Of Fire and Lions by Mesu Andrews~ Review

My Review:

Taken captive by the Babylonians, Abigail, fights to survive using her wit and charm to survive in Nebuchadnezzar's court, denying her Hebrew heritage and taking the name Belili.

Now many years later she is married to Daniel, and mother to four daughters who resent her, everything changes when Daniel is called to interpret mysterious writing on the wall. What will the reign of Median King Darius mean for Belili and Daniel?

Told for the most part through Belili's eyes the story weaves itself forward and back through the years, winding its way and picking up threads and binding them together in various decades as the story unfolds. Well researched and lush in detail, Mesu Andrews brings this story to life with her realistic imagining of life in the courts of Babylon, the pressure to conform and fit in.


Behili tells her tale in a decade jumping narrative that works well with this story, keeping many secrets until they are revealed in their due time. Belili is strong and clever, she makes the most of her situations and I was touched by her journey. She is a wonderful heroine, vulnerable and flawed, yet in that way so much more relatable.

I loved Mert, their Egyptian servant and friend, who tells it like it is, and helps Belili mend what is broken.

I loved how this story came together, and it is probably my favorite from Mesu Andrews. The suspense, and truly miraculous way that God used Daniel, preserving him to reveal His glory, is excellently done. Before reading this book I never thought how amazing it was that God prospered Daniel in the courts of many different kings, from the Babylonian to the Median empires. The author handles tough topics well, and takes Scripture very seriously, fictionally filling in where we can only guess what might have happened and how it came to be. A powerful and inspiring read about courage in the face of persecution and daring to be a Daniel.

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