About the Book

The drama of the Old Testament comes to life as Judah’s most notorious king ascends to the throne in this gripping novel from the award-winning author of Isaiah’s Daughter.

At eight years old, Shulle has known only life in a small village with her loving but peculiar father. When Uncle Shebna offers shelter in Jerusalem in exchange for Shulle’s help tutoring King Manasseh, Judah’s five-year-old co-regent who displays the same peculiarities as her father, she’s eager to experience the royal court. But Shulle soon realizes the limits of her father’s strict adherence to Yahweh’s Law when Uncle Shebna teaches her of the starry hosts and their power.

Convinced Judah must be freed from Yahweh’s chains, she begins the subtle swaying of young Manasseh, using her charm and skills on the boy no one else understands. When King Hezekiah dies, twelve-year-old Manasseh is thrust onto Judah’s throne, bitter at Yahweh and eager to marry the girl he adores. Assyria’s crown prince favors Manasseh and twists his brilliant mind toward cruelty, beginning Shulle’s long and harrowing journey to discover the Yahweh she’d never known, guided with loving wisdom by Manasseh’s mother: Isaiah’s daughter, the heartbroken Hephzibah. Amid Judah’s dark days, a desperate remnant emerges, claiming the Lord’s promise, “Though we’re helpless now, we’re never hopeless–because we serve El Shaddai.” Shulle is among them, a girl who becomes a queen through Isaiah’s legacy.

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Other Books in the Series

In My Opinion

For me, the best Biblical fiction books are the ones that drive me back to Scripture to read a story with new eyes and understanding. Mesu Andrews manages this with every book she writes.

King Mannaseh is not someone you learn about in Sunday school. In fact, his story is often one that’s glossed over in lieu of the focus on the kings of the Old Testament that lived God-fearing lives. Yet, his place is cemented in Scripture (and in the lineage of Jesus) for a reason.

There is so much to unpack in Isaiah’s Legacy. This is a cautionary tale about how easily swayed young minds are (as evidenced through both Shulle and young Mannaseh). It’s about greed and the jostling of power in the king’s court. It’s also a story of leaning on God’s promises when your world is falling down around you. It’s a redemption story while it’s also about the consequences of our sin. It’s about loving the unlovable.

With Andrews’s impeccable research and well-developed characters, I was drawn into this story from start to finish. And then, I went back to 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles to read about this prodigal king again.

Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.