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.
My Thoughts...
I am very surprised this novel was not turned into a series, but it was perfect in writing and length. Since I have a history class that will focus on ancient times, I gladly picked this novel up for a taste of what I was going to learn! Tracy Higley's writing was not only very descriptive but fast paced, taking you back to Egypt and surrounding lands, experiencing it as though you were really there. Characters were drafted according to the real people who had a strong hunger for land and power. Battles, relationships, and events were accurate to the history of ancient Egypt with a few exceptions. This novel spills with plenty of history about these sometimes savage people that roamed the earth, the author has done much research to make this wonderful book. The Christian element is there too, not preachy but since many if the characters are Jews, their religion is displayed. A divine read for a historical fanatic!
The main character, Lydia, is a very relatable person, shy, but has a deep gift for helping people. She distances herself from everyone she meets because she will have to soon say goodbye. Lydia was a brave woman in no need of a man to save her, but still did not seem invincible. There are many characters like Cleopatra whom you would read about and see their thoughts as if you knew the same thoughts that she had in real life. I loved getting into these real characters and seeing just what they really thought of themselves. It is like learning history but on a whole new level! I loved all of Lydia's friends whom she tries not to form a relationship with. I especially loved her relationship with Simon, neither of them focusing on deepening their relationship but only focusing on their devotion for whatever leader they would serve. The ending was promising, neither extremely happy nor sad, but just the right amount. A rich display of history with fantastic writing, what more could you want?
-ShewolfLia17
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