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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
I don't like books where I can tell pretty early on the religious beliefs of the author. It's tiring. It's a tired concept.
Make no mistake, this was a book about religion. That's all I can tell you. It had the potential to be really cool and there were parts of it that I liked but you could absolutely tell the author was overwhelmingly Christian. I'm not sure what the purpose of this book was, tbh. Was it to make the FMC stronger? Was it to reform the MMC? Was it to save the FMCs people? There doesn't seem to be an actual point. The ending with the king softening to the queen comes from nowhere? Like this guy killed people for fun, mutilated his previous wife bc she upset him, and raped young girls. Not really sure why he gets a redemption arc.
I wish I hadn't read this lol the only thing I'll say is I was impressed with the author not shrinking away from death and details. Women were raped (it's more than implied, even if you don't "see" it), people important to the story were killed and mutilated, the FMC kills people.
Make no mistake, this was a book about religion. That's all I can tell you. It had the potential to be really cool and there were parts of it that I liked but you could absolutely tell the author was overwhelmingly Christian. I'm not sure what the purpose of this book was, tbh. Was it to make the FMC stronger? Was it to reform the MMC? Was it to save the FMCs people? There doesn't seem to be an actual point. The ending with the king softening to the queen comes from nowhere? Like this guy killed people for fun, mutilated his previous wife bc she upset him, and raped young girls. Not really sure why he gets a redemption arc.
I wish I hadn't read this lol the only thing I'll say is I was impressed with the author not shrinking away from death and details. Women were raped (it's more than implied, even if you don't "see" it), people important to the story were killed and mutilated, the FMC kills people.
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I was super intrigued by the plot of this book and knew I needed to read it. I loved that it was taking a story from the Bible and turning it into fiction while keeping the key elements of the story. I find when I read the Bible I struggle to connect to the people. It feels so distant. I loved that through this book I could really connect with Esther/Roxanna. I loved that while the book is fiction it kept the core of Esther. It kept Faith as apart of her story. Now as I read Esther I can feel her fear and understand her story better. I highly recommend this book to others!
I liked this one, but it was sooooooo slow in the beginning, until the third part of the book, and then everything happened so fast.
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Hate crime, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Violence, Trafficking, Sexual harassment
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Oh my goodness. I cannot get over this book. I did not go into it with high hopes, but soon I was staying up until 2 am just to read it! I love the story of Esther and I thought the creative choices made were smart and respectful of the story. I want more! Can there be a sequel to this??
I was really excited to read this book as I have always been amazed by the story of Esther and her strength, but it got kind of boring and repetitive in the middle of it.
An amazing retelling for the biblical story Esther!!
As you read, you gain on whole new perspective on what Esther might have experienced being forced into her position as Queen!
In this book, you will grieve, laugh, and be on the edge of your seat, waiting to see what happens next! At the same time, you will be filled with hope and think of the redeeming power of our faithful Creator!
As you read, you gain on whole new perspective on what Esther might have experienced being forced into her position as Queen!
In this book, you will grieve, laugh, and be on the edge of your seat, waiting to see what happens next! At the same time, you will be filled with hope and think of the redeeming power of our faithful Creator!
✅ YA Christian Fantasy
✅ Fantasy retelling of Queen Esther from the Bible.
✅ Forbidden Romance
✅ Political Intrigue
A Crown of Chains by Erin Phillips is a fantasy retelling of the Biblical story of Queen Esther. The author puts an original twist on the story leading to a very action-packed read! From forbidden love to intense political intrigue, this story will have you turning pages fast as you move from one dire situation to the next. As a general fantasy lover, I greatly enjoyed the way Erin Phillips set this story across the imaginary world of Florencia. I enjoyed how she included mythical characters like faeries, giants, satyrs, gryphons, and gnomes. It was a very enchanting tale! Miss Phillips is a masterful storywritter and it shows in the way she weaves her story.
As stated above, this is a fantasy retelling of the Biblical story of Esther. There were quite a few things that strayed from the original story and that is the reason why I docked a few stars. As a stand-alone fiction, this novel would be excellent! To advertise/claim it as a retelling of a Biblical story brings a certain responsibility in my opinion. For fear of giving away spoilers, I will just ask that anyone who reads this novel also go to their Bible and re-read the book of Esther.
✅ Fantasy retelling of Queen Esther from the Bible.
✅ Forbidden Romance
✅ Political Intrigue
A Crown of Chains by Erin Phillips is a fantasy retelling of the Biblical story of Queen Esther. The author puts an original twist on the story leading to a very action-packed read! From forbidden love to intense political intrigue, this story will have you turning pages fast as you move from one dire situation to the next. As a general fantasy lover, I greatly enjoyed the way Erin Phillips set this story across the imaginary world of Florencia. I enjoyed how she included mythical characters like faeries, giants, satyrs, gryphons, and gnomes. It was a very enchanting tale! Miss Phillips is a masterful storywritter and it shows in the way she weaves her story.
As stated above, this is a fantasy retelling of the Biblical story of Esther. There were quite a few things that strayed from the original story and that is the reason why I docked a few stars. As a stand-alone fiction, this novel would be excellent! To advertise/claim it as a retelling of a Biblical story brings a certain responsibility in my opinion. For fear of giving away spoilers, I will just ask that anyone who reads this novel also go to their Bible and re-read the book of Esther.