match in her eyes, but his common blood disqualifies him as a suitor.
    Moving forward after Cassoway’s passing has been no easy task for Gavin. Especially since the prince’s death is his own fault. With his best friend gone, Gavin is a bodyguard without a real purpose. He doesn’t understand why the prince had to die – just like he doesn’t understand why the royal force wants him back to guard the new queen.
    Can love and true joy bring peace, or will the kingdom break beyond recovery?”

Series: Book #2 in the multi-author series, “Cornerstone”. It does not seem to be connected to any other books, however. A stand-alone novel. Review of Book #1, Here!

Spiritual Content- Psalm 34:18 at the beginning & Psalm 40:1-3 at the end of the author’s note; Many prayers (including Miette praying for God to guard her heart in regard to her feelings for Gavin) & Thanking God; Talks about God, His creation, His plans, & grief; Most ’H’s are capital when referring to God; Miette believes that once Gavin conquers his grief and found his joy in the Lord again, he would be the most suitable man for her; Miette thinks that she will have to surrender Gavin to the Lord daily until she’s forgotten her feelings about him; Mentions of God (under the names of “Lord” and “Creator’), His creation, & grief; Mentions of prayers, praying, A few mentions of a deceased loved one being in the presence of the Creator; A mention of a blind character commenting on the Lord’s face being the first thing he’ll see.

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘dumb’, a form of ‘stupid’, three forms of ‘what in the kingdoms’, and six ‘idiot’s; “mole’s tooth” is also said (implied exclamation); A couple mentions of curses (said, not written); A bit of sarcasm; Being hit, an explosion, a fire, injuries, pain, passing out, & trying to save someone (up to semi-detailed); Grief (over a brother and a friend); Gavin and Miette discuss the death of her brother, how it happened (accidental), and their different grieving processes (Gavin doesn’t want to talk about her brother as it is painful for him because he puts the blame on himself; Miette misses her brother, she focuses on the goodness of the Lord instead of her feelings); Many mentions of deaths, wars, rebellions, rebels, fights/violence, & grief over all of it (including the deaths of parents, a brother, and a friend); Mentions of assassination attempts, assassins, & murders; Mentions of crimes, criminals, & prisons; Mentions of possible drownings; Mentions of an explosion, fires, injuries, pain, & blood/bleeding (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of rumors & gossip; A few mentions of hangings (of criminals); A couple mentions of possible planned suicide (a potential plan of a possible assassin); A mention of throwing up;
             *Note: Prejudice from side characters towards those in different social classes (Miette finds it ridiculous that people will look at another’s bloodline and determine things about them & says that “we are all men created in the image of our Creator”); Mentions of prejudice to other social classes; In the author’s note at the end, the author shares about her nieces with Battens disease that imply neither girl will live long due to the condition.

Sexual Content- A handful of Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, & Tingles (barely-above-not-detailed); Some Noticing (barely-above-not-detailed); Blushes; Seeing a couple in an embrace and kissing (the man tries to brush it off as not important as he’s supposed to be courting someone else, but was captivated by the other woman’s singing voice, barely-above-not-detailed); Miette realizes she’s in love with Gavin, but because he isn’t a candidate for her hand in marriage, she tries to focus on God’s plan for her life as there’s “no use in pining over something [she] can’t have]”; Mentions of having feelings for someone; A couple mentions of the couple kissing; A mention of chaperones; Love, being in love, & the emotions (light).

-Miette
-Gavin
                                P.O.V. switches between them
                                                        181 pages
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Pre Teens-

New Teens-

Early High School Teens-

Older High School Teens-

My personal Rating-

This was great! At first, I was taken aback with the mentions of flying suits and the guards flying around, but it seemed to be steampunk inspired in that regard, perhaps? I’m still not quite sure, but it worked and added a unique element to all the fairytale retellings I’ve been reading lately.

If the first book in this (non-connecting) series was adorable, then this one was very sweet! Miette was exactly how I expected a Thumbelina character to be with her sweetness, kindness, and love of God’s creation, but is also strong for those she cares for and her passions. As someone who would love to raise monarch butterflies one day, it was so neat to see her with her butterflies in the garden! It had a lovely spring-time feel because of it and I really enjoyed this short story. It was a good length and didn’t feel short or rushed, too.

See y’all on Friday with a new review!