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 a 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.
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My Thoughts
Typically I don't read biblical era fiction because it's just not my type of book. But Tracy L. Higley has the unique ability to write such a beautifully woven stories that you can't help loving regardless of your feelings about the time-period. She does such an amazing job of blending the facts with fiction, that sometimes you can't even tell the difference. I have grown up in a Christian family and was homeschooled so I learned quite a lot about this time in history, but this author brought it to life in a whole new way and brought it all together in my mind. It's amazing how one can learn so much from a fiction book!
Lydia was a fantastic character. I loved her grace, her gentle ways, and most of all, her loyalty and devotion. I also loved getting a glimpse at what it would have been like to be in the lives of these extremely important people through Lydia's eyes. There were many other great characters both real and fictional but it would take too long to write about them all and it's more fun to let you discover them as you read!
Meet the AuthorTracy L. Higley started her first novel at age eight and has been hooked on writing ever since. She has authored many novels, including Garden of Madness and So Shines the Night. Tracy is currently pursuing a graduate degree in Ancient History and has traveled through Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and Italy, researching her novels and falling into adventures.
See Tracy's travel journals and more at: tracyhigley.com
I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for my review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
Tracy L. Higley is celebrating the release of The Queen's Handmaid with a fun giveaway.
Retailers + Resources gave it this glowing review: "Rich in historic detail, Higley’s vivid writing brings to life the plots and intrigues that swirled through the ancient world as alliances were built and broken on the calculated schemes of power-mad monarchs."
- A Kindle Fire HDX
- The Queen's Handmaid by Tracy L. Higley
2 comments:
I have never read any fiction set in a Biblical setting. However I love reading about ancient Greece and Rome and after reading your glowing review, I think I may very well have to try this one... :)
Lady Eowyn-It is an interesting genre and if you are going to try any Tracy Higley's are definitely the ones to go for! This one technically isn't in a biblical setting since it is set shortly before the gospels but it is still in what I think of as "Bible times"!
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