Review: Shelter of the Most High by Connilyn Cossette

Title: Shelter of the Most High
Author: Connilyn Cossette
Publisher: Bethany House
Pages: 352
ISBN: 9780764219870
Publication Date: October 2nd, 2018

About the Book:

The daughter of a pagan high priest, Sofea finds solace from her troubles in the freedom of the ocean. But when marauders attack her village on the island of Sicily, she and her cousin are taken across the sea to the shores of Canaan.

Eitan has lived in Kedesh, a City of Refuge, for the last eleven years, haunted by a tragedy in his childhood and chafing at the boundaries placed on him. He is immediately captivated by Sofea, but revealing his most guarded secret could mean drawing her into the danger of his past.

As threats from outside the walls loom and traitors are uncovered within, Sofea and Eitan are plunged into the midst of a murder plot. Will they break free from the shackles of the past in time to uncover the betrayal and save their lives and the lives of those they love?

My Thoughts:
Connilyn Cossette is an author who I have followed since her first book, Counted with the Stars, came out. With each story she has told, the more detailed and emotionally involved I have gotten and it has just been a fabulous journey!

We were introduced to Eitan in the first book of Cities of Refuge series, A Light on the Hill, when he was a boy. He has now grown into a young man, who has learned a lot of things and still has a desire to do more. He has a stubborn streak that has been both good and bad. We see what the start of living in Kedesh was like for him when he moved there with Moriyah. You can check out A Light on the Hill for all of Moriyah's story, I promise to not spoil it for you here. ;-)

Sofea, goodness, when we are introduced to her, she is a carefree young woman, enjoying the waves and her village with her cousin. That changes however, very quickly. Her life as she knows it has been stripped from her. The journey to Kedesh is one of pain for her and her cousin. She is a woman in a strange land and doesn't know the tongue.

Eitan and Sofea are each broken in their own way. They each have a lot to learn. They also both learn a lot about their trust and faith in God.

This story hooked me from the beginning. I love the continuation of this series and the growth of the characters and keeping up with the ones we have fallen in love with all ready. It is the perfect mix. Seeing broken people and the struggles they face and the strength and hope that comes from it, it something that you really can't get enough of.

Connilyn Cossette, does an amazing job of presenting these Old Testament settings and bringing them to life. The research she has done shines through. She has stuck to the text, but has brought it to a new light with her characters. The information she has written about has made me want to look further into this time and settings.

This was a fabulous book, and I honestly can't wait to read book 3, Until the Mountains Fall, due out in July 2019.

I was able to listen to this story on Audible as well as read the book. I was thrilled to see that the previous narrator was back to continue the performance of this story. She was able to really bring some emotion in to her reading and made it pop.

5 out of 5

About the Author:

When she is not homeschooling her two sweet kids (with a full pot of coffee at hand), bestselling author Connilyn Cossette is scribbling notes on spare paper, mumbling about her imaginary friends, and reading obscure, out-of-print history books. There is nothing she likes better than digging into the rich, ancient world of the Bible and uncovering buried gems of grace that point toward Jesus. Her novel Counted With the Stars won the 2013 Frasier Contest and was a semifinalist in the 2013 ACFW Genesis Contest. Although a Pacific Northwest native, she now lives near Dallas, Texas.

Connect with her at www.connilyncossette.com.



Thank you to the author, I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.