Title: A Faith Untamed
Author: April W Gardner
Series: Yoke of Babylon, book 2
Major Themes: Babylon, War, Jerusalem, Ancient Israel
Synopsis: As Nebuzaradan continues to destroy Jerusalem under orders from the king of Babylon, he simultaneously struggles with his attraction to Liora, who he cannot touch because of a rash vow—and despite her will, she finds herself attracted to him!
After I read A Light Undimmed last year, I could hardly wait for the sequel to arrive. April W Gardner did a good job of ending the book on a cliff-hanger! What happened next in the saga of Liora and Nebuzaradan? How could they break the deadlock they found themselves in?
Publisher’s description:
Jerusalem 587 BC: Liora, once a noblewoman of Jerusalem, is now bound to General Nebuzaradan, the Butcher of Babylon, who captured her city and now strips the Temple bare of wealth and dignity. Though her future fate seems sealed, a rash vow he made to Yahweh keeps him at a distance.
Just when she believes the worst is past, a rebel from the hills seeks her out, and an ambitious Babylonian prince arrives with designs for the Ark. While the rebel wants her aid and the prince wants her knowledge, Nebuzaradan simply wants her. As Jerusalem burns, Liora is thrust into the dangerous political games between prince and general, rebel and the people of her heart.
In a world of destruction and intrigue, Liora is once again a tool in the hands of power-hungry men—only her untamable faith in Yahweh will guide her through.
My thoughts:
I found myself a little bit disappointed with A Faith Untamed when compared with A Light Undimmed. It was a lot heavier on the romance than the first book in the series; I prefer lighter romance with more emphasis on the history or what is happening in the characters’ hearts and minds. It felt like a lot of this book was focused on the interactions of Nebuzaradan and Liora, and how they wanted to be together, but couldn’t because of his rash vow.
I did appreciate the glimpse into the fall of Jerusalem. As I said in my review of the first book, I haven’t read much before about Jerusalem’s conquest by the Babylonians. I love how much research April W Gardner does, and how she can describe the setting so clearly. Parts of this story are pure conjecture, but just as likely as not to have happened. The results of people turning away from God are shown here in stark reality—something that should sober all of us.
The bottom line? I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I hoped, but I did like it enough to want to read the final book in the trilogy when it comes out.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author, and these are my honest thoughts about it.
WARNING: There is a lot of violence and murder (the Babylonians are conquering a city!). There is a vague reference to a rape, followed by a suicide.
Age levels:
Reading Independently— Adults
Links to buy this book:
Amazon: Paperback | Kindle
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
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