cover image Shield of the Mighty

Shield of the Mighty

Connilyn Cossette. Bethany House, $17.99 trade paper (352p) ISBN 978-0-76423-892-5

Cossette (Voice of the Ancient) resumes the King’s Men series with an epic tale of adventure and romance in ancient Israel. Zevi, a captain in King Saul’s army, travels to Maresha to recruit men to fight the Philistines and skilled artisans to serve in Saul’s court. There he meets the lovely Yochana, whose husband died fighting in Saul’s army two years earlier. Zevi’s impressed by her skill as a healer and perfumer and wants to bring her to Gibeah to serve Saul, but Yochana disdains the king who led her husband to his death. Not one to take no for an answer, Zevi kidnaps her and they embark on the perilous trek to Gibeah. Along the way, Yochana learns there is more to Zevi than meets the eye, including his troubled childhood in Maresha. An attraction develops between them, and Zevi comes to regret taking Yochana against her will. But as he prepares to bring her back home, danger strikes from an unexpected source. Cossette keeps the tension high as the chemistry between Zevi and Yochana gathers heat. Propulsive and textured, Cossette’s latest will have fans hungering for more. (Aug.)