Of Fire and Lions by Mesu Andrews Review

About the Book ~

Survival. A Hebrew girl first tasted the need of it when she escaped death nearly seventy years ago as the Babylonian army ransacked Jerusalem and took their finest as captives. She honed her skill while living among the Medes, bowing her knee to both gods and men.

Now, as Daniel's wife and matriarch of her family, Belili things she's safe and can live out her days in Babylon without fear -- until the night Daniel is escorted to King Belshazzar's palace to interpret mysterious handwriting on a wall. On that very night, the Medo-Persian Army invades, and Belili's tightly-wound secrets begin to unravel.

As Yahweh's sovereign hand guides Jerusalem's exiles to the end of captivity, can the frightened Hebrew girl break the chains of survival and dare to live in truth? And how will the conqueror, King Darius, respond to Babylon's longest-living wise man, a man who prays to Yahweh alone? Experience, with Daniel and Belili, the majesty and splendor of Yahweh, the God of fire and lions.

For more information about Mesu Andrews and her books, check out her website here!

My Thoughts ~

Guys, Of Fire and Lions by Mesu Andrews took stories of faith and deliverance that I have been reading my entire life and paired them with a fictional journey of unrelenting, freeing, and redeeming love, bringing the story of Daniel to life in a whole new way! Truly, this beautiful story will move many hearts with the abundance of truths waiting within it's lovely pages!

Daniel and Belili's love story is full of pain, secrets, and -- at long last! -- freedom! Even though the novel spans almost seventy years, I really felt like I knew the characters. The author didn't paint Daniel as an infallible hero of faith -- and I greatly appreciated that! In fact, I wanted to shake some sense into him a couple of times! Daniel is portrayed as a realistic man with desires, hurts, and fears in addition to the faith we know so well from the Bible! Belili's journey deeply moved me, and I found myself crying for her and rejoicing for her. Each facet of her progression as a character was realistic as she made her way from child to matriarch, from orphaned slave to cherished daughter of God, from a life of sin and secrets to one lived in truth and love!

I love Biblical Fiction because Biblical truths come alive with the power of story, and Of Fire and Lions does this so well! If I had to boil the spiritual theme of this book down to one line, it would be when Daniel says (and I'm paraphrasing) that the comfortable has made them afraid to trust God for the uncomfortable. Whether it's for supernatural protection, divine arrangement of events, or revealing painful secrets, this truth is evident throughout the story.

Four Stars ~ Of Fire and Lions will leave you breathless as you travel this fictional story of redeeming love that parallels the real accounts found in the book of Daniel in the Bible! Of Fire and Lions is the second novel in the author's Of Prophets and Kings Series, but readers will have no issue reading it as a standalone! I can honestly say that whatever Mesu Andrews writes, I want to read it! I can't wait for her next epic story!

Disclaimer ~ In accordance with FTC regulations, I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not compensated, nor was a positive review required. All opinions expressed are my own.

See you next time, and God bless you guys!!!

Hugs!

~V. Joy Palmer

V. Joy Palmer is the author of Love, Lace, and Minor Alterations and Weddings, Willows, and Revised Expectations, and she is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She is also an avid blogger and co-founder of Snack Time Devotions. In her spare time, Joy is an unprofessional chocolate connoisseur/binger, and she loves acting crazy and drinking coffee with the teens she mentors. When Joy isn’t urging the elves that live in her computer to write, she’s hanging out with her husband, their adorable baby girl, and their socially awkward pets.

Connect with Joy on her website, personal blog, devotional blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Goodreads, and Amazon Author Page!

Any questions? Check out my Disclosures and Policies Page!