As my debut novel into the world of Biblical fiction, Connilyn Cossette's Counted with the Stars gave me a taste of what to expect, and it sure was yummy! A series of novels based on the book of Exodus had me intrigued. How will Conni write in the plagues, the parting of the sea, Moses & Aaron, and God's voice on Mt. Sinai? How?!  With grace and imagination.

My blog schedule is pretty packed this month, and I thought I might not be able to fit in this one, but I couldn't wait to read it. So when I had the chance, I read it and can't get it out of my mind. With that said, I know I just had to write my review, and schedule the post. So when you read this and have read the book, please feel free to openly discuss it with me. Even if you haven't, lets chat!

Back to Counted with the Stars. From the very first page, I was wrapped into the life of Kiya, her thoughts, and experience (on a literary sense) her plight from a master to a slave. Her life drastically changed in a matter of seconds as her father signed away her freedom. Kiya's resiliency in face of her "shame" and withstanding the abuse of her new master, speaks volumes to the strength of her character.  True, her uncertainty and disbelief in Yahweh, as well as her spoiled upbringing led way to mistakes, but it makes for a heroine that we can relate to. Each character was well developed to the extent of providing readers with a profound sense of life as a Hebrew and as an Egyptian in Egypt during this historical moment in time. The romance aspect of this novel also deserves a mentioned, because it reminds me of what God wants for us in terms of our perfect partner in life.

Conni writes with thoughtful analysis from the perspective of Kiya and how as someone just part of the flight from Egypt, what may be seen as miracles can come off as confusion. I like this perspective because it gives a glimpse of how what happened with Pharoah and Moses were passed on through word of mouth and how the many signs of Yahweh were perceived.  What were the outcome to the initial plagues? How did the Egyptians treat the Hebrews since? What danger lies ahead?  I highly recommend going back to the book of Exodus after reading Counted with the Stars. I think it will give you new insight.

God's deliverance of the Hebrews through Moses is a a Bible story many of us are familiar with. How Conni chose to combine research and her creativity as a writer is refreshing to say the least. Her use of "common folks" have relayed God's message in Exodus.

"Yahweh is the creator of all that there is. He is the most real thing, the only eternal thing. Our hearts will stop beating, our eyes will close, the mountains may someday crumble, the trees will wither away, but Yahweh will always be." (333)

NOTE:  I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, Bethany House for an honest review.   All opinions expressed are my own. For my review policy, please see my Disclosure page.

29 Authors #ChristianFictionReadersRetreat this summer in Nashville, TN! #Win #Giveaways https://t.co/BZVSuCXijg pic.twitter.com/bRR3OHIrKG

— Just Commonly (@JustCommonly) April 8, 2016