Garden of madness

Title:

Garden of madness

Author:

Higley, T. L.

ISBN:

9781401686802

9781624902222

Personal Author:

Higley, T. L.

Publication Information:

Nashville, Tenn. : Thomas Nelson, 2012.

Physical Description:

ix, 387 p. : map ; 22 cm.

Abstract:

The untold story of King Nebuchadnezzar's daughter.

Since her treaty marriage at a young age, Tia has lived an opulent yet oppressive life in the palace. But her husband has since died and she relishes her newfound independence. As the queen plans to wed Tia to yet another prince, the powerful mage Shadir plots to expose the family's secret and set his own man on the throne. Tia enlists the help of a reluctant Jewish captive, who challenges her notions of the gods even as he opens her heart to both truth and love.

Personal Subject:

Nebuchadnezzar I, King of Babylonia, active 12th century B.C.-Fiction.

Subject Term:

Historical fiction.

Geographic Term:

Babylon (Extinct city) -- Fiction.

Format:

Books

Document ID:

SD_ILS:1394097

Availability:

Holds:

Available:*

Library	Shelf Number	Material Type	Status
Searching... Cragieburn Library	HIGL	English Fiction	Searching... Unknown
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Summary

The untold story of King Nebuchadnezzar's daughter

For seven years the Babylonian princess Tiamat has waited for the mad king Nebuchadnezzar to return to his family and to his kingdom. Driven from his throne to live as a beast, he prowls his luxurious Hanging Gardens, secreted away from the world.

Since her treaty marriage at a young age, Tia has lived an opulent yet oppressive life in the palace. But her husband has since died and she relishes her newfound independence. When a nobleman is found murdered in the palace, Tia must discover who is responsible for the macabre death, even if her own freedom is threatened.

As the queen plans to wed Tia to yet another prince, the powerful mage Shadir plots to expose the family's secret and set his own man on the throne. Tia enlists the help of a reluctant Jewish captive, her late husband's brother Pedaiah, who challenges her notions of the gods even as he opens her heart to both truth and love.

In a time when few gave their hearts to Yahweh, Tia must decide if she is willing to risk everything--her possessions, her gods, and her very life--for the Israelites' one God. Madness, sorcery, and sinister plots mingle like an alchemist's deadly potion as Tia chooses whether to risk all to save the kingdom--and her family.

"The biblical story of Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar's seven years as a madman, found in the Old Testament Book of Daniel, deepens and broadens thanks to veteran author Higley's historical research and vivid imagination . . . Readers will find much to enjoy here: fine writing, suspense, mystery, faith, love, and a new look at an old story." -- Publishers Weekly

"Higley gives readers a dose of biblical history set in King Nebuchadnezzar's palatial gardens and a character like no other in Tiamat, devoted daughter of a king gone mad. The author's insights into a woman's inner strength as she searches for the one true God will leave readers rejoicing."-- Romantic Times TOP PICK

"Her story will appeal not just to readers of historical fiction but also to those with an interest in biblical history." -- Booklist

Reviews (3)

Publisher's Weekly Review

The biblical story of Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar's seven years as a madman, found in the Old Testament Book of Daniel, deepens and broadens thanks to veteran author Higley's historical research and vivid imagination. Tiamat, daughter of the mad king, finds herself at the center of palace intrigue when her husband, son of the imprisoned Israelite king, dies. Her mother wants her to wed a Median prince to preserve her family; the powerful mage Shadir intends her to marry his protege, Amel-Marduk; Tiamat wants neither, torn between her desire for freedom and her feelings for Pedaiah, her late husband's brother. Secrets pile upon secrets and danger lurks everywhere as Tiamat searches for answers. She must decide between the evil gods of her youth and the true God who promises peace and love, but may require that she give up the life she knows. Readers will find much to enjoy here: fine writing, suspense, mystery, faith, love, and a new look at an old story. Agent, Steve Laube (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Booklist Review

This is an unusual historical novel, told from the point of view of Tiamat, the daughter of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. Her father goes mad, and shortly after she is married off, her husband dies. She is then subject to her mother's manipulations and those of others as her mother tries to keep the throne. Tia becomes involved in discovering a plot to kill off her family and have it supplanted, led by one of their most trusted adviser-priests. She becomes more involved in the lives of the Jews, who were conquered by the Babylonians, then forcibly relocated to Babylon as captives. She must overcome her upbringing and change her perceptions of the world around her, accepting a single god in place of the Babylonian pantheon to save not only herself but also her family and her husband's family. Her story will appeal not just to readers of historical fiction but also to those with an interest in biblical history.--Gerber, Rebecca Copyright 2010 Booklist

Library Journal Review

Tiamat is the daughter of King Nebuchadnezzar, who, crazed, was driven from the city seven years before. Married off at a young age as part of a treaty, Tia must now contend with the death of her husband and a murder at the palace. In her search for the murderer, Tia enlists the help of her husband's brother, Pedaiah, who shows her the path to spiritual fulfillment and promises true love. VERDICT This plot-driven historical mystery with romantic elements by the author of Petra: City in Stone will appeal to readers of Jordan Dane and Dee Henderson. (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.