Reign: The Chronicles of Queen Jezebel  (Lost Loves of the Bible Series #3) by Ginger Garrett

4.0 out of 5 stars Biblical Fiction

Beyond the Drama, Her Heart Was Real

From the moment her marriage to prince Ahab thrusts her into the intrigues of palace life, Jezebel’s exotic beauty opens doors and her will breaks down walls. Torn from her homeland and wed to power in a strange country, Jezebel vows to create a legacy and power all her own. Some might call her a manipulative schemer, bent on having her way. But they don’t know the whole story, and she was much, much worse.

As she moves through the halls of power, her heart struggles between devotion to the gods she worships, the prince who loves her, and her thirst for revenge. She sparks a battle between her strangely powerless gods and the God of palace administrator Obadiah-a God who confronts her with surprising might. She will fight, though victory may cost her everything.

Author Biography

Ginger Garrett is the critically acclaimed author of Chosen: The Lost Diaries of Queen Esther, which was recognized as one of the top five novels of 2006 by the ECPA, and Dark Hour. An expert in ancient women's history, Ginger creates novels and nonfiction resources that explore the lives of historical women. A frequent media guest and television host, Ginger has been interviewed by The New York Times, NPR, Billy Graham's The Hour of Decision," The Harvest Show, Fox News, and many other outlets.

In 2007, Ginger was nominated for the Georgia Author of the Year Award for her novel Dark Hour. A graduate of Southern Methodist University with a degree in theater, she is passionate about creating art from history. You can learn more about Ginger and her work by visiting www.gingergarrett.com 

My Review ~

"Reign: The Chronicles of Queen Jezebel" is fictional, based on the biblical story of Queen Jezebel and King Ahab, betrothed as a union between two nations. Jezebel was the daughter of King Eth-Baal who reigned in Phoenicia where the practice of worshiping gods and goddesses demanded the sacrifice of infants and children. Ahab was the son of King Omri of Israel, the land of Yahweh, a land of armies. Obadiah is a servant to Ahab, and serves as his administrator. His role in this story is one whose advice to Ahab is unheeded, and he is too timid to command respect. His relationship with the prophet Elijah is valuable, but his lacking strength of character fails him and his allegiance to Ahab.

Jezebel, unloved and neglected as a child, became a vicious woman, scorned by all, including her husband. Ahab was not a born leader, and as he ignored Yahweh's warnings Israel suffered great tragedies. Jezebel's wickedness and mean spirit only brought hatred and disrespect. Her beauty was her only attribute. Her hateful spirit positions her husband against her, although he had previously loved her. 

This fictional tale of the lives of Jezebel, Ahab and Obadiah is an emotional sojourn. The author researched her biblical history well. There were a few slow passages, but the story was well told and interesting beyond what I expected. I was compelled to get my bible out to read the biblical account of this profound story. For those interested in an enhancement of Jezebel's character and influence, this is an excellent portrayal.

Disclaimer: I was given an advanced reader copy of this book by Wynn-Wynn Media for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own and I was given no monetary compensation for this review.