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The Book of Esther
Eastern Europe, August 1942. The Khazar kaganate, an isolated nation of Turkic warrior Jews, lies between the Pontus Euxinus (the Black Sea) and the Khazar Sea (the Caspian). It also happens to lie between a belligerent nation to the west that the Khazars call Germania—and a city the rest of the world calls Stalingrad.
After years of Jewish refugees streaming across the border from Europa, fleeing the war, Germania launches its siege of Khazaria. Only Esther, the daughter of the nation’s chief policy adviser, sees the ominous implications of Germania’s disregard for Jewish lives. Only she realizes that this isn’t just another war but an existential threat. After witnessing the enemy warplanes� first foray into sovereign Khazar territory, Esther knows she must fight for her country. But as the elder daughter in a traditional home, her urgent question is how.
Before daybreak one fateful morning, she embarks on a perilous journey across the open steppe. She seeks a fabled village of Kabbalists who may hold the key to her destiny: their rumored ability to change her into a man so that she may convince her entire nation to join in the fight for its very existence against an enemy like none Khazaria has ever faced before.
The Book of Esther is a profound saga of war, technology, mysticism, power, and faith.
After years of Jewish refugees streaming across the border from Europa, fleeing the war, Germania launches its siege of Khazaria. Only Esther, the daughter of the nation’s chief policy adviser, sees the ominous implications of Germania’s disregard for Jewish lives. Only she realizes that this isn’t just another war but an existential threat. After witnessing the enemy warplanes� first foray into sovereign Khazar territory, Esther knows she must fight for her country. But as the elder daughter in a traditional home, her urgent question is how.
Before daybreak one fateful morning, she embarks on a perilous journey across the open steppe. She seeks a fabled village of Kabbalists who may hold the key to her destiny: their rumored ability to change her into a man so that she may convince her entire nation to join in the fight for its very existence against an enemy like none Khazaria has ever faced before.
The Book of Esther is a profound saga of war, technology, mysticism, power, and faith.
418 pages, Hardcover
First published June 14, 2016
72 people are currently reading
2,380 people want to read
About the author
Emily Barton
4Ìýbooks94ÌýfollowersEmily Barton has written three novels so far. Her first, THE TESTAMENT OF YVES GUNDRON, called "blessedly post-ironic, engaging, and heartfelt" by Thomas Pynchon, won the Bard Fiction Prize and was named a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. In reviewing BROOKLAND, Joan Acocella of "The New Yorker" wrote that Barton creates alternate worlds "out of Calvino or Borges." Barton's third novel, THE BOOK OF ESTHER, just hit the shelves in June of 2016. Writing for "The New York Times Book Review," novelist Dara Horn calls it "as addicting as a Jewish 'Game of Thrones.'"
Barton is the recipient of an artist's grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the Sustainable Arts Foundation. She lives in the Hudson Valley with her husband, sons, and a cat.
Barton is the recipient of an artist's grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the Sustainable Arts Foundation. She lives in the Hudson Valley with her husband, sons, and a cat.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 172 reviews
June 28, 2016
Confession: I hope to win a Print Book on Good reads. I want to give this book to my Rabbi.
Many books about WWII and the Holocaust cover the history - but "The Book of Esther", is not only an enormous historical achievement as well, (I googled some of the history of the Khazar Khanate), but it's one of the strongest novels I've read ....which salutes Jewish identity - culture - rituals - and customs.
Plus...it's so fascinating the way Emily Barton blends the genuine history with the story of Queen Esther. Highly imagined. GREAT ADVENTURE. Terrific characters!!!
There are mechanical horses, golems, religious blessings, discussion on Jewish law following the Torah, gender roles, sexual content, Jewish folklore, flying messenger and a pet pigeons, questions of faith, ( some rebellion), killing of a warewolf, ( warning it's graphic), slavery, class division, community, struggles with faith-identity - and personal loyalty.
Truly one of the best adventure biblical stories I've read since way back ...giving me that 'WOW' feeling I had the first time I read "The Red Tent", by Anita Diamant.
About half way into this story....I did pause. I wondered (only a little), how non-Jewish people would like this book. I think all religions - or no religion- will find much to enjoy. There are references to Jewish customs which I take for granted.... There is a minimal about of Hebrew....(I take simple Hebrew for granted)...but if you have no background at all, I suppose, a reader could feel left in the dark in a few spots. There are no translations. Yet...I really do 'not' think its a major problem. It never gets in the way of the overall story.
A personal share....blending my thoughts with this novel:
I have 2 Trans friends. One isn't religious, but the other is Jewish - like me. Quite religious actually, too. Honors our faith!
In "The Book of Esther".... Esther has a very special Trans friend.... ( won't give any
spoiler away about their relationship....but I found it inspiring that he was an observant Jew of the laws of The Torah. One might have 'mistaken', that being a Trans - he might not value his faith to the extent he did. ( not true)!
Esther wanted to break gender roles.
A fun part - for me - was watching Esther struggle with her thought process.. ( to be a man or not...and her reasons for and against).
Wonderful characters. Esther's younger brother, Itakh, is a young little hero in his own right.
Selene, ( The mechanical horse), is also a star character. Who knew a mechanical horse could feel so human?
Rukhl, a refuge, is another unforgettable character.
Shimon, and Amit... ( two star leading men)
And....The Birds. This story gives a great name for 'the pigeons'
Great dramatic storytelling with character development that is so good....you feel as if you know them well...and stepped into a sensational time machine.
An exceptional juicy read....thank you Crown Publishing, Netgalley, and Emily Barton
Many books about WWII and the Holocaust cover the history - but "The Book of Esther", is not only an enormous historical achievement as well, (I googled some of the history of the Khazar Khanate), but it's one of the strongest novels I've read ....which salutes Jewish identity - culture - rituals - and customs.
Plus...it's so fascinating the way Emily Barton blends the genuine history with the story of Queen Esther. Highly imagined. GREAT ADVENTURE. Terrific characters!!!
There are mechanical horses, golems, religious blessings, discussion on Jewish law following the Torah, gender roles, sexual content, Jewish folklore, flying messenger and a pet pigeons, questions of faith, ( some rebellion), killing of a warewolf, ( warning it's graphic), slavery, class division, community, struggles with faith-identity - and personal loyalty.
Truly one of the best adventure biblical stories I've read since way back ...giving me that 'WOW' feeling I had the first time I read "The Red Tent", by Anita Diamant.
About half way into this story....I did pause. I wondered (only a little), how non-Jewish people would like this book. I think all religions - or no religion- will find much to enjoy. There are references to Jewish customs which I take for granted.... There is a minimal about of Hebrew....(I take simple Hebrew for granted)...but if you have no background at all, I suppose, a reader could feel left in the dark in a few spots. There are no translations. Yet...I really do 'not' think its a major problem. It never gets in the way of the overall story.
A personal share....blending my thoughts with this novel:
I have 2 Trans friends. One isn't religious, but the other is Jewish - like me. Quite religious actually, too. Honors our faith!
In "The Book of Esther".... Esther has a very special Trans friend.... ( won't give any
spoiler away about their relationship....but I found it inspiring that he was an observant Jew of the laws of The Torah. One might have 'mistaken', that being a Trans - he might not value his faith to the extent he did. ( not true)!
Esther wanted to break gender roles.
A fun part - for me - was watching Esther struggle with her thought process.. ( to be a man or not...and her reasons for and against).
Wonderful characters. Esther's younger brother, Itakh, is a young little hero in his own right.
Selene, ( The mechanical horse), is also a star character. Who knew a mechanical horse could feel so human?
Rukhl, a refuge, is another unforgettable character.
Shimon, and Amit... ( two star leading men)
And....The Birds. This story gives a great name for 'the pigeons'
Great dramatic storytelling with character development that is so good....you feel as if you know them well...and stepped into a sensational time machine.
An exceptional juicy read....thank you Crown Publishing, Netgalley, and Emily Barton
May 3, 2016
The Book of Esther is a hodgepodge of different genres: military fiction, historical fiction, religious fiction. Add to that a flavor of steampunk you've likely never tried before, blend it all up (but keep it Kosher!), and you'll approach this heavy but well-written story.
It's basically World War II, but what if the Jews had their own superpower nation? And what if they had cool-crazy mechanical horses? And a massive network of passenger pigeons? And what if there were, like, werewolves? And why don't we throw an army of killer-but-relatable golems in there as well?
Take all that stuff, that cool stuff, and filter it through a story of lovingly held religious extremes. Then filter that through an exploration of womens' roles, both at peacetime and at war.
Joan of Arc meets Schindler's List meets steampunk meets something else, something a little -ish.
The only complaint I had was with the ending, which kinda falls into the "non-ending" category of endings. I see why it was done like that, but still, I could have used some closure on the grand, sweeping epic conflict I had been looking forward to the whole book. But still, highly recommended.
It's basically World War II, but what if the Jews had their own superpower nation? And what if they had cool-crazy mechanical horses? And a massive network of passenger pigeons? And what if there were, like, werewolves? And why don't we throw an army of killer-but-relatable golems in there as well?
Take all that stuff, that cool stuff, and filter it through a story of lovingly held religious extremes. Then filter that through an exploration of womens' roles, both at peacetime and at war.
Joan of Arc meets Schindler's List meets steampunk meets something else, something a little -ish.
The only complaint I had was with the ending, which kinda falls into the "non-ending" category of endings. I see why it was done like that, but still, I could have used some closure on the grand, sweeping epic conflict I had been looking forward to the whole book. But still, highly recommended.
June 20, 2016
Badass, feminist, imaginative, historical.
I devoured this book. Or maybe it devoured me.
Let me start by saying that this book is a lot. Barton's writing is awesome, but dense. The vast majority of the reviews I've read for this book mention "info-dumping" and the use of other languages without translation. They're not wrong, but... I almost feel as though these reviewers can't have actually finished the book. The first chapter is the hardest. I put the book down twice (to pick up Harry Potter, of course) because I just couldn't get into the first chapter. But I finally pushed through it, and hot damn I'm glad I did. I went on to finish it in two days because I could not put it down.
THAT SAID, I don't necessarily recommend you immediately drop everything and buy the book. Rent it from your library. Or finish this review and read other reviews before dropping $25 on it.
Because the people who didn't love this book bring up good points. I've seen folks complain that there are too many mystical elements. There are animated clay figures called Golems. There are mechanical horses in the 20th century. There's a man who was born a woman but transformed into a man when he prayed for it while bathing. There's also the fact that hundreds rally behind a teenage girl, willfully following her into war. Naturally, people complain that it's a lot to believe. To which I say: just get past it! In the beginning of the book I also struggled to believe everything that was put in front of me. But once I just stopped thinking so hard about it (it's historical fiction, after all), I was able to just relax and thoroughly enjoy the book.
The other major complaints I've seen, and which I feel I need to address before telling anyone to go buy it, are the complaints of language and too much info. Barton uses language throughout the novel that most of us won't understand (Hebrew? Yiddish? Combo? I don't know.) She often translates it, but not always. It was occasionally frustrating, but mostly I thought it was easy enough to understand through context. When I couldn't guess the meaning, I just... got over it. It really doesn't happen enough to distract from the story. Despite not always understanding the occasional blurbs of other-language, I understood and followed the plot. It didn't interfere with character development or rising action or, or, or. And yet, many, many people seemed to really dislike this feature of the book. So I figure it's worth mentioning. If you think this would bother you, it might not be worth reading. And then there's the issue of "info-dumping." There were some parts of the book that were just crazy laden with info - I don't mind it. I thought it was necessary to the story. But if you are more a dialogue and action guy or gal, it's something to consider. For all the info-dumping, though, I thought it was paced just fine. I never got bored.
And yet, I really, really want to urge everyone to try this book out. It's one of the best books I've read in the last year (up there with The Tsar of Love and Techno by Anthony Marra and The Mapmaker's Children by Sarah McCoy). The writing was perfection - the kind that makes you think of silk and caramel and hot chocolate and tea and blankets and that attic from A Little Princess. I know you know what I mean.
~Break to go watch A Little Princess. My dear, dear Sara.~
So other than the writing, what did I love about this book? First of all, it's historical fiction. It's one of my favorite genres, and I find it interesting. That said, it really stretches the genre since it flat out alters the world. There's a massive Jewish state between Germany and Russia during WWII. So we're not just reading a fictional story that feels real - we're reading something of fantasy. Also, the characters. Ah, the characters. We have Esther, of course. A young woman living in a society that has strict rules and expectations for women. She's high-born. She's set to marry (joyfully, it's to someone she loves). And yet she feels strongly that there's more to be done to defend her homeland when the Germanii begin to attack. ......So she does something. This book is feminist, and it's badass. We get a lot of other great characters as well, and they span young to old, religious to heretical to atheists to soulless. It was all at once exciting and nerve-wracking to watch how these characters would interact, how the story would unfold with so many different kinds of people needing to live among each other.
I loved that I was never bored, despite how long it took to get to the climax of the book. I love that there were so many moments throughout the book that forced readers to hold their breath in suspense. There was plenty of action. I also happen to love war stories, don't know why, so I appreciated the latter half of the book just as much as the former. (It read historical fiction --> military fiction.)
And though I think it's a bold endeavor that could have been disastrous, I really loved that Barton mashed so many different genres together. At times this book felt religious. At times it felt like fantasy. It was fiction that felt real. I can't say enough good things about this book.
Of course, I wasn't entirely pleased. Esther isn't perfect by any means. I found her lovable, but she was disappointing from time to time. I also didn't love the ending - I thought it left too much unanswered. But it wasn't a bad ending, so I'm alright with that.
Over all, I thought it was an amazing book. I love when we're given strong heroines. I love when my imagination has to stretch. I love reading really good writing. If you love these things too, I'd suggest getting your hands on this book.
More here:
I devoured this book. Or maybe it devoured me.
Let me start by saying that this book is a lot. Barton's writing is awesome, but dense. The vast majority of the reviews I've read for this book mention "info-dumping" and the use of other languages without translation. They're not wrong, but... I almost feel as though these reviewers can't have actually finished the book. The first chapter is the hardest. I put the book down twice (to pick up Harry Potter, of course) because I just couldn't get into the first chapter. But I finally pushed through it, and hot damn I'm glad I did. I went on to finish it in two days because I could not put it down.
THAT SAID, I don't necessarily recommend you immediately drop everything and buy the book. Rent it from your library. Or finish this review and read other reviews before dropping $25 on it.
Because the people who didn't love this book bring up good points. I've seen folks complain that there are too many mystical elements. There are animated clay figures called Golems. There are mechanical horses in the 20th century. There's a man who was born a woman but transformed into a man when he prayed for it while bathing. There's also the fact that hundreds rally behind a teenage girl, willfully following her into war. Naturally, people complain that it's a lot to believe. To which I say: just get past it! In the beginning of the book I also struggled to believe everything that was put in front of me. But once I just stopped thinking so hard about it (it's historical fiction, after all), I was able to just relax and thoroughly enjoy the book.
The other major complaints I've seen, and which I feel I need to address before telling anyone to go buy it, are the complaints of language and too much info. Barton uses language throughout the novel that most of us won't understand (Hebrew? Yiddish? Combo? I don't know.) She often translates it, but not always. It was occasionally frustrating, but mostly I thought it was easy enough to understand through context. When I couldn't guess the meaning, I just... got over it. It really doesn't happen enough to distract from the story. Despite not always understanding the occasional blurbs of other-language, I understood and followed the plot. It didn't interfere with character development or rising action or, or, or. And yet, many, many people seemed to really dislike this feature of the book. So I figure it's worth mentioning. If you think this would bother you, it might not be worth reading. And then there's the issue of "info-dumping." There were some parts of the book that were just crazy laden with info - I don't mind it. I thought it was necessary to the story. But if you are more a dialogue and action guy or gal, it's something to consider. For all the info-dumping, though, I thought it was paced just fine. I never got bored.
And yet, I really, really want to urge everyone to try this book out. It's one of the best books I've read in the last year (up there with The Tsar of Love and Techno by Anthony Marra and The Mapmaker's Children by Sarah McCoy). The writing was perfection - the kind that makes you think of silk and caramel and hot chocolate and tea and blankets and that attic from A Little Princess. I know you know what I mean.
~Break to go watch A Little Princess. My dear, dear Sara.~
So other than the writing, what did I love about this book? First of all, it's historical fiction. It's one of my favorite genres, and I find it interesting. That said, it really stretches the genre since it flat out alters the world. There's a massive Jewish state between Germany and Russia during WWII. So we're not just reading a fictional story that feels real - we're reading something of fantasy. Also, the characters. Ah, the characters. We have Esther, of course. A young woman living in a society that has strict rules and expectations for women. She's high-born. She's set to marry (joyfully, it's to someone she loves). And yet she feels strongly that there's more to be done to defend her homeland when the Germanii begin to attack. ......So she does something. This book is feminist, and it's badass. We get a lot of other great characters as well, and they span young to old, religious to heretical to atheists to soulless. It was all at once exciting and nerve-wracking to watch how these characters would interact, how the story would unfold with so many different kinds of people needing to live among each other.
I loved that I was never bored, despite how long it took to get to the climax of the book. I love that there were so many moments throughout the book that forced readers to hold their breath in suspense. There was plenty of action. I also happen to love war stories, don't know why, so I appreciated the latter half of the book just as much as the former. (It read historical fiction --> military fiction.)
And though I think it's a bold endeavor that could have been disastrous, I really loved that Barton mashed so many different genres together. At times this book felt religious. At times it felt like fantasy. It was fiction that felt real. I can't say enough good things about this book.
Of course, I wasn't entirely pleased. Esther isn't perfect by any means. I found her lovable, but she was disappointing from time to time. I also didn't love the ending - I thought it left too much unanswered. But it wasn't a bad ending, so I'm alright with that.
Over all, I thought it was an amazing book. I love when we're given strong heroines. I love when my imagination has to stretch. I love reading really good writing. If you love these things too, I'd suggest getting your hands on this book.
More here:
February 11, 2017
The best excuse for an alternate history is that it makes a good story. One type is an improvement on history. I really wish that history had gone the way the author describes in the novel. The Book of Esther by Emily Barton is an alternate history of this type. I was intrigued by the concept and received a digital galley for free from Edelweiss.
Since I am one of the ideal readers for The Book of Esther, I loved it. It's obviously intended for readers who are very well-educated in Judaism. Jewish customs and religious terminology aren't explained. Neither is the structure of Khazar society. So if you've read about the Khazars, as I have, you will also have a leg up in understanding who is who in this novel. A glossary and recommended bibliography would have been very useful for many readers who have professed themselves mystified in their Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ reviews of this novel. I'm not sure why Barton would have purposely narrowed her audience. If you're inclined to research the books you read, I think that Barton's book will reward you for this effort. Esther is a courageous and intelligent heroine, and there is one rather surprising character that she encounters among the Kabalists. I highly recommend this book.
For my complete review see
Since I am one of the ideal readers for The Book of Esther, I loved it. It's obviously intended for readers who are very well-educated in Judaism. Jewish customs and religious terminology aren't explained. Neither is the structure of Khazar society. So if you've read about the Khazars, as I have, you will also have a leg up in understanding who is who in this novel. A glossary and recommended bibliography would have been very useful for many readers who have professed themselves mystified in their Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ reviews of this novel. I'm not sure why Barton would have purposely narrowed her audience. If you're inclined to research the books you read, I think that Barton's book will reward you for this effort. Esther is a courageous and intelligent heroine, and there is one rather surprising character that she encounters among the Kabalists. I highly recommend this book.
For my complete review see
May 9, 2016
I received this book through the publisher via Netgalley.
This is one of those reviews where I am left with such mixed feelings that I am not sure where to start. First of all, the world. Barton has created an immersive, rich alternate history with her Jewish state that is caught in the drama of World War II. The first chapter of this might be quite daunting for some readers, as it involves a lot of info dumping and many, many Jewish words that are not defined. As for me, I was enthralled (albeit confused at times). I am a total geek for that kind of detail, and I am in awe of the research that Barton went through to create this world.
There is a steampunk element to the book, and a more... primitive aspect as well. This is a country that uses mechanical horses, not cars, for transportation, and heavily relies on pigeons for communication. There is also a heavy mystical element as Kabbalists and golems also play a vital role. These elements didn't quite meld together for me with World War II lurking in the background.
Esther is a teenage rebel in a culture where girls have very clear and defined roles. She is set to be married in a few months. She has lived a very privileged life as the daughter of a rabbi with a major government position. She resolves to fight against Hitler's encroaching forces, but instead of binding her breasts and joining the army, she sets off with her family's beloved slave to find Kabbalists so that she can be transformed into a boy.
Yes, there are some leaps of logic there. I found these forgivable at the start, but as the book continued, I began to question more and more. Esther's quest has a very divine feel to it, and throughout most of the book, things are easy for her. Too easy. She is able to convince everyone of her good intent and I just couldn't believe in her raising an army or being useful at all in a commanding role. A love triangle also emerges that grated on me in a major way. The end of the book is a major cliffhanger. Things are not resolved at all. I think that final sour note is what really changed my mind about the book, and it frustrates me to say that because I was utterly enthralled at the start.
This is one of those reviews where I am left with such mixed feelings that I am not sure where to start. First of all, the world. Barton has created an immersive, rich alternate history with her Jewish state that is caught in the drama of World War II. The first chapter of this might be quite daunting for some readers, as it involves a lot of info dumping and many, many Jewish words that are not defined. As for me, I was enthralled (albeit confused at times). I am a total geek for that kind of detail, and I am in awe of the research that Barton went through to create this world.
There is a steampunk element to the book, and a more... primitive aspect as well. This is a country that uses mechanical horses, not cars, for transportation, and heavily relies on pigeons for communication. There is also a heavy mystical element as Kabbalists and golems also play a vital role. These elements didn't quite meld together for me with World War II lurking in the background.
Esther is a teenage rebel in a culture where girls have very clear and defined roles. She is set to be married in a few months. She has lived a very privileged life as the daughter of a rabbi with a major government position. She resolves to fight against Hitler's encroaching forces, but instead of binding her breasts and joining the army, she sets off with her family's beloved slave to find Kabbalists so that she can be transformed into a boy.
Yes, there are some leaps of logic there. I found these forgivable at the start, but as the book continued, I began to question more and more. Esther's quest has a very divine feel to it, and throughout most of the book, things are easy for her. Too easy. She is able to convince everyone of her good intent and I just couldn't believe in her raising an army or being useful at all in a commanding role. A love triangle also emerges that grated on me in a major way. The end of the book is a major cliffhanger. Things are not resolved at all. I think that final sour note is what really changed my mind about the book, and it frustrates me to say that because I was utterly enthralled at the start.
June 16, 2016
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
First, let's get a necessary disclaimer out of the way: I'm not Jewish. In fact, I'm an atheist, and was raised that way, so my knowledge of any religion is relatively cursory. In many cases, that's not an obstacle to me as a reader. Here, it definitely ways. Hence the disclaimer: Jewish readers, or readers with a stronger foundational knowledge of Jewish belief, may get more out of this book than I could.
The sad thing, for me, is that what drew me to this book was interest in what a Jewish alternate history fantasy novel would be like. It's a bummer to reach the end of the book and realize that the cultural perspective I was so curious about was part of what made the book hard to follow. It would have been easier with a map, and a glossary or footnotes of some kind, and perhaps the publisher has added these components to the hardcover. My reading experience without them was frustrating, to say the least, because I couldn't quite understand the day-to-day conversations between the characters, let alone picture Khazaria's location and role on the international stage.
After the end of the story, too, I'm left wondering if there's some sort of religious significance to the point at which things ended that I'm missing... because if there isn't, then the only conclusion I can come to is that Barton just plain didn't bother to craft a satisfying ending.
Here's the thing: any reader of this book is guaranteed to be far more knowledgeable than the characters about the consequences of Germany conquering Khazaria. We all know what lies at the end of those train tracks, what the refugees are fleeing, and the looming threat of the Holocaust lends the book natural tension. The premise demands emotional investment, because we're all too aware of the stakes.
So when the plot meanders extensively, seeming to prioritize everything else imaginable over the actual horrific threat bearing down on this nation, the reading experience gets... frustrating, to say the least. At least a full third of the story is just Esther riding out to the Kabbalists, and there's quite a bit to do with her journey back. The reader knows from the beginning that battle must be joined by the end, and can also reasonably imagine the military strength of the invading Germans. Perhaps this won't bother everyone, but for me, it made every page devoted to something other than repelling the invasion I got more and more frustrated.
The ending of the book is... abrupt. Of all the questions raised throughout the story, only one is answered, and that only partially. Character arcs, big moral questions, and consequences of major plot events all go un-resolved. I'd seen a review commenting that a sequel was needed, but I wasn't prepared for how completely sharp and unsatisfactory that ending was.
One thing that this book does still have in its favor, and a secondary reason I requested it in the first place, is the way it touches on LGBT themes. Esther's attitude towards her own gender seemed almost like that of a character who was agender, but lacked the vocabulary to articulate it; additionally, one of the major characters is trans, and the means of his transition was an interesting element. Esther's attitude towards him isn't always pleasant to read (she speculates a lot about his genitals, and at one point), but given her background it seems like it's to be expected.
Now, for the alternate history components of this book - I certainly didn't expect the dieselpunk mechanical horses! I also... still don't really see the point of them, to be honest, since Seleme seemed to make travelling more difficult for Esther and Itakh, not less. It's a neat concept, but... perhaps one that made it in by virtue of Kitchen Sink Syndrome.
As other reviewers have pointed out, though: no matter how cool the tech sounds, it's bizarre to imagine a society in the 1930s-40s that would be this technologically deficient compared to its neighbors. I'm sure they existed at the time, but again - I find myself running up against the conflict between audience meta-knowledge and character knowledge in the books. This goes back somewhat to knowing the stakes, too, because the Khazar kaganate is so helplessly outgunned that their defeat seems like an inevitability.
At the end of the day, I would encourage people to give this book a try, because I do feel like the experience is going to vary significantly between readers, but personally I found the reading experience almost entirely unsatisfactory and, given the lack of resolution, very nearly pointless.
First, let's get a necessary disclaimer out of the way: I'm not Jewish. In fact, I'm an atheist, and was raised that way, so my knowledge of any religion is relatively cursory. In many cases, that's not an obstacle to me as a reader. Here, it definitely ways. Hence the disclaimer: Jewish readers, or readers with a stronger foundational knowledge of Jewish belief, may get more out of this book than I could.
The sad thing, for me, is that what drew me to this book was interest in what a Jewish alternate history fantasy novel would be like. It's a bummer to reach the end of the book and realize that the cultural perspective I was so curious about was part of what made the book hard to follow. It would have been easier with a map, and a glossary or footnotes of some kind, and perhaps the publisher has added these components to the hardcover. My reading experience without them was frustrating, to say the least, because I couldn't quite understand the day-to-day conversations between the characters, let alone picture Khazaria's location and role on the international stage.
After the end of the story, too, I'm left wondering if there's some sort of religious significance to the point at which things ended that I'm missing... because if there isn't, then the only conclusion I can come to is that Barton just plain didn't bother to craft a satisfying ending.
Here's the thing: any reader of this book is guaranteed to be far more knowledgeable than the characters about the consequences of Germany conquering Khazaria. We all know what lies at the end of those train tracks, what the refugees are fleeing, and the looming threat of the Holocaust lends the book natural tension. The premise demands emotional investment, because we're all too aware of the stakes.
So when the plot meanders extensively, seeming to prioritize everything else imaginable over the actual horrific threat bearing down on this nation, the reading experience gets... frustrating, to say the least. At least a full third of the story is just Esther riding out to the Kabbalists, and there's quite a bit to do with her journey back. The reader knows from the beginning that battle must be joined by the end, and can also reasonably imagine the military strength of the invading Germans. Perhaps this won't bother everyone, but for me, it made every page devoted to something other than repelling the invasion I got more and more frustrated.
The ending of the book is... abrupt. Of all the questions raised throughout the story, only one is answered, and that only partially. Character arcs, big moral questions, and consequences of major plot events all go un-resolved. I'd seen a review commenting that a sequel was needed, but I wasn't prepared for how completely sharp and unsatisfactory that ending was.
One thing that this book does still have in its favor, and a secondary reason I requested it in the first place, is the way it touches on LGBT themes. Esther's attitude towards her own gender seemed almost like that of a character who was agender, but lacked the vocabulary to articulate it; additionally, one of the major characters is trans, and the means of his transition was an interesting element. Esther's attitude towards him isn't always pleasant to read (she speculates a lot about his genitals, and at one point), but given her background it seems like it's to be expected.
Now, for the alternate history components of this book - I certainly didn't expect the dieselpunk mechanical horses! I also... still don't really see the point of them, to be honest, since Seleme seemed to make travelling more difficult for Esther and Itakh, not less. It's a neat concept, but... perhaps one that made it in by virtue of Kitchen Sink Syndrome.
As other reviewers have pointed out, though: no matter how cool the tech sounds, it's bizarre to imagine a society in the 1930s-40s that would be this technologically deficient compared to its neighbors. I'm sure they existed at the time, but again - I find myself running up against the conflict between audience meta-knowledge and character knowledge in the books. This goes back somewhat to knowing the stakes, too, because the Khazar kaganate is so helplessly outgunned that their defeat seems like an inevitability.
At the end of the day, I would encourage people to give this book a try, because I do feel like the experience is going to vary significantly between readers, but personally I found the reading experience almost entirely unsatisfactory and, given the lack of resolution, very nearly pointless.
Read
September 17, 2016When I finished this book and tried to find a way to characterize it, the title I kept bumping up against was 100 Years of Solitude. Only that book read to me like an allegorical, magical realism history of South America, and this one read like an allegorical, magical realism story of . . . what? If there is a classic as substrate, I missed it. It did not feel like the Biblical Book of Esther underlies it. I could be wrong. I’ll get to why.
First, there is so much going on in this book, which is set in an alternate Earth wherein the Jews have had a powerful kingdom existing between Russia and Europe for a very long time. But now, an influx of Jewish refugees driven before the German bombers causes Esther to leave her home, where women’s roles are constrained by ancient Biblical law, to take a boy slave much loved by the family, on a quest to be turned into a man so she can lead a war against the invaders.
Why has this kingdom existed so long without modern tech? They communicate with carrier pigeons (the birds are a wonderful part of the book) and travel on mechanical horses that act like real horses and have personality (Seleme, Esther’s horse, is another wonderful character. How do these work? There are Golems, and mystical gender transformations, and there is a whole lot of folklore, Kabbalistic lore, and cultural references here that go unexplained, along with smatterings of various languages, mostly Hebrew and Yiddish.
It took me a long time to read this book. It felt rather like watching an art film mostly shot in sepia tones, from a distance, except when there are close-ups that leave me struggling to understand the undertones and complexities. The writing is vivid, subtle, complex, and can be quite painfully graphic, and yet it was difficult for me to become emotionally engaged even as the tension built.
I think it was because of the magic realism feel—that nothing works the way I expect it to, so I don’t trust my own conclusions, and though the amazing variety of cultures, people, customs, and actions evoked a variety of emotions, my chief one was too often confusion. The end feels like allegory or magic realism—I wondered if this was to be the first in a series. Or, maybe the last couple lines tell you all you need to know.
Altogether? I am glad I read the book, though it did take me so long, and it left me struggling for understanding. But that is no bad thing.
Copy received from NetGalley
First, there is so much going on in this book, which is set in an alternate Earth wherein the Jews have had a powerful kingdom existing between Russia and Europe for a very long time. But now, an influx of Jewish refugees driven before the German bombers causes Esther to leave her home, where women’s roles are constrained by ancient Biblical law, to take a boy slave much loved by the family, on a quest to be turned into a man so she can lead a war against the invaders.
Why has this kingdom existed so long without modern tech? They communicate with carrier pigeons (the birds are a wonderful part of the book) and travel on mechanical horses that act like real horses and have personality (Seleme, Esther’s horse, is another wonderful character. How do these work? There are Golems, and mystical gender transformations, and there is a whole lot of folklore, Kabbalistic lore, and cultural references here that go unexplained, along with smatterings of various languages, mostly Hebrew and Yiddish.
It took me a long time to read this book. It felt rather like watching an art film mostly shot in sepia tones, from a distance, except when there are close-ups that leave me struggling to understand the undertones and complexities. The writing is vivid, subtle, complex, and can be quite painfully graphic, and yet it was difficult for me to become emotionally engaged even as the tension built.
I think it was because of the magic realism feel—that nothing works the way I expect it to, so I don’t trust my own conclusions, and though the amazing variety of cultures, people, customs, and actions evoked a variety of emotions, my chief one was too often confusion. The end feels like allegory or magic realism—I wondered if this was to be the first in a series. Or, maybe the last couple lines tell you all you need to know.
Altogether? I am glad I read the book, though it did take me so long, and it left me struggling for understanding. But that is no bad thing.
Copy received from NetGalley
December 29, 2017
I'm giving up at 300 pages. It wasn't terrible but it also wasn't interesting. I think I could read the other 120 pages and get nothing out of them.
July 31, 2016
I really liked this story , it was unique and very fast oriented , golem seem to be something all Jewish related stories seem to use as an standard practice so in that aspect I was comforted with the fact that the author gave them a new side to exploit . I only gave this story 4 stars because I feel like the story ended in a cliffhanger .
July 21, 2016
The Book of Esther is one of those rare novels that takes a biblical story, and heroine, and transforms it into a book for the masses. Even those who are not familiar with Esther from the bible will love this novel, and they will enjoy the fantasy appeal that it presents.
Emily Barton writes with a strong historical knowledge of the time period and story of which she is writing, but she also has a firm grip on steampunk and fantasy elements. She intertwined fantasy with history in a way that was believable, and I fell easily into her world.
Jewish culture is often something that it intertwined hand in hand with the Holocaust, but this novel explored more than that connection. It clearly represented the Jewish culture in terms of the language, settings and habits used, and I found it to be the "grown up" version of Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin. It holds a strong sense of love and hope for the Jewish culture, while also applying biblical stories to more contemporary times. Barton beautifully explored the concept that men have more power than women, and she did so by exploring how Esther went looking for magic that would turn her into a man. She wanted to become a man so that she could convince people to fight for what is right, and it was sad to see how she felt the need to go through with this; however, she had the passion and the drive and knew that she would be taken more seriously if she appeared as a man.
Barton is clearly a strong storyteller, and one that incorporates an unapologetic love for the bible and the lessons it teaches. She also challenges certain concepts present in the bible, and isn't afraid to mix them with mysticism and lore. Her novel preserves the Jewish culture with a modern take on Esther, and invites people of all races, religions and cultures to enter her world. The Book of Esther was a roller coaster of events that didn't tip toe around the reader's comfort zone, and Barton forced you to not only confront our past, but our present as well. She made it clear that our present is not as progressive as we may think, and by comparing it to biblical themes, we are forced to stare that truth directly in the face.
"I am Esther, and like my namesake before me, I will save the Jewish people."
And indeed, she did.
*I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.*
Emily Barton writes with a strong historical knowledge of the time period and story of which she is writing, but she also has a firm grip on steampunk and fantasy elements. She intertwined fantasy with history in a way that was believable, and I fell easily into her world.
Jewish culture is often something that it intertwined hand in hand with the Holocaust, but this novel explored more than that connection. It clearly represented the Jewish culture in terms of the language, settings and habits used, and I found it to be the "grown up" version of Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin. It holds a strong sense of love and hope for the Jewish culture, while also applying biblical stories to more contemporary times. Barton beautifully explored the concept that men have more power than women, and she did so by exploring how Esther went looking for magic that would turn her into a man. She wanted to become a man so that she could convince people to fight for what is right, and it was sad to see how she felt the need to go through with this; however, she had the passion and the drive and knew that she would be taken more seriously if she appeared as a man.
Barton is clearly a strong storyteller, and one that incorporates an unapologetic love for the bible and the lessons it teaches. She also challenges certain concepts present in the bible, and isn't afraid to mix them with mysticism and lore. Her novel preserves the Jewish culture with a modern take on Esther, and invites people of all races, religions and cultures to enter her world. The Book of Esther was a roller coaster of events that didn't tip toe around the reader's comfort zone, and Barton forced you to not only confront our past, but our present as well. She made it clear that our present is not as progressive as we may think, and by comparing it to biblical themes, we are forced to stare that truth directly in the face.
"I am Esther, and like my namesake before me, I will save the Jewish people."
And indeed, she did.
*I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.*
November 3, 2016
While I was browsing Blogging for Books for my next book to review, The Book of Esther immediately caught my eye.Ìý I mean, just look at that cover.Ìý Gorgeous right?Ìý Once I read the synopsis and found out it was an alternate WWII fiction with fantasy and sci-fi (steampunk) elements, I was sold.Ìý Plus, it seemed as if it was going to include lots of Jewish culture and customs,Ìýwhich peaked my interest as I like to learn aboutÌýcultures and religions that differ from my own.
Unfortunately, it didn’t exactly pan out that way�
First off, I adored the entire concept behind this book.ÌýÌýThe events of WWII are so horrific and tragic,Ìýthat it doesn’t need to be fictionalized.Ìý It truly is one of thoseÌýsituationsÌýwhere fact is moreÌýappalling than anythingÌýweÌýcouldÌýcreate in our minds.ÌýÌýThe idea of re-writing history where the Jewish people were able to raise an army to defend themselves is just brilliant.Ìý I’m sureÌýEmily Barton was not the first author to write a WWII alternate history, but it’s the first one I’ve ever read.ÌýÌýI thought the alternate world that Emily Barton created was very unique and creative.ÌýÌý A few elements that I really enjoyed in this story were the mechanical horses and the Golems.Ìý The mechanical horses were almost a sci-fi and fantasy element combined into one as they were machines, however they also had individual personalities, like real horses.Ìý The Golems, which are clay men given life by a group called the Kabbalists,Ìýwas by far my favorite element of this book.Ìý Need an army to defend your home?Ìý Make one!
I loved the feminist undertones in The Book of Esther.Ìý Esther really challenged the traditional gender roles of her time and culture.Ìý Barton did such a wonderful job creating a wonderful character who was not only strong, but also very flawed and unsure of herself. ÌýEsther had many doubts along the way, but that’s what I liked about her, she THINKS.Ìý She struggles with her decision to go to the Kabbalists to ask them to turn her into a man in order to lead an army into battle against the Germans.Ìý I mean who wouldn’t have doubts about that kind of life change?Ìý Esther undergoes a lot of inner turmoil throughout the book, which made her feel very realistic.
I also really enjoyed the moral and theological discussions throughout the book.Ìý Two of the main debates centering around slavery,Ìýwith regards toÌýEsther’s “adoptedâ€� brother Itakh, and the debate that centered around the Golems (the clay men) and whether or not they had the right to practice Judaism since they were man made creatures and not of their creator.ÌýÌý I really like books where the characters question ideals and challenge ones that they disagree with.
There were also LGBT+ themes woven throughout the book, which was a pleasant surprise.Ìý I was NOT anticipating a transgendered character in this book.Ìý I wish I could go into details about thisÌýparticular character, butÌýI would beÌýspoiling a twist in the plot.ÌýÌýOur main character,ÌýEsther, also struggles throughout the bookÌýwith her sexuality.Ìý It was refreshing to read a book with characters whose sexuality wasn’t so cutÌýand dry.
Ìý
As much as I liked the idea of this book, there were some major drawbacks for me�
Being Jewish, or at least being familiar with Jewish culture, would be helpful while reading The Book of Esther.ÌýÌý I wouldn’t consider myself well acquainted with Jewish culture and customs, so concepts like Shabbat, parshah, Kabbalah, mikvah, etc. were all new to me.Ìý Which wouldn’t be a problem, if the author hadÌýprovided an explanation for these concepts.Ìý For the most part, I was able to figure out what they were in the context, however there wereÌýstill words I had to look up to get clarification.ÌýÌýI was a little overwhelmed with the info dumping that was going on.ÌýÌýI think this book was written with the expectation that the reader would be Jewish, or be very familiar with Jewish culture and history.Ìý It would have been beneficial, at least in my opinion, to have includedÌýsome type ofÌýglossary or explanations for those of us who are not familiar with Judaism.Ìý I would think that if you are Jewish, you would probably have a greater appreciation for what Emily Barton has done here.
I had an extremelyÌýhard time with the Hebrew words/phrases included in the book.ÌýÌýOften a word was introduced and I had to figure out if the word was a name of a character, a city/location, or some type of custom in the Jewish culture.Ìý Again sometimes this could be figured out within the contextÌýof the story, but other timesÌýitÌýwasn’t clear. ÌýI do not have any experience with theÌýHebrew language, so again some type of glossary or footnotes would have been helpful.ÌýÌýI also need to disclose that I do not know for a fact if this is Hebrewâ€� I assume it’s Hebrew?ÌýÌýIf anyone has insight on this please let me know.
While IÌýreally enjoyed the science fiction, steampunk, and fantasyÌýelements, I didn’tÌýnecessarily think all the elements worked well within the story.Ìý For example, the Volkelakes, which are essentially werewolves, seemed very out of place and a random part of the story.Ìý Furthermore, I didn’t really understand how the technology used by the Khazars was so outdated in comparison to the Germansâ€� While the Germans have fighter jets and tanks, the Khazars had man powered flying machines?Ìý The Khazars used carrier pigeons for communication?Ìý It just seemed a little odd to me, almost as if they were stuck in the old days while the rest of the world was in a more modern & technologically advanced state.
I’m sad to report thatÌýthe endingÌýfelt incomplete to me.Ìý The only thing I could think of was that Barton is planning on making this a series.Ìý I tried to do some research into whether or not The Book of Esther will have a sequel, but I want unable to find anything.Ìý There were so many things left unresolvedâ€�. I can only hope that Barton’s intention was to write a sequel.
At the end of the day, The Book of Esther was an enjoyable read.Ìý There were parts of the book that I devoured and couldn’t wait to find out what happened next, and there were also aspects that I struggled with.Ìý I am actually not going to give this one a star rating, as I do not think I was the intended audience for this book.Ìý I will leave the decisionÌýup toÌýyou if you think you should give this one a go.
*I would like to thank Tim Duggan Books & Emily BartonÌýfor a copy of The Book of Esther in exchange for an honest review.
Noteworthy Quotes:Ìý
Ìý“I am Esther, and like my namesake before me, I will save the Jewish people.â€�
â—�
“My home is with you.�
Unfortunately, it didn’t exactly pan out that way�
First off, I adored the entire concept behind this book.ÌýÌýThe events of WWII are so horrific and tragic,Ìýthat it doesn’t need to be fictionalized.Ìý It truly is one of thoseÌýsituationsÌýwhere fact is moreÌýappalling than anythingÌýweÌýcouldÌýcreate in our minds.ÌýÌýThe idea of re-writing history where the Jewish people were able to raise an army to defend themselves is just brilliant.Ìý I’m sureÌýEmily Barton was not the first author to write a WWII alternate history, but it’s the first one I’ve ever read.ÌýÌýI thought the alternate world that Emily Barton created was very unique and creative.ÌýÌý A few elements that I really enjoyed in this story were the mechanical horses and the Golems.Ìý The mechanical horses were almost a sci-fi and fantasy element combined into one as they were machines, however they also had individual personalities, like real horses.Ìý The Golems, which are clay men given life by a group called the Kabbalists,Ìýwas by far my favorite element of this book.Ìý Need an army to defend your home?Ìý Make one!
I loved the feminist undertones in The Book of Esther.Ìý Esther really challenged the traditional gender roles of her time and culture.Ìý Barton did such a wonderful job creating a wonderful character who was not only strong, but also very flawed and unsure of herself. ÌýEsther had many doubts along the way, but that’s what I liked about her, she THINKS.Ìý She struggles with her decision to go to the Kabbalists to ask them to turn her into a man in order to lead an army into battle against the Germans.Ìý I mean who wouldn’t have doubts about that kind of life change?Ìý Esther undergoes a lot of inner turmoil throughout the book, which made her feel very realistic.
I also really enjoyed the moral and theological discussions throughout the book.Ìý Two of the main debates centering around slavery,Ìýwith regards toÌýEsther’s “adoptedâ€� brother Itakh, and the debate that centered around the Golems (the clay men) and whether or not they had the right to practice Judaism since they were man made creatures and not of their creator.ÌýÌý I really like books where the characters question ideals and challenge ones that they disagree with.
There were also LGBT+ themes woven throughout the book, which was a pleasant surprise.Ìý I was NOT anticipating a transgendered character in this book.Ìý I wish I could go into details about thisÌýparticular character, butÌýI would beÌýspoiling a twist in the plot.ÌýÌýOur main character,ÌýEsther, also struggles throughout the bookÌýwith her sexuality.Ìý It was refreshing to read a book with characters whose sexuality wasn’t so cutÌýand dry.
Ìý
As much as I liked the idea of this book, there were some major drawbacks for me�
Being Jewish, or at least being familiar with Jewish culture, would be helpful while reading The Book of Esther.ÌýÌý I wouldn’t consider myself well acquainted with Jewish culture and customs, so concepts like Shabbat, parshah, Kabbalah, mikvah, etc. were all new to me.Ìý Which wouldn’t be a problem, if the author hadÌýprovided an explanation for these concepts.Ìý For the most part, I was able to figure out what they were in the context, however there wereÌýstill words I had to look up to get clarification.ÌýÌýI was a little overwhelmed with the info dumping that was going on.ÌýÌýI think this book was written with the expectation that the reader would be Jewish, or be very familiar with Jewish culture and history.Ìý It would have been beneficial, at least in my opinion, to have includedÌýsome type ofÌýglossary or explanations for those of us who are not familiar with Judaism.Ìý I would think that if you are Jewish, you would probably have a greater appreciation for what Emily Barton has done here.
I had an extremelyÌýhard time with the Hebrew words/phrases included in the book.ÌýÌýOften a word was introduced and I had to figure out if the word was a name of a character, a city/location, or some type of custom in the Jewish culture.Ìý Again sometimes this could be figured out within the contextÌýof the story, but other timesÌýitÌýwasn’t clear. ÌýI do not have any experience with theÌýHebrew language, so again some type of glossary or footnotes would have been helpful.ÌýÌýI also need to disclose that I do not know for a fact if this is Hebrewâ€� I assume it’s Hebrew?ÌýÌýIf anyone has insight on this please let me know.
While IÌýreally enjoyed the science fiction, steampunk, and fantasyÌýelements, I didn’tÌýnecessarily think all the elements worked well within the story.Ìý For example, the Volkelakes, which are essentially werewolves, seemed very out of place and a random part of the story.Ìý Furthermore, I didn’t really understand how the technology used by the Khazars was so outdated in comparison to the Germansâ€� While the Germans have fighter jets and tanks, the Khazars had man powered flying machines?Ìý The Khazars used carrier pigeons for communication?Ìý It just seemed a little odd to me, almost as if they were stuck in the old days while the rest of the world was in a more modern & technologically advanced state.
I’m sad to report thatÌýthe endingÌýfelt incomplete to me.Ìý The only thing I could think of was that Barton is planning on making this a series.Ìý I tried to do some research into whether or not The Book of Esther will have a sequel, but I want unable to find anything.Ìý There were so many things left unresolvedâ€�. I can only hope that Barton’s intention was to write a sequel.
At the end of the day, The Book of Esther was an enjoyable read.Ìý There were parts of the book that I devoured and couldn’t wait to find out what happened next, and there were also aspects that I struggled with.Ìý I am actually not going to give this one a star rating, as I do not think I was the intended audience for this book.Ìý I will leave the decisionÌýup toÌýyou if you think you should give this one a go.
*I would like to thank Tim Duggan Books & Emily BartonÌýfor a copy of The Book of Esther in exchange for an honest review.
Noteworthy Quotes:Ìý
Ìý“I am Esther, and like my namesake before me, I will save the Jewish people.â€�
â—�
“My home is with you.�
October 21, 2016
This is a wonderful, strange novel. It's hard to pin down a genre for The Book of Esther, as it is with Barton's other novels, all of which have one thing in common � the recreation of known technologies in other spaces and times. In The Testament of Yves Gundron, she imagines a modern country (a tiny one) that hadn't been exposed to the invention of the wheel. The protagonist of Brookland, her second book, is set in eighteenth-century Brooklyn, when a young women envisions and accomplishes the construction of a cantilever bridge across the East River.
In an NPR interview, Barton said she wanted to write The Book of Esther as a potboiler, with a bunch of battles and a heroic female. They are both included in this novel, but Barton obviously couldn’t resist digging deeper into the story, and just as her characters create living Golems from clay, a much more vital novel emerges from the original pallid concept, that reimagines history and, of course, technology.
Esther, the protagonist, is the daughter of a leading official in Khazaria, which had an actual historical existence as a nation lying between the Black Sea and the Caspian. Populated by Khazars, a nomadic Turkic people, its rulers, in the eighth century, converted to Judaism. For three centuries � 650 to 950 � the country played a powerful role in enabling commerce along the Silk Road, until in the 900s, it was destroyed by the Russians.
In her novel, Barton has extended Kharzaria's existence, including both its adherence to Judaism and warrior tendencies, into the 20th century, with the story opening in 1942. Germany (referred to as "Germania") has taken over Europe and is now invading the Rus and into the East. Jewish refugees from the West have entered Khazar's borders, spreading rumors of internment camps and hinting at atrocities. Esther believes them and urges her father to take their country into battle, but he and the other advisors are hesitant and passive. Esther then decides to leave her city and seek out the kabbalists, a group of mystical Jews with mythical powers who live toward the West. She hopes they can turn her into a male so she can lead her country into battle against the Germans. Unable to resist invention, Barton's Kharzars have developed mechanical horses, which are fierce and capable as both transportation and weapons, and Esther steals one in order to make her escape.
The story not only concerns the external war, but it also follows the heroine's unrelenting internal battles, most dramatically the shift between the feminine and masculine. While she is strongly attracted to two men and has a libido that constantly threatens her morality and self control, she is obsessively intent on changing her gender. She is both lethal and pitiless as a fighter and empathetic as a companion, not only to the humans who fight beside her but with her fellow mechanical and magical colleagues as well. Her religious beliefs are also a source of deeply troublesome inconsistency, with the rigidity of their rituals and rules, which are always important to her, pitted against the chaos of her passionate nature.
This book is gorgeously odd, studded with magical creatures, strange inventions, and exotic peoples who operate against the backdrop of a skewed but recognizable Second World War.
Going back to the question of genre, the novel certainly isn't an historical novel, nor is it magical realism. It reconstructs the past but because of the fantasy elements it can't really be called a "what if" novel. However, by posing a strong warrior Jewish nation led by a woman fighting effectively against the German invaders using a slap dash army of mythical sidekicks, maybe Barton has come up with a new genre -- the "if only" novel.
In an NPR interview, Barton said she wanted to write The Book of Esther as a potboiler, with a bunch of battles and a heroic female. They are both included in this novel, but Barton obviously couldn’t resist digging deeper into the story, and just as her characters create living Golems from clay, a much more vital novel emerges from the original pallid concept, that reimagines history and, of course, technology.
Esther, the protagonist, is the daughter of a leading official in Khazaria, which had an actual historical existence as a nation lying between the Black Sea and the Caspian. Populated by Khazars, a nomadic Turkic people, its rulers, in the eighth century, converted to Judaism. For three centuries � 650 to 950 � the country played a powerful role in enabling commerce along the Silk Road, until in the 900s, it was destroyed by the Russians.
In her novel, Barton has extended Kharzaria's existence, including both its adherence to Judaism and warrior tendencies, into the 20th century, with the story opening in 1942. Germany (referred to as "Germania") has taken over Europe and is now invading the Rus and into the East. Jewish refugees from the West have entered Khazar's borders, spreading rumors of internment camps and hinting at atrocities. Esther believes them and urges her father to take their country into battle, but he and the other advisors are hesitant and passive. Esther then decides to leave her city and seek out the kabbalists, a group of mystical Jews with mythical powers who live toward the West. She hopes they can turn her into a male so she can lead her country into battle against the Germans. Unable to resist invention, Barton's Kharzars have developed mechanical horses, which are fierce and capable as both transportation and weapons, and Esther steals one in order to make her escape.
The story not only concerns the external war, but it also follows the heroine's unrelenting internal battles, most dramatically the shift between the feminine and masculine. While she is strongly attracted to two men and has a libido that constantly threatens her morality and self control, she is obsessively intent on changing her gender. She is both lethal and pitiless as a fighter and empathetic as a companion, not only to the humans who fight beside her but with her fellow mechanical and magical colleagues as well. Her religious beliefs are also a source of deeply troublesome inconsistency, with the rigidity of their rituals and rules, which are always important to her, pitted against the chaos of her passionate nature.
This book is gorgeously odd, studded with magical creatures, strange inventions, and exotic peoples who operate against the backdrop of a skewed but recognizable Second World War.
Going back to the question of genre, the novel certainly isn't an historical novel, nor is it magical realism. It reconstructs the past but because of the fantasy elements it can't really be called a "what if" novel. However, by posing a strong warrior Jewish nation led by a woman fighting effectively against the German invaders using a slap dash army of mythical sidekicks, maybe Barton has come up with a new genre -- the "if only" novel.
November 19, 2017
I had a strange experience with this book. When I was reading it I didn't want to put it down. Once I'd put it down, I didn't want to pick it up again. So, the whole thing was read by gorging on it and then wandering away to read something else, before gorging myself some more.
It isn't that the book is bad. It's not. But it's heavy and there are a lot of Hebrew words that require repeatedly flipping to the glossary, which got annoying. The story is a good one though. It just only managed to hold my attention while I was actually holding it, if that makes sense.
Esther was a wonderful character and I enjoyed the way she learned and grew as the book progressed. There are a ton of interesting side characters too. I personally loved Gimmel, Chuluun and Shimon (it was great to see an arranged marriage that was obviously going to work well). But do prepared for a lot of named characters.
There is also the history to contend with. This is an alternative version of WWII, from a Jewish perspective. Really interesting. But it is steeped in Jewish history and ceremony and while I enjoyed it, I think those with a stronger understanding of it all will get more out of it than I did.
All in all, I found The Book of Esther to be something I'm glad to have read and experienced.
It isn't that the book is bad. It's not. But it's heavy and there are a lot of Hebrew words that require repeatedly flipping to the glossary, which got annoying. The story is a good one though. It just only managed to hold my attention while I was actually holding it, if that makes sense.
Esther was a wonderful character and I enjoyed the way she learned and grew as the book progressed. There are a ton of interesting side characters too. I personally loved Gimmel, Chuluun and Shimon (it was great to see an arranged marriage that was obviously going to work well). But do prepared for a lot of named characters.
There is also the history to contend with. This is an alternative version of WWII, from a Jewish perspective. Really interesting. But it is steeped in Jewish history and ceremony and while I enjoyed it, I think those with a stronger understanding of it all will get more out of it than I did.
All in all, I found The Book of Esther to be something I'm glad to have read and experienced.
September 22, 2016
This book is a pretty amazing accomplishment: it's simultaneously historical fiction, fantasy, religious fiction, steampunk, military fiction, and an examination of gender roles and religious dogma. I'm not Jewish, but found the descriptions of the customs and beliefs of the time to be fascinating and I was not at all bothered by the occasional word or phrase in another language. The book started a little slowly, but I soon found I couldn't put it down. Lots of interesting characters (golems, werewolves, LGBT characters, rabbis, mechanical horses that might be alive, and Esther herself), lots of unexpected happenings. Based on the title, I guess I was expecting a retelling of the story of Esther in the Bible--boy, was I wrong! It's really a much deeper (and more exciting!) story than I was expecting. My only complaint is that I thought the ending was a bit disappointing.
Try this--I guarantee it will be unlike anything else you have read!
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me a free e-ARC of this book.
Try this--I guarantee it will be unlike anything else you have read!
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me a free e-ARC of this book.
July 19, 2016
This was a difficult book for me to read. I was excited by the premise, a long-lived Jewish state between Germany and Russia filled with successful fighters, noticed Jewish refugees flooding their borders as the build-up to WWII commenced. But the world built by the author was not up to the premise she described. Why would a Jewish state in 1938 only use carrier pigeons for communication and mechanical horses for transportation? So this is an isolated Jewish state that does not engage in any interaction with the rest of the world? Why is that part of the story? I could not make that leap especially when the surrounding belligerent countries clearly had airplanes, bombs and other 20th century devices. How did this Jewish state survive the First World War? The rest of the story included Golem soldiers and mystical means for changing genders (but not for gaining parental approval). The author writes well but her world-building left me cold. I received my copy from NetGalley.
May 26, 2016
** I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Crown Publishing in exchange for an honest review**
Warnings about this book: It takes place during WWII and the Holocaust, main character though it's handled very well, small amounts (though explicit) sexual content, slavery discussion (in reference to , misogyny (in relation to how Esther is treated on a textual level), classism (Esther is of the upper class, and realizes this)
Overall Feelings: When I went into this book, I definitely realized that I was not its intended audience. In a sea of overtly blonde and Christian heroines, the book was written for a Jewish audience, and was a Jewish book, through and through. While it was slow initially, it picked up (and didn't stop) once I got past around fifty pages, and I figured out that all of that was exposition so that the story would make sense. It's very heavy on history, but with the mixture of fantasy elements, it's blended seamlessly. If you wanted supplementary material, you could just look up the regions and cultures in the book. Beautiful writing and an engaging Jeanne d'Arc story, The Book of Esther: A Novel didn't let me go in a story that left me constantly wondering how it would advance.
Full Review: I have issues sorting out the entirety of my feelings for this book. To begin with, it was incredibly refreshing to read a book thoroughly about Jewish life, without any hand-holding or comparison to Christianity. The book was a celebration of what it meant to be Jewish and, even as a Muslim, I found myself tearing up on multiple occasions at the strong sense of identity and community Esther shared with the Khazar people and fellow Jews. Another thing that was so good was that, even though Esther is Jewish and the book is about them being Jewish and trying to continue their Jewish livelihood, she struggles with her religion (particularly because she's so young and confused as to how she wants to live and how she wants to lead her army). Something I've noticed in novels that are written about non-Christian characters is that they're never allowed to struggle with their faith- otherwise they'll be called a "fake" Jew or Muslim or Hindu.
But Barton breathed life into Esther, and made her real. A little Jewish girl will not live her whole life without doubting if she's doing right by her religion at least once. Seeing her struggle with temptation () gave the story one extra kick that I loved immediately.
Just from the summary, I had assumed that Esther would transition. Yet, when she doesn't (which is not a spoiler, considering the summary again), she makes it very explicit that the only thing she wants to break is the gender role, not her actual gender. I'm glad that that wasn't seen as the whole solution- that her becoming a man would've solved all of her problems, even though she didn't truly want to become a man.
Another thing that was well-handled was the transgender character in this. I won't name names solely so that I can keep this paragraph spoiler free and everyone can read this.One of the best parts of the book is the fact that he transitioned by the faith in Hashem- trans characters are so rarely allowed to be religious that, when this was shown, I got emotional. He is, in fact, one of the most religious characters in this book, and one that goes strictly by the laws of the Torah and the state. Esther and him share a romance, and I've never seen chemistry written that well- they're allowed to have spats and, when she accidentally outs him, he is rightfully angry and has to work to forgive her. On top of that, Esther comes to her own terms that he is a man (and the narrative never once misgenders him), and the fact that she is attracted to him is never impeded by the fact that he was once a woman. I want a book about him alone- that's how well-written his character was.
Another one of my favorite parts is when Esther . To be honest, at the beginning, their relationship made me uncomfortable because it seemed more like Esther was using her for charity instead of actual friendship (with Rukhl being a refugee). The best part is that . In what is honestly some of the best character development, Esther drops this internal monologue:
"As Esther sat her horse, [...] the realization dawned that she had never known Rukhl. She'd admired her strength in the face of hardship, felt proud to be one of the few people of her class to have a connection to someone in the camp. Giving her food had let her feel useful and virtuous. But it was a misnomer to call this a friendship."
Coming into this book, I hadn't expected deep commentary on classism and the social divide, as well as how the rich use the poor and disadvantaged to make themselves feel better. But this book was the gift that kept giving. Honestly? I'm on the lookout for any more books by Barton. Great job!
Some of my favorite quotes:
* "They intend to mount a strong defense. But Germania [...] is so powerful."
"More powerful than Hashem?"
"'Above the thunder of the mighty waters, more majestic than the breakers of the sea is the Lord.'" What Itakh had said was awful. "Of course not."
"The Maccabees defeated Antiochus, though they were outnumbered. Dovid slew the giant Goliath."
* "There will be fighting, bloodshed. You'll have to train to use weapons."
"I have brought two children into the world. I can endure hardship and pain."
Warnings about this book: It takes place during WWII and the Holocaust, main character though it's handled very well, small amounts (though explicit) sexual content, slavery discussion (in reference to , misogyny (in relation to how Esther is treated on a textual level), classism (Esther is of the upper class, and realizes this)
Overall Feelings: When I went into this book, I definitely realized that I was not its intended audience. In a sea of overtly blonde and Christian heroines, the book was written for a Jewish audience, and was a Jewish book, through and through. While it was slow initially, it picked up (and didn't stop) once I got past around fifty pages, and I figured out that all of that was exposition so that the story would make sense. It's very heavy on history, but with the mixture of fantasy elements, it's blended seamlessly. If you wanted supplementary material, you could just look up the regions and cultures in the book. Beautiful writing and an engaging Jeanne d'Arc story, The Book of Esther: A Novel didn't let me go in a story that left me constantly wondering how it would advance.
Full Review: I have issues sorting out the entirety of my feelings for this book. To begin with, it was incredibly refreshing to read a book thoroughly about Jewish life, without any hand-holding or comparison to Christianity. The book was a celebration of what it meant to be Jewish and, even as a Muslim, I found myself tearing up on multiple occasions at the strong sense of identity and community Esther shared with the Khazar people and fellow Jews. Another thing that was so good was that, even though Esther is Jewish and the book is about them being Jewish and trying to continue their Jewish livelihood, she struggles with her religion (particularly because she's so young and confused as to how she wants to live and how she wants to lead her army). Something I've noticed in novels that are written about non-Christian characters is that they're never allowed to struggle with their faith- otherwise they'll be called a "fake" Jew or Muslim or Hindu.
But Barton breathed life into Esther, and made her real. A little Jewish girl will not live her whole life without doubting if she's doing right by her religion at least once. Seeing her struggle with temptation () gave the story one extra kick that I loved immediately.
Just from the summary, I had assumed that Esther would transition. Yet, when she doesn't (which is not a spoiler, considering the summary again), she makes it very explicit that the only thing she wants to break is the gender role, not her actual gender. I'm glad that that wasn't seen as the whole solution- that her becoming a man would've solved all of her problems, even though she didn't truly want to become a man.
Another thing that was well-handled was the transgender character in this. I won't name names solely so that I can keep this paragraph spoiler free and everyone can read this.One of the best parts of the book is the fact that he transitioned by the faith in Hashem- trans characters are so rarely allowed to be religious that, when this was shown, I got emotional. He is, in fact, one of the most religious characters in this book, and one that goes strictly by the laws of the Torah and the state. Esther and him share a romance, and I've never seen chemistry written that well- they're allowed to have spats and, when she accidentally outs him, he is rightfully angry and has to work to forgive her. On top of that, Esther comes to her own terms that he is a man (and the narrative never once misgenders him), and the fact that she is attracted to him is never impeded by the fact that he was once a woman. I want a book about him alone- that's how well-written his character was.
Another one of my favorite parts is when Esther . To be honest, at the beginning, their relationship made me uncomfortable because it seemed more like Esther was using her for charity instead of actual friendship (with Rukhl being a refugee). The best part is that . In what is honestly some of the best character development, Esther drops this internal monologue:
"As Esther sat her horse, [...] the realization dawned that she had never known Rukhl. She'd admired her strength in the face of hardship, felt proud to be one of the few people of her class to have a connection to someone in the camp. Giving her food had let her feel useful and virtuous. But it was a misnomer to call this a friendship."
Coming into this book, I hadn't expected deep commentary on classism and the social divide, as well as how the rich use the poor and disadvantaged to make themselves feel better. But this book was the gift that kept giving. Honestly? I'm on the lookout for any more books by Barton. Great job!
Some of my favorite quotes:
* "They intend to mount a strong defense. But Germania [...] is so powerful."
"More powerful than Hashem?"
"'Above the thunder of the mighty waters, more majestic than the breakers of the sea is the Lord.'" What Itakh had said was awful. "Of course not."
"The Maccabees defeated Antiochus, though they were outnumbered. Dovid slew the giant Goliath."
* "There will be fighting, bloodshed. You'll have to train to use weapons."
"I have brought two children into the world. I can endure hardship and pain."
November 3, 2016
Magic, gender bending, military fiction, Jewish lore and mysticism, reimagined history, and a dash of steampunk. All of those aforementioned topics that are seemingly unrelated come together beautifully in The Book of Esther to create a unique story for the ages. The writing and the amount of research that went into the story is astounding. Emily Barton’s work is a breath of fresh air in the sometimes oversaturated fields of both historical fiction and steampunk. Her ideas and prose make the novel stand out amongst its peers. It was riveting, and once past the midway point, I was not able to put it down.
The novel follows our young protagonist, Esther, on her journey to become a hero of biblical proportions. Born in the nation of Khazar kaganate (a powerful Jewish kingdom between Russia and Europe), she is confined to her traditional Jewish gender role. While happy with some aspects of this (including marrying a boy she has feelings for), she is dissatisfied with many, such as not having a voice. When Germania forces loom at the door of Khazaria, Esther is forced to react to save both her kingdom and those she loves. Embarking on a journey with a boy that is both a family member and a slave, Esther is forced to stand up against foes both known and unknown, as well as the gender roles that hold her back.
The writing in the novel was stupendous. Sumptuous and complex, it reminded me of a well-balanced glass of red wine. Barton’s writing style is mature, which made a novel that could have been viewed as young adult, cross the barrier into the realm of adult fiction. While at times there was a bit of a language barrier due to tossing in words untranslated, context clues typically provided the meaning. While at first it was frustrating, I was able to adjust by the end of the novel and it did not hinder my experience at all.
The plot was just bad ass. Esther, while a strong protagonist, was not perfect. She was 16 and came across as so. She made various mistakes along the way that frustrated me, but was logical as well since she was a teen. The fact her ultimate goal was to be made a man to lead an army and her country to victory was an amazing concept. This gender bending potential twist was what drew me in initially. her capabilities of pulling together and leading an army made her into such a bad ass heroine. Was it entirely plausible that a 16 year old could pull together an army in a country with such strong gender roles? Most likely not, but it did make for an amazing story. She did make some horrid tactical decisions, however again I wrote it off as her being a teenager making very adult decisions that were over her head.
Along with the plot and writing, characterization was strong within this story. Almost every single named character was dynamic and growing throughout the story, particularly the protagonist and my favorite kabbalist. Both were very different people by the end of the story, improving in a positive manner overall. Even some of the side characters exhibited growth and well-rounded personalities, a sign of a skilled writer.
I will note that this novel is not for everyone. I particularly love historical fiction and religious lore, so I was drawn to the plot immediately. However, due to the fact it was an alternative earth with an added country, as well as including things like steampunk, it did not follow either of those genres religiously. There was also a great deal of info dumping, which I tend to enjoy (odd I know). However, again, it is not for everyone. If you’re not one to have patience with a novel to build a world and character depth, you will drop this novel in the first couple of chapters. If you manage to hang on though, you will be rewarded with a rich novel that is action packed to boot.
*I received a copy of this book for free from Blogging for Books*
Review is also found on my blog,
The novel follows our young protagonist, Esther, on her journey to become a hero of biblical proportions. Born in the nation of Khazar kaganate (a powerful Jewish kingdom between Russia and Europe), she is confined to her traditional Jewish gender role. While happy with some aspects of this (including marrying a boy she has feelings for), she is dissatisfied with many, such as not having a voice. When Germania forces loom at the door of Khazaria, Esther is forced to react to save both her kingdom and those she loves. Embarking on a journey with a boy that is both a family member and a slave, Esther is forced to stand up against foes both known and unknown, as well as the gender roles that hold her back.
The writing in the novel was stupendous. Sumptuous and complex, it reminded me of a well-balanced glass of red wine. Barton’s writing style is mature, which made a novel that could have been viewed as young adult, cross the barrier into the realm of adult fiction. While at times there was a bit of a language barrier due to tossing in words untranslated, context clues typically provided the meaning. While at first it was frustrating, I was able to adjust by the end of the novel and it did not hinder my experience at all.
The plot was just bad ass. Esther, while a strong protagonist, was not perfect. She was 16 and came across as so. She made various mistakes along the way that frustrated me, but was logical as well since she was a teen. The fact her ultimate goal was to be made a man to lead an army and her country to victory was an amazing concept. This gender bending potential twist was what drew me in initially. her capabilities of pulling together and leading an army made her into such a bad ass heroine. Was it entirely plausible that a 16 year old could pull together an army in a country with such strong gender roles? Most likely not, but it did make for an amazing story. She did make some horrid tactical decisions, however again I wrote it off as her being a teenager making very adult decisions that were over her head.
Along with the plot and writing, characterization was strong within this story. Almost every single named character was dynamic and growing throughout the story, particularly the protagonist and my favorite kabbalist. Both were very different people by the end of the story, improving in a positive manner overall. Even some of the side characters exhibited growth and well-rounded personalities, a sign of a skilled writer.
I will note that this novel is not for everyone. I particularly love historical fiction and religious lore, so I was drawn to the plot immediately. However, due to the fact it was an alternative earth with an added country, as well as including things like steampunk, it did not follow either of those genres religiously. There was also a great deal of info dumping, which I tend to enjoy (odd I know). However, again, it is not for everyone. If you’re not one to have patience with a novel to build a world and character depth, you will drop this novel in the first couple of chapters. If you manage to hang on though, you will be rewarded with a rich novel that is action packed to boot.
*I received a copy of this book for free from Blogging for Books*
Review is also found on my blog,
November 14, 2017
I'm still trying to figure out how I feel about this book. I liked some things about it but I disliked some as well. I didn't like that information dump at the beginning of the book. I almost stopped reading it and ashed my hands of it but I didn't. I thought the premise sounded so good that I wanted to keep reading it. While I'm not usually one to read a book dealing with WWII I still decided to give this book a chance.
I liked Esther but I did have my issues with her. I do wish I was as convincing as she is though. I thought it was kind of unbelievable that she was able to get away with so much. I also didn't understand why she didn't just pull a Mulan instead of becoming a boy in the way that she did. I liked her strength and courage more than anything. She was what was needed as a leader of this book.
I love steampunk so I really liked the few steampunk elements thrown around in this book. I liked that it was different too, mechanical horses sounds awesome! It's futuristic yet primitive and I loved it. I wanted more of that than the war with Hitler.
I felt there was too much going on at one time. There were some things that were just not needed like that freaking love triangle. Ugh, I hated it so much. All in all this was a decent book but I'm not sure I really liked it.
I liked Esther but I did have my issues with her. I do wish I was as convincing as she is though. I thought it was kind of unbelievable that she was able to get away with so much. I also didn't understand why she didn't just pull a Mulan instead of becoming a boy in the way that she did. I liked her strength and courage more than anything. She was what was needed as a leader of this book.
I love steampunk so I really liked the few steampunk elements thrown around in this book. I liked that it was different too, mechanical horses sounds awesome! It's futuristic yet primitive and I loved it. I wanted more of that than the war with Hitler.
I felt there was too much going on at one time. There were some things that were just not needed like that freaking love triangle. Ugh, I hated it so much. All in all this was a decent book but I'm not sure I really liked it.
May 6, 2016
This is an unusual book, fusing elements of several genres: alternate history, fantasy, mysticism, science-fiction, the Holocaust, gender and transgender. The book lays out an alien culture and story with almost tapestry-like detail, so it requires some patience from the reader at first, with a lot of exposition in the first chapters. It helps if you have a nodding acquaintance with Jewish tradition and southern Russian geography. As the book description says, it's a 20th-Century world in which Diaspora Judaism had settled in the Khazar region, its capital now apparently at the mouth of what we know as the Volga.
As the story progresses and we follow this latter-day Esther, we find a society that has sufficient technology to field aeroships, aerocycles and mechanical horses to confront the Germanii's tanks and aircraft. The mechanical horses turn out to have animate natures, emotions, and as Esther seeks aid from nearby settlements, where werewolves sometimes lurk, she finds a kabbalist commune that can create, animate, golems -- men and horse golems -- from clay.
A reader will need to immerse in this to follow it. Someone who has read sci-fi and fantasy will find some familiar echoes here, although the religious element is pervasive and unique, and the battle sequences chaotic, almost dreamlike. For those attracted to it, either by genre or its retelling of the Holocaust and the Esther legend, it can be worthwhile.
As the story progresses and we follow this latter-day Esther, we find a society that has sufficient technology to field aeroships, aerocycles and mechanical horses to confront the Germanii's tanks and aircraft. The mechanical horses turn out to have animate natures, emotions, and as Esther seeks aid from nearby settlements, where werewolves sometimes lurk, she finds a kabbalist commune that can create, animate, golems -- men and horse golems -- from clay.
A reader will need to immerse in this to follow it. Someone who has read sci-fi and fantasy will find some familiar echoes here, although the religious element is pervasive and unique, and the battle sequences chaotic, almost dreamlike. For those attracted to it, either by genre or its retelling of the Holocaust and the Esther legend, it can be worthwhile.
April 28, 2016
I received an advanced e file copy of this book for an honest review. I picked this book to read because I thought it was a Jewish story. However, it is also alternative history, fantasy, sci fi, paranormal ...etc. Too much of a mishmash. The story takes place in 20th century Khazaria (part of the alternative history). Jewish refugees have been fleeing eastward from Europa, from the evil man, likened to Haman the Agagite. Now the Germania army is approaching Khazaria to reach Ruz. Esther, the eldest daughter of the chief policy advisor, sees the danger and wants to fight for her country, but as a girl, who is also engaged to be wed in a few months to the Rabbi's son, is not allowed. She decides that she needs to go to the Kabbalists to change her into a man so she can fight. She takes her adopted brother with her. There is a werewolf, golems, mechanical horses (instead of cars) and other alternative universe things. Some Jewish laws are changed in the story for no reason.
I read the book on a Kindle, and it seemed to drag on. Then when I finally got to the end of the last chapter- the story was not over, but requiring a sequel.
I read the book on a Kindle, and it seemed to drag on. Then when I finally got to the end of the last chapter- the story was not over, but requiring a sequel.
September 11, 2016
An extraordinary alternate history that explores what may have happened had the Khazar empire lasted until World War II. But this book is more than a series of "what if"s - it delves into what it means to be gendered (as Esther imagines she cannot lead her nation's forces if she cannot be transformed into a man), what it means to be pious (as her eventual army is made up of the pious, the heretical, and the non-believers in a cosmopolitan jewish empire), and even what it means even to be alive (the characters are human, mechanical, and animated clay).
I couldn't help but thinking of Pynchon's Mason and Dixon, with its mechanical birds and animated spirits on the American plains. The Book of Esther too is set as a journey--while the enemy always lurks in the background, we are focused deeply on our hero's own transformation from the sheltered daughter of the nation's highest policy advisor to a field warrior, bitter to be called back from the front. A philosophical book framed as an adventure that cannot be easily set aside.
I couldn't help but thinking of Pynchon's Mason and Dixon, with its mechanical birds and animated spirits on the American plains. The Book of Esther too is set as a journey--while the enemy always lurks in the background, we are focused deeply on our hero's own transformation from the sheltered daughter of the nation's highest policy advisor to a field warrior, bitter to be called back from the front. A philosophical book framed as an adventure that cannot be easily set aside.
October 26, 2024
Once upon a time, there was a Jewish kingdom in the Caucasus mountains. No, really. Emily Barton takes the actual history of the Khazar khanate, pairs it with the Biblical story of Queen Esther, and runs with them in The Book of Esther. Barton imagines a world in which Khazaria was never conquered and survived until the twentieth century. As the book opens, the German Reich (yes, Nazis) have invaded Poland and Ukraine. They’re closing in on Khazaria’s borders and it seems like the kingdom might finally fall. The blend of history, the Bible, and Jewish folklore created an action-filled alternate history and fantasy that had me hooked from the first chapter. This book is packed with golemim, Kabbalists, mechanical horses, and on-the-fly religious reformation...
Read the rest of my review at . I received a free copy of this book for review consideration.
Read the rest of my review at . I received a free copy of this book for review consideration.
August 16, 2016
Emily Barton is one of the best novelists currently writing in the United States. This book, while good, is not her best. At times, this book is a wonder. At other times, it's flat. The principle issue is plotting. I fear that Barton's study of various issues surrounding Jewish thought and practice stood in the way of advancing the narrative. The ending is controversial (a friend who read the novel hated it), but I thought it worked.
A final note: while reading the novel, I repeatedly thought of "Johnny Tremain." (Not an insult; I love "Johnny Tremain.") Notwithstanding the golems and mechanical horses, the jewish theological debates, and the re-imagining of World War II, as with "Johnny Tremain," the central issue in Barton's novel is ultimately the teenage heroine's maturation. Because, in my view, this aspect of Barton's novel works, it rates a four.
A final note: while reading the novel, I repeatedly thought of "Johnny Tremain." (Not an insult; I love "Johnny Tremain.") Notwithstanding the golems and mechanical horses, the jewish theological debates, and the re-imagining of World War II, as with "Johnny Tremain," the central issue in Barton's novel is ultimately the teenage heroine's maturation. Because, in my view, this aspect of Barton's novel works, it rates a four.
July 7, 2016
Take Joan of Arc, dieselpunk, magical realism, let it simmer with Judaism, and you've got Barton's The Book of Esther. It doesn't fit neatly into a genre, and it's a little chaotic, but it's worth reading for the exploration of women's roles in Jewish society, the magical parts about the creation of golems, and the Kabbalist mysticism. It also raises the question of what constitutes life as there are mechanical horses and animated golems with some inkling of sentience, and it seems that no one but Esther questions that. She questions everything, and through that questioning, she learns a lot about herself and her identity as she told throughout the entire novel that she can't do this or that because she's a girl. Instead of giving up, she follows her heart and does it anyway and people listen.
October 13, 2017
I received this book on a Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ giveaway which in no way influenced my review. This is a unique imaginary story of Jewish refugees and the story of esther fighting for her country. She hopes to engage her country to join the fight for its existence.
May 26, 2022
This book is layered with so much deep care for the tenant beliefs of Judaism, and I deeply enjoyed those aspects. Barton eloquently sprinkled in philosophical questions about what it means to be a woman, a slave, and a golem into the text of the story in conversation with aspects of Judaism that have led to bigotry. Let me explicitly state that religious bigotry isn’t unique to Judaism in any way shape or form. I think the metaphors challenging and reinterpreting religious tenants was the *strongest* part of the book.
I thought it was paced extremely slowly. I thought it would dive more into the alternative history aspect thoroughly like a sci-fi/fantasy book, but had to readjust my expectations. Barton does an amazing job of weaving in moments of contemplation, but action is not her forte, but I’m still glad I read this.
Giving it a 4 because I genuinely think if you come from a Jewish background you’ll deeply love the care and references Barton made. This is in full recognition that this book wasn’t written for me and for that I’m thankful. I’d probably rate this more as a 3.5, but don’t like to tank GR scores.
I thought it was paced extremely slowly. I thought it would dive more into the alternative history aspect thoroughly like a sci-fi/fantasy book, but had to readjust my expectations. Barton does an amazing job of weaving in moments of contemplation, but action is not her forte, but I’m still glad I read this.
Giving it a 4 because I genuinely think if you come from a Jewish background you’ll deeply love the care and references Barton made. This is in full recognition that this book wasn’t written for me and for that I’m thankful. I’d probably rate this more as a 3.5, but don’t like to tank GR scores.
October 5, 2017
I won this book on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ. It is such a different way to discuss World War II. I enjoyed the book very much. Esther is a very strong young woman. She takes it upon herself to fight for her homeland when the Germans come. She is so brave, and the people around her are very interesting also.
December 18, 2017
Summary: An alternative historical fiction in which a Jewish daughter of the Kagan of Khazaria breaks with her father and convention to lead her people in battle against the invading German army in 1942.
This is not the biblical story of Esther. But, like the biblical story, a young woman of influence breaks with convention to save her people from a threat that could destroy the Jewish people of her land. It is 1942. The Germanii are sweeping across Eastern Europe and Khazaria. Esther's homeland stands in the way of oil fields, and Russia beyond. The people have known of this threat as Jewish refugee camps have sprung around Atil, filled with those fleeing the pogroms. Esther secretly has been visiting the camps to bring food, and has heard the reports and knows that if the Germanii succeed, it will spell the end of the Kaganate of Khazaria and her people.
Khazaria? Where is that? You won't find that country on any modern map, and this is the "alternate history" aspect of this novel. Khazaria did at one time exist where it is located in the novel, between 600 and 950 AD. The people were a semi-nomadic Turkic people with a significant Jewish population. Located astride the Silk Road northeast of Turkey, southeast of Ukraine and between the Black and Caspian seas and separating Europe and western Asia, it was a strategic location, and hence its people warrior-like in its defense. Today Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, and part of Russia make up the territory once encompassing Khazaria.
No one has a fiercer warrior heart in this story than Esther, though she is not yet sixteen, the daughter of the Kagan, and betrothed to a rabbi's son. Fearing the German threat and knowing the inadequacy of her country's forces, she becomes convinced thatÌýAdonai is calling her to act to save her people. With her slave brother Itakh, she steals her father's mechanical horse, Seleme, and sets off to a distant village of kabbalists. Why? As a girl, she believes the only way she can lead her people is as a male, and hopes the kabbalists have the power to change her into one. Along the way, she both stares down the war lords controlling the oil to secure fuel for mechanical horse, and kills a werewolf. She is what we might call one "badass" woman, while yet trying to be a devout Jew!
The kabbalists welcome her, recognizing something of the destiny upon her. They do not have it in their power, or perhaps will, to change her gender, believing it to be set by God. Yet one of them, Amit tells a different tale. He once was a girl, but through a prayer while cleansing in theÌýmikvah, was transformed. Esther tries this, but remains unchanged. It seems her desire is more to be able to lead her people into battle than to be a man and that is what she is granted. But the kabbalists, who are served byÌýgolemim, creatures of the clay of the earth supposedly without souls who have a human form, do help her by giving Esther all theirÌýgolemimÌýand by making more.
She returns to Atil, after recruiting troops and supplies from the oil lords, and more people from the villages, along with more mechanical and golem horses and aerocycles. (Many reviewers note this work has aÌýsteampunk flavor to it). How will her father treat her when she returns? Will she be allowed, as a Jewish Joan of Arc, to lead this rag tag force? And will it make a difference? All I will say is that Barton leaves room for a sequel.
The book explores Esther's awakening sexuality and gender identity. There is her quest to be changed into a man, though this seems less shaped by her sense of gender identity than by cultural necessity.Ìý Yet there is Amit, with whom she develops an attraction, only to subsequently humiliate him for being a kind of trans male. Why is she drawn to him, is it to the man, or to the woman he once was, or some combination?
More significant to the plot is the question of gender roles. How can Esther join in the fight for her people when war was what men did, and women suffered? What if this violates what seems to be a sacred ordering of the world and one is devout, as is Esther? What if it truly seems thatÌýAdonai is calling her to this, even though it seems to violate her religious teaching?
Most of all is the more fundamental question of the promises ofÌýAdonai and the struggle for existence, and yet survival of the Jews that has been their history. This story brings us face to face with that perilous history.
If you don't mind alternate history, and a mix of fable and mechanical wizardry, you might like this work. All in all, the questions this books explored made for a work at once thought-provoking and riveting as Esther confronts challenge after challenge in her mission to save her people. If there is a sequel, I'll be very tempted to read it!
____________________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Blogging for Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
This is not the biblical story of Esther. But, like the biblical story, a young woman of influence breaks with convention to save her people from a threat that could destroy the Jewish people of her land. It is 1942. The Germanii are sweeping across Eastern Europe and Khazaria. Esther's homeland stands in the way of oil fields, and Russia beyond. The people have known of this threat as Jewish refugee camps have sprung around Atil, filled with those fleeing the pogroms. Esther secretly has been visiting the camps to bring food, and has heard the reports and knows that if the Germanii succeed, it will spell the end of the Kaganate of Khazaria and her people.
Khazaria? Where is that? You won't find that country on any modern map, and this is the "alternate history" aspect of this novel. Khazaria did at one time exist where it is located in the novel, between 600 and 950 AD. The people were a semi-nomadic Turkic people with a significant Jewish population. Located astride the Silk Road northeast of Turkey, southeast of Ukraine and between the Black and Caspian seas and separating Europe and western Asia, it was a strategic location, and hence its people warrior-like in its defense. Today Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, and part of Russia make up the territory once encompassing Khazaria.
No one has a fiercer warrior heart in this story than Esther, though she is not yet sixteen, the daughter of the Kagan, and betrothed to a rabbi's son. Fearing the German threat and knowing the inadequacy of her country's forces, she becomes convinced thatÌýAdonai is calling her to act to save her people. With her slave brother Itakh, she steals her father's mechanical horse, Seleme, and sets off to a distant village of kabbalists. Why? As a girl, she believes the only way she can lead her people is as a male, and hopes the kabbalists have the power to change her into one. Along the way, she both stares down the war lords controlling the oil to secure fuel for mechanical horse, and kills a werewolf. She is what we might call one "badass" woman, while yet trying to be a devout Jew!
The kabbalists welcome her, recognizing something of the destiny upon her. They do not have it in their power, or perhaps will, to change her gender, believing it to be set by God. Yet one of them, Amit tells a different tale. He once was a girl, but through a prayer while cleansing in theÌýmikvah, was transformed. Esther tries this, but remains unchanged. It seems her desire is more to be able to lead her people into battle than to be a man and that is what she is granted. But the kabbalists, who are served byÌýgolemim, creatures of the clay of the earth supposedly without souls who have a human form, do help her by giving Esther all theirÌýgolemimÌýand by making more.
She returns to Atil, after recruiting troops and supplies from the oil lords, and more people from the villages, along with more mechanical and golem horses and aerocycles. (Many reviewers note this work has aÌýsteampunk flavor to it). How will her father treat her when she returns? Will she be allowed, as a Jewish Joan of Arc, to lead this rag tag force? And will it make a difference? All I will say is that Barton leaves room for a sequel.
The book explores Esther's awakening sexuality and gender identity. There is her quest to be changed into a man, though this seems less shaped by her sense of gender identity than by cultural necessity.Ìý Yet there is Amit, with whom she develops an attraction, only to subsequently humiliate him for being a kind of trans male. Why is she drawn to him, is it to the man, or to the woman he once was, or some combination?
More significant to the plot is the question of gender roles. How can Esther join in the fight for her people when war was what men did, and women suffered? What if this violates what seems to be a sacred ordering of the world and one is devout, as is Esther? What if it truly seems thatÌýAdonai is calling her to this, even though it seems to violate her religious teaching?
Most of all is the more fundamental question of the promises ofÌýAdonai and the struggle for existence, and yet survival of the Jews that has been their history. This story brings us face to face with that perilous history.
If you don't mind alternate history, and a mix of fable and mechanical wizardry, you might like this work. All in all, the questions this books explored made for a work at once thought-provoking and riveting as Esther confronts challenge after challenge in her mission to save her people. If there is a sequel, I'll be very tempted to read it!
____________________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Blogging for Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
March 17, 2018
The permis and the story are great, but I really don't get mechanical horses and the fact that they behave like real horses and not machines they are supposed to be.
February 18, 2024
Very creative story that uses fantasy, science fiction, spirituality, feminism, Jewish history and more to tell a story set in World War II.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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