David's soldiers during the time Saul was King ( )

The first in the Lion of War Series this one will have you hooked from the first page. New hero's are born from an old story. For the first time in epic proportions the story of David and his mighty men is brought to life in such a fashion that one can not help but to desire to be as heroic as these men.

I can't wait for my sons to be old enough to delve into this gripping story of war and honor, of struggle and victory. David's Mighty men are brought to life and their story is highlighted within the pages of this book.

Very masculine in it's themes it is still an enjoyable read for women. In fact I read it purely out of a curiosity of this biblical fiction piece. My question being - Could anyone truly do justice to the untold and often overlooked impact that these trusted men of David had on the course of history. My answer - ABSOLUTELY. Cliff Graham has done an exceedingly good job.

In each page the reader can feel the tension of the political climate and the cost of the sacrificial lifestyle of these men. They fought alongside and under the leadership of one of the greatest kings in history. Come along for a very personal journey into their lives and discover for yourself the magnitude of their service and impact on history as we know it.

Thank you Zondervan for this review copy. ( )

Taking stories of the Bible and novelizing them... I like the idea and I liked the implementation. Well done Mr. Graham. ( )

Get ready to go back in time to ancient Israel with this tale featuring battles of the Mighty Men of Israel led by their warlord named David.

So, I'm not a fan of war stories. Not movies, not novels, not even the news. I know war happens. I know in a general way what goes on, but I don't like to hear more about it than I need to. I read this novel because I know and respect the author. It would be most flattering to him to say that this novel completely changed my mind about war stories, but that's not the case (sorry Cliff).



I was, however, very impressed with the novel as an example of historical fiction. In every chapter you could see evidence of the meticulous research that went into the tale, from the food they ate to the armor they wore, right down to their opinions about women. The story holds faithful to the accounts in the Hebrew scriptures, embracing the scant details provided there and elaborating on them in a way that makes you think, "yes, it really could have happened like that." The characters come alive and draw you in so that you are there with them, hoping and suffering and celebrating.



The story manages to incorporate the aspects of religion without sounding preachy, which strikes me as a very difficult task when your source material comes directly from the Bible, but it is handled in a delicate, even fascinating manner that should allow readers to either take side with David, strongly believing that this Covering is the answer that will win the day, or take the side of Benaiah, who isn't quite sure whether to believe this isn't all just wishful thinking.



The single most startling moment in the entire book, from my perspective, was when Keth's Hebrew name is revealed. My heart breaks a little, even so early in the tale, to realize what his final fate will be. Very cleverly done.



The final, somewhat unexpected thing I appreciated about this novel was the love the author obviously has for the subject. Historically, religiously, and even personally. I do not know his family, but from the way the tale is written, I almost feel like I can sense the author's love for that family in the telling of it. Passion like that cannot, in my experience, be simulated.



I will be recommending this book to a lot of my male friends, who will appreciate the story AND the testosterone that practically oozes from every paragraph. ( )