9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful book!, July 19, 2006
"Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem." (2 Kings 21:1). "Manasseh misled Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the sons of Israel. And the LORD spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention." (2 Chronicles 33:9-10)
Faithful to God, and refusing to follow Manasseh, a remnant of Jews escapes to Egypt where they live Among the Gods. Included are Joshua, a mason by trade and mercenary by choice; Prince Amariah, the King's brother and next in line for the throne; and Miriam, a servant girl who will stop at nothing to protect those she loves.
The story is two-fold: one establishes a Jewish community in the far reaches of Egypt, and one continues to fight against Manasseh's godless reign. Lynn Austin has woven the parts together using actual Scriptural references and good fiction writing.
Although fiction, I learned much about God and His love for His people; a lot about Scripture; and the timing of events. For example, Isaiah was alive at the time of Manasseh. (Tradition holds that Manasseh had him put to death by sawing him in half.) Joshua looks to the "scrolls of Isaiah" for fulfillment of the prophecy--"Hide yourselves for a little while until His wrath has passed by. See, the Lord is coming to punish the people of earth for their sins." (Isaiah 26:20-21). I haven't finished checking all the cross references, but I did enjoy the reading of Manasseh's reign in 2 Kings 21 and 2 Chronicles 33. I also found the reference to Amariah; he never becomes king himself but he plays an important part in the royal line of David.
Action, adventure, romance, testimony to God's love, wisdom and power, all wrapped up in one story. The thoughts are great for solitary contemplation or for a book club.
Armchair Interviews says: Among the Gods is the fifth book in the Chronicles of the Kings series, so you can read this as part of the series or read this book that stands alone.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best one yet out of the series, August 3, 1998
By A Customer
Ms. Austin's books, the series from Kings and Chronicles have been excellent and informative. Her writing capabilities are beyond words. This 5th book in the series, Among The Gods was spell bounding, heart pounding and could not be put down. You will truly feel like you know the characters before you are done, and you will hate for it to end.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Among the Best, March 8, 2006
I have been following this series since book 1. I loved all of them. I especially appreciate the effort made to keep things as historically and Biblically accurate as possible. Among the Gods really challenges the reader to consider how idolatry may be affecting their own life and relationships. Lynne Austin also has a unique way of making you really attach to one or two characters and champion them the whole way through even if you already have some knowledge of how the story may end. All in all, I loved it and am eagerly waiting for any other historically based Bible fiction that she will offer.
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