Review: Keepers of the Covenant by Lynn Austin (Litfuse Blog Tour & Giveaway)

October 13, 2014

Title: Keepers of the Covenant
Author: Lynn Austin
Publisher: Bethany House
Pages: 480
ISBN: 978-0-7642-0899-7
Publication Date: October 7th, 2014

Synopsis: 
In Their Darkest Hour, Where Would Hope Be Found?

In one life-changing moment, the lives of the exiles in Babylon are thrown into despair when a decree from the king's palace calls for the annihilation of every Jewish man, woman, and child throughout the empire in less than one year.

Ezra, a quiet but brilliant scholar, soon finds himself called upon to become the leader of his people. Forced to rally an army when all his training has been in the Torah, he struggles to bring hope in a time of utter despair, when dreams of the future--of family and love--seem impossible.

In Keepers of the Covenant, acclaimed novelist Lynn Austin weaves together the struggles and stories of both Jews and Gentiles, creating a tapestry of faith and doubt, love and loss. Here, the Old Testament comes to life, demonstrating the everlasting hope displayed in God's unwavering love for His people. 
Review:
I have to say...Lynn Austin knows Biblical fiction. My goodness, the study she has put into this book and the research is amazing. When a book makes me want to go and read more on the subject, it is a win-win. 

I feel in love with the first book in this series. Each character was unique and each offered a different point to the story. In Keepers of the Covenant, the theme continues. Each character was unique and offered something special. Each played an important part in telling the story and non the characters were flat. You either rooted for them, hoped they would turn away from what they were doing, or would learn to listen and understand. You could feel the emotions and understood the frustrations and also enjoyed the happiness with them.

 When I first started reading this story, I knew it was going to be about Ezra, what I didn't know was his connection to the time of Queen Ester. From Ezra's point of view and his life during this story, it brought to light things I hadn't thought about or remembered from the story. It made the time such a dark and depressing time for the Jewish people during their wait...my goodness. The fear they must have felt as they were forced to wait for their death, but their prayers were answered. It was a bloody battle, but the victory was worth it and the legacy left behind left a deep impression.

The writing was superb. Even though this story took place over a long amount of time, Lynn Austin was able to make it flow. It wasn't choppy and kept you up-to-date and didn't leave you questioning what was going on.

The main characters I enjoyed the most were Devorah and Amina. They each had different backgrounds, but both were sincere and wise. They had a wonderful strength to them. Ezra's portrayal was good. Even though he was a man of God, even though he did his best to follow the law, he was a flawed man in some ways and that was shown well. The story showed how when God chooses a man, he looks at their heart.

 I can't wait to read more in this series!

Too Read!
5 out of 5  

About the Author:
Lynn Austin has sold more than one million copies of her books worldwide. She is an eight-time Christy Award winner and an inaugural inductee into the Christy Award Hall of Fame, as well as a popular speaker at retreats, conventions, women's groups, and book clubs. She lives with her husband in Michigan.

Learn more at www.lynnaustin.org.





Giveaway:
Lynn Austin is back with the next book in The Restoration Chronicles series, Keepers of the Covenant. Austin weaves together the struggles and stories of both Jews and Gentiles, creating a tapestry of faith and doubt, love and loss. Here, the Old Testament comes to life, demonstrating the everlasting hope displayed in God's unwavering love for His people.

Lynn is celebrating with a Kindle HDX giveaway and a live author chat webcast on October 21st.
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One winner will receive:
  • A Kindle HDX
  • Keepers of the Covenant by Lynn Austin
Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on October 21st. Winner will be announced at the Keepers of the Covenant LIVE webcast event on October 21st. Connect with Lynn for a fascinating evening centered around God's unwavering love for His people. She'll be hosting a Biblical fiction book club discussion, giving away prizes, answering your questions, offering an exclusive peek at the next book in The Restoration Chronicles, and much more!

So grab your copy of Keepers of the Covenant and join Lynn and friends on the evening of October 21st for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)
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Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today by signing up for a reminder. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 21st!



Thank you to Bethany House and Litfuse Publicity, I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.


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