Book Review: Shelter of the Most High

Do you enjoy biblical fiction?  Maybe you are like me and are on the fence about it.  I don’t like having the Bible retold using extra little things.  This series, Cities of Refuge, by author Connilyn Cossette, however, is a delight for biblical fiction.  In her second book Shelter of the Most High, readers are able to follow along without having read Book One. It does continue the story of Moriyah and Darek so I want to go back and read Book One now.

Author Cossette has an engaging style of writing.  Her book was well researched and took me back in time to a place and era of which I have often read.  This time instead of reading about it, I experienced it.  The year was 1388 BC, a time before Christ had come to earth.  People were much different.

My emotions ran deep as I read.  I had become immediately invested in the lives of the well developed characters.  Sofea was the daughter of a pagan high priest.  She and her cousin, Perez, were violently taken from their home in Sicily and ended up in Canaan.  Aboard the slave ship they were beaten and starved.  The tragedy was heartbreaking.  One minute you are home and the next your home is attacked.  You are enslaved and sent on a ship to an unknown land that cannot understand your language.  I needed tissues.

Times of joy brought happiness to me.  I was frightened with the characters.  They experienced violence and such trauma.  The girls received love and compassion.  I could relax then.

One of the things I really loved about this book is that it is not about a biblical, historical person.  As I said earlier, I don’t like it when people add words or thoughts to an actual biblical person.  This is much better.  It still provides a venue to enlighten readers to the people, area, and customs of the time.

The Old Testament is known for being a bit violent.  This book has manslayers, murder plots, kidnapping, and slavery.  It also has love.  There is a sweet love story and a greater one.  One inspiration message is that God loves us.  Another is to let our light shine forth to others.  Not everyone really knows about the one true God, our God.  We can share Him with others and help them.

I highly recommend this captivating book.  If you like bible times, you will adore this.  It is packed with action, intrigue, romance, history, culture, and inspiration.  There is much food for thought in its 335 pages.  After the story are Author Notes and Discussion Questions.  I love books that include those because it makes reading groups so much easier.  Rating this book 5 out of 5 stars was my recommendation.  A copy was provided by the publisher but I was under no obligation to write a review.  All thoughts are my own, honest ones.