Esther: The Star & the Sceptre

by Gini Andrews

She was young, beautiful, and queen of an empire. Only one man knew her secret... a secret that could mean death!

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Christian, Christianity, Christian Fiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

Reviews

[Elizabeth Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this back in university days (in the days before Google and Goodreads), and always remembered it fondly but could not recall the title or author. Finally found it after much searching - it's out of print, and not in most library systems, but I was able to find a used copy online. Still just as good as I remembered! By now I've read quite a few novelizations of Esther, and this continues to stand out as one the best. Love the depth of the author's historical research and pleasant narrative style, and thought her character depictions were realistic and relatable. Definitely plan to savor this book again in the future!

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is out of print, so it is hard to find, but it is definitely worth searching for! I read it for the first time in junior high, and have since re-read it multiple times, and there is always something new to discover and enjoy about it. First of all, the author did her homework in terms of historical research. There is a selected bibliography in the back of the book, along with a note indicating that the complete bibliography consists of 175+ sources! This intense research is evident in her fantastic descriptions, and the dialogue, although not in an ancient language, feels authentic and avoids the modern colloquialisms that sometimes plague writers of historical fiction. Her character development is also well thought out, even for some minor characters. In particular, I found her take on Xerxes fascinating, especially from a modern mental health perspective, and was interested in how she wove in extra-Biblical events that contributed to the disintegration of his personality. Although the outcome of the story is in no doubt since she's working with the framework of the Biblical narrative, Gini Andrews managed to keep me engaged as I waited for the next step in the saga to unfold. From the opening sequence with the funeral procession of Darius, she set up the grand scope of life in the ancient kingdom of Persia, and the characters played out their story against this majesty, but we are left in no doubt that God is the orchestrator of events.

[Geo Hendrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice job of filling in the gaps of the Biblical account, very captivating! I've read the account of Esther many times before I thought this story would not captivate like it did. The story of Esther in the Bible stay the same. Historical events are added in then the authors imagination takes care of the rest.

[Elsie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fleshed out the story of Esther to go along with my Bible study.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book in our Fairfax County public library when I was in high school, and then much later was fortunately able to find and buy a copy on EBay. The book of Esther was always one of my favorite parts of the Bible, so I was immediately interested in the subject matter. It’s a well researched novel and also quite well written. Considered in the context of the Holocaust, Haman’s attempt to commit genocide against the Jews is realistic and meaningful. I’ve always thought the story of Esther would make a great historical novel, and I haven’t found any that are better than this one. It is now out of print and quite difficult to find because it was published by an obscure Christian publisher. I am sorry to see that this author didn’t write any more novels.

[Chanover55 · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting retelling of the story of Esther. As with all fictionalized retelling of Biblical stories, the additional characters add color to the story. This gives a very possible story of the problems for the Jews leading up to what was to be their annilation.

[Debbie Darrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this as a young adult and the way it flushed out the biblical story really made it live for me. Great book.

[Selah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book! Love the characters, plot, and the research is obviously phenomenal. So many details and broad, sweeping scope!

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[Nadine Keels · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciated a number of Andrews' descriptions throughout the novel, like when Esther danced for Xerxes, and "she became poetry and fire."

At times, the plot and character development seemed disjointed. I would've liked some thoughts put out there by the author to be unwrapped more, to bring cohesiveness between one thought and another and to make more sense of the characters' experiences.

It also felt like the overall story, along with Esther, didn't have much to do after Haman was executed. I didn't find a reason to care much about the characters David and Ruth from the beginning, so the subplot about them that took over for a while after Haman's death wasn't all that interesting or necessary to me.

However, the novel redeemed itself when it made it to its poignant end by refusing to tie everything together in a neat little bow. The sense of triumph doesn't neglect the sense of loss, and Esther is well aware that there are some places in Xerxes' increasingly tormented mind that she'll never be able to reach. Persia doesn't become a utopia, but Mordecai reminds Esther that their people are ultimately waiting for the Messiah.

[Rebekah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like many young girls Esther was one of my favorite Bible stories, so when I found a novel in our church library I jumped at the chance to read it. I must have read this book ten times over the years I attended that church. It was because of this book that I realized that Esther probably wasn’t chosen because of a beauty pageant. This book gave me a much better understanding of what her life would have been like and just how faithful and brave she really was.

All in all I have to say that this book was well researched and engagingly told.

[Quixotess]

I read this many times as a girl. I was fascinated by the story of Esther--how she was stolen from her family, groomed to be queen, and in the end saved her people. At the time I found the military interlude very boring indeed. I recently reread the novel as an adult and I have to say it holds up. Everything is fast-paced and juicy--including the military stuff. A very fun, frivolous read. Obscure though.

[Brittney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a wonderful take on the life of one of the least described characters in the Bible. Beautifully written, the only things I was disappointed in were the weakening of the king at the end and the author's note mentioning the possible deposition of Esther (so sad!). Mostly Biblically accurate, the author handled the writing of this book very well.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that brings to live one of the most loved stories in the bible.The author does a good job giving you a sense of the cultures, people, and the time period of this story. You get a sense of how the people thought and felt during these times and how certain events could have come about.Enjoyable read and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys biblical fiction.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this in high school, along with some of my friends. Don't remember too much about it.

[Eleanor Shepherd · Rating 3 out of 5]

At times I got bogged down, as there seemed to be a lot of historical information, but the story became more interesting as it went along.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well done interpretation of my favorite Bible story.

[Netta · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of the first Biblical novels I ever read. I love it!