The Songs of a Warrior: Saul and David: A Retelling by Katy Morgan

The stories of Saul and David come to life in this biblical fiction for middle grades.

The Songs of a Warrior: Saul and David: A Retelling by Katy Morgan. The Good Book Co., 2023. 288 pages.

• Reading Level: Middle grades, ages 10-12
• Recommended For: Ages 8 and up.

We often read the story of Saul. And then the story of David. But how often do we read them together? As in, one cohesive story? When we look at the Bible, we see that their stories are utterly interwoven. Katy Morgan highlights this intersection in her retelling of their stories.

The perspective shifts between David and Saul, beginning with Saul as he is anointed by Samuel. Morgan highlights his cowardice (remember that he hid?!) as well as his varying mood shifts.

David gets anointed as a young boy, years before he becomes king. Morgan explores the development of David and Jonathan’s friendship, David’s years on the run, and his eventual rise to kingship (all beginning, of course, with David’s killing of Goliath).

By the end of this lively story, readers will have a better appreciation for how these stories fit into God’s story throughout Scripture. They will also get a feel for Saul’s and David’s characters. I did feel that David didn’t “grow up” very much in tone; he does grow up, and his actions reflect that (getting married, leading men into battle, etc.), but the way he’s discussed in the narrative felt the same and I had to keep reminding myself that he was actually 7 years older (or whatever). Most young readers won’t be bothered by that however.

Back matter includes specific information about what Morgan takes from Scripture, what she invents, and what she includes based on archeological and sociological evidence of the time period’s customs and lifestyles. She also includes discussion questions and a Bible-reading schedule so young readers can read the biblical story for themselves.

Considerations:

• It’s always wise with biblical fiction to ensure young readers know what is backed up in the Bible and what is the product of an author’s imagination. Ensure your young readers have already read the biblical account first.

Related Reading from Redeemed Reader:

• A Review: The Promise and the Light by Katy Morgan is a retelling of the Nativity story. We also liked The Outsiders by Morgan (a retelling of the book of Ruth).
• Reviews: More biblical resources for this age group include The Sword: Magnus and the Mystery of Romans by Marty Machowski and The Serpent Slayer and the Scroll of Riddles by Champ Thornton.
• Resource: David is very much a leader (and Saul a bad leader!). We recommend looking for other titles along similar lines in our Learning to Lead Booklist.

You may purchase The Songs of a Warrior from Westminster Books!

Or, you may purchase The Songs of a Warrior from Amazon.

We received this book free from the publisher in return for a fair, unbiased review.