| Title | : | A Voice in the Wind (Mark of the Lion, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 520 |
| Publication | : | First published March 1, 1993 |
A Voice in the Wind (Mark of the Lion, #1) Reviews
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This was my first foray into Christian Fiction and I had very low expectations, anticipating a preachy text with so-so writing and the occasional miracle thrown in. And at times, this book can be all those things.
But Rivers' trump card is her characters, and before I knew it I was in love, really in love, with these people. I was shocked at how much I cared, and how quickly. I've enjoyed better writing, and not all of Rivers' points hit the mark for me, but I've come across few characters that I've loved as much as Hadassah. I had to put the down the book at least a dozen times because she made me want to cry - not out of sadness or pity at her incredibly difficult situation, but because she was so good. I am not easily moved, but she could not have won me over more completely. She is the kind of character that impresses, influences and inspires the reader long after the book has been put down. I found myself looking at my life and wanting to make changes in that way I handle adversity, the way I express love and the way I view sacrifice.
For that alone, I have to give this book four stars. -
Nothing less than 5 Stars for this beauty!
This is such a breathtaking story--so honest and hopeful and humbling. A Voice in The Wind is a Christian Fiction with religious themes that are heavily pronounced. There's no way around them. Religious beliefs, customs, biblical analysis, and Christian theories saturate this story from top to bottom and every crevice in-between. If that's not your idea of fun, than this one may not work for you.
This story is long, over 500 pages, and is slowly paced. Each character represents very specific elements of Christian faith--stemming from its humbled servants, to the self-righteous, to the non-believers, to the down-right evil.
The setting is historical, taking place after Jesus' death, right before the rise of Christianity. The plot narrows in on the lives of four characters who will eventually connect. There are brutal moments--slavery, abuse, fight-to-the-death gladiator battles--and there are tender, peaceful moments that are every bit as powerful. Maybe even more so.
The writing is beautiful and aids this story to life. There's truly so much depth and meaning to dive into, I couldn't help becoming inspired.
There is a romance, a very powerful one, but its progression is quite slow. In fact, every bit of this story moves at a believable speed. When people change and/or recognize the error of their ways, it's a slow process. It's never an instant turnaround--and I loved how this author remains true to that.
If you'd like to read a more in-depth recount of this story, check out Amy (Foxy)'s beautiful review! She really does this story justice! --->
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
*Thanks of much for reading this with me, Foxy Girl! Our discussions were just as epic as the read itself ♥*
Book Stats:
▪ Genre/Category:Christian Fiction/Romance
▪ Steam Caliber: Fairly clean
▪ Romance: Powerful, but slowly paced
▪ Characters: Expertly drawn out and life-like
▪ Plot: Centers heavily on religion. Historical setting. After Jesus, before the rise of Christianity.
▪ Writing: Breathtaking and polished
▪ POV: Third Person. Alternates focus
▪ Cliffhanger:YESS! You will want to move forward.
▪ Next Installment: A continuing story
▪ HEA?
Pre-review -
Re-read on 10/9/2021
Listening Length: 21 hours 29 minutes.
LOVED THIS EPIC BOOK
A popular question that gets asked when someone reads a book by a Christian author is- is this book religious? A simple one word answer would be, “Yes.” It’s written by a Christian writer about a biblical time period. It has biblical principles throughout the story. The story takes place 40 years after Jesus was persecuted. Being a Christian was a scary thing during that time period because if you were found out that meant you would be fed to the lions as entertainment for the Romans.
To understand A VOICE IN THE WIND it is important to know a little bit about the four major characters in the story.
Hadassah: her family is killed and she's taken from her home and put into slavery. She was born a Jew (being a Jew is both a Nationality and religion) and no one suspects that she is a Christian. She's seen as a non threat because of her plain looks but it’s her inner beauty that draws people to her. She's also Julia’s faithful, humble, and obedient servant.
Marcus Valarian: is a wealthy man in his early 20’s. In our modern world we would consider him a manwhore because he has a different woman all the time. He is very handsome and has an air of confidence about himself.
Julia Valerian: Marcus’s teenage sister. She’s spoiled, selfish, and vain. Her outer beauty is the envy of many women and catches the eyes of many men.
Atretas: a warrior in his country he is taken and made into a gladiator. He’s treated like an animal; caged and forced to fight and kill to stay alive. All this is done for the entertainment of the Romans. He’s fueled by his hatred of Romans and what they’ve done by taking him from his homeland.
The beginning of this story is not what will draw you to it. It's like reading the Old Testament where you are learning about the history of what is happening. Once you get past that part... the story takes off. So, if you start the book and feel like maybe this isn't for you because it drags a little just know once you are about a fifth of the way into the book you'll have a hard time putting it down.
My all-time favorite book is
Redeeming Love which happens to be by this author. I was asked if this book surpasses Redeeming Love as my favorite. Here’s the thing, RL is pure romance...about one couple. While AVITW is about several people and it’s filled with so much scandal that my jaded self loved it. But I can’t pick which one I love more because it feels like picking a favorite kid and who does that?!
But don’t let the words “Christian fiction” hold you back from giving this book a try. This book has: manwhores, backstabbers, murderers, gladiators, schemers, aborters, forbidden romance, and the list goes on.
SERIES:
A continuing story.
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5 stars
“Have faith… When you have nothing else have faith.”
This story was incredible. It was long, but once it hooked me, I didn’t want to stop listening. This book is strongly about faith, specifically the faith of one girl named Hadassha, but it’s also got tons of angst, scandal, drama, violence, and a bit of romance. It’s such an epic book.
One of the things I loved most about A Voice in the Wind is that I’ve never read a book quite like it before. It primarily follows four main characters, the first being Hadassha who is a young Christian from Jerusalem who has been taken as a slave in Rome. Her entire family was killed and the family she works for treats her well, mostly. Marcus is the son of the Valarians, who own Hadassha. He’s in his twenties and lives his life with as much women and money as he can stand. His sister, Julia is who Hadassha attends to and let me tell you, Julia is a piece of work. Then there is Atretas, a German warrior who is taken by the Romans and turned into a slave in a different way. He’s forced to fight to the death for their pleasure and he’s never lost a fight.
These four individual stories intertwine together in different ways. This book was truly stunning and a story I will never forget. It made me think, made me feel, and at times, made me really ragey, but overall I loved it so much! I’ll definitely be getting to book 2 soon.
Audio book source: Hoopla
Story Rating: 5 stars
Narrators: Richard Ferrone
Narration Rating: 4 stars
Genre: Historical Christian Fiction
Length: 21h 27m -
I just finished this book it made me feel different, it made me wants to change and become like Hadassah. This book is a good representation of a Christian woman, and the faith, and peace that all of our hearts are looking for. It’s amazing when I read it I became her. Walking in the darkness of the garden to pray to God, the faithful slave girl that served with desire and love to the people who she learned to love. Everything about her wasn’t perfect because she feared, but at the end when she has to choose between Life and God, she picked God and went into the Arena to be ripped apart by Lions. It is sad to know that someone with her faith had died, but because of the quote that said at the end "But the eyes of the Lord are watching over those who fear him, who rely upon his steady love. “He will keep them from death...." ~ Psalm 33:18~ I knew that she wouldn't die. God would protect her and she would live. This is the most amazing book to read about how hard it is some time to come to Christ and how hard to overcome your fear. She shows us the way to be faithful even when she thinks he fails. She would pray and God would answer. I learned that he is a voice in the wind and he is the silent watcher and protector of his people... Everyone should read this amazing book; it will change how they look at life. I’m about to start on the second book An Echo in the Darkness, and can’t wait to see how much more this other book will change my life and bring me closer to my saver Jesus Christ. I know through this book God has something new to show me about him, and I'm ready to see what it is. God bless everyone who is reading this Series The mark Of the Lion, May the Lord show you his power and change your life with every word that is written within this these books.
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I have a different perspective than most of the Goodreads reviewers of A Voice in the Wind. An avoider of the romance genre--both Christian and secular--I loved the first part of the book, depicting the fall of Jerusalem and Haddassah's transition to Roman slavery. I previously dispassionately stored in my mind the historic fact that losers in wars became the slaves of their conquerors, but Ms. Rivers' long, emotive description made the horror and depth of that trauma real to me in a manner I hadn't considered. It almost brought tears to my eyes thinking about how many people have suffered this devastation. I also found interesting Ms. Rivers' depiction of Ancient Rome. I appreciated that the way she informed the reader of its depravity without either glamorizing it with too much detail or sanitizing it into a toga-wearing society of butterflies and rainbows by ignoring its corruption.
However, when the story devolved into a maudlin romance I began rolling my eyes, losing interest and getting irritated. I recognize that Ms. Rivers was a successful romance novelist before her conversion to Christianity and accept that this professional strength will necessarily inform her subsequent work. It's just not my cup of tea.
On a spiritual level, I appreciated Haddassah's struggle with fear in identifying herself as a Christian and sharing the gospel, but found her perfection to be abrasive. What a blessing that Haddassah was able to experience such violent loss and slavery without any emotional damage that hindered her from responding as a perfect Christian in every circumstance! But, then, perfection or near-perfection in heroes and heroines is a staple in the romantic genre.
So, A Voice in the Wind was a mixed bag for me. I liked it ok, but I will not be reading its sequel. -
*editing to write full review*
5 stars. WOW. AMAZING. BEAUTIFUL. FAITH FILLED. Ya'll I literally just finished this 30 minutes ago and I am so in my feels right now. Ditching my TBR and starting book 2 ASAP! I will have to form my thoughts for a formal review later but just want ya'll to know, READ THIS BOOK! Our main character of Hadassah has such strong faith - she inspires me so much. My heart. The ending... I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!
This book is all about Hadassah's faith journey and the people she meets along the way. Hadassah has lost her entire family from the very first chapter - it's heartbreaking, BUT GOD IS THERE WITH HER! The story starts off in Jereusalem when the Romans come in killing Jews and capturing the women for slavery. Hadassah loses her family in this tragedy, between the killings and severe starvation. She is sold to be a roman house slave, hungry and alone.
In her journey as a house slave, she never stops praying, talking and trusting God. Her brother told her -- "remember the Lord" and thats what she did, every step of the way.
The family she is slave to, Marcus, his parents and sister, grow attached to her in many different ways. Marcus' sister Julia is the primary woman that Hadassah tends to throughout the story and many hard things happen along the way. But Hadassah is an amazing Christian girl character who truly shows us what it means to be a Christian in every hardship she experiences.
We also follow a side character, Atretes, who is from Germania and captured by the Romans to battle in arenas for sport.
As you can see from my initial reaction review, I absolutley adored this story. There are some hard topics and violence in this book - but honestly, its a biblical fiction story that portrays much of what happens in the bible itself. Yes, be aware of the content, but I also understand that it doesnt even touch some of the brutal things that actually occur in the bible itself. I think this book does a phenomenal job of touching our hearts and drawing us close to the Lord. We see what it means to truly forgive and serve others. What it means to be a Christian and believer of the Lord. -
Wonderful book. Francine Rivers used to write secular novels, but found her calling was with Christian stories.
I found myself pulled into the story, wanting to know what happens next, and being fascinated with the Roman way of life. Knowing how Francine Rivers writes, I'm sure the historical accounts of everyday Roman life is pretty accurate. Yes, there is love and romance, but only hints of sex. Nothing tawdry. The descriptions of the Roman gladiator fights were fairly graphic, not to mention the accounts of people being fed to the lions as entertainment. Very sad..
Don't bother reading this if you're not willing to read the second in the series. You will want to know how it continues...
Also, if you're put off by the Christian theme, she is probably not the author for you. I'm still surprised how people become so inflamed by a blatant Christian theme in a Christian novel, by a Christian writer. Well of course! It would be like reading a vegetarian cookbook and not expecting an obvious "vegetarian way of life is better...." thread through out. Not to mention a strong possibility of the "dangers of being a carnivore..." being pointed out more than once.
As Homer Simpson would say.. "...d'oh!" -
first read: May 13 to May 18, 2013
first reread: January 6-16, 2016
This....book.....
I couldn't begin to describe to you the emotions this book brings out in me. Happiness, sadness, disgust, anger, love, joy, terror, hate, heartbreak......I just love this book so much. Its not even this book...THIS author, Francine Rivers....her writing is beyond beautiful, and her 'stories' are not just stories, they are filled, absolutely filled with things that really just, make you think. This story takes place in old Roman times...but there was so much that you could compare with the world today.
This is one of those books that many won't want to read, and so they won't, but its definitely one that everyone should read. -
I read this book back in 2003 and LOVED it. It was possibly one of the best books I have ever read. I never got around to reading the next two in the series, so I am re-reading it now, so that I can continue with the series.
***update***
Just finished re-reading this and I am so glad I did, because I had forgotten so much of the plot! If possible, I forgot just how MUCH I love this book. I think it is my number one favorite book ever. I can't wait to continue with book number 2, and eventually read all three in the series. -
This story follows Hadassah, a Judean Christian brought to Rome after the fall of Jerusalem, Marcus and Julia, two young Roman citizens, and Atretes, a German warrior and chieftain defeated in battle and brought to Rome as a gladiator.
The good: This book was head and shoulders above any other Christian fiction I've read, in terms of willingness to write about the seamier things as well as simple writing talent. In general, I was pleased with how the author portrayed Rome. She didn't shy away from the seedier aspects, including the immense of amounts of sex -- all kinds of sex -- that the Romans enjoyed. Too frequently Christian authors get squeamish and try to sanitize history for the sake of their little Christian book, but she really went for it. And not just with the sex, but with the violence of the arena as well. And in general, her history was good, she had a pretty good understanding of how Romans thought, why they disliked Jews as well as Christians, and why they thought both sects were dangerous, crazy, and worthy of being despised and scorned.
The bad: Oh, Hadassah. You little stereotypical Christian heroine Mary Sue. She drove me nuts. She was so damn perfect. In fact, her one flaw, as portrayed in the book, was that she DIDN'T go around proclaiming for love for Jesus to everyone she met. Frankly, I did not find this a flaw. I found this her one redeeming feature to her otherwise sickeningly sweet personality. Ugh, Hadassah, so uselessly twee. Julia had the opposite problem -- she too was rather flat though in the other direction. You can tell the author tried to give her a character arc, but it doesn't quite scan....she seems to jump from personality to personality without much motivation or exploration.
The Ugly: Ok, first and foremost...well, there wasn't much of a plot. Things just kind of happened, and then other things happened, and then, look! More things! They happened! But none of it never seemed to lead anywhere. Maybe this is because it's part of a trilogy, but each book needs to feel somewhat complete within itself. A book should not be 500 pages and yet have no plot.
Second, the author got a couple of historical facts really really wrong. First, Romans did not have a sense of heterosexuality and homosexuality like we do. There were only 2 roles: pitchers and catchers. Roman male citizens were always pitchers, women and slaves were always catchers. While a Roman male would be scorned for being buggered BY another male, as long as he was the one doing the schtupping, it didn't matter whether it was a male or female. Romans viewed it the same.
Second, she got her history on abortion all mixed up. First, there actually WERE laws against abortion (she has a character say there's not one) but it was not homicide -- it was viewed more as theft against the father (or master, if the pregnant woman was a slave) because he lost a potential investment. Second, the Romans never questioned whether fetuses were "babies" or not, they took the Greek view of thinking of fetuses as more plant-like until they drew breath. Also, Hadassah's reactions about all these things were ridiculous. Anyone who grew up in that era would have been inured to these things, whether they agreed with them or not...why is she acting like all this stuff is brand new information? No.
Considering this was written pre-internet, I'm willing to give her the benefit of the doubt of not being able to readily find this rather obscure information, but I still resent her shoe-horning a modern issue onto a plot-device that made NO SENSE historically.
I still haven't decided whether I'm going to read 2 and 3. They focus more on Marcus and Atretes, both of whom I liked WAY more than Hadassah. Still, I'm afraid we haven't seen the last of her, and I don't want to read 1000+ more pages of no plot. -
Loved this. Still one of my top 10 of all Christian fiction novels...
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EDIT 6/2/19
Kkkkkkkk I wrote this review like 3 years ago, but for some reason, it keeps popping up in my feed, and I keep getting questions about why I DNF'd the book, why I didn't like it, etc.
To clear up any remaining confusion, my personal reasons for disliking it were as follows:
1. Needlessly graphic content, poorly handled.
2. Thoroughly unlikable hero.
3. Unhealthy use of the "good-girl-redeems-bad-boy" trope.
There ya go.
*dusts off fingers*
;-)
ORIGINAL REVIEW
Sorry, guys. Can't finish this one.
I do not like Christian Fiction Romance, and that's a fact. My friend wanted me to try it because it's her favorite book ever . . . but nope. Nope. I. JUST. DON'T. LIKE. IT. -
Wow. I actually really liked that.
I thought I'd never read a Francine Rivers book. And I probably will never read another one unless I choose to continue this series. But ... that was pretty good. Not EXTREMELY good, but pretty good.
I had to remove a star because of content (and another for a few things I'll mention when I get to the actual bookish parts of the book apart from the content). It was a 16+ read, but ... it was good in many ways.
Okay, so, normally I don't believe any Christian book with bad content can be justified at all. But ... this book was kind of just portraying the terrible, sinful times it was set in & showed some amazing truths playing out in a real life setting. However, there was a little excess, especially for a Christian novel (which is why I removed a star).
Though there was never, say, a sex scene (a fairly intense kissing scene was as far as it got, and that led nowhere), Roman culture was probably one of the most corrupt ever, and the author never shied away from it. It rivaled today's culture, in fact (which is part of the reason why this book is so powerful)! And portraying it in a godly light would be difficult. The author did well in honestly representing the depth of corruption. But ... I still felt that sometimes she focused too much on the darkness rather than the light and overdid the details about the sinful lives of the characters.
There were many amazing truths in this book. How sin ruins a person's life. How terrible sin makes you feel even if it gives you pleasure for an instant. How, in a sinful, godless culture, darkness seems to consume everything in its path. Hadassah was an amazing example of Christianity in a dark time.
In this spoiler section, I'm going to list all the content in this book (it's a long list and contains minor spoilers) so you can know what's going on and decide whether or not it's too much for you to read it.
Apart from the content, here are my thoughts on the book:
It head-hopped on a regular basis. Badly so. In one paragraph, we'd be in one character's head; in the next, in a totally different character's. It was super confusing. My best friend tells me only smart people can read this book for that reason (okay, Bailey, even for you that's crazy). But I shouldn't have to stop and think about who's thinking every other paragraph! If I wasn't so good at sorting out POVs (*nods to my own books which often have terrible head-hopping* *dies of shame*), then I would have really disliked it. Thankfully, I'm used to it. ;)
For that reason, the book was a troublesome one. How can you keep track of all the POVs? It seems like everyone - even the most minor characters - got at least a few paragraphs where they had some thoughts to share (in a limited POV, no less). HOW CAN A PUBLISHED ACCLAIMED AUTHOR WRITE A BOOK LIKE THIS I'M CONFUSED!?!
The characters weren't likable. Marcus, Atretes, Julia ... all terrible people living in darkness. But ... I guess I sort of pitied them? Marcus and Atretes, anyway. Julia ... I just can't bring myself to feel even the slightest pity for Julia. And, since she's just a make-believe character, I guess I can hate her.(I don't think God ever said "Thou shalt not hate thine fictional characters" ...)
Anyway, Hadassah was the only truly good character in the book. She was a Christian and strong in her faith, so I guess that makes sense. ;) Seriously, though, I was JUST a little annoyed at her. She claims to have a weak faith. She claims to be constantly afraid. Yet ... she doesn't have a weak faith. And she does do what's right no matter what, EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.
WHAT'S WITH THE SELF-HATE, HADASSAH!? You're rocking it, girl! :P
For that reason (because I didn't see a fault to begin with), her character arc made no sense to me.
The book did seem to drag on a lot. It was ridiculously long (500+ pages of small print!), and it was all the Depressing Story of How Bad People Became Worse Except One Girl Who Was Good. Which is realistic, but ... not really what I want to devote that much time to? Learn about sin. Don't spent your life reading about it. It's very depressing.
I am glad I read this book, though. I know I gave it a low rating (y'know, for me), but I liked it a lot. I think it's a book any mature Christian 16+ with an interest in the history of Christianity/Rome/the world should read (if they feel up to it; definitely not a happy read, definitely not for sensitive readers, definitely for mature/discerning Christians).
It teaches you a lot about sin. I might skim a little if I were you. And prepare yourself for some tears, some grief. (I cried at two places. I never cry.) But ... look at it this way. Even with the world being as terrible as it is, God can't be stopped! He is there, He is all-powerful, and, if you are a Christian, you are free of all the sins of the world!
This is a Goodreads-only review.
~Kellyn Roth,
Reveries Reviews -
Oh, to have the faith of Hadassah, the young Jewess, raised by faithful Christian parents who were martyred, along with her brother and sister, for their beliefs. Not understanding why she alone was spared, she never gave in to her fear and doubt, even as she was marched for a thousand miles, terrified and starving, and ultimately sold as a slave to Julia, the daughter of a wealthy and prominent Roman family.
Her faith in and dependence upon her "unseen God" gave her a peace that surpassed the understanding of all those she came into contact with, including Marcus, Julia's older brother. Through humble obedience to God's Word, she served well, praying constantly for Julia and Marcus and their parents, though they prayed to a variety of Roman gods.
A Voice in the Wind speaks the profound Truth of the one true God and the power He gives each of us when we submit our will to His.
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After taking a couple of days I finally feel like I can give this a worthy review after processing my thoughts.
I’m not going to say a whole lot other than this:
This book is heavy and has hard topics but that’s also how life is. This book is raw and real and so is life and the hardships we go through. The characters ask questions about faith that are challenging but honest. The story of salvation and what it means to truly serve is evident. Not just in how we serve others but to serve God with your whole heart & then what flows from it when you take the posture of faith and obedience before the Lord. It’s just so moving and such a strong message. I could easily reread this and get even more from it. The way this story stirred my heart for the Lord is overwhelming. I think everyone should at least try and read this story. I’m not a historical fiction reader at all but the faith & love for God this book represents far surpasses any of my “dislikes” when it comes the historical fiction genre.
This book may not be for everyone but it sure has me reflecting upon my own life and what my personal walk with the Lord looks like ❤️ -
This book was recommended to me by a friend, who described it simply as “historical fiction”. This is normally a genre I enjoy and I really, really tried to like it. I didn’t realize Francine Rivers was a Christian writer and I am an atheist down to the ground.
I nearly didn’t make it past the first 10 pages for that reason. With barely a paragraph that didn’t mention “God” or “the Lord” I struggled to get into the book. I continued to read as I thought I shouldn’t be put off just because the book has a strong Christian perspective.
The only thing I can say for Francine Rivers is her writing style isn’t awful. She is clear and not really boring, although she does have certain expressions that she returns to incessantly. But her writing is not creative or poetic to make this a literary experience.
The story was quite interesting, some of the scenes were well captured – for example to Roman mob and the decadence and hedonism of that era. I also liked the concurrent telling of the story from different perspectives. I really liked the flow from one character’s perspective to another’s in the same scene, although sometimes it was done clumsily.
I wasn’t impressed with any of the characters. All of them can be summed up in one line. Hadassah struggles to maintain her faith in God through a series of trials, both horrible and tempting. Marcus is a hedonistic young man who gradually begins to realize the error of his ways. Julia is a headstrong and selfish young woman who slides down a slippery slope into moral degradation. Atretes turns away from his convictions due to pragmatic concerns until he becomes the image of what he despises. There really isn’t much more to them. All the characters fit precisely and unambiguously into their roles. You love Hadassah because she is perfect. You hate Julia because she is evil. You have hope that Marcus will become a better person. You lose hope of Atretes finding his way to happiness.
For a main character, I found Hadassah boring. She didn’t even really seem to have a personality. She grieves over her slave masters in a way she never really seemed to grieve for her mother, sister or brother. She continually reflects about her father (who brought her close to God) but never seems to dwell that much on most of the rest of her family, especially not her brother who was stabbed in a misguided effort to protect his sisters. She battles with her faith but I couldn’t really feel her emotions. Her total dependence on God seems to make her empty of anything human.
I was very surprised when her love for Marcus was mentioned. It was not something that I saw even hinted at or that may have been quietly growing from a certain seed. We see the development of his regard for her – but hers for him seemed to come almost out of nowhere.
What I really disliked about this book were the contrived situations set up to preach Christian ideals. Julia’s abortion and the murder of her husband are done in such a way that both acts are absolutely wrong and evil. There is no way to have sympathy for Julia – the decisions she makes are wrong and even though she is tormented by guilt we feel no pity for her. You can not; she has no redeeming quality, no generous or compassionate thoughts, no sincere remorse. She carelessly allows herself to be led astray by others and her own selfishness.
She is a weak character but I think her portrayal is monstrously unfair. Her rapid decline from being an undutiful daughter and wife to a murderer is quite incredible – it seems a little extraordinary that being a disobedient teenager could lead so swiftly to a complete absence of any moral integrity. It just seems unrealistic and contrived.
The other thing that bothered me is that I don’t agree that a single principle is always correct in every situation. For example, I wonder what would have happened if Hadassah had been raped and then considered an abortion, to save her child from being born into slavery? What if Julia had managed to kill Caius in self-defense? What if Hadassah had done so to save her mistress? Ethical issues are complex and deserve to be treated as such. This book doesn’t deal with the difficulty of making that right choice with the circumstances that exist – apparently somehow God will show you the way. Or not, if you don’t have faith.
What also seemed contrived were the constant parables between Roman life and the modern day. Decimus and Phoebe are the heads of a normal family, struggling to raise their children with a good moral compass. They have trouble relating their values to their children growing up in a new generation. They even have a rebellious teenage daughter! Rivers somehow manages to drag in every kind of issue that people today might face; how to raise your kids, how one must deal with an illness and death in the family, questions of inheritance, what if you don’t like or approve of your child’s spouse or friends etc. I can appreciate she wants people to be able to relate to this story but sometimes the similarities are so belaboured it’s implausible. Naturally people have struggled with their families and their lives and trying to do the right thing forever – but if you want to write a book about how faith relates to modern problems, set your book in a contemporary age.
I was really disappointed with this book. After a got past the first chapter, it wasn’t difficult to continue reading, but there weren’t any parts that I really enjoyed and plenty that made me cringe. -
I LOVE THIS SERIES! Francine Rivers has done amazing things in these books. What an inspiring character! I just kept finding myself wanting to be like Hadassah. It's hard to love others like Jesus did...more than myself. I am all the time reminded of my shortfalls and selfishness. But, Hadassah reminds me of many of the characters in the Bible. I am amazed by the tough choices that she makes and wondered if I could do the same thing in similar circumstances. The historical aspect of the book is interesting as well, around the time of the fall of Jerusalem. I have never read a fictional novel that changed my life...but this one did.
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My first read of 2020.
My faith is always encouraged and my heart drawn to the Lord after a Francine Rivers book and this one was no different. -
What
MAP said here I second, and would also add one more observation of my own about a historical inaccuracy of note few if any seem to be noticing: the misnoming. It bugged me so persistently that it made hard to enjoy or concentrate on reading.
The Roman naming system consisted of a praenomen (first name), a nomen (name of the gens), and a a cognomen (second or additional family name), and in some cases a fourth name was added (agnomen). Only males were named this way. Women in Rome got their names from the feminine version of the father's nomen, ofttimes the feminine of the cognomen was added as well. For example, if your father was called Quintus Caecilius Metellus, you would be called Caecilia Metella. In rare cases, the name of a prestigious ancestor on the mother's side would be used together with the feminine of the father's name, case of Pompeia Sulla, daughter of Pompeius Rufus and Cornelia Sulla, who was granddaughter of Lucius Cornelius Sulla.
So . . . now that the historical facts are laid on the table, can anyone please explain why does Francine Rivers flout this well-established and well-known historical fact in this trilogy of hers? And not just for the females. The protagonist's name is Marcus Lucianus Valerian, which is fine enough, but why is then his father called Decimus Vindacius Valerian? Why does Marcus not carry the same nomen as he should? And why exactly is his empty-headed sister called Julia? The family's name isn't Julius, they couldn't call her so. She would be named Vindacia, maybe, and Marcus should also be Vindacius, and Julia would be acceptable only as a nickname. But it isn't, it's her real name in this book. To add to the blatant ignorance, Rivers repeats the mistake all over the trilogy with other characters, giving the name of Octavia to the daughter of a certain Drusus, to add one more example.
And to make it worse, she uses a modern naming convention that was non-existent in Rome: she has the women of the family of Decimus Vidancius Valerian carry the name Valerian as if it were their surname. Phoebe, the Greek wife of Decimus, is called Phoebe Valerian repeated times just as a married woman would adopt the husband's name in our day. And Julia is also often called Julia Valerian. All of which is incorrect.
Frankly, as a sentimental and mawkish piece of fluff it may have its entertaining value, but it's so poorly researched I find it's not worth investing more of my time in reading the rest of the trilogy, so I'm going to stop here. -
I am flabbergasted that this book gets so many positive reviews. The writing is so bad that I can't believe the book was even published. Maybe it's not fair to compare this book to masterpieces like The Color Purple or All the King's Men, but I can find stories for free on the internet that are written better than this. (For example, why describe a direct quote as "terse"? You just told me the whole quote! And surely no book needs the word "sardonic" in it ten times.) I didn't fully appreciate what a "flat character" was until I read this book - even the main characters are as well rounded as a sheet of paper. And even though I am notorious as not predicting plots, I could predict this one. The young Roman master can't sleep, walks out to the garden, and finds ... wait for it ... his new slave girl, praying! Nobody saw that coming!
The only reason I kept reading was for the incidental information I picked up about Rome, and I'm taking that with a grain of salt. Despite the author's attempt to be historically accurate (I'm assuming) by using the Latin names for garments, parts of the house, and the bath, I'm pretty certain the book is filled with anachronisms. I haven't done research, but I find it hard to believe that a slave would alternate between calling her master "my lord" and using his first name. And okay, the target audience for this book is probably not familiar with mixed martial arts, but the descriptions of fights border on nonsensical. I would like to point out that when a person is choked unconscious, his vision doesn't blur, it gets black around the edges. Getting that correct doesn't even require personal experience (ahem), a simple Google search is sufficient.
As at least one other reviewer has noted, for a Christian book, this is not exactly edifying. Only Hadassah is Christian, and she spends most of the book being distressed at the actions of all the other characters as they go about being as debauched as humanly possible. Descriptions of unlikeable characters frittering away their lives at games and parties quickly get old, and I can point to several non-Christian books with much better (and more believable) role models. I'd give this book zero stars if possible. -
Just as amazing as every other time I've read it!
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There’s just something about this book that makes you just think about it with a little bit of awe. Francine Rivers weaves together a historical romance unlike any I have ever read.
One frightened slave girl… One pompous Roman man… Whoever would have thought they would fall in love? For Hadassah, it brings much heartache and questioning. However, for Marcus, falling in love with his family’s Christian slave girl will take him on a journey he never could have imagined. A brutal journey, but a journey that ultimately saves his soul.
Besides Hadassah’s true and firm conviction that she must not marry Marcus unless he comes to Christ; there are other forces, evil ones, that seek to prevent Hadassah and Marcus from promising themselves to each other. One is in the form of Marcus’s sister, Julia, who has gone from an innocent, fun-loving girl, to a hard, conniving woman. Others come from Marcus and Julia’s worldly friends who invite the two to partake in and believe all kinds of evil.
Evil that might take Hadassah’s very life. Evil that ultimately lands her in the arena, surrounded by starving lions.
But she knows the One whom she will even die for. Marcus doesn’t. He only sees his own selfish love for Hadassah, and then, her rejection of that love.
An amazing, heart-rending, and thought-provoking story that doesn’t end in A Voice in the Wind, but carries on into An Echo in the Darkness, I have read a book that I, most likely, will never forget! -
This is the first book in a series of three. I read this one and the second one, but not the third. The storyline/characters change in the third and those characters didn't intrigue me like the characters/main theme in books one and two.
This is Christian fiction. Francine Rivers came highly recommended and I tried to read a couple of her books on several occassions but just couldn't get into them. That was not the case with this one. It started with a bang and was a page turner until the end. I couldn't wait to get my hands on the second one either.
This is a story of faith and love. It will lift you up and break your heart and make you strive to find a faith that is as strong as that of the heroine of this story. Hadassa, is a shining light in a dark Roman world. -
RATING CHANGE AFTER REREAD
After rereading this, I have decided I cannot, in good conscience, give this book anything more than a two star. There is simply too much sexual content. It is inappropriate and does not befit a Christian book. We should not use worldly methods when writing Christian entertainment.
I can't really recommend this book because of that.
I have left the original rating and review below because I'm not reiterating what I liked and disliked.
While I really appreciate the faith element and Mrs. Rivers' stances on other subjects, I wouldn't let my younger sibling read this book, and because of that I must say read this at your own risk.
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ORIGINAL REVIEW
3.5 Stars
This is the first Francine Rivers book I've read. I went into this not knowing what to expect, so this review is just a rambling of thoughts as I attempt to form a solid opinion.
I don't really know what to think of this book. On one hand, I'm still recovering from reading it (in a good way). On the other, there were some elements I wasn't too thrilled with.
The Preface alone is worthy of more than a five star rating. I never knew a preface could be so powerful. It gave me chills in a way nothing else in the book did. If you read nothing else of this book, at least read the Preface. Please.
The Characters
There are four main characters: 1) Hadassah, a Jew 2) Marcus, a Roman 3) Atretes, a Germanian (or "barbarian" if you ask a Roman) and 4) Julia, a Roman.
Hadassah is an absolute sweetheart. I admired her faith and her tenacity to do what was right even when faced with the direst of consequences. She is gentle, kind, a Christian, and loyal. She is a 5/5 character.
Marcus is an arrogant Roman whose wealthy father is in the throes of despair due to his son's lascivious ways. I was intrigued by his story and appreciated his maturation throughout the book, although he clearly is not yet where he should be spiritually by the time the book ends. Marcus did annoy me because he indulges in a quantitative amount of sexual relationships. It's gross. Still, I did like him overall. He is a 3.5/5 character.
Atretes is a clan chief who will do anything to keep his people safe. His intentions are no match for Rome's, though. While Atretes is gifted a roller-coaster of a character arc, I was disgusted when he took a major downturn and began engaging in actions only couples should partake in. That really docked him as an overall character. Still, I believe he is like Marcus and possesses a lot of potential. A 3/5 character.
Unlike the above three characters, who are well-written and contain a lot of depth, Julia is the opposite. She is spoiled rotten, selfish, bratty, abominable, loathsome, and just...ugh. I rarely hate main characters, but I couldn't stand her. So much so that I skimmed her sections. A 0/5 character.
The Settings
Germania, for the brief time we're there, is described as a fierce, forested land. I could feel myself being there. Rome, on the other hand, was painted so realistically you can't help but despise it. I had the bad chills when reading about the temples and Calabah's villa.
The Plot
The plot is complex and all I'm going to say is you need to read this book for yourself if you want to find out what it is.
What I Liked
If you've followed my reviews for any particular length of time, you know I deeply appreciate authors who are unafraid of including faith in their stories. Real faith, not the fluffy nonsense we see in the mainstream "Christian" churches today. Real, abiding, raw faith that shakes your bones and stirs your soul. That's the type of faith Rivers includes in A Voice in the Wind. I was almost brought to tears during the Preface and during that ending. So deep and poignant. For the faith element alone I'm adding another star. I just...wow. Well done, Mrs. Rivers. Well done.
I liked Hadassah, of course, and Marcus and Atretes too, though not as much. So three out of four main characters are solid.
I highly appreciated the pro-life stance Rivers takes. Rivers expertly infuses the book with the message every life is valuable to God, from the unborn to the woman falling deeper and deeper into sin.
I also appreciated Rivers' Biblical, unflinching stance on homosexuality. I know this book was written two decades ago, and back then such repulsive immorality wasn't as common, but it was refreshing to read considering today's culture. Thank you, Mrs. Rivers. I deeply respect you.
The historical accuracy was well-written. Sometimes almost too much, but still really well-written. As a history nerd, I found this aspect especially thrilling, even when it was intense. In today's culture, where they're attempting to rewrite history and anything that offends them, I liked the raw delivery.
What I Wasn't Fond Of
Sometimes the violence became too much. I'm usually untouched by it, but it was hard to read at times, especially the beginning and arena scenes.
Like I said, I deeply respect Rivers for taking such a Biblical stance on sexual immorality, but it was too much at times. Rome was known for its sexual perversity, and Rivers does well creating a true-to-history culture. Still, it was a bit overdone at times.
The writing style. I know Rivers is an acclaimed and award-winning author, so I think I expected a slightly different writing style. It wasn't quite my preference. At times we're jumping between POVs and back without warning. It was disconcerting. I like the POVs firmly in place. There's also a lot of telling.
Julia. I just can't stand her. She's a vile, wretched cretin.
Content Warnings
There is a lot of violence, so I recommend this book for readers 18+ who have strong stomachs. If you are easily unnerved, wait a bit longer.
The homosexuality is also something I would caution younger readers about. The approach is completely Biblical, but it may be a lot to digest without parental supervision.
Abortions occur and are mentioned. Again, I recommend parental supervision for younger readers as this will disturb them.
Many women are brought to Atretes for the sole purpose of sex and it is heavily implied Marcus has indulged in similar dalliances. While it's never explicitly said, this is another instance where I don't recommend this book for younger audiences. Some of these scenes are completely unnecessary. 21+ in my opinion.
Conclusion
This book is a whopper of a story. From a decimated Jerusalem, to the wilds of Germania, to the sin-sodden streets of Rome, Rivers takes the reader on a journey you won't forget. I will finish this series because I want to know what happens (expect to Julia; she could die in the first paragraph and I wouldn't care), but I don't know if I'll be pursuing other books by this author because the writing style and I just aren't that compatible.
Still, I do recommend this book for more mature audiences. It's simply too intense for younger readers. -
I was a little surprised to read that so many reviewers were put off by Hadassah's "perfection" when in fact, I saw her struggle with fear throughout the near entirety of the book to be a main theme. Her fear flared up in different ways throughout, but most notably and consistently in her ability to verbalize her faith - in full. To share the Good News. As the book progresses, she becomes more bold - she becomes more sanctified, more holy - but that's not to say she was perfect.
I think our standards - and perhaps even our faith in God's ability - are rather low if we think Ms. Rivers painted a "perfect" protagonist. Perfection does not struggle with fear, the approval of men, and lust. She wasn't perfect, but she was a character worthy of emulating - from her consistent prayer to her practiced reliance on God ... even a fictional role model is much more than what we're so often presented with in modern times.
I thought this was a wonderfully woven story with a believably righteous main character - because truly, with God, all things are possible. Including a life lived like the one presented here. -
I can't believe I've kept putting off reading such an amazing book. No wonder my friends have been so caught up with this trilogy.
This is Christian fiction. A story about a Jewish Christian slave, Hadassah, and her struggles to live amidst the affluence of the pagan Roman empire, including finding love in Marcus, a Roman citizen bent on his pursuit for wealth and pleasure.
I was deeply fascinated by the ancient Roman way of life, most especially the descriptions of gladiators and gladiator fights. And I can't help feeling like Hadassah. I can feel her her pain, her doubts and her fears as she struggles to make her God known to the people she have grown to love and care for.
This is a very powerful story of love, deep faith and steadfastness, of courage and of peace.
What will happen to Hadassah and Marcus? To Julia and Atretes? To Rome? To the Jews? Can't wait to read Book 2 and 3. I feel so bad not having copies of the sequels. -
I was adamantly opposed to reading a Historical fiction book. Just having the name historic in the genre turned me immediately off. After enduring months of constant badgering to give this book a shot by my sister in law, I caved and began the book. Not only did I fly through this book absorbing every vividly written detail, I was so caught up in the lives of the characters and the beautiful way that Francine Rivers illustrated God's unfailing love that I immediately went out and purchased the other 2 books in the series. Whether you enjoy Christian fiction or not, this book, and it's sequels, is a must read!
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my mom kept bugging me to read an author by the name of Francine Rivers and i kept putting her off. Then one day i was about 5 months pregnant and bored, so i picked up the first book in the Mark of the Lions trilogy and read the first sentence. These are not thin books but suffice it to say, i finished all three in about 4 days. and i have read them several times since. all of her books are powerful in different ways, but these three and Redeeming Love have affected me and the way i approach my faith deeply.
