Who Was Esther (Kingdom Files) by Matt Koceich

Who Was Esther? is a new installment in the Kingdom Files series by Matt Koceich. Written by an elementary school teacher, this series is targeted for kids ages 8 to 12. My six year old took an immediate interest in the book and pictures. Though she reads well, because of the length of this book, it is one for us to read together. Older children will be able to easily read the narrative by themselves. There are grayscale pictures throughout.

The book is divided into three parts with the first part being the “Fact File.” This is very basic information about the character such as name, occupation, approximate time of life, etc. In this book, the “Fact File” spans two pages.

The “Action File” is the longest section and retells the Biblical story of Esther, a Jewish orphan who became Queen of Persia and saved her people from annihilation. This section also features “clues” to aid the reader's investigation into discovering the life of the character and thinking more deeply on the text. The text aligns with the Biblical narrative, but it doesn't dip into the sexual aspects of the book. No mentions of harems and concubines. However, I didn't like that Esther being taken to the king was compared with people being saved by Jesus and brought into the Father's house (page 22).

The “Power File” is the last section and my personal favorite part of the book. This portion features ten small devotions based off the story with a correlating Bible verse. I found these to be positive, empowering, appropriate for both genders, and suited to the targeted age range.

In conclusion, Who Was Esther? by Matt Koceich entertains and encourages children as it teaches the story of Esther and provides life applications.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

Esther: Royal Beauty by Angela Hunt

The Biblical tale of Esther recounts the life of a Jewish maiden as she rises from obscurity to queen of Persia. Taken from her home by the edict for beautiful women to be gathered for the king to choose his new queen from, Esther finds favor with those around her while retaining the secret of her heritage. After Esther is crowned queen, a law is issued to exterminate all Jews. To save her people, Esther must risk her life by violating Persian law in order to convince the king to save her people.

I almost passed over Esther: Royal Beauty by Angela Hunt. Some time ago, I'd read another version of Esther's story and disliked the romanticism and idealism. However, the stunning cover stands as an example of how a cover can positively affect a book's appeal and convinced me to try it.

Ultimately, I was glad that I choose to read Esther, the first in Angela Hunt's Dangerous Beauty series. I didn't get too much idealism and the plot was well-written. I liked the perspective changes between Esther (Hadassah) and the king's attendant as it added depth and, at times, suspense to the story line. The plot captured my interest early on and didn't drag – I finished the book in two days.

The ending seemed a bit rushed. The author spent substantial time throughout the book adding in fictional, but appropriate, details that made for a good work of fiction. However, the finale recounted the Biblical ending without much fictional addition. This isn't necessarily bad, but it just felt different from the rest of the book. I still will reread the book in the future and recommend it to people who enjoy Biblical retellings.

An excerpt from Esther by Angela Hunt is available at the publisher's site.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."