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Summary: An amazing trilogy...
Review: Wow! These books changed my view of Christianity and its origins entirely. It is one thing to hear about ancient Roman culture -- its depravity, immorality, and feral pursuit of any and every pleasure -- but it is entirely another thing to walk through that culture with characters like Hadassah, Julia, Marcus, and Atreides. My eyes were opened to the reality of their existence, and history came alive to me. For the first time, the art, architecture, and writings that I have studied from Rome became meaningful, showing that these were real people struggling with real issues and real temptations, much like those we struggle with today. These are unbelievably amazing books. If only there were a fourth one!
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Summary: Open your heart....
Review: Thank goodness that it was a dreary, rainy weekend when I started reading A Voice in the Wind, because I could not stop reading it. I finished the 500 plus page book in 2 and 1/2 days. You need to have An Echo in the Darkness ready to pick up as soon as you finish Voice. This series gave me such vivid insight into the times right after Jesus' death; painting such a clear picture of life in Rome and Ephesus. Francine Rivers interjects Scripture into the storylines in such a profound way that I found myself seeing each particular Biblical reference in a more personal way than ever before. It inspires me to know my Bible better, and to serve my God in a more determined way. Open your heart as you read these books, and I'm sure you will experience spiritual growth. Oh, to be as good as Hadassah!
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Summary: The best fictional series I've ever read!
Review: The first book was suggested to me. Told that the hero was a girl, I expected a wimpy book written for female readers. Written in the period just after Christ (100 - 300 AD), it really was difficult to "get started". By page 30, I couldn't put it down. Every male should get something from this! From the bravery of the gladiator to the tenderness of a young teen girl, this series is packed with something special. Few authors aspire to truly capture special life giving themes in their writing. Fracine is able to capture many themes! If you go to a book store, go home with this series!
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Summary: Great Book!!
Review: This is a great series. I like it so much. Everything was so lifelike, it was soooo good
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Summary: beyond words can express
Review: Francine Rivers has manged to astound me yet again. I am rarely emotionally moved, and this series had me crying in the first chapter. "The Mark of the Lion" series is so captivating, it deals with pain, forgiveness, love, suffering, trial, any type of sin imaginable, and of course the Lord's unfailing love. If you want to read a series that is uplifting and consumes your every thought, this is it. Francine Rivers is by far my favorite author, the Lord has blessed her hands, for she knows the key to pull a reader in. And that is a gift that is truly rare.
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Summary: AMAZING WORK!!!!
Review: I read this series a few years ago and absolutly loved it. i finished Voice in 3 days and was so excited about the next one that i drove to a really far bookstore at 5 in the morning so i could be there as soon as they opened to get the next book i was really inspired be Rivers writing so much so that i read about the bible character Haddessa that inspired the book character and her faith is so admirable that i want to name a child after her (the bible character not the fictional)these books were so good i passed them to all my friends and they loved them too i now have to replace them because they are literally falling apart!!! thay've been read so many times these books will change you they made faith come to life in me in such a way with prayer and living my faith so that others are impacted in a possitive way im so happy to have an example of how to weather rough times with god leading and not trying to do it myself my point being that its nice to have a female example of christianity where the example has always been a males faithfulness anyway im just really pleased with the mark series and recomend them for everyone but a warning if you are not straight in your walk with Christ this book with convict you to get striaght with God it convicted me
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Summary: Heart of a Servant
Review: Have you ever faced circumstances outside of your control and wondered if God has left you? Have you ever had your dreams crushed and wondered if God is sitting on his throne or his hands? Through the characters in these books, Francine Rivers gives us an example of someone who has faced incredibly difficult circumstances and remained a faithful servant of our Lord, Jesus Christ. As I read these books, the Lord kept gently reminding me that he is able to do all things and nothing is impossible for him - my job is to keep trusting him and walking in obedience with a heart of a servant.
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Summary: An epic that faltered after a brilliant start.
Review: Francine Rivers has made a name for herself with her enthralling three volume "Mark of the Lion" series. Her story-telling abilities, colourful characterization, and expertise in describing real feelings are superb. Unlike a great deal of contemporary fiction, the "Mark of the Lion" series is epic in scope and deep in content. It's not just entertainment, it's literary fiction of a high calibre. In each volume, Rivers addresses serious issues in the Christian life: witnessing to an unbelieving world, forgiveness and anger.The first volume, "A Voice in the Wind" is easily the best. With a deeply-moving story that entertains, educates and enthrals, Rivers has crafted a captivating tale of the Christian Jewess Hadassah that takes readers on a breath-taking ride from the ruins of Jerusalem, to the godless hub of first century Rome, and the Artemis worshipping city of Ephesus. Particularly compelling is the touching manner in which Rivers portrays the special relationship between the slave Hadassah and her master Julia. But especially outstanding is her portrayal of first century Rome. The culture of the Roman empire is described in vivid detail, complete with its godless and decadent lifestyle, political intrigue and corruption, infatuation with gladiators and games, sex and sensuality. The description of Rome's decadence is at times almost too vivid, and consequently the book is not really suitable for younger readers. The inclusion of contemporary issues such as abortion, homosexuality, and common-law marriage at first seems anachronistic, but actually the decay evident in contemporary Western culture is merely a mirror image of the decay that also characterized and eventually destroyed corrupt Rome. Over against the destructive decay of Roman culture, Rivers describes its counter-culture: Christianity. The only hope for a people trapped in an immoral and disintegrating world - both then and now - is the Saviour and restorer of life: Jesus Christ. Ultimately this age-old contrast between the church and the world is at the heart of this epic novel. It's an incentive to be faithful Christians and live counter-culture in our equally corrupt times. It is especially this quality that makes "A Voice in the Wind" not only immensely satisfying, but also incredibly stimulating for your own faith. The voice of God in Hadassah's life echoes in the dark and empty lives of Marcus and Julia in volume two, "An Echo in the Darkness." In their lives Rivers creates a vivid and wonderful portrait of the truth of Ecclesiastes - the emptiness and vanity of a life where one pursues anything except God. Just like today's world, Rome offers wealth, pleasure, power and knowledge. Both Marcus and Julia discover that the pursuit of pleasure, work, money and sexuality eventually proves to be meaningless and empty - the same conclusion as Ecclesiastes. But will they come to discover that meaning is found instead in God? Hadassah - now a miraculous healer beneath veils with scars that testify to the "mark of the lion" - proves to be instrumental in the resolution of their internal struggles, and in the end the lives of this three-some converge in a rather remarkable way. The gladiator Atretes returns in the third volume, "As Sure as the Dawn", and Rivers chronicles his journey back to his Germanic homeland, accompanied by the Christian widow Rizpah, nursemaid to his son. For Atretes, it proves to be much more than just a journey to his barbarian Chatti tribe, but especially a spiritual journey of faith. The portrayal of spiritual conflict as the gospel is proclaimed in pagan territory is particularly convincing. Rivers' description of demonic powers at work among the pagans under the guise of their gods is powerful and accurate. The preoccupation with internal struggles makes both "An Echo in the Darkness" and "As Sure as the Dawn" more introspective than "A Voice in the Wind". Readers who enjoyed the excitement and action of Rome's bread and circuses in the first volume, will be disappointed to find that instead of battles between gladiators and lions in the arena, Rivers focuses more on the inner battles of the heart, as Marcus, Julia and Atretes search for peace and meaning in their lives. Displaying a remarkable ability to convey and describe human emotions, feelings and struggles, Rivers demonstrates that she is as skilful at portraying inner conflict as she is at portraying outer conflict. However, the last two entries of the series are also subject to a questionable theological proposition. Rivers sets her novels in an era when the church was established and God revealed Himself almost exclusively through apostles, prophets, and the written writings. Yet despite this, she incorporates signs and wonders that were unique to the apostolic era (direct revelation, the gift of tongues, and miracles). It is most unfortunate that these become decisive turning points in the lives of her characters. Not only do these miracles and wonders result in an overly optimistic story-line that fails to reflect the harshness of real life for Christians today, they are dependent on a tenuous theological position that apostolic wonders and miracles did not cease with the apostolic era. Other flaws also emerge, notably her presentation of love and forgiveness as a Christian duty independent of repentance, Hadassah's purity of character which belittles the reality of an ongoing sinful nature, and the extent to which romance overshadows religion in determining the course of events in Atretes' life. The graphic allusions to Atretes' sexual relations outside of marriage and frank discussion of sexual thoughts certainly makes this series unsuitable for children. "As Sure as the Dawn" does overcome some of the weaknesses of "An Echo in the Darkness", but not enough to match the brilliant start begun with "A Voice in the Wind." Not bothering to read the entire trilogy can be justified, but to not bother reading "A Voice in the Wind" is to miss one of the best efforts in contemporary Christian fiction!
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Summary: The Mark of the Lion Triliogy
Review: I have read the first two novels and it was written extremely well. I'm sure the 3rd will be just as good if not better. I couldn't put the book down. It not only gives you a history lesson but it compels you to be closer to God. I felt like being more humble and to do something nice to someone else. The romance is subtle but strong in character. I highly recommend this series.
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Summary: All-time-favorite books!!!
Review: These books are amazing! I made the mistake of reading the stories out of order, but that fact did not diminish the wonder of the stories of Hadassah, Marcus, Julia and Atretes. I've read each of the books at least 3 times, and each time I get just as enthralled with the plots. The books challenged me in my faith and are definitley some of my FAVORITE novels!
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