Henry O. Arnold

The Mercy Seat is one of the more unique novels that I’ve read in awhile. A pastor with a servant’s heart for his church and community is doing all he can, while serving in one of the roughest parts of Tennessee. What he doesn’t expect is just how dark his world will become, how deep the corruption goes, and who will be taken down in the process.

Profound descriptions describe a dark and desolate place and I fought the helpless and depressed feelings that washed over me as I read. Sadly, I am very familiar with this world as I grew up in a community not too dissimilar to what was depicted in The Mercy Seat. It is triggering for me to go into any details, but suffice to say I know this world better than I should, and the author did a great job of capturing the underbelly and those that are fighting to be free.

There are multiple narrators throughout the novel which I appreciated as it gives you insight into this situation from varying points of view. These characters have quite an authentic feel, with the exception of the language, which is cleaned up considerably, and rightly so. There is a lot that is packed within these pages and takes the reader on a journey that no one wants to be on. I admit that it took me a few chapters to really get the gist of what I was reading, but once I was grounded in the narrative I was hooked.

This is an intense read and though it is a Christian fiction it is not for the faint of heart. There is gang and drug activity as well as violence and corruption, but there is also faith, hope, and the power of redemption. The Mercy Seat is a compelling reminder that though the battle rages on there will one day be victory.

*I have reviewed a copy of this book which I received from the author/publisher through JustRead Tours. All views and opinions expressed are completely honest, and my own.… (más)

The book takes us on a journey through Biblical times when Saul was king. Not everyone was pleased with him and many did not want to recognize him as king. The burden he and his family faced was filled with despair, pride and at times loneliness. The details are vivid and easy to visualize. That one moment when Saul takes out his anger in a vicious way may cause harm to many. I think we can all agree that at some point in our lives we have let our anger overtake us.

As a bloody battle ensues who will be the victor? The author does a good job of taking us into the middle of uncertainty as King Saul and his army descends on their enemy. The determination to win is fierce and you can smell fear on those nearby. I enjoyed the encounter between King Saul and Samuel. Wise words were spoken but will King Saul follow them? From their conversation, there is a hint that pride may be slipping in and Samuel has cautioned King Saul of this. Having power does something to some and at times they become fixated on the power they have and not the good of others.

Jonathan is someone I have always been intrigued with. His father the king can be very demanding at times. When it is discovered that Jonathan has perhaps sinned, what will the consequences be? The story is epic as it traces the life of King Saul. We watch him weep over the death of his wife and hear the words of the prophet that penetrate his heart. As David comes into the picture the author gives us a glimpse of what is to come.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.… (más)

This book is a work of fiction about Hannah, her desire to have a child, and Samuel. I wish I could say I recommend this book, but I can not.

I believe a book, even a work of fiction, centered around people, places, or events included in the Bible should portray a certain level of decorum in them. This book focused to much on sexuality, negative behavior, and a general lack of tact regarding the fictional aspects of this book.

Within the story of Hannah, Samuel, and Eli, so many avenues could have been explored that would allow the glory to be brought to God. However this book seemed to focus more on carnal things,

I received a complimentary copy of this book, but this in no way influenced my review. All opinions are my own.… (más)

Whenever I am reading a Biblical fiction book I keep my Bible close by. I am familiar with each story but I always like to reference back to scripture to see if the author has taken to many liberties in the retelling. I do enjoy reading these type of books, but I like to have the stories close to the original telling in the Bible. Sometimes an author will stray from the story and it becomes hard to follow. I think in this case the author did stray or enhance the story which took away from the original integrity of Samuel.

The first part is pretty accurate with Hannah giving birth to Samuel and then promising him to Yahweh. It would be very difficult for me to have to give one of my children like she did. The author did a good job in relaying how she felt even though she knew it was what was suppose to happen. Where the author takes a more fictional account is when Samuel matures. Here is where I started to question how far the story would go. I know there are things in the Bible that are hard to read, however I don’t think graphic details are necessary in a fictional account.

As with each book I review, I always want the reader to judge for themselves about a book. The book does have some good material but for me there was just a little more of a stray from the original story. With this being the first book I’ve read from the author, I think he did an adequate job and my opinion of his story may differ from others.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.… (más)