Jewel of the Nile

Following the events of Thief of Corinth and Daughter of Rome, we have the story of Chariline and Theo in Jewel of the Nile. (Disclaimer:I have not actually read Daughter of Rome yet! Now I’m thinking about it!) It’s definitely not required to read either of them before this book, but it does give the backstory to a few of the characters, which always adds a fun dimension while reading.From the Nile river, to Rome and Caesarea, I enjoyed the different settings in this book and could vividly picture each of them. There were quite a few little details that distracted me throughout the book, because I kept wondering if they were accurate to the culture/historical period, but that is a very minor element!The plot kept me interested and I enjoyed the twists and turns! I correctly guessed a couple of the key plot points immediately after all the characters were introduced, (still not sure if that was intentional?) but I never knew how it was going to work out. I admit though there were a few times I wanted to gently shake Chariline, because “can’t you see it, girl???” ;)Afshar is truly brilliant when it comes to comes to creating engaging and relatable characters with depth. The character's development through the story was not drastic, but satisfying.I felt sorry for Theo when I read Thief of Corinth and almost didn't like him because he couldn't seem to understand Ariadne. So I was happy he got his own story and it felt good to see growth in him throughout this story.Overall, I really enjoyed reading this latest book by Tessa Afshar! Personally, it wasn't my favorite of her work, but I would definitely recommend. As always, I really appreciated the theme. We can always trust God will work all things together for good to those who love Him, who are the called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28) We are called to surrender to His purpose. And sometimes, when all we see is messy and painful, it’s God’s grace working in a way we could have never conceived ourselves.*note: I received a complimentary copy of Jewel of the Nile from the publishers. I was not required to provide a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

I've been anticipating this story since Theo was introduced to us in A Thief of Corinth, and Tessa Afshar teased that he would get his own book. Theo is one of my favorite characters of hers and this story didn't disappoint. She built these beautiful, complex characters in both Theo and Chariline. I was extra touched in her motivation in creating Chariline as a brown woman (which she shares in the author note at the end) after a fan wrote in asking if she had plans for a female protagonist of color. As a woman of color, this meant a lot to me as well.This book is a light and a quick read while still dealing with heavy topics like acceptance. One of my favorite quotes: "The only way for him to have such complete acceptance was to open his heart to an equally perfect rejection."

Tessa Afshar is an author whom I'd pick up anything she writes because I know I'm in for deep study and a wonderful story. This did not disappoint either.I loved every bit of this story. Chariline's journey to discovering who she was and her purpose and family.I loved her from the start, loved her spirit and understood her pain. I wanted her to find joy and peace.Theo (oh my). I loved his heart, his protectiveness. Despite all he's been through. He's faith and his spirit and how he was helping Chariline through her journey.The spiritual aspects of the story were spot on too. Not believing the lies you're told about yourself. Surrendering to God and believing what he says about you.This has earned its place in my favourites shelf and has definitely given me much to think about

Time Period: AD 31Setting: Kingdom of CushWhen you think of fiction set during the New Testament, you probably think of grand places like Jerusalem, Rome, Corinth, or other places scattered across the Mediterranean. While those places are wonderful, Afshar’s new release, Jewel of the Nile, takes us beyond to the exotic kingdom of Cush (modern day Ethiopia) for a thrilling tale about a young girl is search of her ancestry and the mysterious Queen of the land, the Kandake/Candace.First of all, I love stories that take you to out of the way places, so Jewel of the Nile was right up my alley. Personally, I don’t know of another Biblical Fiction novel like it. Now don’t get me wrong, there were times when I thought the heroine, Chariline, was a bit self-centered, but as the plot developed I was so impressed with how the author crafted this story and where she took the characters. If you’ve read Afshar’s other books like, Thief of Corinth or Daughter of Rome, you’ll recognize some characters reappear from those stories. I absolutely LOVED how the author weaved in real people from the book of Acts into the story. I also knew that Chariline’s father would end up being someone you recognized from Scripture, but I honestly didn’t figure out who he was until he was revealed in the story. (That impressed me - I kinda like to think I can figure that stuff out pretty quick! But not this time. LOL) This novel included romance, suspense and had a sweet ending.Conclusion: When I first saw the cover reveal for Jewel of the Nile, I immediately knew I wanted to read it. Better yet, when my book club chose this one for our summer read, it was all I needed for an excuse to go to Amazon and click order! Tessa Afshar is the queen of New Testament fiction and Jewel of the Nile is a must read! If you read Biblical Fiction, don’t wait to add this one to your TBR pile. Actually, I take that back, don’t bother adding it to your TBR, read it the moment you get it in the mail! I promise you’ll be glad you didn’t wait!

Item arrived one month ahead of time and the price had been halved. Very happy

I read all of Tessa Asfhar's books. with each new story a new emotion. I loved Theo and Chariline's story and I'm already looking forward to the next story.

I have read most of Tessa's amazing books but this one is just, what can I say, absolutely unbeatable. From the beginning you are glued to the book, it is a book you cannot put down as there is constantly something exciting to keep your interest. You are transported back in to biblical times, you meet the eunuch that Phillip met on the road from Jerusalem to Gaza where he is the treasurer to Queen Candice in Cush, and you meet Priscilla and Aquilla but the book is centered around the hero and heroine who you will instantly love. I wish I could write great reviews but all I can say is please do not miss this absolutely riveting book which has not only a fabulous story that you cannot put down but which has so much wisdom in it I just learnt so much. Tessa is an amazingly talented author but I think this book is her best yet and that is saying something as all her books are all amazing. Don't miss this book you will love it, I promise.

I don't usually write reviews for anything that I read or purchase, but I had to for this book. What an incredible treasure this book is - had a storyline that you are completely immersed in from the beginning till the end, emotional treasures, scriptures at the start of each chapter and throughout, and a powerful reflection of the gospel and Christ through the characters. Loved the incorporation of the characters Aquila and Priscilla throughout the storyline. Thank you for this. What a blessing this book has been to me! It has definitely convicted me in many ways, and has touched my heart in ways that I didn't know was possible. Some tears were definitely shed. Highly recommend this book! An incredibly creative and powerful way of integrating biblical truths into our day to day lives. Thank you! God bless.

The characters are real, deep and it’s wonderful to get to know them and journey through their struggles. Truth is imparted through them without being too preachy, just healing messages impacting the reader. Not to mention a rich storyline. Another wonderful book from this author.