Judah's Wife by Angela Hunt

From Amazon: 
Seeking peace and safety after a hard childhood, Leah marries Judah, a strong and gentle man, and for the first time in her life Leah believes she can rest easily. But the land is ruled by Antiochus IV, descended from one of Alexander the Great's generals, and when he issues a decree that all Jews are to conform to Syrian laws upon pain of death, devout Jews risk everything to follow the law of Moses.

Judah's father resists the decree, igniting a war that will cost him his life. But before dying, he commands his son to pick up his sword and continue the fight--or bear responsibility for the obliteration of the land of Judah. Leah, who wants nothing but peace, struggles with her husband's decision--what kind of God would destroy the peace she has sought for so long?

The miraculous story of the courageous Maccabees is told through the eyes of Judah's wife, who learns that love requires courage . . . and sacrifice.

Continuing in my search for good historical fiction, I found another amazing book by Angela Hunt. The first book I read and reviewed was the first in the Silent Year series called Egypt’s Sister, and because of her vivid writing and descriptive characters there are certain points of the story that still stick in my mind. Judah’s Wife is no different, and I was thrilled to receive it as a review copy.

The Silent Years are, well, silent, and we don’t know much about them, but Hunt takes the life of Judah Maccabees and surrounds it with courage, passion, and sacrifice through the eyes of his wife and himself. While many of the female characters were fictional (in the sense that we don’t know anything about them), Leah was a beautiful picture of redemption and hope throughout the story. Raised in an abusive household, Leah’s mental and spiritual thoughts are twisted by a father who beats his wife but appears righteous in public. Leah also struggles to understand her role as a wife since all she saw in her home was her mother submitting to the abuse from her father.

Through the turmoil and political unrest in Judea and surrounding Israel, Leah desperately wants peace, and finally finds some measure of security and rest in her marriage. But that is about to change. Hunt write this book alternating points of views for each chapter between Leah and Judah, and I love reading the different perspectives. Judah isn’t a particularly ambitious man in the sense of leading a nation of men, but he’s courageous and is willing to die for his faith. He doesn’t seek a fight, but yet will give his all when HaShem’s glory is blasphemed. I also love that once Judah finds his purpose, he waits for God’s moving in his heart before he acts, and nothing dissuades him from doing HaShem’s will.

I’m guessing that the research and history necessary to flesh out Judah and Leah’s life must have been fascination. I knew the name of Judah Maccabees and the political unrest during that time was somewhat familiar to me, but to finally see a glimpse inside a potential family’s life was so insightful.

Angela Hunt writes for older minds and includes war and romance scenes. They are real (and war includes death), but neither are overdone. I appreciate finally seeing good romance between husband and wife, as I have always been uncomfortable reading intimate scenes between non-married couples or just flirtatious behavior in general. 

This book is powerful as it recounts Hebrew history as it intertwines with the struggles and battles that it will always face. Judah faces his calling and gives his all for it and Leah finds purpose in a God who loves her perfectly. A well written book with detailed history among fiction and non-fictional characters. Can't wait to read more from Angela Hunt! 

*Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

Fawkes by Nadine Brandes

From Amazon:
Silent wars leave the most carnage. The wars that are never declared, but are carried out in dark alleys with masks and hidden knives. Wars where color power alters the natural rhythm of 17th century London. And when the king calls for peace, no one listens until he finally calls for death.

But what if death finds him first?

Keepers think the Igniters caused the plague. Igniters think the Keepers did it. But all Thomas knows is that the Stone Plague infecting his eye is spreading. And if he doesn’t do something soon, he’ll be a lifeless statue. So when his Keeper father, Guy Fawkes, invites him to join the Gunpowder Plot—claiming it will put an end to the plague—Thomas is in.

The plan: use 36 barrels of gunpowder to blow up the Igniter King.

The problem: Doing so will destroy the family of the girl Thomas loves. But backing out of the plot will send his father and the other plotters to the gallows. To save one, Thomas will lose the other.

No matter Thomas’s choice, one thing is clear: once the decision is made and the color masks have been put on, there’s no turning back.

Ever since I heard about Nadine Brandes and the Out of Time series, I have wanted to read them. Well, I haven't read that trilogy yet because some country's (*coughCanadacough*) shipping is ridiculous, but I just got a review copy of Fawkes--Nadine's latest novel. And, oh my goodness, it's beautiful. The cover is captivating and intriguing, and I really didn't read anything about the book before plunging in. After reading the book, I just sat back and marveled at the way Nadine placed history and fantasy in the same book and how skillfully they were woven together. And yes, there is a deeper meaning to this story, than just the Keeper-Igniter war.

Thomas character was special. He struggles with the Stone Plague, but even more so with his purpose, mission, and loyalties. He seeks to love his father and be worthy of him even though he's been hurt badly by him. And when he finally makes his own decisions about right and wrong, he realizes that it may cost some people their lives.

I love the idea of color masks as a way of showing people's unique gifts and talents. The characters of England each have a color power, granted to them only by the color test and by a individual mask created and formed by a parent. The child is raised to learn to mold with his mask and use the colors he/she has bonded with to bring peace (and war where necessary) in the world. Thomas doesn't have a mask yet, and to gain one will take more courage, risk, and sacrifice than he imagined. But he has the strange advice of the White light, along with Emma's counsel and his father's experience to guide him.

I love the relationship between Thomas and Emma. It's definitely not forced and it grows and strengthens because of challenges. And in the end, both Thomas and Emma see that being vulnerable and honest with each other leads to love in a way they didn't expect.

This book is packed with meaning for the Christian, and is captivating and full of history. But looking back at history, we can also learn something for today and for our futures.

Thank you, Nadine! Now I really want to read the Out of Time series. ;)

Movie Review: Samson

Storyline from MovieInsider:

A Hebrew with an unusual gift of strength must respond properly to the call of God on his life in order to lead his people out of enslavement. After his youthful ambition leads to a tragic marriage, his acts of revenge thrust him into direct conflict with the Philistine army. As his brother mounts a tribal rebellion, only Samson's relationship with a Philistine temptress and his final surrender - both to the Philistines and to God - turns imprisonment and blindness into final victory.

So I requested this movie, not realizing that I would only be able to view a few scenes within a 26-minute span. If I had understood that, I wouldn't have requested it because I'm not sure I can give it a fair review without the whole picture. 

Based on what I can see, the acting is well done and the couple scenery shots are amazing. I have always dreamed of seeing Israel, so movies and stories set in that period are special to me. In Scripture, we aren't told of many emotions or thought-processes of the characters, so viewers will be cautioned that there are dialogues and conversations that are definitely added in. From what I could see, I thought the main parts were true to Scriptural events, so that was encouraging. 

Samson has never been a favorite character of mine. I always thought he was too flawed, though I recognized that God mightily used him to bring the Israelites to repentance. In my judgment of him, these movie clips showed me that as an Israelite himself, Samson would have recognized the One true God and would have prayed to God. One scene I especially loved was Samson's anointing as a judge. 

Judges were often given supernatural power and this movie also portrays that. It also demonstrates some of the judgment that God's people went through due to their rebellion and unbelief in God's power. The Philistines were not kind masters and it is likely that they suffered as the movie portrays. I'm not sure I liked the relationship between Delilah and Samson, only because they portray her as one compelled and forced into a relationship with him in order to trap and catch him, but then actually ends up loving him in the end. While there is no indication in Scripture for or against Delilah's love for Samson, it throws a somewhat unneeded emotional aspect into the scenes I previewed. But I cannot say for certain what my entire opinion is on that, as I did not see the entire show. 

One thing I had trouble comprehending was the fact that Samson was indeed powerful. While I have read his account in Scripture and mentally realized that he was strong, the movie demonstrates that visually. For me, it's easy to say "Oh, that's just the movie" or "Oh, that's just graphics". But no, Samson's strength was probably demonstrated in similar ways as the movie actually shows. So that was indeed a good reminder. 

The movie is rated PG-13 due to the fighting scenes, and as I have no seen the entire movie, I cannot say for sure what my opinion is, but I am interested in seeing the finished product. This movie releases February 16th.


*Film montage has been provided courtesy of Pure Flix and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.