My Rival, the King by Jubilee Lipsey

For three years, the shepherd warrior David has been like a son to the king he’ll eventually replace. But Saul’s jealous fury burns out of control, branding David a traitor and forcing him to flee for his life. Taking refuge in the cave-scarred wilds of Judah, the young giant-killer is joined by The Mighty, a fugitive resistance group hoping to end Saul’s reign. Pursued by the king all over Israel, David grapples with the thorn in his anointing, wondering if his heart will survive the path to the throne. With a very different kind of flock depending on him now, is it right for him to persist in his vow to spare Saul?

Still honor-bound to the brother he loves and the king he no longer trusts, Saul’s son Jonathan agonizes over how to protect his wife and child from the disaster his father is inviting. Who else will have to die before David can rule?

Drawn by promises that make their hearts bleed, David and Jonathan face a battle fiercer than any Philistine’s hatred. Will their faith be strong enough to endure the wounds of weapons forged by family? Will their honor withstand the flames of what they’ll have to sacrifice for Israel’s future? Does Yahweh really want a broken king?