The Old Testament is full of profound stories of people still iconically remembered today through novel and movie retellings. My excitement is always piqued by those retellings, and I try to read or watch as many as I can. When the chance came for me to review Jill Eileen Smith’s latest novel, The Heart Of A King, I happily dived in. As a rush of water, so is the king's heart in God's hand: he turns it whithersoever he may desire to point out. A wise man goes over the city walls of the powerful, and brings down the strong-place in which they trust.

I love how the author can bring what is in Scripture to life and flesh out the people we only read about. They were real with feelings, failures, struggles, and shortcomings. I think every time I read Jill's biblical fiction novels, she makes me look inward to my own self and evaluate my own heart. And that's a good thing in my book! It brings me closer to the heart of God every time. Award-winning author Jill Eileen Smith’s latest biblical fiction novel, The Heart of a King, is a fascinating look into the life of King Solomon, his incredible wisdom granted by God, his numerous foreign wives and many indulgences, which ultimately led to his downfall. Jill Eileen Smith is a master at bringing Scripture to life and realistically filling in the details which encourages readers to dig deeper into the Bible and discover more about the word of God. The Speech to the Troops at Tilbury was delivered on 9 August Old Style (19 August New Style) 1588 by Queen Elizabeth I of England to the land forces earlier assembled at Tilbury in Essex in preparation for repelling the expected invasion by the Spanish Armada. However, there are some historians who question its authenticity, such as Miller Christy, in 1919. [17] Also sceptical were Felix Barker [18] and Susan Frye. [19] Physical appearance at Tilbury [ edit ]

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I really enjoyed reading this new biblical fiction book featuring King Solomon and some of his wives. The story focused on 4 main women as the chapters followed from one story to the next. If the speech is accepted as the true speech given at Tilbury, it is worth noting that Elizabeth wrote it herself. As a writer, she wrote many of her own speeches [22] as well as poems. [23] Second version [ edit ] When the scorner is punished, the simple is made wise: and when the wise is instructed, he receiveth knowledge. Waiting for his turn Merlin took a moment to glance at Arthur taking note of his smile that could charm anyone, and when the smile was directed towards him Merlin could swear his heart stopped. But it wasn’t just his smile that the omega loved, or the way he protected anyone he loved no matter the cost, no there was something else deep down that called Merlin to the alpha. Sometimes it hurt Merlin to see Arthur flirt with other nobles, but in the end he knew Arthur could never be his. My other difficulty was the fact that Solomon spoke love poetry (essentially, passages from Song of Songs) to each of these women when he wooed them, and yet he didn’t seem to love any of them with the depth his words implied. At times it even felt as though he knew he was doing lip service rather than giving expression to his heart. I’m not sure I can quite put into words how that made me feel about Song of Songs—perhaps disillusioned?—but it wasn’t a feeling I welcomed.

The book is fictional with some liberties taken to give readers a glimpse of what it may have The Heart of a King: The Loves of Solomon" by Jill Eileen Smith is a novel that is based on the wisest man who ever loved but did his wisdom help him or did it hinder him in his search for what he really wanted.a b c d e f Leah Marcus, Janel Mueller and Mary Rose (eds.), Elizabeth I: Collected Works (The University of Chicago Press, 2002), p. 325, n. 1 The One Who is right and good thinks about the house of the sinful, and the sinful are thrown down to be destroyed. King Solomon was such a fool in romance. He just made so many foolish mistakes and broke laws concerning women. I just can't deal with him in certain parts because he seemed like a baby when it came to the women. Seeing him fall due to a simple mistake was heartbreaking -- but it also shows that good intentions don't always yield good results. The other neat thing to see in reading this was the references to Song of Solomon. He really was poetic, and seeing that side of him presented here was really neat. The men of today certainly don't talk like this, nor do most of them in contemporary romance novels to be honest, so it was very sweet to read. Don't misunderstand - I know that it was also Solomon's downfall. But let's be real - if you were one of these ladies you can see how easily they could be swayed by Solomon. We read mostly in the bible about his time ruling, and to see this side of him was just so interesting to me. Dudley arranged for Queen Elizabeth to visit Tilbury to announce his appointment and rally the troops on 9 August 1588. The queen's reported words during that visit has gone down in history. Read it in full below.

My first book by this author but not my last. A well written Biblical Fiction that was easy to read and easy to keep up with the characters. I love the way she described Solomon’s love and the sacrifice he did for God. This story of Solomon and four of his wives were enlightening. I never thought about the king taking a wife or more wives just to form alliances with another country. Of course it’s no secret that Solomon let his wives and women turn his faith away from the one true God. I think the author did a great job describing and showing us the personalities of each wife and Solomon. To be the wisest man ever lived he sure let women turn his head. To me this shows even more that darkness should have no part of our lives if we are trying to live for God. And that no matter how close we think we are to God “things” will pull us away if we are not careful. This is what I like about Christian Fiction. If you let it, it will speak to you in some form, confirming the Word of God. So all this being said I love the way this book is written, the description of the homes and the gardens, it made me want to sit out on the bench outside that magnificent palace. Abishag was the second wife. She was previously the wife of King David, but married Solomon to be safe from his twisted brothers. Abishag was such a woman! She didn't let herself be played a fool nor did she have any delusions about being Solomon's second wife. She was such a artsy and pure hearted of the four wives. Mattingly, Garrett (1959). The Armada. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p.349. LCCN 59008861. Speech [ edit ] I know already, for your forwardness you have deserved rewards and crowns; and we do assure you on a word of a prince, they shall be duly paid. In the mean time, my lieutenant general shall be in my stead, than whom never prince commanded a more noble or worthy subject; not doubting but by your obedience to my general, by your concord in the camp, and your valour in the field, we shall shortly have a famous victory over these enemies of my God, of my kingdom, and of my people. Authenticity [ edit ]In “ The Heart of a King” Jill Eileen Smith adds Solomon’s point of view to her previously published “The Loves of King Solomon” ebook series. First, this is your final chance to complete Chocobaby Roundup and Caestino on Camera. They also must be turned in now; even if you completed their objectives you won't get another chance to hand them in. This story was easy and fun to read. I love biblical fiction books and I really enjoyed reading this. I felt like I got to know King Solomon and his wives better, although it is fiction-it makes the bible seem more alive to me. This is a beautifully written story that takes scriptures from 2 Samuel, 1 Kings and Song of Solomon. The use of scripture to create a story was AMAZING! It brought the scripture to life in a different way. Although I cannot say I agree with all of the author’s creative licenses, I believe she did a masterful job of weaving a fascinating story of “what might have been” in the life of the wisest man who ever lived.