Today, I am sharing a review on Tessa Afshar's latest biblical fiction release. I hope you enjoy it! You can also check out the reading vlog I did on my YouTube channel.
This book was fantastic and I'm giving it a solid five-star rating!!
Title: The Peasant King
Author: Tessa Afshar
Series: Standalone, though you can read The Hidden Prince first.
Age: Adult
Genres: Biblical Fiction
Publication Date: November 7, 2023
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers
Source: e-ARC & eBook
Synopsis:
Jemmah has always thought of herself as perfectly ordinary . . . until she faces extraordinary circumstances.
When her mother, the Persian king’s famous senior scribe, is kidnapped, Jemmah and her sister must sneak undetected into enemy territory to rescue her. But infiltrating their adversary’s lands proves easier than escaping them. Fleeing through dangerous mountain passes, their survival depends on the skills of a stranger they free from a mysterious prince named Asher.
Asher is not who the world believes he is. Despite his royal blood, he has had to climb his way out of poverty to forge success from nothing. A manufacturer of some of the best weaponry in the East, Asher has only one to destroy his father. But following his escape from prison, Asher is irresistibly drawn to Jemmah, unaware that she guards her own secret.
Jemmah must convince Asher to give up everything he has worked for, all for the sake of a higher purpose he’s not sure he believes in. The fate of the Persian empire—and possibly the Judean people—hang in the balance and in the persuasive power of one ordinary woman.
Bestselling author Tessa Afshar delivers another adventurous novel filled with romance and imagination, reminding readers of what Publishers Weekly calls her “amazing talent for packing action and intrigue into the biblical setting for modern readers.”
Full-length historical romance novel set in biblical timesCompelling, clean romance.
Can be read as a standalone or as a companion to The Hidden Prince. Includes discussion questions for book groups
I received an e-ARC of the book from the publisher.
I adored this and as usual, Tessa Afshar can do no wrong for me with her books. I love her writing, her use of Scripture, and how detailed she is in each of her books. Such a great follow-up to The Hidden Prince. The character growth was amazing as well for each character involved in this story.
The story follows Jemmah, Asher, and Cyrus. I loved that though we mainly follow Jemmah and Asher, the few chapters of Cyrus were just as great. We got three perspectives with three different tones and it was amazing.
Jemmah, the main character, is the daughter of the scribe of King Cyrus. She is a warrior, she is brilliant and she sees herself as ordinary. I loved how she never backed down from what she thought was right. She stayed true to her upbringing but adapted to life in Persia. Her trauma caused her a lot of grief, but she grew out of it through sharing her testimony.
Asher, the second main character, is the son who is rejected. He's on a mission to get revenge on his father for the sake of his mother. Asher was very comical from the beginning to the end. He was snarky and always had a quick comeback to say. I loved his growth from feeling without knowing what it means to have roots.
The romance was everything. Very sweet, cute -- almost insta-love, but for this couple, it worked well. They meshed well and were always on the same thought pattern. I adored the banter and confessions.
Cyrus was amazing. Though he was the king, we got to see more of his humanity than as a king. I loved seeing him interact with those around him, especially his soldiers. He ruled with love and respect and knew every person under him. His heart was pure.
The other characters such as Keren, Jared, and Zarina were just as incredible. Zarina was more feisty and always ready for a fight. She had an interesting past that resulted in her having a hard time expressing herself, but the end of the book made me smile for her. Keren and Jared were both amazing parents who loved their children and worked hard for the King. I loved them all.
Overall, this story touched on family, love, purpose, obedience, and letting go. There were many other things talked about but those were the key things that stuck out to me. I loved this story and I cannot wait for the next book from Tessa, The Queen's Cook.
If you have NOT read a Tessa Afshar, please go do so!!!
Blessings,
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