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Gods and Kings (Chronicles of the Kings #1) | 
 enlarge | Author: Lynn Austin
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Category: Book
List Price: $12.99
Buy Used: $1.87
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Rating:  22 reviews
Sales Rank: 50985
Media: Paperback
Pages: 320
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 8.2 x 5.4 x 1.1
ISBN: 0764229893
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780764229893
ASIN: 0764229893
Publication Date: February 1, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Shows definite wear, and perhaps considerable marking on inside. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy!
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Product Description
Gods and Kings is the story of King Hezekiah, heir to the throne of King David. When his evil father plots to sacrifice him, Hezekiah's mother, Abijah, searches frantically for a way to save him. But only two men can help her, and neither of them seems trustworthy. In a time and place engulfed by violence, treachery, and infidelity to Yahweh, Abijah and her son must discover the one true Source of strength if they are to save themselves and their country. Book 1 of Chronicles of the Kings.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 17 more reviews...
 A Good Historical Read! November 20, 2004
Kristi Ahlers (Illinois)
11 out of 11 found this review helpful
Ms. Austin has taken the reader on a journey back into time weaving truth with fiction in such a way that she has managed to pen a read that is not only descriptive but good as well.
This is the story of Hezekiah who will eventually assume the role of king as a descendent of King David. This story opens with Hezekiah as a young boy and we grow with him as he faces many challenges to both his life, and his faith. His father is King Ahaz, and he has plotted to sacrifice Hezekiah in order to gain the favor of the gods, and win the war that has currently decimated his army and killed his own brother. Hezekiah's mother Abijah will do all that she can to spare her last son from his father's evil machinations. She has only two men that she can rely on, but can she trust them to save her beloved son?
Hezekiah is destined for great things and manages to survive his childhood but he is now a man and the dangers to him have not dissipated. He is now King, and his mother and his wife, two women that love Hezekiah, must now stand back, and wait to see if his faith is strong enough to help him survive the treachery and violence that surrounds him. Will he be strong enough to stand by his beliefs and save his country?
This was a very moving read as well as being very descriptive. Fans of Christian novels will find no fault with this vivid story and characters. Ms. Austin has managed to bring the Old Testament to life in a way that is not only entertaining, but educational as well.
Official Reviewer for www.romancedesigns.com
If you want the Bible to come alive, this is the book for you! October 19, 2005
J. Martin (Bartlett, TN)
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
I loved this book (series) because not only was it a very interesting read, but more importantly because it gave me such a good insight into life during the Old Testament. The stories of Kings Ahaz, Hezekiah, and Manassah have never been so real to me as when I read that book. I will never again read the Biblical accounts the same way!
Pageantry and danger in ancient Judah... October 22, 2006
Ruth Anderson
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
Hezekiah, prince of Judah, lives in a kingdom under siege from hostile forces within and without. His father, King Ahaz, has abandoned the worship of Yahweh and led his nation into idolatry. Gods & Kings chronicles Hezekiah's coming of age, detailing his turbulent childhood when he saw his father sacrifice his older brother Eliab to the pagan god Molech. Overwhelmed by fear, Hezekiah first encounters the life-changing touch of God through the love and teaching of his grandfather, Zechariah, a Levitical priest. These seeds of faith are all that Hezekiah has to guide him in a kingdom threatened by invasion and corrupted by idolatry. But surrounded by threats to his very existance, can he hope to survive and be given the chance to change the future of his country?
This is one of the best biblical fiction series out there, easily on par with Angela Hunt's Legacies of the Ancient River series. I don't feel that Austin's writing is as strong or her characters quite as well-developed as is evident in her later books (such as the Christy award-winning novels Candle in the Darkness and Fire By Night), but that's a very minor issue. Austin does an excellent job bringing the world of ancient Judah to life in all of its color, pageantry, danger, and intrigue. She breathes fresh life into the character of Hezekiah, creating a flesh-and-blood man whose struggles and weaknesses make his triumphs as one of Judah's greatest kings all the more inspiring. And the book lives up to perhaps the best measure of whether or not biblical fiction succeeds or fails - it inspires study of the actual biblical text.
When reading this book (incidentally this was my second time), I was struck by how timely the story felt. Hezekiah was one small drop in an overwhelming sea of danger and false gods, but God used his life to literally change the course of an entire nation and people. So read, study, and be inspired as Austin helps to bring to life the truth of 2 Chronicles 7:14 -- "if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
This series really bring situations in the Bible "to life" May 19, 2007
C. Bowen (Belle Vernon, PA USA)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
Every now and then, I enjoy "escaping reality" by reading a good Scriptural (and historical) based novel. I purchased the first book, "Gods and Kings" at a discount store, not even knowing that it was part of a series, and could not wait until I found it's sequels! I have read all 5 of the "Chronicles of the Kings" series and I hope that Lynn Austin writes more sequels to this particular series.
I did get a bit confused at Amazon's website while looking for the rest of this series, so I am going to list them here in order for the convenience of future buyers:
book 1 "Gods And Kings"
book 2 "Songs Of Redemption"
book 3 "The Strength Of His Hand"
book 4 "Faith Of My Fathers"
book 5 "Among The Gods"
Another author whose sequel I am eagerly awaiting is Ellen Gunderson Traylor's "Jerusalem The City Of God - Part Two", also set in Old Testament times. These types of books really "take you back in time" to the way that things really were.
Gods and Kings January 3, 2006
M. Carmosino (Tennesee)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
I couldn't put this book down. Went out a few days later to purchase the next one. I am now on Book 5. My husband is now reading them. He loves them too. I hope the series continues. The story that I have heard before in the Old Testament comes to life. The characters are wonderful. Start reading you will not be dissappointed.
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