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Dahveed ##1
Dahveed: Yahweh's Chosen
Yahweh's Chosen
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
16 people are currently reading
208 people want to read
About the author
Terri L. Fivash
15 books118 followersI have never lived more than 30 miles from Lake Michigan. I was born on the east side, grew up on the west side, and now live on the east side again. However, I rarely have time to go there! I attended Andrews University, graduating with a Master's Degree in History in 1986. I am a member of Phi Alpha Theta, the national honors society for History; and a charter member of the Andrews University chapter of Phi Kappa Phi, the national interdisciplinary honors society. I began writing for publication in 2000 after seeing the need for books about biblical characters which were not only biblically accurate, but historically and culturally accurate as well. My husband and I have been married for over 30 years and have two children. We have always lived in the same house!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
April 16, 2016
Wonderful! I love the story of David, and Terri Fivash left nothing out of what we know about his youth. Her educated guesses and additions made sense (most of the additions, anyway ... I wonder what she'll do to develop them further in later books). She brought Dahveed and other Biblical characters to life so that we can laugh and cry with them and understand how they truly must have felt. She planted the reader firmly in their world. It's filled with historical detail and insight about things that I never knew, such as "Dahveed" being a title used in other contexts; Dahveed (the phonetic spelling of David and the spelling she consistently used) took it as his official name. I recommend reading the Biblical account either right before or right after so that you can compare the story and the account. I was surprised at a few things that she brought forward that were actually in the text once I checked on them!
It was an exciting and emotional ride. I couldn't wait until her narrative arrived at each historical event to see how she masterfully handled it: Dahveed's anointing, his playing the harp for King Shaul, the battle with Goliath, etc.
There are lots of characters, perhaps more than is necessary, but that made for more of a sweeping epic. I can't imagine the following books in the series to be any less good, so I look forward to reading the remaining six!
It was an exciting and emotional ride. I couldn't wait until her narrative arrived at each historical event to see how she masterfully handled it: Dahveed's anointing, his playing the harp for King Shaul, the battle with Goliath, etc.
There are lots of characters, perhaps more than is necessary, but that made for more of a sweeping epic. I can't imagine the following books in the series to be any less good, so I look forward to reading the remaining six!
March 5, 2012
I borrowed this book from my daughter and could not put it down! I finished it in just a few days and immediately ordered Daveed II Yahweh's Warrior. I plan on purchasing this one for my own library as well after I buy Daveed III and Daveed IV. Fivash once again brought the characters to life and gave me a greater appreciation for the relationship that exsisted between Daveed and his family and of his relationship with King Shual's family. This story was written with such detail and research that you can't help but fall in love with the Bible characters that only seemed like distant history before.The way Fivash brings the characters to life is truly amazing!
April 16, 2016
I believe Fivash's books are blessed. The writing is not terribly brilliant, the dialogue and interactions can be at times somewhat choppy or unclear, and there are the natural individual interpretations and scene depictions she makes as an author that may be different than I would make. But there is power in her stories, and one senses that she has written them in offering to her God and for His honor, a virtue she depicts very well in David's story. I thoroughly enjoyed this read and fully expect to read it again... after finishing the next four. Is it four? Thank goodness it's several, whatever it is. I'm eager to see how she describes David's maturation, murdering, and mistakes, and what I will think of this man who is "after God's own heart" when I have completed her series.
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June 29, 2010Dahveed (or David, in normal English) is a remarkably accurate accounts of Dahveed's life. Although because of the vagueness of the details from the Bible, Fivash does add her own fiction, and interpretation to the known facts recounting Dahveed's (David's) life. Unlike most books of this type, Fivash gives each of King Saul's household a unique personality. Jonathan especially you can't help but love through his exasperation and willingness to help Dahveed going against his dreams and instead walk by faith, allowing God to work through him instead of working against Him. Be sure to join Dahveed's life from a mere child, to the man who killed Goliath in this remarkable tale.
March 15, 2009
This book was wonderful. It takes David's story from the Bible and uses biblical facts, research, and imagination to bring the story to life. It is one of six in a series "Dahveed" being the header. It really taught me that trust in God is wonderful and before reading it I didn't believe in God. I taught me that He is real and wonderful.
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August 2, 2011love Kind David as a warrior, lover, poet and child of God from the Bible's account; enjoyed Terri's portrayal of him and of King Saul - appreciate, very much, her including his mental health issues (as a mental health professional). One of the best Bible-based Christian novels; definitely one of my favorite of hers - love all of hers that I've read. Beginning the sequel today!
July 25, 2009
I LOVED this book. The author included a lot of cultural background and customs of the day that made the story really come alive. A fantastic portrait of the first part of David's life.
February 16, 2018
I love this book! Terri L. Fivash brought David to life for me, and made me fall in love with him. I read and loved her book “Ruth and Boaz: The Story of Yahweh’s Harvest”, and it made me happy that Ruth made an appearance in this book. Whether or not David ever actually met his great grandmother in real life, I loved that she wove it into this story. She was true to the historical accounts, though she weaves them into her fictional account so skillfully that I found myself opening my Bible and reading David’s story to see what was Biblical and what were her educated guesses. She certainly put a lot of research into this book, both the language and the culture. Some of the events described in the Bible had never seemed significant to me before, but are given new import in this version. More than once I found myself searching my Bible and saying, “That really did happen!” I also fell in love with Jonathan, as well as David. I have always seen him as a sad figure in the Bible, and Fivash brought him to life for me. He is still a sad figure, but so much deeper. His love for his father, and his despair as he sees him slipping into mental illness. His love for Israel, his desire to be king, and his sorrow knowing it will never happen. His devotion to God, clinging to the hope that he still has a place in His heart, even as he accepts Yahweh’s rejection of his family to rule. His growing love for David, and his growing realization that this young man will be the king Jonathan had hoped to be. I am eagerly looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 3, 2023
Don't start this book if you are pressed for time, because you won't want to put it down. Once again, through intensive research, Terri Fivash produces a novel that makes you look at a Bible story with a deeper understanding and at Bible characters with new eyes. My favorite part of this novel is that Ruth is still alive at the beginning and the sweet relationship she develops with David. It is through her influence that he first gives his life to Yahweh, and it is established that he inherited his musical acumen from her.
No more spoilers: just read the book!
No more spoilers: just read the book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 2, 2021
This book is re-read worthy. This book helps to keep faith, learn about God and overall learn about one of the most significant Bible characters. It goes in great depth of David's life, and you can grasp a far more vivid understanding of times when he was growing up, and can connect with him very well as a human. Highly recommend, this is by far my favorite series of books yet, i lost the second one, but will be sure to buy a new one soon! Insane read.
January 9, 2019
This is by far the best book I've ever read. It is based on a story from the bible which I've grown up with while still having plenty of action and supernatural element to keep me entertained. To top it all off it wasn't like one of the many books I've read before, where the story is interesting but you gain nothing from it. This book was both entertaining and had a clear and meaningful message.
January 14, 2019
This by far one of my favorite books to read and the author Terri L. Fivash did a fenomenal job. There is more details about King Davids childhood in here than in the Bible it! I enjoyed the book because it makes you realize that not everybody’s perfect and he wasn’t either. The book explains stark reality and makes you think why didn’t i notice this before.
December 22, 2025
One of the BEST series that I have ever read. Possibly my favorite. This book is my new standard for Biblical fiction. Well-researched and the world provides so much context. It's a little overwhelming at first, but you start to catch on a third into the book. I've read this book 4 times over the course of several years, and it does not get boring, and every read, something makes even more sense.
April 24, 2024
I read this to my 6th-8th grade class and enjoyed it, although I found it too intense at times for the 6th grade level. Great writing and research to put this together and bring a Bible story to life.
October 3, 2018
I really like this book. The author, like in Joseph, used the traditions and customs to help us understand things and events. It is the beginning of a great series on David’s life, in detail.
October 30, 2018
Love it. Action packed and great supporting characters. First two books are my favorite.
August 5, 2020
Wonderful Book
March 17, 2017
the author definitely adds a lot to the story of David.
September 28, 2025
You are going to want to stop what you're doing right now and pick up this series. (I know it's not done yet, but you'll want to read it several times before 6 comes out anyway.) The Dahveed series is amazing, wonderful, astounding, all the adjectives!
Since I am writing this under book 1, it is only fair to talk about this bang of a start. First off, if you like fantasy, you are going to love these books. I know that they are technically not fantasy, and they stay remarkably close to the Bible, but they still feel like fantasy, because Israel/Judah back then feels so different from life today. You have words like hesed, cuirass, and zammar to learn about. And don't get me started on the titles. They are so cool! The manners are different. The clothing is soooo different. The way people talk is different. The names are different. The land is different. It's all different. There is politics. Such as what happens when a kid gets anointed the next king while there is still a king living? Why is Jebus such a perfect city? How do you not swear to a king without getting killed? What is swearing? (I promise it's not foul language.) You will learn answers to all these questions and more in this book. Ms. Fivash has put so much research into this book, you will learn so much about Hebrew without even realizing it.
Then there are the characters! Dahveed is such a good main character. He is so clumsy and funny and has so much faith in a God who has claimed him as His son when his own father... Well, that might be a spoiler. Anyway... I also loved Jonathan. Honestly, he might be my favorite character from any piece of literature. Michal is such a brilliant woman who is strong and yet feminine. (Something that fantasy books struggle with.) I want to strangle Eliab and Balak. Ruth is so brilliant, and Ethan is just an amazing person. The characters alone make this a 5-star book.
Now here are some of my favorite scenes in this book are in no particular order, and hopefully spoiler-free...
Dahveed getting anointed. Jonathan giving up his food and then being treated like a commoner by a hill man. Jonathan getting lost and then having to try and reward a stubborn person several times. Dahveed and the harp and Shaul. Anytime Dahveed has to get rewarded. Goliath. "Will you be my friend?" The final fight of the book. "I was now Dahveed Israel, Yahweh's Warrior." CHILLS!
I love this book and this series soooo much. I have put my friend on it, my aunt on it, and my grandma on it. They have put others onto it. Please go read it! It will bring you closer to God and help you understand the Bible better, all while being super entertaining. Please read it!
Since I am writing this under book 1, it is only fair to talk about this bang of a start. First off, if you like fantasy, you are going to love these books. I know that they are technically not fantasy, and they stay remarkably close to the Bible, but they still feel like fantasy, because Israel/Judah back then feels so different from life today. You have words like hesed, cuirass, and zammar to learn about. And don't get me started on the titles. They are so cool! The manners are different. The clothing is soooo different. The way people talk is different. The names are different. The land is different. It's all different. There is politics. Such as what happens when a kid gets anointed the next king while there is still a king living? Why is Jebus such a perfect city? How do you not swear to a king without getting killed? What is swearing? (I promise it's not foul language.) You will learn answers to all these questions and more in this book. Ms. Fivash has put so much research into this book, you will learn so much about Hebrew without even realizing it.
Then there are the characters! Dahveed is such a good main character. He is so clumsy and funny and has so much faith in a God who has claimed him as His son when his own father... Well, that might be a spoiler. Anyway... I also loved Jonathan. Honestly, he might be my favorite character from any piece of literature. Michal is such a brilliant woman who is strong and yet feminine. (Something that fantasy books struggle with.) I want to strangle Eliab and Balak. Ruth is so brilliant, and Ethan is just an amazing person. The characters alone make this a 5-star book.
Now here are some of my favorite scenes in this book are in no particular order, and hopefully spoiler-free...
Dahveed getting anointed. Jonathan giving up his food and then being treated like a commoner by a hill man. Jonathan getting lost and then having to try and reward a stubborn person several times. Dahveed and the harp and Shaul. Anytime Dahveed has to get rewarded. Goliath. "Will you be my friend?" The final fight of the book. "I was now Dahveed Israel, Yahweh's Warrior." CHILLS!
I love this book and this series soooo much. I have put my friend on it, my aunt on it, and my grandma on it. They have put others onto it. Please go read it! It will bring you closer to God and help you understand the Bible better, all while being super entertaining. Please read it!
December 29, 2014
As an unclaimed “son of the master,” Ben-geber felt like he had no place in his biological father’s home. He was unwelcome, unwanted, and unimportant in the eyes of many, including his own. His half-brothers wanted nothing to do with him when their father, Jesse, finally did claim him—especially Eliab, Jesse’s bekor, or firstborn.
But Hassarah Ruth, Ben-geber’s grandmother and matriarch of Bethlehem, takes the lad under her own wing and dubs him Dahveed, roughly translating to “deliverer”, almost a prophetic name, for when the new moon feast is celebrated, the prophet Shamuel graces the town with his presence and secretly anoints Dahveed as the next king and mashiah of Israel.
For Dahveed, life will never be the same as he is called to soothe a mad king with his gift of music given by Yahweh and tutored by Hassarah Ruth. After Yahweh uses Dahveed’s gift to drive the demon torturing Shaul out of the palace, Dahveed is given the high title of zammar: “singer.” And when Dahveed is accidentally upfront with Hassar Jonathan, the royal bekor begins to take an interest in this shepherd from Bethlehem who answers his questions with more than a mere “Yes, Hassar,” “No, Hassar,” or “Whatever you say, Hassar.” King Shaul’s interest is also piqued toward Dahveed, and Dahveed is shown that Yahweh can do whatever He wishes with whomever He chooses—even an unclaimed shepherd boy. Dahveed is truly Yahweh’s Chosen.
I will be writing a little fan fiction section below soon.
But Hassarah Ruth, Ben-geber’s grandmother and matriarch of Bethlehem, takes the lad under her own wing and dubs him Dahveed, roughly translating to “deliverer”, almost a prophetic name, for when the new moon feast is celebrated, the prophet Shamuel graces the town with his presence and secretly anoints Dahveed as the next king and mashiah of Israel.
For Dahveed, life will never be the same as he is called to soothe a mad king with his gift of music given by Yahweh and tutored by Hassarah Ruth. After Yahweh uses Dahveed’s gift to drive the demon torturing Shaul out of the palace, Dahveed is given the high title of zammar: “singer.” And when Dahveed is accidentally upfront with Hassar Jonathan, the royal bekor begins to take an interest in this shepherd from Bethlehem who answers his questions with more than a mere “Yes, Hassar,” “No, Hassar,” or “Whatever you say, Hassar.” King Shaul’s interest is also piqued toward Dahveed, and Dahveed is shown that Yahweh can do whatever He wishes with whomever He chooses—even an unclaimed shepherd boy. Dahveed is truly Yahweh’s Chosen.
I will be writing a little fan fiction section below soon.
October 1, 2014
After beta-reading a manuscript about David, I wanted to read the "competition", and a friend suggested this book.
Anytime someone writes about a figure like David, they are going to have to make some big choices about how they are going to portray an icon, and what sources they are going to base their story on. While I didn't always agree with the choices the author made she explains her decisions and they are certainly plausible. The author has a degree in history, and it clearly shows.
I didn't like the introductions by Tamar and started skipping them, which is never a good sign. The first words of the book, after the many author notes and maps, are, "So you have returned!" Talk about taking me out of the story. I had to double-take that I had started in the correct book of the series. I hadn't "returned" at all. Other than that the writing flowed, and over all I thought it was an interesting, imaginative read.
Anytime someone writes about a figure like David, they are going to have to make some big choices about how they are going to portray an icon, and what sources they are going to base their story on. While I didn't always agree with the choices the author made she explains her decisions and they are certainly plausible. The author has a degree in history, and it clearly shows.
I didn't like the introductions by Tamar and started skipping them, which is never a good sign. The first words of the book, after the many author notes and maps, are, "So you have returned!" Talk about taking me out of the story. I had to double-take that I had started in the correct book of the series. I hadn't "returned" at all. Other than that the writing flowed, and over all I thought it was an interesting, imaginative read.
February 4, 2019
Time for a mini-review about Terri L. Fivash's books! (So far that is.)
Overall, I like how Terri's good with placing historical facts into Biblical stories. However, the only complaint I have is that her books have a tendency to focus more on the economic state of things than on the zeal of Biblical characters...? Maybe that's just because I'm Catholic and, therefore, very much used to the saint books where they display the saints' zeal for God more than the economic or political state of things.
To get to this book with this review, I'd like to say that I think this is the best book I've read by Fivash so far because this book displays that zeal for God more! As I said, maybe that's just me being a pure Catholic who goes crazy for books that display one's zeal for God more... or maybe some other readers will agree with me. Who knows?
Overall, I like how Terri's good with placing historical facts into Biblical stories. However, the only complaint I have is that her books have a tendency to focus more on the economic state of things than on the zeal of Biblical characters...? Maybe that's just because I'm Catholic and, therefore, very much used to the saint books where they display the saints' zeal for God more than the economic or political state of things.
To get to this book with this review, I'd like to say that I think this is the best book I've read by Fivash so far because this book displays that zeal for God more! As I said, maybe that's just me being a pure Catholic who goes crazy for books that display one's zeal for God more... or maybe some other readers will agree with me. Who knows?
August 20, 2016
This is one of my favorite books! I love the way the author brings to life the story of Dahveed, adding the richness of culture in the context of time. This book really enriched my knowledge of Jewish culture as well as gave me a greater appreciation for David's story. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy a good story.
December 17, 2016
This is one of the most enjoyable and interesting Historical Novels I ever read. The Dahveed Series is based upon the life of the a Biblical King David. The Author, Terri Favish, develops the characters - bringing them to life through page turning intrigue and faith building miracles! We could not wait to begin the next book in the series!
June 21, 2025
This book is one of my favorites. I love the character of Dahveed and the way he interacts with the other characters. This author is one of my favorites, if not my most favorite and I would recommend reading any of the books she has written.
January 8, 2023
Terri takes on the incredible story of Israel's great King David, with her usual excellence. It is an incredible look, into the early years of one of the most recognized historical figures of all time, in a new perspective, his own.
June 29, 2015
I really love this book, I would pay any price just to have book 3,4, and 5 in my hands like book 1 and 2, but sadly you have to do kindle edition, but if possible Terri please have the series published in book themselves, I pray because I loveeeeee this book. terrilfivash.com
May 20, 2012
This book is amazing! I've read it at least 8 times cover to cover. I've also read her other books. Fivash is definitely a very talented author.
August 10, 2013
I really enjoyed reading this book. It made the story of David "real" to me. He wasn't just the King of Israel, but had a normal everyday life. Loved it! Can't wait to read #2!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews