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A review by maliameiireads
The Peasant King by Tessa Afshar
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
4.25
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.