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4.21 AVERAGE
4.21 AVERAGE
This book is as good as the first 4 in this series. I loved learning about King Hezekiah's devotion to God in the first three, and it was also very interesting to read about his son's wicked idolatry and how he eventually turned back to seek God. I love how these people's lives are very few verses in the Bible, but through studying other passages, Isaiah's prophecies, and historical data, Austin lengthens the story of these kings.
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
Such a great way to end the series. A great story of God's redemption and never-ending love for His people.
Way too much focus on the fictional characters compared to the first one or two. Was about to give up on the series after book four, but read the Bible account on Manassah and figured I would give book 5 a chance. But she didn't focus enough on Manassah for my liking.
I really wanted to love this book/these books. And while there were some great elements to the plots, some thoughtful & inspiring pictures of faith, and some of the characters (in the series as a whole; I did read all 5) had some wonderful dimension and complexity, the portrayal of some of the female characters was incredibly disappointing.
I won’t put any spoilers in, but suffice it to say that the picture of a woman who will sacrifice her sense of self and self-respect, without comment or complaint, for the love of a man is idealized in multiple places, and reaches its pinnacle as the story arc closes, resulting in a picture of a disrespected woman whose primary value is in service to a man remaining as a supposedly inspiring heroine. I kept waiting for the series to shift or reframe its messages to women, but was most disappointed along these lines by the final book.
We all deserve better portrayals of women than those old & damaging Christian tropes that vilify a woman’s sense of self and having appropriate personal boundaries. The take-away for women about how to be women praises & makes virtuous a distorted and demeaning version of “dying to self” (true for the women only, of course). There’s a big difference between accurate portrayal of an male-centered society and characters who demonstrate and idealize the worst of modern Christianity’s harmful messages to women about their roles as people and (in particular) as wives.
To have these implicit message tied into Biblically-inspired stories about the triumph of faith & God’s love made it that much worse for me. I did find some value in some aspects of reading these books, but I can’t recommend them.
I won’t put any spoilers in, but suffice it to say that the picture of a woman who will sacrifice her sense of self and self-respect, without comment or complaint, for the love of a man is idealized in multiple places, and reaches its pinnacle as the story arc closes, resulting in a picture of a disrespected woman whose primary value is in service to a man remaining as a supposedly inspiring heroine. I kept waiting for the series to shift or reframe its messages to women, but was most disappointed along these lines by the final book.
We all deserve better portrayals of women than those old & damaging Christian tropes that vilify a woman’s sense of self and having appropriate personal boundaries. The take-away for women about how to be women praises & makes virtuous a distorted and demeaning version of “dying to self” (true for the women only, of course). There’s a big difference between accurate portrayal of an male-centered society and characters who demonstrate and idealize the worst of modern Christianity’s harmful messages to women about their roles as people and (in particular) as wives.
To have these implicit message tied into Biblically-inspired stories about the triumph of faith & God’s love made it that much worse for me. I did find some value in some aspects of reading these books, but I can’t recommend them.
I'm glad to be finally finished this series, but this book was a bit of a disappointment. It included way more preachiness than the others. I wish the author had stuck to the genuine spirituality of describing the worship at the Temple instead of going on and on about things. Also, the main character's anger and bitterness were carried to the point where they really became annoying! I didn't relate well to him at all -- I just wanted him to get over himself. And when he finally did, the book was over. I thought the book had an interesting premise, based on some historical information that I had never heard before, but mostly It was a let-down. Also, I almost didn't finish it because the ending was soooo dragged out.
This was an amazing series. Lynn Austin makes the Old Testament come to life and I am eager to open my Bible and learn more about the kings of Israel.
I enjoyed the character development and the love stories throughout the series. This book perfectly illustrates God’s love through forgiveness and redemption.
Miriam and Jerusha were two of my favorite characters and I loved the relationship that developed between books four and five. As much as I loved Miriam, I did not like Joshua. He was a selfish, manipulative, pompous jerk who used people and thought he was smarter than everyone else including God. While I respect that he saved his family, he also tore apart countless lives by manipulating scripture and because of his determination for revenge.
At first I could not understand why Miriam continued to risk her life for Joshua when he continually treated her like garbage. I finally understood that Miriam’s actions illustrate the love God has for us. He constantly saves us over and over again when we do not deserve it.
I highly recommend this series and look forward to reading more Lynn Austin novels.
I enjoyed the character development and the love stories throughout the series. This book perfectly illustrates God’s love through forgiveness and redemption.
Miriam and Jerusha were two of my favorite characters and I loved the relationship that developed between books four and five. As much as I loved Miriam, I did not like Joshua. He was a selfish, manipulative, pompous jerk who used people and thought he was smarter than everyone else including God. While I respect that he saved his family, he also tore apart countless lives by manipulating scripture and because of his determination for revenge.
At first I could not understand why Miriam continued to risk her life for Joshua when he continually treated her like garbage. I finally understood that Miriam’s actions illustrate the love God has for us. He constantly saves us over and over again when we do not deserve it.
I highly recommend this series and look forward to reading more Lynn Austin novels.
A lot felt rushed. I felt like Joshua and Manasseh's story could have used one more book. Nevertheless, the topic on revenge and how it can blind you was handled well enough.