Recently widowed, Rivkah flees Kedesh, refusing to submit to Torah law and marry her husband's brother. Malakhi has secretly loved Rivkah for years, but after her disappearance, he throws himself into the war against the Canaanites and is forced to confront not only his wounds, but also hers--including the shocking truth that has kept her from returning.
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Recently widowed, Rivkah flees Kedesh, refusing to submit to Torah law and marry her husband's brother. Malakhi has secretly loved Rivkah for years, but after her disappearance, he throws himself into the war against the Canaanites and is forced to confront not only his wounds, but also hers--including the shocking truth that has kept her from returning.
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They have a long road to find each other...and God
I've sat on this review for awhile, quite awhile. Not because I disliked the book, the opposite couldn't be more true, but because it's taken me this long to organize my thoughts.
So, I've been sold on on the Cities Of Refuge series from the start and Connilyn Cossette has quickly become one of my top favorite Biblical fiction authors. Needless to say, I'd been looking forward to reading Until The Mountains Fall since finishing the previous book.
Once again Connilyn Cossette was full of surprises while still delivering her trademark style of telling a story with compelling characters that is rich in historical detail and Biblical accuracy.
I think this is one of the very very few times that I disliked the heroine for a good half of the book. Rivkah was spoiled, selfish, and needed some serious guidance. But, oh, the beauty of her transformation, even though the path was fraught with pain. I loved Malakhi, though, right from the start. He was something special even though he didn't realize it.
The author's vast talent shone through this book in every way. Connilyn Cossette not only engaged my imagination but also my emotions, quite intensely sometimes. Until The Mountains Fall is a beautiful tale of family and faith, sacrifice and love, and of forgiveness and redemption. It entertains while challenging you to strengthen your own faith. Until The Mountains Fall really is a must read even if Biblical fiction is not your usual genre.
(I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.)
Natalie
Aug 3, 2019
This is the book I've waited for all year.
In Until the Mountains Fall, Connilyn Cossette gives us a fresh look at the account of the prodigal son, only in her book, the prodigal is a woman.
We journey with Rivkah as she discovers a world outside the one that chafed her as a young woman and follow Malakhi as he matures from an impetuous teen and betrothed groom into a wise, battle-scarred warrior. Their love story is beautiful, Malakhi's heart for her an example of Christ's love for us, but just as beautiful is the love Rivkah's father carries for her as he never gives up hope that she will return to him.
The characterization is jaw-dropping, and the prose so poetic, the reader can't help but be transported with each page. There are many twists and turns in the plot, each one ratcheting up the stakes and keeping the story tension above the boiling point.
This is the book I'd been waiting for all year. It's been a while since a story took me so far and demanded so much of me, leaving my perspectives changed--or at least giving me a broader perspective on things I already believed to be true. I'm going to have a hard time doing the book justice with this review. Having started at the beginning of the series, re-reading the first and second titles straight through to the newest, there are no words for some of the emotions provoked by this story.
Thrilled to revisit familiar characters from previous books, I'm amazed at just how interconnected these characters really are, going all the way back into the Out From Egypt Series. (Is there a chart of family trees, please!) It's been some time since I've enjoyed a series as much as I have these books.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and have stated my honest opinion in this voluntary review.
Tina
Jul 2, 2019
A masterpiece with many layers
I have been a member of Connilyn Cossette's launch team since her very first book, and they have all been excellent, fully five-star books. Each one seems better than the last until you really think about it and remember how good the previous ones were! They are all my favorites!
Until the Mountains Fall is no different! This book is stellar, drawing the reader into an ancient and completely foreign world with ease and making the reader never want to leave. As always, Cossette's primary characters are full of depth and realistically flawed, and readers are invited to travel with them on a journey of growth and learning about Yahweh, a God of both incomparable holiness and unfathomable love. Lots of authors can write realistic settings and relatable primary characters, but I think one thing that sets Cossette apart from other authors is that her secondary characters have surprising depths as well. No one in the story ever feels two-dimensional, and each story ends up being a masterpiece because of it.
I particularly enjoyed seeing so many elements of Jesus' parable of the prodigal son in this time-of-the-judges setting. It was done subtly but highlighted over and over again for me that Yahweh is unchangeable and has always been a God whose love transforms people's lives. As much as I loved Rivkah and Malakhi's story, it was Rivkah's relationship with her father in this story that brought me to tears. I cannot recommend this book highly enough - I simply don't have the words. All I can say is that if you don't any other books this year, read this one. It is that good.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author as part of her launch team. All opinions expressed are my own and are offered without coercion.
