The central character of this book has no name. Almost forgotten by history she might have passed into obscurity, just another slave at the court of Herod the Great. But Loshema (no name) has a talent for storytelling. Hidden in the shadows she charts Herod’s rise from man to king, and from king to monster.

But Loshema is far from the usual kind of narrator. At times she talks directly to the reader, drawing them into the fascinating and dangerous world of Jerusalem over two millennia ago, a world populated with the great names of the time, Mark Antony, Cleopatra, Julius Caesar, Octavian …

As she reaches maturity, Loshema can no longer be a passive observer, but finds herself entangled with the highest levels of intrigue. And as paranoia begins to destroy Herod’s kingdom, she suddenly finds herself wielding power over who will live and who will die.

(This book is based on the accounts in Josephus, not the gospel of Matthew.)

“Many innocents will die before this story is over. Just not the ones you were expecting. And the son of God has less to fear in this world than the sons of man. But why waste time? We both know why you are here. You want to see the monster.”