Until the Mountains Fall (Cities of Refuge Book #3)

With a nod to The Prodigal Son and Hosea and Gomer stories in the Bible, Until the Mountains Fall by Connilyn Cossette packs a serious punch. This is a novel that I won’t soon forget. It is amazing, engaging, and so unputdownable that it took me only two sittings to read. I loved everything about this story — the adventurous plotline, the realistic and endearing characters, the setting, and the historical detail. It is very clear that Cossette conducted some serious and thorough research for this stellar story. My most favorite aspect of this novel is the timely messages weaved throughout the pages. Until the Mountains Fall made me look within and acknowledge some of my own personal issues. I love this novel for allowing me the opportunity to not just read a fabulous story, but to also partake in such a personal journey. Until the Mountains Fall is an absolute gem and my only regret is that it took me so long to get to this book. This is a must-read novel for sure! One of the things that shocked me is how many Israelites turned from Yahweh and became complacent and self-righteous so soon after settling in the Promised Land. Many outrightly threw away God’s rules in regard to intermarriage, idolatry, religious rituals, and business practices. And, what may be worse, many outwardly looked like they were Yahwehists, but in reality, were as worldly as the Canaanite culture they inwardly subsumed. This is devastating. Many of these people were old enough to remember the Shekinah leading them by a cloud during the day and fire by night. Many saw the miracles done in the wilderness. They knew God’s goodness. And yet, the draw to the Canaanite lifestyle and religious practices, the debauchery and self-centeredness of worldly society, proved to be too strong for many Israelites to withstand. By the time of Until the Mountains Fall, the Israelites have created a new religion where some of the Torah has been smooshed into Canaanite beliefs. What struck me even more were the Levite priests and other Israelite leaders who just let it all happen. There is a moment where Malakhi reflects on the debasement of Edrei, an Israelite city, and he states, “Levites walked in the market with tzitzit at the corners of their garments discussing points of the Torah while passing stalls offering idols and amulets that broke those same laws.” In addition, a character named Baz comments, “The tribes are doing half the job and calling it obedience. Where is the outcry?” Both of these insights broke my heart. I imagine God in Heaven, His heart bleeding because after all He had done for His people, the truth was they just did not want Him in their lives. I am reminded of Jesus talking to the Pharisees in Matthew 23. At one point, Jesus says, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness (27-28). This is exactly what Malakhi observed during his time in Edrei. The Levites in the market were so busy LOOKING like they were good Yahwehists discussing Torah, but they failed to DO what they should have done when they walked past stalls selling religious idols in Israel. Should they have shamed the merchants publically? No! But they should have done something to shut it down. They should have stood up for God. Outwardly, they looked good — knowledgeable Levites discussing God’s Law. But inwardly, they were as debased as the sellers of the idols. These Levites complacently walked by, did half the job as Baz states in the novel, and called themselves obedient because they weren’t selling or worshipping ugly things. The Bible is all about hearing AND doing God’s Word. When Baz mentions that the tribes were doing half a job and calling it obedience, my heart stuttered in my chest. When I think about Jesus calling out the Pharisees’ and Scribes’ hypocrisy and lawlessness, I don’t think about the bad Pharisees and Scribes, I think about myself. Am I only doing half a job as the Levites Malakhi sees do in this novel and call it obedience? Or do I give God my all? Am I legit, or nothing more than a whitewashed sepulcher? I would love to say that I am wholeheartedly hearing and doing God’s Word every single day, but that would be an absolute lie. I daily make mistakes, and that is why I am SUPER grateful for God’s mercy and grace and love and forgiveness. I don’t want to be a whitewashed sepulcher. I don’t want to do half a job and call it obedience. I want to be the woman God desires me to be. Until the Mountains Fall is an exquisite read. I know my review is long, but it doesn’t even cover 1/16th of what is contained in the pages of this magnificent story. Until the Mountains Fall is a novel that must be experienced. If you have not yet read this story, I implore you to purchase a copy today. You will NOT want to miss this journey. I purchased a copy of this novel in eBook form from Amazon.com on July 2, 2019, in order to review. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Update: I had to update my review after reflecting on this book for a couple of days. I realize that through the character of Rivkah, God's revealed to me my own rebellious heart and prideful tendencies and I have to thank Connilyn Cossette for that. I typically don't like book series that go on to deal with the children of characters I loved in the first book (because I never find the kids as likable), BUT in this series, each book gets better and better. I find each new protagonist more interesting than the last. This is my favorite so far in the series. The overall tone of this book is darker and more tragic than the previous two (which says a lot considering Moriyah's story in book 1). The difference is, the pain that's brought up in Malakhi and Rivkah's relationship is not quickly resolved and spans several years. The readers feel their heartache that only stretches as time passes. The catalyst of events is Gidal's death so the book starts off in a sad tone from the beginning. As readers, we don't know a lot about Gidal, but we learn about him through Rivkah and Malakhi's memories and how his death effected them. The two of them individually go through incredible hardships which spirals them into moments of hopelessness. The story really focuses on loss, perseverance and forgiveness and has the "Prodigal Daughter" theme. It was one of those books I kept thinking about after I put it down for the night. The emotions that were brought up traveled with me because the author did a great job transporting us into the lives of the characters. This book had me hooked from the first page and I actually started drafting this review before I finished the book because I knew I was going to love it all the way through. The story comes together beautifully at the end. I have to say I think this is one of my favorite Biblical fiction stories ever. I keep rereading scenes. Can't wait for the next book, but I think Until the Mountains Fall will reign as my favorite in this series. I also have to say this series has a way of making me feel incredibly nostalgic. From the beginning of the first book to the end of this book, we have crossed over 25 years in the lives of Moriyah, Darek and their families. It really makes me reflect on time passing and how we need to live every day for God.

Connilynn Cossette does it again! She's become one of those jewel authors who I'll read no matter what she's writing. I'm tempted to say I want to get all her books for the next twenty years right now and simply devour them. But, *sigh.* Since I can only review one at a time... Rivkah and Malakhi's story might be the most unique in the Cities of Refuge series thus far, partially because Rivkah begins as a highly unlikeable lead. From the first time I met her, I saw a headstrong, stubborn, and spoiled teen who seemed to dislike Malakhi only on the basis of childhood grudges. Yet, even If I didn't like her, I liked who she was trying to become. I rooted for her, and I enjoyed her growth. Connilynn pulled off the most important thing a writer can in making me care about Rivkah and her external and internal journeys. The five-year time gap was a bit disappointing, but I quickly understood why that had to be there. Plus, seeing Rivkah as a mother and a woman with a sort-of career--as oppressive as that career was--was highly enjoyable. I loved watching her go from rebellious, to sure of God's punishment toward her, to finding His love and healing when so much of her life had been tainted with uncertainty and mourning. For his part, Malakhi is completely swoon-worthy. He's not a perfect hero while Rivkah is a Jezebel. In fact, there were times I wanted to tell him, "Dude, if you got any denser they could use your head against Goliath in a few generations." But his unending patience with Rivkah and his loyalty to her, even when tempted to give up hope, was inspiring and Christ-like in a bold, unapologetic, yet non-preachy way. In Malakhi, Connilynn once again strikes the balance between a man who is tender and obedient to God, yet manly and strong enough to protect and lead a family. The plot itself moves along beautifully, despite the aforementioned time jump. Connilynn may have taken a bit of a risk there, since so much of the story was in first-person POV from the hero. You don't see that often in a romance, if at all. Here though, it works because Malakhi's voice is relatable and authentic. As for Rivkah, her voice is the same. She lets you feel her angst, shame, and worry without coming across as a martyr or pathetic. Actually, the desperation of her situation makes her stronger moments shine that much brighter, especially with little Amit. Once again, Connilynn also did a bang-up job of bringing life to a Biblical "blank space" and weaving a New Testament thread into an Old Testament storyline. You could practically feel Jesus standing in Heaven during Rivkah's journey and saying, "Welcome home, little daughter. Wait until you see what I have planned on a much bigger scale!" The brief glimpses into Lailah's POV as the older, dutiful sister of the prodigal put the bow on that package. I can't wait to see what Connilynn does with Tirzah's story and how Jesus shows up there.

Travel back in time and cultures to a land so different from ours, yet so very alike. Israel is a young nation, yet they are already leaving their first love. Compromise and complacency coupled with a blatant refusal to follow the Creator Who has led them to the new land leaves them vulnerable and divided. It is against this thrilling backdrop we meet Rivkah, a widow who is promised to her husband’s brother. To what lengths will Rivkah go to escape an unwanted match, meant to give her security? Connilyn Cossette is now one of my favorite Biblical historical fiction writers. She sets the scene so well, with meticulous research presented throughout a very engaging story. I suspect there are enough Biblical references, suspense, and masculine thoughts (pov is first person, shifting between Rivkah and Malakhi) that even men would enjoy reading this account. Until the Mountains Fall is the third book of the series, The Cities of Refuge. While sweeter if one has the background of the other two, this novel can certainly stand on its own. So much emotion is packed into this one volume! So many parallels between ancient Israel and God’s people in a free land today. One issue I grew tired of, I began to realize was simply Malakhi holding a view common to his time and culture. As a woman, I come away from this tremendous work glad that I did not live as a woman of that time. Yet, Cossette also points out the need for women to be treated humanely and loved well, which would have erased much of the burden of being a woman at that time. Favorite quotes. “The more prosperous we’d grown, the less generous we’d become with those who’d been appointed to serve Yahweh and were therefore unable to inherit land of their own.” “We do not know the whole of the story. But Yahweh does, and we will trust Him with the outcome.” “So many of our young people don’t care enough to defend this land, Malakhi. They’ve given in to compromise. It’s all too easy to sit back and take tribute from the Canaanites, profiting off our disobedience instead of finishing what Yehoshua and Calev started. We need men to stand and fight with careless abandon. If your generation does not take heed, we would do better to strap on our sandals and walk right back to Egypt, because the enemies that surround us here have nothing to lose and everything to gain.” I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This did not affect my opinions, which are solely my own.

~My Review~ I just love reading Biblical fiction! Whenever I can get some time to read some I’ll read it. In my opinion, Connilyn Cossette is one of the rising stars of Biblical fiction and I have several Biblical fiction authors’ books that I love reading. To me, I think this is the best representation of the levirate law in Biblical fiction that I have read so far. This story really gives an insight on what a situation would have been to bring a person into a city of refuge. I like how the author uses her imagination in this novel it was really refreshing. This novel really drew me in and I was captivated by each and every page. I also liked how the author divided up the story between the main character and her love interest. The book cover is absolutely stunning! It’s probably one of the things that drew me to reading this book. I just love beautiful book covers! I can’t wait to read the next book in this series! I highly recommend this book for those who love to read Biblical Fiction.

love Biblical fiction. You can never exhaust the riches found in scripture. I am always amazed at storytellers who take scripture and teach us something about grace and God. Until the Mountains Fall is one such story. Until the Mountains Fall, by author Connilyn Cossette is the 3rd book in her Cities of Refuge series. In the Old Testament, a city of refuge was a place where a person could go if they had accidentally killed another person, and are a beautiful picture of the person of Jesus. You can learn more about the cities of refuge in Joshua 20 and Numbers 35. In her latest novel, Cossette tells us the story of Rivkah, the daughter of the head priest, who lives in Kedesh, one of the six cities of refuge. As the story opens, Rivkah is being given in marriage, a levirate marriage, to her late husband’s brother, Malakhai, and she is not happy about it. Gidal, her late husband, has just recently died, and her father has arranged this marriage very quickly to Malakhai, whom she has known since childhood. According to Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, a levirate marriage is “a form of marriage prescribed by the Law of Moses in which a man was required to marry the widow of a brother who died with no male heir. The term “levirate” means “husband’s brother.” The purpose of the law was to provide an heir for the dead brother, thereby preserving his name and estate. The law also was designed to provide for the welfare of the widows. (Deuteronomy 25:5-10)” Because of her displeasure about the marriage, Rivkah takes matters into her own hands, and makes a very poor decision. She doesn’t understand how Malakhai feels towards her, and she flees Kedesh. I love the story. But at the beginning of the story I did not like Rivkah. She made me so mad! As readers, we can see things the characters cannot see. So, we can sit on the other side of the pages so to speak, and scream, “Noooo! Don’t do it!” But alas, they make their own choices anyway. She was unhappy, which I get. But she was throwing away something that would be good for her, even though she couldn’t see it. Later on in the novel, my heart softened toward Rivkah. Slowly, the author was able to weave some sympathy and compassion for her into the story and into my heart. I felt very much connected to Rivkah and began to really like her. Just like this story's main character, I have made my own choices and ran from people who loved me into great trouble and distress. But God was there to clean up my mess, pick me up, and help me start over. God is always looking out for us. I don’t want to give away all the details or surprises of the story, and there are many, so I cannot say much more. But it is worth it to follow the journey of Rivkah and Malakhai to find out how their story unfolds. I cried multiple times as I traveled the road with them. God is a God of rescue even in our darkest hour. I recommend this book highly to anyone who loves biblical or historical fiction. Cossette has taken just one small portion of scripture and taught us so much. I also recommend this book to homeschooling families who have high school age students. If you follow the Charlotte Mason philosophy of education, this could be considered a great living book for studying ancient civilizations and the Bible. Disclosure Statement: I received a copy of this book from the publisher. The thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.

I haven't read it all the way through yet, so I am about to be either pleasantly aurprised or in pleasant tears for some self sacrifice, but she is back! Connylin is back and refreshed and slowing down taking time with her story. I loooooooove Malackhi and Rivkah's repartee and relationship! Good job Connylin! Good job! I haven't been deeply enjoying "until the mountains fall" this weekend, and I sincerely hope the next novel is just as lovingly pieced together. Love how you touch on perspectives of redemption in each book in a different way that touch my heart as well as other women's hearts. A book such as this reminds me of the fierce warrior I have in Jesus and maybe that in His timing and in His way I might also have some prayers answered down the road. Also consider prayerfully withdrawing from Lifeway bookstore because the southern baptist convention linked with lifeway who used to be berean and used to be solid is not anymore. The authors that this major "Christian" chain sell and support are into the false teaching of the prosperity "gospel" and mysticism steeped in pagan new age thinking, unfortunately. Be careful whom you associate and support in business. Even if you were to lose people who don't love God more than other things if you did so, you will still have a loyal fan base and friends and family in Christ who love you and your blessed storywriting talent and would respect and support you all the more. Oh, and please please request no more of Rachel Botchan reading your books on tape. I don't like listening her. Maybe get two Israeli voices for this one?! That would be so cool. Especially a handsome sounding Israeli guy reading Malakhi's chapters. Ok. Gotta finish this story...then re read and re read and re read as I listen so much to your "counted with thr stars" on audio disc.....AHHHH! FINISHED THE BOOK AND LOOOOOOOOOVE IT!!!!!!!! LOOOOOOOVE IT! CONNYLIN!

Wipe out!, Oh no, wait a minute, there is a happy ending after all! Connilyn Cossette not only hit the motherload, she brought down the house and blazed the field, throwing this baby into a tailspin with shocking impacts. Showcasing the wonder and thrill of running away from home and the journey it takes to get back home again. Displaying the drama, intrigue, distress, turmoil, danger and mounting suspense while tension spirals, blasting this treasure to life brilliantly. Divvying up incredibly, well-rounded scenarios that punch dead center, ramping up the anticipation and adrenaline with such intensity and precision, thrusting this Biblical tale into a whole new level. Advancing through the trials and tribulations, along with a bounty of plot twists and sleek turns, grounding in its strength and awe inspiring in its depth. The personalities are well matched and balanced with enough flaws for diversity. The characters and scenes are strikingly sharp with such colorful descriptions it gives you a full understanding and realism that flow smoothly. I deeply appreciate the History you presented at the end of the book. Telling us about your travels and the history that helped forge this book. That end piece of information sends you on journey within itself. Visiting the ancient cites through the online portal was incredible. Awesome job Connilyn, thanks for sharing this incredible jewel with us

I have finished Until the mountains fall, it is an awesome story, I have read several book of Connilyn Cossette and she never disappoints. She is very talented. Rivkah is a young widow and she has to submit to the Torah Law and marry Malakhi her husband brother. Malakhi has always secretely loved Rivkah and he wants to honor his brother and built a strong relationship with her but she sees Malakkhi as young immature teenager and she can’t forget how he used to bully her when she was a child. Rivkah decide to leave the city of Kedesh where she grew up to avoid the marriage. Malakhi through himself into his training as a future soldier to burry his pain after her departure. But the threat of war and the request of Rivkah’s father to find her will bring their path together again and reveal all the wounds Rivkah has carried in her heart and she will be able to realize the love Malakhi has for her despite her failures. Rivkah’s story is inspired by the story of the Prodigal son. She ran from her father’s will for her, she was not able to understand that her father had the best in store until she found herself in a predicament. She then realize how much she was loved, how her life will have turn out differently if she had been obedient. But her father’s love is to deep to give up on her, he sent Malakkhi to rescue her and bring her back home. The Father is full of compassion toward his daughter and it’s how God acts with us he does not abandon us. "The mountains will fall into dust before I will ever give up on my daughter.”

Another wonderful story in this series. We read it as a family and everyone enjoyed it, although my son was hoping for more battles, LoL! The ending picked up pace and we couldn't put it down until we'd finished it.

Great read - inspiring and engaging

I think this is my favourite book by this author. That may just be because my son is called Malachi, and he’s as cheeky as this one, but in all seriousness it is a gorgeous story. I love the fact that Connilyn’s characters are flawed sinners who need to receive the grace of God. There is no airbrushing here, just great biblical understanding wrapped in an Old Testament framework that is so helpful in bringing the Bible alive. Fantastic writing. I found not out the book down. This series with Moriyah’s family is probably my favourite of all biblical fiction series I have read. Thank you for blessing us with your gift Connilyn!

SHUT THE FRONT DOOR!!! Connilyn Cossette delivers again. I genuinely thought that book two in this outstanding series was my favorite, but yet again, here I am rendered speechless by this powerful and inspiring book on mercy, redemption, grace, and love. Since being introduced to Miss Cossette's works with the "Out from Egypt" series, I have come to appreciate her detailed and researched characters, her realistic depictions of human struggles, and her constant reminders of the unfailling, unfathomable, and humbling grace of our God. And, Rivkah and Malakhi's story was no different. I related so much to Rivkah's initial reservations and desires to escape and taste freedom only to realize that she would only find that freedom within the loving hands of her heavenly Abba. Such a powerful biblical fiction with a love story that will tug at your hearts and keep you turning the pages until the end. I mean who needs to do chores when a Connilyn Cossette novel just comes out!