"God wants everything. Every part of you." - Paul
Description:
First-century Corinth is a city teeming with commerce and charm. It's also filled with danger and corruption-the perfect setting for Ariadne's greatest adventure.
After years spent living with her mother and oppressive grandfather in Athens, Ariadne runs away to her father's home in Corinth, only to discover the perilous secret that destroyed his marriage: though a Greek of high birth, Galenos is the infamous thief who has been robbing the city's corrupt of their ill-gotten gains.
Desperate to keep him safe, Ariadne risks her good name, her freedom, and the love of the man she adores to become her father's apprentice. As her unusual athletic ability leads her into dangerous exploits, Ariadne discovers that she secretly revels in playing with fire. But when the wrong person discovers their secret, Ariadne and her father find their future-and very lives-hanging in the balance.
About the Author:
Tessa Afshar is an award-winning author of historical and biblical fiction. Her novel Land of Silence was voted by Library Journal as one of top five Christian fiction titles of 2016 and won the INSPY Award for General Fiction. Harvest of Gold won the prestigious 2014 Christy Award in the Historical Romance category. Her book Harvest of Rubies was a finalist for the 2013 ECPA Book Award in the fiction category. In 2011, after publishing her first novel, Pearl in the Sand, Tessa was named New Author of the Year in the FamilyFiction-sponsored Reader’s Choice Awards. Tessa lived in the Middle East for the first fourteen years of her life. She then moved to England, where she survived boarding school for girls and fell in love with Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte, before moving to the United States. She holds an MDiv from Yale Divinity School, where she served as co-chair of the Evangelical Fellowship. But that has not cured her from being exceptionally fond of chocolate. Contact Tessa at tessaafshar.com or on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTessaAfshar/
My Review : 5 stars
I’ve long been a fan of Tessa Afshar’s books and this one is far from the exception! Her books first introduced me to Biblical Fiction and she is still my go-to author for anything in the genre. When I learned she was writing a book set during the time Paul would have been in Corinth, I was really excited to read it! Plus, how could I pass up a book titled “Thief of Corinth”? I couldn’t, and so here we are. I’m not sure this is my absolute favorite of her books (I think Pearl in the Sand still holds that title), but it was definitely an excellent book and one I’d for sure highly recommend!
One of my favorite things about her books is how relatable the characters always are. They may be “living” in centuries long past, but they are still so relevant to life right now. I connect with them very quickly and often become immersed in their stories before I’m even through the first chapter. By the end of the book, I always feel as though I’m being forced to say, “goodbye” to some very dear friends that I’m not at all ready to depart from, yet. I also really enjoyed how Ariadne’s story is told. It’s as though she’s writing a letter to someone, sharing her life with them and looking back on memories. She sees her faults and failures very clearly and where the decisions that were made shaped and formed the future. I loved how the author chose to incorporate the Apostle Paul (and some other people mentioned in his letters) into the story. Obviously she doesn’t use the exact wording from scripture and this is fiction, but the things she does include are woven precisely where they needed to be. Oftentimes I found the words convicting or encouraging right when I needed it.
"It would be sad, indeed, if the world were at the mercy of an impersonal force, a detached power without the ability to love. The God I speak of gives life and breath to everything. To this clump of mint, to you, to me. He knows the number of hairs on your head. He cares for the desires of your heart. Underneath the currents of your life, he stretches his everlasting arms. He has set his affections on you, though he knows your every weakness. The broken and the good in you. His love makes you whole. No man can give you this. Only God." - Paul, page 212
The story itself was fast-paced and kept me wanting to read more! I rarely actually wanted to put the book down and I’d usually go back to work wondering what was going to happen next or how the story was going to move forward from there. Especially during Ariadne’s escapades. I was up late more than once, trying to stay awake long enough to answer some of those questions. Ms. Afshar definitely kept me on the edge of my seat and I’m looking forward to being able to take the time to read this book again, soon!
(There are several other quotes that I really want to share from this book, but they're long and I don't want to steal the pleasure of discovering them for yourself.)
Hello bookish friends! Long time no post, yes? I'm kind of sorry about that - I just haven't had much time to read or play around on here, lately. Or more accurately, I haven't taken the time. I've only got 2 more weeks 'til my wedding! So the next post you see from me may be a couple wedding photos! (I'm debating whether I'm going to share any on here, or not. Maybe just Facebook . . . )
Have a lovely weekend! (or whatever day you see this, have an amazing day!)
