Connilyn Cossette continues to be one of my all-time-favorite authors and a dear friend, and our whole family loves her books! We are so excited that book 3 of The King’s Men is out, and it might be our favorite yet! You definitely don’t want to miss Splendor of the Land!

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Mrs. Cossette wrote a Psalm to tie together this series of books, and she gave me the go-ahead to put it to music! You can listen to it on YouTube, and I’ll also include it for you here. I’m a little biased, but I think it sets the stage beautifully for these stories!

Now that the stage is set, here’s the synopsis of Splendor of the Land from Amazon:

Gavriel, a soldier in the elite company of Yonatan–son of King Saul–dreams of forging his destiny through crafting weapons with his own hands. Despite earning his place among Israel’s finest, he is haunted by a dark past that no distraction can dispel. When his reckless behavior forces Yonatan to present him with an ultimatum, Gavriel is sent on a mission to persuade a distant tribe to sever their ties with the Amalekites.

Zahava, a gifted goldsmith hidden behind her father’s legacy, lives in the shadows due to her physical affliction. Her talent, unmatched and unrecognized, is a closely guarded secret within her family. Disheartened by a love that seems unattainable, she resigns herself to a life of obscurity. However, when Gavriel arrives in her village, they’re tangled together in a way no one could have imagined. As they navigate through unforeseen dangers and enemy threats, Gavriel must confront his past and either bend his knee to the One True King or lose his love forever.

Set against the backdrop of ancient Israel, bestselling author Connilyn Cossette breathes life into the Old Testament era with this exhilarating tale of redemption, courage, and sacrifice.

Mommynificent’s Review

How this author manages to get better with every novel is a complete mystery to me, but she does! I absolutely loved this epic story! Gavi and Zahava completely stole my heart, and I loved every minute I spent reading and experiencing their journey! More than with Mrs. Cossette’s other books, I felt this one had the feel of an epic fantasy novel woven into the historical fiction that made it downright magical! I loved that there were no easy solutions to the problems that arose and that some of the problems came from unavoidable, no-fault issues while others were definitely consequences for poor choices. I appreciated that there were real long-term consequences to be endured for poor choices and how this story shows the long-suffering nature of true love. Most of all, I loved that in this story, we have been given a beautiful example of how Yahweh works for our good through even the most extraordinarily difficult situations.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author but I purchased my own audiobook after reading it because I know I will want to return to it again and again!