Sheba The Rise of a Queen (Review)

My thoughts:
Biblical Fiction can be so iffy, it can be cut and dry, with too many facts and not enough interest or it can go beyond what is Biblically recorded, into the realm of too much. Tosca Lee's writing does neither, it draws you in like a spider draws a fly into a web. This book was no exception.  Tosca took the story of Bilqis, gave Bilqis a voice and beautifully told her story.  She didn't turn her into a beautiful simpering queen, but a woman who knew her mind, and stood for what she wanted.  A wonderful story, with beautiful imagery. You will see this story in your mind.  5 stars from this reviewer.
This book was provided for review purposes only, no payment was received for this review. 

About the Book:
THE LEGEND OF SHEBA
By: Tosca Lee
SYNOPSIS: There is the story you know: A foreign queen, journeying north with a caravan of riches to pay tribute to a king favored by the One God. The tale of a queen conquered by a king and god both before returning to her own land laden with gifts.
That is the tale you were meant to believe.
Which means most of it is a lie.
The truth is far more than even the storytellers could conjure. The riches more priceless. The secrets more corrosive. The love and betrayal more passionate and devastating.
Across the Red Sea, the pillars of the great oval temple once bore my name: Bilqis, Daughter of the Moon. Here, to the west, the porticoes knew another: Makeda, Woman of Fire. To the Israelites, I was queen of the spice lands, which they called Sheba.
In the tenth century BC, the new Queen of Sheba has inherited her father’s throne and all its riches at great personal cost. Her realm stretches west across the Red Sea into land wealthy in gold, frankincense, and spices. But now new alliances to the North threaten the trade routes that are the lifeblood of her nation. Solomon, the brash new king of Israel famous for his wealth and wisdom, will not be denied the tribute of the world—or of Sheba’s queen. With tensions ready to erupt within her own borders and the future of her nation at stake, the one woman who can match wits with Solomon undertakes the journey of a lifetime in a daring bid to test and win the king. But neither ruler has anticipated the clash of agendas, gods, and passion that threatens to ignite—and ruin—them both. An explosive retelling of the legendary king and queen and the nations that shaped history.