I read House of Refuge when it came out in 2021 and now Cloak of Scarlet this year. Both are sweet Christian historical fiction set in 1500s. I didn’t realize Cloak of Scarlet was from the same series until after, and I’m sad I missed the other novels in between! I’ll be giving a joint rating for these books, since they have very similar style and execution.

Ratings

Story: 3/5

Worldview: 4/5

Historical Fiction with Fairytale Flair

All in all, what draws me to Dickerson’s work is how I know she always puts out clean Christian romance with a solid message. The plots are simple, usually with characters that are a little too good to be realistic, a black-and-white villain, and a happily-ever-after resolution. The suspense in House of Refuge had me rushing to the end, but I can’t say Cloak of Scarlet was as consistent.

The worldview in these books is actually what surprised me from the start. Though set in an older time period, the characters consistently call upon God, read and apply His Word, and seek Him in the good times and the bad. Even though there wasn’t really a message of salvation (but rather more of a focus on finding love), these novels read like sweet Middle Grade novels. (They’re technically YA but they feel like they’re more for a younger audience.) House of Refuge is the stronger of the two novels all around, but I did enjoy Cloak of Scarlet.

All in all, I do enjoy these novels, and I’ll be keeping an eye out for the sixth installment! They’re mostly standalone, so you don’t have to read all of them in order. Overall ratings: 3.5

More Information

Author: Melanie Dickerson

Book(s): House of Refuge (#2) and Cloak of Scarlet (#5)

Genre: Christian; YA/MG

Other books in this series include Court of Swans (#1), Veil of Winter (#3), Fortress of Snow (#4), and more in the making!