ReviewsByErin

Lukio's much-aniticpated story is here! The fifteen-year-old who ran away at the end of To Dwell Among Cedars has now made himself into the champion of Ashdod—a fierce fighter renown for a decade of undefeated matches. But Lukio isn't content. His cousin Mataro has been skimming off the top of his winnings, and he's ready to use his fame to leverage himself into an even more powerful position—Master of Games and son-in-law of the king.

All thoughts of the king's beautiful daughter are swept away when he sees her maid, his childhood love. How was Shoshana enslaved? What happened to her family? Desperate to help her but also eager to maintain the status he's achieved, Lukio begins making quiet inquiries to see if there's any way he can get Shoshana back to Hebrew territory.

Shoshana has dedicated her life in the Philistine palace to saving other Hebrew slaves, especially children. She doesn't know if she'll ever see her own children again, but she will do what she can to save others. Lukio's presence, and his determination to spend time with her, puts everything at risk. She's never stopped loving him, but their paths have taken them to such different places. There's no use hoping for a future together.

What a gripping story from Connilyn Cossette! Not only does it wrap up a story which began tugging at heartstrings with the release of the first book in this series, but I appreciated the unique characters and glimpse at Philistine culture. The themes woven throughout brought tears to my eyes. I can't wait to see what's next from this author, and hope that maybe it will involve some of the minor characters we met here in The Covenant House series.

I received my copy of the book from the author. All thoughts in this review are my own.

The conclusion of Connilyn Cossette's Cities of Refuge series is just as thrilling as the rest. Tirzah longs for more than what her life as a young, childless widow has to offer. She confronts her brother Malakhi, leader of the local Hebrew spy network, and asks to train with his men. They have heard of Othniel, the nephew of the famous spy Caleb, and how he is making progress defeating their enemies and reclaiming their land. Tirzah wants to be a part of this mission.

Surprisingly, Malakhi agrees, and in a few months Tirzah has been placed in Shechem, where she serves as a cook to an enemy military leader. Her work in the shadows, and the fact that she hasn't betrayed she speaks their Aramean language, allows her to ferret out information to pass along to her brother.

Liyam's life came to a screeching halt the day he discovered his only child had been run over by a careless traveling merchant. Determined to track down this man and mete out justice, Liyam takes on the role of a Blood Avenger. He plans to stop at nothing until he has fulfilled his vow to kill this man. When months have passed and still the man eludes him, Liyam turns to old friends of his parents. When he meets Malakhi's family, they are horrified at his quest but agree to help under one condition—that he help rescue Tirzah after things in Shechem have gone very, very badly.

Although dismayed at the delay, Liyam sees the wisdom in having a whole network of spies at his disposal. With his half-Canaanite heritage, he can blend more easily into Shechem than any of Malakhi's trained men.

I love the way Connilyn Cossette twisted this story, making Liyam a Blood Avenger. That's so different from the other books in this series, and provided a nice contrast. Tirzah is a brave and fearless character. Although I would not recommend this for young readers, it's a really good reminder of God at work in the lives of His people, both in their hearts and on a larger scale. I would also not recommend this book as a standalone, as it relies heavily on stories from this series as well as Cosette's first series, Out Of Egypt. 

I received my copy of the book from the publisher. All thoughts in this review are my own.

 


I recently read my first Connilyn Cosette book - and I was hooked! I was thrilled to read this second book in her Cities of Refuge series, and now eagerly await the third one coming out in July. 

Sofea was captured from her home across the Mediterranean Sea when marauders raided their coastal village. She, along with her cousin Prezi, are the only known survivors of the attack. The two girls manage to escape from the pirate ship and wash ashore a Canaanite beach, where they are found by Israelite spies and brought to the refuge city of Kedesh.

Unable to speak the Hebrew language, Sofea and Prezi make assumptions about the Israelites based on the lives they knew on the island of Sicily. Sofea's father was the priest of their people, which further shapes her thinking as she learns of the Hebrews' devotion to their One God. The ways they mistake or misunderstand customs adds a very natural feeling to the story.

Although he is not technically confined within the borders of Kedesh, Eitan is nevertheless bound by actions and promises made when he was a child. He wants to be a soldier and help Israel establish itself in these final years of leader Joshua's life, and eventually he is able to take part in training exercises. A need to be free of his past thunders through his veins.

Danger lurks in this city of refuge - some seen, some unseen. There are people wanting to destroy Eitan and his family, and they are willing to use his growing fondness for Sofea to get to him. Twists and turns mark their paths, and difficult decisions must be made. Cossette once again uses this unique time frame and setting to bring us a wonderful story of hope and redemption. 

If you enjoyed "A Light on the Hill," you'll be happy to know the characters of Moriyah and Darek play large secondary roles in this novel. That was a fun bonus for this reader. I would highly recommend this author to anyone who enjoys Biblical fiction, or would like to add Biblical fiction to their reading repertoire.