Rating: 
Summary: A Thrilling Book.....4.5, if I may!
Review: "Echo" is, without a doubt, one of my favorite books. It rivals "Voice" in literary content, and I think that this is an excellent story as well.Whereas "Voice" raised our hopes [then dashed them] and introduced us to each character's personality, walk of life, interactions, and path they were headed for, "Echo" finishes the story, making it just as thoroughly enjoyable as the first. It ties up many loose ends that left us hanging in the first, including such questions as, what happened to Hadassah? [you'll find out!], how did Marcus cope [quite interesting!], what is Julia doing to herself this time [very sad], and how is the gentle, loving Phoebe investing her religious time [in the religion you'd least expect]. "Echo" also introduces many interesting new characters, including Alexander, Rashid, Deborah, and Azar [those who have read this book will be laughing...]...... All in all, "Echo" is one of the best follow-up books to the original I have ever read, and there are few other series' that could even match Miz Rivers' superb storytelling, outstanding detail, and all-in-all thrilling plots. So, enjoy "Echo", and God Bless! ***Note to those who haven't read the first book: By "A Voice in the Wind" before proceeding to "An Echo in the Darkness".
Rating:
Summary: A Thrilling Book.....4.5, if I may!
Review: "Echo" is, without a doubt, one of my favorite books. It rivals "Voice" in literary content, and I think that this is an excellent story as well. Whereas "Voice" raised our hopes [then dashed them] and introduced us to each character's personality, walk of life, interactions, and path they were headed for, "Echo" finishes the story, making it just as thoroughly enjoyable as the first. It ties up many loose ends that left us hanging in the first, including such questions as, what happened to Hadassah? [you'll find out!], how did Marcus cope [quite interesting!], what is Julia doing to herself this time [very sad], and how is the gentle, loving Phoebe investing her religious time [in the religion you'd least expect]. "Echo" also introduces many interesting new characters, including Alexander, Rashid, Deborah, and Azar [those who have read this book will be laughing...]...... All in all, "Echo" is one of the best follow-up books to the original I have ever read, and there are few other series' that could even match Miz Rivers' superb storytelling, outstanding detail, and all-in-all thrilling plots. So, enjoy "Echo", and God Bless! ***Note to those who haven't read the first book: By "A Voice in the Wind" before proceeding to "An Echo in the Darkness".
Rating: 
Summary: Even better than than the first.....
Review: *A Voice in the Wind*, the first in this series, really pulled at my heart. The storytelling was truly compelling. Sequels rarely live up to the magic of a great first book, but I felt that *An Echo in the Darkness* not only lived up to the magic, but surpassed it!
You MUST read *A Voice in the Wind* first. The characters are developed and their experiences lay the foundation for this book. Oh, and when you read the first book, be sure and read the chapter that is included introducing *An Echo in the Darkness* that follows. I ignored it, thinking that it would be redundant; however, this chapter is NOT included in the sequel, and it VERY important. A quarter of the way into *An Echo in the Darkness*, I went back and read this and it answered a lot of questions!
All in all, a wonderful, heartwarming and inspiring story. Sparks your imagination of what it would have been like to be a First Century Christian living in Rome and Ephesus.
As soon as I finish writing this review, I will start reading *As Sure as the Dawn*, the final book in this series. I can't wait to discover what happens to Atretes, the German warrior whose story we were introduced to in *A Voice in the Wind*.
Rating:
Summary: *Awesome*
Review: After the ending to the first book I had to run out and get this one. But I didn't think it would be possible for this book to be as good as the first. I was soo wrong. This story pulls you in and becomes a part of your life while your reading it. You will not put it down. And it will effect your life for a loong time after. It tugs at every emotion you have, and sticks with you. I cried at the end for every reason it is possible to cry. Because I was happy, because I was exhausted, and because I was sad that it was over. This just might be the best series ever written.
Rating:
Summary: An awesome follow up
Review: An Echo in the Darkness brought me to tears, and kept me hooked until the end. I read it until five in the morning trying to finish it! River's writing style never ceases to amaze me. The story follows Marcus, Hadassah, Julia, and Phoebe as they cope with the "death" of the beloved Hadassah. We follow Marcus on a journey to find Hadassah's god, Julia and Phoebe as they struggle through disease, and Hadassah with her new found friends Alexander and Rashid. Trust me, you will not be able to put this book down!
Rating:
Summary: wow!
Review: An inspireing and moving work. I didn't realize my tears could fall far for so many reasons.
Rating:
Summary: Not as good as Book 1 (Voice in the Wind)
Review: Charming, historical, with a bit of romance, this was a fine continuation of Book 1, but didn't quite grab me like the first one. Hadassah, again, was alittle too syrupy sweet and one-dimensional. She never seems to struggle with sin like the rest of us. Julia (my favorite character) lived a sordid life in Book 1, but the delicious details are missing in Book 2. I think Book 3 is worth a try. I want to see what that blonde hunk, Atretes, is up to.
Rating:
Summary: This Book Will Change You
Review: Francine Rivers is arguably Christian fiction's finest writer, and THE MARK OF THE LION trilogy is her crown jewel. They are my favorite works of fiction -- ever. While other authors may sell more books at times, none can WRITE like Rivers. The MARK trilogy is set in the Roman Empire, shortly after the fall of Jerusalem. Using a Hebrew slave girl (Hadassah) and a German gladiator (Atretes; think the film GLADIATOR) as the main characters, three books are crafted around themes of faith, redemption, forgiveness, and sacrifice. Rivers is one of the best at writing characters and those that she creates here are absolutely convincing -- flawed and heroic on multiple layers, with developmental conflicts that relate to and parallel modern times almost seamlessly. AN ECHO IN THE DARKNESS, the middle book of the series, picks up immediately after A VOICE IN THE WIND's climax. Where A VOICE focused mainly on Hadassah and her struggle to stand for her faith, AN ECHO's main conflicts surround the Valerian family (whom Hadassah served) and their responses to the sacrificial price that Hadassah paid. The resulting journeys towards redemption play out wonderfully and, as the book progresses, become more and more moving. Though A VOICE is my favorite of the series, from a literary standpoint AN ECHO is probably the best. You can read AN ECHO on its own, but you must read A VOICE first, and you might as well order the entire series because once you read one you will have to read them all. These books will not only grab hold of you and demand to be finished but they will challenge you to take your walk with God to a much deeper level. No other novels have ever affected me so profoundly. Forget the LEFT BEHIND series and invest in a true Christian classic. FIVE STARS.
Rating:
Summary: wow!
Review: Francine Rivers sets the bar for historical Christian Fiction writers. Her deft, graphic touch places her books firmly in the adult fiction section (as opposed to youth fiction). With its realistic portrayals of lust and love, this series is not yet for our teenagers, but I would recommend it to any adult. Thank goodness for the epilogue at the end of my copy of A Voice in the Wind! Otherwise, I might not have been able to bring myself to read An Echo in the Darkness. If I had been told in advance that Hadassah and Marcus wouldn't speak for more than half of this book, I'm not sure I would have read it. I certainly would have expected to find the book dry and slow. Au contraire! I was as eager to discover Hadassah's future and Marcus's and Alexander's decisions regarding Christ as though I were reading a mystery. The ending is very satisfying and worth each page. The series is a Keeper. Make sure you have your name written in the front of each book--in ink!
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding Adult Fiction
Review: Francine Rivers sets the bar for historical Christian Fiction writers. Her deft, graphic touch places her books firmly in the adult fiction section (as opposed to youth fiction). With its realistic portrayals of lust and love, this series is not yet for our teenagers, but I would recommend it to any adult. Thank goodness for the epilogue at the end of my copy of A Voice in the Wind! Otherwise, I might not have been able to bring myself to read An Echo in the Darkness. If I had been told in advance that Hadassah and Marcus wouldn't speak for more than half of this book, I'm not sure I would have read it. I certainly would have expected to find the book dry and slow. Au contraire! I was as eager to discover Hadassah's future and Marcus's and Alexander's decisions regarding Christ as though I were reading a mystery. The ending is very satisfying and worth each page. The series is a Keeper. Make sure you have your name written in the front of each book--in ink!
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