Legacy: A Novel by author Anna Moore Bradfield is a Biblical fiction novel. It is the author’s perception of what might have occurred in the lives of King David's parents. This was a very interesting book that opened up new ideas on David’s father, Jesse.

The author has an inviting style of writing. I was quickly engaged in the book. The characters were thoughtfully crafted and believable with their flaws. Twists and turns kept me turning page after page. A lot of research was done before writing this book. It is well organized, written, and thought.

I recommend this to lovers of Biblical fiction. It would make a great small group selection. I rate it 4 out of 5 stars. A copy was provided by NetGalley, but these are my honest words.

I'm so sorry but this really interesting story was just so badly edited that I found it really difficult to read.

The timeline is all over the place and there are frequently long, overdone passages.

One character purportedly loves the biblical figure of Leigh, but the other character still takes the time to re-tell the whole story to her?

There is a great story in here but it needs a good editor to bring it out and make me want to pick up the next book. It's a shame because I really enjoyed learning more about the history of King David.

Biblical fiction is my favorite genre, and this one was no exception.
Overall, I thought this new to me author has done very well in capturing the tough subjects.
I loved reading about King David's parents and getting to know them personally through this wonderful story.
There were lots of interesting twists and turns that made me keep turning the pages of this book. I just couldn't put it down until I finished it.
I loved seeing these characters in a different light, and I love how this author brought them to life along with their many flaws.
Especially Jesse. Jesse was a perfect example of being flawed and struggled with life's journey. I get it.
Look to the Lord my friends like David did. He will never leave you or forsake you even when u think He's not there he is.
5 stars for a well written story. I highly recommend!
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Legacy by Anna Moore Bradfield
August 03, 2023
The Legacy by Anna Moore Bradfield was a good book. I've never read a book by this author, so I really didn't know what to expect. The storyline was great, but some area's it would drag. The characters felt real and well written. I love Christian Historical fiction and this book I would still recommend to others.

I received this complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley and publisher for a honest review. All thoughts and opinions are mine and mine alone!

I really did not enjoy this one. The writing style seemed juvenile. The characters were one dimensional.

Legacy

Many of us do not know the full story behind the shepherd boy who became King David of Biblical renown.
The story of Nitzevet comes from the supplemental material attached to the Torah, the Jewish Bible. This remarkable woman helped create one of the most noteworthy leaders in human history. A person can see how King David developed his courage and strength, having faced adversity from such a young age, and having had such a stellar role model in his mother.

This book must be read to be appreciated. It is inspirational in the best sense of the word.

Legacy by Anna Moore Bradfield is the story of Nitzevet bat Adel (Bet), the mother of King David. It takes a while to arrive at David’s birth. Nitzevet bat Adel (Bet) is much younger than Jesse being the second wife after the first had died. Just the age difference could have caused problems but in this historical fiction story it causes huge issues since Jesse has some grown children.

The story is one that is full of trails for these people, who are easily swayed by rumors and hearsay. However, one should be reminded that this is fiction, historical perhaps but fiction, nonetheless. An interesting read of what could have happened but perhaps reality was very different.

The publisher through Net Galley provided a complimentary digital copy. I have voluntarily decided to read and review, giving my personal opinions and thoughts.

** spoiler alert ** I've had such a hard time trying to come up with words for my review on this book. It was disturbing to me. I received a copy from the Credo House Publishers via NetGalley and this is my personal opinion. It is a work of fiction based on a legend of King David. It is a 'how it could have been' work.
Nitzevet is a lovely young bride who is brought to Bethlehem by her family to wed Jesse. She is seen by his eldest, grown son, Eliab who thinks his father has found her to be his wife. He becomes sickeningly obsessed with his father's wife, for years. I liked her character and found it easy to care about her. The characterization is quite strong in the story.
I do have discomfort with this entire story though. I am a Christian and have been brought up with the Biblical depictions of David and his family. The novel is highly sensual. Lust is certainly a constant in the story. There are no blatant sexual acts described but I want to caution readers that there is a brutal rape which could be triggering for some readers. To me Eliab is written as a highly spoiled individual who thinks he can have anything and everything he wants and will stop at nothing to do so. He is equal to a modern-day stalker in my mind.
The love that Nitzevet has for Jesse is pure and sweet. The description of daily life, particularly for women is interesting. She is the character that kept me reading the book. Jesse's misguided thoughts are questionable to me. I honestly can't picture the couples' life going as it does in this telling. After David is born and becomes the shepherd we are aware of from Biblical accounts, the important slaying of Goliath does not enter this story.
Overall, I don't dislike the story, but it isn't what I'd hoped for. I'm disappointed but I may give the next book in the

The Legacy was better than I expected!

I knew where the storyline was going - well, really the early history of King David, though it took some time to get there. We have Nitzevet bat Adel (Bet) entering Bethlehem to marry Jesse, son of Obed and grandson to Ruth. Observing the entrance, but ignorant of the reason for the entrance is Eliab, Jesse's son from his first wife who immediately falls for Bet and becomes seething jealous when he sees she's there to marry his father. From here, the story goes on to describe the growth of the family and Eliab, who was wanting to marry from the onset of the book, finally getting married to one of Bet's cousins, who happens to resemble Bet. As life is happening, Jesse is brooding over two things - 1.) Who will take care of his flock, whereas he refused to let any of his sons to become shepherds, and 2.) Is he really a child of Israel - this question stemming from the fact that Ruth, his grandmother, was a Moabite, and the thought is Moabites cannot convert to children of Israel. At this time, Bet is pregnant and Jesse needed to travel for business. Jesse, to the men he was with, talks about this and states that if his child is a boy, his doubts will be resolved. However, Jesse comes home to a daughter. This is where the crux of the book begins...
Personally, I initially thought this book was predictable, but I was wrong! I loved that I was wrong! This is a must read for those who love biblical fiction and of course those who are interested in King David! Beware: this book is meant to be the first book of a series and it ends as a cliffhanger.

I loved the idea of this book, however found it to be over sexual/sensual at times, especially for a Christian book, I think there are ways to get the point across without being so explicit. Because of that, unfortunately, this book wasn't for me.

I enjoyed how this book took part of the Bible and tried to fill in the backstory in a way that does not take away truth of the Bible. The author developed many of the characters through their inner struggles. The ending, however, left me unsettled and thinking that my edition was missing the last pages. Unfortunately, I think that was it.

A gripping novel, even though you know the outcome, it's a wonderful reminder of God's faithfulness and continue love all the time. Even in todays time God is always there for us, we just need to call on Him.

Legacy: A Novel, by Anna Bradfield, is the first of it’s series in the Lambswool Chronicles. Legacy is a Christian historical fiction novel that tells the story of Nitzevet (also known as Bet), the mother of King David in the Bible. We see Bet, married to Jesse, go through great trials in her marriage as Jesse questions his legitimacy as an Israelite. This strain on their marriage causes a slew of events to follow, not the least of which involve accusations of adultery and separation.

Pros:
I absolutely love Christian Historical Fiction! It helps me to see the Bible in a new light, able to see the people written in the scriptures as ones with full lives and feelings and trials. It sends me into study over the named people and scenarios as I compare between the realistic and the fictional. I thought the storyline was interesting and captured my attention. I liked the way Anna Bradfield wove scripture into her story through conversation between characters as well.

Critiques:
I struggled connecting with the characters. I did find the character development lacking a bit which made it more difficult for me to make those connections. One tell-tale aspect of some of my favorite authors in this same genre (such as Lynn Austin, Francine Rivers, and Tessa Afshar) is that ability to have strong storylines and emotions surrounding every character that you can’t help but cry or laugh when they do. I struggled to feel those same emotions here. I felt as if certain areas of the story that would easily require emotion, even the characters themselves did not seem to feel it beyond a sentence or two. I felt in the dark about the histories of the characters, as the author did not go to many lengths to describe these things. I believe should that have happened, the character development would have begun to take more shape and connections better made.

The other area I struggled with was a sense of unfinished business at the end of the story. While I imagine the intention was to have a cliffhanger to prepare for the next book in the series, I felt as if the closure that was needed for this book just wasn’t there, particularly with Jesse’s son, Eliab.

Lastly in my critique was the sensual side of this book. Prior to becoming a Christian, I was not unfamiliar with steamier books. Upon becoming a believer, I purposely stay away from those sorts of stories and try to stick to mostly Christian books to avoid those sorts of scenes. This book, in my opinion, teetered on the edge of “too steamy” for a Christian book. Describing certain body parts and desires in such a way and detail, I felt was a bit much in this story. There was much emphasis in the story of these very base human desires – and it’s not that they aren’t biblical, but when reading almost as a voyeur, seemed wrong to go into the kind of detail that I felt the author was going to.

To sum up:

Overall, this book was entertaining, though does requires some imagination as the storyline was a bit of a reach at times. It showed biblical persons in a light I may not have thought of as possibilities until reading this. If you enjoy Christian historical bible fiction, you may enjoy this book thoroughly. If you’re someone that likes nice loose ends tied up at the end of the book, this may not be the book for you. I will include a trigger warning below regarding rape. If you would rather not read on, stop reading now!

** TRIGGER WARNING – SPOILER ALERT**

This story contains a rape scene that is described in such a way as to be quite triggering to those sensitive to this topic. If this is a trigger for you, this may be one to pass up.

*I was given a complimentary copy of this story in exchange for my honest review. My opinion is fully my own.*

Loved reading the enthralling and intriguing story. As Jesse's wife, Nitzevet's love for Jesse grows, Jesse starts to doubt his legacy, accuses Nitzevet of adultery when she becomes pregnant with David, and Nitzevet lives on the outskirts of town with her daughter and son, David, teaching them the ways of God, and preparing for David to become a shepherd. Read the highly recommended, wonderfully written, and inspirational story.