Biblical fiction tends to be hit or miss for me. Pulling off fictionalized versions of historical events and people is always tricky, I'm sure, and when you throw in the setting of the Old Testament—an era I'm not particularly interested in (can I say that???)—well, it's a challenge to find a book with those parameters that I'll enjoy. I did really like Lynn Austin's Restoration Chronicles, but they weren't what I'd call quick, easy reads, so you have to be in the right mood for them.
When I saw Connilyn Cossette's Wings of the Wind up for review, I did some research and saw that many book bloggers I follow—ones whose tastes are similar to my own—had really enjoyed her Out from Egypt series, so I decided to give the book a chance. I'm so glad I did.
Can vengeance give way to forgiveness when one woman's destiny becomes entangled with the very enemies she sought to destroy?
Motherless and raised alongside her brothers, Alanah, a Canaanite, is no stranger to fighting. When her father and brothers are 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, has spent his share of time on the battlefield and is shocked to find an unconscious woman among the casualties. Compelled to bring her to a healer back at the Hebrew camp, he's unprepared for the consequences of what he intended as an act of compassion.
In order to survive, Alanah must unite with her enemy. But will a terrible revelation drive her toward an even greater danger?
Set during the end of the Israelites' 40 years of wandering in the desert, Wings of the Wind mostly covers a time I haven't spent much time dwelling on, but it finishes right after an event every child who has attended Sunday School knows: the Battle of Jericho. Honestly, I was surprised by just how interested I was in the story—and that's largely due to the strength of the characters.
Wings of the Wind is a romance, adventure story, and war novel rolled into one. The story shifts between Alanah's and Tobiah's points of view, and while I enjoyed parts with Tobiah, Alanah's story is so strong that I couldn't get enough of it. When I began the novel, I thought it would be about Alanah, a Canaanite woman, slowly falling for Tobiah and learning to trust Yahweh. While both of those things happened, they happened much sooner in the novel than I expected—and from there, the story only became richer and more exciting. (No, I'm not going to tell you how it became richer—because this is something best discovered for yourself. It's maybe even too much that I mentioned Jericho!)
Only one thing would've made this novel better: a glossary of Hebrew to English names for easily identifying historical figures. I was able to figure most out without the help of Google, but a few eluded me. It would've been nice to just flip to a glossary page.
This is the third book in Cossette's Out from Egypt series, but it can easily be read without having read the other books first. But now that I've read Wings of the Wind, I definitely want to go back and read the others, which are the stories of Kiya and Shira, both of whom have supporting roles in this novel. 4-1/2 stars.
Buy the book.
When she is not homeschooling her two sweet kids (with a full pot of coffee at hand), 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.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free for review from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
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