In the case of the story of Ismeni, the prequel to The Legend of Sheba, I was given the ability to read 52 pages. One of my favorite features of an ebook is the ability to read a sample before purchasing. Ismeni pours all of her focus, instruction, dreams, hopes, and love, into her daughter Bilqis. The great love of Ismeni's life is her daughter. The life she had hoped to live becomes complicated and out of her control. The youngest son of the king takes a romantic interest in her. However, people fear her because of the 'signs' associated with her birth. Ismeni was born under an austere astrological sign. The various spellings and names of the Queen of Sheba, depend upon which country or nationality of people are referring to her, as well as a familiar name such as a family member or lover called her. Ismeni is the mother of the future Queen of Sheba (her given name is also known by other names: Makeda, Bilqis, Bilquis, Bilkis). Ismeni is a 52 page story which is a prequel to the full length story of The Legend of Sheba. It is a beautiful, moon lit story packed in vivid gorgeous prose about a woman as lovely as starlight. But oh how I wish she'd lived! She was a luminous presence and the book was a bit to quick.I wanted more! I did! She is a startlingly beautiful character and I just wish she had her own full length book.Ībsolutely recommended for fans of Historical Fiction. I did like that she was prepared and tried to prepare her daughter. But it was tough with this one because I knew she did not have a happy ending. And even though she was only in it for a short time, she was electrifying and sort of stole the beginning of that book. First off, I knew what would happen to her because, as I said, she is in the story about Bilquis. So I was very happy that Tosca Lee chose to tell her story here.Īnd what a sad story it is. Ismeni had been one of my favorite characters in Legend of Sheba. I adored that book and when I found there was a prequel written about Ismeni, the beautiful and ethereal mother of Bilquis, I knew I had to read it. I read this because I'd finished The full length book about the Queen of Sheba, a few weeks ago.

Ismeni (The Legend of Sheba) is a short prequel about Ismeni, the mother of the future queen of Sheba, also known as Bilquis. 'The hour of my birth, my mother burned incense to Shams, goddess of the sun, thinking in her innocence she, of any god, might understand a girl born under the brilliance of the Dog Star- a light so powerful that its first appearance just before sunrise in Saba invokes the flood waters of the Nile in in faraway Egypt.

The Legend of Sheba by Tosca Lee