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King Solomon's Wives: Hunted

Holly McDowell

Why we're reading this: The descendants of King Solomon's harem are hunted for their touch: It is as addictive as any drug. Tonig…more
[close] The descendants of King Solomon's harem are hunted for their touch: It is as addictive as any drug. Tonight, they have been found.

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Apr 05, 2013 Tony rated it liked it

Shelves: read-4-review

Firstly, let me say that I received this book for free as part of a Read 4 Review Programme on GoodReads.
The book is a novella, and is the first of a series. The second book, King Solomon's Wives: Addicted, has also been published but does not form part of this review.

Much has been written and films have been made about the life and times of Solomon, King of Israel in Antiquity and Wisest of Monarchs in Legend. Most of these tend to concentrate on the highlights of his rule, the wealth and opu Firstly, let me say that I received this book for free as part of a Read 4 Review Programme on GoodReads.
The book is a novella, and is the first of a series. The second book, King Solomon's Wives: Addicted, has also been published but does not form part of this review.

Much has been written and films have been made about the life and times of Solomon, King of Israel in Antiquity and Wisest of Monarchs in Legend. Most of these tend to concentrate on the highlights of his rule, the wealth and opulence of his kingdom and the happiness of his people under his rule. More recently, other works have been published which characterise the decline of his rule and the subsequent fall of his Nation.
Some of these allude to the disastrous consequences of his dalliance with Makeda, Queen of the South otherwise known as The Queen of Sheba.
Our story tells us of Sheba's gift to Solomon of thousands of women who he badly mistreated. Eventually, Makeda joined them and was similarly treated having first thought she'd won his love and a place as his Queen Consort.
Around the same time, according to the story, Solomon was joined by a male-only tribe of woman hating hunters whose misogyny, we are told was due to their belief that the decline of their homeland was caused by the infidelity and lasciviousness of their own womenfolk. Although we are not told this, we assume they become the Hunters portrayed in this book.
At the end of the book, Sheba and her women have hatched a plot to leave Israel which involves an arrangement with God, no less.

Historically, we believe, Sheba (Makeda) eventually returned home pregnant with Solomon's child. This Son of Solomon, Menelik became Emperor of Ethiopia and is said to have taken the Ark of the Covenant from Jerusalem to Axum where, some believe, it rests today. Berhanu, meaning Light from Him, a recurring character in the book who seeks to help The Wives, is claimed to be a descendant of Menelik. Berhanu is also a name associated with the recent political history of Ethiopia.

Although we are not party to the details, Sheba and The Wives' escape involves a generational curse: down the ages, the Hunters will pursue The Wives. That is the core of the book.
The story cycles through the present and the past, mainly through the lives and folk memories of two of The Wives: Summara and Dilara. It focuses on how they live today, their loveless way of life (Love is Death) and how they rail against it, their destiny to become pregnant by age 24 or face death, and their inevitable death in childbirth anyway. Most importantly their relentless pursuit by The Hunters.

We know before we start that this is not a complete story, but is it enough of a story to stand alone. I have to say I'm not sure. I think without some prior knowledge of the history, confusion may ensue.
The R4R info says that this is maybe beyond YA, maybe NA orAdult. Not sure about that either, although there IS significant mention of sex and pregnancy, there is NO explicit sex and, as far as I recall, one instance of the word fuck. There is some violence and abuse, murder even, but it's all greyed out with no HD or detail.
I did get invested in the characters, who had good personal development even when the plot was weak. I do want to know what happens and I probably have enough enthusiasm to read the second book. I hope it's better.!!

3 Stars. ...more

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May 19, 2012 Erica rated it really liked it

King Solomon's Wives by Holly McDowell was a really neat read. It was a cool blend of the past caught up in the action of the present and I really enjoyed!

King Solomon's Wives was such a unique idea. I loved learning more about the Wives and their history. The book had a lot of flashbacks of memories from Wives who had already passed on, so that was neat seeing the origins of their way of life. I did wish sometimes the flashbacks were a bit shorter, as the length made things seem a bit disjointe ...more

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Mar 14, 2013 Waynn rated it it was amazing

There's an undercurrent of fear throughout King Solomon's Wives: Hunted, and it keeps you on your toes as she sweats and bleeds and *worries* for Sumarra and her sisters. It keeps you reading long past your bedtime as you want to find out what happens next, and compels you to keep turning pages. What I loved about the book was the ability to balance that kind of story along with the love story that's woven throughout the ages, set against a backdrop of intergenerational conflict. And with the co ...more

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Mar 14, 2013 Kaamna Bhojwani-dhawan rated it it was amazing

I love historical thrillers and this book had me hooked right from the first page. It is the story of a sisterhood with an addicting touch for which they are hunted, the mortal danger they face and the emotional hardship from having to withdraw from the world. After all, at the end of the day they are women, with needs and desires and vulnerabilities. You both feel and fear for them. The author does a great job of moving between the history and the present, so you understand the legacy and its i ...more

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Mar 14, 2013 Jennifer Ko rated it it was amazing

Hunted is a well-told thriller - I highly recommend it for anyone who loves strong women characters, thrillers and historical fiction. I also loved the interactive element at the end of the book where we get a say in what happens in future episodes.

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Mar 13, 2013 Eliza Tilton rated it liked it

I'd give this 3.5 stars. I loved the history aspect. I think the author created a believable tale based on what we do know of King Solomon. It's really interesting.

I'll definitely be reading book#2. ...more

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Jan 29, 2013 Aimee rated it it was amazing

Mar 08, 2013 Joel Shappell marked it as to-read

Mar 22, 2013 Kia marked it as to-read

Apr 23, 2014 Lisa Rutherford rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Jul 08, 2014 Lindsay marked it as to-read

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