מלכים ג

by Yochi Brandes, יוכי ברנדס

שלומעם, נער מן העיר צרידה שבנחלת אפרים, נוטש את ביתו בניסיון לגלות את הפתרון לסודות שמעיקים עליו מילדותו. בשיאו של מסע מיוסר הוא פוגש את "הנסיכה המשוגעת" ומגלה את האמת המדהימה על משפחתו ועל נסיבות לידתו.
בהמשך מתחבר סיפורו לאירועים הדרמטיים של עם ישראל באחת התקופות המכריעות בקורותיו, והדמויות השוליות מתחילת הסיפור מתגלות מחדש בתור הגיבורים הגדולים של התנ"ך.

מלכים ג הוא רומן המנהל דיאלוג מרתק עם סיפורי היסוד של עם ישראל. הסופרת יוכי ברנדס, הידועה בהיכרותה המעמיקה עם המקורות היהודיים, נוגעת בשאלה הטעונה: באיזו מידה אנחנו יכולים באמת להכיר את העבר שלנו, הן הפרטי והן הלאומי, ועד כמה הוא משועבד לתכתיבי השליטים המנצחים.

מלכים ג הוא רומן חתרני, שלאחריו תקראו את התנ"ך אחרת מכפי שקראתם אותו עד כה. ברנדס חושפת בדרך וירטואוזית את הבקיעים בסיפורים שעליהם גדלנו ומציעה להם תוספות והשלמות, שרובן מעוגנות באגדות חז"ל, המאירות באור שונה את גיבורי האומה. נחשף גם עולמן החי והתוסס של הנשים, שהוסתר מתחת לרובד הגברי הגלוי של כתבי הקודש. סוף-סוף יוצאות אסירות הארמון מירכתי הבמה, והן מתגלות כדמויות מפתח בקורותיה של הממלכה הקדומה.

יוכי ברנדס, שקנתה לה זה מכבר קהל קוראים גדול ונלהב, מגישה לנו רומן תנכ"י סוחף, גדוש תככים ומזימות וגילויים מרעישים. רומן שמעלה לפנינו באורח מהימן ומשכנע זמנים רחוקים, ועם זאת הוא רלוונטי מאוד לימינו.

(הטקסט לקוח מגב הספר כפי שנכתב ע"י יגאל שוורץ, עורך הספר)

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Jewish, Israel, Historical, Judaism, Religion

447 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Yochi Brandes was born in Israel in 1959 to a family of Hassidic rabbis. With degrees in both Biblical Studies and Judaic Studies, she has been a prominent and sought-after lecturer on the Bible and on Jewish cultural topics for many years.

One of Israel's bestselling writers, she is the author of seven historical novels and two non-fiction books, all centered on Jewish ideas, history, and culture. She has been awarded the Book Publishers Association's Platinum Book Prize for all her novels, including The Secret Book of Kings.

The Secret Book of Kings is her first novel to appear in English translation.

(source: Amazon)

Reviews

[Lori Elliott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a bit hesitant to read this since my knowledge of the Bible is not what it should be, but I decided to give it a go. Keeping track of the names and areas characters were from was a bit daunting, however, it took nothing away from the story. It was very interesting realizing how much 'stories' play a part in history... altering our perception of how and why events occurred. These 'stories' are usually created by the victors to strengthen their images. This novel explained through very good storytelling the people and events of the time period. I think that this will appeal to fans of The Red Tent and The Dove Keepers.

[Carlos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I struggled with the rating for this book, I think 4 1/2 or 4 3/4 stars would be ok for this book but alas Goodreads still hasn't given us that ability. The storytelling in this book is superb, the characters are all deep and complex, they add to the story and are very well treated by the author who has given them a good background. The story in itself is simple but the storytelling is what did it for me , if you are into biblical historical retellings , you'll like this book a lot .

[Tania · Rating 1 out of 5]

Many years passed before he realized his error and came to understand that stories are more powerful than truth.

I loved the cover and the idea behind this book - the story of King Saul and King David from the Israelic viewpoint and not the Judean one as per our Bible. We all know that history is determined by the victors, as theirs are the narration that will be passed down to next generations. Unfortunately, I never connected with the story or the characters, which felt very one-dimensional. I think this may be because of the translation.

The Story: In the tradition of The Red Tent comes the stories of the struggles of King David and King Saul in the early days of the Kingdom of Israel, seen through the eyes of Michal, Saul’s daughter and David’s abandoned queen.

[Siv30 · Rating 4 out of 5]

ההיסטוריה נכתבת על ידי המנצחים והמנצחים צריכים להצדיק את ניצחונם, אמר סארטר ויש לו לפחות תומכת אחת נלהבת, יוכי ברנדס שכתבה את "מלכים ג" כהיסטוריה חלופית דרמטית וסמי חתרנית של ממלכת ישראל.

למעט החלק הראשון של הספר, הוא עוסק בפילוג בין ישראל ליהודה כאשר ברנדס מציירת את דוד כמלך הראשון שהיא לפילוג בין הבתים לאחר שמרד מרידה עקובה מדם ורצחנית בבית שאול.

אפשר לקרוא את הספר כתסריט לסידרה שושלת, אבל לא זו של בני קרינגטון מדנוור, אלא דווקא זו של תקופת שאול, דוד ושלמה.
הספר מחולק ל – 3 חטיבות העוסקות בתקופות שונות בעם ישראל: החטיבה הראשונה ושהכי פחות עניינה אותי מספרת את סיפורו של שלומעם, נער מן העיר צרידה שבנחלת אפרים שמגלה כי משפחתו מסתירה ממנו סודות על זהותו ושורשיו. הוא יוצא בחיפוש אחר משמעות ופוגש את מיכל בת שאול.

החלק השני מתואר מנקודת מבטה של מיכל בת שאול והוא חולש על תקופת מלוכתם של שאול, דוד ושלמה. זהו החלק הארוך בספר והמעניין ביותר.
שאול ומשפחתו מצטיירים בתיאור זה כקורבנות של השאפתנות והתככנות של דוד. דוד מצטייר כמנותק רגשית, מניפולטיבי, כפוי טובה ובלתי מוסרי ושלמה מצטייר כטיפש שעסק באיסוף נשים ומקדשים והקשה את עול המיסים על ישראל עד כי מרדו בו ובבנו רחבעם. לא קשה להאמין לתיאור של ברנדס ויש לו יסודות גם בסיפורי התנ"ך.

החלק הזה ביחוד עוסק בפרשנות אלטרנטיבית לסיפורי המלכים ומציע זווית אחרת חלופית ולעיתים סמי חתרנית.
סיפורה של מיכל בת שאול הוא סיפור אהבה טראגי של אישה שאהבה גבר והיתה מוכנה לצאת כנגד אביה כדי להציל את אהבתה. לפי ברנדס, דוד, הגבר שאהבה לא אהב אותה, יצא כנגד אביה והרג את בני משפחתה. הוא הפך אותה לעגונה עוד בחייה בזמן שהלך והשמיד את משפחתה (בית מלוכה של שאול).

על פי התיאור דוד נענש על חטאיו כנגד בית שאול בכך שבנו אבשלום מרד בו ולמעשה כל ילדיו סבלו ממוות אכזרי כזה או אחר. לטענת ברנדס אמנון לא אנס את תמר, אלא זו היתה המצאה שגייסו אחיתופל ובת שבע כדי לסייע במזימה שתעלה את שלמה לשלטון.

החלק השלישי בספר עוסק בעלייתו לשלטון של ירבעם בן נבט. אחת הטענות הבלתי מבוססת שמציגה ברנדס בספר היא שירבעם בן נבט היה מזרע שאול וליתר דיוק הנכד של מיכל וזאת למרות שידוע כי למיכל לא היו ילדים (אני מותירה בצריך עיון את השאלה האם היתה עקרה או שמא מצב היחסים בינה ובין דוד היה כזה שהוא פשוט לא פקד את מיטתה).

ברנדס גם מציירת את ירבעם כאדם נאור הן במודל האמונה שלו והן בכך שפעל להקל את עול המיסים על ישראל ולחלוקה צודקת יותר של הנטל בין העניים לעשירים. היא לא נותנת משקל לכך שהפרשנות רואה בו כאחד המלכים הרעים ביותר שהיו לישראל עד כדי כך שהנביא אחיה השילוני בישר לו כי זרעו יכרת.

קראתי ביקורות נוקבות על הפשטנות והפרשנות של הספר והאופן שבו מתארת ברנדס את האירועים כך שהכף נוטה בבירור לטובת מיכל ובית שאול בכלל. למעשה היא חוטאת בכך שהיא כותבת סיפור חד צדדי בדיוק כפי שהתנך מספר את הסיפור באופן חד צדדי.

יחד עם זאת, הספר קולח ורהוט ומעניין. נכון הוא, שהתמונה שהוא מציג היא תמונה מעוותת חלקית, אבל אני סומכת על האינטיליגנציה של הקוראים שידעו לחפש ולברור ולהציב את הסיפורים זה של התנך וזה של ברנדס אחד מול השני. האמת מן הסתם נמצאת אי שם באמצע.

[Kate (Looking Glass Reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Secret Book of Kings is one of the best books I've read in some time. This was honestly a bit surprising to me, as I'm normally more of a sword and sorcery fantasy reader and not much up on my historical fiction. However, I'm a sucker for a mysterious past and mad princesses, and I found myself drawn into the story almost against my will.

This book was extraordinarily well written. The prose was beautiful, not falling into the choppy almost stream of consciousness that other first person point of view works seem to take. The characters were well developed, their flaws very real and understandable.

There are things I didn't necessarily like about the book, but those were quickly swept away by the sheer magnitude of the storytelling. I really love this book, and it will absolutely have a place of honor on my book shelf. If you like historical fiction, or tales of court intrigue, I highly recommend this book.

*I received a copy of this book from a Goodreads Giveaway in exchange for an honest review.*

[Mimi · Rating 4 out of 5]

History is written from the perspective of the victors. This novel (which I learned about from Bonus 8 in Season 1 of the History in the Bible Podcast) is written from the perspective of the conquered. Raised in a family of Hassidic Rabbis in Israel, this author tells the story of Shelomoam and Michal, Saul's daughter. The first section was a bit of a struggle, but the last two were absorbing and fascinating. I believe this is the first novel of Brandes' to be translated to English, but I hope that it won't be the last.

[ManOfLaBook.com · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Melachim Gim­mel” (Kings III) by Yochi Bran­des is a bib­li­cal fic­tion book which, pre­sump­tu­ously enough, is a con­tin­u­a­tion of the bib­li­cal books of Kings I and Kings II. While not her first novel, this is the first “bib­li­cal” novel the for­mer ultra-orthodox author wrote.

The book is divided into three parts:

Part one is when we get intro­duced to a child named Shlom’am (peace­ful peo­ple) and fol­low him from child­hood to young adulthood.

Part two fol­lows Michal, King Saul’s daugh­ter and the wife of King David. Michal is act­ing as if she is insane to fool every­one around her. She screams at night, lights thou­sands of can­dles all in order to hide the fact that she is in cahoots with Hadad the Edomite so she can restore the king­dom to the right­ful lin­eage of King Saul.

Part three brings the book together when Shlom’am becomes King Yerov'am, fourth king of Israel, and ful­fils the prophecy of Elisha.

“Melachim Gim­mel” (Kings III) by Yochi Bran­des is a fas­ci­nat­ing book which attempts to turn some of the bib­li­cal sto­ries on their heads and give the reader a new per­spec­tive. While some peo­ple find that offen­sive, I am not included in those and actu­ally find those type of books cap­ti­vat­ing.

The book fol­lows the life of Yerov'am ( Jer­oboam — "the peo­ple con­tend," or, "he pleads the people's cause"), son of Nebat, an Ephraimite, and of Zeruah, a widow and the fourth king of Israel. In the bible Jer­oboam is depicted as a hor­ri­ble leader, a man who com­mit­ted appalling acts in G-d’s eyes when he divided the king­dom. How­ever, the author depicts Jer­oboam as the “good guy”, an enlight­en­ing man who saved the king­dom from the clutches of King David.

Ms. Bran­des depicts the women in this book as strong and assertive. The women are the ones who pull the string in the monar­chy, some­times David and Jer­oboam, but I found it hilar­i­ous to read her descrip­tion of King Solomon, known for his wis­dom, but in this ver­sion is noth­ing but a mama’s boy who picks the ripe fruits his mother’s con­niv­ing has planted.

As with most Jew­ish lit­er­a­ture, names play a huge role in this book. No name, even one invented by the author, is a whim – they are all mean­ing­ful and sig­nif­i­cant in their own way.

What I absolutely loved about the book is that it empha­sizes the power of the writ­ten word. Ms. Bran­dis con­tin­u­ally main­tains, through her nar­ra­tive, that the pen is indeed might­ier than the sword. While the sword deter­mines life and death in the “now”, the pen deter­mines life and death for future gen­er­a­tions. The cul­ture that is fought upon will be won by sto­ries (the bible in this case) rather than the might of the king.

For more reviews and bookish posts please visit: http://www.ManOfLaBook.com

[Jef Sneider · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had quite a few complaints as I read this book. I did not like the writing style. I found it too focused on the narrative and too willing to tell me what characters were feeling rather than letting me get to know the characters from their own thoughts and actions. The author was trying to cover too much story without getting deeply into the characters.

I also complained about the behavior of the characters. Petulant adolescents, impulsive young females and angry sons do exist, of course, but their misbehavior always bothers me. One cannot avoid destiny, but some of the choices made by the young characters remind me of the people in a horror movie who run into the dark haunted house instead of running away.

One must understand that the book is a fictional expansion of the stories in the Bible about Saul, the first king of Israel, and the transition to the line of David, son of Jesse and on to Solomon and his successor. There are biblical verses to be used as a backbone for the story, but the author liberally creates characters and situations, many of which seem to counter the biblical story. She can do this because, as her characters themselves point out frequently, the “king’s scribes” will make up stories (and lies) that will become the official story, the story we all know from bible tales, so, the book we are reading is supposedly telling us the real story, not the “made up” story from the Bible. That gives the author license to make up whatever she wants.

In “Joseph and his Brothers,” Thomas Mann uses a variety of sources, including the biblical story of Joseph to create a rich and deep retelling of the story of Jacob and his sons. Though he made up the details to fill out the biblical story, it seemed that he kept the essence of the story unchanged. This book does not compare well, and it bothered me.

In the end, however, all the different threads in this story did come together in a way that was entertains and uplifting, raising my rating from one or two stars to 3 stars.

[Angie Pfeiffer-Senft · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was chosen by Netgalley to review the book “The Secret Book of Kings” by Yochi Brandes (translation by Yardenne Greenspan). Given that fact, it has not altered my opinion on the book at all. The Secret Book of Kings scheduled release is August 23, 2016.

This book is broken up into 3 sections, and each section opens thusly:
1. The Soldier- “Mother took me to the lepers’ cave for the first time on the fifteenth day of the eighth month.”
2. The Princess- “Still staring at me with that same angry helplessness, my wild wolf.”
3. The King- “When I was a child I liked to embellish.”
I guarantee you that each section is vastly different, however they all connect and form the main story line. We open with the main character Shelomoam, a boy of 8. Throughout the chapters we live in his life struggle of growing up, learning secrets, keeping his own secrets bottled up, and running away from his problems. And like any kid, he thinks that spiting his family, and doing the exact opposite of their wishes will hurt them the most. The only thing Shelomoam cannot foretell is that his spitefulness will actually set him on the path that was originally meant to be his.

For my full review, please visit:

https://quitterstrip.wordpress.com/20...

[Lisa Bernstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so much fun. While at times, the anachronism of independent women got to be a bit hard to take, the whole premise made it worth putting up with that. It's an alternative history as told by the tribes of Israel, as opposed to Judah, from whom most modern "Jews" are descended. Reading how the stories we know had been changed to suit the political aims of the kings of Judah was so much fun and so fascinating to consider. I'd recommend this book to anyone familiar with the stories of Saul, David, and Solomon, and the rise of the united monarchy in Israel and its split after Solomon's death. It turns so much that we are familiar with on its head! So fun!

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t like this one as well as I liked THE ORCHARD, but it was still impressive!

THE ORCHARD took us back to the beginnings of Rabbinic Judaism, in the 1st century CE. This book takes us even further back, to around the 10th century BCE, and the reigns of Kings Saul, David and Solomon. It’s purpose, arguably, is to tell an “alternative history” (that’s kinda speculative/SFF right?) about the Hebrew kingdom that did not survive past biblical times—the Northern Kingdom of Israel.

Technically speaking, the reigns of Saul, David, Solomon and etc were supposed to unite the 12 tribes of Israel into one kingdom. But in reality, schisms persisted. Two distinct kingdoms sprouted instead—Israel and Judah. Judah, the southernmost kingdom with Jerusalem as its capital, survived and its history and customs more or less evolved into the Judaism of today. The Northern Kingdom of Israel fell to Assyrian invasion, and ten tribes were “lost,” or totally assimilated.

But this book doesn’t actually deal directly with the Assyrian invasion in the 8th century BCE and the Ten Lost Tribes. But it’s sort of an inspiration for Brandes, I think. Had the tribes survived, the stories of the bible might have been much different.

Or maybe not. Because well before said Assyrian invasion, there was a civil war between Judah and Israel. The Judeans won, and thus got to tell the “definitive” version of history. A version of history where David and Solomon, conveniently from the tribe of Judah, were anointed by prophet’s as Gd’s chosen rulers, and the king whose line they ended, Saul of the tribe of Benjamin, was seen as unworthy. These are specifically the accounts in the biblical books of Kings and Chronicles.

There’s already so much rich worldbuilding, and I haven’t even gotten to the further animosity between the tribes descended from the two matriarchs, Leah (like Judah) and Rachel (like Benjamin.) (And technically speaking, the children of Jacob’s two concubines, Bilhah and Zilpah were “given” Leah and Rachel, which, gross, and also reminds me that I need to start the current season of “The Handmaid’s Tale.” :P Anywho.)

The story this book centers on is that of a young man named Shelomoam, of the tribe of Ephraim, who has a mysterious past. The course of the narrative brings him to understand his true heritage, and along the way also gives new voice to Michal, the daughter of Saul and first wife of David. Shelomoam becomes a very important character in biblical history…or, he would have been if the Kingdom of Judah didn’t ultimately prevail over the Kingdom of Israel.

But actually, this book doesn’t get to that particular history either! :P It’s more concerned with positing the question that if Shelomoam and his ilk could tell their story, rather than being downplayed and denigrated by the Judeans, what would they say? How might David and Solomon (the former of whom is already remembered for some flaws) be painted differently?

In this book, similar to THE ORCHARD, in fact, words have power. They can, even more than swords, determine entire cultures. But one narrative rarely ever tells the whole story. We humans with our history are far too complex for that. And I again am in some awe about how Brandes makes these complex associations come to life.

But it didn’t work for me as well as the last time. It did in the beginning. Particularly with the Tribe of Judah trying to force the other tribes to stop their particular festivals and temple worship, because only Judean festivals and sacrifice in the Jerusalem temple were legitimate, dangit. This says so much about nationalism, and how the attempt to make “one” narrative erases so many others.

Things went off the rails a little bit with Michal, and alas, I like Michal! And particularly the subversive ways she tries to put some pro-Saul messaging into the bible. (Fun fact: this book bolded biblical quotes, to show how this story interacted with the original.) But after awhile she was less involved in the action, and all the passive court politics got a bit tedious. I’m used to Kingdom Drama—I’m in the middle of watching House of the Dragon, in fact. :P Frankly, this book would make for an even juicer story! But it would be nice to do away with all the gossipy dialogue and witness the action first hand.

While I’m at it, witnessing scribes deliberately mess with historical record in real time felt a little on the nose. Then again, in today’s day and age we have Fox News. :/

Anywho. By the end of the book I was still fascinated by the biblical history, but I wish it was told a little more compellingly. It’s possible Yardenne Greenspan’s translation leaned into the tedium, but I’m not sure. Maybe long discussions simply worked better in THE ORCHARD since it centered in Mishnaic sages in yeshiva, after all. :P And there was more action on the page there, too, imho.

Still, overall I’m very grateful I read this. It reminds me of the richness of my tradition, how much more I have to learn…and then, like Brandes did, maybe challenge and subvert! This level of engagement keeps biblical Judaism alive.

[Shahar · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.1 retelling of the era of the first Hebrew kings , from Saul to the split of the 2 kingdoms.
The first part was weak for me , it was the same kind of stories we read about a hero born. That downside of the telling doesn't leave the book to its end , but once the mad princess story kicks in the plot allows to swallow it in.
I knew parts of the story but to my shame a lot of it I didn't remember or known. As the Gilboa Mt was the view of my childhood - i should have remembered more.
I like the Way Brandes used the cracks in the old telling to create a new story , she actually had me reading about the next generation Kings that followed the book.
Its a good history novel with all the spices of the dark sides of royalty.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot in the beginning, the parts from Shelomoam's POV, though I am not a fan of books that spend overlong in the main character's childhood. For the most part, I was kept interested for the first quarter. But once it shifted to Michal's tale, all I wanted was to get back to the original timeline. Not only did I now have to suffer through yet another main character's childhood, but it was just a retelling of the history we all know about Saul and David, Michal and Bathsheba, Nathan and Solomon. There were a few interesting tweaks to the accepted biblical tale, but not enough to stop my eyes from glazing over. Once we finally returned to the "present" with Shelomoam, things picked back up and held my interest again, but it still wasn't enough for me to be really intrigued. 2.5 stars.

[Maya · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit different from what I usually read but I have a soft spot for retellings so I had to give it a chance. The interpretation of the original text was interesting but unfortunately the writing wasn’t very good.

[Raz Mis · Rating 5 out of 5]

כהרגלה, יוכי ברנדס מתארת בצורה נפלאה סיפורים מתקופת התנ"ך. הפעם זה סיפור פיצול ממלכת ישראל דרך דמויותיהן המרתקות של מיכל בת שאל וירבעם

[Maya Cammara · Rating 5 out of 5]

ממש התאהבתי בספר ממליצה בחום, מדבר על סיפורים מהתנך בנקודת מבט שונה ולא קשורה לדת

[Mitchell Gronowitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yochi truly brings tanach to life, creating a riveting story based on the foundation of the first kings of Israel. Unique and great read.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am such a sucker for a biblical story told from a different perspective. This was really fun.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredible story to experience a side of Jewish history that traditional sources cryptically seem to gloss over (and now we might have a ln idea why!).

Similar to a Gregory McGuire novel, like Wicked, we get to see inside the Jewish monarchy from the perspective of the "bad guy," in this case, the line of King Saul, which was stripped of the crown in favor of King David.

Brandeis at times treads dangerously close to "heresy" without ever really taking us there. Instead she opts for a thoughtful plunge into questions the Bible suggests but never quite explores.

As someone who came to practice Torah Judaism only as an adult, having been raised and educated in secular society, where I was trained to look at things objectively, even something as sacred as scripture, I really found this book thought provoking and eye opening.

Having recently studied the book of Kings it gave context to many of the open questions I had about the Jewish people at the time and particularly the focal points of the biblical narrative, the righteous men and women who all seemed so flawed, and yet we hold such reverence for them today, thousands of years later.

Read this book if you are curious about the kinds of questions I hinted at here. Read this book if you are able to stomach "other" perspectives on your dearly held truths and beliefs. Most of all read this book for a fascinating look at Jewish history that will fill in biblical details regardless of whether you agree with the conclusion that maybe the Kingdom wished for and prayed for on a daily basis by religious Jews was not as perfect as our prayers would have us believe.

[Dennis Fischman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Have you heard this story before? A young girl is engaged to a decent man, whom she even loves, but she turns her back on him to marry an incredibly magnetic but brutal man instead. That's a romance novel. That's Wuthering Heights, which I have always loathed. And that's what this novel makes of Michal, daughter of Saul, princess of Israel.

How about this story? A young man is raised by common people and spends his time among wastrels and thieves, only to discover he is the rightful heir to the throne. That's a mash-up of most of the folk tales we've ever heard and Prince Hal in Shakespeare. It's also what this novel makes of Yerovam ben Nebat, the man who tore the northern ten tribes of Israel away from the descendants of King David.

I admire the idea of this book: to retell the story of the Saul-David-Solomon cycle in the Hebrew Bible right down to the split between Israel and Judah, but from the point of view of the "lost tribes," and especially, of the women. But the execution makes a mockery of the fine idea.

* Besides the hackneyed plotlines which prompted my friend Ian to compare this to a YA novel, the writing is poor, and it's not just the translation, because Brandes apparently never heard of "show, don't tell."

*Characters also change without adequate background or motivation, just because they have to in order to fit the plot.

*The author is very clever about including obscure bits of the biblical text that help the reimagined version make sense, but when she needs to depart from the text, she makes things up out of whole cloth. If they contradict the text, it's because the Judean scribes falsified history--a convenient excuse.

Besides the writing, the concept is anti-feminist. Despite making women central characters, Brandes repeats some of the worst canards about women. One falsely accuses a man of rape, for political purposes. (I nearly didn't finish the book after that.) Another's voice says no, but her body says yes. How can anyone write such retrograde and dangerous stereotypes in the 21st century?

The best thing about the book is the ending, with its vision of an alternative history in which religious pluralism and economic justice could be enacted three thousand years ago. But that's exactly why the author has to end the book with Yerovam's coronation: because there's no way to imagine that actually came to pass, no matter how much the history is rewritten by the victors.

I read this book as a companion to studying I and II Kings in the 929 Tanach B'Yachad program. (The Hebrew title of this novel translates to "III Kings.") It did help bring some of the characters to life and reminded me of people I'd forgotten. Now, though, I want to go back and read what I'm told is a better book on the same theme, The Secret Chord.

[Marie Richter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was raised Lutheran, and one of the points of distinction within that faith is a great reverence for and reliance on the Bible — which means I have read and studied both the Old and New Testaments at length throughout my life. That background provided a deserved appreciation for the imposing task that Yochi Brandes set for herself when writing “ The Secret Book of Kings.” The Saul, David, and Solomon I thought I knew were reimagined in a perspective 180 degrees from their Biblical counterparts, and yet the story was so convincing that it made me wonder if it could indeed be the truth. While some of the language felt too modern for the tale, that did not detract from my overall enjoyment. An excellent book for those who question propaganda vs fact, and wonder what may have happened in a key moment of history if everything we were told to believe was based on agenda rather than accuracy.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book in a good reads giveaway. This was a wonderfully written piece of fiction about the descendants of Saul. I enjoyed the characters and the unraveling of the history of Shelomoam and finding out where he truly came from. My favorite part was when he met the mad Princess and she revealed the truth of his family to him. This book sucked me in from the beginning and I truly enjoyed it. If anymore works by this author get translated into English I look forward to reading them.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing!
Very Interesting Quote:
"'According to the law of Moses, you are required to stay home with me and to give me pleasure for a full year,' I said in the girlish voice that seemed appropriate for a young bride. 'Merab told me that Abner gives leave to any soldier who gets married. [...] She asked me what you were planning to do to please me in our first year of marriage.' "
I think I need to brush up on my theological reading if it's to says things like that!

[Geffen Tzaban · Rating 5 out of 5]

went into this one expecting an interestong poimt of view on a familiar tale. came away with a sweeping, emotionally fulfilling, epic story that made me feel like i do after a great fantasy book. would recommend for anyone.

[Judy Zingher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read in Hebrew, "Kings III"

[Ian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sadly I couldn't get past chapter 8. It's not listed as young adult but I experienced it as insufferably juvenile. However, I loved the (hypothetically) historical premise.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I'm a huge fan of historical fiction and always find it fascinating when I know the history behind the story. The Secret Book of Kings describes the story of a young man in ancient Israel who finds out that he's the great grandson of King Saul. Under the rule of King Solomon, that information is extremely dangerous, and with the help from his grandmother and her advisor he's set on the path to become King of Israel.

I went to a Christian high school so we had studied the Bible and some of the stories of David and Solomon in class. What I think that I found most interesting was how every story in the Bible, just like in history, is up to different interpretations based on who won. It was interesting to read about how others viewed King David, King Solomon, and King Saul. I have to admit this book also made me want to break open the Bible again and refresh myself on some history!

You don't have to know the whole history of the Israelites in order to enjoy this book though. The story eventually spells it all out for you. If you enjoy palace intrigue and a fight for power, definitely consider picking this book up.

[Gwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Odd but true: one of my book clubs consistently picks amazing, provocative, I-can't-wait-to-read-this books and with this, yet again, we're on to something. This book, using verses from prophets and psalms, is a different version of the kingships of Saul, David and Solomon. Artifice, scheming, desire, power, plotting, fighting with swords, fighting with words, it's all here.
The structure is good, starting with "the soldier," moving to "the princess" (which means a re-frame of the first section), and concluding with "the king" (which one doesn't know to believe or not). The translation is excellent, the story compelling.
I've always wondered how hard the three pilgrimage holidays were. Here, we get a view of those who had local option for sacrifices, only to see it destroyed (or, temporarily dismantled) in the consolidation of power as seen by the erection of the place for sacrifices (the Temple). Stories matter, and the ones that differ, or win out, often do so for compelling reasons. Or so Brandes would have us believe.

[Adina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who lives, who dies, who tells the story? Secret Book of Kings by Yochi Brandes is like Wicked for the David saga in the Hebrew bible. The book focuses on characters from the Northern Kingdom, portrayed as arch-villains in bible stories that were edited by southern scribes after the northern kingdom was destroyed by Assyria. One of the main characters is Michal, one of the wives of David who has a bit part in the bible. The book can be read as a straight-up novel, and as a midrash/fanfic on the canonical text. One of the things that I liked about the book is the way it builds on the complicated moral psychology of the bible heroes who were not at all written to be saints. Another takeway in these times is the intrigue-ridden and violent messiness of succession in dynastic monarchies, and the role of women who mostly can't hold explicit power in orchestrating succession drama behind the scenes. The book is translated from Hebrew, uses a lot of biblical source material, and would reward more side-by-side comparison with the canon that it embroiders.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I'd been able to read this book in the original Hebrew, as I am sure there are Biblical allusions I missed due to translation. (I'm more likely to recognize them in Hebrew than in English.) The translation also feels awkward at times, changing tenses, and interfering a bit with smooth dialogue. That having been said, I found this to be a fascinating take on what happened during the reigns of King Saul, King David and King Solomon, and shortly afterward. It might help that this particular set of Biblical stories is of special interest to me, but I found the book to be a satisfying experience through that lens. I am less able to evaluate it from a plot and character perspective, as an independent narrative, as I was invested in seeing how it compared to the original Biblical story.