I was very excited to dive into this read. It gives the readers a chance to become acquainted with Zora the theological scholar & anthropologist. While it is not written in the usual Zora linguistic style we’re used to, it still has Zora’s flair. I’m so glad that the publisher has released this work, it was wonderful to see something new from a great who left us too soon.

I wasn't sure if I would find The Life of Herod the Great's literary style particularly enjoyable because it was written in the 1950s. It also didn't help that the author never finished it before she passed away. Contrary to what I had anticipated, I like this book!

I particularly enjoyed the connections to other, distinct historical personalities and events, Herod's self-assured and captivating personality, and the overall stunning and striking prose. The Life of Herod the Great was an engaging read, full of political intrigue, exciting battles, deep dialogue, and exquisite descriptions. However, even though I generally enjoy the writing, there are places where it can get stiff and technical. Since I have a similar problem with many other novels from its era, I attribute this to the book being a product of its time. This didn't negatively affect my reading experience, but it made it a little difficult for me to focus while reading. The fact that the point of view occasionally switched between characters made it hard to follow along, which occasionally required me to reread the text.

Overall, it was a great pleasure to read this book.

When my only knowledge of Herod the Great comes from scripture, it is welcome to read such a novel and get a glimpse into what possibly occurred. Hurston draws the reader into the story and gives a glimpse into Herod and ancient Rome.

Zora Neale Hurston, with Deborah G. Plant’s insightful contributions, brings *The Life of Herod the Great* to life in a way that is both scholarly and deeply humanizing. Hurston’s lyrical prose captures the complexities of Herod, portraying him not just as a powerful ruler, but as a deeply flawed man driven by insecurities and ambition. This biography delves into the turbulent political landscape of ancient Judea, offering readers a nuanced view of Herod’s legacy, often reduced to mere myth. The combination of Hurston’s distinctive narrative style and Plant’s careful contextualization creates a compelling, accessible exploration of one of history’s most controversial figures. It’s a thought-provoking and rich account that challenges our understanding of power, legacy, and humanity.

This does not give/sound like Zora's previous works.

I do not hear her in this story much if at all.

That being said, I enjoyed the premise of this story. I always enjoy anything with political intrigue--the bible, not so much.

I did not go into this book with high expectations due to it being posthumously released. I am familiar with the story of Herod so again did not expect fireworks. I must say however, I was pleasantly surprised by my enjoyment of this version or the story. The way that historical figures that lived during the time of Herod were woven into his story was very entertaining. You can not tell that parts were written in 1950, her co-author did an amazing job or wrapping this up.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing and writing staff for gifting me the ARC copy of this beautiful story. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review of my own free will without coercion.

Rest well Queen Zora. Well done

Having been written in the 1950s, I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy the writing style of The Life of Herod the Great very much. The fact that it was never fully finished by the author before her passing didn't help, either. Against my expectations going in, I ended up liking this book very much!

Some things that I especially appreciated were ties to other, separate historical figures and events, the charismatic and confident character of Herod himself, and the beautiful and attention-grabbing writing as a whole. Filled with political intrigue, thrilling battles, rich dialogue, and beautiful descriptions, The Life of Herod the Great was an entertaining read.

But although I do like the writing for the most part, in some sections it can become stiff and technical. I attribute this to the book being a product of its time, as I have this same issue with many other books from its era. Although this wasn't detrimental to the reading experience for me, it definitely made it a bit hard for my attention to be kept as I was reading. It didn't help that the point of view would sometimes hop from character to character, which did make it difficult to keep up with what was going on from time to time which led to some re-reading on my part.

All in all, reading this book was a very enjoyable experience and I'm thankful that I was able to read it!

The Life of Herod the Great gives us the story of the rise to power of initially a governor of a province to a great and mighty vassal king of Palestine appointed by Caesar in Rome.

The book gives light to Herod - his live, his beliefs, his actions and why he took them. The book also demonstrates how he rose to power and what looks like gaining the love of his people. It also goes on to illustrate that not everything evolves from barbaric events, but when presented with obstacles, they need to be health with appropriately to rise in power and to even protect a kingdom.

I highly recommend this book to those who like biblical hist fiction, historical fiction and those who like to see humanity put to people for who we have no information to preserve the true humanity and thus get people thinking what could been.

Zora Neale Hurston wrote a strong biblical fiction going on and enjoyed the storyline going through this. The characters felt like they were supposed to be there and worked with the overall story going on.

As someone who’s knowledge of Herod doesn’t amount to much beyond than the description of the “Slaughter of the Innocents” from the Gospel of Matthew, it was a fascinating opportunity to not just see this figure through a different lens, but to just learn more about his life and exploits in far, far greater detail in general.

Granted, since this was originally written in the 1950s, it’s hard to tell what can still be taken mostly as fact, and what parts may now be viewed as inaccurate in light of new research that has come since then. I will also admit that I personally found the book to read a little bit on the drier side, and it usually felt less like historical fiction and more like a historical annal than anything. But overall, I enjoyed this chance to learn more about a figure who until now has been little more than a mostly context-less name from the Sunday masses of my childhood, and am appreciate of Hurston for devoting a book to him and him alone. Even when my own passion for the topic wanted a bit through the chapters, her genuine interest and passion for her subject definitely shown through brightly from start to end.