Mesu’s skill for bringing the Bible to life never fails to amaze me. My latest Audible listen, In the Shadow of Jezebel, shone a light on an area of the Bible that I honestly didn’t even know was there–though I know I have definitely read the story before!
Trained as a priestess in the temple of Baal, Princess Jehosheba strives to please the demanding Queen Athaliah, daughter of Jezebel. But when a mysterious letter from the dead prophet Elijah predicts doom for the royal household, Jehosheba realizes that the dark arts she practices reach beyond the realm of earthly governments.
Forced to marry Yahweh’s high priest in order to further Athaliah and Jezebel’s power plays, Jehosheba enters the unfamiliar world of Yahweh’s Temple. Can her new husband show her the truth and love she craves? And can Jehosheba overcome her fear and save the family–and the nation–she loves?
With deft skill, Mesu Andrews brings the Old Testament to life, revealing a fascinating story of the power of unconditional love.
While I didn’t love this book as much as I did some of Mesu’s other books I’ve read (I think this is mostly because I listened to it on Audible versus reading it myself), I did feel the story was well written and the characters engaging. I was pleasantly surprised by how Sheba and Jehoiada’s relationship progressed, and the strong theme of friendship/sisterhood between Sheba, Zibiah, and Keilah was refreshing. Sheba’s character arc was equally well-developed. I loved the fact that she took everything Queen Athaliah taught her and turned it around to use for good instead of evil. Athaliah thought she had Sheba wrapped around her finger, but little did she know, her “puppet” was working against her the entire time.
As I stated above, Mesu fleshed out a true story in the Bible that I don’t remember even reading, but, thanks to the scripture references before each chapter, I know is definitely there. What I thought was simply a marriage of convenience story turned out to also be one about preserving the line of David and God’s holy covenant in the face of unimaginable evil. Even in Judah’s rebellion, God was faithful and delivered His people from certain destruction.
4.5/5 Stars for In the Shadow of Jezebel by Mesu Andrews! This is a powerful and memorable novel read that I highly recommend for all Biblical fiction fans.
