Description: Caleb and Joshua Roar to Life in this High-Impact Old Testament Saga
Two men were brave enough to tell the truth about what awaited the Hebrews in Canaan. This is their story. From the slave pits of Egypt to the efforts of an eighty-five-year-old Caleb as he drives out the last of the giants, Shadow of the Mountain is a vivid portrait of two of God's chosen champions, and a meditation on masculine mentorship and the challenges and blessings of growing older.
For the sake of his new God and his loyalty to his friend Joshua, Caleb will not spend his twilight years resting, but taking the battle to the enemies of God's people until his dying breath. From his early days as a mercenary for Pharaoh in Egypt watching the Hebrews suffer under the yoke of slavery, all the way through a desperate fight with giants in the dark forests of the hill country, this is a story filled with epic battles, gritty intensity, and supernatural events that made Graham's Lion of War series a hit. Shadow of the Mountain is sure to ignite a love for the Old Testament in popular culture.
My Thoughts: I am pretty sure this is a book that men will absolutely love. As Caleb describes it, the first part of this book is War, Women, and Wine. It is battle scene, after detailed battle scene, challenging these characters to attain a set point of manhood. I enjoyed reading about Caleb's exploits and the battles he was in, as well as his perspective of the plagues from a stance of prominence in Egypt. At one point, Caleb talks about how the Egyptians were often good people ruled by a stubborn king. It was refreshing to see a note of sympathy for these people, while still remembering that they were idolators.
That said, there were things I did not care for. At first, I found Graham's writing style difficult to get into. While this is a personal opinion, I found the narrative rather dense and difficult to like until I got farther into the story. As well, I did not care for Caleb's seemingly cavalier attitude toward the deaths of other trainees during drills. At points he exults in their deaths because it meant he beat them, as though they had merely lost a match, not their lives. This drew me out of the story at points, making me question whether I liked Caleb or not.
Overall, the story was engaging and fun to read. I'm sure if I loan it to my brother, he will love it. I look forward to reading more by Cliff Graham in the future.
I received this book from Bethany House in exchange for an honest review.
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