I was so very blessed to be considered and chosen for Bethany House’s Influencer Team. Bethany House is my favorite publisher. The book for the month of October is Shelter of the Most High.

Shelter Of the Most High

by: Connilyn Cossette

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 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?

My Thoughts:

Shelter of the Most High is the second book in the Cities of Refuge series. Although many of the characters are a continuation from the first book, it works as a stand-alone, but I did wish that I had read A Light on a Hill (book 1) first. I am hoping to read it as soon as I can get my hands on a copy.

Shelter of the Most High was an intense and picturesque story, set in the city of Kedesh, a City of Refuge, 20 years after the fall of Jericho. I thought this was an interesting concept and enjoyed reading this book. I hadn’t read any stories about this time period before and Sofea’s and Eitan’s stories brought the book of Joshua to life for me.

This story contains some violence, fighting, and death, especially in the beginning.
It’s not too gory, however. This book could be described as a Biblical adventure (Indian Jones type scenes).

This book might work well at introducing friends to religious books. It’s written from a Jewish (Hebrew) point of view, with God referred to Yahweh, and I felt that it does not contain a strong redemptive message, but a more subtle telling of Sofea’s journey to the One True God.

“What makes you think your life is worth so little?” he said, his voice soothing, as if he were speaking to a child. “The Almighty Creator spoke your being into existence. How could you be anything less than precious?”

Sofea comes from a island where human life is expendable. Human sacrifices were made and people killed at the wim of her father the High Priest of their village. She comes to a land where Yahweh puts a high value on life. This is the reason he created the Cities of Refuge where those who commit murder by accident would have a place to escape revenge by the Blood Avenger. Although it’s a city, Kedesh is still a prison for those who find refuge within her walls. They cannot leave until the death of the current High Priest. So, what if someone decided to hurry that process along?

Shelter of the Most High is a beautiful story of God’s healing power, of his love, and of the refuge found in the solace of his wings. Sofea and her cousin face terrible things after the slaughter of their entire village by marauding sailors. Sofea is devoted to her cousin and is willing to do anything to keep her safe. This devotion will eventually be put to the ultimate test. My heart was touched by Sofea’s discovery that everything she knew was false, as her eyes were opened to the love, peace, kindness, and justice of the followers of Yahweh, the Hebrew people.

I highly recommend this book for both teen and adult audiences. Parental discretion is advised due to violence and the topic of false gods.

About the Author:

connilyncossette Connilyn Cossette is the Christy Award Nominated and CBA-Bestselling author of the Out from Egypt Series from Bethany House Publishers. There’s not much she enjoys more than digging into the rich, ancient world of the Bible, discovering new gems of grace that point to Jesus, and weaving them into an immersive fiction experience. Connect with her at http://www.ConnilynCossette.com