ABOUT THE BOOK:
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, yet 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. Can they uncover the betrayal in time to save their lives and the lives of those they love?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
When she is not homeschooling her two sweet kids (with a full pot of coffee at hand), bestselling author Connilyn Cossette is scribbling notes on spare paper, mumbling about her imaginary friends, and reading obscure, out-of-print history books. There is nothing she likes better than digging into the rich, ancient world of the Bible and uncovering buried gems of grace that point toward Jesus. Her novel Counted With the Stars won the 2013 Frasier Contest and was a semifinalist in the 2013 ACFW Genesis Contest. Although a Pacific Northwest native, she now lives near Dallas, Texas. Connect with her at www.connilyncossette.com.
MY REVIEW:
This is the second book in the Cities of Refuge series. I did not read the first book, however, I was never lost as to what was happening in this book. It did make me want to read the first book, though!
The story starts out with the cousins, Sofea and Prezi, innocently swimming in the sea together. They are teen-aged girls that are living in their little village on Sicily. When they decide to go back home, their lives are turned upside down. There have been pirates pillaging their village while they have been gone and they are taken captive. This was definitely a different start of any book I've ever read and it drew me into the story immediately.
We follow the two girls as they are transported to a new city with new customs. They are among people who worship the true God, Jehovah, and this is a big change from their pagan god rituals. They are introduced to people who are kind and loving, which is also something that is different.
Eitan is truly smitten with Sofea but they both have so much to overcome. Eitan is haunted by his past and Sofea does not trust men after her encounters with her father and the pirates. It's really lovely seeing them try to put these issues aside and form a relationship.
I love the themes of forgiveness, patience and love shown throughout this story. It is such a wonderful story that drew me in and never let me go. I felt like the characters were real people and the beautiful way the author described the surroundings had me picturing everything in my mind vividly. This is one of the best books I've read this year and I highly recommend it. I give it 5 out of 5 stars.
*This book was provided to me by Bethany House. I received a copy of this book to review but I was not financially compensated in any way. The opinions expressed are my own and are based on my observations while reading this book.
Blessings - Julie
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