Mesu Andrews has done it again with another profoundly moving Biblical fiction novel. It was a finalist for a Christy award and has a perfect 5 Star rating on Amazon out of 207 reviews, and it’s obvious why!
The Old Testament book of Daniel comes to life in this novel for readers of Lynn Austin’s Chronicles of the Kings series or Francine Rivers’ Mark of the Lion series.
FINALIST FOR THE CHRISTY AWARD®
Survival. A Hebrew girl first tasted it when she escaped death nearly seventy years ago as the Babylonians ransacked Jerusalem and took their finest as captives. She thought she’d perfected in the many years amongst the Magoi and the idol worshippers, pretending with all the others in King Nebuchadnezzar’s court. Now, as Daniel’s wife and a septuagenarian matriarch, Belili thinks she’s safe and she can live out her days in Babylon without fear–until the night Daniel is escorted to Belshazzar’s palace to interpret mysterious handwriting on a wall. The Persian Army invades, and Bellili’s tightly-wound secrets unfurl with the arrival of the conquering army. What will the reign of Darius mean for Daniel, a man who prays to Yahweh alone?
Ultimately, Yahweh’s sovereign hand guides Jerusalem’s captives, and the frightened Hebrew girl is transformed into a confident woman, who realizes her need of the God who conquers both fire and lions.
Of Fire and Lions took me on an unexpectedly epic and emotional journey through the life of Daniel and his fictional wife, Abigail/Belili. The way Mesu wove together the Biblical events of Daniel’s life and the fictional life of Abigail was masterfully done. She managed to keep it true to scripture while still crafting a vivid, fully-formed picture of Daniel that I never would have considered before. And his and Abigail’s love—tried and true and strong even in their old age—is so beautiful. That is the kind of love I hope I always have with my husband—the kind that can survive any test or trial, no matter how difficult.
I loved the way Mesu laid the story out in a nonlinear way, switching back and forth between the characters’ younger years and their later years at the end of the exile. It gave the story such a great pace and flow. Just when I’d get caught up in the event happening, I’d be whisked through time to a different but closely related event and I just had to keep reading to find out what happened next.
Above all, the two things I loved the most about this book was 1.) the fact that these characters, from Daniel and Abigail’s children and grandchildren to the couple themselves, were realistically imperfect. This is a broken family full of broken people that is eventually made by God into something truly beautiful. And 2.) the message that God can bring life and joy from death and destruction. That He is the One who will stand with you in the fire and shut the mouths of lions. And most of all, that we must hold loosely to this world and those we love and hold fast to the Lord above all else. Everyone and everything else can fail us, but He never will.
5/5 Stars for this powerful Biblical novel. I am SO glad I finally read this book, and if you’re a fan of Biblical fiction or enjoy learning more about Biblical/ancient world history, you should read it too!
