The Hidden Prince  by Tessa Afshar

The audio version of this Pinch of the Past was first shared in Episode 46: A Bookchat about The Secrets of Emberwild with Stephenia McGee & a Review of The Hidden Prince by Tessa Afshar

THE BOOK

The audio version of this review was first shared in [editor will complete]

From the bestselling author of Jewel of the Nile comes the thrilling tale of a woman who feels she has no future but soon discovers the fate of nations may rest in her hands.

The beloved daughter of Jewish captives in Babylon, Keren is sold into Daniel’s household to help her family survive. She becomes Daniel’s most trusted scribe, while taking lessons and swordsmanship training alongside Daniel’s sons and their best friend, Jared.

But after a tragic accident changes the course of her life, Keren finds herself in a foreign country, charged with a mysterious task: teaching a shepherd boy how to become a lord. When she overhears whispers that hint at his true identity, she realizes she must protect him from the schemes of a bloodthirsty king.

Jared cannot forgive Keren. Still, he finds himself traveling over mountains to fetch her back to the safety of home. When he discovers the secret identity of Keren’s pupil, Jared knows he must help protect him. Love battles bitterness as they flee from the king’s agents, trying to save the boy who could one day deliver their people from captivity.

THE REVIEW

I experienced The Hidden Prince by Tessa Afshar like a cool, refreshing glass of water on a hot day. The last page was the sip that quenched my thirst and left me completely satisfied. Keren’s family is struggling to pay a debt, so a distantly related kinsman-redeemer, Daniel (yes, from the Bible), takes her in to work for his family. Descriptions of Keren’s life as a female scribe in service to Daniel are fully and delightfully realized. As the years pass, she grows closer to Daniel’s family and is educated with his sons and their best friend, Jared.

One thing I’ve come to expect (and brace myself for, haha) in an Afshar novel is how her characters are put through the absolute worst thing imaginable. For Keren this is hurting someone she loves, so much so that she must leave her home and her family. Therein lies the catalyst for her wonderful character growth. I loved this reminder that God can and will make something beautiful from our biggest mistakes. Jared is another character that shows immense growth throughout the novel. His sections are narrated in third person, which I feel is a good way to distinguish between his and Keren’s sections. The plot is smooth and nearly perfect. Each climactic scene is fraught with danger, tension, and intrigue. 

There is some lightly described violence as well as threats of violence related to the dangers of the time and setting. The descriptions of the Babylonian kingdom firmly placed me in the glittering and dangerous opulence of court, where citizens walked on the knife-edge of a ruler’s whim. 

The Hidden Prince is in my top five reads of this year, and I can’t recommend it enough. If you love Biblical fiction full of endearing characters, a tender, hard-won romance, and exciting journeys to distant kingdoms, The Hidden Prince is an absolute must read for you.

THE AUTHOR

Tessa Afshar is the Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author of biblical and inspirational historical fiction, including Land of Silence, which won an INSPY Award and was voted by Library Journal as one of the top five Christian fiction titles of 2016, and Harvest of Gold, which won a Christy Award in the Historical Romance category.

Harvest of Rubies was a finalist for the 2013 ECPA Christian Book Award for fiction.

In 2011, after publishing her first novel, Pearl in the Sand, Tessa was named New Author of the Year by the FamilyFiction-sponsored Reader’s Choice Awards.

Tessa’s latest trilogy of biblical fiction, Thief of Corinth, Daughter of Rome, and Jewel of the Nile are based on minor characters from the book of Acts. Daughter of Rome is a finalist for the Carol Award, 2021.

Tessa’s Bible study, The Way Home: God’s Invitation to New Beginnings, based on the book of Ruth, won the 2021 ECPA Christian Book Award in the Bible Study category. Optional videos of the same title are available with this book. The Way Home was chosen by Moody Radio SFL for their summer of 2020 book study. 

Tessa was born in the Middle East and lived there for the first fourteen years of her life. She then moved to England, where she survived boarding school for girls and fell in love with Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte, before moving to the United States permanently.

Her conversion to Christianity in her twenties changed the course of her life forever. Tessa holds a Master of Divinity from Yale, where she was elected as the co-chair of the Evangelical Fellowship at the Divinity School for one year.

She served in women and prayer ministries for twenty years before becoming a full-time writer and speaker.

Tessa is a devoted wife, an enthusiastic cook, and a mediocre gardener. But that has not cured her from being exceptionally fond of chocolate.

Disclaimer: The author offered a complimentary copy of this book. The review was given freely, without payment. All views expressed are only the honest opinion of a member of the Historical Bookworm Review Team.