Shield of the Mighty by Connilyn Cossette

 

Shield of the Mighty by Connilyn Cossette 
(Book 2 in The King's Men Series)

4 Stars 

“But just as a soldier trusts his commander and a commander trusts his king, you must trust the King above all Kings to direct you."

Shield of the Mighty is a captivating dive into the ancient world of Israel. Connilyn seamlessly weaves a rich narrative in faith, love and biblical truths. I really enjoyed this second book in the series and look forward to book 3!

This story follows Zevi, a warrior who, as a child was captured by the Philistines. Zevi is a captain in King Saul's army who is tasked with recruiting soldiers and artisans for the king's court. Zevi goes back to Maresha. Here we see the start of his character development as he is struggling through his past memories, while trying to get the job he has upon him completed. We see Zevi meet Yochana, a perfumer whose shop has beautiful scents that hide from the world. Yochana is still grieving the loss of her husband and learning how to run her perfume business by herself when she meets Zevi. Zevi and Yochana embark on an unexpected journey together and the chemistry between them is remarkable.

I loved how rich the historical context is for the biblical times in this book. Connilyn really transports you right there and it feels accurate for the time. From the details of the markets, to the land, to the battlegrounds of the men fighting.

Fans of historical fiction, biblical stories will love this series. This was written so well with great characters and a compelling romance. I highly recommend!

Thank you to the publisher for a copy to honestly read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6502014918

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4cGWEuk
Baker Book House (Recommended):  https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/553527

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Voice of the Ancient by Connilyn Cossette

                             

Voice of the Ancient - Connilyn Cossette - 4 Stars - A beautiful coming of age story for Avidan and Keziah set during the crowning of King Saul!

What a great start to The King's Men series! I am so excited to see what Connilyn does next! The way she weaves in fictional characters set during biblical times and events is always amazing! 

This follows both Avidan and Keziah at the start of the newly crowned King Saul's reign in 1042 BC. Avidan and his 3 cousins are the primary focus of the series - they have a brotherhood that is as strong as can be. In this books, we follow Avidan and his search to find one of his cousin's that goes missing in their battle together. He goes on a search alone to find him, but runs into Keziah, the daughter of a powerful clan chief in Manasseh who is on the run from a forced marriage to a terrible man. Avidan and Keziah begin their journey together and her true origins start to be revealed along the journey. They start to form feelings and a bond for one another in their travels. As those out for Keziah continue to get closer to her and Avidan continues searching for his missing cousin, they realize just what is important to them and the true protection of Yahweh.

This books took me on quite the journey - we see so much going on in Israel as they crown their first king and then seeing our young characters off in war, arranged unwanted marriages, leaving loved ones -- all at the young age of 17. It shows how strong they were during such a time to be alive. Avidan and his cousins were starting to see the true meaning of becoming a man during their time by going off to war and Keziah was learning so much of her true family origins and having to make hard decisions at such a young age. We see some of the Israelites who worshiped idols and pagan traditions and some learning the truth of Yahweh along the way. 

While the romance was a bit young and fast for me, it definitely makes sense for the biblical time and I really like the way Avidan and Keziah would do anything to protect one another. The swimming scene was one of my favorites between them. Also, I loved Keziah's horse, my heart! Overall, this was such an engaging storyline that kept me on my toes and I am so excited to continue in this stunning generational series!

Thank you to Bethany House and Baker Publishing for a copy to honestly read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5573546245
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3E7j6O6
Baker Book House: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/492067

YouTube Review Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NP6NLPxY6po

Counted with the Stars by Connilyn Cossette

 

Counted with the Stars - Connilyn Cossette - 5 Stars - I am completely blown away. A beautiful biblical fiction story.

Counted with the Stars by Connilyn Cossette was Connilyn's debut novel and WOW I was really blown away with how connected I was to these characters and story! I just love the time period around Exodus in the Bible so this was for me!❤️ Love that we got a little romance in this too.

This is all about a young Egyptian woman named Kiya who was sold into slavery by her father and was forsaken by the man she was supposed to marry. She becomes friends with a young Hebrew woman, flees with the Hebrews after going through the plagues described in the book of Exodus. Will she turn back to Egypt or will she surrender her life to God?

This was beautiful in every way. Very biblically accurate and transports you right into the culture of the Egyptians and Hebrews. I was so intrigued by the Egyptian's view of the plagues too. I read this super fast and look forward to more by this author!

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4796500698
Amazon: https://amzn.to/44IeysL
Baker Book House: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/38110
YouTube Review Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuFKv2eeju0