Customer Reviews

Song of Redemption (Chronicles of the Kings #2)

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Ms. Austin's second book in her Chronicles of the Kings series is just as good as her previous title. This story pick up where "God and Kings" leaves off and again brings tales of the Old Testament to life once again.

King Hezekiah wants to rule under God's law. His path won't be easy and he will have choices that he will have to make that will not be popular or easy. Once such choice will be to rebel against the Assyrian leaders to the North of his country. Once this decision is made tasks are taken to protect the city and the water supply. The closer his enemy comes to the city the more Hezekiah's advisors suggest that he make peace with the Assyrian's. This is not an option to the strong leader who has made a decision and will stand by it...no matter what. There is a second part to this story and it's about his choice of wife. Will he stay true to his wife Hephzibah or will he look for another to stand by his side?

Hephzibah is strong and loves her husband King Hezekiah. She is heart broken when he turns to his concubines for company and support. Than miracle of miracles he turns to her. Together they fight the enemy and become a united front. King Hezekiah finds support where he least expected to find it. Will his love for Hephzibah also bring him a small amount of peace?

Again this was a very good and descriptive read. Ms. Austin has brought this time period to life and fans of historic fiction will have their appetite sated for sure. For those that are not familiar with the bibles teachings this will be a good read for them. Ms. Austin has again brought the Old Testament to life in a way that will transport the reader back to this very turbulent time. I highly recommend Ms. Austin and her Chronicles of the Kings series.

Official Reviewer for www.romancedesigns.com

Following the blasphemy of his father, Hezekiah sits on David's throne. He wants to do the right thing for his people starting with a renewed belief in Yahweh and a cleansing of the Temple. However, adhering to the laws of Yahweh is complex and dangerous. The young monarch has enemies who make demands on him.

Making matters worse the Assyrians are demanding tribute that his country can ill afford though prosperity has begun to return. More critical to Hezekiah, he believes God will protect the Jews though his closest advisors counsel him to pray. When he meets Jerusha, a Jew who fled from Assyrian captivity; he knows he has found his queen. As the Assyrians march closer to Jerusalem, pressure on Hezekiah to abandon the Lord grows, but though he has doubts shared by his frightened spouse, he stays the course.

SONG OF REDEMPTION continues the fascinating biographical fictionalized account of King Hezekiah (see GOD AND KINGS) trying to return his people to the one God while struggling with his council recommending bowing to the Assyrians instead of Yahweh. Readers will feel they have been transplanted to biblical times as Lynn Austin brings to life Hezekiah trying to stay what he believes is the proper course that Yahweh would expect him to lead his people down. This is an insightful well written biblical biographical fiction that readers will treasure.

Harriet Klausner

This was an excellent read. I was involved from the first chapter and never stopped being excited to get time to continue reading. I am presently in the second book and am feeling the same enthusiasm at getting back to my book.
I am always encouraged by a reminder of how God is truly involved in our lives and is our rock and our fortress and that He has a plan that is bigger than us.

This second book in the series was just as addictive as the first and grabs you from the first page. I love that I feel like I'm living so many years ago and can feel everything the characters are going through. Ms. Austin has done a great job of bringing us together with the characters so we can cheer and grieve with them. Thank you so much for writing this, and it's fair to say I'm officially hooked on this series!

After surviving a tumultuous childhood, when Hezekiah is at last crowned king of Judah he determines to purge his country of idolatry and return to the worship of Yahweh. But years of idol worship are not set aside so easily by all of his subjects, and his sweeping religious reforms meet with stiff opposition. When the Temple is rededicated and the celebratory feasts are re-established, Hezekiah sees the beginning of God's answer to his heart's cry -- his people are turning back to God, and prosperity is returning to his ravaged land. Longing to shake free of the last vestiges of Ahaz's rule, Hezekiah decides to forego the annual tribute payment to Assyria, a risky move as the dreaded Assyrians outmatch the Judeans in strength and funds. Faced with the most terrifying army in the world, Hezekiah confronts his greatest challenge yet -- to bow to what the eye can see, to fear, or gamble everything on faith in an unseen and unshakeable God's promises.

Song of Redemption is a novel saturated in biblical history and the faith of the ancients that still has the power to speak to us today. Taking the accounts in 2 Kings 17-18 and 2 Chronicles 29-32 as her basis, Austin brings ancient Judah to life at the crossroads of idolatry and religious revival. Hezekiah and his contemporaries leap living and breathing from the page, very relatable human beings faced with one of mankind's oldest conflicts -- the choice between faith and fear. I absolutely loved seeing worship come alive through Austin's prose. Her well-researched, biblically grounded storyline breathes fresh life into the Old Testament texts, giving the reader a relatable example in Hezekiah as to what the Temple, what the revival of this time meant to the Jewish people. Austin's representation of Hezekiah's character is a sterling example of what I love about biblical fiction -- it can be a powerful reminder that the people immortalized within the pages of the Bible were not superhuman giants of the faith, but very much fallible human beings, assailed by the same struggles we face today -- the pitfalls of pride, fear, and doubt.

The first third of Song is a bit slow-going, but by the second third, when Judah is faced with annihilation by the Assyrians, the novel becomes unput-downable. This history absolutely fascinates me. Faced with the promise of an Assyrian siege, Hezekiah took steps to reinforce Jerusalem's walls and to secure the city's water supply from the Gihon Spring. The engineering of Hezekiah's tunnel is nothing short of miraculous, a fascinating slice of history Austin deftly brings to life. While I love Hezekiah's character, I think I most relate to the storyline Austin introduces involving Jerusha, an escaped Assyrian captive, and Eliakim, the chief engineer charged with improving Judah's defenses. Jerusha's faith and self-worth have been shattered by the atrocities she endured, while Eliakim places his faith in himself and what he can see, the work of his hands. They are powerful reminders of mankind's never-ending tendency to make any given problem bigger than the God we claim to serve and believe in. His capacity for redemption and His power to save know no bounds, and Eliakim and Jerusha's story is a challenge to live lives with faith unleashed.

While I was a bit struck by the dialogue, which at times seemed entirely too modern, that is a minor qualm. Song of Redemption is biblical fiction at its best, a story that brings the forefathers of the faith to vibrant life and will inspire you to look at the source material with fresh eyes, to live your faith out loud.

The second book of the series was better than the first one. The author used more suspense that kept me turning those pages. The situations felt real through vivid descriptions. You can feel the writer's powerful talent to make a reader a part of the story. I felt like an insider of the story walking paths with all of the people in this made up tale. The writer has a great sensibility to describe human nature and each feeling. The book is about the freedom and great faith. Faith gives you freedom and does not confine you to things that you can feel with your hands. It should be felt within your heart.
The writer added to the story a theme of a beautiful young love that grows. You anticipate the relationship along the way.
In this book, little birdie is a metaphor for freedom. Did the bird find its home or come back to the cage? The writer stirs your emotions and creates a remarkable journey.
The book is written in an easy going language.

The first in the series was a fantastic read. This was even better. I started reading and didn't stop untill I finished. Maybe it was just me but I needed to know how the lives of the characters changed and went on. I hope to continue reading Lynn Austin. What a great gift God has given her...

This is an amazing series. I love historical fiction because you really get a better feel for the times,places and people of the past. This is a wonderful peek into the life of King Hezekiah and Isaiah. Very intriguing. Hated to have the series end. It leaves me wanting more from Lynn Austin.

This is a beautiful love story, but more predominantly a story of growing faith in the midst of great trial of that faith. Well written.

I loved this series. I went to Jerusalem last spring and this series really made Jerusalem and its history come to life. The stories are fascinating and the author went to great lengths to keep it historically accurate. Some of the language bothered me because it was "too modern". Other than that, I loved them!