About the Book:
From the bestselling author of Jewel of the Nile comes the thrilling tale of a woman who feels she has no future but soon discovers the fate of nations may rest in her hands.
The beloved daughter of Jewish captives in Babylon, Keren is sold into Daniel’s household to help her family survive. She becomes Daniel’s most trusted scribe, while taking lessons and swordsmanship training alongside Daniel’s sons and their best friend, Jared.
But after a tragic accident changes the course of her life, Keren finds herself in a foreign country, charged with a mysterious task: teaching a shepherd boy how to become a lord. When she overhears whispers that hint at his true identity, she realizes she must protect him from the schemes of a bloodthirsty king.
Jared cannot forgive Keren. Still, he finds himself traveling over mountains to fetch her back to the safety of home. When he discovers the secret identity of Keren’s pupil, Jared knows he must help protect him. Love battles bitterness as they flee from the king’s agents, trying to save the boy who could one day deliver their people from captivity.
My Thoughts:
Fire and Lightning! Keren, female lead in The Hidden Prince by Tessa Afshar, captivated me with her perceptiveness and intelligence. Her “voice” invited me into her story and kept me turning the pages. I devoured the novel, excited for the plot and relationship developments. Then I read the book again, with knowledge of what would happen, and enjoyed it more the second time! With an ancient setting, beautiful prose, and spiritual truths, The Hidden Prince deserves to be savored.
Like so many of Tessa Afshar’s novels, The Hidden Prince, embeds spiritual themes into captivating fiction. The characters deal with so many things: following God’s will, setting one’s heart on truth, moving from upheaval to fruitfulness. My personal favorite was the theme about flourishing in the desert. I marked over forty quotes during my readings. If I read the novel again, I’d likely find more nuggets of truth to meditate on.
The Hidden Prince swirls together powerful themes, a
thwarted romance, and royal intrigue. The story holds a strong dose of tragedy
for Keren and Jared, creating depth and emotional investment for the reader, but
without feeling overly heavy. I enjoyed reading The Hidden Prince and
rate it five stars.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of
this book by the author or publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.
I like that this book has a very intelligent heroine. Nice review, Jolene.
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