Wings of the Wind - A Review

Published - May 2017, Bethany House
Series - Out From Egypt book 3
Author - Connilyn Cossette
Title - Wings of the Wind
Format - ebook, paper
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About the book (from Goodreads) -
Alanah, a Canaanite, is no stranger to fighting and survival. When her family is killed in battle with the Hebrews, she disguises herself and sneaks onto the battlefield to avenge her family. The one thing she never counted on was surviving.
Tobiah, a Hebrew warrior, is shocked to find an unconscious, wounded woman among the Canaanite casualties. Compelled to bring her to a Hebrew healer back at their camp, he is soon confronted with a truth he can’t ignore: the only way to protect this enemy is to marry her.
Unused to being weak and vulnerable, Alanah submits to the marriage—for now. As she comes to know and respect Tobiah and his people, however, she begins to second-guess her plans of escape. But when her past has painfully unanticipated consequences, the tentative peace she’s found with Tobiah, the Hebrews, and Yahweh is shaken to the core. Can Alanah’s fierce heart and strength withstand the ensuing threats to her life and all she’s come to love? 


My thoughts -
I didn't know what to expect when I picked up this book. Biblical fiction is a genre that I usually don't read. Yet the cover captivated me. So I picked it up.

I must say that I was pleasantly surprised with this. It's told from the perspectives of both Alanah and Tobiah. I loved to see how Alanah came to understand the God of the Hebrew people. I loved to see how she finally came to a point that she was willing to be used by God. 

Over the years, I've read countless stories of how the Israelites left Egypt to return to the Promised Land. Yet this is the first one that I've read that actually talks about how they felt. 

I'm really glad to know that this book stood alone and I didn't have to have read books 1 and 2. 

I received a copy for free from the publisher to review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Recommended to fans of Biblical fiction

Rating - 4 stars

Pharaoh's Daughter - A Review

Published - March 2015, Waterbrook/Multnomah Books
Author - Mesu Andrews
Title - The Pharaoh's Daughter
Format - ebook, paper, audio
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Summary from Amazon
Anippe has grown up in the shadows of Egypt’s good god Pharaoh, aware that Anubis, god of the afterlife, may take her or her siblings at any moment. She watched him snatch her mother and infant brother during childbirth, a moment which awakens in her a terrible dread of ever bearing a child. Now she is to be become the bride of Sebak, a kind but quick-tempered Captain of Pharaoh Tut’s army. In order to provide Sebak the heir he deserves and yet protect herself from the underworld gods, Anippe must launch a series of deceptions, even involving the Hebrew midwives—women ordered by Tut to drown the sons of their own people in the Nile. 
     When she finds a baby floating in a basket on the great river, Anippe believes Egypt’s gods have answered her pleas, entrenching her more deeply in deception and placing her and her son Mehy, whom handmaiden Miriam calls Moses, in mortal danger.
  As bloodshed and savage politics shift the balance of power in Egypt, the gods reveal their fickle natures and Anippe wonders if her son, a boy of Hebrew blood, could one day become king. Or does the god of her Hebrew servants, the one they call El Shaddai, have a different plan—for them all?

My Thoughts:
I've read some of Mesu Andrews books before, and I've enjoyed them. This one was no different. I loved how much research the author put into the book. I've not read a lot about the Egyptian Princess who raised Moses, so it was fun to read one. 

I'll admit that I got a bit confused as to who was who in the story. I also did find it to be a little slow moving at times. Still, I enjoyed it. Especially since Biblical fiction isn't one of my favorite genres. 

I really liked Anippe. I liked how she changed and grew during the course of the book. And the Hebrew midwives. They were pretty awesome.

Recommended to fans of Biblical Fiction, historical fiction, Jill Eileen Smith

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for the purpose of reviewing. My thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Rating - 4 stars

The Crimson Cord - A Review

Published - February, 2015, Revell Books a Division of Baker Publishing Group
Series - Daughters of the Promised Land Book 1
Author - Jill Eileen Smith
Title - The Crimson Cord
Format - ebook, paper
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Rahab is the wife of a gambler who took one too many risks. Because of her husband's recklessness, she finds herself sold as a slave to pay her husband's debts. Slavery isn't all she is forced to become. Soon she finds herself forced into prostitution. With each passing day, Rahab yearns for her freedom and to regain her self-respect. When two Israelite spies enter Jericho, Rahab takes a leap of faith and offers them shelter if they will promise her safety. With the walls coming down around her, Rahab soon discovers the forgiveness of a God she doesn't know, but yearns to know. But will she ever know love?

I don't typically read Biblical fiction. It isn't one of my favorite genres. But when I do pick up a book based on the Bible, I typically find myself captivated. This one was no exception. I know who Rahab is of course. Her story is a familiar one to me. But I always enjoy finding out the more to the story.

One of the things I enjoyed about this book was that this author explained how Rahab came to be a prostitute. I felt sorry for her. She ended up being an outcast in her own family. I loved how she would search for answers and once the Israelites came to her rescue, she was able to find answers.

There were parts of the book I skimmed over. That's normal for me with Biblical fiction. And with most of what I read. But I still found the book to be a pleasant read. There was a lot of action. And just getting a chance to delve deeper into Rahab's story was good too.

I received this book for free from Revell Books for the purpose of reviewing. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Recommended to fans of Biblical fiction, Francine Rivers, Mesu Andrews, Jill Eileen Smith

Rating - 4 stars

In the Shadow of Jezebel - A Review

Published - March, 2014 Revell Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group

Author - Mesu Andrews

Title - In the Shadow of Jezebel

Format - ebook, paper

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Princess Jehosheba is the daughter of a king, trained to be a priestess of Baal, and forced to marry Yahweh's high priest. As she learns the traditions of her new husband's God, a yearning awakens in her heart. Despite palace intrigue, Jehosheba finds herself not only caught in the middle, but also treading carefully. When her brother, the new king, dies, she secrets out his infant son so that the royal house of David will remain. Will she ever truly find love?

Wow. That's all I can really say about this book. I've never read anything by this author before, though I have several of her titles on my Kindle. Biblical fiction is not a favorite genre of mine either. Yet this book captured my attention from the first page.

I loved how Jehosheba came to love both her husband and his God. I loved how she was strong enough to escape her stepmother's Baal influence. True, the queen kept referring to Jehosheba as a queen of destiny, and I don't think that she meant it the way that God used Jehosheba. One of my favorite lines was repeated frequently "be wise without lies." She had to walk a fine line of giving the truth without lying in order to play the palace intrigue game.

I'll admit that the names were very confusing. They were all similar. I love how the events of the story are molded around Jehosheba's story told in 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles.

As a person who doesn't normally read Biblical fiction, I highly recommend reading this.

I received this book for free from Revell Books, a division of Baker Publishing house, for the purpose of reviewing.

Recommended to fans of Biblical fiction

Rating - 5 stars

Daughter of Jerusalem - A Review & Giveaway

About the book (from Amazon)
She was a widow, a businesswoman, an adulteress.

In her lifetime, she knew murder, prejudice, and faith. She transformed from a Jewish girl longing for family to one of the closest friends of Jesus of Nazareth -- the Son of God.

HER NAME WAS MARY MAGDALENE.

In this fictionalized story of one of the Bible's most compelling women, New York Times best-selling author Joan Wolf beautifully recreates the history, romance, and tradition of Mary's world. Daughter of Jerusalem follows Mary's life from her first love through her loveless marriage, to the moment she heard of a miracle worker in her own town -- and ultimately to the moment she saw Him risen from the dead.

As this inspiring chronicle reminds us, Mary was the first to witness history's greatest moment. She was a woman who sought forgiveness for her sins, and a follower of God who yearned for a deeper faith. She was Jesus' beloved disciple. Read Mary Magdalene's story and find yourself in this remarkable woman's journey to discover the Kingdom of God.

My Thoughts
I've never read anything by Joan Wolf before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. In my own personal studies of the Scripture, I've discovered that not much is really know about who Mary Magdalene is other than the fact that she loved Jesus and He appeared to her first after His resurrection.

This particular book makes Mary Magdalene the Mary who is the sister of Martha and Lazarus. While I personally feel that Mary Magdalene was not their sister, I found myself engrossed in her story. From an early age she sought God. And even when her husband encouraged her to commit adultery, she wanted to resist because she knew it was wrong. But what I really loved about this book was that her sins were recognized, and she repented and sought forgiveness. Her encounter with Jesus changed her life forever.

Did I agree with everything that the author said? No I didn't. Did I find the book to be an enjoyable read? I did. In fact, I've got at least one other book by this author sitting in my to read pile and will be working it into my reading schedule. I found this to be one of the better books I've read about Mary Magdalene and one of the better Biblical fiction books I've ever read.

I received this book for free from Worthy Publishing for the purpose of reviewing. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Recommended to fans of Brock & Bodie Thoene, Francine Rivers, Tessa Afshar, Mesu Andrews, Diana Wallis Taylor, Jill Eileen Smith, and Biblical fiction.

Rating - 4.5 stars which I'll round up to 5 stars.

Giveaway
The publisher has graciously provided me a copy to give away.

To enter, leave a comment telling me your favorite New Testament character other than Jesus and why that person is your favorite. For me, it's a toss up between Peter and Mary, the sister of Martha. I love Peter for being so gung ho about Jesus that he frequently doesn't think before he speaks. Yet Jesus loves him anyway. And I love Mary because she's at the feet of Jesus soaking up the knowledge He imparts. Makes me want to be like that.

Second entry for a comment telling me you follow my blog and how you follow it.

No additional entries for comments on reviews, though I love to read your comments.

This will end on July 27, and I'll pick a winner on the 28th.

I can only ship US.

So Shines the Night - A Review

Daria is a scholar who is gifted in languages. When she attempts to save a child from a sect of sorcerers in Rhodes, she suddenly finds herself fleeing for her life. Merchantman Lucas offers her a passage to Ephesus in exchange for teaching him the Persian language. Once in Ephesus, the shadow of the ancient wonder - the Temple of Artemis, casts its beauty on the city and Daria. Yet she soon finds that the same evil she fled from has found her amidst the Temple's beauty. Daria is offered refuge among the followers of the Way, a religious sect that began in Jerusalem and is spreading like wildfire to all parts of the known world. These followers offer a Hope that Daria never knew before. Will she succumb to the evil of the gods she grew up with or answer the calling of those followers of the Way?

This is the first book I've read by Tracy Higley and it won't be my last. I did find that the story started off a little slow, but it moved very very quickly once I hit about chapter 3. I loved the way that the Christians of the early church were so willing to give their  lives for their Savior. I don't run across that attitude much with today's church. Anyway, seeing the power of darkness be overcome by those who followed the Way was pretty awesome.

I received the kindle version of the book for free from Thomas Nelson's booksneeze program for the purpose of reviewing, though I also bought a copy. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Recommended to fans of Francine Rivers, Mesu Andrews, and those who enjoy Biblical Fiction.

Rating - 4 stars

Rebekah - A Review

When her father dies, Rebekah's hope for a husband rests with her brother Laban selecting one for her. Yet as time passes and he does nothing, she wonders if she's meant for something else. The unexpected visitor from Abraham arrives seeking Rebekah for a wife for his master's son Issac. Rebekah departs to marry a cousin she'd never met. As she begins her life as wife to the promised one, she has no idea just how much her life will change. Or how deeply the birth of her own twin sons will tear a rift between Issac and herself. Will Issac forgive her?

The story of Issac and  Rebekah is told in the book of Genesis. Yet anytime that I read Biblical fiction, I enjoy getting a glimpse into the details that we aren't told in Scripture. Details are left up to the author's imagination. The author did a good job of describing how life might have been like living in tents and moving from field to field as a community of shepherds. The book helps to give life and breath to Biblical characters that we really only know from what we read in the Bible.

Was the book good? Yes. Did I enjoy it? Yes again. But to be perfectly honest, and this has nothing to do with the author's writing or the story itself, I wasn't in the mood to read this genre once I'd gotten about a fourth of the way finished with the book. So I put the book down for several days and read other things. Even when I picked it up again, I still wasn't in the mood to read it, but I finished. And I'm pleased to say that I did not let my mood hamper my review of the book. I just know that I'll be taking a break from Biblical fiction for a long time.

I received this book for free from the publisher Revell Books for the purpose of reviewing. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Recommended to fans of Biblical fiction.

Rating -4 stars

Available in February 2013 at your local bookstore from Revell Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group.




Join the author, Jill Eileen Smith, on Tuesday February 19th at 7:00 pm EST for a live interactive video chat session to chat about the book. Additional information can be found below.

Join best-selling author Jill Eileen Smith as she presents ten facts and/or possibilities you might not know about the Patriarch Isaac's wife Rebekah. Do you have a question about the people in the Bible you've always wanted to ask? Jill will take questions about biblical characters, biblical fiction, and about any of her books in the Wives of the Patriarchs or Wives of King David series. So please, plan to join us!

Please RSVP here. 

Mary Magdalene - A Review

Mary was just a child when one night changed her life forever. As she grows into a beautiful woman, she is tormented by forces of evil. Her family has sought every treatment they could think of, yet there was no change. When a new Teacher comes to Magdala, her family takes a chance that this Jesus can help her. Once she's healed, Mary realizes that Jesus has changed her life completely and she joins His followers. 

Mary Magdalene is one of the most complex and mysterious characters of the Bible. I've always been intrigued by Biblical fiction and was thrilled to be able to read this book. I'd never read any by Diana Wallis Taylor before this book either. The author does an excellent job of telling Mary's story while remaining true to Scripture. Seeing the freedom that comes to Mary when she has an encounter with Jesus is beautifully told. I hope that this book will draw people closer to the Savior.

I received this book for free from Revell Books in exchange for my review. All thoughts an opinions are my own.

This book is available in June 2012 at your local booksellers from Revell Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Rating - 4 stars

Michal - A Review

The daughter of King Saul falls in love with a simple shepherd, who happens to be God's chosen king. Michal convinces her father to allow her to marry David. When David must flee for his life because of Saul's desire to kill him, she helps him escape. In response to her help, her father gives her as a bride to another man. Yes she does rejoin King David's household. But her position is no longer that of the first wife, and she's bitter.

This book has been on my to be read list for a long time. I've read the Biblical account of David and Michal's story several times. I've always loved having a chance to read a historical fiction based upon events of the Bible. I think that the author did a good job of building a story around the events of David's life. Staying true to Scripture and still telling a captivating story is a good feat.

I read the Kindle edition of the book.

Rating - 4 stars