Deborah Rising

Author: Avraham Azrieli

Publisher: Harper/Legend

Release Date: September 27, 2016

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

Based on biblical events, this story has the potential to be the prequel to the passage many have heard.

Deborah lost her parents a year ago, so the local judge took her and her sister in to live with them. The judge’s son chose her sister to marry and things were beginning to look positive.  But the night of the wedding, her sister was slandered a nonvirgin since she did not bleed and must go through a trial.  Throughout the trial, Deborah must watch her sister in the pit of shame while her husband speaks for her since she has no father or male relative.  She is sentenced to death and Deborah must watch as her sister is stoned to death and finds herself suddenly engaged to the same man who killed her sister.  In an attempt to run away, she hears the story of an elixirist from Edom who managed to turn women into men to win a war.  After being returned to the camp, she works in the basket factory and the foreman is a slave from Edom who confirms the story of the elixirist.  With help from a guilt ridden priest, Deborah escapes and sets off on a journey to find this mysterious figure to turn her into a man so that she can avenge her sister’s death and reclaim her family’s land.  But will she ever manage to get away successfully?

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started reading this book other than a story about Deborah the prophet. Did I ever get more than what I bargained for.  This story took me for a wild ride in directions I never expected.  The way the story was told was exceptional and I was hooked from the first page.  Deborah’s desire to be a man defined her very character and when she set her mind to a task, she accomplished it.  It was interesting to see her personality develop into a leader as well.  She got into some perilous situations, but was always able to work them out, sometimes with a little help.

There is always a lot of interpretation left to the imagination on biblical stories, so don’t go thinking this is debunking the bible or anything. Just enjoy the story for what it is.  With no language or anything graphic, I flew through this book ready to jump into next one!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.