Review - The Queen's Handmaid

The Queen's Handmaid
By Tracy L. Higley
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Pub. Date: March 18, 2014
Retail: $15.99
ISBN: 978-1401686840
Pages: 400
Buy Link: http://ow.ly/uKKQP
Blog Tour: http://litfusegroup.com/author/thigley

Review:

I can't believe this month is half way over already. 2014 is flying by way to quickly, but I have made time to read several new titles, including The Queen's Handmaid by Tracy L. Higley.

Now, I'm mostly a fan of books set in the 1800s, but The Queen's Handmaid is set in 39BC, which is a bit of a stretch from the wild wild west era. Though I don't read books from this time period, however, I do watch movies (Gladiator) and television series (Spartacus) that are sent around that era, so I thought I would give the book a shot.

The Queen's Handmaid centers on a young woman named Lydia, who happens to be the handmaid for Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt. She doesn't have a family, as she has been an orphan since birth, and she now resides in the Queen's palace, where she spends her days taking care of the Queen's children.

Age is catching up with Cleopatra and having a beautiful young handmaid is causing a few problems, as men are taking notice of Lydia, especially Herod, the Galilean governor.

Lydia's life takes a twisted turn when her friend and mentor, Samuel, is murdered. He leaves a precious gift for her - a set of sealed scrolls, the secret writings of the prophet Daniel. It is now her destiny to return the scrolls to Jerusalem, before her mentor's murderers learn that she is in procession of the scrolls.

Though the author's name, Tracy L. Higley, does sound familiar, I don't recall if I have read a book by her before, but I read some many books, there is a chance I have read a title of hers and I just don't remember. That being said, I found The Queen's Handmaid to be a wonderful read. The author has a great ways with descriptions and I was hooked after reading the first few pages. Overall, The Queen's Handmaid is one of my favorite books from 2014 so far. I'll have to keep an eye out for her other novels.

*Disclaimer - I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

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About the Author: 

Tracy L. Higley started her first novel at age eight and has been hooked on writing ever since. She has authored many novels, including Garden of Madness and So Shines the Night. Tracy is currently pursuing a graduate degree in Ancient History and has traveled through Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and Italy, researching her novels and falling into adventures.

See Tracy's travel journals and more at: tracyhigley.com