In an effort to complete a war his father had planned to win, King Xerxes calls every governor, satrap, and official in his vast kingdom to his palace in Susa to strategize and feast. When they finally leave, he decides on one more week of frivolity, which ends in the banishment of his favorite wife, something he never intended to do. But when he discovers Esther, Xerxes is sure he has a second … second chance at happiness.
In her wildest dreams, Esther could never have imagined that she would end up as queen of Persia. Yet she knows better than to become complacent. Another of Xerxes’s wives is vying for position, and his closest advisor has a deep and dangerous grudge against Esther’s adoptive father. Caught in the middle of palace politics, Esther will find herself in an impossible position: risk her life or consign her people to annihilation.
With her impeccable research and her imaginative flair, Jill Eileen Smith brings to life the romantic, suspenseful, and beloved story of Esther, queen of Persia.
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Jill Eileen Smith is one of my favorite biblical fiction authors and I have loved every one of her books that I have read so far. Star of Persia is no exception. Rich in details of the time period, infused with historical accounts of Xerxes and his reign, supported by Biblical accounts from the book of Esther, and beautifully layered with fictional events, Star of Persia offers a unique look at what may have occurred behind the scenes as Esther gathered her courage to help her people.
The story is told in several third-person points of view, mostly from Hadassah/Esther, Mordecai, Xerxes, and Haman. Surprisingly, Vashti has a voice at the beginning of the story and Amestris, Xerxes’ other wife who is the mother of Darius and Artaxerxes, also has a voice. I’ve read other biblical fiction where Vashti is the mother of Xerxes’ heirs but, apparently, historical accounts conflict on this matter. Xerxes’ thoughts throughout the book made him more personal and down-to-earth, someone whom Esther probably knew and loved well. Portraying the biblical events through the eyes of multiple people helped the plot to bloom in full color.
If you enjoy biblical fiction, you will absolutely love this book. Jill Eileen Smith has a gift for bringing the Bible to life.
I received a copy of the book from Revell/Baker Publishing Group via Interviews & Reviews and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.
“Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?”
Award-winning author Jill Eileen Smith’s latest biblical fiction novel, Star of Persia: Esther’s Story, is a fascinating look into the life of the beautiful Queen Esther, whose favor with King Xerxes is put to the ultimate test as she risks her life to save her people from death. Jill Eileen Smith is a master at bringing Scripture to life and authentically filling in the details, which encourages her readers to dig deeper into the Bible and discover more about the word of God.
The story of Esther has been retold many times in biblical fiction, but Jill Eileen Smith’s account is by far my favorite. She used Scripture along with details from secular history in writing Star of Persia, as several of the individuals from the Book of Esther in the Old Testament are also historical figures.
Jill Eileen Smith is my go-to-author for biblical fiction, and she consistently shares the incredible stories of women from the Old Testament in such a powerful way that has me pulling out my Bible and wanting to read more of the Scripture. In Star of Persia, Jill Eileen Smith also shares the message that even in his silence, God is always watching and willing to guide us. Star of Persia is highly recommended for readers of biblical fiction and historical fiction.
I received a complimentary copy of this book by Revell and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.
“Take good care of her. She is one who could come to great favor or great harm for her beauty.”
An emotional and engaging retelling of Esther’s story. Even though I knew what would happen, the author did a great job bringing the characters to life. An appealing read for biblical fiction fans.
I don’t really read much Biblical fiction but I couldn’t pass this one up. Esther’s story is one of my favorites from the Bible and this novel was a stellar retelling of it. It really expanded the story and got me to see things in a new light. It really came to life for me.
I enjoyed the fact that we not only got Esther’s perspective but many of the other prominent characters as well. It really added a whole new and interesting dimension to the story.
This was my first time reading anything by Jill Eileen Smith and I’m definitely interested in checking out more from her.
When the queen of Persia refuses an unreasonable demand of King Xerxes, she is banished. Jewish girl Esther, known as Hadassah for her first fifteen years, is one of many unmarried women who are brought to the palace to contend to be Xerxes’s next wife. Made queen in place of Vashti, Esther and her adopted father Mordecai have to navigate palace politics and eventually, it’s up to Esther to save all of her people from extermination.
Though the Biblical account of Esther is commonly known by most who would read this book, I liked the way the author brought it to life. The struggles that those would have faced due to the politics, culture, and religions of that day were not glossed over. It’s common, and even somewhat necessary, for the author to take creative license in some areas, as not all details are ever known in a Biblical account, and while I didn’t necessarily agree with everything the author chose to do, I don’t think any of it detracted from the story.
I loved the way that Mordecai, who had chosen to stay in Susa when the Jews were allowed to return to Jerusalem, struggled with his decision to keep his heritage a secret. We all know that even the most prominent figures in the Bible (besides God himself) were flawed humans, some more than others, and that is clear with the two main Jews in this book as well. I also think that the way Xerxes was portrayed was realistic, considering that he does often consult others, even his servants, in the Biblical account, so his character in this book was fleshed out from that perspective, and I loved it.
As I mentioned above, I disagree with one main point the author decided on. It is not immediately evident who King Ahasuerus is in the Biblical account, due to language differences, I believe. He seems to be most commonly accepted to be Xerxes. However, Xerxes has only 1 verified wife–Amestris. I did not do nearly as much research as Smith must have for this book, but I see more evidence that Amestris is another name for Vashti, or even possibly for Esther herself. So having a rival wife that is actually directly or indirectly behind much of the shady things that happen in the account seemed unnecessary to me. However, it did provide more intrigue for the fictional version, and while I would have chosen a different route, I respect her decision and am not saying whatsoever that the book was any worse for it.
I would say the writing itself was what mainly detracted from the story for me. I personally think there was at least one POV too many. The story was told from the following perspectives: Esther, Mordecai, Xerxes, Vashti, Haman, and Amestris. If I’m missing one, I wouldn’t be surprised. But I think we could have done without getting to know Vashti, considering what her parts set up aren’t resolved. And she’s just a shadow of the true heroine anyway. There are also a couple of things that happen with Haman that confused me, like him grumbling about his wife and her back-talk, when the entire rest of the book, she seemed nothing but supportive to me, giving him advice that he followed. He even called her wise at one point. Then suddenly, he’s about ready to punish her if she opens her mouth again. I don’t know what was going on there.
Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot. I am one who tends to read romance (not just romance in the traditional sense) into certain accounts in the Bible as I’m reading, and it’s nice to see it come alive in this way. I will likely re-read this someday, but first, I plan to check out Smith’s take on Ruth, which is my favorite book in the Bible. As for Esther’s story, though, I highly recommend it to fans of Biblical fiction.
Thank you to Netgalley and Revell for providing me a copy of this book to review.
I have read many fictional books about Esther and Star of Persia is the best one that I have read. It was the closest to the Bible of the books I have read. I loved how Jill Eileen Smith explored the perspective of other people in the story outside of Esther, Xerxes, and Mordecai. This created so much more depth to the story and all that was going on. Star of Persia is a fun read and a book that I would recommend.
Jill Eileane Smith is an excellent author, using very few unnecessary words that flow. My goal is to read each of her Historical women of the Bible books. This book is a MUST to read as
Esther comes alive.
I have read a lot of Esther retellings and have enjoyed pieces and parts of each one. I have really never considered Esther a romantic love story, though the Bible does say the king loved Esther. I guess it may be because I didn’t care for King Xerxes and the way he handled his kingdom- let too many choices (big and small) be made by his advisors. And these choices carried with them some hefty costs.
What made this story stand out? I liked how author Smith gave us the point of view of Vashti, the first wife and queen, and what she may have been feeling and thinking. Here is a woman that is only briefly mentioned and yet due to her one decision she is banished from her husband and Esther then will eventually take her place. I have read some novels where she is evil, but not this one. I liked how her story is told in Star of Persia. She was more than a backdrop, she was a woman living in a tumultuous time, and though she was queen she had her enemies. Then there was her husband…
I also like the handling of Xerxes. Scripture does not paint him in the best light nor does this story. In this story we get to see the vices that actually catches him into a trap and ultimately maybe due to this he learns a little bit of a lesson?
Overall I really liked this retelling with the historical background along with Xerxes and Vashti’s as well as Esther’s points of view.
I received a copy of this novel from Revell through Interviews and Reviews. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.
I really liked this version of Esther’s story. I’m not typically a biblical fiction fan, but I did enjoy this book. It made me want to open my Bible and reread the book of Esther. I liked how the story was broken into parts. I also enjoyed the way we got so many different character perspectives. To me that made the story better. I would have liked to see more about Vashti after she was sent away.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
Biblical fiction is not a genre I tend to read, and this is the first book I’ve read by Jill Eileen Smith. But it definitely won’t be last!
Esther is one of my favorite stories of the Bible, so that’s why it caught my eye. But I was also afraid it wouldn’t do it justice. Kinda like when a book gets turned into a movie and your weary of any changes that may pop up. Well, it turns out I had nothing to worry about! Jill’s description and ability to capture emotions, is impeccable. I seriously didn’t want to put it down! I’ve read many great books this year, but this one caught me by surprise and is probably my favorite one thus far. 5 stars all the way!!!
Star of Persia written by Jill Eileen Smith is a story of Esther, a Jewish girl living in a country that is full of pagans. A story of rags to riches, in her wildest dreams Esther never imagined becoming a queen of Persia. How does one stay true to God when faced with the impossible. Would Esther be able to hide her Judaism? Love, duty, fear and courage. In the court of Xerxes, which will prevail?
I remember celebrating Purim as a child and dressing up as Esther. A little girl’s dream to be a queen. The author did a fantastic job researching the history of the story of Esther and writing Star of Persia. If you enjoy reading historical fiction, I highly recommend reading the book.
I received a copy of the book from Revell Publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.
Esther is one of my favorite heroine’s of the bible, and I couldn’t wait to read Smith’s rendition of her story. It’s always interesting to me to see what liberties biblical fiction authors take. I like to see if they match things I may have thought of, make me dig deeper into research, or just put a fun twist on a story that I am already familiar with. That’s what is fun about reading it – I know it isn’t scripture. I know not every single thing I read in it is truth – that’s where the word fiction comes in. But sometimes it makes me want to dive in – and that’s what Smith has done in Star of Persia.
The bible doesn’t tell us much about Vashti – so that is really the first thing that stuck out to me. I love that Smith included her POV for a little bit. It just gave more definition to the whole story in my eyes. The relationship between her and Xerxes was interesting to see. Honestly, I had a different opinion of Xerxes before reading this – I truly thought he was just looking at outer beauty. And to a point he was, but there was so much depth that Smith gave his character that it made me rethink some things, and want to read the book of Esther in my bible to see if I could see him in a new light so to speak. And I think I can. Again, not because a biblical fiction novel is going to be 100% accurate, but it make you ponder, and read the text of the bible which is 100% accurate, and maybe just give you a fresh perspective.
I thought it was interesting how Smith included another of Xerxes wives in the story. I hadn’t really given thought to them before, so having this addition was fun for me to read. Ya know, Esther’s story in the bible isn’t all that long. It reads pretty quick, and so to have it drawn out in this 350+ page book was a joy to read. Sometimes when I read the bible I forget how much time goes by during a story such as Esther’s. It wasn’t overnight, and Star of Persia was a good reminder of that as well.
The bottom line is that I enjoyed reading Star of Persia. Smith had my attention at the beginning, and kept it through the end. Biblical fiction fans will enjoy this story, as long as they are reading it for fun and enjoyment, not an in-depth study of Esther. I encourage you to do just that. Read this and then read the story of Esther in your bible. Maybe do a study to compare and contrast, and then when you’re done continue into more research. I think you’ll be surprised at what you find!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my
I love reading biblical fiction and I especially love this author’s books and writing style so I was very excited to read this!
I have read the story of Esther from other authors, but I love her story and knew Jill Eileen Smith would do an amazing job and I was right! Of course she included biblical facts that we know about Esther, but the extra fictitious liberties made the character and story so alive and wonderful to read.
I also enjoyed reading about Queen Vashti along with the other characters like Mordecai. Thrilling, dramatic and easy to read. Highly recommend! Absolutely loved it!
I received a copy of this book complimentary for blog and social media review. All opinions are my own.
Biblical Fiction is such a wonderful medium to better understand the pains, heartaches, betrayals, and struggles of our heroes of faith! Star of Persia: Esther’s Story by Jill Eileen Smith is another unique look at what Esther’s life and struggles may have looked like — and it’s definitely worth reading!
I was truly impressed with the way the author was able to breath life into this account that’s been read and told many times. While the author gives readers hope for Esther’s happiness, the unsavory and heartbreaking realities of Esther’s life are not idealized as a fairytale. The addition of certain historical details gives fresh insight into the Biblical account, adding unique significance to some of the key moments and choices of Esther’s life. At it’s core, Esther’s stand and testimony — the story we know by heart — remains unchanged, but there are still fresh lessons to be learned, revelations to be hand, and stands of faith to be made!
Ultimately, the character development — especially for the people who weren’t Esther — is what impressed me the most in Star of Persia! The addition of Amestris (one of Xerxes’ wives) added a powerful thread to the palace politics that could have been (and history shows they often were) at play. Mordecai was humanized, becoming a man who made fearful mistakes and also had to take a stand of faith. Xerxes was developed past his womanizing ways and intense rages, showing readers a broken man who you desperately hoped would do the right thing. And the best part is that this complex cast of characters shows just how much God’s hand was at work!
Four Stars ~ Star of Persia: Esther’s Story by Jill Eileen Smith blends fact and fiction with a call for action, faith, and courage. Star of Persia is a standalone, but the author has many other wonderful titles in her backlist for readers to enjoy!
Disclaimer ~ In accordance with FTC regulations, I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not compensated, nor was a positive review required. All opinions expressed are my own.
I love the story of Esther!
This was my first time reading a book by Jill Eileen Smith and I truly liked it. I usually tend to stay away from Biblical fiction, as I want to remember the story as it happens in the Bible. However, I may revisit my stance on that after reading this wonderful retelling of Esther in the Star of Persia. I believe that Jill Eileen Smith helped me see Esther’s story from a completely new perspective that only added to my knowledge of the original Biblical story.
The whole book was liking being inside Esther’s head and seeing what she would have been going through during the virgin selection prosses, through her reign as Queen of Persia. This book also helped give words to the emotions Esther would have been experiencing as she was being taken away from her family, thrown into a completely new world, and knowing that she risked everything for the lives of her people. This book gave me a new respect for Esther and helped me to understand the enormity of what Esther did for the Jewish people. I think that the Star of Persia added to my understanding of that period and showed how amazingly God used an orphan to achieve great things for His people.
I loved the historical accuracy of this book as well. If you read the authors’ note at the end of the book, Jill Eileen Smith explains some of the different variants, both Biblical and secular, about the story of Esther. An awesome fountain of facts! It helped me understand more of the intricacies of the Biblical story from a historical standpoint.
I give this book 5 out of 5 stars for the creative insights to the life and times of Esther, for giving me a better connection to the Biblical story, and for the great historical detail that went into making this book so accurate. I highly recommend reading this book.
*I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.
This is a well written story about Esthe, the Queen of Persia. This goes from when she is six years old to just after she helps to save the Jewish population. I love how she can take a small bible story and bring all of these people to life. You like some people and dislike others. This also shows the difference in how we live today. This is an easy read so anyone can enjoy this story. I received a copy of this book from Revell for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
Star of Persia, Esther’s Story, by Jill Eileen Smith is the exotic, out-of-this-world, true-to-life tale of how the simple, lovely orphan girl, Esther became the beautiful, honored and revered battle queen of Persia. Caught in the throes of the bitter intrigue and murky strife of palace politics, Esther finds herself in an impossible, catch 22 situation, one in which she can either risk her life or consign herself and her people to the fiery flames of annihilation.
With her impeccable flair for research and her imaginative, conversational, story-telling style, Jill Eileen Smith brings to life the romantic, suspenseful, and beloved story of Esther, drama queen of Persia.
Here in this book, you will meet real people with flaws and foibles, whose palpable emotions tug at your heartstrings, in this passionate story of the Bible’s greatest Jewish heroine.
Jill Eileen Smith weaves together richly crafted descriptions, well-researched historical detail, and merges them together in biblical stories with a fresh, new perspective.
I highly recommend this book to all who wish to make Queen Esther’s story come alive to readers of today. I was captivated and spellbound as I read it, line by line, page by page. I couldn’t put the book down until I reached the end. Great reading!
Book Review of “Star of Persia” by Jill Eileen Smith
First off, I must say that “Star of Persia”–“Esther’s Story” is more than just another re-telling of the biblical story of Esther. Though it indeed is that, it is so much more.
It is a story that adds historical and imaginative accounts to the biblical truth in a way that draws the reader in from the very first page and holds their interest until the very last page, actually the story stays in one’s mind, lingering, long after that last page.
Jill Eileen Smith does a wonderful job of making each character come alive and seem real, bringing the reader to form a relationship with each one.
The story is about Esther, but it is also about Mordecai, her uncle and his wife and family. It is about King Xerxes,and his thoughts and feelings, not only as a King, but also as a person. It is about Queen Vashti and Queen Amestris, the two queens before Esther and how each of them react to their roles in the kingdom. It is also about the servants, maids and eunachs under the King’s rule, plus, of course, Haman and all the political undertones of those days.
Each character is revealed to the reader through their thoughts and actions making the story come alive more than if it were just told by Esther herself. One sees how the thoughts, feelings and actions people have not only effect how they live their lives, but also how they effect others lives around them. One also sees how God often works in the background to bring about His plans and purposes even though people think He’s absent.
Jill Eileen Smith shows the reader what is happening on each page rather than just telling them, as she weaves fiction with truth into a wonderful story which is biblically based but also formed from historical facts.
Though I have read the bible story many times and a few other fiction and non-fiction books that have been written about Esther, I have to say that this book “Star of Persia” is one of the most inspirational, informative, interesting and imaginative fictional works on Esther that I have ever read. It also clearly shows God weaving His plan and purpose for Esther’s life and His people, the Jews, lives throughout each event. Plus the title and the cover are most intriguing and eye catching.
I highly recommend this book, it’s a page turner that will not disappoint you.
I was given a copy of this book free by Revell Publishing in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.
–Leona J. Atkinson
Star of Persia by Jill Eileen Smith is a stand-alone Biblical story. Ms. Smith tells the Biblical story of Esther from the scriptural view with bits of history thrown in. The story had plenty of palace intrigue and followed pretty closely to the Biblical account. I’m not sure I agree with the way Xerxes was portrayed, but it made for a very interesting read. I really enjoyed reading this version of the story. The love between Esther and Xerxes is something that a lot of authors leave out of the story of Esther because they are writing from the Biblical account. So to have that woven into this story was a very nice touch.
I received this book LibraryThing for my honest review.
The fact a book is a Biblical fiction would normally stop me from reading a book, but I had to read this one. You see of all of the stories in the Bible Esther is my second favorite old testament book, it’s just so beautiful, Joseph is my favorite, Ruth is my third favorite.
Now if you’ve followed me long you may have noticed I rarely read Biblical fiction, because I want to make sure I know the true account of the story. Makes sense, right? But I have one weakness in Biblical fiction and that is Esther … I know the story well enough to keep facts straight from fiction, I read Esther several times a year.
Now, the second reason I had to read this book is the cover … It has purple, my favorite color. Just so pretty, and I love it.
For the “story” I was happy to find a story that was accurate, showed a side of Xerxes that made me see him as more of a human? I’ve enjoyed reading Esther and Xerxes’ romance but at times it is hard to realize that Xerxes was only a man, a human like anyone else.
What I was not expecting was to read from Vashti’s point of view, which was really interesting, and different and intriguing.
As far as Biblical fiction goes I must say this is a one of a kind, lovely, and informative, yet interesting story.
There is violence mentioned, backstabbing, and killing as well.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.