Queen by R. J. Larson ~ Book Review

Synopsis 

Fantasy inspired by the Book of Esther... 

Bel-Tygeon, the fallen god-king of Belaal, has bowed to the Infinite and accepted life as a mortal. Now he is desperate to return to his kingdom. Hunted by his enemies, he accepts refuge among the Eosyths, at the bidding of Serena of Clan Darom. But Serena and her family are also Bel-Tygeon's enemies, and he must conceal his true name and royal rank from them--even when he realizes that Serena is the woman he has sought for years. The woman he loves. The woman he longs to proclaim as his queen. Yet she can never be his. 

Serena of Clan Darom wants nothing more than to protect her family and save her people, the Eosyths, from their enemies. She cannot afford to fall in love with a madman. A stranger. Yet honor dictates that she must shelter Ty and protect him with her life. Will one act of kindness destroy everything she's worked for and believed? 

And how can the unknowable Infinite, worshipped by her lord-father, ever help her in their struggle to survive? 

Child of Dust, are you My servant?

Review 

Another awesome book by R. J. Larson!

I enjoyed the setting, which was mainly in the rugged mountains where the Eosyths live. The Eosyths are a group of people who live off of the land, stick together, and support each other. Their way of life is simple, but rich in morals and standards. 

The characters were awesome! My favorites were little Miyna (she was adorable!) and Ayden. Ayden and Miyna were two of Serena's little siblings. 

The Biblical themes were great, and were woven throughout. Throughout the novel you can see the Infinite's hand through it all. This book has some of the story of Esther in it, along with King Nebuchadnezzar, among others.

I would encourage you to read some of R. J. Larson's works. Although they are labeled fantasy, they aren't full of a ton of fantasy. Also, the messages are really good. I'd suggest starting with the Books of the Infinite series. Here are my reviews of the books from that series: Prophet, Judge, King. :) I would recommend the Books of the Infinite series for 13/14+, and I would recommend Exiles (review here) and Queen for 14+!

Happy Purim! ~ The Story of Esther

Happy Purim, everyone! For those who don't know what Purim is, I'll explain it in this post. :)

Many people know of the story of Esther, and how God used her to save her people. However, have you heard of the Purim festival discussed in the Book of Esther? Purim is a Jewish feast celebrating ADONAI delivering them from Haman's wicked plot to destroy all the Jews.

"Mordecai recorded these events and he sent letters to all the Jews throughout the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, urging them to celebrate the fourteenth and fifteeth days of Adar every year as the days when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into celebration. These were to be days of feasting, celebration and sending presents of food to one another and giving gifts to the poor."
Esther 9:20-22

What is so cool about the book of Esther, is although ADONAI's Name isn't mentioned in the book of Esther, you can see how He delivered His people. You can see ADONAI's hand through it all.

Here is a great music video of a song called Esther's Song. :)

I encourage you all to read the book of Esther yourself1 :) Happy Purim!