Five Star Review for Alina, a Fabulous Coming of Age Novel

BOOK TITLE: ALINA: A SONG FOR THE TELLING

AUTHOR OF BOOK: Malve von Hassell

AUTHOR’S EMAIL: malvevonhassell01@gmail.com

GENRE: Historical Fiction

ISBN: 979-8-9899277-2-2

PAGE COUNT: 232

AMAZON link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1643971042

or https://books2read.com/u/baMG8q/

REVIEW: 

By Grant Leishman for Readers’ Favorite

Review Rating: 5 stars

FULL REVIEW

Alina: A Song for the Telling by Malve von Hassell is a coming-of-age novel that will draw

readers into an intriguing and historical journey back to twelfth-century Jerusalem at the time of

the Crusades. Alina and Milos are siblings who have been left orphaned after their mother and

sister died and their father committed suicide in the depths of grief. When their mean uncle and

persnickety aunt arrive to put the estate in order after their father had let it run down, Milos and

Alina cannot stand their overbearing attitudes and undesired plans for them. In desperation, they

decide to travel to Jerusalem as pilgrims to pray for the soul of their late father. Alina, a talented

lute player, has dreams of becoming a troubadour like her father, whilst Milos just wants to

experience the world and all its forbidden fruits. So begins a treacherous journey that will be full

of adventure and excitement for the youngsters.

Alina is a fantastically easy and enjoyable read. Tailored for young adults, the language is simple

and the plot flows seamlessly from one exciting arc and intrigue to the next. The two lead

characters are fascinating in their own right. Milos is a typical young man keen to discover all

that life has to offer him, especially the vices of women, alcohol, and gambling but his

commitment to Alina and their joint futures can never be questioned. He loves his younger sister

with an elder brotherly warmth and concern. Alina is surely the star of the tale and the adventure

is told through her eyes. She is somewhat of a contradiction as although she is seemingly certain

of her plans for the future, to become a traveling musician, she does find the comfort and

security that marriage offers appealing, especially if it was to Count Stephen. What I liked was

Alina’s compassion and heart. Despite her needs and wants, she had a genuine desire to help

others to improve their lot in life. Her commitment to seeing her errant elder brother safe and out

of trouble would take up much of her time and effort, though. The political intrigue and

backstabbing within the Jerusalem court ensures interesting and challenging arcs, plot twists, and

turns. I particularly enjoyed the long, arduous trip overland to Jerusalem that, of course, took

several months. The long journey allowed the author to develop her main characters exceedingly

well and also to plant a red herring or two regarding the true nature of some of them. I was

pleased to see the author left the door open for a possible sequel. I enjoyed meeting these

characters and would love to see more of them. This is a wonderful read that I thoroughly

enjoyed and highly recommend.

BLURB: In this coming-of-age novel set in the 12th century, Alina, an aspiring musician from

Provence, and her brother embark on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land to pray for their father’s soul

and to escape from their aunt and uncle’s strictures. Their journey east takes them through the

Byzantine Empire all the way to Jerusalem, where Alina is embroiled in political intrigue, theft,

and murder, and finds her voice.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Malve von Hassell is a freelance writer, researcher, and translator.

Her publications include three historical fiction novels for young adult readers, The Falconer’s

Apprentice (namelos, 2015/independently published 2025), Alina: A Song for the Telling (BHC

Press, 2020/independently published 2025), The Amber Crane (Odyssey Press,

2021/independently published 2025), and the biography of a woman coming age in Nazi

Germany, Tapestry of My Mother’s Life: Stories, Fragments, and Silences (Next Chapter

Publishing, 2021). Her most recent publication is The Price of Loyalty: Serving Adela of Blois

(Historium Press 2025). 

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