Shelter of the Most High ~ Review

Shelter of the Most High
Cities of Refuge #2
By Connilyn Cossette

Sofea loves the sea and this very love is what finds her far from the land of her birth and her people. It is this very love that finds her in a distant land with no way to communicate with the people who have taken her into their home. What is she expect? Is she now a slave to be punished at the whim of a cruel master and mistress? All these thoughts fill her very being as she tries to protect and care for her cousin.

When strangers take Sofea and Prezi to the walled city of Kedesh, they little realize that it is a city of refuge - a place of sanctuary for those who are guilty of crimes. Crimes that Sofea's own father would have had them put to death for.

Eitan has called Kedesh home for eleven years, the mistake he made during his childhood has marked him though few know the reason he never leaves the safety of the city. Eitan longs for the day he can leave the city but the threat to his life and the lives of those he holds most dear is ever present, waiting to claim vengeance.

Shelter of the Most High is the second book in the Cities of Refuge series but it can easily be read on its own. It is really quite interesting to learn about the cities of refuge that were established by God. This is a part of the Old Testament that was never dwelt upon in any classes or sermons that I've ever been blessed to hear or take part in. I don't think I ever truly realized that the cities of refuge were to protect someone after they killed another not in anger but by accident.

The characters are engaging and the story is well-written so that the reader is easily caught up in the story. I like how the perspective is told mainly from Sofea and Eitan's viewpoint as it offers a more rounded story. This is first and foremost Biblical fiction but there is a touch suspense as Eitan and Sofea get caught up in a plot that, if it succeeds, could free all who must stay within the city. This book is one that you could read on your own or would lend itself well to a book club setting.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher Bethany House with no expectations but that I give my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own. 


About the Book:

The daughter of a pagan high priest, Sofea finds solace from her troubles in the freedom of the ocean. But when marauders attack her village on the island of Sicily, she and her cousin are taken across the sea to the shores of Canaan.

Eitan has lived in Kedesh, a city of refuge, for the last eleven years, haunted by a tragedy in his childhood, yet chafing at the boundaries placed on him. He is immediately captivated by Sofea, but revealing his most guarded secret could mean drawing her into the danger of his past.

As threats from outside the walls loom and traitors are uncovered within, Sofea and Eitan are plunged into the midst of a murder plot. Can they uncover the betrayal in time to save their lives and the lives of those they love?