Simply incredible: "The Legend of Sheba" by Tosca Lee

about the book...

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. 

My review....

Tosca Lee's powerful writing plucked me from my armchair and transported me back to a long ago era where Solomon sat on his throne and the Queen of Sheba beguiled him from afar. I was swept up into the moving story from the first chapter, and soon scenes were racing across my mind with vivid clarity, painted there by Lee's talented pen. I have gained a whole new appreciation for the Queen of Sheba, and Tosca Lee has clearly done her research with this novel as it breathes with historical authenticity. As I read through the pages, I felt immersed in the culture and traditions of Sheba's time, wishing that I could step into the story and feast my eyes upon the world in which Sheba lived.

Much of Sheba's story is unknown, and yet Lee has done a fantastic job at fleshing out who this person may have been, and what the relationship between Solomon and Sheba may have looked like. The characters are wonderfully developed, with real depth and human emotion that will have you caring deeply about who they are and the choices they make. The characters are far from perfect, but you will appreciate them all the more for it, perhaps seeing yourself reflected in some of the mistakes that they make. But what is real is the love that is shown, not only the love between the characters, but the love of God shown to his people, for all who would call him by name.

"The Legend of Sheba" is Tosca Lee at her best, with simply beautiful prose, rich characters, and a celebration of deep love.  I enjoyed this book from beginning to end, and award it a full 5 out of 5 stars.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher, Howard Books ((Simon & Schuster Canada), for the purposes of this unbiased review. 

about the author...

Tosca Lee is the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of Iscariot; Demon: A Memoir; Havah: The Story of Eve; and the Books of Mortals series with New York Times bestselling author Ted Dekker. To learn more about Tosca, visit ToscsaLee.com. - See more at: http://authors.simonandschuster.ca/Tosca-Lee/403271376#sthash.S6hJuXAt.dpuf

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