Joanne Williamson (1926–2002)

It is around 701 B.C. and Egypt is being ruled by the Kushite dynasty. Young Prince Taharka, interested in healing, is content to be the very minor royal son he is and leave the ruling to others. However, it is he and not the expected Prince Shabataka who succeeds to the throne of Kush and Egypt - a "divine" rulership - and he is no longer free to live his own life. Then a treacherous plot, long brewing, forces him to fly for his life.

Far from home, in the land of Judea, Taharka encounters show more two kings in conflict. One is the mighty Assyrian, Sennacherib, promising alliance; the other is Hezekiah, the Jew who trusts in Yaweh. Taharka, his own fate and that of his land in the balance, must choose with whom to live or die. show less

A story from the book of Judges, in the Old Testament, this retelling adds wonderful detail to the original verses. The author has done a fine job of making ancient cultures into humans we can understand. She shows how similar all the tribes were in many ways and how they were intertwined with one another. Often we are taught that the Canaanites, etc. were the evil bad people and they are simply written off as unimportant. That is not so in this book.
As the young Hittite ends up spending show more time amongst the various peoples of his time, he finds himself liking individuals, even if he doesn't understand their beliefs and practices. We also see the meshing of history and events and how they affected the people who lived in them. Young Uriah has a crisis of faith in the gods, and ends up choosing the God of the Israelites, he is a very likable young man all through the book. show less

Uriah the Hittite has found refuge from the Greeks in the Canaanite city of Tyre. Now the Hebrew Jotham's decision to save a child from being sacrificed to Moloch forces Uriah to choose life over reverence of Tyre's fearsome god. The three escape to the hill country of Judea, where Deborah and Barak are mustering the Hebrews to fight the Canaanites.

This is another historical tale tagged onto a Biblical story. This time it's tied into the story of King Hezekiah of Judah. It seems to take a bit more of historical liberty with the biblical account than did "Hittite Warrior", but on the other hand, I liked the characters and story are a bit more. "God King" is the tale of Taharka, a younger son of the pharaoh of Egypt. He wasn't expecting to succeed his father, but then is thrust into the position. Other folks don't like it. So you end up show more with a story of palace intrigue and a young man coming to terms with his role in life. Good stuff, well worth checking out.
--J. show less