Review of “Until The Mountains Fall” by Connilyn Cossette
Cities of Refuge Book #3
Though this is Book #3 of a series, it can be read as a stand alone novel. However, if you have read the other two books in this series, “A Light on the Hill” and “Shelter of the Most High” you will surely enjoy getting re-acquainted with some of the previous characters you knew in those previous books, like Moriyah, Eitan, Darek, Sophea, Baz, and Raviv.
“Until The Mountains Fall” is a very emotional story of love, faith and hope. It is a story of youthful rebellion and it’s consequences. It is a story of broken relationships, rejection, abandonment and loss. Does it have a happy ending? I will leave that for you to read the story and find out.
This story is about Rivka and Malakhi, who live in a city of refuge in Kedesh, Israel. Rivka is the head priest’s youngest daughter and Malakhi is a son of Moriyah and Darek, owners of the Inn in the city.
Rivka was married to Malakhi’s brother, Gildal, who recently died of a snake bite. Her father who strictly follows the levitical law, has now pledged her to marry Malakhi, but Rivka is independent and rebellious, not wanting to be married again, especially to Malakhi whom she sees as too young for her, so she decides to run away planning to make a living as a scribe using the knowledge she’s learned from her father. A very risky decision considering the time she is living in where women are not entrepreneurs, but seen only as property of their fathers or husbands.
Malakhi has known Rivka since childhood, when he used to tease her to gain her attention, and he has secretly loved her for a long time. Now, feeling sad for his brother’s death, yet joyful that he could finally have the chance to claim Rivka as his wife, he is greatly hurt when she rejects him and runs away.
This story will carry you through the streets of Israel in the days of the Old Testament where you will experience first hand what it was like to follow Yahweh in a worldly culture that was following self satisfaction and strange gods, and you might even relate it to the present world we are living in now.
You will ache with Rivka’s old father as he prays and fasts daily, watching and waiting on his rooftop to see his wayward daughter return home.
You will be torn emotionally as you watch Malakhi try to live out his days without Rivka, wondering whether he should honor her father’s request to go search for her and what he will do if he finds her.
You will mourn with Rivka as she lives the life she’s been given, not a life she chose, but one she’s had to accept to survive.
It is a story that will capture your heart, and I highly recommend that you read it as a stand alone novel or even more so, that you read the whole series.
I received this book from the author for free in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.
Leona J. Atkinson