The Girl by the River

by Joyce Dipastena

[phyllish]

I am of the opinion that it is almost harder to write a good short story than a longer one. To be able to capture the interest of the reader and know how much or how little to share is something that not many authors have mastered.

The story takes place 7 years prior to the events of The Lady and the Minstrel and tells how Robert escapes from his serfdom and encounters Marguerite for the first time. The author does a great job in bringing you alongside Robert as he flees. In just a handful of pages, you are invested in seeing Robert get away and cheer him on.

The Girl by the River is a prequel of sorts to The Lady and the Minstrel (5 stars), though reading it afterwards works perfectly well.

This review first appeared on amongTheReads.net. I also have an interview with the author on my site.

I received this book for free from Joyce DiPastena in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.