REBECCA'S REVIEW:
"The anointed one shall abide by the counsel of the Most High, The voice of the Ancient One to light his every step."
Avidan, draped in the foolishness of his emerging manhood, side-stepped the directives of his father and followed his cousins into the throes of war against the Ammonites, having been summoned by the newly anointed King Saul to defend their neighbors. Unfortunately in the process Avidan put his much younger cousin in harm's way. Doing his best to hide Shalem until the battle was over, he left him in a shallow cave close to the battleground, only to return and discover that the lad had disappeared.
Keziah learns on the eve of her wedding that her powerful clan chief father has betrothed her to a vicious man who would undoubtedly use her and then toss her aside, presumably as a reward to one of his men. Taking a great risk, an unlikely source gives aid to Keziah so that she can flee on horseback in full disguise. Following an altercation along the way, she is found along the outskirts of a marketplace by none other than Avidan, who is searching for his cousin. The two form a partnership of sorts, Keziah maintaining her ruse the best that she can and Avidan who sees straight through it, vowing to protect her as she makes the dangerous flight back to her mother's family.
Steeped in Old Testament history, this coming of age story is rich in content, illuminating what could be a confusing convergence of holy and pagan into bold, fascinating perspective through Avidan's brilliant storytelling and Keziah's open heart. Their journey is not an easy one, but the One Who Sees and the One Who Hears never leaves them to fight the battles without or the battles within, on their own.
"If Yahweh heard the cries of Hagar the Egyptian, Rahab the Canannite, and Eliora the Philistine, then surely he would hear me - a descendent of Mosheh himself - wouldn't he?"
KIM'S REVIEW:
Connilyn Cossette never disappoints! Her Biblical fiction is so well written. You can tell the time and research she puts into her books. This makes it so easy to become fully immersed in her stories. I feel like I can easily picture her characters and the places she takes me. Speaking of her characters, they always worm their way into my heart. The Voice of the Ancient, book 1 of The King’s Men series, was no different.
I loved Avi and Keziah’s story! So many unpredictable things happened that I hard a hard time catching my breath! I enjoyed every second of it! The character growth for both Avi and Keziah was so well done and their relationship was just perfect!
The childhood bond between Avi, Shay, Gavi, and Zevi - the next stories in this series- is definitely tested in this story as they start to find their own ways. I can’t wait for the rest of the stories to see what happens to them and their relationships with each other.
I highly recommend this story and any other story by Connilyn Cossette. Her Biblical fiction is the best!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own. The faith thread is very prominent throughout. 5 stars!
BackCover Blurb:
As the eldest son of a Levite and a Philistine, Avidan is torn between his duty to his family legacy and the desire for something more. After an enemy attack strikes close to home, he takes the opportunity to fight with his cousins for the newly crowned King Saul. But when one of the cousins goes missing during the battle, Avidan refuses to leave him behind.
Keziah is the daughter of one of the most powerful clan chiefs in the territory of Manasseh. On the brink of a forced marriage to a loathsome man decades older than her, she has no choice but to run, hoping to find sanctuary with her mother's family.
United during their journeys and battling to survive the dangers that surround them, Avidan and Keziah make a pact to travel together. As challenges pile up, they must not only rely on each other to stay alive but also learn to trust the true and eternal King of Israel to guide their every step.
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