Felt deceived by description. I might not have downloaded the book if the description was accurate. ( )

This triplet of stories is set in the first century AD in the sphere of the Roman occupation of Judea. Most of the action takes place in and around Jerusalem and in Rome. The story starts with a Roman military official buying a feisty young Greek girl as a slave. Woven into their story is the life of Jesus, not making him a central part of the story, but on his influence as the promised Messiah and the birth of the New Testament Christian church.
Key historical figures are Emperors Tiberius (mad and dangerous) and Claudius (compassionate and wise), Pilate, Herod, Jesus, and Lazarus and his sisters Mary and Martha. These people really provide a great framework for and enjoyable love story; actually a number of love stories. However, it's not a sloppy romance and (without giving too much away), not everything ends sweetly. Setting aside the romance (if that is not what you are after), there is plenty to learn about the life of an early Christian, and about daily life in Judea and other places of the Roman Empire.
There are some weaknesses though. Theological it's a bit vague, and in some places incorrect. The first part of the second book seems to lack direction. The author often takes a fair bit of time setting up up scenarios, and this interface to the real story appears forced and awkward. There is an overuse (and incorrect) use of ellipses (...)
This book is, I understand, only available as an ebook; the formatting on a kindle app was fine although there were a few minor errors. ( )

This is not my typical book to read but I was intrigued by the description. I have to admit I was expecting this to be a romance novel and started it out with that opinion. But as I got deeper and deeper into the book I realized this is a book that mixes religion and death. If you are looking for a true grit love story with loss, sex and death do not try. But if you want to look at the death of Jesus in another life then pick it up and give it a chance. Do not let the title or book cover fool you, you will understand both more after reading the book. ( )

A while back, I was needing a break from nonfiction, and decided to ask some publishers for fiction to review. I found Borg's book, Helms' book, Deeth's book, Witherington’s book (not yet reviewed) … and this one, with the steamy title. Woman of Sin … (cough). Romance? Really?? That would be a first for me! I was assured it had a Christian theme, but I remained unconvinced, and resigned myself to hiding the book under the couch. Now, having read it, I understand the title and find it hilariously appropriate. Great stuff, Diaz!

The story takes place in the years just before and after the crucifixion of Jesus, so the setting is naturally appealing to me. I think it’s only fair to point out that the book does have a religious flavor. By book’s end, the characters undergo a conversion to Christianity. I hope you don’t take this as a spoiler; it needs to be said. This shift of focus will be off-putting to some, but will increase the reading enjoyment of others.

Precisely because of the religious nature of the book, it invites a more rigorous criticism, more than just “great read, well researched, buy it now.” It is a great book, and Diaz is a very good fiction writer. She has eloquently captured the life and politics of first-century Jerusalem and the Empire, and has spun a terrific story around one of the Bible’s most mysterious characters. But if Diaz had an evangelical purpose in writing, this may be the only five-star review she doesn’t appreciate; I found the most “fictional” part of her book to be the assumptions she makes about early Christianity.

By her own concession, Diaz had as a goal to be “historically and Biblically accurate.” But when the two clashed, she clearly preferred “Biblical.” If her research into all things non-religious weren’t so precise, her portrayal of the origins of Christianity wouldn’t stick out.

One example will suffice: Immediately after the resurrection, the characters repeatedly refer to Jesus as God. Kudos for Biblical accuracy: In John’s Gospel, Thomas, upon feeling the nail prints of the risen Jesus, exclaims, “My Lord and my God!” But in truth, it was likely many years afterward before Jesus would first be considered God, as evidenced by the evolving understanding of God that surfaces when we read the New Testament in chronological order. (John’s Gospel was written 60 years or more after Jesus died.) It would be less jarring in a historical novel for Diaz to reflect the very earliest Christian beliefs, rather than the religion that grew later in Jesus’ name. Laying a current-day version of Christianity atop an early first-century story made me feel the book was trying to convert me.

Religious content aside, it remains a very entertaining work of fiction. I absolutely loved it and wholeheartedly recommend it! From now on, only pseudo-romance novels will grace my book review blog! :) ( )

This is the story of three people....1. Alysia, daughter of a prominent Greek physician, who is captured and sold into slavery in Rome. 2. Paulus, the Roman legate who buys and falls in love with her, and 3. Jesus, his rise, fall, and Resurrection and how he changes both their lives.

I would describe this as Christian romance and Biblical historical fiction. While not my preferred genre of reading nor what I expected, I found this book well written and interesting. I believe the author made every effort to keep the historical background as accurate as possible. The ending is satisfactory but also leaves plenty of room for a second story of the lives of Alysia and Paulus. ( )