Genre:
Historical / Biblical
Historical / Biblical
Isaiah's Legacy
A Novel Of Prophets And Kings book 3
by Mesu Andrews
| -From Goodreads- The drama of the Old Testament comes to life as Judah's most notorious king ascends to the throne in this gripping novel from the award-winning author of Isaiah's Daughter . At eight years old, Shulle has known only life in a small village with her loving but peculiar father. When Uncle Shebna offers shelter in Jerusalem in exchange for Shulle's help tutoring King Manasseh, Judah's five-year-old co-regent who displays the same peculiarities as her father, she's eager to experience the royal court. But Shulle soon realizes the limits of her father's strict adherence to Yahweh's Law when Uncle Shebna teaches her of the starry hosts and their power. Convinced Judah must be freed from Yahweh's chains, she begins the subtle swaying of young Manasseh, using her charm and skills on the boy no one else understands. When King Hezekiah dies, twelve-year-old Manasseh is thrust onto Judah's throne, bitter at Yahweh and eager to marry the girl he adores. Assyria's crown prince favors Manasseh and twists his brilliant mind toward cruelty, beginning Shulle's long and harrowing journey to discover the Yahweh she'd never known, guided with loving wisdom by Manasseh's mother: Isaiah's daughter, the heartbroken Hephzibah. Amid Judah's dark days, a desperate remnant emerges, claiming the Lord's promise, "Though we're helpless now, we're never hopeless--because we serve El Shaddai." Shulle is among them, a girl who becomes a queen through Isaiah's legacy. ISBN-13: 9780735291881 It is truly the darkest before the dawn... |  This Book received a 5 Bark rating.
 Mesu Andrews |
There are books, there are books, and then there are books. Isaiah's Legacy is one of the latter. This is one of those rare books that I loved and hated, which, shows just how talented Mesu Andrews truly is. I can't imagine it was easy for her to write this story, I certainly know that it wasn't always easy to read. Sometimes I simply couldn't put the book down, and just kept on reading in horrified fascination. Why, you ask? Because, this is the story of Hezi and Zibah's (Isaiah's Daughter) son who is known as the wickedest king in Judah's history. My heart broke as the character, Zibah, that I had so come to love in the previous book had pretty much everything stripped away from her as she watched her son spiral into unparalleled evil. My heart cried out for little Shulle as she was systematically stripped of her innocence and faith in God to become the instrument of evil people bent on revenge and power. And then there was Manasseh himself, young, naive, gentle, and manipulated by those who should have protected him.
Isaiah's Legacy was a hard book to read. I both loved and strongly disliked the heroine. The violence, the pain, the betrayal, and the abuse, heaped on the characters was heartrending. But it was true. Even if the fictionalized parts of the story didn't play out quite as portrayed, it was still TRUTH. This is the story of every little girl, or boy, who has been physically and emotionally assaulted by the very people they should be able to trust the most. This is the story of every mother dealing with the pain of a wayward child. This is the story of every child yearning for approval and finding it in the worst places. This is the story of every person who has to be torn down for Yahweh to build them back. Who has to find the end of themselves before they can truly be healed. This book is a terrible, beautiful, roller coaster of emotion that will leave the reader in tears but standing stronger than they were before. This is Isaiah's Legacy and it's our story now just as much as it was 2,700 years ago.
Please do not be scared off by what I've said. As hard as it was to read this story it's one that I think every adult SHOULD read. Ultimately, this book is a story of hope and of God's provision through the darkest of days. I wouldn't have said the things that I have if I hadn't become so invested in the story, if it wasn't so well written, if Mesu Andrews wasn't so amazingly good at her research and at making history and the Bible come alive in such vivid full-color detail. I can say without hesitation that Isaiah's Legacy will be on my list of favorite books this year and I can't quite say in words just how much I recommend this book from phenomenal pen of Mesu Andrews.
Tell Tale Book Reviews gives Isaiah's Legacy by Mesu Andrews a 5 Bark rating.
Isaiah's Legacy was a hard book to read. I both loved and strongly disliked the heroine. The violence, the pain, the betrayal, and the abuse, heaped on the characters was heartrending. But it was true. Even if the fictionalized parts of the story didn't play out quite as portrayed, it was still TRUTH. This is the story of every little girl, or boy, who has been physically and emotionally assaulted by the very people they should be able to trust the most. This is the story of every mother dealing with the pain of a wayward child. This is the story of every child yearning for approval and finding it in the worst places. This is the story of every person who has to be torn down for Yahweh to build them back. Who has to find the end of themselves before they can truly be healed. This book is a terrible, beautiful, roller coaster of emotion that will leave the reader in tears but standing stronger than they were before. This is Isaiah's Legacy and it's our story now just as much as it was 2,700 years ago.
Please do not be scared off by what I've said. As hard as it was to read this story it's one that I think every adult SHOULD read. Ultimately, this book is a story of hope and of God's provision through the darkest of days. I wouldn't have said the things that I have if I hadn't become so invested in the story, if it wasn't so well written, if Mesu Andrews wasn't so amazingly good at her research and at making history and the Bible come alive in such vivid full-color detail. I can say without hesitation that Isaiah's Legacy will be on my list of favorite books this year and I can't quite say in words just how much I recommend this book from phenomenal pen of Mesu Andrews.
Tell Tale Book Reviews gives Isaiah's Legacy by Mesu Andrews a 5 Bark rating.
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