Title: Wings of the Wind
Author: Connilyn Cossette
Series: Out from Egypt, book 3
Major Themes: Ancient Israel, Biblical Fiction, Romance
Synopsis: Determined to avenge her father and brothers’ deaths, Alanah sneaks into battle against the Israelites—but after being found by an Israelite warrior, her life won’t ever look the same again.
Having read Counted With the Stars and Shadow of the Storm, I knew I wanted to finish the series by reading Wings of the Wind sometime, but that never quite happened, for one reason or another. Sometimes, I wonder if my reluctance to finish a series stems from not wanting to leave the characters behind—other times, I think it’s just that it’s hard to pick with the sheer number of choices in reading matter these days. I finally circled back to this series, though, and picked this book up recently—and as soon as I’d gotten one or two chapters in, I wondered why in the world I hadn’t picked it up sooner. It’s a good story!
Publisher’s description:
Alanah, a Canaanite, is no stranger to fighting and survival. When her family is killed in battle with the Hebrews, she disguises herself and sneaks onto the battlefield to avenge her family. The one thing she never counted on was surviving.
Tobiah, a Hebrew warrior, is shocked to find an unconscious, wounded woman among the Canaanite casualties. Compelled to bring her to a Hebrew healer back at their camp, he is soon confronted with a truth he can’t ignore: the only way to protect this enemy is to marry her.
Unused to being weak and vulnerable, Alanah submits to the marriage—for now. As she comes to know and respect Tobiah and his people, however, she begins to second-guess her plans of escape. But when her past has painfully unanticipated consequences, the tentative peace she’s found with Tobiah, the Hebrews, and Yahweh is shaken to the core. Can Alanah’s fierce heart and strength withstand the ensuing threats to her life and all she’s come to love?
My thoughts:
I loved the way Cossette put this book together. Alanah is a great main character, spunky and relatable, and it was a lot of fun to see her trying to figure out what she should do with the new situation that was thrust upon her. I also loved that this book is a bit of a twist on the old enemies-to-lovers trope; having that element in Biblical fiction was enjoyable and it gave an interesting glimpse into what it may have been like for Canaanite women taken in war.
From a Biblical fiction standpoint, I feel like this book did very well. Not only did it utilize a (semi) obscure Biblical command as a main theme in the story, but it also gave a fascinating perspective on the Israelite’s last months in their forty years of wandering and the way they conquered Jericho. I found the story of the snakes in the camp—and Moses’ brass snake—fascinating, and I also was intrigued at the brief but sad glimpse into what happened when the Moabite women “made Israel sin” at Baal-Peor (no specifics there, but the lead-up to the story, knowing as I do how it ended, was interesting). This is also a bit of a peek at the Canaanite culture at the time—through the eyes of someone who was marveling at the Israelite way of life. We read in the Bible that the Canaanites were sinful, and that’s why God had the Israelites destroy them, but this book gives a bit of a picture of what that world looked like. It wasn’t enough to make me feel dirty reading about it, but it did make God’s command a lot more understandable.
I didn’t agree with or enjoy everything in the book; occasionally, some scenes felt like they danced a little too close to the intimate side of marriage to make me comfortable. But overall, I found the romance in this book more enjoyable than some stories, as the characters (one, especially) gave up what they wanted or preferred so others could benefit—I loved that!
If you enjoy Biblical fiction, I recommend you check out Wings of the Wind and its accompanying series. A wholesome, gripping picture of the Israelites growing in their faith in God, and a sweet romance with a bit of a twist, this is one I couldn’t put down, and I’m only sad that the series is finished. This was a good read!
WARNING: (I tried to get the right chapter numbers for this one, but I was guessing several times.) In the early chapters of the book, there are a few mentions of Canaanite gods and prostitutes who “served” the gods. Chapter 2: a battle, woman hurt, people killed. Chapter 6: a mention of the marriage bed, man cuts his hand to make a covenant. Chapter 7: “thank the gods”. Chapter 9: remembering seeing a man who died. Chapter 11: man referring to prostitutes and what he liked doing with them. Chapter 12: remembering seeing child sacrifice. Chapter 14: “sworn”. Chapter 16: man remembers being in a battle. Chapter 18: lying, mention of a girl’s flow, men using temple prostitutes, and the marriage tent. Chapter 20: telling about a man who was killed after murdering someone. Chapter 21: animal dies, woman bitten by a snake. Chapter 22: a kiss. Chapter 25: mention of a monthly flow, someone finds out they killed someone. Chapter 26: woman and girl kidnapped. Chapter 30: people see people hanging and dying, man rips a girl’s tunic and reveals that she is a girl, and a mention of temple priestesses who wanted to turn a girl into a prostitute. Chapter 33: mention of a woman who died by deliberately walking off a cliff; woman tries to seduce a man. Chapter 36: woman in labor. Chapter 37: woman tells about being stolen and taken to be a temple prostitute, her child being sacrificed to a false god. Chapter 38: lying, reference to prostitution. Chapter 39: man killed (offscreen), girl kidnapped. Chapter 40: girl branded, man killed, woman forced to strip and dress as a prostitute. Chapter 41: lying, woman almost killed. Chapter 42: girl killed by falling rubble. Chapter 44: a kiss. Chapter 45: a man hints he wants alone time with his wife.
Age levels:
Reading Independently—Ages 15 and Above, Adults
Links to buy this book:
Amazon: Paperback | Kindle | Hardcover | Audible Audiobook (unabridged) | Audio CD (unabridged)
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
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