The Peasant Queen: An Esther Retelling by Ashton Dorow ~ Book Review

ABOUT THE BOOK

THE PEASANT QUEEN: AN ESTHER RETELLING

Author: Ashton Dorow

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction

Publisher: Life & Lit Press

Release Date: November 10, 2020

Pages: 306

A king haunted by memories of his past...

A young woman fighting against
her future...

Torn from her home and all that is familiar, Arabella of Caelrith finds herself as the unwilling bride of King Rowan of Acuniel--the man whose vengeful war stole her family. Bitter and confused, Arabella struggles to find her place in this new life. That is, until someone tries to kill the king.

Despite repeated warnings to stay out of the matter, Arabella investigates the attempt on Rowan’s life, and his parents’ long ago murder, unconcerned with the potential cost of her interference. But when tragedy strikes, the seriousness of the situation becomes all too clear. Is the price of knowing the truth higher than
she is willing to pay?

When the fate of the kingdom and all that she holds dear is at stake, will Arabella have the courage to stand up against the evil endeavoring to destroy them all? Did God really abandon her when He left her to this fate? Or was she put in the king’s palace… for such a time as this?

MY THOUGHTS

What can I say about this book that will do it justice and not give anything away? It was captivating and I honestly could not believe that this was her debut book. The Peasant Queen is a retelling of my favorite Bible books Esther and boy does Ashton Dorow do an amazing job with it. This story is set in medieval times and right away from the first page you are immersed into the world of Arabella and Rowan. 

Arabella is strong, brave and adamant that she does not want to be queen or be anywhere near Rowan. She carries hurts from her childhood and like any human she is flawed and knows she should rely more on God than she does. When she becomes queen she feels like God has laid upon her a burden she cannot bear but as time passes and she embraces her new life she comes to realize that this is the path God has for her. 

Rowan is, well dreamy, but he's also broody. He sees Arabella and although she doesn't fit the role of queen he is intrigued by her and also wants to protect her. He is not without faults and he also has so many hurts from childhood that he can't seem to let go of them. He blames God and his heart has hardened to the point that he doesn't want anything to do with him. But then Arabella comes into his life and it all starts to change. 

Their love story (insert heart eyes!!) Goodness! It was quite amazing the roller coaster of emotions that happen with them and I promise you will feel a lot of emotions towards them especially Rowan. These characters are so believable. This line says everything to me about their relationship "Every couple- even the most madly in love- have their arguments. I am convinced that a couple who never fought could possibly be normal."

One verse that immediately popped into my head after reading this story was Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on you own understanding. In all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." Both Arabella and Rowan had to go through difficulties in their life in order to be the people that they were but they also had to come to His feet and surrender their all to Him in order to see where God's path was leading them. Not only did that path lead them to find their way to each other but also to make things right with the kingdom. 

I have been following Ashton  Dorow on Instagram for awhile and her love for God definitely exudes in everything she posts. When she was looking for people to be on her review team I immediately knew I wanted to be a part of it, not only because I wanted to support her as an author but also because her book is about one of my favorite Bible stories and I wanted to see what twists or what things from the Bible story she would actually incorporate in her fictional world. I am so glad I was chosen because this story is truly phenomenal. She definitely has a bright future ahead as an author and definitely someone you should look out for. I for one cannot wait until she pens another story in the mean time go grab yourself a copy of this one. 

My Rating: 5 Stars/Absolutely Loved It!!

Favorite Musings/Quotes: (There were so many good ones!!)

"You have done what no man has been able to do. You have managed to strip down your king's defenses and peer into his inner most heart." ~ Rowan (goodness gracious that line!!!)

"All would be well. For even what the enemy means for evil, God can turn around and make into something beautiful, something good."

" I could not love you as I should until I learned to love the Lord... Now I know what true love is. 'Tis being selfless, loving without question nor condition, being constant through all, serving one another in all ways. Being willing to lay down one's life for another."

(I received this book from the author. I was not required to post a positive review. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.)

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Available through Kindle Unlimited

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

Ashton has loved books for as long as she can remember, and at age fourteen, that love became a passion when she began writing her first novel. She currently resides in her hometown of Willis, TX, with her hubby and three spoiled-rotten furbabies. When not writing, Ashton can be found reading, spending time with family, or serving at the church she grew up in. Her greatest desire as a writer is to point readers to the ultimate Author—Jesus.

You can find her on:

Instagram  or her blog: http://lifeandlitblog.com/