India Edghill

I really enjoyed this novel. When I first came across it, I thought the queen in question was Bathsheba as she was the mother of Solomon, but this was a nice surprise. The author really manages to nicely capture the flavor of this era, as well as bringing depth to the Biblical stories centering around David.

Things were really different back then, and some readers might see certain actions here as vicious, and I certainly wouldn't want to live in the ancient world, but as a history nerd, I show more can appreciate that we can't always judge things by our current social mores and standards. Reading this novel encouraged me to do research into what the Bible had to say about David and the important people in his life.

4.5/5 stars. show less

I will admit to a love of Biblical fiction. I will also admit to a somewhat limited knowledge of Esther’s story. I will further admit that I was really rather thrilled when this book just showed up in my mailbox – I knew I was going to fit it into my reading schedule. I’m so glad I did – despite some small problems at the end Game of Queens is one of my favorite books of the year. I have no idea how much of the book is historically accurate; it’s a difficult time period for written show more records. I do know that the fictional story presented was one that kept me completely enthralled; I had a very had time putting the book down.

Vashti is the first wife of King Ahasuerus. They met as children and were under the rule of his mother. Vashti was a protected child and soon became very spoiled in the rich atmosphere of the palace. This soon led to resentments. I won’t go into everything for I don’t want to spoil the story but her banishment ultimately leads to a call going out to all of the Kingdom for the most beautiful maidens to come to the palace to be presented to the king so a new wife can be chosen. This leads to Esther being queen.

But the book is so much more than that. It also shares the story of Daniel – who is far more than the story of the lion’s den. It encompasses the evil that is Haman – the man who would have eliminated all of the Jews. Just because. He is evil personified. There is love, revenge, hate, lies, plotting and a pet wolf.

The only issues I had with this novel came towards the end. One chapter seem apropos of nothing and with information that advances the story before it seems appropriate. Then the last few chapters seem rushed. Other than that I was truly enthralled with this book and it’s story. I’ll be keeping it for another read when I have the time. show less

This is the sequel to my previous read, Queenmaker. That book showed tremendous promise but was hampered by the first-person viewpoint of a woman confined to a palace and removed from all action. It felt like one long dialog and very much like the author's first novel. Still, I owned the sequel already and I liked the premise, so I decided to give Wisdom's Daughter a chance. I'm so glad I did!

This book was exquisite. It corrected the problems of the first book in a huge way - there were show more multiple characters to follow, each with a distinct view on the same events. There are several different settings, and in this volume they are fully realized. Most of all, it is enlightening, witty, and sparkling with chemistry. The book begins with Bilquis, the Queen of Sheba, journeying north to the land of the acclaimed Solomon the Wise to find a female heir for Sheba. The heir turns out to be Baalit, Solomon's own beloved daughter of his true love first wife. Bilquis and Solomon have incredible chemistry,and I don't mean in a sexual sort; they are two intelligent, lonely adults who have found their match. Baalit is a delightful main character, too, who feels confined by the male-dominant Hebrew society and obviously is looking back on her 14-year-old self and shaking her head at her youthful errors. Wisdom's Daughter even manages to build on the main character of the previous book, Queen Michal, and makes her feel more real and genuine, even though she is dead.

Another quirk I loved about this book - King Solomon's queens. As I recall from my Sunday School days, Solomon was maligned for taking brides from pagan lands and letting them continue their believes in Jerusalem, which was then blamed for the fall of the kingdom. That is all covered here, but it includes some of the perspectives of the queens themselves and shows them as sad, lonely figures. They are far from home, married against their will, and all they have to cling to of their home is the old gods - and for some, those are even exaggerated to provide them some comfort and refuge. It provides an enlightening, more feminist view of these women who are voiceless and blamed.

This is an excellent work of historical fiction, and I highly recommend it for those who would love to explore a mostly-ignored period of time. This isn't a romance, and it's definitely not Christian in focus. It's just plain good. It will be joining The Red Tent on my shelf. show less

When she was a tiny child, Delilah was given to the temple of Atargatis by her mother. She grows up in the temple, training to be a priestess of the goddess. Her best friend is a pretty girl named Aylah, a former slave, remarkable for her brilliant golden hair. As the two grow older, they become renowned as the twin dancers of the temple nicknamed “Night and Day”, and fame and honor shower down upon them.

Meanwhile, in the hills outside the cities unrest boils amongst the Israelites. A show more hero is needed to rise up and lead their warriors to overthrow the leaders of the Philistines. Samson is known by his people to be strong, kind and clever, and the rebellious agitators wish him to lead them. Although the handsome young man desires neither power nor war, he is thrust into the spotlight again and again by the viscous rumor-mongering of the Foxes, the anti-Philistine faction of the Israelites.

From the moment Samson and Delilah see each other, at a busy festival in the city of her temple, they are madly in love with each other. Unfortunately for young love, Derceto, the high priestess of Atargatis, wants Samson dead. Her machinations keep Delilah and Samson apart until great tragedy gives Derceto the perfect chance to convince that Samson's death will right the great wrong, and the events of one of the Bible's most famous stories are set in motion...

This isn't exactly a retelling of the Biblical account of Samson and Delilah; it is more of a reinvention of the story. Obviously, the biggest change is the focus on Delilah as main character. Instead of appearing as a vampy seductress who nags the secret of Samson's strength out of him, Delilah is fleshed out. We learn about her childhood and adolescence in the temple of Atargatis, and it's a very rich and lavish world that Edgehill has developed. Now, my knowledge of the historical Philistines is virtually nonexistent, so I can't say how accurate this depiction of their world is. They refer to themselves in the book as the Five Cities, and that seems to be an accurate depiction of their worldview. Certainly, they never use the term 'Philistine' and why would they? Their culture is cosmopolitan and sophisticated, while the Israelites seem crude and violent by comparison.

Samson, too, is radically altered from his Biblical self. I mean, Bible Samson is violent and angry, ready to lash out at the slightest insult, it seems; Edgehill's Samson is practically a hippy, he's so peaceful and laid-back. Instead of killing a lion he encounters on the road, Samson tames it for a pet. Rather than pulling down a pagan temple through pure brute strength, he uses his knowledge of the temple's poor design to bring it crashing down. He's a much more sympathetic and romantic hero than normal, which makes him far more pleasant to read about, but anyone looking to find insight into the Samson of the Bible will be sorely disappointed. show less