Such a time as this

the long version

"Young Esther never thought her life would turn out like this. All she ever wanted was a quiet life in her Jewish community and a loving husband and children someday. Then, one frightening day, she's stolen off the streets by the Persian king's guards and forced into the competition to be Xerxes' next queen. Catapulted against her will into life inside the harem, Esther's simple world becomes complicated. There's her chief rival, Isis, who is out for blood and the king's mercurial temperament. Then a dastardly plan gains momentum that will make all evil pale in comparison. And Esther is the only one who may have the power to stop the bloodshed."--Cover.