Book Review: The King's Shadow: A Novel of King Herod's Court by Angela Hunt

The King's Shadow is Book 4 of The Silent Years Series. This is a series that doesn't have to be read in a particular order. The silent years refers to the period of time between the end of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament when God did not speak to the Jewish people.

There are two main characters in this story. One is Salome, the sister of King Herod. The second is Zara, Salome's handmaid. Salome is a selfish and resentful woman. Zara is a child at the beginning of the story. She grows into a selfless and compassionate woman.

Salome loves her brother, King Herod. She tries to help him keep his power safe. She hates the king's wife and mother-in-law who are always gossiping and plotting against her and eventually the king. There is a lot of intrigue revolving around the king's sons. Affiliations with Marc Anthony help the king stay in power but his power is threatened by Cleopatra.

When King Herod took the city of Jerusalem, Zara's father died and her mother was paralyzed. Zara was given the opportunity to become the handmaid of Salome when she was just a girl. She learned how to please her mistress and learned the inner workings of the court. When she grew up,  she wanted to have a family of her own.

I really enjoyed this story. It brings a lot of insight into what it might have been like in King Herod's court. Zara was a nice counter-balance to Salome. I thought the ending was very appropriate.

I received a free copy from Netgalley for an honest review.

Book Review: Empty Nest, Full Life: Discovering God's Best for your Next By Jill Savage

Empty Nest, Full Life is aimed right at me! Both my children will be heading off to college in the fall. It helped me identify what was bothering me about them leaving. The book had very practical advice on how to relate to my kids as adults. It had topics about relating to our spouse, our friends and ourselves now that the kids are out of the house.

The book was divided into two main parts. Part 1 was about letting go. It talked about letting go of our expectations, guilt, opinions, traditions and your child's problems. I personally find that letting go of guilt and my child's problems to be the hardest for me. The advice in these chapters were very helpful to me.

Part 2 was about holding on or grabbing hold of. Some of the topics were grabbing hold of new passions and friendships. Holding on to your marriage and God's hand. I found the topics about friendship and marriage to be the most helpful to me.

This book is aimed at a Christian mom. I highly recommend.

I received a free copy from Netgalley for an honest review.

The Number of Love by Roseanna M. White Review

The Number of Love is the first book in a new series from Roseanna M. White.  Margot, the main character, was previously introduced in A Song Unheard.  Margo is a codebreaker in World War I.  Her mind sees numbers and patterns everywhere. She even prays in numbers. After the war, she wants to go to university and study mathematics. She doesn’t want to be the traditional wife and mother. She has goals and dreams.

Enter Drake Elton. He is her best friend’s brother and secretly a spy for England stationed in Spain. When he gets hurt and sent back to England, he falls for Margot. She declares she has no use for romance but slowly her feelings for Drake intensify.

The tension rises as enemy spies are about. Margot needs to break the code they are using so Drake can stop them.

I really enjoyed this story.  Margot is a well thought out character.  Her journey from extreme logical thinking to finally accepting and giving love was very believable.  The plot with the enemy spies was exciting. It was nice to learn more about codebreaking in World War I.

I received this book from Netgalley for an honest opinion.