Free Downloads A Voice In The Wind: The Mark Of The Lion, Book 1
This classic series has already inspired nearly 2 million readers, but both loyal fans and new readers will want this 20th anniversary edition of a Christian classic, which includes a foreword from the publisher, a letter from and Q & A with Francine Rivers, color map, an illustrated glossary, and discussion questions suitable for personal and group use.The first book in the bestselling Mark of the Lion series, A Voice in the Wind brings readers back to the first century and introduces them to a character they will never forget--Hadassah. Torn by her love for a handsome aristocrat, this young slave girl clings to her faith in the living God for deliverance from the forces of decadent Rome.
Audible Audio Edition
Listening Length: 21 hours and 27 minutes
Program Type: Audiobook
Version: Unabridged
Publisher: Recorded Books
Audible.com Release Date: August 1, 2008
Whispersync for Voice: Ready
Language: English
ASIN: B001DNNAUK
Best Sellers Rank: #5 in Books > Audible Audiobooks > Fiction & Literature > Religious Fiction #5 in Books > Audible Audiobooks > Fiction & Literature > Short Stories #50 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Literature & Fiction > Historical
I just finished "A Voice in the Wind" this evening and I'm already plowing through the second novel in the series. I read Francine Rivers first novel for the Christian market, "Redeeming Love", and was impressed with it. The Mark of the Lion Series lives up to the rave reviews, but I do have a few words of caution. The novel is set in the Roman Empire of the first century and deals quite frankly with the society of the time. The story opens with the destruction of Jerusalem in 79 AD. Here we meet Hadassah and her family, trapped in the city by the Roman army. When Roman legionaires enter the city and slaughter its inhabitants, Hadassah's starving family is among their victims. Hadassah herself is taken prisoner and sold into slavery. The descriptions of death and war violence are vivid and this somewhat shocking opening sets the pace for the story to come. Ancient Rome is probably one of the more captivating periods in history. The romance and splendor of the empire have been depicted in countless films and novels. Ms. Rivers effectively places the reader in the midst of this world, with all of its decadence and debauchery. While Hadassah is technically the main character, a great deal of time is spent developing the other characters in the story. These characters include Hadassah's owners, the Valerians, and a German gladiator named Atretes. Ms. Rivers deals very frankly with the sensual nature of ancient Rome. Many of the characters are promiscuous and the descriptions of the gladiator matches are graphic enogh to make you cringe. In all honesty I would have preferred less vivid detail. Sexual content is present. We don't read every lascivious detail, but we know that characters have slept together. The story deals with murder, abortion, idol worship, witchcraft and various forms of sexual depravity. Some have criticized the graphic nature of the stoty. However, as the novel draws to a close, we can see that Ms. Rivers has used these elements to show how depraved some of the characters are, throwing other character's virtues into sharp contrast. Hadassah herself seems to represent what Christians should be. She falls just short of being too perfect, but one can't help but connect with her just the same. The climax of the novel is heart wrenching. This story is not about happy endings and we see virtually nothing resolved with the novel's cliff-hanger ending. However, we do see Hadassah mature into a model of Christ-like behavior that we should emulate. Aside from the graphic depictions of violent battles and the seemingly endless stream of debaucherous behavior, the story is engaging and powerful and will leave you with a great many things to think about in your own walk with the Lord. I would not recommend this novel for a young audience, however mature older teens might be able to handle it. Have the second book on hand as you'll race rather quickly through the last few chapters.
I don't normally read much in the way of fiction, but occasionally find historical fiction worthwhile for expanding the mind, so when an employee of mine recommended this book, I decided to give it a read. My initial assessment, after only 20 or 30 pages, was that Francine Rivers was a devoted Christian using her literary talents to witness for Christ. An admirable undertaking, to be sure, but I soon learned I underestimated the authors' ability. She has woven a tremendous story here and in the process, has reached out to disperse the good news of Christ through a captivating story.I was first Impressed with Rivers as a writer by her glaring knowledge of the subject matter. Not just of the Christian aspect of the story, one would expect a Christian writer to well versed in that venue, but her knowledge and descriptive prose in battle tactics of two millennia ago. Weaponry is rather easy to comprehend with a little research, but to comprehend battle tactics of that era is a much deeper challenge and Rivers has mastered that challenge magnificently.The story revolves around a young Jewess, her family killed by the Romans, taken captive and sold into slavery in Rome to a well-to-do Ephesian merchants family. She finds herself in the servitude of a Roman day Scarlett O'Hara, roughly a generation after the death and resurrection of Christ. Over what I gather to be roughly a seven year period in the service of the family, the young Jewess serves their every wish and has a profound influence upon all the family members, but is torn by her inability to make them understand her beliefs.Rivers draws masterful parallels between Rome of 2,000 years ago and the U.S. today, particularly in the area of social decay, moral decline, juvenile disobedience and the overall degenerate social environment. Some might find this a stretch but readers well aware of the state of Roman society of the time will understand the correlations and know this is not just a writer using literary liberty to make a point. The truth is, the similarities of Rome, just prior to its fall, and the U.S. today are more than coincidental.This is a well-told story with a message for all. It's not just run of the mill historical fiction, but rather a valuable work which will enrich the lives of readers open to its lessons. Upon finishing this one, I immediately ordered part II of this story.Monty Rainey[...]
I borrowed this book from my elder sister while on holiday. I was so astounded by the characters and how easily they were to identify with! To start with, the book chronicles the start of a trilogy about a young Christian slave girl sold into a Roman family. There she finds herself clinging to a faith she took for granted and finding joy, peace of mind and a strong steadfastness in the Lord despite her circumstances. Fall in love with Marcus, rave against Julia and find yourself in awe of the power of the Lord. Rome in those days was not so different from now - extremes of poverty and wealth accompanied by greed, enterprise and the emptiness found in material things. I was so affected by this book that I took down the title, author and publisher's name so that I could order my own copy plus the next 2 in the series, An Echo In the Darkness and As Sure As the Dawn. As soon as these books came through the post, I stayed in my room till I'd finished reading them - there was no way I was leaving my room till I'd finished! Later, I ordered The Scarlet Thread and decided there was simply no point in looking for a better fiction/scripture writer than Francine Rivers. FR, you're brilliant - don't change!
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