Tuesday, February 18, 2014

REVIEW: The Queen's Handmaid by Tracy Higley

Title: The Queen's Handmaid
Author: Tracy Higley
Series: none
Published Date: expected March 18, 2014
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
ISBN: 978-1401686840
Buy It Link: Amazon
Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis: From the servant halls of Cleopatra’s Egyptian palace to the courts of Herod the Great, Lydia will serve two queens to see prophecy fulfilled.
Alexandria, Egypt 39 BC
Orphaned at birth, Lydia was raised as a servant in Cleopatra's palace, working hard to please while keeping everyone at arm's length. She's been rejected and left with a broken heart too many times in her short life.
But then her dying mentor entrusts her with secret writings of the prophet Daniel and charges her to deliver this vital information to those watching for the promised King of Israel. Lydia must leave the nearest thing she’s had to family and flee to Jerusalem. Once in the Holy City, she attaches herself to the newly appointed king, Herod the Great, as handmaid to Queen Mariamme.
Trapped among the scheming women of Herod’s political family—his sister, his wife, and their mothers—and forced to serve in the palace to protect her treasure, Lydia must deliver the scrolls before dark forces warring against the truth destroy all hope of the coming Messiah.
Review: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I love reading Tracy Higley's books, they make me want to know more about the historical figures in her books, the ones that she brings to life so vividly.
Just like the other books I've read from Ms Higley, I loved reading this one. She brings the areas and cultures into your mind with her writing. The places are so descriptive, it felt as if I was there with Lydia, step by step in her long journey given to her by her mentor. Heartbreak and love, melded into one book, with a gentle theme of Judaism and Christianity threaded in.
I really enjoyed how the author was able to bring the entire story full-circle in a plot twist that I certainly did not see coming. It was truly enjoyable and made the book even more exciting to read.

1 comment:

  1. I love historical fiction, and this review made me really interested in this book. Thanks!! :)

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