Song of Redemption (Chronicles of the Kings #2) Paperback – May 1, 2005

Great book. Had me captivated to the last page. Joy and sorrow with the ultimate realization that God always has a plan.

This is one of the best books I've ever read. It was hard to put down to go to sleep...an absolute page turner. Can't wait to read Book #3 .

Song of Redemption, the second book in Lynn Austin’s Gods and Kings series, is nothing short of powerful. Picking up where Gods and Kings left off, this story continues the journey of King Hezekiah as he tries to lead Judah back to the one true God amidst overwhelming political pressure, personal pain, and spiritual warfare.Lynn Austin masterfully brings biblical events to life with a rich blend of historical detail, emotional depth, and spiritual insight. The challenges Hezekiah faces—from threats of war to betrayal from within—mirror the inner battles of faith many of us face today. The characters are beautifully developed, and their growth throughout the story is both inspiring and convicting.What I especially loved about Song of Redemption is how it explores the theme of restoration—how God can take a broken past and turn it into a testimony of grace. It reminded me that redemption is always possible, no matter how dark the situation may seem.If you loved Gods and Kings, this historical fiction sequel will absolutely draw you deeper into the story and into reflection on your own walk with God. Highly recommended for fans of biblical fiction and anyone looking for a story full of hope, courage, and unwavering faith.

The first book in this series was more captivating, but this one is still very good. Both books have wonderful insight into the Bible passages covered. History is made by real people who made the same kind of decisions in the past as they make today, and what these books do is help us to understand the personal aspect of these stories. Hezekiah prepares for the dreaded Assyrian invasion, while the Assyrians attack and drive out the inhabitants of Israel. Refugees flood Jerusalem with horror stories of their atrocities, and the city fills with fear.These are true stories, as the Assyrian hoard was completely without mercy, and delighted in torture and death. These depictions are frank and not overly graphic, but there is no way to sugar-coat genocide. Caution is advised!Hezekiah's wife loves him, but is tempted by her childhood gods, particularly Ashereth, and she is having trouble conceiving an heir, she begins to pray to the goddess. Hezekiah is ignorant of her idolatry, and is trying to stamp out all idolatry from the nation. Child sacrifice is still secretly being carried out at times.Hezekiah wants to be right with God, and he wants to love God and trust him like David, his ancestor, but he struggles with the atmosphere of fear in the city, as well as with his pagan upbringing. Since the situation in the city is hopeless, Hezekiah must learn to cast himself and his people on the protection of God. I see many similarities in today's political climate.I've enjoyed these books so far, and look forward to reading the rest of the series!

To my delight I enjoyed this book even more than I did the first one gods & kings! I couldn’t put this one down. What a great book that kept me on the edge eager to read and learn what happened next.

I liked this second book in Lynn Austin's Chronicles of the Kings series very much. Lynn Austin writes a strong narrative on Old Testament figures in the tradition of Anita Diamant's The Red Tent. Other reviewers have noted Austin's use of 21st century language to convey the fictionalized account of Judah's King Hezekiah, who ruled from 716 to 687 BC. On one or two occasions, the contemporary language was a bit much for me; the rest of the time it rang true. Song of Redemption includes the Hebrew Scriptures of 2 Kings 17 and 18, 2 Chronicles 29 and 32, Deuteronomy 17, 2 Samuel 5, and the prophecies of Isaiah and Micah.The book conveys belief, unbelief, misbelief, and confused belief in God with great skill. It also conveys those degrees of belief in many gods. And idolatry is not confined to multiple gods but is found in those who believe in the One God. In this, the book is a prequel, if you will, of today.How does God (if there is a God, some say) act (if God does act, some say) in the world? Song of Redemption explores this in King Hezekiah's efforts to defend his kingdom and his people against the Assyrians. Disciplined and well organized killers, they were, as the book portrays them. I looked up Assyria on wikipedia for a look at what basic historians say about them. [...]In our day, our knowledge of growing discoveries of science causes us to review our beliefs from new vantage points. Scripture is not science or history but an account of deep beliefs and values, the word of God in human words, I believe. A sacred account of God's action in our world.Lynn Austin is masterful in the metaphor she's found in this book to describe this journey that many of us take to seek and hopefully find God in our lives and in our world. I won't spoil, but just hint: engineering is a lot more than bridges and highways.Read these books in order.

I love historical fiction and I really like the imagery this brought to another great Bible story. This was well done. The characters were developed well and each chapter left me wanted more and anxious to read the next thing that was going to happen in their lives. Kings, prophets, priests, war and slaves but trust and love… doubts and redemption make this Novel a great read!