Song of Redemption (Chronicles of the Kings #2)

I found the characters' inner conflicts particularly well written. This series does stir something within to serve the one true God and only Him.

Lynn Austin brings the Old Testament to life and it has greatly affected my love for The Lord. It is like The Chosen series, but with the Old Testament :)

I would like to return one of the books.

This story is inspairing with deep meaning to hold on to God. Praise to God for giving such a talent to Lynn

Lynn Austin is one of my favorite authors. I am enjoying this series and, at 3.99 for the Kindle version, I can't complain about the price.First, the negative:I found the tunnel-construction logistics a little difficult to understand. I was not quite sure why Shebna and Eliakim were arguing because I had trouble grasping what exactly they were suggesting.My main complaint is about Jerusha's storyline. If you haven't read the book yet be warned there are spoilers coming. Okay, so I found her reaction to being kidnapped and the subsequent abuse very believable and well-written if hard to read. It was awful what she went through. As soon as she got to Hilkiah's house, I started to feel like Austin rushed her recovery a bit. I'm no psychologist, but I doubt that much trauma is going to be overcome with no counseling (or even discussing it with someone) in a matter of maybe a few months, at most. Also she was eager to marry Eliakim once she realized he didn't blame her for the abuse. I felt their relationship should have taken more time to grow. It just felt forced. This is not a reason to skip the book; I really enjoyed it as a whole, but have read other books that portrayed character's dealing with past trauma more realistically.Now for the good:It's not necessary to fully understand the tunnel-construction-disaster thing for it to be effective.Hilkiah is so awesome.Hezekiah is very, very well-written. It's like Austin got right with him what she missed with Jerusha. Hezekiah is still haunted by the sacrifice he saw as a child. When Zechariah died, I was heart-broken for him. He is a great character. I loved seeing him wrestle with truly trusting God in the face of an impossible situation. Also I loved when he told Hephzibah to stop calling him "my lord". Their marriage is in for some rough times ahead.Hephzibah was another score for Austin. I really felt for her even as she turned her back on God. I never realized how restrictive some of the Jewish laws were.Overall: 4/5If you're a fan of Austin, you'll probably like Song of Redemption. The same goes if you're just looking for a book you can lose yourself in for a while. It's not Austin's best, but it's still Austin which means it's good.

I liked this second book in Lynn Austin's Chronicles of the Kings series very much. Lynn Austin writes a strong narrative on Old Testament figures in the tradition of Anita Diamant's The Red Tent. Other reviewers have noted Austin's use of 21st century language to convey the fictionalized account of Judah's King Hezekiah, who ruled from 716 to 687 BC. On one or two occasions, the contemporary language was a bit much for me; the rest of the time it rang true. Song of Redemption includes the Hebrew Scriptures of 2 Kings 17 and 18, 2 Chronicles 29 and 32, Deuteronomy 17, 2 Samuel 5, and the prophecies of Isaiah and Micah.The book conveys belief, unbelief, misbelief, and confused belief in God with great skill. It also conveys those degrees of belief in many gods. And idolatry is not confined to multiple gods but is found in those who believe in the One God. In this, the book is a prequel, if you will, of today.How does God (if there is a God, some say) act (if God does act, some say) in the world? Song of Redemption explores this in King Hezekiah's efforts to defend his kingdom and his people against the Assyrians. Disciplined and well organized killers, they were, as the book portrays them. I looked up Assyria on wikipedia for a look at what basic historians say about them. [...]In our day, our knowledge of growing discoveries of science causes us to review our beliefs from new vantage points. Scripture is not science or history but an account of deep beliefs and values, the word of God in human words, I believe. A sacred account of God's action in our world.Lynn Austin is masterful in the metaphor she's found in this book to describe this journey that many of us take to seek and hopefully find God in our lives and in our world. I won't spoil, but just hint: engineering is a lot more than bridges and highways.Read these books in order.

I could not put this book down. I am encouraged to learn more about this period in history. Highly recommend.

Some of the scenes were too graphic for me to read to my kids, so I had to censor them. We did enjoy the story apart from that. Will definitely read the next book in the series.

I loved this story and didn't want it to end! It held my anticipation and attention throughout. Lynn Austin has a real way of "taking you there". Her descriptions of the Assyrians were terrifying, her understanding of Gods ways are inspiring and heart warming. Each character was alive and real to me. I looked forward to going to bed to read a bit more of this incredible story and at times meted the story out so it didn't end too soon! I am eager to continue to read the next book in this series.

I chose this rating because this second book in the series was every bit as good as the first. Lyn Austin obviously does her research thoroughly. This story was so interesting it's like watching a docu-drama. I could easily imagine the sights and sounds and smells, the emotions...A must-read for all lovers of biblical fiction!

I really enjoyed this book, it had me in it's grip to the very end, I could not put it down

Cant really say anything other than this is a must read. If you have read the first then do not hesitate and I can assure you, you will not be happy until you have read all five. I am now onto another series, Refiners Fire it's completely different, about the Civil War but really great too. She is a brilliant writer.