Historical Characters in 'The Hidden Flame' Complex and Thoroughly Explored, Says Reviewer
By Violet Nesdoly, Guest Reviewer
The year is 35 A.D.
The beautiful Jewess Abigail lives in Jerusalem within the despised community of Christ-followers known as the Way. In her role as helper of the poor, Abigail tries to keep a low profile.
But it is only a matter of time before she becomes the sought-after prize of both a Roman soldier and a Jewish merchant. With her guardian not heard from for two years, will she be able to hold them at bay? Or will she be forced to marry someone who opposes all she believes in and holds dear?
In The Hidden Flame, Davis Bunn and Janette Oke have written a story based on events from the early chapters of the Bible book of Acts. Though the book's main characters are fictional, this story has us rubbing shoulders with Martha, Peter, Stephen, Saul and other New Testament characters in a risk-riddled and action-packed story about the early church.
As a work of Bible fiction I enjoyed it as much as any I've read. Familiarity with the Bible story did make me privy to certain upcoming events, but instead of spoiling the story, the knowledge ramped up tension (much like when you've seen a character commit a murder and you know who did it but none of the other characters do).
The book of Acts is full of miracles, signs and wonders. I felt the authors handled the tricky presence of the supernatural well – managing to keep the integrity of the biblical account while making the events seem plausible…
…I enjoyed the way Bunn and Oke expanded and fleshed-out Bible characters like Stephen, Ananias and Sapphira. The authors brought the fictional main characters – Abigail, Ezra and Lunix – to life by presenting each one's part of the story from her or his point of view. I found the historical and fictional characters alike interesting, complex and thoroughly explored.
You'll want to continue reading Violet's complete and thorough review of The Hidden Flame at BlogCritics.org.
Violet Nesdoly freelances in several genres and has been published in a variety of print and online publications. She has also published two books of poetry and is an avid blogger. She lives near Vancouver, B.C. with her husband, is the mother of two adult children, and a grandmother. In her spare time she enjoys reading, going for walks, and photography. Visit her at http://violetnesdoly.com
**Note: Would you like to review one (or all) of the books in the Acts of Faith series — on your own blog and/or on my blog? If so, please notify my blog manager, Laura Christianson at Blogging Bistro, and she'll explain how to submit your review.
