Gods and Kings : a novel by Lynn Austin (Chronicles of the Kings vol. 1)
Bethany House Publishers, 2005 316 pages £9 ISBN 078 0 764 229 893
This is a novel about Hezekiah, 14th King of Judah (one of the ‘good’ kings) who reigned from 716BC to 687BC.
His father was Ahaz, a ‘bad’ king who ruled Judah from 732BC to 716BC.
Hezekiah’s maternal grandfather was Zechariah and his mother was Abijah.
Hezekiah was contemporary with Isaiah and Micah
This is the first of five novels beginning with the apostasy of Ahaz, Hezekiah as a young boy until Ahaz dies (killed according to the novel) and Hezekiah becomes king.
Hezekiah’s story continues in a further two novels and then goes on, in two more novels, to tell the story of Hezekiah’s son, Manasseh, a ‘bad’ king.
How much of the story is based on the Biblical narrative (2 Kings 16 and 18; 2 Chronicles 28 and 29; 2 Chronicles 26; Jeremiah 26; prophecies of Isaiah and Micah) and how much is down to literary imagination you are left to decide.
The novel is well constructed and is faithful to the Biblical record as far as possible.
An enjoyable read bringing the story to life in a believable way.