Like Flames in the Night

Author: Connilyn Cossette
Genre: Biblical Fiction
Series: Cities of Refuge #4
Release Date: March 3, 2020

Strong-willed Tirzah wants to join her people in driving the enemy from the land of Israel and undergoes training for a secret mission inside the stronghold of Shechem. But soon after she has infiltrated the ruthless Aramean commander's kitchen, she makes a reckless decision that puts her and her allies in grave danger.

Fresh off the battlefield, Liyam returns home to discover his beloved daughter is dead. After his vow to hunt down her killer leads to months of fruitless pursuit, his last hope is in a family connection that comes with strings attached. Strings that force him to pose as a mercenary and rescue an infuriating woman who refuses to leave her mission uncompleted.

When an opportunity to pave a path to a Hebrew victory arises, can Tirzah convince Liyam to fight alongside her in the refuge city of her birth? Or will Liyam's thirst for vengeance outweigh his duty to his people, his God, and the woman he's come to love?

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Reviewer: Winnie Thomas

Once again Connilyn Cossette has blown me away with her masterful storytelling abilities. Her ability to take Biblical happenings and create believable and compelling fictional stories to complement them is amazing and captivating. With evident deep historical research, Like Flames in the Night is filled with rich descriptive detail, colorful and engaging characters, and nonstop hair-raising action and suspense.

This fourth, and last, book in the Cities of Refuge series features Tirzah who is the youngest daughter of Moriyah and Darek from book 1 of the series. Tirzah is independent, courageous, and confident. Moreover, she possesses serious physical skills which will serve her well as she attempts to infiltrate the city held by the enemy and uncover critical information for her people to retake the city. Liyam is brave, intent, and charged with rescuing Tirzah when things go wrong. I loved the interaction between Tirzah and Liyam and seeing their relationship grow and develop. The strong cast of secondary characters added a great deal to my enjoyment of the story. It was fun seeing some of the characters from previous books return in this one.

With a perfect balance of heart-pounding suspense, intrigue, history, and a side of romance, this book has a little of everything. Although this is inherently a faith-filled story, Cossette skillfully incorporates faith in God, the importance of family, and the power of forgiveness into the tale to add depth and dimension to it. I’m adding this book to my keeper shelf with the others from this series. It will definitely be on my list of favorite books of the year.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from Bethany House Publishers and NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

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Reviewer: Mindy Houng

"Justice without mercy was tyranny, and mercy without justice was lawlessness. Yahweh had created both to work together, for his glory and for our good."

This book's powerful words will remain with you long after its last words have been read. The soul-stirring journey of Liyam's heart will have you weeping, rejoicing, and cheering as he's gently led to understand God's justice, mercy, and forgiveness. The two first-person point of view from Tirzah and Liyam flows seamlessly to create a masterpiece that melds biblical account, historical account, and brilliantly creative fiction during the time of Aramean occupancy of the Promised Land and Othniel's uprising against the Arameans.  

The author has a gift of bringing the biblical period to life in full color and her characters, with their tangible emotional burdens, will grab your heart from page one. The author balances the responsibility and commitment of the Israelites as a community through Tirzah's life with the personal responsibility and commitment of a single follower of Yahweh through Liyam's life to create an incredible picture of what a righteous generation looks like. The cities of refuge, where this four-book series takes place, offer justice and mercy to those who need them the most, and Liyam has to engage in physical and emotional battle all over the Promised Land to finally comprehend God's perfect justice and mercy.

I love that this book ties in the author's book Wings of the Wind from the previous series Out of Egypt with this series. Though this book is the final book of this current series, it can be read as a stand-alone, especially because the author provides timely recaps of the secondary characters' stories without slowing down the plot. If you have been following the series, you will love the glimpses of Moriyah and Darek's clan and delight in how Eitan and Malakhi grow up to be respected leaders of their people. There is plenty of action, suspense, and intrigue as Tirzah and Liyam cloak themselves in the world of espionage to further the cause of obtaining their people's freedom. Liyam and Tirzah are unforgettable, two of my favorite book characters of all time.

If you enjoy biblical fiction, this book (and the series) is a must read. The impeccable research, well-crafted plot, memorable characters, and trustworthy faith lessons found in this book will make you a fan of Connilyn Cossette, too, if you aren't already.

I received a copy of the book from Bethany House Publishers and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.

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Reviewer: Laura J. Davis

I am so glad Connilyn Cossette wanted more of Moriyah and Darek and their family when she finished writing Until the Mountains Fall. Like Flames in the Night is a fitting end to a series rich in biblical history.

In this final book, we meet Tirzah, Moriyah and Darek's daughter. She is a vibrant character, a bit of a tom-boy, single-minded and determined to help her people drive the enemy from their land. I loved her! I kept picturing Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman) as I read about her. And she was the perfect match for Liyam who came to rescue her, but he was the one who needed rescuing. Their love story makes me wish this series hadn't ended!

The theme of God's mercy and our responsibility to show mercy to those who have harmed us was a fitting one for this series. Up until this book, we have seen characters flee to the cities of refuge to find mercy. But in Like Flames in the Night, Liyam is the blood avenger and will stop at nothing to catch the killer of his daughter. How his thirst for revenge played out is well worth the read.

I loved this series, and you will, too, if you like Biblical Fiction. I highly recommend it! 

I was provided with a copy of this book courtesy of Bethany House through NetGalley.

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