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Summary: Francine is Amazing!
Review: I've read the first two books in the series and I was brought to tears at the end of both. I'm reading the third book now and it is SO good. if you want a REALLY good book to move you emotionally then these books are great! You really get to know the characters and you learn to love them. It was so hard for me to part with all the characters in book two only to fall in love with new ones in book three. Francine Rivers is one of my favorite authors and i think that these books (and redeeming love) are her best works. FABULOUS!
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Summary: Best books I EVER read! (and i've read plenty of books)
Review: I had totally given up on reading after reading some pretty bad books, and then my sister pushed me to read this series. I was hesitant at first, but i tried it out. After reading the first couple of chapters of the 1st book, i couldn't put it down. I stayed up half the night reading it (and failed a quiz the next day because of lack of sleep) and read it the whole next day at school--between classes, during free time, and even while the teacher was talking. I simply couldn't put it down. Hadassah and Marcus's story is so wonderful, and I cried more than i ever have in my entire life while reading it. When i finished the first book, i immediately wanted to start reading the second (trust me, you will too)--but my sister had lent it out to someone!!! I was in anguish until i finally got my hands on it and read it. (I cried in this one too!!) The first two books totally changed my outlook on life--and they impacted my faith. I just got finished reading the third book, and it is fantastic too! Trust me, you will LOVE this series! My words will never be enough to desribe the impact these books had on my life, and can have on yours too. Francine Rivers is truly an amazing tool for God.
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Summary: Not what I expected
Review: While I found the writing and the stories in these books engaging and interesting, I was bothered by the unrealistic characters who were often too perfect and often behaved in manners that seemed to be uncharacteristic. As is often the case in this type of Christian fiction, both the characters and the author seemed, at times, hypocritical. Perhaps this was intentional, but it was quite a put-off for me, mostly because it seemed to be an accident of the author's personal biases.I was also troubled by the historical research; many things implied to be true of this period and of Christianity in this period were just plain false. When I read historical fiction, I expect things to be actually based on historical truth. In the end, I have enjoyed reading the books for their stories, but a few of the other characteristics of the books would lead me not to highly recommend them.
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Summary: Mark of the Lion -- (Vol 1-3)
Review: WHAT AN AMAZING TRILOGY! Francine Rivers has done it and she has done it well. When I was first recommended this book, I was a little aprehensive about reading it, only because I had never read a Christian novel before. All it took was the very first page and I was hooked!!! Francine Rivers writes with such vivid imagination and color. The characters were so real that I felt I knew them personally, I felt I could touch them and talk to them. I read this book about 2-3 years ago and I will never forget the impact that it has has on me.
The story focuses on a young Jewish girl named Hadassah who is of Christian belief. She falls in love with Marcus Valerian, the wealthy son of Decimus and Phoebe, and older brother of snobbish and spoiled Julia. (They happen to be her masters; the family that she works for) Hadassah's solemn, humble, and plain way positively affects everyone she meets. She is a true example of the Child of God; strong and admirable.
This is truly a masterpiece, and I would recommend this book to ANYONE, no matter what types of books you are into. This story will stay with you for years to come. A story like this should definatly be made into a movie!
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Summary: Will bring you to your knees and reduce you to tears...
Review: Francine Rivers' "Mark of the Lion" series is unquestionably one of the most profoundly moving works of fiction you will ever read. I can personally vouch that everything said by reviewers here about the powerful impact of these books is absolutely true. I first read "The Mark of the Lion" series five years ago and no novel I read previously or since has even come close to topping it. The stories and characters are so realistic they grip your soul and become a part of your life. The central thread of the plot surrounds the life of a young Jewish Christian slave girl named Hadassah. Small and thin, plain and homely, she is not your typical romance novel heroine. After witnessing the death of her entire family in the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., she is enslaved and sent to Rome where she is sold to the wealthy Valerian family. As Hadassah adjusts to life the Valerian household, she comes to truly love and care for them: Decimus, the world-weary father; Phoebe, his gentle and somewhat naive wife; Marcus, their son, whose sole aim in life is the pursuit of pleasure; and Julia, the high-strung daughter who is Hadassah's special charge. Hadassah sees the emptiness in the Valerians' lives and longs for them to know the peace and fulfillment they can find in Christ. But her attempts at sharing her faith are hampered by fear for her life if anyone should discover that she is a Christian. Further complications arise when Marcus starts to get intereted in Hadassah without quite knowing why. She is completely different from any other woman he has ever known: she is pure both in body and spirit, she seems to posses an inner peace and contentment he has never felt, and she serves his selfish, rebellious sister Julia with a selfless devotion that Marcus cannot understand. Hadassah comes to love Marcus as well, but she knows that they can never be together as long as he is an unbeliever. Interwoven throughout the Hadassah narrative is the story of Atretes, a young German warrior captured by the Romans and forced to fight as a gladiator. Atretes' life becomes wholly driven by his hate and anger at the Romans for the way they treat him. Ultimately, he too comes in contact with Hadassah and her faith. The way the threads of these various plot lines evolve and entwine is nothing short of stunning. Every twist and turn is perfectly logical, perfectly natural, and completely plausible, leading to the inevitable conclusion you instinctively knew was coming. As has been previously mentioned, make absolutely certain that after finishing the first volume, "A Voice in the Wind," you have a copy of the second book, "An Echo in the Darkness," readily available. The cliffhanger ending of "A Voice in the Wind" is such that you are liable to break your legs or wreck your car trying to get to the nearest bookstore for the sequel. These books are a powerful Christian witness and offer much insightful and sobering commentary on human nature and life in general. The setting in decadent Ancient Rome forms a surprising (and frightening) parallel to modern day America. Such modern issues as abortion and homosexuality were prevalent even then, and are addressed in the books. Some have commented that the character of Hadassah was too sappy-sweet and goody-goody to be believable, but I strongly disagree. Hadassah's honest fears and struggles make her completely human, yet she also has such love for the Lord and others as to truly inspire you to better things. Such remarkable characterization is what makes the "Mark of the Lion" series so compelling. Ms. Rivers' psychology runs deep, turning your heart inside out to reveal things you were unaware of or had forgotten. I am typically not a very emotional person, but these books had me in tears frequently. As the story unfolds and God's faithfulness is so poignantly portrayed, you will be brought to your knees in thanksgiving and praise to the Almighty God we serve. The awesome impact that one Godly person can have, and that person herself a shy, frightened slave girl, was a huge encouragement to my faith. The books provide an excellent example of being in the world without being of it. But neither Hadassah nor any other character is glorified as the "hero," for Ms. Rivers points all the glory to Jesus Christ. He alone is the Voice in the wind, the Echo in the darkness, and the One whose faithfulness is as sure as the dawn.
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Summary: GOOD BOOK!
Review: WOW! I absolutely LOVED this book! I've always been a sucker for love stories, but this one hit the spot. I'm always wary about reading books, with the language and content of it. This, however, didn't pose a problem at all! Not a boring spot to be found in the book, which is the case with most novels. I really reccomend this to teenagers. Plus, it was a cool read because, in an Ancient Civilizations class I'm taking, we were discussing the Roman Empire. That was a plus.
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Summary: The best books I have ever read!
Review: These books are awesome, they totally caught me up for the entire time I read them. I took them to camp and spent my free time inside reading! It is a beautiful story with action, love, adventure, and Christian faith going through the whole thing. They doesn't gloss over anything, and offers a great view of Rome around the time of Paul. You get so connected to the characters the worst thing that happens is the book ending and you getting left out of their lives. These definatally must be read!!!
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Summary: This book changed my life....
Review: All I can say is...wow. I don't know how she did it, but Francine Rivers spun a tale that completely sucked me in and left me changed. She really brought to life the phrase "real Christian." These books taught me what it really means to live as a real Christian and how to lean on the Father when everything seems to be going against you. I've read these books about ten times each, and every time I learn something new. There are some awesome books!!
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Summary: Beautiful story!!!
Review: This another beautiful story from Mrs. Rivers. Its a great work of art. I could actually picture myself walking down the streets of Rome while reading the book. I like the way she was able to relate the characters to the events taking place in the world now, especially the Christendom. There is nothing new under the sun, but the Word of God stays forever, never changing. I did learn a lot from the stories, and the most important is that God is with us, no matter the situation we are going through and that thought keeps me going through, knowing that everything works together for our good. Mrs. Rivers, you are blessed.....and u have been a fountain of blessing to me too!
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Summary: very imaginative and prolific writing but be careful
Review: I was so engrossed in the first one that I couldn't drop it until the last page. Francine Rivers is an amazing writer, and I will give her that. But I will advise readers to test every spirit. What are her stories feeding you? her heroines are Perfect. Even their weaknesses are minute and virtually laughable.
While, on one hand we can learn some valuable truths about God through this series- I should warn readers to take a human being's interpretation of how God works Very Very carefully. The danger in Christian fiction is that when we read it, we embrace all- even the writer's personal and cultural biases and theology. This is something done unconciously; but I ask readers to examine themselves and see if it is not true that they have believed some things about God and christian life, especially romance because of Rivers' books (whether true or untrue). Her books teach you to view eros love a certain way. And that can be dangerous. In conclusion, while Francine Rivers is an amazing writer and composer, I will not advise reading a lot of her. A couple of her stuff is recommended, but don't join her following.
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