4.5 stars

Having read the first two books in this series, I knew I wanted to read this one at some stage, too, but never quite got around to doing that until recently. Once I started the story, I wondered why I put it off for so long—this is a great book!

It’s interesting to read Biblical fiction that’s written from the perspective of someone coming from outside the Israelite culture. The timeframe covered in this book is one that’s always been of particular interest to me, so that was a fun extra. I also loved that this book uses the enemies-to-lovers trope; that’s one I’ve always enjoyed, and I thought it worked particularly well here—especially because Cossette was able to highlight some rather obscure Biblical laws that way.

Although there were elements I didn’t enjoy so much in the story (the worship of false gods and the women associated with temple worship were difficult to read about), overall, this was a great book. It was hard to put it down when I had to do other things, and I often found myself thinking about the story and wanting to get back to it. If you enjoy Biblical fiction with a realistic storyline and a dash of romance, this could be a great book for you. ( )

I've wanted to read Alanah's story ever since I first picked up Like Flames in the Night, my first Connilyn Cossette read. Tirzah and Lyiam's story will always hold a special place for me, but I'm enjoying this quest to read Connilyn Cossette's other books as well! This had been one of my favorites so far!

I loved getting to see more of Alanah's story, after meeting an older version of her and her friend Moriyah in the final Cities of Refuge story. I still have yet to read the first three, and I'm excited to read Moriyah's story next! I knew the was introduced in a way that suggested her and Alanah shared a past, but hadn't realized or considered her story starting here! That was a fun surprise, and I loved getting to see their relationship truly growing into the deep friendship we see glimpses of later on.

I also loved getting to know Tobiah. His passion and kindness toward Alanah are both beautiful and inspiring. I loved seeing the love he showed toward her reflecting the Biblical love we see the Father (YHVH) has toward us as His people, as His children. As he continues to encourage and care for Alanah, the hard jaded view she had of the Hebrews and honestly of life begins to shift. I loved seeing how this goes full circle, and even included Moriyah as Alanah learns to love and care for others in ways she'd never experiences among the Canaanites. ( )

I really enjoyed this series, though I did think this third book was a little less plausible than the first two. Still the best author since Francine Rivers wrote the Mark of the Lion series. ( )

I received a free copy of this novel from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.

Alana thought she had lost everything she had and decided to exact revenge on the Hebrews that took the lives of her brothers and father. Instead she gets injured in the battle and forced to wed the Hebrew that rescued her to insure her safety. But when she begins to have unexpected feelings toward her captor and decides to stay, she uncovers the truth about the death of Tobiah's best friend and her life is forever changed.

I loved how this story tied in with the Old Testament story where the Hebrews were at the end of the forty years of wandering in the desert and the collapse of the walls of Jericho. This story was so rich in history and truly depicts what Jesus constantly teaches us; God has a plan and purpose for everything that happens to us. We're just unable to see the big picture when events take an unexpected turn. ( )

This book was excellently written. Held my attention from start to finish. However, you must read the previous books in order to fully appreciate this book!
I'm looking forward to the next book!. Thanks, Connilyn! ( )