Fascinating Biblical Fiction--"King's Shadow" by Angela Hunt--Review

My Review: 

"King's Shadow" by Angela Hunt is the fourth book in the “Silent Years” series, but can certainly be read as a standalone.  I was intrigued by the concept of this novel.  It deals with a time period in history that is not often written about and focuses primarily on lesser known characters (especially in the arena of Christian and Biblical fiction). 

This novel takes place during King Herod’s reign (the king who ordered the murder of all of the male babies in Bethlehem in the Christmas story).  It is told through the eyes of Herod’s sister Salome and her maidservant Zara. 

"King's Shadow" is not so much an inspirational novel, but more of a great story that takes place in the Biblical time period.  It has some inspirational content, but not as much as I expected.  Ms. Hunt is an amazing writer and I love this story about the political intrigue surrounding Herod and his family.  I learned so much about this period in history and the characters that are a part of the drama of the time (Cleopatra and Marc Antony, to name a few).  It is a tumultuous time.  It is fascinating to see what the political climate was like leading up to the birth of Christ and what happened in Herod’s life to make him the man he was (one who would order the mass murder of infants).  I would definitely recommend this book to lovers of history and Biblical fiction. 

Content:  I rate this book PG-13.  Being in Herod’s court means there is a lot of corruption.  Some examples of the content are:  a man attempts to rape a woman; sexual innuendos; references to bedding women and going to their chambers; mistresses; sexual references.

Rating: I give this book 4 stars.

I want to thank Angela Hunt and Bethany House Publishers for the complimentary copy of this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I express in this review are my own. This is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s CFR 16, Part 255.

About the Author:

Christy-Award winner Angela Hunt writes for readers who expect the unexpected in novels. With over five million copies of her books sold worldwide, she is the best-selling author of more than 140 works ranging from picture books (The Tale of Three Trees) to non-fiction books, to novels.

Now that her two children are grown, Angie and her husband live in Florida with Very Big Dogs (a direct result of watching Turner and Hooch and Sandlot too many times). This affinity for mastiffs has not been without its rewards–one of their dogs was featured on Live with Regis and Kelly as the second-largest canine in America. Their dog received this dubious honor after an all-expenses-paid trip to Manhattan for the dog and the Hunts, complete with VIP air travel and a stretch limo in which they toured New York City.

Afterward, the dog gave out pawtographs at the airport.

Angela admits to being fascinated by animals, medicine, psychology, unexplained phenomena, chickens, and “just about everything” except sports. Books, she says, have always shaped her life— in the fifth grade she learned how to flirt from reading Gone with the Wind.

Her books have won the coveted Christy Award, several Angel Awards from Excellence in Media, and the Gold and Silver Medallions from Foreword Magazine’s Book of the Year Award. In 2007, her novel The Note was featured as a Christmas movie on the Hallmark channel. Romantic Times Book Club presented her with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006. She received a Lifetime Achievement Award from American Christian Fiction Writers in 2019.

Also in 2006, Angela completed her Master of Biblical Studies in Theology degree. She completed her doctorate in biblical studies in 2008 and her Th.D. in 2015. When she’s not home reading or writing, Angie often travels to teach writing workshops at schools and writers’ conferences. And to talk about her dogs and chickens, of course.  She is also an avid photographer, using her photos to help find homes for animals at local rescues.

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