King's Shadow {Book Review}

Two women occupy a place in Herod's court. The first, Salome, is the king's only sister, a resentful woman who has been told she is from an inferior race, a people God will never accept or approve. 

The second woman, Zara, is a lowly handmaid who serves Salome, but where Salome spies conspiracies and treachery, Zara sees hurting people in need of understanding and compassion. 

Powerful and powerless, Idumean and Jew, selfish and selfless--both women struggle to reach their goals and survive in Herod the Great's tumultuous court, where no one is trustworthy and no one is safe.

I really enjoyed the feeling of realism I got from this book. Hunt didn't sugarcoat the horrors or the good that Herod committed, and I enjoyed that (more on this part later). You could also tell that she researched a good deal for this book, and it really came off. You could vividly imagine the court intrigue and the simple life outside the palace. Something that I really admire is authenticity in books because it is something I really strive to insert to my own books.

Something that I mentioned in the previous section that I really liked was Hunt's perspective. It really made me think about the way I've always percieved Herod, and I liked that. Obviously, he was a bad person, but Hunt really showed all those things that lead up to that final decision that lead to the murdering of the innocents in Bethlehem. It actually made me feel bad for Herod, and that's when you know that the author really did her job well.

I didn't really dislike anything, but this isn't going to be a new favorite :)

There are quite a few mentions of lust, affairs, and married couples. But nothing too detailed or graphic.

I've decided to start being a bit harsher in my ratings. Here is my new system:

5 Stars: Amazing, new favorite

4 Stars: Really good!

3 Stars: Liked it

2 Stars: Meh, 'twas okay

1 Star: Did not like it

Anyways, this is a solid 4 stars!

I received a free copy of the book from Bethany House in exchange for my honest opinion

Have you read this before? Or anything else by Angela Hunt? Are you interested in reading this now?