“Joseph’s Boy” by L. R. Hay ~ Book Review

Joseph’s Boy by L. R. Hay

Middle grade Biblical Fiction

Review copy provided by the author

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

About the Book:

Funny, adventurous and moving kids’-eye take on the first Christmas – aimed at preteens, sneakily enjoyed by adults!
Jamie had BIG dreams. He wanted to be a prince. He wanted his dad to marry a lovely young woman called Mary. He wanted an army of little brothers and sisters who would look up to him and think how clever and important he was.
But at *no point* did he expect one of them to be a long-awaited king, destined to reign forever. Nope. Not part of the plan…
JOSEPH’S BOY is the first of The Young Testament, a fun, accessible series of full-length books on the Jesus story, from the viewpoint of the children and young people involved.

 

 

My Thoughts:

 

“Joseph’s Boy” is a story about Jamie. Joseph’s hypothetical first son (As the author points out in the beginning, Jesus would have been born first to Mary and Joseph but for this story she had it be that Joseph has Jamie – James – from a pervious marriage so as to have an “eye-witness”, if you will, to the occurrence of Jesus’ birth, but yes in truth, that didn’t happen. I think it would be important to stress this to any children reading). It is a cute story, simply told with Jamie adventerously discovering it all. I did feel that maybe it was a little too light-hearted at times. Yes, we need to keep children entertained, but the account of Jesus is so marvelous, so serious that I feel like to downplay it could be harmful. I would definitely suggest a parent (or older sibling, mentor, etc.) reading this story aloud and to then discuss the real account as they go, so our children grasp the importance of this miraculous event of Jesus’s coming to dwell with us.I did really appreciate the history the author shared at the end, and that she was clear that Jesus’ birth didn’t occure on December 25th. The author is clearly well researched and I was glad of that! It’s rare to find this fact shared. Overall, I enjoyed this read, though as mentioned would recommend someone to read along with the child and share the Biblical account.

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Thank you so much to the author for providing a copy of this book for review!

 

“Star of Persia” by Jill Eileen Smith ~ Book Review

 

“Star of Persia” by Jill Eileen Smith

Biblical/Historical Fiction/The Account of Esther

My rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars

About the Book:

In an effort to complete a war his father had planned to win, King Xerxes calls every governor, satrap, and official in his vast kingdom to his palace in Susa to strategize and feast. When they finally leave, he decides on one more week of frivolity, which ends in the banishment of his favorite wife, something he never intended to do. But when he discovers Esther, Xerxes is sure he has a second chance at happiness.
In her wildest dreams, Esther could never have imagined that she would end up as queen of Persia. Yet she knows better than to become complacent. Another of Xerxes’s wives is vying for position, and his closest advisor has a deep and dangerous grudge against Esther’s adoptive father. Caught in the middle of palace politics, Esther will find herself in an impossible position: risk her life or consign her people to annihilation.
With her impeccable research and her imaginative flair, Jill Eileen Smith brings to life the romantic, suspenseful, and beloved story of Esther, queen of Persia.

 

 

My Thoughts:

 

The account of Esther is a beautiful story of strength, courage, and obedience. Esther did what was difficult for the love of her God, her cousin Mordicai, and her people. I really enjoyed “Star of Persia” and its telling of this Biblical account. It was written beautifully and captivatingly, inviting the reader into its pages. The characters were all written realistically, and it was easy to relate to Esther and even understand the King too. The entire story came vividly to life in my mind, and I loved to see what happened next – even though I know the Biblical account.Esther was written as a beautiful, gentle soul and I really enjoyed her character. I do wonder if the Biblical Esther would’ve hesitated as much as the portrayal in this book did, but it was understandable. I’ve just always felt that Esther would’ve been of great faith to do what she had to do “for such a time as this”, and to be honest, her relationship with God in this book didn’t feel like it had a lot of depth. It was still present of course, and the overall theme was good, but I didn’t feel that spiritual connection as I usually expect to see in Biblical Fiction. And I know God was never really mentioned in the Biblical account of Esther either, but He does show through it without His name being said.

The author has a great way of weaving historical background into the story, and I would definitely say it is more in the historical fiction genre, with Biblical Fiction being second. Again, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and found its story captivating. I look forward to the authors next novel!

This book was provided courtesy of Baker Publishing/Revell, through Interviews & Reviews.  

“Like Flames in the Night” by Connilyn Cossette ~ Book Review

“Like Flames in the Night” by Connilyn Cossette

Cities of Refuge #4//Biblical Fiction

Review copy from the publisher

My rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

About the Book:

Strong-willed Tirzah wants to join her people in driving the enemy from the land of Israel and undergoes training for a secret mission inside the stronghold of Shechem. But soon after she has infiltrated the ruthless Aramean commander’s kitchen, she makes a reckless decision that puts her and her allies in grave danger.
Fresh off the battlefield, Liyam returns home to discover his beloved daughter is dead. After his vow to hunt down her killer leads to months of fruitless pursuit, his last hope is in a family connection that comes with strings attached. Strings that force him to pose as a mercenary and rescue an infuriating woman who refuses to leave her mission uncompleted.
When an opportunity to pave a path to a Hebrew victory arises, can Tirzah convince Liyam to fight alongside her in the refuge city of her birth? Or will Liyam’s thirst for vengeance outweigh his duty to his people, his God, and the woman he’s come to love?

 

My Thoughts:

 

And just like that, this lovely series comes to an end. “Like Flames in the Night” is the fourth and final book in the Cities of Refuge series. It was a very good ending, but I am sad to see it all wrapped up and completed. In the best of ways of course. :) These characters have all become so familiar and loved. <3

Tirzah is the central character in this beautiful novel. She is spirited, strong, and quick-witted. She convinces her brother to allow her to be a spy in their work to recover the Land, and she does a good job at it.

Liyam is also a strong character, bent on avenging his daughter’s dealth. For much time that is all he can think of, and understandably so. His journey of change was probably my favorite. He was really rough, and turned toward anger, but his character arc was really well done, and I loved seeing how it was all resolved at the end.

Sometimes, I will admit, that Tirzah’s character got on my nerves. She had moments of being overly strong-willed, and prideful. But I liked how she softened a little at the end.

I really loved the epilogue – how that all wrapped up, and tied everything together. It was so sweet. And can’t leave this off without mentioning how much I adore the cover of this book – it’s stunning. :)

 

 

*I received a copy of this book from the publishers as apart of the Launch Team. All opinions expressed are my own.