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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-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:
Yes
When I was a little girl, the story of Esther was romanized as a courageous love story of a young Jewish woman who found favor with the king, saved her people, and lived happily ever after. However, when you take a closer look, the truth isn’t as fairytale-like as we’ve been taught.
“She styles my hair with curls and jeweled pins before placing the crown. Every time she sets it on my head, it weighs down both my body and my spirit, like shackles that prevent me from living, a reminder of who I belong to.” ~ Erin Phillips
In her rich retelling of the book of Esther, Erin Phillips reimagines the famous tale into a dark fantasy novel called A Crown of Chains that you won’t want to put down!
It’s been a long time since I’ve spent the entire day flipping through the pages of a book, so it’s a big deal when I say that I DEVOURED A Crown of Chains! It contained everything a fantasy lover like myself could ask for — folklore, magical abilities, romance, action, suspense, Biblical allegories, and a fierce protagonist.
“People will assume they can take advantage of a pretty girl like you, and when that happens, I want you to be the one that holds all the power. You are capable of more than you realize.” ~ Erin Phillips
Erin Phillips is a rising star! I applaud her bravery in tackling the dark fantasy genre while keeping God at the center of the plot. Unlike many novels in the genre, A Crown of Chains remained regal and pure without sugarcoating the cruel reality of the characters’ circumstances. I particularly loved that we got to see Roxana’s transition into her new life as a kingsmaid, and struggle with her as she is pulled from the arms of the man she loves.
“Is it cruel to flirt with a fantasy? Because right now, sitting with him, I’d rather have this torturous temptation than no love at all.” ~ Erin Phillips
With incredible world buildings and character arcs, Erin Phillips beautifully transforms the book of Esther into something new and refreshing, adding twists that will delightfully surprise readers. However, staying true to Esther, A Crown of Chains ultimately reminds us that God can use the most heinous plots for His glory. Roxana might not have been born with wings, but she was soaring by the end of the story, and I LIVE for it!
“I have nothing left to give except my life. It’s all I have left. I hope it’s enough.” ~ Erin Phillips
Don’t miss out on this extraordinary journey that combines faith, fantasy, and the power of an ordinary girl turned warrior queen. A Crown of Chains is an enchanting read that will leave fantasy lovers yearning for more!
“Faith is having courage, even when everything seems impossible, isn’t it?” ~ Erin Phillips
P.S. Erin Phillips, if you’re reading this and looking for a narrator for the audiobook, I’d love to audition!
“She styles my hair with curls and jeweled pins before placing the crown. Every time she sets it on my head, it weighs down both my body and my spirit, like shackles that prevent me from living, a reminder of who I belong to.” ~ Erin Phillips
In her rich retelling of the book of Esther, Erin Phillips reimagines the famous tale into a dark fantasy novel called A Crown of Chains that you won’t want to put down!
It’s been a long time since I’ve spent the entire day flipping through the pages of a book, so it’s a big deal when I say that I DEVOURED A Crown of Chains! It contained everything a fantasy lover like myself could ask for — folklore, magical abilities, romance, action, suspense, Biblical allegories, and a fierce protagonist.
“People will assume they can take advantage of a pretty girl like you, and when that happens, I want you to be the one that holds all the power. You are capable of more than you realize.” ~ Erin Phillips
Erin Phillips is a rising star! I applaud her bravery in tackling the dark fantasy genre while keeping God at the center of the plot. Unlike many novels in the genre, A Crown of Chains remained regal and pure without sugarcoating the cruel reality of the characters’ circumstances. I particularly loved that we got to see Roxana’s transition into her new life as a kingsmaid, and struggle with her as she is pulled from the arms of the man she loves.
“Is it cruel to flirt with a fantasy? Because right now, sitting with him, I’d rather have this torturous temptation than no love at all.” ~ Erin Phillips
With incredible world buildings and character arcs, Erin Phillips beautifully transforms the book of Esther into something new and refreshing, adding twists that will delightfully surprise readers. However, staying true to Esther, A Crown of Chains ultimately reminds us that God can use the most heinous plots for His glory. Roxana might not have been born with wings, but she was soaring by the end of the story, and I LIVE for it!
“I have nothing left to give except my life. It’s all I have left. I hope it’s enough.” ~ Erin Phillips
Don’t miss out on this extraordinary journey that combines faith, fantasy, and the power of an ordinary girl turned warrior queen. A Crown of Chains is an enchanting read that will leave fantasy lovers yearning for more!
“Faith is having courage, even when everything seems impossible, isn’t it?” ~ Erin Phillips
P.S. Erin Phillips, if you’re reading this and looking for a narrator for the audiobook, I’d love to audition!
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
"Do not think that because you are in the king's house you along of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?" ~ Esther 4:13-14 (NIV)
Hands down a new favorite! I'd give this 10 stars if I could!
The book of Esther is one of my favorites in the Bible (the other is Ruth, and I see that Phillips has another book based on Ruth that I'm super excited to read)! To have had this gifted to me at my bridal shower by someone I grew up with (who probably didn't even know that I love the book of Esther) makes this an even greater read! I loved that I was able to pick out specific Bible verses as I was reading/listening and follow along with the story as it was written in the Bible.
This book is being added to the top of the list of books I'll be recommending for what I hope is a very long time!
Hands down a new favorite! I'd give this 10 stars if I could!
The book of Esther is one of my favorites in the Bible (the other is Ruth, and I see that Phillips has another book based on Ruth that I'm super excited to read)! To have had this gifted to me at my bridal shower by someone I grew up with (who probably didn't even know that I love the book of Esther) makes this an even greater read! I loved that I was able to pick out specific Bible verses as I was reading/listening and follow along with the story as it was written in the Bible.
This book is being added to the top of the list of books I'll be recommending for what I hope is a very long time!
Erin did a brilliant reimagining of the story of Esther from the Bible! As a Christian, I was geeking out over all the references. I gasped and just about fell over with the Daniel Easter egg! Xana’s journey was so relatable for me. I often struggle against the voices of culture or people I allow to speak over my life who shouldn’t. But her heart for others always shined through like I hope mine does. The entire cast of characters was diverse and beautiful. Some I disliked strongly, and some I just wanted to comfort. I also loved how Erin took one Biblical character, Mordecai, and created three other characters based off possible versions of him. This story was so hard to put down! I might’ve read the last ten or so chapters before service on one of our comfy church sofas. Cannot wait to read Erin’s newest book!
4⭐️ One of the more politically intriguing books I've read. This book broke my heart completely, but it was such an amazing story.
I did not expect to love this so much. I knew it was a retelling book, I did NOT know it was a fantasy retelling and it was
I typically like retellings of biblical stories and this one definitely had some interesting plot points but I have to say I was a bit disappointed in this one. The world building was okay but a bit lacking. All the different creature types were lumped together. Gnomes, Saytars, humans and giants were as one group and then fairies were another. I would have liked to see more variation of lifestyle within the other groups.
The Owen-Roxana romance left me unsatisfied. A lot of time was given to it and I did not like how they were characterized. They fact that nothing was followed up with Jayla after everything was over was a disappointment as well. Not a mention of her after the betrayal was revealed.
Uncle Ansin was a horrible character and not at all like Mordecai was in the biblical text. I know this is a retelling but come on! He was a social status climbing creep. Tbh I despised him more than Fredrick.
As far as Fredrick goes I was okay with that mostly. He is exactly what he was supposed to be. A power hungry, unconfident king. Ruling through fear instead of loyalty is what kings have been in the past although I wish there was more of an epilogue where Roxana and he could have grown to respect if not love one another. I was expecting a bit of enemies to lovers but the friends to lovers plotline of Owen and Roxana got in the way.
Giving 3 stars because I couldn’t put it down. Still needed to know what happened next. The world building was good but not great and I liked the side characters.
The Owen-Roxana romance left me unsatisfied. A lot of time was given to it and I did not like how they were characterized. They fact that nothing was followed up with Jayla after everything was over was a disappointment as well. Not a mention of her after the betrayal was revealed.
Uncle Ansin was a horrible character and not at all like Mordecai was in the biblical text. I know this is a retelling but come on! He was a social status climbing creep. Tbh I despised him more than Fredrick.
As far as Fredrick goes I was okay with that mostly. He is exactly what he was supposed to be. A power hungry, unconfident king. Ruling through fear instead of loyalty is what kings have been in the past although I wish there was more of an epilogue where Roxana and he could have grown to respect if not love one another. I was expecting a bit of enemies to lovers but the friends to lovers plotline of Owen and Roxana got in the way.
Giving 3 stars because I couldn’t put it down. Still needed to know what happened next. The world building was good but not great and I liked the side characters.
I understand that books like this can be tricky. This is a retelling of the story of Queen Esther and it's quite faithful to the original tale, but it's also a fantasy. In this case Esther is a fairy and lives in a kingdom with other creatures like satyrs. For me this worked incredibly well. For some reason Fantasy elements help me to grow more interested and yet the core of the tale and most of all the important message still stands strong. And Roxana is such an amazing character. She's so real and "human". She's easy to relate to, easy to understand and it's amazing to see her grow throughout the story. What I liked mostly is that she's not headfirst doing heroic things. She's afraid, she makes mistakes, she has to deal with losses and disappointment. It takes time for her to find the courage to do what has to be done. It felt very realistic!
“…the crown weighs down on me like gilded chains.”
“We don’t perform the rites to be rewarded. They are helpful reminders for when our faith wears thin.”
“Perhaps Ehyen has placed you here for such a time as this, so that you do not need to do anything but have faith, and through you He will save the lives of many.”
I have always been drawn to the story of Esther. Her bravery and faith in the face of great danger has always been a huge encouragement for me.
When I first heard about this book and saw that it was a fantasy retelling of the story of Esther I was excited. I was also nervous that it wouldn’t do the true story of Ester justice, and I was completely wrong! I loved everything about this book. I’m struggling with the right words to use to describe how fantastic this book is. It stuck really close to the real story of Esther (with a few things added to the story), but was told in a completely new and creative way. Phillips’ writing is phenomenal. The story flowed really well and I didn’t find myself wanting to skim through any parts. The world building was easy to follow and different types of creatures were easy to remember. I highly recommend this book even if you aren’t a Christian or religious in any way.
“We don’t perform the rites to be rewarded. They are helpful reminders for when our faith wears thin.”
“Perhaps Ehyen has placed you here for such a time as this, so that you do not need to do anything but have faith, and through you He will save the lives of many.”
I have always been drawn to the story of Esther. Her bravery and faith in the face of great danger has always been a huge encouragement for me.
When I first heard about this book and saw that it was a fantasy retelling of the story of Esther I was excited. I was also nervous that it wouldn’t do the true story of Ester justice, and I was completely wrong! I loved everything about this book. I’m struggling with the right words to use to describe how fantastic this book is. It stuck really close to the real story of Esther (with a few things added to the story), but was told in a completely new and creative way. Phillips’ writing is phenomenal. The story flowed really well and I didn’t find myself wanting to skim through any parts. The world building was easy to follow and different types of creatures were easy to remember. I highly recommend this book even if you aren’t a Christian or religious in any way.
challenging
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape, Alcohol