Shelter of the Most High

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Shelter of the Most High
Connilyn Cossette
Bethany House Publishers

The daughter of a pagan high priest, Sofea finds solace from her troubles in the freedom of the ocean. But when marauders attack her village on the island of Sicily, she and her cousin are taken across the sea to the shores of Canaan.

Eitan has lived in Kedesh, a City of Refuge, for the last eleven years, haunted by a tragedy in his childhood and chafing at the boundaries placed on him. He is immediately captivated by Sofea, but revealing his most guarded secret could mean drawing her into the danger of his past.

As threats from outside the walls loom and traitors are uncovered within, Sofea and Eitan are plunged into the midst of a murder plot. Will they break free from the shackles of the past in time to uncover the betrayal and save their lives and the lives of those they love? 


     The concept of this book series is interesting to me because I it focuses on a time and location that I think a lot of Biblical fiction neglects. As a child, I always loved reading about the Judges, and so novels set during the time of Joshua and the subsequent judges really interest me. The Cities of Refuge series attempts to flesh out a lot of the rules and politics of the Old Testament  in a speculation of just what life in early Israel might have looked like, and I find that fascinating. As someone not incredibly familiar with the ancient time period, I wish I knew how accurate the book is, but I guess that's something I'll have to research myself.

     I was very fond of Eitan in the last book, and though some of his actions in this one were frustrating, my favorite aspect of this novel was the relationship between him and his adopted father. The character development worked really well and I loved the last scene with the two of them. Speaking of last scenes, the book didn't really pick up for me until the end.  The beginning and the end had a lot more action to them, but the middle had a harder time keeper my attention. (The murder plot mentioned in the description is only a small - albeit climactic - part of the book, but it's definitely the best part)

     But hey, this book also had pirates, so...3 stars, at least.

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

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