Book Club: Book Review of Persian Betrayal

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In February, I was fortunate enough to review the first book in the Empires of Armageddon series by Terry Brennan. Ishmael Covenant is a Christian fiction and suspense novel set in 2014. The majority of the story for both the first book in the series and the second book in the series, Persian Betrayal, takes place in the Middle East with a few scenes happening in Washington D.C. As Brennan's newest book takes place, after a short prologue, right where events ended in Ishmael Covenant, I would recommend reading the first book prior to this one.

In my previous book review, I reflected upon the fact that I usually don't read political fiction or historical fiction set in the present day. I am so glad that I reviewed both Ismael Covenant and Persian Betrayal. After the cliff hanger in the first book, I really wanted to know what happened to the cast of characters. Would the Rabbi survive the explosion? What was the second prophecy that was translated? Where was the box? What is going to happen in the personal life of Brian Mullaney? So many questions!

What to Expect from Persian Betrayal

Over the course of 289 pages, Terry Brennan answered many of the questions that I had after reading the first book as well as presented some more in Persian Betrayal to be answered in the third book in the series – Ottoman Dominion.  It is a fast-paced paperback novel with the action switching between scenes, sometimes multiple times in one chapter – but do not fret because whenever readers are transported to a new location there is a notation of place, date, and time. I was never at a loss for where the characters were – even if their actions were sometimes still shrouded in mystery.

The Bible will play an even bigger role in Persian Betrayal as the characters try to negotiate the covenant and whether or not it will be best for their governments as well as whether promoting it or signing it will result in disobeying the word of God. The U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Joseph Atticus Cleveland, has to walk a fine line between obeying orders from the President as well as obeying God.

There is a lot of action in Persian Betrayal as Diplomatic Security Service agents work with members of Israel's internal security agency (Shin Bet) to go after those responsible for the bombing of the Hurva Synagogue. There is also a military coup in Iraq, nuclear weapons destroyed off the coast of Pakistan, and evil trying to assert its control over the entire region. The entire goal of the underlying evil currents so undermines the prophecy concerning the end of times and changes the proscribed history of man as foretold in the Bible.

What Did I Think? 

I was very happy to see the relationships grow between and strengthen the different characters. There were a few instances when the main characters listened to lies but eventually, they opened their heart to God and realized what was the truth and what were the lies. I liked getting an inside glimpse into those moments including learning about how Brian Mullaney, Diplomatic Security Service agent, approaches his prayer and Bible reading time.

And whether or not the intention was to cause readers to cry, there were several moments while reading Persian Betrayal where tears formed in my eyes. Reading of the elder Rabbi Herzog's realization after receiving a special visitor was a beautiful moment. Brian talking to his wife, Abby, and talking about the lie that he was believing was another moment that was wonderfully described. I love moments when characters come to life.

I think my only disappointment was that Palmyra Athena Parker, who played a large role in Ishmael Covenant, was not featured more in Persian Betrayal. I understand why new characters came to the forefront but I really appreciated her strength and admired her courage in the first book and missed her here.

I would recommend Persian Betrayal to those who enjoyed Ishmael Covenant (this is one sequel you don't want to miss), Christian fiction, historical fiction, political fiction, or books with prophecies. It is a fast read (you really want to know what happens next so it is hard to put the book down). Once again I look forward to the next book in the Empires of Armageddon series!

Do You Want to Learn More About Terry Brennan? 

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"Terry Brennan is the award-winning author of The Sacred Cipher, The Brotherhood Conspiracy, and The Aleppo Code, the three books in The Jerusalem Prophecies series. His latest series is Empires of Armageddon, which includes Ishmael Covenant and Persian Betrayal."

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