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chanizzle's review against another edition
2.0
I thought this was an interesting perspective to take - an inside view of how Akish and Jared's daughter planned and plotted compared to the normal approach of telling the story through the good side's point of view (King Omer and his family).
I liked Naiva and Levi as a couple but unfortunately there is not much time given to their relationship
I always enjoy the cultural aspects of this author's books. There's always enough description to help you understand how the characters lived but never too much to get boring.
Probably the biggest reason I didn't enjoy this book as much as I expected is because Naiva just gives into everything her family (mainly her sister) wants. She doesn't stand up for herself or do what's best for her. It's like this the whole book. Near the end is when she gets confirmation from God that she should stay with her controlling sister to "try to lead her to the right path by her example sort of thing". I guess I can see God doing that but - Boo! I didn't like it. I just wanted her to actually do something for herself for once.
In the end it was an okay book and an easy read.
I liked Naiva and Levi as a couple but unfortunately there is not much time given to their relationship
Spoiler
and yet Levi waits 11 years for Naiva to come to her senses toleave her sister to the horrible and abusive life she created and chose for herself. That was hard to believe and a bit disappointing.I always enjoy the cultural aspects of this author's books. There's always enough description to help you understand how the characters lived but never too much to get boring.
Probably the biggest reason I didn't enjoy this book as much as I expected is because Naiva just gives into everything her family (mainly her sister) wants. She doesn't stand up for herself or do what's best for her. It's like this the whole book. Near the end is when she gets confirmation from God that she should stay with her controlling sister to "try to lead her to the right path by her example sort of thing". I guess I can see God doing that but - Boo! I didn't like it. I just wanted her to actually do something for herself for once.
In the end it was an okay book and an easy read.
vickimarie2002's review against another edition
4.0
I have read several H.B. Moore books and they intrigue me so much! I'm not Avery religious person but her books always capture my attention. There is so much to learn and discover!
raejeanr's review against another edition
4.0
This book was more of a romance than I expected. The story is captivating and had me referring back to the book of Ether several times.
taetris's review against another edition
3.0
Plot: "Daughters of Jared" is told from the point of view of the younger daughter of Jared, Naiva. Her sister Asherah and her father Jared are plotting to overthrow the king and will stop at nothing to achieve their goals.
The novel is based on the Ancient book of Ethel, which is part of the book of mormon. I found this very interesting, since I have never read a book based on scripture before.
Religion is an important theme throughout the book, mostly in the form of monotheism vs. polytheism. However, it did not come across as preachy, but focused more on the effect religion can have on an individual person's life. What was apparent, however, was the fact that all evil and bad characters in the novel subscribed to polytheism, while the good characters believed in monotheism.
An equally important theme in the book is power, what it makes people do and what it can do to people.
Characters: The main character Naiva is extremely virtuous and selfless, to a point where it seems almost unrealistic. Asherah is a much more interesting character. She is power-hungry, ruthless and self-centred, but she also has a vulnerable, human side.
Overall I enjoyed this book. It was certainly sending a message, but in a way that did not feel out of place.
The novel is based on the Ancient book of Ethel, which is part of the book of mormon. I found this very interesting, since I have never read a book based on scripture before.
Religion is an important theme throughout the book, mostly in the form of monotheism vs. polytheism. However, it did not come across as preachy, but focused more on the effect religion can have on an individual person's life. What was apparent, however, was the fact that all evil and bad characters in the novel subscribed to polytheism, while the good characters believed in monotheism.
An equally important theme in the book is power, what it makes people do and what it can do to people.
Characters: The main character Naiva is extremely virtuous and selfless, to a point where it seems almost unrealistic. Asherah is a much more interesting character. She is power-hungry, ruthless and self-centred, but she also has a vulnerable, human side.
Overall I enjoyed this book. It was certainly sending a message, but in a way that did not feel out of place.
majber's review
3.0
I received this as an Ebook in exchange of an honest review.
This book takes place in the tenth century BC and the main character is a young girl named Naiva's who is the granddaughter of the king. When a series of events lead to her older sister Ash becoming queen, Naiva's world is turned upside down. Ash's husband Akish shows interest in her and at the same time she starts questioning the religion of the land she is living in.
The book cover many different topics such as love, loyalty, religion and the question of how much you are willing to sacrifice for your loved ones. One of my favourite characters was Levi, Akish’s calmer brother whom Naiva develop feelings for. Unfortunately we don't get to see much of him except for at the very end. Another lovable character was the ten year old servant boy Lib who introduces Naiva to a new religion. Lib’s story was quite heartbreaking and I loved seeing him in the epilogue.
I would have liked to see more of Naiva's brothers who are barely mentioned, but otherwise I think the author did a great job with covering so many different stories in a relatively short book. I did have some issues with relating to the main character though, who I found a little flat and inhumanly kind. She had very few flaws and was unrealistically loyal to someone who she didn't owe anything.
I give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars.
This book takes place in the tenth century BC and the main character is a young girl named Naiva's who is the granddaughter of the king. When a series of events lead to her older sister Ash becoming queen, Naiva's world is turned upside down. Ash's husband Akish shows interest in her and at the same time she starts questioning the religion of the land she is living in.
The book cover many different topics such as love, loyalty, religion and the question of how much you are willing to sacrifice for your loved ones. One of my favourite characters was Levi, Akish’s calmer brother whom Naiva develop feelings for. Unfortunately we don't get to see much of him except for at the very end. Another lovable character was the ten year old servant boy Lib who introduces Naiva to a new religion. Lib’s story was quite heartbreaking and I loved seeing him in the epilogue.
I would have liked to see more of Naiva's brothers who are barely mentioned, but otherwise I think the author did a great job with covering so many different stories in a relatively short book. I did have some issues with relating to the main character though, who I found a little flat and inhumanly kind. She had very few flaws and was unrealistically loyal to someone who she didn't owe anything.
I give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars.
wingsandfables's review
4.0
More of a 3.75 stars read for me. First of all, I feel the need to do a disclaimer for this review: I'm not Mormon and am completely unfamiliar with the Book of Mormon and most of what the church and followers believe. I am purely reviewing this book by its entertainment level for me and do not mean to offend anybody who has a deeper connection to the story.
Moving on. I requested to review this book because I skimmed the summary and it sounded to be Biblical and interested me. I've also read other works from Heather and have enjoyed her writing in the past. I thought at first that the summarist had misspelled the name "Esther" (from the Bible). When I started reading it however, I was completely confused at the unfamiliar names, both of places and people, and finally figured out near the end of the book that these are all people from the Book of Mormon and not the Bible. That being said, in hindsight, would I request this book again? Probably not since I feel religion is always a sensitive topic and someone outside of the religion reviewing a story that is probably held sacred is probably not the best idea. But I have to write a review so here we go.
I did like the book. I found Naiva to be a very real and relatable charater. From the very beginning, you get a sense of her character and I love how she developed throughout the story. Her fierce loyalty to her family was definitely admirable but also something that irked me as she let her own happiness pass by over and over again. The other characters were also interesting and pretty well developed within their roles. Regardless of how she treated her sister, I still found Ash to be an intriguing character with her repeated plans and manipulation. The brothers featured in this book definitely added a lot to the story. As Akish's real character is revealed, I found my thoughts towards him change more and more and he definitely shares some similar character traits to a few kings in the Book of Kings from the Bible. His brother Levi was an interesting character as well and captured how different family members can be. Although I do have to tend to agree with Naiva when faced with Levi and how he would try to change so much about her. That's definitely something that I rebel against in relationships and I could relate to Naiva in that way.
The plotline ran pretty fast-paced. I didn't find myself losing interest throughout the book but it also wasn't one that I was dying to keep reading. I think that if I was familiar with the story, the characters, and the places mentioned, I would have had more fun reading this. Particularly the places in the story meant nothing to me so when different villages were mentioned, I had no idea what the distances were (and none are given for the ordinary reader) and what their importance might be. However, Naiva and her spirit carried the book for me and I'm glad that I read it.
Likes: I liked all of the characters, even the evil ones. The character development. The plot was pretty fast-paced.
Dislikes: Virtually no explanation given of the places mentioned and no distances given so I had no idea how far Naiva had to travel, etc. Because I'm a different religion, there were some beliefs that I didn't agree with such as that Ash would go to hell for the things that she had done. Of course, this makes sense if you are of the Mormon faith and believe that what you do in life determines where your soul will live on. I however believe that there is nothing God cannot forgive if you ask for His forgiveness besides the unpardonable sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
Overall:
Recommend? Yes, if you're Mormon. If you aren't, I feel you'll have a similar reading experience to me.
*I received this e-book for free in exchange for an honest review*
Moving on. I requested to review this book because I skimmed the summary and it sounded to be Biblical and interested me. I've also read other works from Heather and have enjoyed her writing in the past. I thought at first that the summarist had misspelled the name "Esther" (from the Bible). When I started reading it however, I was completely confused at the unfamiliar names, both of places and people, and finally figured out near the end of the book that these are all people from the Book of Mormon and not the Bible. That being said, in hindsight, would I request this book again? Probably not since I feel religion is always a sensitive topic and someone outside of the religion reviewing a story that is probably held sacred is probably not the best idea. But I have to write a review so here we go.
I did like the book. I found Naiva to be a very real and relatable charater. From the very beginning, you get a sense of her character and I love how she developed throughout the story. Her fierce loyalty to her family was definitely admirable but also something that irked me as she let her own happiness pass by over and over again. The other characters were also interesting and pretty well developed within their roles. Regardless of how she treated her sister, I still found Ash to be an intriguing character with her repeated plans and manipulation. The brothers featured in this book definitely added a lot to the story. As Akish's real character is revealed, I found my thoughts towards him change more and more and he definitely shares some similar character traits to a few kings in the Book of Kings from the Bible. His brother Levi was an interesting character as well and captured how different family members can be. Although I do have to tend to agree with Naiva when faced with Levi and how he would try to change so much about her. That's definitely something that I rebel against in relationships and I could relate to Naiva in that way.
The plotline ran pretty fast-paced. I didn't find myself losing interest throughout the book but it also wasn't one that I was dying to keep reading. I think that if I was familiar with the story, the characters, and the places mentioned, I would have had more fun reading this. Particularly the places in the story meant nothing to me so when different villages were mentioned, I had no idea what the distances were (and none are given for the ordinary reader) and what their importance might be. However, Naiva and her spirit carried the book for me and I'm glad that I read it.
Likes: I liked all of the characters, even the evil ones. The character development. The plot was pretty fast-paced.
Dislikes: Virtually no explanation given of the places mentioned and no distances given so I had no idea how far Naiva had to travel, etc. Because I'm a different religion, there were some beliefs that I didn't agree with such as that Ash would go to hell for the things that she had done. Of course, this makes sense if you are of the Mormon faith and believe that what you do in life determines where your soul will live on. I however believe that there is nothing God cannot forgive if you ask for His forgiveness besides the unpardonable sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
Overall:
Recommend? Yes, if you're Mormon. If you aren't, I feel you'll have a similar reading experience to me.
*I received this e-book for free in exchange for an honest review*
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