Game of queens : a novel of Vashti and Esther

For fans of The Red Tent and The Dovekeepers, India Edghill breathes new life into the biblical story of Vashti and Esther with her signature historical richness, epic scope, and sweeping romance.
You may know part of the story already, but you only know what history has passed along. The story of how Vashti, Queen of Queens, the most beautiful woman in all the empire, defied the king her husband and so lost her crown. The story of how Ahasuerus, King of Kings, commanded that the most beautiful maidens be sent to his court so he might choose a new queen. And you may know how he set the queen's crown upon the head of the virtuous and beautiful Esther, and how Queen Esther herself defied both king and law to save her people from a treacherous fate.

What India Edghill brings us in Game of Queens is the story of power and treachery, blood and deception, bravery and romance that surrounds the court of Ahasuerus and brings to life two of the most celebrated female heroines in all of history.

Author Notes

INDIA EDGHILL is a librarian living in the Mid-Hudson Valley in New York. She is the author of three other novels, Wisdom's Daughter , which was a Romantic Times Nominee for Best Historical Fiction, Queenmaker , and Delilah .

Reviews (2)

Booklist Review

In her latest retelling of a biblical story featuring a woman, Edghill (Delilah, 2009) portrays the courageous queen Esther, reaching much further back than most reimaginings. She includes the story of Daniel, his ties to the royal court, and his ordeal in the lion's den. Edghill also traces Haman's sadism back to his drowning puppies in front of their tethered mother and escalating to his killing his own wife in front of her son. As Haman becomes genocidal in his determination to annihilate the entire Jewish population of King Xerxes' Persian Empire, Edghill captures the timeless drama of how Esther and Mordecai, an older cousin who raised her as a father would, foil Haman's nefarious plans. Told in turn by the major players Daniel, Hegai, Queen Vashti, and Queen Esther herself Edghill's novel is a fresh, multivoiced approach to the celebrated tale of Purim. Richly textured, thrilling, and totally fascinating, this sweeping saga is sure to captivate readers across the board.--Mosley, Shelley Copyright 2015 Booklist

Library Journal Review

Reference librarian Edghill (Wisdom's Daughter; Delilah) reimagines the life of Vashti, one of the most beautiful women in the Persian empire, who lost her crown when she defied her husband, King Ahasuerus. Vashti was also instrumental in choosing her successor, Esther. (LJ 6/1/15) © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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Reviews (2)

Booklist Review

Library Journal Review