"Between the Wild Branches" is the second book in the Covenant House series by award-winning author Connilynn Cossette. Every book this author writes is a treasure and this book is no different. Cossette takes excellence in writing into an entirely new level in this book.
The book picks up ten years after the end of "To Dwell Among the Cedars." The summary of the book states: Ten years ago fifteen year old Lukio fled Kiryat-Yearim, where he'd been adopted by the Levite family who guarded the Ark of the Covenant. Feeling betrayed by everyone, he returned to his birthplace in Philistia to become a famous fighter. Now the champion of Ashdod, Lukio has achieved every goal with the help of his ruthless cousin. But just as he is set to claim the biggest prize of all, the daughter of the king, his past collides with his present in the form of Shoshana.
After a heartbreaking end to her secret friendship with Lukio, Shoshana thought to never see the boy with the dual-colored eyes and the troubled soul again. But when she is captured in a Philistine raid and enslaved in Ashdod, she is surprised to find that the brutal fighter known as Demon-Eyes is Lukio himself.
With explosive secrets and unbreakable vows standing between them, finding a way to freedom for both may cost them everything.
Cossette is amazing at encapsulating epochs of Biblical history and bringing them to life. The detail about the Philistine people is simply incredible. By making them more than a faceless enemy of Israel, she breathes life into the motivations and animosities of the two sides. It also shines the light on how the nation of Israel was seen by the nations surrounding her and her devotion (or lack of devotion) to God influenced them.
Lukio's character development is superb. We see him finally battle the demons of his soul (my pun on his nickname of "Demon-Eyes). What he discovers in the process is something we all need. This is a novel to be read over and over again to mine its depths.
I received a digital copy of the book to facilitate this review. The views and opinions expressed here are 100% honest and my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC's 16 CFR, part 255 Guidelines, concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in advertising.
Now for some Q & A with the author!
This series is a duology, what made you decide to only write two books this time?
I was really intrigued with telling the story of two siblings and how their journeys intertwined to form one whole story that was satisfying both to myself and to my readers. Of course I usually fall in love with secondary characters along the way and wish I could tell their stories too, and the Covenant House was no exception. There is one character in particular in Between the Wild Branches that my beta readers wanted to know more about. So who knows, maybe in the future I’ll have the chance to expand that storyline a bit! The great thing is that my next series is a spin-off and readers will get to meet my next four heroes in BTWB, so keep your eyes peeled as you read, especially near the end!
What drew you to this period in history to place a series?
When I had the opportunity to go to Israel a few years ago we traveled right through the Beth Shemesh valley, where the ruins of that town are just off the highway. And when our tour guide mentioned that this area was near where Samson lived and was also the exact place where the Philistines returned the Ark of the Covenant after they stole it in 1 Samuel. That day, I had a distinct vision of that ark bumping along on the road with two curious children following after it and decided that I needed to tell their story. Fortunately for me, at the same time I was plotting/researching the Covenant House series, scientists were proving from DNA evidence gathered in a Philistine graveyard that these enigmatic people actually came from Crete just like the Bible says they did. This new information gave me lots of fodder for book material and made my imagination spin like mad about the culture of the Philistines, which most likely was rooted in the Minoan and/or Mycenean people during the Bronze Age. They were certainly not simple shepherds and farmers like the Hebrew people were at that time and likely worshipped the precursors to the Greek gods we all know, so I had lots of fun contrasting the two opposing cultures and religious systems. There are still a lot of unknowns with the Philistines and we don’t have a handle on their language or writing system yet but I suspect more will come to light in the future that will continue to prove the Bible historically accurate.
What makes the characters in Between the Wild Branches different from any others you’ve written before?
I had lots of fun writing a more hero-centric story this time and Lukio is hands down my favorite male character to have written. First of all, he is a no-holds-barred bare-knuckled fighter (which is rooted in the ancient and brutal sport of Pankration) so I got to channel my inner MMA fighter and have some fun getting out some imaginary aggression. But he is also a hurting little boy on the inside, one who feels deeply and is wounded from what he perceived to be devastating betrayals. His journey to healing was so satisfying for me and no matter how many times I edited it all, I cried every time I read the final scenes. Also, since there was a childhood friendship/romance between Lukio and Shoshana, there was lots of intriguing history between them which added a different dimension to their reunion. Since ten years have passed since they’ve seen each other and a lot of life, and in Shoshana’s case pain, has occurred in that gap, they are in some ways completely different people by the time the book opens. It was an interesting challenge to think about how they relate to the “newness” of each other, while at the same time holding on to the sweet, secret friendship they enjoyed in the past. I love how they complement each other and how their relationship develops over the course of the story, despite all the obstacles between them.
What part of BTWB did you have the hardest time writing?
Honestly, this story poured out of me in a way that none of my books have before. I wrote the entire manuscript by hand and was so in love with the characters that there was not any part that was a major challenge. This is why the next series is a spin-off, because I just couldn’t let go of my friends!
Have you always had an interest in biblical history and wondered about the people and what they were like?
I think I’ve always been the type of person that wondered about historical figures’ backgrounds and loved learning about the Word but it wasn’t until about ten years ago that I became really intrigued by studying these ancient cultures in order to understand the context of the Bible. Once I started digging I just couldn’t stop!
What are you working on now?
I am currently working on my next series, which is a spin-off of The Covenant House series. I just couldn’t let go of this family but was also inspired to move out of the Judges time-period and into the Kings era. So the first book, releasing in 2022, begins with the crowning of King Saul and follows four cousins who run off to fight for the new king of Israel—although things certainly don’t go as the young men plan and one of them disappears, which leads them on their own adventures in a turbulent time when Israel was struggling to find its place among the nations around them along with its identity as people of Yahweh. I can’t wait to explore these new characters and biblical events! And the best part of a spin-off is that we get to spend more time with some of the characters we’ve come to love. We haven’t seen the last of Ronen, Eliora, Lukio, or Shoshana! I also have an upcoming project that I am super excited about but for now is a secret, so stay tuned!