This was a retelling of Queen Esther told from her slave, Darya’s perspective. I thought it was a very faithful and clean retelling! This novel is perfect for middle school readers and it would help them understand the Biblical story!

NetGalley, Lauralee Jacks

What a wonderful story. Though I am not Jewish, I enjoyed learning about these characters and events. The author did a fabulous job of making the characters learn and grow, and I looked forward to seeing their story to the end. The details of the setting were enough to keep me grounded, but not so much that it overwhelmed me and took me away from the characters. An excellent book for older readers.

NetGalley, Jenny Stahl

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I loved the way Pransky tied in the culture and references to the handmaidens with a middle grade twist. Yes, as an adult reader I saw many of the plot points coming but a middle grade reader would not. It isn't often that I find a book that celebrates a Biblical/Jewish heroine and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

NetGalley, Julie Williams

I really enjoyed this book! I love how Pransky put lots of thought behind the historical aspects of the plot 😁 The storyline was really entertaining and the plot twist at the end I did not see coming! Although, thinking back on the plot there were many points that alluded to what happened at the end of the book. I also think that the time jumps were well done and helped the story move along at a good pace. The writing style was also very simplistic since this is intended to be a middle-grade book. Overall this was a great story 😊

NetGalley, Vanessa Wojtanowski

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I want to see where the story could go for here, and personally, fingers crossed for a sequel! Overall, I loved this book, and I recommend it if you're into historical fiction.

NetGalley, Elianna V