The Hidden Prince
by Tessa Afshar
Pub Date: November 8, 2022
Tyndale House
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. From the bestselling author of Jewel of the Nile comes the thrilling tale of a woman who feels she has no future but soon discovers the fate of nations may rest in her hands.

The beloved daughter of Jewish captives in Babylon, Keren is sold into Daniel’s household to help her family survive. She becomes Daniel’s most trusted scribe while taking lessons and swordsmanship training alongside Daniel’s sons and their best friend, Jared.

I don’t read much Biblical fiction, but when I do, Connilyn Cossette and Tessa Afshar are my go-to authors. I know when I read their stories I will be whisked back in time and totally absorbed in stories they tell. The Hidden Prince does exactly that! I loved this story from start to finish.

A masterpiece. Perfection. I loved it. The unique story, the romance (okdkgbskallf obsessed) and the faith content was incredible.
I don;t give five star reviews lightly (I'm super picky specially about content)... But when a book can have clean romance and still melt your heart, you know you found a gem, Add exotic settings, lush descriptions and incredible characters to the mix. Amazingggg

Ps. Don’t read the blurb I beg you! I read it after reading the book and I feel it spoils too much info!!! Go read it without knowing anything about it and I promise you, you won’t be able to stop! 🤍

Content wise: some kissing but non descriptive. In one scene there is mention of a decapitated man (just mentioned in one sentence)

This was a great historic biblical fiction story about Cyrus. This story makes this small parts that are told in the bible come to life. It is interesting to me how life was during those times. While this story is fictional, it used many historical documents to tell facts that happened during that time period. It was a great story of Cyrus' childhood.

Where to begin? I’ve read other books by Tessa Afshar that I just loved and this one was no different. The Hidden Prince was inspired by true events and Tessa wove an incredible tale in with those events to capture the reader’s imagination. Babylon, Media and Persia were the settings for this phenomenal story of friendship, betrayal, loyalty, danger and, of course, love. I was pulled into the pages, living and enjoying the adventure with the beloved characters as they put their trust in God with each trial they faced. This book will be out in November. Grab a copy then as. I know you will love it!!

Tessa Afshar simply never disappoints! What a beautiful story filled with adventure, romance, forgiveness, and sacrifice. Both history, and the Bible, are brought to life in the story of Keren and Jared. I was fascinated by the historical world they occupied (including the Hanging Gardens of Babylon!) and the pieces of the puzzle that Afshar weaves together in such an expert way to lead her readers to the “hidden prince.” I highly recommend this inspiring, gorgeous novel.

A story of hurt, secrets, feelings of betrayal, love. I've enjoyed all of Tessa Afshar's books thus far and this one doesn't disappoint. Set during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, with Daniel holding position in the Babylonian court, the story focuses on a girl who is a servant & scribe to Daniel. The storyline focuses on trusting in God despite the situation and that He has a plan for each person and will alow things to happen to further this plan. There's also friendship and romance thrown in for good measure.
I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

I don’t read much Biblical fiction, but when I do, Connilyn Cossette and Tessa Afshar are my go to authors. I know when I read their stories I will be whisked back in time and totally absorbed in the stories they tell. The Hidden Prince does exactly that! I loved this story from start to finish.

There are so many wonderful characters! Daniel, Jared, Keren, and the shepherd boy she is eventually tasked to teach to name a few. This story is so immersive and so many unexpected things happen. There was one thing that literally had my jaw dropping and other things that I never saw coming- at all! While I loved both Keren and Jared and how their relationship evolved and showed true forgiveness, my favorite character was the boy that Keren was teaching. His story is amazing and his personality made me love him from the first time he appeared on the page!

This is a story that I didn’t want to end! I wanted to keep reading about these characters. Highly recommended!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own. The faith thread is prominent throughout. Five stars!

✒This biblical fiction takes place in Babylon 500 BC, where our protagonist Keren, is forced to flee where she lived, because of one terrible mistake. She became my favourite character because of how she handled herself, with all the challenges she encountered.

✒I went in with no expactations reading this author for the first time, and Tessa Afshar delivered. With its dual point of views, the book was a little difficult to put down, when every chapter entices you to keep turning the page.

✒Cyrus, Keren and Jared's individual stories came together so seamlessly and with purpose, prooved to me that God always has a plan for your life.

✒The ending, though it felt rushed, like it could've been stretched a little more, was satisfying. I loved how God and scripture took center stage, without disrupting the excitement and flow of the story.

✒Alot of backstory was given about specific persons in the bible, ( no spoilers here 😁)so I learned alot and I love that.
I totally enjoyed this novel, so much so, that I can't wait to dive into her other works.

✒A huge thanks to NetGalley and Tessa Afshar for this eArc in exchange for an honest review. As always, all thoughts and opinions are completely my own.
PUBLISHING DATE: 8th November 2022
TYNDALE HOUSE PUBLISHERS
HAPPY READING!❤

Story Line: 4 Stars
Depth: 4 Stars
Faith: 5 Stars
Love Story: 3 Stars
Overall: 4 Stars



Tessa is one of our favorite authors and we are always filled with excitement when we see she has written another novel. While this one in particular wasn't our favorite of hers, we still enjoyed it and would recommend it to others. It is a little slow in parts, but we are convinced you will fall in love with the main characters while also enjoying the part Daniel plays as well. We love learning more about characters from the Bible and being given a glimpse at what their lives might have been like. Tessa does just that like no other author!

Keren struggles with her lot in life, but has found favor in many circumstances and is content living in Daniel's household. However, a disastrous accident sends her packing her bags and leaving everything and everyone she knows, including Jared whom she loves but doesn't believe will ever love her in return. Keren fears she will never be able to return home, but remains faithful and true to the Lord. Jared, unbeknownst to Keren, loves her but is angry and doesn't know if he can forgive her for what happened. Despite his feelings, he feels he must find her and bring her home. The plot thickens when they reunite, but instead of bringing her home, Jared feels he must join her in the journey the Lord has called her to be a part of. Will his heart soften enough to forgive her, and maybe even love her once again? We love how the Lord is woven into every part of the story; His grace and forgiveness are beautiful even in the midst of tragedy.

Tessa Afshar's fiction books are my all-time favorites and The Hidden Prince is added to that list, easily, once again. Afshar's writing style is very captivating, and I did not want to put the book down while I was reading it. The story in The Hidden Prince was very interesting and intriguing, and there was sweet romance woven into the stories of the main characters, which I also loved. The characters are well developed in the story and most of all, the gospel and the truth of the Word of God are constantly there in the book. Once again, an amazing fiction book from Tessa Afshar.

Beautifully written and edited historical fiction. The author did a great job of coming up with possible connections between historical characters. The storytelling did cross over into some didactic higher-ground type language, which some Christian readers might appreciate but was a bit too much for my personal reading tastes. I did enjoy the historical aspects and I appreciated how much research the author and her team did. I definitely recommend for anyone who wanted to know more about the culture surrounding Daniel from the bible.

This was my first Afshar book and won’t be my last! I so enjoyed this story with its romance, adventure, and lessons done in such a tasteful way all against an historical setting that intrigued me with is freshness but also comforted me with a few names I recognized from the Bible.

From the onset I was drawn in by the personal touch of Keren’s voice written so well. I also loved seeing Jared’s side of things too even from a different voice style and how that pared so well. Add in the historical details and some shocking events (no spoilers here) and I couldn’t put this down!

I highly recommend this to fans of historical or biblical fiction but also to those who like romance and Christian fiction in general. You’ll find love, forgiveness, and a unique look at how God works through this story!

My rating: 5*

—-

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

I have always found it difficult to read biblical fiction but The Hidden Prince by Tessa Afshar has blown me away. Once I started reading, I could not stop. I started it last evening and finished it this morning. I’ve tried reading biblical fiction in the past but either the biblical themes were inaccurate or the writing was difficult to read. I’ve never heard of Tessa Afshar but I am eager to read her other books as this is one of the best books I have ever read. The story of Keren, Jared, and Cyrus is not one I will forget anytime soon. The Bible verses and lessons that the book has taught are really strong and emotional. I teared up several times. This was a moving book and definitely not one to pass up on. It’s definitely a book that I would love to own myself. 10/10. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tyndale House Publishers for allowing me to read the advanced copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine and mine alone.

Tessa Afshar’s The Hidden Prince convicts me of this truth: Pain is unavoidable, but in God’s upside down kingdom, pain is never wasted. Not only is there purpose in pain, but beauty does come from the ashes of burned dreams if we turn our dreams over to God.

Jared and Keren weren’t left behind when I finished the book–their influence lingered for days. I admired the way Jared leaned into his pain and how he made a logical decision to cling to his faith on his broken path to healing. Keren showed me that really good people still make mistakes–we are all humans. She exemplified living a life poured out for others while pushing through pain. As for the prince? Well, he exhibited child-like faith and wonder with an integrity that will serve him well in a future that could surely be explored in a sequel. :)

The romance was authentic: theirs was a hard-won battle that did not lean on exaggerated and concocted situations, rather they bravely learned that perfect love casts out fear.

My favorite books are the ones that force me to grapple and come to terms with hard truths. This has forced me to face the fact that we inevitably wound those we love. The measure of our character is how we respond to wounding and to being wounded. If I could sit down with Jared and Keren, I fancy they would advise me to live fearlessly and love with abandon. Tessa Afshar’s books are some of my favorites–The Hidden Prince is one of her best.

I've read almost all of Tessa Afshar's books so far and this was one of my favorites. I was enlightened to learn about cultures and history I was not very familiar with (Persian, Babylonian & Median) through her researched storytelling. Even though the general plot wasn't a huge surprise, the characters of The Hidden Prince were believable, sympathetic and likable. I always appreciate a good story that brings even more life to the true words of life found in Scripture.

WHAT A BOOK! I am in completely AWE with this story! This is actually my first touch with Tessa Afshar's titles, altough I have heard about her incredible talent. I can confirm that is TRUE. I don't even know from where to start this review, other than. this is Godly blessed.

The narration starts presenting the reader to Keren, a Jew girl who has grown up in the Babylon when her people have been made captive from the Persian empire king, Nebuchadnezzar. In that foreign land, She has started to work as a scribe from the house of Daniel, God's prophet who was made an important man in king's palace decades before it. There, She use to come together with Daniel's family and their friends, especially one called Jared, who became her dearest friend... and also something more. However, this relationship didin't have probabilities to happen, to Keren and Jared sadness, and when a tragedy happens between them both, they are forced to go separate ways for good. That's when Keren discovers that the bad events that followed her life until now, were leading Her to a Godly plan in order to save not only her life and future, but all of her people soon enough.

The most incredible thing about me reading this book in this exact moment, is that all of this narrative was set in the period of time that I am following up in my bible daily reading right now: Cyrus reign. It's a MATCH! And this setting view about the real story has made the fictional part of "The hidden Prince" even better to go along within the pages. I am in LOVE of all main characters in here. Keren and Jared makes a perfect couple as a romantic core to the book, Daniel playing as a part of the word of wisdom is brilliant as well, and of course: Cyrus the perfect character to develop the plot and connect all the dots to the real events and the fictional ones. IT WAS BEYOND PERFECTION. Seriously! All the components here, between the verses of the bible associated with every happening in the chapter, to the believable feelings and emotions that the characters have been through the pages has made a compelling bond to make "The hidden Prince" one of my now called favorite authors' book, and also I am looking forward to get to know every single new book released. Simply AMAZING.
A thousand stars EVER and all my love.

Biblical Historical Fiction isnt new genre for me. And for years I hear so many good things about Tessa's books, but this is my first read from her.

I read Hidden Prince without expectation and in the end this book is amazed me. First I like the writing style, kinda slow and repetitive in the begining but it growing faster and more engaging in the important part. The plot itself actually simple and take loose adaptations from Daniel's era, but everything become so interesting since part two.

Choosen one as main character always become overused trope to write, but make our MC as vessel to help the choosen one to fulfill their potency and prophecy is very intriguing premise for me. Keren and Jared both likeable characters but young Cyrus truly hooked me with his witty banter and steal the spotlight everytime he appeared.
I wish extra luscious details in Babylonia and Persia setting. And actually I hope the author will write the 2nd book about grow up Cyrus's journey to fulfill his prophecy.

Thank you Netgalley and Tyndale House Publishers for let me read this copy. I am truly grateful and all this thoughts are my own.
The Hidden Prince will publish at 8 Nov 2022.

This is my first book by this author and I enjoyed it a lot. I never read a book about Babylon and that timeframe before so it was interesting to learn a bit more.

I liked Keren as a character. She was smart, loyal and didn't back down from a challenge. Jared hasn’t had it easy but he takes life as it comes..

I wasn’t aware of the fact this was a Christan author and while there is some religion in the book it wasn’t too much and it fit the story. I am normally not a huge fan of reading about religion but I was fine with this book.

I certainly deem this a wonderfully, gratifying read of historical fiction, which belongs squarely in the "Best Biblical Fiction Book" category. I really love how Tessa Afshar weaves in events of prophecy like intricate golden threads of mastercraft narrative writing. Afshar gleans her biblical input mostly from the book of Jeremiah and the reader gets to meet such people as the great and famous Daniel, kings and queens of his time, and of course, princes.

The challenges the protaganist Keren tackles are amazing and unusual feats for her time, well, especially since she is female doing "male only" job description work. Meeting Jared, Artadates and other characters was a lot of fun. The author creates euphonies of emotions ranging from tears, endearing relationship buzzes, anger, frustrations, belly-aching laugher and more. I love the humor! There was never a dull moment from start to finish, with suspenseful build up and unexpected twists and turns. This author unquestionably deserves a full 5 star rating. I definitely look forward to any books she may hatch into being, in time to come. Meantime, I will savor this one.

~Eunice C., Reviewer/Blogger~

July 2022

Disclaimer; This is my honest opinion based on the complimentary copy sent by NetGalley and the Tyndale House Publishers.

The Hidden Prince definitely lives up to the author's reputation as an awesome Biblical fiction author.

I snagged a review copy based solely on the author's name, so I had no idea what I was about to read. Honestly didn't even read the book description.

Keren is a remarkable heroine, smart, compassionate, curious... Her passion for reading and writing, far outside of the norm for a girl, and her skill carved her out a unique place for her in Daniel's home/sphere of influence.

Her journey from a relative 'nobody' to the one responsible for young Cyrus's education and safety many years before he came to power and eventually freed the Jews is amazing. I hope there is a sequel!!!

This well-researched story of the young boy who would become Cyrus the Great is very plausible, and exciting. Full of action and danger, misunderstandings and hurt feelings, romance and friendship, and acceptance is one I couldn't put down.

I'm very grateful for the opportunity to read such a fascinating book. I received an advance copy from #NetGalley, and chose to review it here. All thoughts are my own.