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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
I would first like to thank the author and publisher for sending me a free copy of this book for a giveaway. I am proud to be one of the few readers to have been given this book :)
The Peasent King is a sweet romance biblical fiction, and I recommend it to people who are Christians that like fiction!! This book was beautifully written and biblically accurate. There is a Bible verse at the beginning of every chapter, which I enjoyed.
The Peasent King is a sweet romance biblical fiction, and I recommend it to people who are Christians that like fiction!! This book was beautifully written and biblically accurate. There is a Bible verse at the beginning of every chapter, which I enjoyed.
adventurous
emotional
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The book is one of those rare ones that I was glad I hadn’t DNFd. It did get better after the first third, but it never got super good. It was good enough. Good enough characters and good enough story, though I think Jews, Christians, and possibly Muslims (not sure how much of the quoted Old Testament overlaps with the Quran) might enjoy it much more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, War
The Peasant King was such a lovely book! I have enjoyed [a:Tessa Afshar|3501390|Tessa Afshar|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1636724914p2/3501390.jpg]'s books before so I knew I'd probably enjoy this one too. This one is set during the EARLY reign of Cyrus the Great...before he was "the Great". I also learned that this book FOLLOWS the book [b:The Hidden Prince|60507875|The Hidden Prince|Tessa Afshar|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1646790350l/60507875._SX50_.jpg|95362224] which I haven't read yet. The Hidden Prince is about the parents' of the girl in this book. Now naturally I will have to go back and read that too!
Okay, so the thing I enjoyed most about this book wasthe way it gave some speculative insight on how Cyrus became "The Great" and why he may have had such a good relationship with some of the Jewish people. It made me smile to see "Lord Daniel" appear when they visited Babylon.
I think between Jemmah and Asher that Asher had the most growth as he learned to let go of revenge. Jemmah unfortunately never had quite the same resolution to her own personal handicap. It was like it didn't really get addressed again after this one point yet it was so much a part of her and evident in the early parts of the book. Was it a big deal? no. But it was just sort of odd that she didn't get the same resolution.
The book was biblical fiction. I appreciated the heavy focus on the prophecies of God about His people returning to their land and also how He could use a pagan king to do His will.
4 stars!
**I received this ARC from the publishers and NetGalley. i was not required to write a positive review and all thoughts are 100% my own.
Okay, so the thing I enjoyed most about this book wasthe way it gave some speculative insight on how Cyrus became "The Great" and why he may have had such a good relationship with some of the Jewish people. It made me smile to see "Lord Daniel" appear when they visited Babylon.
I think between Jemmah and Asher that Asher had the most growth as he learned to let go of revenge. Jemmah unfortunately never had quite the same resolution to her own personal handicap. It was like it didn't really get addressed again after this one point yet it was so much a part of her and evident in the early parts of the book. Was it a big deal? no. But it was just sort of odd that she didn't get the same resolution.
The book was biblical fiction. I appreciated the heavy focus on the prophecies of God about His people returning to their land and also how He could use a pagan king to do His will.
4 stars!
**I received this ARC from the publishers and NetGalley. i was not required to write a positive review and all thoughts are 100% my own.
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Book 2 in the series. I didn't like it as much as book 1. It was slow and talked a lit about battles.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My rating: 5 stars
What an outstanding sequel to "The Hidden Prince". I adore this story and its characters. My attention was arrested as Jemmah and Asher go through trials that push them to trust others, and more importantly, trust God.
Speaking of Jemmah and Asher, their romance was adorable. The scene in the cave was especially swoonworthy. I also appreciated how humorous their romance was. They know how to find something to laugh about even when things are serious.
I really cant' think of anything negative about this book, expect I didn't want it to end! I really hope this isn't the last we've seen of the characters from this series!
What an outstanding sequel to "The Hidden Prince". I adore this story and its characters. My attention was arrested as Jemmah and Asher go through trials that push them to trust others, and more importantly, trust God.
Speaking of Jemmah and Asher, their romance was adorable. The scene in the cave was especially swoonworthy. I also appreciated how humorous their romance was. They know how to find something to laugh about even when things are serious.
I really cant' think of anything negative about this book, expect I didn't want it to end! I really hope this isn't the last we've seen of the characters from this series!
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book was fantastic! I loved being able to read the story from different perspectives. It made it such a fun read.
*I was granted an eARC from the publisher. This does not affect my review. This review is voluntary.*
This is actually my first time reading a Tessa Afshar book. I know, I know! In part, yes this is considered the second in a duology...And yes, I've heard about all her other wonderful books. I just haven't gotten the pleasure to read them yet, haha. After reading this one, I'm all the more excited about that prospect though!
I'm super picky about biblical fiction, or anything that includes the bible really. I also tend to shy away from books that have actual bible figures as characters, often preferring biblical fiction that takes place along-side biblical events instead of actually focusing on retelling the stories found in scripture.
This was a fun example of that. Cyrus and a few others are known from biblical and historical accounts, but since Jemmah was the main character, and the story was more focused on her and Asher, their stories paralleling what we know from scripture and history without really changing much of the parts we know about Cyrus himself or others who lives before, I was able to enjoy this fun story for what it was, and actually found myself loving their story as it goes on!
There were a few things that made me unsure and slightly hesitant at times, but by the end none of them really hurt my enjoyment of the story, and none were enough to prevent me from finishing or recommending this one. One of those was Cyrus' faith. We know he was Persian, and so his belief in the Persian gods/god isn't surprising, and likely very true. His insistence in the story of contributing the things promised by the One True GOD, the God the of Hebrews, that I was less a fan of. Sure, people do that, but it's also very disrespecting and
This is actually my first time reading a Tessa Afshar book. I know, I know! In part, yes this is considered the second in a duology...And yes, I've heard about all her other wonderful books. I just haven't gotten the pleasure to read them yet, haha. After reading this one, I'm all the more excited about that prospect though!
I'm super picky about biblical fiction, or anything that includes the bible really. I also tend to shy away from books that have actual bible figures as characters, often preferring biblical fiction that takes place along-side biblical events instead of actually focusing on retelling the stories found in scripture.
This was a fun example of that. Cyrus and a few others are known from biblical and historical accounts, but since Jemmah was the main character, and the story was more focused on her and Asher, their stories paralleling what we know from scripture and history without really changing much of the parts we know about Cyrus himself or others who lives before, I was able to enjoy this fun story for what it was, and actually found myself loving their story as it goes on!
There were a few things that made me unsure and slightly hesitant at times, but by the end none of them really hurt my enjoyment of the story, and none were enough to prevent me from finishing or recommending this one. One of those was Cyrus' faith. We know he was Persian, and so his belief in the Persian gods/god isn't surprising, and likely very true. His insistence in the story of contributing the things promised by the One True GOD, the God the of Hebrews, that I was less a fan of. Sure, people do that, but it's also very disrespecting and
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Straight from page 1, The Peasant King is action packed, driven by political intrigue, full of hope, and characters you want to root for! Tessa never fails to write a beautiful and encouraging message wrapped up in an engaging story!
The Hidden Prince (the original story of Keren, Jared & Cyrus) is my favorite read of 2023 (I've already reread it) and I was so excited to continue their story through their daughter, Jemmah. It is not necessary to read THP, but it definitely provides backstory and extra context into the relationship dynamics between many of the characters and the political conflict. I immediately loved Jemmah, as she is kind, brave, clever, but also struggles with debilitatingly anxiety due to a traumatic childhood event. Although she could have walked away from her faith, it made her stronger. Asher, our main man, is also burdened by his past and I really enjoyed watching him lower his guard with Jemmah and learn to trust. I also enjoyed watching Cyrus' rule as a king, compared to his childhood in THP, and him learning his role of fulfilling God's prophecies. And of course, seeing Keren and Jared again (now married and parents) was so sweet!! I would have liked an epilogue to feel a satisfactory conclusion with all of the characters, but I liked how it ended nonetheless :)
I pulled so many beautiful quotes, but here are a few of my favorites:
"Perhaps it is not how high your position or how great your influence,” Jemmah said slowly. “Perhaps what matters is whether you are a perfect fit in God’s plan. A lowly profession can hide an exalted ability.”
“Somehow all of you occupied that darkness with me. Without judgement. Without derision. You made me feel safe where I have never felt safe.”
"One thing I have seen with my own eyes over the past few months is the sheer complexity of God’s plans on this earth. His majesty at work as he weaves a thousand different strands together. Each one of us was a tiny strand in his hands. Insignificant in ourselves. And yet he used the insignificant in order to bring about his glory.”
*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
The Hidden Prince (the original story of Keren, Jared & Cyrus) is my favorite read of 2023 (I've already reread it) and I was so excited to continue their story through their daughter, Jemmah. It is not necessary to read THP, but it definitely provides backstory and extra context into the relationship dynamics between many of the characters and the political conflict. I immediately loved Jemmah, as she is kind, brave, clever, but also struggles with debilitatingly anxiety due to a traumatic childhood event. Although she could have walked away from her faith, it made her stronger. Asher, our main man, is also burdened by his past and I really enjoyed watching him lower his guard with Jemmah and learn to trust. I also enjoyed watching Cyrus' rule as a king, compared to his childhood in THP, and him learning his role of fulfilling God's prophecies. And of course, seeing Keren and Jared again (now married and parents) was so sweet!! I would have liked an epilogue to feel a satisfactory conclusion with all of the characters, but I liked how it ended nonetheless :)
I pulled so many beautiful quotes, but here are a few of my favorites:
"Perhaps it is not how high your position or how great your influence,” Jemmah said slowly. “Perhaps what matters is whether you are a perfect fit in God’s plan. A lowly profession can hide an exalted ability.”
“Somehow all of you occupied that darkness with me. Without judgement. Without derision. You made me feel safe where I have never felt safe.”
"One thing I have seen with my own eyes over the past few months is the sheer complexity of God’s plans on this earth. His majesty at work as he weaves a thousand different strands together. Each one of us was a tiny strand in his hands. Insignificant in ourselves. And yet he used the insignificant in order to bring about his glory.”
*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Tessa Afshar can't write a bad book, of that I'm sure. The first book in the series was brilliant, and although you can read this one without first having read that one, I'd still recommend you do so for more context about the characters.
Jemmah and Asher were just as cute as Keren and Jared were, the romance was just as sweet and I loved seeing Cyrus too. I'd absolutely reread both of these books and I'm hoping there's more to come in the series.
Jemmah and Asher were just as cute as Keren and Jared were, the romance was just as sweet and I loved seeing Cyrus too. I'd absolutely reread both of these books and I'm hoping there's more to come in the series.