Of Fire and Lions

A Novel

By: Mesu Andrews

Narrated by: Coleen Marlo

Length: 13 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

The Old Testament book of Daniel comes to life in this novel for fans of Lynn Austin's Chronicles of the Kings series or Francine Rivers' Mark of the Lion series.

Finalist for the Christy Award

Survival. A Hebrew girl first tasted it when she escaped death nearly 70 years ago as the Babylonians ransacked Jerusalem and took their finest as captives. She thought she'd perfected in the many years among the Magoi and the idol worshipers, pretending with all the others in King Nebuchadnezzar's court. Now, as Daniel's wife and a septuagenarian matriarch, Belili thinks she's safe and that she can live out her days in Babylon without fear - until the night Daniel is escorted to Belshazzar's palace to interpret mysterious handwriting on a wall. The Persian Army invades, and Bellili's tightly wound secrets unfurl with the arrival of the conquering army. What will the reign of Darius mean for Daniel, a man who prays to Yahweh alone?

Ultimately, Yahweh's sovereign hand guides Jerusalem's captives, and the frightened Hebrew girl is transformed into a confident woman who realizes her need of the God who conquers both fire and lions.

©2019 Mesu Andrews (P)2019 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Of Fire and Lions is a breathtaking and intricately told story of life and love in Babylonian captivity. Mesu Andrews’s well-researched tale brings to life Daniel and his wife, showing in vivid detail the challenges their love experienced in a pagan and hostile environment. Andrews gives readers a fascinating inside look at familiar biblical accounts (like the three men in the fiery furnace), all the while developing a beautiful and timeless love story.” (Jody Hedlund, author of Luther and Katharina, Christy Award winner)

“Mesu’s stories are immersive in the best sense of the word. Tackling Daniel? Not easy. But she succeeds with a captivating story line and gives penetrating truths that will go deep into your mind and heart.” (James L. Rubart, best-selling author of The Man He Never Was)

“Mesu Andrews is a master at writing biblical fiction! In Of Fire and Lions, she invites us on a seemingly familiar journey, and then - with a passion for truth and impeccable research - Mesu opens our eyes to an entirely new perspective that shatters familiarity and propels us right back to God’s Word. A compelling, brilliantly written novel, Of Fire and Lions is one of those rare stories that will stick with you for a lifetime.” (Melanie Dobson, award-winning author of Catching the Wind and Hidden Among the Stars)

Amazing

So glad I downloaded this book. When I started the book I thought nah not going to like this but how quickly my mind changed. Of course Mesu added fiction to make a story but also scriptures shown through. I will definitely be downloading everything written by this author. Coleen Marlo was excellent narrator

interesting read

Interesting take on the story of Daniel. Enjoyed the Biblical references and the history of the time.

Captivating!

What an amazing historical fiction novel. It is captivating, intriguing, and most of all it serves it purpose!

Great!

Loved the story line and relevance to scripture! Narrator good. took a few chapters to get drawn in, which is not unusual.

PHENOMENAL!

I never thought about the details of Daniel's life, and reading this definitely prompted me to v delve into the scriptural account in a deeper way. Highly recommend!

Pronunciation

The writing is good but the reader needs a lesson in pronouncing biblical names. Some of the names were pronounced incorrectly.

Wonderful Book

This Book brought me to a great place with the story of Daniel where I’m able to picture and humanize him and read the Bible to reference what is biblical.

Fact & Fiction intertwines.

I love how she has scripture as the foundation of her story. She has done her research. It has inspired me to read the book of Daniel once again. I’m looking forward to listening to more of her books.

Taking a story from B.C. and making it relatable

making Babylon real, tangible, and not just a "story" we've been told. the descriptions are wonderful and vivid. my husband also loved listening to this book.

I enjoy these books

I think these books are an excellent listen with the exception of too much rehashing of Abigail and her guilt. It just seemed to go on forever.
I was able to imagine the wisdom and faithfulness of Daniel but didn’t understand his ‘feet’ issue.