In The Queen’s Handmaid, author Tracy L. Higley traces ancient history back to the times of Herod the Great, Cleopatra, Marc Antony and Octavian. The novel follows fictional Lydia, a beautiful and dynamic young handmaiden with a mysterious past. Higley does a fantastic job incorporating real characters and events into the fictional tale and her impeccable research is evident on every page. The story is a blend of action, romance, and Christian historical fiction, and its plot really springs into motion two-thirds of the way through. Higley also manages to capture the high drama and emotion of the time period.
The Queen’s Handmaiden covers a lot of history and Higley herself states in the afterword that the story was her most ambitious project to date. With so much going on, it was sometimes difficult to keep characters and events straight. Thankfully the book’s map and family tree provide some clarity. Pick up a copy of this captivating read today!
This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Thomas Nelson
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: 2 derogatory names
Violence/Gore: A few verbal threats and implied occurrences of violence; numerous second hand reports of violence involving battles and murder; a few brief violent scenes involving battle, torture and a character being slapped; several non-detailed scenes of violent death; a few brief scenes with blood and gore; a brief scene of intense violence.
Sex/Nudity: Several incidents of kissing; a few sexual references.
Mature Subject Matter:
Death of family members, war, betrayal, religion.
Alcohol / Drug Use:
Characters drink wine.
