Book Review–Lion of Judah

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Lion of Judah by Henry O. Arnold, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Lion of Judah
Series: The Song of Prophets and Kings #5
Author: Henry O. Arnold
Publisher: WhiteFire Publishing
Release Date: May 15, 2025
Genre: Biblical/Historical Fiction

The new king is crowned in triumph…
But his pride proves to be a fatal flaw…
And from out of his own house calamity falls upon him

Once a shepherd, a captain, and a fugitive, David is now king. He left behind the dangers of life on the run and embraced the comforts of living in the palace. No longer known as the “giant-slayer,” but as the “lion of Judah,” King David enjoys the popularity and prosperity brought on by his victories.

But peace in the nation of Israel has a double-edged sword. David’s pride subverts his judgment, and his desires overwhelm his heart leading him down a dark pathway. The king will go to any lengths to cover up his crimes, but disaster falls upon the House of David bringing this broken and contrite king to cry out to Yahweh for mercy.

Lion of Judah continues the tale of triumph and tragedy, deepest love and burning rivalries; the new epoch is given a voice…and it is The Song of Prophets and Kings.

My Thoughts

When I discovered that the book I was being asked to review was the fifth in a series, I gulped. I do not like reading a series out of order, or jumping in in the middle or end. The author assured me that Lion of Judah can stand alone, though there are story arcs that go throughout the series. I went searching for a way to read or listen to the first four books, however, and found the audiobooks on a library I use. So, for the last month, I’ve been listening to this series when I can! I’ve made it through the first two, and am almost to the end of the third, and have read about half of Lion of Judah.

I’m finding these books quite an interesting peak into what it might have been like to be Samuel, or Saul, or David, or Michal, or the prophets Gad and Nathan. I really like the picture painted here of what happens when pride is allowed to take over a person’s life. (The scene where Samuel realizes what his sons have become? Ouch.)

What I could do without in every one of these books that I have read is the scenes in which married couples are attracted to each other. They are more sensual than I like. There are 2-3 such scenes in each book. I have been careful not to listen to them while my children are around. So, as in many books, there are aspects I really like, and things I don’t appreciate so much.

Also, I’m not sure about the author’s timeline. Our family has just read through the life of Saul in our current trip through the Bible together, and we were paying attention to the timing of various events. What we found in the Bible seems quite different from the timing of events in these books. So, read them for the lessons that can be learned, not as history!

I believe I like this final book, Lion of Judah, best of the series. Though David fell into sin, and then sinned even more grievously to cover it up, he repented. The story is quite sad—as we know from reading the Bible. It ends with hope, however. 

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | WhiteFire Publishing | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop

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More In This Series

About the Author

Mr. Henry O. Arnold‘s career as an actor/author spans over five decades with multiple stage and film credits. He has recorded over one hundred audiobooks and is the author of the Urban Chronicles suspense series and the multi-volume biblical/historical fiction series entitled The Song of Prophets and Kings (available in all formats wherever books are sold). When not writing, he can be found hiking on a trail somewhere in the world. He and his lovely wife Kay have two beautiful daughters, married to two handsome men, with three above-average grandchildren.

Connect with Henry by visiting henryoarnold.com to follow him on social media and subscribe to email newsletter updates.

Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a print copy of Lion of Judah & $20 Amazon Gift Card plus a print copy of The Mercy Seat, also by Henry O. Arnold!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight June 2, 2025 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on June 9, 2025. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

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