Book Description:
In one life-changing moment, the lives of the Jewish exiles in Babylon are thrown into confusion and despair when a decree arrives from the king’s palace in Susa. It calls for the annihilation of every Jewish man, woman, and child throughout the empire on the thirteenth day of Adar, in less than one year. Ezra, a quiet Jewish scholar and teacher, is suddenly called upon to lead the community as they seek God for a reason for this catastrophe. When a second decree arrives, authorizing them to fight back, Ezra is thrust into the role of military leader as they defend themselves against their enemies.
When the battles come to an end, Ezra’s brother Jude is dead and Ezra is required by the Law he so diligently studies to marry Jude’s widow, Devorah, and provide an heir. Fatherhood changes Ezra, and he asks God to make a way for him and the other exiles to leave Babylon for good and return to Jerusalem. His prayers are answered and the exiles move to Judea to revitalize worship at the temple–but the fight to keep God’s Law is never easy. As more and more of his community are tempted, a new battle emerges…this one for the survival of God’s covenant and the souls of His chosen faithful.
My Thoughts:
Keepers of The Covenant is the second book in Lynn Austin's latest series, The Restoration Chronicles and it is fantastic. I had the honor of reading and the reviewing the first book, Return to Me and when given the opportunity to read the next one I jumped at it. A Biblical Fiction story that brings to life the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah, telling the story of the Jewish that were exiled to Babylon, and the others around them. The Babylonian Jews received a decree from the King in Susa, it declares the annihilation of every Jewish person throughout the empire on the Thirteenth day of Adar, which is less than one year from that point. Ezra is a Jewish scholar and teacher, leads a quiet life of studying and interpreting the Word of God. All at once this decree changes all of that and finds Ezra called to lead his community into this fight. Ezra must find out why this has happened and how God wants them to handle it. Soon another decree come down that gives the Jewish peoples the right to defend themselves on the Thirteenth of Adar, and Ezra is now the leader of this battle. The Jewish ban together all over the territory and fight for their lives and win but not without some major losses. Ezra loses his brother Jude, who died defending the honor of his wife and children. As Ezra seeks answers why, he discovers it is law that he marries his brother's widow and provide a male heir. Ezra and Devorah honor this law and when Devorah becomes pregnant, life for Ezra changes dramatically. He finds himself asking God to make a way for the Jewish to return to Jerusalem for good to be able to follow all of God's Laws. His prayers find him successful in receiving permission from the King to return and bring back worship at the Temple Jerusalem. As they make their way to Jerusalem Ezra and the others find they are still at battle but this battle in within themselves.
Keepers of The Covenant is the latest book in The Restoration Chronicles by Lynn Austin. As a fan of Biblical Fiction and Lynn Austin I could not wait to read this book. Return to Me, the first book was a wonderful read and I knew I had to know what happens next. Though this is Biblical Fiction there is a lot of fact and history that went in to this series and I love that. I love learning more about the Old Testament times and the history of the time and place. Lynn Austin writes with authority on the Books of the Old Testament, the time in history, the places, the government and laws, and the people that shaped this history. I found myself completely taken in to this book from the beginning and I could not put it down. I learned so much about these books of the Old Testament and how God's Law was interpreted. I loved the characters in this book who are new characters to the series but it was a pleasant surprise to learn of what happened to Hodaya (From Return To Me) and the family that adopted her. I really enjoyed the storyline of Ezra and Devorah life after The Thirteenth of Adar and seeing how their faithfulness to God's law was rewarded. This story is a wonderful addition to this series and I cannot wait to read the next one. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Biblical Fiction and/or Historical Fiction, you will NOT be disappointed.
I give this book 5 STARS.
Lynn Austin is back with the next book in The Restoration Chronicles series, Keepers of the Covenant. Austin weaves together the struggles and stories of both Jews and Gentiles, creating a tapestry of faith and doubt, love and loss. Here, the Old Testament comes to life, demonstrating the everlasting hope displayed in God's unwavering love for His people.
Lynn is celebrating with a Kindle HDX giveaway and a live author chat webcast on October 21st.
- A Kindle HDX
- Keepers of the Covenant by Lynn Austin
So grab your copy of Keepers of the Covenant and join Lynn and friends on the evening of October 21st for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)
No comments:
Post a Comment