Biblical Fiction – Kav's Best Reads

A Light on the Hill + Giveaway

Though Israel has found relative peace, Moriyah has yet to find her own. Attempting to avoid the scorn of her community, she’s spent the last seven years hiding behind the veil she wears. Underneath her covering, her face is branded with the mark of the Canaanite gods, a shameful reminder of her past captivity in Jericho and an assurance that no man will ever want to marry her.

When her father finds a widower who needs a mother for his two sons, her hopes rise. But when their introduction goes horribly wrong, Moriyah is forced to flee for her life. Seeking safety at one of the newly established Levitical cities of refuge, she is wildly unprepared for the dangers she will face and the enemies—and unexpected allies—she will encounter on her way.

My Review:

published in 2018

Gasp! This is me actually re-reading a biblical fiction novel! This time I gave it a listen though, courtesy of Audible Plus and thoroughly enjoyed Rachel Botchan’s narration. And guess what? It was just as compelling a read the second time around!

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Connilyn Cossette’s writing style is so lyrical it begs to be read out loud. Exquisite descriptions about life and customs in biblical times — I swear this author must have a time machine because she gets it right every time. At least, I feel like it’s right for the time period. Even the dialogue. Not being in possession of a time machine, I can’t say for certain. 🙂 But though I’m not widely read in the biblical fiction genre, I will always find room on my TBR pile for this author’s novels. They are irresistible!

And interestingly enough I knew nothing about Levitical cities of refuge until a few weeks ago when my pastor mentioned them in a sermon. Totally fascinated me and then, a short while later, this book shows up on my doorstep. How cool is that? And it’s the first book in the Cities of Refuge series so there’s lots more good reading ahead. Oh — and to make this even more special for fans of Cossette’s Out of Egypt series, Moriyah was a secondary character in Wings of the Wind. Love that bridge between series.

And what an action-packed adventure! The author constantly surprised me with a new twist, an unexpected turn. The whole story is told from Moriyah’s first person point of view and it was easy to instantly relate to and root for this vulnerable young woman who has already suffered so much. Her personal faith journey is inspiring as she goes from living in the shadows because of her scars to becoming a light that transforms people — including herself. Because it isn’t until Moriyah has the courage to look beyond her scars that she can finally live up to her potential.

This would make an awesome book club selection because there’s such depth for discussion within these pages. I mean, don’t we all have scars in some form or another? Visible or invisible — things that hold us back and drag us down? And there are great discussion questions at the end of the book. The kind that make you really think. And stretch. I love it when I connect with my faith through fiction the way I did with this book. Makes for a life-changing read…if you dare to exercise Moriyah size courage!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a gently read paperback copy and is available to any reader, any where — so, yay, another International Giveaway!

If you would like a chance to win a copy of A Light on the Hill, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday April 5 2025.

Counted With the Stars + Giveaway

RANDOM RETRO RE-READ

Sold into slavery by her father and forsaken by the man she was supposed to marry, young Egyptian Kiya must serve a mistress who takes pleasure in her humiliation. When terrifying plagues strike Egypt, Kiya is in the middle of it all.

Choosing to flee with the Hebrews, Kiya finds herself reliant on a strange God and drawn to a man who despises her people. With everything she’s ever known swept away and now facing the trials of the desert, will she turn back toward Egypt or surrender her life and her future to Yahweh?

My Review:

published in 2015

I am not a huge fan of biblical fiction so I pick and choose which titles I read with care. I am so grateful that this one caught my eye and I took a risk by reading out of my comfort zone. Counted With the Stars is a stunning debut novel. The story delivers what the beautiful cover promises and, oh my goodness, such a meaningful title tie-in! Love that kind of attention to detail.

Cossette brings this time period to life. Rich details and the author’s vivid imagination make for a memorable read. I love that the story is told through the eyes of an Egyptian slave. Kiya is such an interesting character. Raised in opulent wealth, she has a lot of adjusting to do as she struggles within the bonds of slavery. She feels like her gods have forsaken her so when she befriends a Hebrew slave she becomes intrigued by the notion of worshiping only one God. In fact she’s incredulous. Especially when Egypt is suddenly inundated with plagues reported to be delivered by the hand of this omnipotent God.

Despite her circumstances, Kiya doesn’t shuck her spoiled persona easily. She is a product of her upbringing — a distinctly caste conscious one. It takes untold hardships and wandering through the wilderness for Kiya’s transformation to be complete. And, oh mercy, what a moving conversion story. Goosebump-inciting. A powerful surrendering to Yahweh that left me breathless.

Side Note: My second read of this book — this time I listened to the Audible edition (available on Audible Plus right now) and Sarah Mollo-Christiensen’s narration is exquisite! She brought such vibrancy to the story. I was spellbound.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a gently read paperback and is available to any reader, any where — so, yay, another International Giveaway!

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Counted With the Stars , leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday March 2 2024.

Iscariot + Giveaway

In Jesus, Judas believes he has found the One—a miracle-worker. The promised Messiah and future king of the Jews, destined to overthrow Roman rule. Galvanized, Judas joins the Nazarene’s followers, ready to enact the change he has waited for all his life.

But Judas’ vision of a nation free from Roman rule is crushed by the inexplicable actions of the Nazarene himself, who will not bow to social or religious convention—who seems in the end to even turn against his own people. At last, Judas must confront the fact that the master he loves is not the liberator he hoped for, but a man bent on a drastically different agenda.

Iscariot is the story of Judas—from his tumultuous childhood and tenuous entry into a career and family life as a devout Jew, to a man known to the world as the betrayer of Jesus. But even more, it is a singular and surprising view into the life of Jesus himself that forces us all to reexamine everything we thought we knew about the most famous—and infamous—religious icons in history.

My Review:

This is me venturing waaaaaay out of my comfort zone with this novel. I don’t read a lot of biblical fiction in the first place, and I tend to steer clear of fictionalized accounts of actual historical figures. And yet I found myself with book in hand, completely intrigued by the first two lines of the prologue.

“A dog chokes by the side of the road to Capernaum. He is rabid and manged. He is foul and unloved. He is more worthy to live than I.”

Thought-provoking. Profound. Reverent. Deeply layered. Difficult to read at times but convicting nonetheless. Lee brings this time and these people to life in a refreshing and relatable way.

I mean, really, Judas is not my idea of a storybook hero, but the way the author tells his story enthralled me. Yes, it’s a fictionalized account, but it’s clear the author has done her research on customs and traditions of the time. She makes Judas approachable — he is no longer the one dimensional villain in a Passion Play. He is complex and confused. A product of his upbringing and the legalistic religion of his time. He is flawed. Makes mistakes. Epic mistakes. But there’s humanity in him too and his faltering frailty is all too relatable.

This is very much Judas’s narrative, told in his first person Point of View. Understandably, sometimes that’s skewed — so his impressions of Jesus and events are distorted and can make for a challenging read at times. But, oh so fascinating!

Tosca Lee is an epic wordsmith and her gifted storytelling brought the bible alive for me. Inspired me to reach for the biblical accounts found in the gospels – and really, can you ask anything more from biblical fiction?

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a gently read hardcover copy — open to any reader, anywhere in the world so…yay…another International Giveaway!

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Iscariot, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday September 23, 2023

Daughter of Rome + Giveaway

Random Retro Read

A woman with a devastating secret. A man bent on proving his worth. A chance encounter that catapults them into the heart of history.

When the daughter of a prominent Roman general meets a disinherited Jewish immigrant, neither one can dream of God’s plan to transform them into the most influential couple of the early church. Nor can they anticipate the mountains that will threaten to bury them. Their courtship unwittingly shadowed by murder and betrayal, Priscilla and Aquila slowly work to build a community of believers, while their lives grow increasingly complicated thanks to a shaggy dog, a mysterious runaway, and a ruthless foe desperate for love. But when they’re banished from their home by a capricious emperor, they must join forces with an unusual rabbi named Paul and fight to turn treachery into redemption.

With impeccable research and vivid detail, Daughter of Rome is both an emotive love story and an immersive journey through first-century Rome and Corinth, reminding readers once again why Debbie Macomber has said that “no one brings the Bible to life like Tessa Afshar.”

My Review:

published in 2020

True confession time – I’m not a huge fan of Biblical Fiction. Not any fan at all, really, but some of you have encouraged me to give the genre a second chance and Tessa Afshar was recommended a lot, so here we are and, gasp — I loved this story! I’m still gobsmacked about that.

First off — the author’s writing is so beautiful! Descriptive without bogging the story down and her phrasing is just exquisite. It’s also clear that she doesn’t take the responsibility of portraying biblical events or persons lightly. That was one of my worries — especially since this book deals with people I’ve met ‘for real’ in the bible. And while Afshar obviously embellishes their back stories and the day to day events in their lives, she manages to stay true to their essence, making this almost a reverent read for all that it’s fiction.

Priscilla and Aquila’s story is all about grace and forgiveness. It’s about understanding the difference between finding your worth through works or through faith. I enjoyed getting a glimpse into the workings of the early church and noting the similarities we share — both in personalities within the church and varying opinions.

So, while I still wouldn’t consider myself an ardent Biblical Fiction fan, I’m definitely a Tessa Afshar fan and am eager to explore more of her work…so that’s a good start, right?

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

ebook available to anyone, anywhere who has a .com Kindle account

US — paperback or ebook — winner’s choice

Canada — paperback or ebook (via a gift card to Canadian Amazon) or audible (.ca)

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Daughter of Rome, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday May 27, 2023. Offer open to International Readers.