Virago | 2018 Wattys Shortlist

foreword: synopsis + author note

S Y N O P S I S

As The Kingdom of Kediakin's first female ruler, Nura Al-Hashim has to bring her kingdom out of the ruin her predecessors placed it. She has a lot to prove to the people -- as her gender places her under scrutiny.

The last thing Nura can deal with is her almost non-existent faith in the God of their nation, her crumbling marriage or the other perils of her personal life.

When her husband, Wassim, commits the highest treason towards the kingdom and is executed Nura needs a spouse by her side. She shocks the nation and the world when instead of a new King, she takes on a Queen.

Esther Abbey , an orphan in the impoverished city of Susa is anything but brave. She's been pushed around by others her whole life.

As a black girl in a predominately anti-black country, she is overlooked by many and considered unattractive and unworthy of honour.

That all changes when out of a harem of thousands of girls -- she is chosen by the Queen Nura herself to be the First Wife

But her plight isn't over because there are bad people within the Kingdom's ranks who want to see the Jews suffer and now more than ever, Esther needs to stand up for her people in the face of adversary.

A U T H O R N O T E

24 april 2020: after a year or so off wattpad i have decided to re-upload the gem that got me a freakin' wattys shortlist. i believe the first draft deserves to be in its rightful home here on wattpad while i furiously work on the third draft. thank you again for your unending support!

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this story is very loosely based on the story of Esther in the Bible & Hadassah: One Night With The King by Mark Tennyson.

D I S C L A I M E R

this book is not spiritual book, but it does have a strong religious theme.

it also has a very strong LGBT theme and yes -- LGBTQ+ Muslim and Jewish folk exist. if you can't reconcile yourself with the idea of religious LGBT folk, then this is not the book for you.

i will also not tolerate any discrimination in the comments, anything homophobic, islamophobic, anti-sematic or racist will be deleted and i will block you.