It takes a brave author to tackle a story as dark as that of Manasseh, King of Judah, but what a powerful reminder that no person is beyond the reach of God! This book really does exemplify everything I love about Mesu Andrews’ books. It is so very well researched, both biblically and historically, and written out of a deep love for God and His redeeming Truth. Wow.

The most brilliant part of this novel was possibly the characterisation of Manasseh himself, who is portrayed as being on the high-functioning end of the autism spectrum. Andrews is very clear in her author notes that this was NOT an explanation for why Manasseh was so wicked and violent; the ‘credit’ for that goes to sin and sin alone. But some of the characteristics particular to those on the autism spectrum (rigid thinking, inability to read social cues, tendency to take words at face value without perceiving deeper motivations, etc) when coupled with his youth (he was twelve when his father died) made Manasseh more susceptible to the manipulation and influence of those around him: idolatrous advisors, the powerful and cruel rulers of the time, and most particularly Shulle, the young girl who understands him so well and captures his heart but is herself the puppet of her cruel, power-hungry uncle. Couple this with Manasseh’s belief that his ‘oddities’, as he refers to them, are a punishment from Yahweh, and you have a character for whom it is possible to ache, even as you abhor the things he did, and I think that was a vital ingredient for reader engagement.

And yes, those abhorrent things make this book a difficult read at times. There are references to dark arts, priestess rituals, and violence, but I think Andrews maintained the delicate balance of conveying the depth of darkness involved without dwelling in that darkness and becoming too graphic. Downplaying the reality of the darkness for the sake of reader comfort would also have weakened the impact of Manasseh’s redemption. As Hezekiah says at one point, “The blacker the darkness, the brighter God’s spark.” And there are plenty of those sparks to be found here, especially in the faith of the Yahwists, who remained true to God no matter the cost.

This isn’t a light read, that’s for sure, but it’s definitely a powerful one!