From the very first word of Tosca Lee's forthcoming book "The Legend of Sheba: Rise of a Queen" I was captivated. Entranced, really. Totally drawn into the story as if I were there. I could smell the spices, hear the camels' hooves, see the alabaster and feel Sheba's emotions. I was captivated by Queen Bilqis much the way King Solomon was in Lee's telling of this obscure yet infamous queen. It was like she'd gotten under my skin and I couldn't untangle my life from hers until the very last page. Yes, the book was that good. After the traumatic death of her mother, Bilqis suffers neglect and abuse at the hand of her father's other wife. She thinks the god of her mother saves her from further torment and she journeys to the land of her mother where she finds love. But then, her father dies and the throne of Saba is at risk. Bilqis rises to the occasion, unifies her kingdom and saves the throne. That is just the beginning of the story. She hears, from her prolific trader, of Solomon, King of Israel and is intrigued by his worship of the Nameless God, the great I Am. Theirs is a mutal desire to be known, understood, loved. But you'll have to read it yourself to find out what happens. Lee, whose other books I have voraciously read, skillfully weaves a beautiful, palpable story. She masterfully creates characters that walk off the pages and into your living room. This delicious book about the Queen of Sheba is no less a masterpiece. It will stay with you long after you put it down. Check back tomorrow for an interview with author Tosca Lee! From the Publisher Her name is legend. Her story, the epic of nations. The Queen of Sheba. A powerful new novel of love, power, and the questions at the heart of existence by the author of the award-winning “brilliant” (Library Journal) and “masterful” (Publishers Weekly) Iscariot. There is the story you know: A foreign queen, journeying north with a caravan of riches to pay tribute to a king favored by the One God. The tale of a queen conquered by a king and god both before returning to her own land laden with gifts. That is the tale you were meant to believe. Which means most of it is a lie. The truth is far more than even the storytellers could conjure. The riches more priceless. The secrets more corrosive. The love and betrayal more passionate and devastating. Across the Red Sea, the pillars of the great oval temple once bore my name: Bilqis, Daughter of the Moon. Here, to the west, the porticoes knew another: Makeda, Woman of Fire. To the Israelites, I was queen of the spice lands, which they called Sheba. In the tenth century BC, the new Queen of Sheba has inherited her father’s throne and all its riches at great personal cost. Her realm stretches west across the Red Sea into land wealthy in gold, frankincense, and spices. But now new alliances to the North threaten the trade routes that are the lifeblood of her nation. Solomon, the brash new king of Israel famous for his wealth and wisdom, will not be denied the tribute of the world—or of Sheba’s queen. With tensions ready to erupt within her own borders and the future of her nation at stake, the one woman who can match wits with Solomon undertakes the journey of a lifetime in a daring bid to test and win the king. But neither ruler has anticipated the clash of agendas, gods, and passion that threatens to ignite—and ruin—them both. An explosive retelling of the legendary king and queen and the nations that shaped history. |
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