Avi forsakes his upbringing to chase glory with his cousins in a battle under King Saul. After rationalizing his choices, Avi quickly realizes that war is not what he imagined. When his beloved cousin goes missing, Avi is determined to make things right. His search lands him on the same path as Keziah, a young woman on the run from an abusive arranged marriage. In the interest of efficiency and safety, the two join together as travel companions. As their pasts are revealed to each other, it becomes difficult to ignore the power and providence of God.

A nice, digestible foray into Old Testament biblical fiction, for readers who may be unfamiliar with the early days of the Bible. Lots of good food for thought here, fleshed out through imperfect characters in believable scenarios.

This book is broader in scope then some of the biblical fiction I’ve read. We travel beside our characters along trade routes and through the countryside. Therefore, we are able to visit many places and see different ways of life. It provides a level of interest that some “small town” biblical fiction books don’t always have.

This book includes a simple, chaste romance. We also have a loveable animal companion, and side characters who add depth to the setting and culture of the time.

I was a big fan of the pacing. Not breakneck speed but there was always some event happening and it kept me turning pages.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and it was time well spent! I found the authors note quite moving too.

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review*

I'm so glad to see Connilyn Cossette continuing to write stories about the Israelites in the Old Testament, and highly anticipated this book. Time marches on, and now Israel is crowning their first king as the children from her last series grow into adults. I really enjoyed seeing the effects of some of the country's historical choices on the culture, such as the way the tribes on the east side of the Jordan intermingled more of the surrounding nations' beliefs into their own religion. It was also interesting to me how cousins could live together and belong to different tribes and have different responsibilities.

Avidan is an imperfect hero, discontent with the role God has given him, wanting to be and do things he views as more worthy. In a lot of ways, this book was very familiar, even though the time period and some plot points were new. It read very much like the author's other books, which means that if you like her other books, you'll like this one too. I'm interested in some of Avi's cousins and looking forward to reading their stories.

I read a copy provided by Netgalley for review but these are my own honest, unfiltered thoughts and opinions.

"I took one last look at the man who'd made me feel seen, and cherished, for the first time in my life, then I turned and walked away because if there was anything I'd learned from Avi's stories of yahweh, it was that love was nothing without sacrifice."

I love what Connilyn is doing in the Christian fiction realm. She writes with such respect and reverence to the Bible, crafting fictional people set during real events to make the setting come alive. I typically don't read biblical fiction because I don't like reading fictionalized stories of real people, but that's not what Connilyn does. This book is yet again an incredible work of art - right down to the cover!

It's a fascinating yet incredibly tumultuous time for Israel as they crown their first king. This book is clearly setting up the series, so for the first third/half, it's a lot of explaining and getting the reader into the setting. I did enjoy that, though, as I love seeing what life was like in Bible times. Something Connilyn does well is contrast the brutality and futility of the pagan gods with our loving and gracious Lord. This book takes us to the outer edges of the Israelites, who strayed so far away from their covenant God and way of life that there was no difference between their worship and the pagans.

"In the kingdom to come, we may understand all. But for now, our eyes are blind to the ways of the Ancient One, are they not? Only Yahweh knows the end from the beginning."

I did find plot-wise (e.g. runaway bride, coming of age, girls 'sold off' to old men in marriage and treated like property), it's been done before in several of her books already. I'd actually love to see her take on the arranged marriage and make it work. Especially since it is mentioned many times over how common it was during that day, and obviously some people made it work.

All in all, an excellent start to what I'm sure will be a fascinating series. Now my only complaint is I have to wait for the next one!

CONNILYN COSSETTE has done it again with VOICE OF THE ANCIENT, the first novel in her The King’s Men series! The story takes place in 1043BC and is based on 1 Samuel 8:10-22, and goes through Yahweh’s choice of Saul son of Kish as His first anointed king of Israel and Saul’s war against the Amonites. As it was said amongst his supporters, “Our enemies would think twice before going up against such a man”, Others said, “We can only pray that he will inspire the tribes to put aside long held differences and embrace the Torah as the tie that binds us.”
The characters are beautifully portrayed and the novel is full of biblical truth and wonderful stories about the patriarchs told by Avidan, son of the Levitical song writer, Ronen ben Avidan. After runing away with his cousins to fight in Saul’s army, in spite of the fact that those in Levitical service are banned from going to war, he is disillusioned with the carnage and remembers Yahweh, the One who sees and the One who hears, and leads Keziah to know Him as well.
Keziah has run away from an arranged marriage and Avidan is looking for his youngest cousin who is missing, and the two of them band together in their travels….
It is a story about love, sacrifice, courage and redemption. These words come from one of Ronen’s songs, “The anointed one shall abide by the counsel of the Most High. The voice of the Ancient One to light his step.” …..
I am not going to tell you any more for fear of spoiling things for you.
I cannot recommend this very special read highly enough.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Bethany House Publishers. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

Connilynn Cossette is a master at making you feel like you are right beside the characters living out on int time period she transports you to.

This book did that in a new way.
I felt this book was a tad different in some ways in that it takes time to set up the series much like what you saw in her other book, to dwell among the Cedars .
I thought this book had a strong "coming of age" feel to it and in ways would probably be fine for some YA readers as well.
There are battles and conflicts yet somehow it felt younger and focused much on the characters finding their way.
It also had a bit of a "quest" feel to it.
I could definitely see through this book the clear depiction of how fragmented the people of Israel were at this point in history and how easily we can all slip away from truth when we separate ourselves from good and right teaching.
The book caught you up on so many insights into the political and social climate of the time.
I don't know that I was super invested in these characters themselves though they were well written and all. I just didn't personally connect.
Although I totally got the love of a horse that Keziah had.
I can see characters that are introduced that I am really looking forward to seeing what happens in their stories.
All in all a rich in history and atmosphere journey to the time .
All opinions in this review are honest and completely my own. I recieved a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through Netgally.

Connilyn Cossette is one of the best novelists today writing fiction set in ancient times. If you are a fan of Elodie Harper's latest novels and Angela Hunt, I would definitely read all of Ms. Cossette's books, which improve with each one! (Although ALL are excellent). This was an unputdownable tale featuring the a young man and woman on the run whose stories intertwine with that of King Saul. Ms. Cossette does a fabulous job of bringing the ancient world to life, and this was a satisfying read that included everything I love in novel: Love, historical accuracy, excellent plot, and brilliant dialogue that flows nicely. I could hardly put it down as I wanted to know what would happen to all these characters whom I came to care for! An excellent novel that I highly recommend!

Voice of the Ancient by Connilyn Cossette features the Biblical world of Saul when he was King. Avidan, the hero, wants to seek and fight his cousin and bring him home. But along the way, he meets a slave boy who he quickly learns is not what he seems. Keziah, the heroine, learns more about God and what he actually means and how to feel loved and cherished at the same time. The characters are dynamic and realistic. One of the thing readers will enjoy about Cossette’s writing is her ability to take a time period that is completely foreign to modern readers and allow the reader to become so engrossed with the action and the drama that they will forget that this story took place long time before smartphones, airplanes, and modern luxuries. The plot feels a little familiar with Keziah’s plight. Most of Cossette’s stories feature heroine’s that are seen and observed as nothing more than a piece of property for the men, which was true and still true in this culture today. Readers will enjoy how she invites the readers into her story and allows them to lose themselves for a while as they read the story. Overall, Voice of the Ancient by Connilyn Cossette was an enjoyable learning experience and story that captured my imagination.

I received a complimentary copy of Voice of the Ancient by Connilyn Cossette from Bethany House Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.