A political conspiracy suspense thriller, weaving the headlines of today with the Scriptures of old. Eliana lands her dream job but finds it saturated with malicious corruption. Her boss, a powerful Supreme Court Justice, is part of a nefarious plan that will dismantle America as we know it. If she keeps quiet, she might survive, but far too much is at stake for that. With her life in peril, a prophecy about Eliana becomes reality. She lives out a parallel story to that of her namesake, Elijah, complete with rampant evil, epic power struggles, and the mandate to trust Almighty God no matter the cost.
This book was a page-turner! Lisa Worthey Smith did a masterful job of telling the Old Testament story of Elijah through a story practically ripped from modern headlines and her godly character, Eliana. Eliana must endure the back-stabbing, corrupt, and immoral life of working for the Supreme Court Justice, Abram. But little did she realized she was born for a face-off with powerful people.
Searching my To Be Read list for the next novel and I came across this series. I do not remember buying the first novel in 2020. But then, that is a characteristic of someone who buys too many novels! Novel hoarder I am, but what a library I have! I have enough novels to read well into my full retirement, which I pray can be in 2022. Semi-retired at present.
Well, my first impression of this novel is that it drags your attention and has you engaged until the end. I was committed to finish this novel. It is uplifting, strengthens your faith in God. I know more about Elijah from the Bible than what I had previously. There is power in the art of storytelling and this is evident in Smith’s ability to apply what she has studied of God’s Word and her understanding of it.
This series is based on the life of Elijah and the mandate that God had with him. Many lessons to be learned and even applied to our lives from this Biblical person (I hate saying character as this implies they are a fictional creation and the people of the Bible are just not; they were real people).
Smith runs the account of Elijah alongside the main character of Eliana, who is a female version of Elijah and even her name is so. The word building here is well done. Eliana has a relationship with God that is natural, not forced, she knows Him intimately, she is fully submitted to Him and lives under His direction and guidance. She lives out the Word of God and compromise is not part of this relationship. Just like Elijah.
This relationship is contagious. Those around her want what she has, even amoungst those who oppose her and are in conflict with God and are antagonistic towards Him. And those who don’t know Him, or are in the evil regime of power Him come to know Him.
This type of fiction that Lisa creates is what we need nowadays, not just an entertaining tale, but one that goes past that, one that edifies, educates and brings glory to God. It shows God for who He is. It shows Christians we are not to be afraid of the circumstances we are in and to confront evil in all its forms with the Word of God, living out His Word, prayer and supplication but above all by listening to and acting on the instruction and guidance of God and His Spirit as He directs our paths and actions.
It is of great benefit having all the bible verses listed at the back of the novels and what they mean. It was also edifying seeing some of these either mentioned in the novel or seeing it lived out in the characters situations in the novel.
I know Christian authors get criticised by having prayer outlined in their novels or when the narrative becomes “preachy”. I am glad Smith has not listened to this criticism. The inclusion of the prayers by various characters is an essential part of this novel and shows how this is to be part of the Christian’s daily life. The same goes for the narrative of the story of Elijah and what Eliana does with this. Yes, it went on for pages but I could see without its inclusion, it would take away some of the impact of what this novel is about. Yes, it does put the suspense and fast-paced flow of the novel on hold for a bit, but this should not be seen as a negative or a criticism. It needed to be included. Without both, it runs the risk of the novel’s message and impact being watered down.
I highly recommend this series. This is Spirit-filled fiction at its best. I look forward to more from this author.
Excellent and refreshing. As an avid reader endeavoring to read novel after novel, finding so many that continue to use profanity from every character’s mouth, this is a blast of fresh air. The weaving of Elijah and the main character is creative and masterful, though simple. Many aspects of the book are relevant for today’s culture.
This is a great faith based political conspiracy thriller about a young woman who is selected for an internship with a Supreme Court judge. But what she finds when she begins her internship is a highly toxic workplace where anything can happen. It's only a short time later she learns it's not only toxic, but there's an encouraged climate of winning at any cost. Eleana faces a tough decision: does she continue on the path of the gift her recently deceased grandfather gave her by recommending her for the internship, or does she go home and study for the bar exam. This book was a little slow starting for me, but once the suspense began, it didn't stop. I look forward to reading more books by this author.
I sped through this book, as it is such a powerful read. It is perfect for these troubled times, too. I really appreciated the Bible verses and prayers in the story. My only complaint would be the spelling and grammatical errors throughout. They're not enough to pull me from the story, yet they are there. I would recommend this book to weary Christians, people wondering why the world seems so troubled and awful lately, really anyone who reads should check it out.
Interesting story with scriptures referenced. But the story says the grandparents are in heaven perhaps looking down. While the scriptures says the dead will be risen first when Jesus returns. It is a novel,but the Elijah part was so true,yet I know not take novels literally.
Lisa Worthey Smith has woven a Biblical story with a modern one to make the struggles Elijah went through in the past relatable to modern day issues. As much as we'd like to think man has advanced in the time since Elijah, sin and wickedness continues unabated. An eye-opening read that will make the reader think twice about current news and how God might view the events in today's society.
This is a good read... God has a plan for each of us. He gives us His gifts to work His work in the world, to make a difference in peoples lives, for eternity sake. This is a well written story. Recommended!
This was my second time reading it and really enjoyed it both times. I am going on to the second book and hope more books are yet to come. Well worth your time and money.
This was one of the best books I have ever read & I read many books! I loved the story & the comparison of Elaina to Elijah from the Bible. I literally felt the presence of the Holy Spirit within me numerous times while reading this book. Thank you for writing this!