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.
more
This is an excellent read that brings the story of Esther to life. It is a work of fiction based on Esther and done in such a way that you have a better appreciation of how God used her to save His people. I had to go back and read the book of Esther after I read this book. This is a wonderful book of love, faith, and trust in God. I highly recommend this book.
I so enjoyed Jill Eileen Smith’s take on the Biblical account of Esther in Star of Persia. Biblical fiction is a genre I have come to love over the past few years. Seeing how authors bring well known Bible stories to life backed by historical research has given me a greater appreciation and understanding for the time period. And Smith has become an author I greatly respect when it comes to such stories.
In Star of Persia, Smith brings forth an in-depth and fascinating look at Queen Esther. Fast paced, full of lively descriptions, colourful characters, and palace intrigue, this story captivates and challenges our imaginations. Characters I had only known through the Bible burst into reality, and King Xerxes, Queen Vashti, and Mordeccai grew in dimension before me. I was captivated by Smith’s attention to detail and brilliant storytelling ability. This book was truly a delight to read. I highly recommend it!
I received this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
Just read this book recently and was caught up in Esther’s world. This writer has a special touch that sets her books apart. I plan to read more of Jill Eileen Smith.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell and was under no obligation to post a review.
Star of Persia
By: Jill Eileen Smith
REVIEW
I don’t know much about the biblical history behind Star of Persia. Nevertheless, Jill Eileen Smith has crafted a compelling insightful story that even I understand. I especially enjoy the well written intermingling of fact and fiction to create a seamless tale. Esther is a beautiful woman who will be queen. Beauty is a blessing and a curse, bringing favor but inviting harm as well. Esther wonders why she was chosen for the life she is living. The story reminds us that only God has these answers, but we can trust he is using all things for good. Regardless of past deeds, anyone at any time may prove useful. Esther’s life was purposefully chosen to carry out God’s plan for her. Esther is a thought provoking character, and this story has stayed with me. I enjoyed reading Star of Persia, biblical aspects aside, simply as an excellent story. If this suits your tastes, then I do hope you pick up a copy because you will not be disappointed.
I’m surprised that I have not heard more of the Biblical story of Esther after reading this retelling. This is why I love reading historical novels. It brings you to the forefront of cultures, struggles and a past you may never have been aware of.
Smith paints a beautiful recreation of Persia during this time from the Jewish community to the halls of Xerxes court. Vashti is the first Queen of Persia and love of King Xerxes as the novel begins. Her part in the novel is short and heartbreaking. I wished there would have been more to learn of how her life ended up but this was not her story. Esther (Hadassah) is no less the Queen that Vashti was depicted as. Her heart was kind, she cared about those who served her and she fought for the lives of her people at the risk of her own. I was enamored by her strength as a woman during a time when they are mere property. The drama with the other wives of Xerxes, the plots of revenge, undermining and the backstabbing had me turning pages at break neck speed. I did not want to put this book down.
Though this novel focuses on Esther, I enjoyed how Smith depicted the other characters and their personal weaknesses. The fight of faith during oppression was woven richer than the tapestries that hung in Xerxes’ halls. I could not begin to comprehend the true fear and struggle so many faced due to Haman the second to the King. Even the romance between Esther and Xerxes was written beautifully.
I highly recommend this to any historical fiction reader even if you’re not one to typically pick up biblical retellings.
This is my second book I read from Jill Eileen Smith. I am always worried about Bible stories being really boring and hard to follow, but Smith does not do that. She knocked it out of the park again. I never read Esther’s story in the “Holy Bible”.
She takes us into the story how a Jewish girl became queen in the Persian’s king, Xerxes, court and how she saved her people from Haman who wanted to see all the Jews annihilated. The story is told from a variety of point of views. There is Hadassah/Esther, Mordecai, Xerxes, and Haman. There is also point of view from Xerxes’ other wife who is the mother of Darius and Artaxerxes. The way Smith has written the story of Esther, she made Xerxes more personal.
God uses everyone. He doesn’t just empower men, but he also empowers women too. Other topics in the book is jealousy. God is always there and guiding us into the right direction. Every page allowed me to discover the word of God. God puts us in certain places at a certain time.
Smith did an amazing job with detailed description of each character. It is full of details of the time period and historical information of Xerxes and his reign. The story mainly focuses on the romance.
Esther is kind and faced danger dead on. She never let things get her down and never abused her power as queen. King Xerxes on the other hand allowed fear to hold him back. He had a heart of gold, but relied too much on his council who lead him astray. He fears failure. Don’t we all? I know I do. He banishes his favorite wife when she didn’t sow up at one of his dinners. Later he finds new love, Hadassah, who he made her his queen. Hadassah, later name changed to Esther, is keeping a secret of being a jew.
The romance between Esther and Xerxes was well done. They loved each other beyond the surface level.
Haman is evil. He loves power and very smart. He did whatever he was told in order to gain power. Amestris is the antagonist who loves power.
After reading “Star of Persia”, I now want to open up my “Holy Bible” and read Esther’s story.
I love seeing authors writing about powerful women and Esther is a powerful woman. Even if you aren’t a Bible fan or believer you will still enjoy the story. Smith did her research and it showed.
I highly recommend reading Jill Eileen Smith’s Biblical Fiction books.
Check out more book reviews on my blog called “Stephanie’s Life of Determination”
“I received a complimentary copy of this book by Revell and was not required to write a postiive review. All opinions expressed are my own. “
*3.5 stars*
With Esther being such a favorite biblical character for women, her story can be quite the risk to undertake. By now, unless readers are brand new to biblical fiction, there’s a good chance that they’ve already read at least one other retelling of Esther’s life. As someone who has read a few others myself, I would have to say that even though I enjoyed this one, it admittedly hasn’t dethroned my favorite. In no way does it mean it wasn’t a solid read, it just means there’s also a lot of good competition out there.
I liked that this telling included parts that were from Vashti’s perspective. I don’t think I’ve seen that before but it gave an added layer of depth. I wish we could have seen from her following her banishment, but just as in the Bible, her tale ends when Esther steps in. I also liked getting a glimpse into the mind of Xerxes. It was easier to see him as a man and not just a king. In some ways I was even able to relate to him. He clearly had an approval addiction, and because of it he was easily misled. Over time he grew more and more paranoid as he wasn’t able to trust anyone anymore. By looking to other men instead of God for direction, he found himself wrought with anxiety.
I am always one who greatly encourages reading the author’s note at the end when they are included, but I have to admit that this was one that didn’t sit right with me. As I was reading this story there were pieces that seemed to stand out, and I wasn’t sure if it was due to creative license or through actual research. For example, this was the first read that I recall adding an extra wife (Amestris) to the main narrative. In the author’s note she stated that she tried something different by weaving the “secular history into the biblical story.” I understand that there is secular history about Xerxes that doesn’t quite match up, but it bothered me to see that it appeared the secular history was elevated above the Bible in order for the pieces to fit together. It also bothered me to see that it was secular HISTORY vs Bible STORY, when the Bible itself IS history. Maybe it’s just me reading into it too much, but it didn’t sit right with me.
Even though there were elements that I wasn’t fond of, overall I did enjoy the read and could still easily recommend it to others. At the end of the day this is a work of fiction, and should not be looked upon as the ultimate truth. Instead, we should be looking to the Bible for that. It was still an interesting and engaging read.
*I received a copy of this book from Revell Publishers. Thoughts and opinions expressed are mine alone.
I wish I could give “Star Of Persia” one-hundred stars. In this awe-inspiring tale, Jill Eileen Smith has written a masterpiece that is the finest retelling of Queen Esther that you could ever hope to read. “Star Of Persia” will have you feeling as though you are living and seeing the heart of every person within this book. It shows us the unwavering faith of Queen Esther in our Almighty God, who though He seemed silent, was with her in every step she took; that led to the saving of the Jewish nation from complete annihilation.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book through the publisher was not required to write a favorable review. All opinions are my own.
This book is a fictionalized version of the Biblical account of Esther. The story is Biblically accurate but the fiction is in the expansion of the story. It gives a glimpse of what Esther’s life may have been like in the day to day aspect and what it may have been like to live in the palace. At the end of the book, the author explains how she wove the Bible and history into this book.
The characters are very well developed and if feels like you get to know Esther and others on a more intimate plane. The story flows very well and it kept my interest throughout. Also, the editing was very well done and I was reading an ARC version provided to me through LibraryThing Early readers. With this said, this review is my own opinion and freely given.
I have enjoyed every book I’ve read that was written by Jill Eileen Smith and this was not disappointing in any way. If you enjoy Biblical fiction, historical fiction, or just a good Christian novel, this book will not disappoint you. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars and would recommend it to my friends. This review is posted wherever available. https://mybooksiread.blogspot.com/2020/01/star-of-persia-byjill-eileen-smith.html