What do you think?
Rate this book
Empire of Israel #5
A King to Conquer
Enjoy the epic Biblical saga which helps the 21st Century Reader envision the foundation of the Kingdom of Israel through the eyes of its fictional and nonfictional characters. David had to survive a deadly giant, a homicidal king, hostile Philistine armies, and a civil war to finally be declared the king over all Israel. However, keeping a crown is often harder than winning one. David’s success has bred jealousy among neighboring kingdoms, Israelite tribes, and even within his own family. David must now call upon his two most faithful supporters to defend his fledgling kingdom from a multitude of new foes. Abigail has proved to be invaluable to her husband. She serves on the Royal Council, ensures that the king’s Court runs smoothly, and keeps the feuds brewing within David’s household from tearing the royal family apart. Yet Abigail must deal with her own selfish motives. Years before, she secretly obtained David’s promise that her son would be his heir. With the birth of her son Kileab, Abigail now has the means to become the mother of a king. Unfortunately, her mission to place Kileab upon his father’s throne will not be easy. Abigail would face some difficult choices if her dreams, her duties, and her faith do not coincide. The talented Jehoshaphat may be both the strongest and the weakest member of David’s government. Whenever the king conceives a bold plan, Jehoshaphat’s logistical wizardry always brings it to fruition. However, Jehoshaphat’s genius is rooted in his childhood insecurities. He originally came to David as a frightened orphan seeking a protector. The young Jehoshaphat’s fear of being cast out drove him to do remarkable things. Ironically, his many accomplishments make him a target for ambitious people. Jehoshaphat fears that only David’s protection keeps these wolves at bay. As a result, he will do anything that the king asks. Jehoshaphat may pray to God, but he depends on David. But Israel’s problems are greater than those of any individual. David recognizes that he must expand his kingdom into an empire if his people are to survive. So, Abigail and Jehoshaphat must struggle with their own flaws as they strive to serve their king, their nation, and their God. Their challenges increase as David’s growing prosperity reveals previously hidden faults in his character. They discover that Israel’s future may hang on the answer to a surprising What does a conqueror do when there is nothing left to conquer? “A King to Conquer" is the fifth book in the "Empire of Israel” series. This exciting Biblical saga continues in the sixth book, "A King to Reign".
479 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 23, 2020
52 people are currently reading
25 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 3, 2023
Again a very good read.
Good job of bringing to the surface the political intrigue, diplomacy, the potential tension over the weight of decision making.
On the flip side, when it comes to depicting David, I find that the description is very very weak when it comes to the spiritual side of his. It almost totally misses the prophetic side of David and his personal connection with the Lord.
I had wished that it would eventually come to the surface.
Additionally, if we believe the accounts of the Bible, then we would notice how adept David was in appointing and trusting other people capable of following the Lord in a similar manner.
The accounts of his mighty men are nothing short of miraculous. Anyway, I am rating with 4 stars out of 5, it is one of the most pleasant, good reads among the Christian Historical Biblical fiction.
The character of Jehoshaphat is weaved in very nicely.
I think that Abishai is not treated very justly, and that Benaiah is not surfaced well enough.
Also, the prophet Gad has been missing a bit.
Nevertheless, may God bless you Dale Ellis for all this great job.
A person that reads is beautifully transported to the time and age, they can picture themselves walking around in the regions of Israel just next to the characters.
Dale has done a good job of noticing many details (that many other people reading the Bible just miss them) and lots of it is accomplished through 'reading between the lines', paying attention when assessing the characters and also getting a relatively good grasp of the layout of the land, the geography and the history.
God bless you Dale Ellis.
Good job of bringing to the surface the political intrigue, diplomacy, the potential tension over the weight of decision making.
On the flip side, when it comes to depicting David, I find that the description is very very weak when it comes to the spiritual side of his. It almost totally misses the prophetic side of David and his personal connection with the Lord.
I had wished that it would eventually come to the surface.
Additionally, if we believe the accounts of the Bible, then we would notice how adept David was in appointing and trusting other people capable of following the Lord in a similar manner.
The accounts of his mighty men are nothing short of miraculous. Anyway, I am rating with 4 stars out of 5, it is one of the most pleasant, good reads among the Christian Historical Biblical fiction.
The character of Jehoshaphat is weaved in very nicely.
I think that Abishai is not treated very justly, and that Benaiah is not surfaced well enough.
Also, the prophet Gad has been missing a bit.
Nevertheless, may God bless you Dale Ellis for all this great job.
A person that reads is beautifully transported to the time and age, they can picture themselves walking around in the regions of Israel just next to the characters.
Dale has done a good job of noticing many details (that many other people reading the Bible just miss them) and lots of it is accomplished through 'reading between the lines', paying attention when assessing the characters and also getting a relatively good grasp of the layout of the land, the geography and the history.
God bless you Dale Ellis.
October 7, 2024
Outstanding Series
Being a bit of a biblical history nerd, I read many books of this genre. All of which are approached with trepidation of their historical and biblical accuracy. This series has been no different in my approach.
I have found that the author does an outstanding job of weaving together the scriptures, culture and highlighted so many details in which I personally overlooked in my own scripture reading.
As with all scripture, context is everything. Dale has done well in this well researched series in providing so much background into the events of history. I highly recommend.
Being a bit of a biblical history nerd, I read many books of this genre. All of which are approached with trepidation of their historical and biblical accuracy. This series has been no different in my approach.
I have found that the author does an outstanding job of weaving together the scriptures, culture and highlighted so many details in which I personally overlooked in my own scripture reading.
As with all scripture, context is everything. Dale has done well in this well researched series in providing so much background into the events of history. I highly recommend.
September 15, 2023
Amazing Read
Familiarity with the bible and the tales of Saul, David and a whole host of characters in their lifetime is helpful; but as a true fan of historical fiction this series does not disappoint as I can follow the story with all sorts of external tools to further discover the people, places and events and corroborate, without finding contradiction to the story being told.
What an amazing read this has been. Mr. Ellis is a true talent and the work he put into developing the story is evident on every page.
Familiarity with the bible and the tales of Saul, David and a whole host of characters in their lifetime is helpful; but as a true fan of historical fiction this series does not disappoint as I can follow the story with all sorts of external tools to further discover the people, places and events and corroborate, without finding contradiction to the story being told.
What an amazing read this has been. Mr. Ellis is a true talent and the work he put into developing the story is evident on every page.
December 5, 2020
Great!
Of all the books in this series, I truly enjoyed this one most because David is a favorite bible character, except for some minor errors along the way. Just a few misplaced words but it didn’t take anything away from the plot so I didn’t mind at all. It just surprised me because all the previous books had none. It must be the school teacher in me! Looking forward to the next one!
Of all the books in this series, I truly enjoyed this one most because David is a favorite bible character, except for some minor errors along the way. Just a few misplaced words but it didn’t take anything away from the plot so I didn’t mind at all. It just surprised me because all the previous books had none. It must be the school teacher in me! Looking forward to the next one!
December 23, 2024
King David…The Military Warrior
Every book in this series is informative & intriguing. I don’t usually enjoy reading about military maneuvers. Yet in this novel it is written so well & I love looking up the locations, discovering the geology of the battles. The author did his research, then used his creative license to portray how the Biblical story could have been. Enjoyable reading!
Every book in this series is informative & intriguing. I don’t usually enjoy reading about military maneuvers. Yet in this novel it is written so well & I love looking up the locations, discovering the geology of the battles. The author did his research, then used his creative license to portray how the Biblical story could have been. Enjoyable reading!
November 24, 2020
Good Dramatization!
I have enjoyed the dramatization of the Scriptures in this series of books! Except for the many errors in sentence construction and spelling it would have been 5 stars! Perhaps they are typos or bad editing but it does disturb the smoothness of the narrative.
I have enjoyed the dramatization of the Scriptures in this series of books! Except for the many errors in sentence construction and spelling it would have been 5 stars! Perhaps they are typos or bad editing but it does disturb the smoothness of the narrative.
September 20, 2021
Good read
The 5th book n Dale Ellis series is the least liked so far. I really can not say why, but it was not to my 5star resting. It is still a good read and worth the price.
The 5th book n Dale Ellis series is the least liked so far. I really can not say why, but it was not to my 5star resting. It is still a good read and worth the price.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews