Wings of the Wind {by Connilyn Cossette}

Title: Wings of the Wing
Author: Connilyn Cossette
Series: Out from Egypt #3
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Genre: Biblical Fiction
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
source: publisher

Alanah, a Canaanite, is no stranger to fighting and survival. When her family is killed in battle with the Hebrews, she disguises herself and sneaks onto the battlefield to avenge her family. The one thing she never counted on was surviving.
Tobiah, a Hebrew warrior, is shocked to find an unconscious, wounded woman among the Canaanite casualties. Compelled to bring her to a Hebrew healer back at their camp, he is soon confronted with a truth he can’t ignore: the only way to protect this enemy is to marry her.
Unused to being weak and vulnerable, Alanah submits to the marriage—for now. As she comes to know and respect Tobiah and his people, however, she begins to second-guess her plans of escape. But when her past has painfully unanticipated consequences, the tentative peace she’s found with Tobiah, the Hebrews, and Yahweh is shaken to the core. Can Alanah’s fierce heart and strength withstand the ensuing threats to her life and all she’s come to love?

I loved this one. I'm not sure if it replaced the second book as my favorite of the series, but it sure came close. This one takes place quite a bit after the first two (I thought I saw 40 years later somewhere but I could be making that up).

I said this with book 1, but one thing I enjoyed about this series is seeing the events from the perspective of other nations. I think we focus so much on the Israelites, and forget that they slaughtered whole nations. What did that feel like? So I did appreciate seeing the story from the perspective of a Cannanite. Alanah wants revenge on the Hebrews, so she disguises herself and goes to fight. Tobiah finds her among the wounded, and brings her back to camp, with unintended consequences.

Dislike-to-love tropes are one of my favorites (I freely admit) so it is probably no surprise that I loved this one. I loved Alanah and Tobiah. She was sassy and strong, but Tobiah wasn't intimidated by her. I loved their banter, as it was fun.

I won't say much about the plot, because #spoilers. I wasn't expecting the Bible story that the author brought in, but I liked it. It was an interesting perspective and a creative way to tie it all together. I enjoyed the story, flying through the book just to find out what happens to these characters I very much enjoyed. Definitely a series I would recommend to those who love Biblical/historical fiction.

Connilyn Cossette:

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Shadow of the Storm {by Connilyn Cossette}

Title: Shadow of the Storm
Author: Connilyn Cossette
Series: Out from Egypt #2
Genre: Biblical retelling
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Source: publisher

Having escaped Egypt with the other Hebrews during the Exodus, Shira is now living in freedom at the foot of Mt. Sinai, upon which rests the fiery glowing Cloud containing the shekinah glory of God. When the people disobey Yahweh and build a golden idol, the ensuing chaos gives Shira an unexpected opportunity to learn the arts of midwifery. Although her mother wishes for her to continue in the family weaving trade, Shira's gifts shine brightest when she assists with deliveries. In defiance of her mother, Shira pursues her heart's calling to become an apprentice midwife.
When a delivery goes horribly wrong, Shira finds herself bound to a man who betrayed her, the caretaker of three young children, and the target of a vengeful woman whose husband was killed by Shira's people, the Levites. As contention between the Hebrew tribes and the foreigners fans the flames of another dangerous rebellion, Shira will come face-to-face with the heartbreak of her past that she has kept hidden for so long. How can she let go of all that has defined her to accept the love she's denied herself and embrace who she truly is?

I enjoyed this one more than the first book in this trilogy. Maybe because I had already gotten to know these characters, but I felt more immersed into the story. The Israelites are out of Egypt at this point, and just wandering around in the desert. Except for a few mentions here and there--building the tabernacle, moving from place to place--it almost didn't even seem like the setting, though, as this story focuses more on the characters rather than the events happening.

When Shira gets a chance to learn midwifery, she realizes this is her calling. She loves it more than the weaving her mother wants her to do. But when a delivery goes horribly wrong, Shira retreats, believing that maybe she wasn't meant to do this after all. I liked Shira, probably because I felt like I could easily relate to her and what she is feeling. This story is different though, as we get a POV from someone else in the story, and I enjoyed that, the different perspective and added depth.

While the love interest/romance is a big part of the story, I would not call it the main part, as this is a story about Shira. We get to go with her on this journey, as she learns more about herself, and moves past some of these things that is holding her back. I actually was very invested in Shira. The romance was interesting too, as I was very interested in what was happening and some of the things that were revealed. I found myself wondering how the author was going to handle some of these things, and I was very pleased in how they were done.

I enjoyed this story very much, from the history, to the culture, to these characters. And I can't wait for the conclusion to this series.

Connilyn Cossette:

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Counted With the Stars {by Connilyn Cossette}

Title: Counted With the Stars
Author: Connilyn Cossette
Series: Out From Egypt #1
Genre: Biblical retelling
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
source: publisher

Sold into slavery by her father and forsaken by the man she was supposed to marry, young Egyptian Kiya must serve a mistress who takes pleasure in her humiliation. When terrifying plagues strike Egypt, Kiya is in the middle of it all.
To save her older brother and escape the bonds of slavery, Kiya flees with the Hebrews during the Great Exodus. She finds herself utterly dependent on a fearsome God she's only just beginning to learn about, and in love with a man who despises her people. With everything she's ever known swept away, will Kiya turn back toward Egypt or surrender her life and her future to Yahweh? 

I love my Biblical retellings, as I love seeing stories that we are so familiar with in a deeper and personal detail. I had some mixed feelings on this one, but ultimately I enjoyed this story of the Israelites exodus out of Egypt.

One of my favorite parts is how this is actually the story of an Egyptian, Kiya, and her point of view on the events that we are already so familiar with. Kiya has been sold into slavery to pay a family debt, and it is here that she meets a Hebrew slave, Shira. Feeling abandoned by her gods, Kiya finds herself drawn into Shira's stories of a Nameless God, one above all others. When the plagues start to happen, and the Hebrews are unaffected, Kiya realizes there might be something to this God after all.

One of the reasons I liked that this was from the POV of an Egyptian is because it made it so much more personal. I feel that sometimes we don't think of the consequences of the plagues, only thinking about the end result for the Israelites, but seeing the horror of them from who it was actually happening to was eye-opening. Cossette also writes with great detail and emotion, and the horrors that Kiya and Shira go through are very real and vivid.

There were times when the book lost my interest though, a bit at the beginning, and then again after they left Egypt. But it did pick up again, and towards the end, I could not put it down. The love interest didn't originally sway me (I've had enough of alpha-male types, no matter the reasoning) but at the end, did win me over.

While this still had its faults, it was a very enjoyable read, one full of detail and surprises. I found this to be a great look into lives and events in a way different than we normally would.

Connilyn Cossette:

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