I found a fantastic new author who is simply splendid! Her name is Tessa Afshar and her books had me hooked for days! I was blown away by her talent, characters, plot line and also her real life story! Tessa Afshar hit a high note and it was a beautiful symphony to my ears.
Her first book Harvest of Rubies (Harvest #1)
After experiencing the death of her mother in her early childhood years and her father's emotional distance Sarah has come to two conclusions: that God does not care about her, and that her accomplishments are the measure of her worth - the measure of her self.
In my own life I have battled with the same thought. Believing that what I am able to do physically counts for my being when in truth that is polar opposite to what God has in mind. I like books that have an approachable and relateable topic that the main character goes through. It's really nice to see how authors use this for their character's development throughout the rest of the novel.
Sarah, becomes a talented scribe and thanks to her connection to her cousin Nehemiah is put at the center of the Persian court. She spends countless hours of her life there, rubbing elbows with royalty, and solving intrigues for the Queen. Sarah gives all of herself to this job and it causes her stress and ailment which I for one can relate too! It almost seems fit (ironically of course) that it isn't failure but success that causes Sarah to lose her only source of external validation.
The Queen releases Sarah from her job as scribe to her husband's cousin, Darius, as his wife. Through this marriage Sarah begins to learn that she has something of worth to offer beyond her ability with languages and sums and her very being proves to be a blessing to her husband who likes to think the worst of Sarah.
Sarah and Darius' story just beings in Harvest of Rubies ($1.99) and is continued in Harvest of Gold.
This book takes off where the first one stopped, Sarah and Darius are working through the marriage they were made to have. Sarah has started to take on the role of being a wife of a Persian aristocrat and by spending more time with her husband she has come to love him. Sarah has wealth, honor, and power, but receiving her husband's love seems unattainable.
In this sequel, the author gives her readers a glimpse into how Darius became who he is. His mother was an Israelite, and his father sent him away when he was seven for training (as did every Persian father). Darius throughout the book struggles with the idea if Sarah was the right choice, and her involvement with her cousin Nehemiah - who wants to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem - makes it more difficult for Darius.
The couple are ordered to assist Nehemiah, thus, the journey to the homeland of his mother's people begins. The journey is filled with danger, conflict, and surprising memories that the couple need to work together and with God to overcome. The ultimate question is will all that Darius experiences with Sarah and by himself help him see the hand of God at work in his life- and even in his marriage?
Overall, this book was great. Full of heartbreak, healing and eye opening. I'm not entirely sure but I'm betting that Afshar is not through with Sarah and Darius and a few other characters that seem to still have some stories that need to be told.
For His Kingdom,
Taylor Reid
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