Tosca Lee
Historical Fiction
About The Book:
"A woman cannot rule like a man. No.
We must be far more clever . . ."
Her name is legend. Her story, the epic of nations.
The queen of Sheba.
There is the tale that is told: A desert queen journeyed
north with a caravan of riches to pay tribute to a king and
his One God. The story of a queen conquered by a king
before she returned to her own land laden with gifts.
That is the tale you are meant to believe.
Which means most of it is a lie.
IT IS THE TENTH CENTURY BC. Sheba's king is dead and Bilqis, his exiled daughter, has gained the crown after a desperate overland march and battle for the capital. Now the new young queen must wage a cunning war to rule over the nobles who ushered her to the throne in their own bid for power.
Solomon, the brash king of Israel famous for his wealth and wisdom, will not be denied the tribute of the world--or the riches of Sheba. With the future of her nation at stake, the one woman who can match wits with Solomon undertakes the journey of a lifetime in a daring bid to save her kingdom.
But neither ruler has anticipated the clash of agendas, gods, and passion that threatens to ignite--and ruin--them both. An explosive retelling of the story of the legendary king and queen and the nations that shaped history.
This eShort prelude to The Legend of Sheba gives an intriguing bit of background that sets the stage for the opening of the book. You can download it for free on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
My Thoughts:
The biblical account of the queen of Sheba is short. It is located in I Kings 10 and 2 Chronicles 9. In these verses there are very few details about who she was and what surrounded her visit. In The Legend of Sheba Tosa Lee has used her vast amount of research and her brilliant storytelling abilities to fill in some of the gaps.
This book is a literary delight. It is both gritty and beautiful at the same time. If you have delicate sensibilities you may consider passing on this one. But if you aren't faint of heart, you should really enjoy the story. Remember that it is primarily about an ungodly group of people that worshiped multiple idols. During this time in history bloody sacrifices were made by both pagans and believers alike. Temple prostitutes and priests participated in immoral sexual practices and some of these rituals are portrayed. (I should add that Tosca doesn't sensationalize this part but does politely say what is happening.)
If you stick with the story you will eventually come to the point where Solomon and Bilquis begin to exchange letters. Those exchanges are some of the best writing from Tosca's pen. I know it is fictional but I love the voice that she gave to king Solomon through these missives. She also does a brilliant job of intertwining some of Solomon's other writings into the storyline.
Once again Tosca has used her amazing skill with words to pen a compelling tale about two legendary figures. The Legend of Sheba is bound to be another big hit to add to her growing list of titles.
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