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Angela Hunt
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Esther (A Dangerous Beauty Novel Book #1): Royal Beauty Kindle Edition

by Angela Hunt (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 out of 5 stars 1,777 ratings
When an ambitious tyrant threatens genocide against the Jews, an inexperienced young queen must take a stand for her people.


When Xerxes, king of Persia, issues a call for beautiful young women, Hadassah, a Jewish orphan living in Susa, is forcibly taken to the palace of the pagan ruler. After months of preparation, the girl known to the Persians as Esther wins the king's heart and a queen's crown. But because her situation is uncertain, she keeps her ethnic identity a secret until she learns that an evil and ambitious man has won the king's permission to exterminate all Jews--young and old, powerful and helpless. Purposely violating an ancient Persian law, she risks her life in order to save her people...and bind her husband's heart.
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  1. Book 1 of 3
    Dangerous Beauty
  2. Print length
    354 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Bethany House Publishers
  5. Accessibility
    Learn more
  6. Publication date
    30 Dec. 2014
  7. File size
    7.8 MB
  8. Page Flip
    Enabled
  9. Word Wise
    Enabled
  10. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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There are 3 books in this series.
This option includes 3 books.

Product description

Review

"The biblical tale of Esther is a story often told, but here it is enhanced and elaborated with scholarly insight...Esther is a good read for those who love Bible accounts come to life." --RT Book Reviews

"Biblical fiction seems to be on the rise and readers will find nothing better in the genre than bestselling Hunt's interpretation of the biblical book of Esther...Hunt handles the tale's nuances with care and openness, presenting readers a beautiful, honest, captivating retelling of a familiar story." --Publishers Weekly

"With carefully researched, richly rendered historical details, Hunt breathes new life into the biblical blueprint. The result is a chilling tribute to Esther's bravery that is sure to grip and surprise readers." --Booklist

From the Back Cover

When an ambitious tyrant threatens genocide against the Jews, an inexperienced young queen must take a stand for her people.

When Xerxes, king of Persia, issues a call for beautiful young women, Hadassah, a Jewish orphan living in Susa, is forcibly taken to the palace of the pagan ruler. After months of preparation, the girl known to the Persians as Esther wins the king's heart and a queen's crown. But because her situation is uncertain, she keeps her ethnic identity a secret until she learns that an evil and ambitious man has won the king's permission to exterminate all Jews--young and old, powerful and helpless. Purposely violating an ancient Persian law, she risks her life in order to save her people...and bind her husband's heart.

"The biblical tale of Esther is a story often told, but here it is enhanced and elaborated with scholarly insight...Esther is a good read for those who love Bible accounts come to life." -RT Book Reviews

"Biblical fiction seems to be on the rise and readers will find nothing better in the genre than bestselling Hunt's interpretation of the biblical book of Esther....Hunt handles the tale's nuances with care and openness, presenting readers a beautiful, honest, captivating retelling of a familiar story." -Publishers Weekly

"With carefully researched, richly rendered historical details, Hunt breathes new life into the biblical blueprint. The result is a chilling tribute to Esther's bravery that is sure to grip and surprise readers." --Booklist

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00MBTYKH2
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bethany House Publishers
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ 30 Dec. 2014
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 7.8 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 354 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1441269294
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 1 of 3 ‏ : ‎ Dangerous Beauty
  • Customer reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars 1,777 ratings

About the author

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Angela Hunt

Angela Hunt

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Christy-Award winner Angela Hunt writes for readers who have learned to expect the unexpected in novels from this versatile author. With nearly six million copies of her books sold worldwide, she is the best-selling author of more than 160 works ranging from picture books (The Tale of Three Trees) to novels and nonfiction.

Now that her two children are grown, Angie and her husband live in Florida with Very Big Dogs (a direct result of watching Sandlot too many times). This affinity for mastiffs has not been without its rewards--one of their dogs was featured on Live with Regis and Kelly as the second-largest canine in America. Their dog received this dubious honor after an all-expenses-paid trip to Manhattan for the dog and the Hunts, complete with VIP air travel and a stretch limo in which they toured New York City. Afterward, the dog gave out paw-tographs at the airport.

When she's not home writing, Angie often travels to teach writing workshops at schools and writers' conferences. And to talk about her dogs, of course.

Readers may visit her web site at www.angelahuntbooks.com.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
1,777 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book to be a great read with an engaging storyline, with one customer noting it's based on actual events. They appreciate the pacing, with one describing it as very readable.

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15 customers mention ‘Readability’15 positive0 negative

Customers find the book to be a great read, with one mentioning they enjoyed learning while reading it.

"...I thoroughly enjoyed it. Angel Hunt certainly knows how to spin a good yarn...." Read more

"...A good book, well researched and enjoyable." Read more

"I really enjoyed learning while reading this book. I was just sad that Queen Esther didn’t have children of her own." Read more

"A brilliant book can’t wait to read the rest. I will be thinking about this one for a long time." Read more

9 customers mention ‘Storyline’9 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the storyline of the book, with one customer noting it is true to the biblical narrative and another mentioning they were hooked from the first chapter.

"...By this I mean that although this is based on a actual events, it's still a thrilling read. Highly recommended." Read more

"...Had a real sense it was true to the biblical story and not over fictionalised as some have been. By Penny Callaghan" Read more

"I love the way that Angela Hunt wrote the story. I enjoyed it even more in combination with the audio book. It brought it even more to life...." Read more

"...more I read is the more I wanted to find out what happen next... very captivating...." Read more

3 customers mention ‘Pacing’3 positive0 negative

Customers find the pacing of the book very readable.

"...Well written. I was hooked from the first chapter." Read more

"Bought as a present, though I understand it is a very readable, enjoyable book." Read more

"Well written..." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

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  • JackiSprat
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Novel
    Reviewed in Canada on 3 February 2019
    Verified Purchase
    This novel is the story of Esther a more in-depth account of the Book of Esther in The Bible. You don’t need to have read The Bible version to understand this book nor do you need to be either Christian or Jewish.
    The story of Esther is told by two people in chapters titled either Hadassah or Harbonah. Hadassah is Esther’s true Hebrew name.
    Harbonah is the chief Eunuch to King Xerxes. His man servant.
    The King is looking for a new Queen in the form of a contest.
    All young virgins within his Persian Kingdom of Babylon in The Citadel of Susa are allowed to enter.
    Hadassah and her Uncle Mordacai are of Jewish faith and have been living in the Persian Capital in a small community of other Hebrews. Hadassah has always dreamed of living in the palace although she knows her faith would prohibit such an act. Mordacai works as an accountant for the King and wants his niece to be nowhere near the palace and is friends with Harbonah.
    Somehow one night Hadassah finds herself in the palace and in the contest to be Queen. Harbonah promises Mordacai that he will watch over his precious niece. To hide her Hebrew faith she chooses the name Esther which means Star in Persian.
    Eventually she finds herself in a dilemma...to save all Jews from inhalation she must divulge her true heritage.
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  • ふう
    2.0 out of 5 stars 面白いかもしれないけど
    Reviewed in Japan on 24 September 2021
    Verified Purchase
    面白いかもしれないけど、私あまりこの書き方は好きじゃないだけです。
    Report
  • Barbara L. Crook
    5.0 out of 5 stars Christian based
    Reviewed in Australia on 4 June 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Very good
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  • Ruby Cline Lee
    5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it!
    Reviewed in the United States on 29 January 2025
    Verified Purchase
    I think this author did her homework, as the story and writing was authentic and seemed historically accurate (I'm not a historian). I appreciated that she stayed true to the biblical story while still giving us a good dose of historical fiction. Just the right amount of description to get me into each scene. I loved the character development of Hadassah and even Harbonna. It makes me want to read the next book in this series. And I can't say that for every series I've ever started.
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  • AMOKArts
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Thought Provoking Read That Will Make You See This Story in a New Light
    Reviewed in the United States on 25 January 2024
    Verified Purchase
    A wonderfully written book that will change the way you look at the book of Esther, or at least it did for me. Now of course this is a work of fiction, but it is well researched and gives a unique perspective. In all the times I have read and studied the book of Esther, I always saw Queen Vashti as a sympathetic character, banished at the whim of a capricious monarch and his simpering advisors, wanting the king to make an example of his wife, so they could continue to dominate their households. Hunt takes a different view and in this book, Vashti becomes a villain, rather than a victim and, while I'm not sure it's biblical (because the Bible doesn't go into a lot of detail on the post banishment Vashti), Hunt's supposition makes sense. She may not have been queen anymore, but history shows she was Queen Mother for the next kings, and as such she would have wielded considerable power in the Empire.

    This author was recommended to me buy a publisher as a great example of a writer of biblical fiction, and I wholeheartedly agree. This is an intriguing and thought provoking book. I recommend it.
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