Title: Splendor of the Land
Author: Connilyn Cossette
Series: The King’s Men, book 3
Major Themes: King Saul, Ancient Israel
Synopsis: Gavriel has only ever wanted to forge his weapons and fight alongside some of King Saul’s finest solders, but when his carelessness earns him a demotion, his world crumbles—and even the one final chance to prove himself may not be enough to save him this time.
I’ve enjoyed reading almost all of Connilyn Cossette’s Biblical fiction titles over the years, and whenever I see a new book coming out, I eagerly pounce on it. Splendor of the Land was no different. Because I’ve read the previous two books in the series, I knew who this story would be about, so I didn’t even bother reading the back cover description before requesting an advanced reader copy of the book. Imagine my delight, once I got into the story, when I remembered all over again why I enjoy Cossette’s writing—I think this one is my favorite book of the series so far!
Publisher’s description:
Gavriel, a soldier in the elite company of Yonatan–son of King Saul–dreams of forging his destiny through crafting weapons with his own hands. Despite earning his place among Israel’s finest, he is haunted by a dark past that no distraction can dispel. When his reckless behavior crosses a line, Yonatan gives him one last mission to prove his worth: help persuade a distant Kenite tribe to sever their ties with the Amalekites.
Zahava, a gifted goldsmith hidden behind her father’s legacy, lives in the shadows due to her physical affliction. Her unmatched and unrecognized talent is a closely guarded secret within her family. Disheartened by a future that seems unattainable, she resigns herself to a life of obscurity. However, when Gavriel arrives in her village, they’re tangled together in ways neither could have imagined. As they navigate unforeseen dangers and enemy threats, Gavriel must confront his past and either bend his knee to the One True King or lose the woman he loves forever.
My thoughts:
After reading books one and two in this series, I knew I was in for a more difficult ride with Gavriel’s story. He didn’t have a happy life growing up, and in his attempts to run from that, he got himself in quite a bit of trouble. In this case, I didn’t expect what happened near the beginning of the book, and I think I may have discovered a new favorite romance trope as a result. Maybe. Or maybe it was just so well done, and I was already rooting for the characters, that I loved what happened there. I don’t know. But whatever the case, Cossette pulled me into the story from the first page, and kept me there, even though I read this at a time when I felt like I didn’t have enough time to read—that was impressive!
I did struggle with a couple of aspects of this book. One part of the story near the end of the book felt unlikely to me from a historical perspective, but it did make for a satisfying conclusion. And I struggled with the number of times the marriage bed/consummating a marriage was mentioned. In my opinion, it was a little unnecessary to the story, although I understand why it was there.
Overall, though, I came away from Splendor of the Land with a sigh, glad I’ve had the chance to continue this exploration of King Saul’s time through the eyes of some rather unlikely heroes (and heroines!). Cossette brings Ancient Israel to life, and I loved the encouragement in these pages to turn our deepest hurts and fears over to the Lord, trusting our identity to Him instead of what we can do or how we appear to others.
If you enjoy Biblical fiction from the likes of Lynn Austin, Francine Rivers, or Angela Hunt, and haven’t read any of Connilyn Cossette’s books yet, I’d recommend you check out this book and series—or better yet, start with her Out from Egypt series, and follow through with her next books in publication order, as they progressively move through the story of the Hebrews becoming a nation! I’ve enjoyed her works for years, and am definitely looking forward to reading the last book in this series—the little peek I had through this story tells me it’s going to be another great ride!
I was given a complimentary copy of this book, and this is my honest opinion of it.
WARNING: A character is drunk multiple times at the beginning of the story, but this is shown in a very negative light. Occasionally, there are mentions of prostitutes or men wanting/trying to take advantage of serving women, and multiple times, a man thinks about his loose ways with women in the past. Kissing after marriage is described at times. Chapter 6: Brief unmarried touching. Chapter 8: Mention of girls’ periods, mention of a mother explaining the marriage bed. Chapter 11: Man tells of his father killing his mother. Chapter 12: Lying. Chapter 13: Mention of the marriage bed. Chapter 20: A fight, multiple people killed (some discussion). Chapter 23: Mention of the marriage bed, man severely injured. Chapter 24: “We two finally became one.” (Slight discussion/physical affection before this.) Chapter 25: Mention of indecently dressed women, lying. Chapter 28: I swear. Chapter 29: Lying, a fight with men killed. Epilogue: Oh my goodness.
Age levels:
Reading Independently—Ages 15 and Above, Adults
Links to buy this book:
Amazon: Paperback | Kindle | Hardcover | Audible Audiobook (unabridged)
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
Leave a Reply