Shelter of the Most High by Connilyn Cossette

  Book 2 in the Cities of Refuge series.  This book starts out in Sicily, which made me wonder how this could be a part of the a series of the Cities of Refuge.  I quickly learned that Pirates would play an import role in transporting these characters to Canaan.

Sofia and her cousin, Prezi, survive an attack from pirates.  Their families are not so lucky.  The girls survive being tossed overboard and left to drown.  Rescued by Spies and taken to Kadesh to live.  We are introduced to Eitan who is trapped in the City because of a choice that was made by a 9 year old child.  Eitan is now a young man who is struggling with the sentence that was issued to protect him from his Uncle who is looking for revenge.  Throughout this story, the place that seems to be a prison can also become a place of refuge.  Eitan and Sofia learn that a prision can also provide safety and security.

I loved Eitan and Sofia's story.  I related to it as life seems to throw us into situations that can feel like a prison.  Time and life lessons reveal there can be protection in a "prison."  I simply have to look for it.  Eitan finds parley in his discussion with the High Priest.  Sofia finds parley with God.

This story is filled with action and plot twists and of course parley.  We see how the characters ultimately parley with God.  This is a fascinating book that can be read as a stand alone or as a part of the series.

My thanks to Bethany House Publishers and Netgalley for the complimentary e-book in exchange for this review.