Rain by Dana McNeely

Rain by Dana McNeely
Series: Book 1 of Whispers in the Wind
Publisher: Mountain Brook Ink on March 5, 2021

REVIEW BY VERA DAY

I’ve always been scared of Biblical fiction. All those thee’s and thou’s make it too much work to read the story. (Silly me, Biblical fiction doesn’t mean stories written in King James English.) I was also worried a Biblical fiction story wouldn’t be true to the historical events recorded in the Bible and respectful of the real people who lived through those events. I’m happy to report that by page three of Rain, McNeely had put all my fears to rest.

I was riveted.

Aban is a youth and an acolyte at the temple of Melqart, a false god. This takes place during the reign of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel, in the mid 800s BC. The prophet Elijah also plays a big role in the story. Although Aban is young, this is not a Young Adult book. The prose and some of the grim scenes are aimed at adult readers. It’s a coming-of-age story with a huge character arc for Aban framed by themes of repentance and forgiveness.

Terrible rituals take place in Melqart’s temple. McNeely carefully skirts around explicit or gruesome descriptions but lets the reader know there were horrifying sacrifices and crazy orgies involved in the worship of this false god.

The most amazing thing about this book is that even though McNeely chose plot points from the Bible, how the characters got from one plot point to the next was full of surprises. I wasn’t expecting plot twists in a story based on Biblical events.

McNeely did her research. I was there in ancient Israel with Aban and his family and the prophet Elijah. I had sand in my teeth and smelled sheep on the herdsmen. I learned about grapes, markets at the gates of the city, and even camels. Camels are skilled and smart and have strong personalities! They’re also very tall as Aban found out when he was in a crowded market and rode a camel for the first time:

Then they were moving, high above the crowd, looking down on everyone. Despite the strange rolling pace, Aban heard himself laugh. He let go of the frame and stroked the camel’s fur. It bent softly under his hand, like new grass in the spring.

-Dana McNeely, Rain

Were there any negatives? Maybe. A few chapters started with a paragraph or two to reorient readers instead of dropping us into the action. I was never lost and didn’t need the reorientation.

Overall, this is a high-stakes, action-packed, stirring Biblical fiction novel and earns 4.5 excellent fish from me. Highly recommended!

I read Rain through Kindle Unlimited.