LeAnn L. (Fictionite) reviewed A Voice in the Wind (Mark of the Lion, Bk 1) on + 60 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 7
I didn't realize that this book is considered "Christian" fiction until I started reading it. Although faith is the essential theme of the book, the historical content alone is enough to enchant any reader. Very well written and the characters are riveting. This book is the first of the "Mark of the Lion" series.
Helpful Score: 6
this book was absolutely amazing. I couldn't put it down! I fell in love with the characters and through them, God has shown me about what kind of faith He requires of us. I highly recommend this series!!
Cathy M. (taransmamaw) reviewed A Voice in the Wind (Mark of the Lion, Bk 1) on + 35 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 5
This is the first in a series of three. This was a great story and gives a person a look at life in Rome at this time along with what it was like for Christians at this time to Be Christains. It's eerily similar to America today, and makes you think. Hadassah is a wonderful character and is a great example of what a Christian should be, it's a wonderful story and you won't be able to wait to read the next one so go ahead and get it too!!!!
Victoria P. (Novella) reviewed A Voice in the Wind (Mark of the Lion, Bk 1) on + 143 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
Book 1 in he Mark of the Lion Series. I have never started a series and gotten so quickly caught up in hte impeccable history, intense story line, and wonderfully detailed characters. Hadassah is a woman for all seasons and times as she represents Christianity amid the dangerous and decadent Roman Empire. And there are 2 books to go. Don't deprive yourself-I read this straight through!
Helpful Score: 3
Francine Rivers takes you back in time ... to the Roman empire. The book of Christian fiction runs more than 500 pages, but will keep you entranced from beginning to end.
Helpful Score: 3
Francine Rivers is an excellent author and fans won't be disappointed. Hang in there the first ninety pages or so (war scenes, blood).
Helpful Score: 2
Book 1 in the Mark of the Lion series. It is great.
Helpful Score: 2
This is great! I didn't want to put it down.
Juanita C. (Bookluv) reviewed A Voice in the Wind (Mark of the Lion, Bk 1) on + 13 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
This was a wonderful book, now that I've read book #1 I can't wait to read #2 and #3
Pat V. (TheChurchGirl) reviewed A Voice in the Wind (Mark of the Lion, Bk 1) on + 75 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
My most favorite series of all time.
Helpful Score: 2
A very good read!! Doesn't get much better than this. The book starts out a little slow, but by 1/8 of the way into it, I was hooked.
Valerie B. (valbogert01) reviewed A Voice in the Wind (Mark of the Lion, Bk 1) on + 22 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Wonderful series. I could not put it down.
Helpful Score: 1
AMAZING! I absolutely loved this book... =)
Helpful Score: 1
What an excellent book! I am just starting to read my bible, and this book helped me immensely with the old testament. Written in the fiction sense, but many biblical truths! I highly recommend the whole trilogy.
Leola C. (swamponkeymom) reviewed A Voice in the Wind (Mark of the Lion, Bk 1) on + 353 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
This is quite an interesting and thought provoking read. The characters are very intersting in who they are, what and why they do what they do. It left me with questions about where I stand in my faith, and how I ended up where I am! The time period was well describied and gave me thoughts of how blood thirsty people were back then. Also how manipulative they could be with each other.
This book is so incredible. I love the writing and am amazed by the similarities between our culture and that of the Roman Empire. It made the story so easy to relate to. I can't wait to start on #2.
Brianna J. (BriannaJ) reviewed A Voice in the Wind (Mark of the Lion, Bk 1) on + 4 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
This book is AMAZING! one of the best books i have ever read. it will shake your faith and make you want to grow to be a better person. Francine Rivers is one of the best authors out there!
One of my favorite books of all time! Historical novel that is true to God's word!
Helpful Score: 1
This book was one of the best examples of Christian witness the way Christ did it. It was an amazing, and unforgettable read. I would recommend it to anyone - Christian or not!
Helpful Score: 1
This moving story centers on the lives of two slaves--one a gladiator and one a house servant. It is a story of good vs. evil, God vs. gods, and selves warring against themselves. Beautiful Julia has everything she could ever want except the one thing she wants more than anything else--freedom. In striving for that end, she only enslaves herself. Marcus, too, has everything and above all he does have freedom, but he has no peace and no contentment. This is an interesting and exciting novel set in the early second century.
Jennifer P. (favoritern) reviewed A Voice in the Wind (Mark of the Lion, Bk 1) on + 55 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I really enjoyed this book. Great characters and storylines!! Francine Rivers is a fascinating author. This book left you absolutely wanting to read the second book. Can't wait!!
Melissa P. (ingodzhndz) reviewed A Voice in the Wind (Mark of the Lion, Bk 1) on + 24 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Absolutely incredible series. Even if you don't like historical fiction, I urge you to give it a try.
Helpful Score: 1
An outstanding historical fiction by an outstanding author. The book holds great insights into human nature.
Cindy R. (marks4randolphs) reviewed A Voice in the Wind (Mark of the Lion, Bk 1) on + 10 more book reviews
A MUST read-don't start it until you have the second one waiting on hand!!!
Absolutely amazing. DEFINITELY read this one--but have book two ready, because you'll want to IMMEDIATELY read it as well! Love this series!
One of the best and most captivating books I have ever read. What a clear picture of grace on the gospel. Rivers transports you back to the 1st century and you can also feel like you're there
The first chapter was a bit slow, but it really took off afterwards!! I would recommend this to anyone and I plan to read the next book in the trilogy ASAP.
While I must say that the brutality of daily life in the First Century was appalling, I found this book well written and true to the Gospel. I truly appreciated the historical value (while still a novel) in helping me to better understand the struggles of the Lord's church in that day and time. My husband and I both went on to enjoy the 2nd and 3rd in this series. They were very well done.
Awesome series (the first two books are superb, the third is good). Love it.
By far one of the best books I've ever read.
I read this book every few years and get something out of it every time.
The first in a series of three, it is a wild ride for the believer and non believer alike.
Great historic time and place.
I read this book every few years and get something out of it every time.
The first in a series of three, it is a wild ride for the believer and non believer alike.
Great historic time and place.
I absolutely LOVE this book. I couldn't wait for the next book in the series to pop up on paperbackswap, so I bought the whole set for my Kindle. This is the 1st book in years that has kept me up at night because I really care about the characters and want to know what happens next. I highly recommend it.
You are immersed in the overindulgence and self-centeredness of Rome, which is interesting, especially as it seems so comparable to today. The icing on the cake is that is has a good message and points you toward God without being preachy. It shows consequences of poor decisions and the strength of making wise and difficult decisions.
You are immersed in the overindulgence and self-centeredness of Rome, which is interesting, especially as it seems so comparable to today. The icing on the cake is that is has a good message and points you toward God without being preachy. It shows consequences of poor decisions and the strength of making wise and difficult decisions.
Absolutely amazing incredible. Don't recall how I came across this series, I beleive I was looking for books in our homeschool study of Rome. WOW was I impressed. Could NOT put these books down. My legs fell asleep and my kids complained, but it was WORTH it. Highly recommended for ANYONE.
Traci P. (humorous2me) reviewed A Voice in the Wind (Mark of the Lion, Bk 1) on + 4 more book reviews
Fantastic read!
Tobreth H. (tobreth) reviewed A Voice in the Wind (Mark of the Lion, Bk 1) on + 22 more book reviews
Awesome. Historical fiction so that is a plus anyway. A good story. Touching and it keeps you interested. Borrowed the next from a friend.
This is one of the best historical fiction books I have ever read and will probably read this series again sometime in the future. I like everything Francine Rivers writes and this is my favorite. When you get toward the end of this one make sure you have the next one with you!
The first chapter is hard to get through, but it is definitely worth the work. I loved this book because it incorporated history into the story line.
The whole series is great and very hard to put down once you get into it.
The whole series is great and very hard to put down once you get into it.
Wendy A. (firefly516) reviewed A Voice in the Wind (Mark of the Lion, Bk 1) on + 3 more book reviews
My new favorite book series! Highly recommend! Author thoroughly researched historical details.
Christina R. (sunshine4) reviewed A Voice in the Wind (Mark of the Lion, Bk 1) on + 2 more book reviews
wow!what an amazing book! I couldnt wait to start the 2nd one and now iam just as excited to start the 3rd! so good so far it has really been an eye opener for me...
the first book[a voice in the wind} you will have to go through about 90 pages of some real intense stuff! it also was hard for me to understand, but i kept wanting to go back to it and iam so glade i did! It started to all come together, and was easy to follow from there on! but it did make me sick during parts of the book, but it was good because she makes you really understand what the characters were going through...
the first book[a voice in the wind} you will have to go through about 90 pages of some real intense stuff! it also was hard for me to understand, but i kept wanting to go back to it and iam so glade i did! It started to all come together, and was easy to follow from there on! but it did make me sick during parts of the book, but it was good because she makes you really understand what the characters were going through...
The Mark of the Lion series was so good I would give it ten stars if there were that many. I am so grateful I discovered this author. All my years in church and I never learned a smidge of what I learned about Jerusalem and the history of that time like I learned from the book. Her research is phenomenal and I also really believe inspired. Many times I cried through it as she made Christ and his teachings come alive for me. She put me right back into that time and it was impossible to stop reading till all 3 books were read and now I have started on everything else Francine Rivers has written.
Janet G. (graciemae50) reviewed A Voice in the Wind (Mark of the Lion, Bk 1) on + 13 more book reviews
Great book!!!
Incredibly rich character, plot, and historical development. This is not light subject matter. However, for Christian readers, it gives such a vivid impression of life in the Roman empire after the time of Christ that you'll connect with coinciding scripture in a whole new way. And you'll grow to love and root for Hadassah and her genuine, unwavering faith. Even non-Christians would likely find this book incredibly well written on many levels.
Very good book
One of the best books I have ever read.
Great insight into the early days after Jerusalem fell in 60 AD and the spread of Christianity. Gladitors picture shows the cruelty of the Romans.
Great book!
Naomi B. (tripleguess) reviewed A Voice in the Wind (Mark of the Lion, Bk 1) on + 48 more book reviews
I read this series years ago. While there is a fair amount of brutality and depravity in the story, and it seems at times to delight in rolling in these things and then dusting off its front and guiltily quipping "That's bad!", those would not be my main caution to parents purchasing them for their children.
My biggest worry about the series is the two unhealthy principles it endorses, knowingly or unknowingly.
1) "Extra holy people return to abusive situations."
This is the implication of the heroine's actions in returning to the master who fed her to the lions. If you just keep throwing yourself back into the situation, back into the arms of the person who so mistreated you, why this is so contrary to common sense and normal humanity that it's got to yield results in the end.
Having practiced this myself in real life, I can swear to the fact that it does yield results -- bad ones. Returning to abuse encourages abuse. As Jan Silvious says, why put God in the position of making some disaster work for good when you can avoid it altogether? We are not the saviors of mankind -- Christ is. He said, "When men persecute you in one city, flee to another" and his apostles said "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." It's not always possible. Whether the author realizes it or not, the story implies that remaining in or returning to an emotionally and/or physically dangerous situation is the most spiritual thing you can do. Read "Foolproofing Your Life" for a Biblical look at what God says about staying around dangerous people who have already refused to change their ways.
2) "If you just keep waiting for that unsaved boyfriend, he will eventually be saved and you will both live happily ever after."
This has "recipe for disaster" written all over it. Missionary dating is the worst idea the church has ever seen. Yet the story implies that, by hanging around such a situation -- or, at the very least, not actively extricating yourself from it (and such a situation is rarely willing to let you just walk away), you are in fact encouraging your unsaved romantic interest toward salvation. Need I detail how destructive this idea can be to the mind of a naive young Christian girl? How it predisposes her to be taken advantage of by smooth-talking unbelievers who know to exhibit just enough "interest" in church and God to keep her stringing along until she winds up pregnant or trapped in an unequal marriage?
Two very big cautions all over these novels. I think it would almost be better to read historical novels NOT written from such a supposedly "Christian" point of view.
My biggest worry about the series is the two unhealthy principles it endorses, knowingly or unknowingly.
1) "Extra holy people return to abusive situations."
This is the implication of the heroine's actions in returning to the master who fed her to the lions. If you just keep throwing yourself back into the situation, back into the arms of the person who so mistreated you, why this is so contrary to common sense and normal humanity that it's got to yield results in the end.
Having practiced this myself in real life, I can swear to the fact that it does yield results -- bad ones. Returning to abuse encourages abuse. As Jan Silvious says, why put God in the position of making some disaster work for good when you can avoid it altogether? We are not the saviors of mankind -- Christ is. He said, "When men persecute you in one city, flee to another" and his apostles said "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." It's not always possible. Whether the author realizes it or not, the story implies that remaining in or returning to an emotionally and/or physically dangerous situation is the most spiritual thing you can do. Read "Foolproofing Your Life" for a Biblical look at what God says about staying around dangerous people who have already refused to change their ways.
2) "If you just keep waiting for that unsaved boyfriend, he will eventually be saved and you will both live happily ever after."
This has "recipe for disaster" written all over it. Missionary dating is the worst idea the church has ever seen. Yet the story implies that, by hanging around such a situation -- or, at the very least, not actively extricating yourself from it (and such a situation is rarely willing to let you just walk away), you are in fact encouraging your unsaved romantic interest toward salvation. Need I detail how destructive this idea can be to the mind of a naive young Christian girl? How it predisposes her to be taken advantage of by smooth-talking unbelievers who know to exhibit just enough "interest" in church and God to keep her stringing along until she winds up pregnant or trapped in an unequal marriage?
Two very big cautions all over these novels. I think it would almost be better to read historical novels NOT written from such a supposedly "Christian" point of view.
Don't miss this book!!!!
This book was amazing! Great Christian fiction, great message, engaging read! Highly recommended and I can't wait to jump into book 2.
The pace is a perfect blend of detail, action and suspense! I couldn't put it down!
The pace is a perfect blend of detail, action and suspense! I couldn't put it down!
This book is awesome! Anyone who reads it will love it. My book is one of the first set printed so the cover is different than is shown in the picture but it is the same book.
Sherri H. (mamadoodle) -
Good book!
Love books by Francine Rivers
Same book, but original artwork cover.
