The Queen's Handmaid

18105225

The Queen's Handmaid
Tracy L. Higley
Thomas Nelson

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.

I fully admit this book was a bit of a surprise. It's not that I didn't expect to like it or find it enjoyable, it's just that after the first few chapters I just wasn't really "in" to it. However, that quickly changed once I got about a third of the way in.

The main characters, though likable, weren't my favorite aspect of the story; rather, I was deeply involved in the plot and history of the story. And those horrid rulers! Ugh. I have no delusions that I could stay passive in this time period. After reading about Herod and Cleopatra, I was seriously at the point where I was {internally} screaming, "Let me at 'em! Let me at 'em!" with claws bared.

And though I began to suspect Lydia's true identity, the end of the book was still a pleasant surprise with a neat plot twist.

The actual writing style is similar to Tracy Higley's other works- she's able to insert a lot of history without coming off as dry and factual, and I always feel like I've learned a lot after I've finished one of her books. Overall, I really enjoyed The Queen's Handmaid, and if you like ancient history, I certainly recommend it.

objectionable content: there are a few kisses; there is a lot of power plotting involving deception, executions, and murder.

I received this book for free in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 8


Comments

  1. BekahMarch 13, 2014 at 12:11 AM

    Glad to read you liked it! I should be getting it in the mail soon and I can't wait to dive in. :) I love your blog, by the way!

    ReplyDelete
  2. HaydenMarch 14, 2014 at 3:30 PM

    Thanks, Bekah! I hope you enjoy this one :)

    ReplyDelete

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