Esther: Royal Beauty by Angela Hunt Review

In the time of King Xerxes, the Jews living in Persia could speak of nothing except returning to their rightful land of Judea and beginning their lives anew. All except one. Hadassah knows nothing of the promised land. She knows of the beautiful women of Susa who are happier and freer than her Jewish cousin and friends and like many of these free women, she dreams of the palace at the top of the hill. Unlike many, however, Hadassah does not want to be queen for power or wealth. She wants to be queen to be beautiful. 

Curious, carefree Hadassah yearns to explore the Susa bazaar, travel to distant lands, and become educated. Due to unfortunate circumstances, she finds herself being forced to grow up with an unwanted betrothal. On her way to Jerusalem, Hadassah is taken against her will and forced into the king's harem. A jealous former queen, assassins waiting to strike, and a dangerous foe seeking the destruction of the Jews makes the palace and dangerous place for the new queen because Esther, formally known as Hadassah, has a secret. She is Jewish and must hide her identity to protect herself. Yet with the danger to her people growing by the day, Esther must decide if she will reclaim her heritage and protect her people at great personal danger to herself or if she will remain silent. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Esther:Royal Beauty was my first Biblical fiction and to be honest, I wasn't expecting much, but after reading the first chapter, I was drawn in. The story is compelling and the two characters it focuses on, Hadassah and Harbonah, a eunuch slave to the king, are easy to sympathize with and draw you into their own stories. Hadassah's own personal journey was beautiful and extremely touching. There was also a great deal of action and political intrigue which kept the pages turning. I will definitely be looking for more from this author!

Genre: Biblical fiction

Positives: The two main characters are likable and the story itself is well written with a nice balance and smooth transitions.

Negatives: I felt like there was just something missing. The king was not as developed as I had hoped for and the love Hadassah had for him diminished from the beginning. 

Rating: 4 and a half out of 5 stars