Like Flames in the Night Review by Mindy Houng

This book’s powerful words will remain with you long after its last words have been read.  The soul-stirring journey of Liyam’s heart will have you weeping, rejoicing, and cheering as he’s gently led to understand God’s justice, mercy, and forgiveness.  The two first-person point of view from Tirzah and Liyam flows seamlessly to create a masterpiece that melds biblical account, historical account, and brilliantly creative fiction during the time of Aramean occupancy of the Promised Land and Othniel’s uprising against the Arameans.

The author has a gift of bringing the biblical period to life in full color and her characters, with their tangible emotional burdens, will grab your heart from page one.  The author balances the responsibility and commitment of the Israelites as a community through Tirzah’s life with the personal responsibility and commitment of a single follower of Yahweh through Liyam’s life to create an incredible picture of what a righteous generation looks like.  The cities of refuge, where this four-book series takes place, offer justice and mercy to those who need them the most, and Liyam has to engage in physical and emotional battle all over the Promised Land to finally comprehend God’s perfect justice and mercy.

I love that this book ties in the author’s book Wings of the Wind from the previous series Out of Egypt with this series.  Though this book is the final book of this current series, it can be read as a stand-alone, especially because the author provides timely recaps of the secondary characters’ stories without slowing down the plot. If you have been following the series, you will love the glimpses of Moriyah and Darek’s clan and delight in how Eitan and Malakhi grow up to be respected leaders of their people.  There is plenty of action, suspense, and intrigue as Tirzah and Liyam cloak themselves in the world of espionage to further the cause of obtaining their people’s freedom.  Liyam and Tirzah are unforgettable, two of my favorite book characters of all time.

If you enjoy biblical fiction, this book (and the series) is a must read.  The impeccable research, well-crafted plot, memorable characters, and trustworthy faith lessons found in this book will make you a fan of Connilyn Cossette, too, if you aren’t already.