Of Fire and Lions

I am not always a huge fan on biblical fiction but Mesu Andrews never disappoints with her literary offerings. This was the story based on Daniel. It was incredibly well written with such an eye for detail. I loved that Mesu took the historical facts of the story of Daniel and weaved fiction within that story. It was a great read and incredibly highly recommended.

MESU ANDREWS has done it again! OF FIRE AND LIONS is a beautifully told story, based on the book of Daniel, the first Babylonian exile and the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, and ending with Cyrus' decree allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem, according to prophecy. I love the way this author writes, with the fictitious characters fleshing out the story, without in any way taking away from the biblical account.
I also love the way she treats the biblical characters. We see Daniel, who from a young age has served his God and who is blessed with incredible wisdom. He has the ability to interpret dreams and understand prophecy, and yet we see him here as a man of normal emotions and fears. He is courageous in his faith and wholeheartedly loyal to Yahweh. When we see how the Lord comes through for him, we are encouraged to trust Him to deliver us when we face difficult circumstances in our own lives.
The story is told by a young Hebrew girl, Abigail, who is given the name Belili when she is captured and taken to Babylon. In Babylon she becomes Daniel's chambermaid until she is forced to flee for her life, ending up as a temple priestess in Achmetha.
I am not going to tell you any more as I don't want to spoil anything for you. It is a most exciting and inspirational read and I cannot recommend it highly enough. It is a story of courage, of broken relationships, of loyalty, of forgiveness and reconciliation, and above all it is a story of Yahweh's almighty power to deliver His servants.
I was given a free copy of the book by Waterbrook & Multnomah from NetGalley. The opinions in this review are completely my own.