Ishmael Covenant (Empires of Armageddon, #1)

by Terry Brennan

His marriage in tatters and his career ruined by lies, Diplomatic Security Service agent Brian Mullaney is at the end of his rope. Banished to Israel as punishment by his agency, he's assigned to guard a US ambassador and an insignificant box. Little does he know that this new job will propel him straight into a crisis of global proportions.

Inside the box is a messianic prophecy about the fate of the world. And a dark enemy known as The Turk and the forces of evil at his command are determined to destroy the box, the prophecy, and the Middle East as we know it. When Ambassador Cleveland gets in the way, his life and his daughter's life are threatened--and Mullaney must act fast.

Now agents of three ancient empires have launched covert operations to secure nuclear weapons, in direct defiance of the startling peace treaty Israel and its Arab neighbors have signed. And a traitor in the US State Department is leaking critical information to a foreign power. It's up to Mullaney--still struggling with his own broken future--to protect the embassy staff, thwart the clandestine conspiracies, and unmask a traitor--before the desert is turned into a radioactive wasteland.

Fans of Joel C. Rosenberg, Steven James, and Ted Dekker will relish the deadly whirlpool of international intrigue and end-times prophecy in Ishmael Covenant--and will eagerly await the rest of this new trilogy.

• ISBN10: 0825445302
• ISBN13: 9780825445309
• Publish Date: 18 February 2020
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Kregel Publications,U.S.
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 320
• Language: English

Reviews

[phyllish]

A fascinating story!

My rating is 4.5 stars

Combining current events with Biblical prophecy and Jewish mysticism, Ishmael Covenant is a fascinating beginning to the Empires of Armageddon series.

Brian Mullaney is a broken man. One who loves the Lord but doesn’t understand why his life is falling apart. When he is thrust into a cauldron of turmoil in his new post in Israel, his past failures begin to plague him. I loved seeing his inner struggles and the many ways the Lord reached out to him to give him just what he needed right when he needed it. And I loved the way that Brian continued to do the right thing and persevered through his doubts and his fears.

Brian came from a heritage of peace officers. He was dedicated to serving – with his life if necessary. I almost came to tears as I read where he explains why soldiers are willing to give their lives for others. And I am again reminded of how grateful I am for the men and women who daily risk their very lives to ensure the safety of others.

The story is gripping from the very start! And how amazing to find out through the author’s notes that the rabbi known as Vilna Gaon actually lived in the eighteenth century and did indeed leave behind a prophecy about Crimea being taken by the Russians which happened in 2014.

Ishmael Covenant is filled with explosions, abductions, intrigue, and treachery. And faith. The violence and violent acts are not overly gory or gratuitous. Due to the political intrigue, there are several places where history is explained to set the stage for the events taking place. This is well done – I’m grateful for the reminder of these events which gave the necessary context and background. Though many facts were given, it never really felt like an information dump.

The depictions of the action and the surrounding areas were so clear I could picture them. I often have difficulty following action sequences and just assumed the problem was mine. Yet I had no trouble imagining the events as they played out here, so perhaps it isn’t just me!

While Empires of Armageddon is a last-days series, this story was much more political thriller than a tale of the vials and bowls and plagues of Revelation – for which I’m grateful. I’m not sure what to expect in the rest of the trilogy but imagine they will be the same – after all, they can’t talk about the Wrath of God if the Christians are still in the picture. Right?

Being the first book in the series, the ending was a cliffhanger, as is to be expected. The middle book, Persian Betrayal, released July 28, 2020, and the conclusion will release summer of 2021.

Come back Friday (August 14, 2020) for my review of Persian Betrayal as part of a blog tour complete with a giveaway!

Read my full review at Among the Reads


I was given a copy of this book. I was not required to give a favorable review nor was any money received for this review. All comments and opinions are my own.