Cossette Consistently Brings the Old Testament to Life in an Engrossing, Fresh New Way 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 … 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?
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This book was such a fascinating look into the Biblical Canaanite world! From first page to last, I was utterly captivated by Alanah’s and Tobiah’s stories. I loved how the two of them grew, both in their own lives, together, and in the faith they had in God. It was so beautiful! It left me with such a bigger view of God and his incredible grace and love for his people. Highly recommend.
Wings of the Wind is a spectacular conclusion to the trilogy. Rich with vivid descriptions that immerse you into the story. I devoured this series. Ms. Cossette has quickly become a favorite author!
Recommend to readers who enjoy Biblical fiction.
I won a copy. All views expressed are my honest opinion.
By incorporating events from the 40 years of desert wandering which held the greatest spiritual lessons for Israel, Connilyn Cossette delivers a knock-out Christian fiction novel. Wings of the Wind is her best work to date and a story I will ABSOLUTELY read again. Her writing allowed me to walk in the sandals of these characters all the way up to the walls of Jericho.
Alanah’s capture and marriage to Tobiah is inspired by God’s law governing female captives of war (Deuteronomy 21:10-14). Instead of dragging her away as spoil, Tobiah rescues Alanah off the field of battle in an act of protection. Cossette superbly contends with the fluctuating emotions these characters felt as they transitioned from enemies to allies. Equally believable were the reactions other Israelites, including family, would have had towards Tobiah’s intended.
From individual characters to the nation as a whole—God’s provision, grace, and justice pervades this story. The continual contrast between rebellion and obedience, kindness and hatred, trust and doubt, kept the story alive and engaging. To top it off, there was a surprise planted about two thirds of the way through that made me want to squeal! I actually stopped and tweeted “I surprises, @ConniCossette!” While you won’t find it anywhere in scripture, the twist was genius and it screamed Romans 8:28.
Cossette’s debut novel Counted with the Stars, brought us through the plagues of Egypt and the Red Sea. Shadow of the Storm demonstrated how under God’s care a fledgling nation was being multiplied and molded. Finally, in Wings of the Wind we step with Israel into the Promised Land. This is a book and series you do not want to miss!
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Christian Shelf-Esteem received a book to facilitate this review. The views and opinions expressed are 100% honest and my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255 Guidelines, concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising.
I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this series. It has made me think through and understand more about the rituals given and followed by the Israelites in the Old Testament. The way they have been written has helped to bring some of the events that happened in the Bible to life. I can see and understand some of these events and the thoughts that people may have been having during them better now. These books have, also, helped me to understand more about God’s plan to save us from our sins and how Jesus the ultimate sacrifice for our sins.
The stories, themselves, have been very entertaining. I enjoyed to characters and how realistic they were with their individual struggles. At no point in these stories, did I lose interest in reading.
Connilyn Cossette gets better with each book. Though it’s hard to pick a favorite of the three Out of Egypt books, Wings of the Wind nearly takes the win. It’s hard to separate them out because they work so well as a trilogy, telling an over-arching story that made me eager to be with these characters again. For me, a sign of great biblical fiction is when I’m inspired to pick up my Bible again, and re-read those familiar stories with fresh eyes. This is what the Out of Egypt series has done for me. Cossette is entirely respectful of scripture, highlighting miracles and acts of God throughout the Israelites wandering years in the desert.
The plot is steady, giving plenty of room for both character development and action. There is also a strong sense of place, whether it’s in the desert or in the debauched city of Jericho. The setting brims with life – the barbarity of some of the customs and the danger that life could bring during that time is portrayed well. Despite an unforgiving landscape and much hardship, there was still beauty and happiness to be found in the lives of the Israelites.
I adored Alanah’s character. She is strong in so many ways, yet sometimes her strength – and stubbornness – are her biggest weaknesses. Cossette’s first person narration of both Alanah and Tobiah is so well-done. They are both two of my favorite characters that I’ve “met” this year. Both Alanah and Tobiah are believable characters as individuals, and as a couple, wow, do those sparks fly. Their interactions are full of passion, humor, love and sacrifice. I know I say it in my reviews often, but a couple that I can really believe in is one of the things I look for in the romantic thread of the story, and that is definitely the case here.
I also loved the way that characters from past books were still a key part of the story. Not only was I just happy to see them again, but it really emphasizes the continuity of the over-arching story of the forty years the Hebrews spent in the desert. It truly adds a special depth to the story to see these characters again, while also providing different views of the story – that of an Egyptian woman, Kiya, in book one, a Hebrew woman, Shira, in book two, and then through the eyes of Alanah, a Canaanite and a complete outsider in every way. The author also includes new characters in this story, and I sincerely hope Moriyah will make an appearance in a future book – I just loved that girl! Tobiah’s voice in this book is very well-done, and I enjoyed getting the story from both his and Alanah’s perspectives.
Here at the end of the series, it’s hard not to look at them as a whole. I’m so glad I took a chance on a new-to-me and debut author with the first book in this series. They are uplifting, entertaining stories, and I feel enriched after having read them. I’m so excited that Connilyn Cossette has another series in the works, and I can’t wait to read it. The Wings of the Wind is definitely a 2017 favorite for me!