Guess what, I'm finally back! With a book review.

     'Shelter of the Most High' by Connilyn Cossette follows the story of the daughter of a pagan priest, who is captured by marauders. Sofea finds refuge in Canaan, in a city with a foreign language, foreign culture, and foreign God. She must decide whether those around her are trustworthy - and everything she has ever known is a lie, or whether they are just the same as the people in the village she has come from.



     It was fascinating to be immersed in the historical culture of Ancient Israel. To see the difference in the cultures from the eyes of those who lived in those days was really interesting, and really impacted me with just how much God is different from false gods. Although people nowadays look at the rules of ancient Israel as confining, this book really shows just how protecting they were, and how contrasting they were from the cultures surrounding them!

But now - a closer look at the story. 

     It was so sweet to read about Moriyah again, and Derek. I was looking forward to reading about Eitan as well, as I loved him in 'A Light on the Hill' - the first book in this series. 

Sofea was a really well-written character. I loved how she was small, yet so fierce. Her character development throughout the story was beautiful. Her protectiveness over Prezi and the way that the two eventually switched places was so interesting. The way that she slowly began to understand the concepts of forgiveness, mercy, and grace was my favourite aspect of the story.

Eitan was such a complex character. To be completely honest, I found him frustrating for the first half of the book. He misunderstood his father so much, even though I found his motives so easy to understand! It seemed like he was purposely oblivious and clueless, and also a bit selfish. But the second half of the book explained some of that. His character development was rewarding.


The plot didn't lag, although I did find I didn't fully get into the story until the second half of the book. At certain points of the story I was on the edge of my seat, wondering what was going to happen next. 

I would recommend 'Shelter of the Most High' for readers 16+. There is a bit of violence, nothing graphic. The romance was a bit too much for my tastes. 

     Overall, I did enjoy this story. Connilyn is a talented writer, and the way she describes things is beautiful. She never fails to really open my eyes to the world of Moses & Joshua, a give me a better understanding of ancient Israel.

  I hope you all enjoyed this review. Soon I will be back with another one - of 'Phantom's Daughter'. It has been long put off, but I can't wait to share it!

    Sincerely,
      Rachel 

    "A Light on the Hill" is a story about a young woman named Moriyah, who has a brand on her cheek, from a traumatic kidnapping in Jericho. She lives in shame and fear, staying silent and hiding, rather than standing up for herself. She believes that God has forsaken her, because of the fateful scar on her face, and His supposed silence.

    After a horrible accident occurs, and she is forced to flee to a city of refuge. Along the way she makes many friends who see her for who she is, becomes confident, learns the value of forgiveness, and that God does not forsake His children.

    Connilyn Cossette does a wonderful job showing us the world of the promised land, and the tension between the people were facing with the Canaanites who remained on the borders. The land comes alive, and the realities of the cities of refuge. Although we usually don't give them a second thought, this book shows just how important they were, and how they represented the mercy of God! 

   I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Moriyah, and remembered her from "Wings of the Wind", which included part of her history. She was a really interesting character, who I could relate to in many ways. The character development throughout the book was really dynamic, especially as she bit by bit, learned to live fully.

 Eiten was an adorable character. His compassionate and enthusiastic nature, made him likeable and charming. I am looking forward to reading more about him in the future. Ora was also a sweet character, who I had high hopes for in the beginning, and a suspicion that turned out to be true! (But you will just have to read the book to find out what it was.)

   Darek was also a fascinating character. The way he was willing to stand for justice, made him a strong character. Although he had his flaws, he contrasted so strongly to his brother Raviv. He was willing to try to understand, and forgive, while Raviv was bent on revenge. This was thought-provoking. Which of these character's actions do we follow in conflict?

   The plot was fast paced, unpredictable, but gave you time to keep up and think about what was happening. It was realistic, interesting, and held powerful lessons about forgiveness, God, and His plan for our lives.

   Overall, I would give "A Light on the Hill" four stars, and recommend it to anyone who is interested in historical or biblical fiction, or just a good story. My age recommendation would be sixteen up.

   As I say with all of Connilyn's books, I am not usually a fan of the Biblical fiction genre, but her books always are an exception. It is obvious that she does her research, and doesn't over dramatize or romanticize the world of Biblical times! So I definitely would suggest you go and get your own copy of "A Light on the Hill" in your book store, or here - https://www.amazon.com/Light-Hill-Cities-Refuge/dp/0764219863

   I hope you all enjoyed this book review, it seems that I frequently review Connilyn's books. She is among my favourite authors, so go check out some of my past reviews. Happy Reading!

   Sincerely, Rachel R.

   I am back with another book review! This week I am reviewing 'Wings of the Wind' by Connilyn Cossette - one of my favourite authors.



 'Wings of the Wind' is the third book in the 'Out Of Egypt' series, by Connilyn Cossette. The series follows the Israelites journey in the wilderness, through the eyes of different people. Kaya - from the first book 'Counted With the Stars' - was an Egyptian slave girl, Shira - from the second book 'Shadow of the Storm' - was her best friend. 'Wings of the Wind' tells the story of Alanah, a Canaanite who is captured in battle.

       Alanah was a really strong character, and I found her to be very well rounded. The characters from heathen countries in Bible times aren't often used in Christian fiction, and I really respected the delicate but honest way that Connilyn used this perspective. Alanah was so real - she felt hurt, and guilt, and regret. She jumped out of the pages, and was relatable even though she lived centuries ago. I enjoyed watching her character growth, and how she began to care about others, and learned to love God.

     I loved that Connilyn weaved Rahab into this story. Usually I am not a big fan of Biblical fiction, just because I think that they are often over romantized (think any Esther movie), or seem inaccurate. But it was very intriguing and interesting how the story of Rahab was told.

    Tobiah was also a very interesting character. I really liked his loyalty, and strong sense of morals and protectiveness. He was forgiving, and gave Alanah second chances. Of course, he had his faults, which was good, and made him more realistic!

      The plot of 'Wings of the Wind' was very well written. It was interesting and exciting, and didn't lag. There were a lot of interesting themes to the story. I liked the story addressed the impatience and mistakes of the Israelites - and the consequences that came from it. She also showed the sex trade of that time, how evil it was, and the strong hold it had on the victims.

       Overall I would rate this book 5/5. There wasn't anything I really disliked about it. It is suitable for ages 15+ due to the sex trade being a part of the plot. After reading this book, I'm not sure whether 'Counted With the Stars' or this one is my favourite of the series. They are definitely on my top 20 book list!

    On a side note - I really respect and appreciate that Connilyn Cossette is raising awareness for modern day human trafficking on her website.

   This book is definitely worth reading!

   Sincerely,
     Rachel