Admirers and intimates (half of whom wanted to run their praise past “HRH”) testify that sir throws “the best parties”, sir is kind – no, actually sir is Christ-like, “almost to the point of pain he suffers with people”, sir is emotionally intelligent, a “huge asset” to the FCO, sir is “trying to save the world, dammit!”, sir is like Richard Branson, also Steve Jobs, although “almost too nice”, a man of conviction, with “a wisdom about him”, venerated in Armenia, a “fantastic bloke”, ahead of his time, and, to one particularly besotted acolyte, “a remarkable human being” whose arrival “on the planet” at this moment is “no accident”. And supposing he’d arrived too early or late to redeem mankind, Mayer herself tells us that with his great comic timing, sir could have been a decent standup.

Naamah was the first wife. She has loved Solomon since she was 10. At 15 she became his betrothed and at 16 they married. Naamah was in love with Solomon and their love was the most realistic for me since they had known each other for some time. I enjoyed Naamah up until there was talk about other wives. She had this false hope of being his only wife and she didn't handle it well. She did bare him two children in the story -- a son and a daughter. Her role as the first wife was done really well. She was the most whiny of the four wives. My first book by this author but not my last. A well written Biblical Fiction that was easy to read and easy to keep up with the characters. I love the way she described Solomon’s love and the sacrifice he did for God. This story of Solomon and four of his wives were enlightening. I never thought about the king taking a wife or more wives just to form alliances with another country. Of course it’s no secret that Solomon let his wives and women turn his faith away from the one true God. I think the author did a great job describing and showing us the personalities of each wife and Solomon. To be the wisest man ever lived he sure let women turn his head. To me this shows even more that darkness should have no part of our lives if we are trying to live for God. And that no matter how close we think we are to God “things” will pull us away if we are not careful. This is what I like about Christian Fiction. If you let it, it will speak to you in some form, confirming the Word of God. So all this being said I love the way this book is written, the description of the homes and the gardens, it made me want to sit out on the bench outside that magnificent palace. Another amazing story from this author in what is an exciting series. It’s the ride of a lifetime from beginning to end.’ Full of adventure, love, courage and fantasy. Loved it !!! Highly recommend. I had a hard time putting this book down.’This is the first book that I've read by this author and it was fantastic. I eagerly await new books about King David so was thrilled to see this one as his son, Solomon, seems to be just as interesting. The author focused on Solomon's ascension to the throne following this brother, Adonijah's, attempt to take over the rulership of King David's kingdom by force. The Old Testament is full of profound stories of people still iconically remembered today through novel and movie retellings. My excitement is always piqued by those retellings, and I try to read or watch as many as I can. When the chance came for me to review Jill Eileen Smith’s latest novel, The Heart Of A King, I happily dived in. There are riches and oil of great worth in the house of the wise, but a foolish man swallows them up.

Simon Schama, A History of Britain, Volume 1: At the Edge of the World? 3000 BC–AD 1603 (London: Bodley Head, 2009), p. 326. For all of his wisdom, Solomon seemed to struggle in the area of love. Some wives were selected for political reasons and some for other reasons. Added to extensive evidence of potentially republic-hastening idiocy that Mayer – a mildish Charles supporter – believes are outweighed by his virtues, her accumulation of authorised tributes, each one more gushing than the last, until they explode in a final, doubt-deafening chorus of servility, is one of the most compelling reasons to reject any assurances that, on inheriting the throne, Charles will be able to stop himself from trashing it. It evidently remains a condition of successful courtiership never to stop hailing “sir” as a synthesis of visionary, saviour and gifted dance artiste, sent to lead his people out of science-oppressed darkness. These descriptions bothered me as Solomon did not reveal himself as a man in love, rather he sounded like a sexual predator, manipulating his most current victim. While I understand many readers may not interpret Solomon's words and characters in this way, I could not shake the feeling that Solomon was a master manipulator.There is a lot of research that went into this book and it's apparent. She is a master at describing the settings and creating believable characters and situations.

The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead. The heart of the king is like rivers of water in the hand of the Lord. He turns it where He wishes. Abishag was the second wife. She was previously the wife of King David, but married Solomon to be safe from his twisted brothers. Abishag was such a woman! She didn't let herself be played a fool nor did she have any delusions about being Solomon's second wife. She was such a artsy and pure hearted of the four wives. When what is right and fair is done, it is a joy for those who are right with God. But it fills the sinful with fear. Here we find no heart and stomach, and no interesting play on the Queen’s femininity or sex. This has led some historians to wonder if Sharp’s later recording of the words is unreliable and inauthentic.I love how the author can bring what is in Scripture to life and flesh out the people we only read about. They were real with feelings, failures, struggles, and shortcomings. I think every time I read Jill's biblical fiction novels, she makes me look inward to my own self and evaluate my own heart. And that's a good thing in my book! It brings me closer to the heart of God every time. Reading through the book of Ecclesiastes has always made me wonder about King Solomon. How could this king, to whom God Himself spoke and grant the gift of wisdom, write a book that reads so very much like the futility in our society today? Jill Eileen Smith has written an intriguing book about the life of King Solomon. Following the Biblical account very closely, she brings his story to life as we follow him through the politically turbulent years of his reign; his many marriages; and his search for true peace of heart and mind.