All Gays are Promiscuous: Mostly played straight (but then, who in ancient Rome isn’t?).It’s worth noting that in this case it’s at least somewhat Truth in Television, since this was almost the only form of legal/socially acceptable homosexuality for men in ancient Rome. All Gays Are Pedophiles: All major gay characters are presented as one side or the other of this.These novels contain examples of the following tropes: The primary link between the first two novels and the third is Julia Valerian, Marcus’ hedonistic younger sister who, in her pursuit of control over her own life, strikes up an affair with Atretes.Ĭomplex character arcs, historical and Biblical exposition, action, and intrigue all wind up to form a beautifully-crafted fictional testament to how Love Redeems.Įach installment’s official page on the author’s website can be found here, here, and here. The third novel, As Sure as the Dawn, focuses on Atretes, the high chief of a Germanic tribe who is captured and forced to be a gladiator, and is more like a spin-off than a direct continuation of the first two novels.

They slowly fall in love but are torn by their wildly different social classes and worldviews, since Hadassah is a steadfast, selfless Christian and Marcus is dedicated to the Roman philosophies of hedonism and paganism.

They form a cohesive story arc following the story of Hadassah, a young Judeo-Christian girl who is sold into slavery, and Marcus Valerian, a wealthy Roman aristocrat determined to get the most out of life. The first two novels are A Voice in the Wind and An Echo in the Darkness. They are set mostly in Rome during the first Jewish-Roman War, circa A.D. It took me a couple of chapters to stop being distracted by him, but eventually, the strength of the story itself was enough for me to really begin to enjoy the book.Trilogy of Christian Historical Fiction novels published in the 1990s by Francine Rivers. All his women have a weak, whiny quality to their voices.

The cast of characters is very large, and the narrator does not use much variety with his voices or accents, especially with the females. The narration is weak, and if you're picky about that in an audio book, I suggest you listen to the sample for a long time before you decide to buy this book. We are shown the open debauchery, decadence, and brutal violence of the time very vividly by Francine Rivers, who gives us a 'meaty' story that will satisfy both Christians and non-Christians alike. This story is full of wonderful characters dealing with the real issues of life in ancient Rome. Rarely does a book shine the light of Jesus so clearly, while not denying the truth of what living in the world is really like. Although I've been a Christian for most of my life, I'm almost always disappointed by Christian fiction due to it's lack of honesty.

Book a voice in the wind