A review by detailsandtales
The Secret Book of Kings by Yochi Brandes

4.0

I wish I'd been able to read this book in the original Hebrew, as I am sure there are Biblical allusions I missed due to translation. (I'm more likely to recognize them in Hebrew than in English.) The translation also feels awkward at times, changing tenses, and interfering a bit with smooth dialogue. That having been said, I found this to be a fascinating take on what happened during the reigns of King Saul, King David and King Solomon, and shortly afterward. It might help that this particular set of Biblical stories is of special interest to me, but I found the book to be a satisfying experience through that lens. I am less able to evaluate it from a plot and character perspective, as an independent narrative, as I was invested in seeing how it compared to the original Biblical story.