A Voice in the Wind

The Mark of the Lion, Book 1

By: Francine Rivers

Narrated by: Richard Ferrone

Length: 21 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

Francine Rivers, a winner of the ECPA Gold Medallion, is a best-selling author of Christian fiction. A Voice in the Wind takes listeners into a richly imagined ancient Rome in the midst of its great decline. This heart-stirring tale of a young slave girl, torn between her love for a handsome aristocrat and her faith in God, transcends genres with its awe-inspiring power and emotional intensity.

Listen to the next book in this series, An Echo in the Darkness.

©2002 Francine Rivers (P)2004 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"It is Ms. Rivers' faith in man and God that lifts these novels onto another plane and brings readers hope in time of darkness." ( Romantic Times)

If you want a happy ending, this is not for you.

The first have of the book felt sweet with a lot of happy possibilities. Although the message provides opportunities for thought, the second half of the story was depressing and I didn’t feel any of the hope that I think the author was trying to convey with the message of conversion. Because I was looking for something more uplifting, by the end I wished I hadn’t read it.

Christian Fiction That Doesn't Back Down

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. 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. This story is full of wonderful characters dealing with the real issues of life in ancient Rome. 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.

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. The cast of characters is very large, and the narrator does not use much variety with his voices or accents, especially with the females. All his women have a weak, whiny quality to their voices. 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.

The characters held my attention

Non-christian and apostate readers will find a very transparent message aimed right at them in this novel set in 1st-century Rome. Be suspicious if your Mom asked you to read this book. That being said, I am surprised at how much I enjoyed listening to this story. I fell in love with the characters and I am inspired to lead a better christian life. I'll certainly read more of what Francine Rivers has written based on my positive experience with this one.

Preachy? It's a Christian book!

I bought this book, because it was on sale. I'm a bible-believing Christian, so I thought I'd give this a go. I've read some reviews where people complained that it was preachy and a romance novel. Hello. It's a Christian Faith-Based book! Remember? "The Great Commission"... yes?

I've never read anything from this author, and I did listen to this in audio. So, first, my review on the narration. It was right in the middle. The male narrator had a deep voice, and he was easy to follow and understand. His voice of females took some getting used to, because he made women sound... how do I put it... weird. I got used to it, though.

The first third of the book was a bit rough for me, because the violence and torment that the Jews endured-- not to mention, the gladiators, was a bit hard for me to NOT visualize. One I got to know each character (many names I can't spell, since I heard the book and never saw how names were spelled) I started to get into the groove of the story. Some readers complained that Hadassah was "too perfect". Yes, she was. I believe the author's purpose of this book was to convey what life must have been like in Rome, right after Jesus died and was resurrected (and if you don't believe in it, then you won't like this book). I could see that Hadassah would be someone that God uses for his purpose. Again, if you don't believe in the bible, then you'll struggle with this. Therefore, I understand why she seemed so perfect. She was 110% devoted to Jesus, and knew her scriptures. I enjoy bible study, and was thankful that many of the scriptures that Hadassah spoke of were ones that I remember.

About the romance part. Marcus is a Roman. He doesn't believe in Yahweh. I knew that he would fall in love with Hadassah-- it was just so obvious. I wanted to know if she could convert him. (I won't say, so I don't spoil it for anyone who hasn't read this book.) So, yes, Hadassah "preaches" to the unbelievers. She risks her own life to be God's voice. That didn't bother me one bit. If anything, it helped me to feel myself drawing closer to my faith.

Julia. Oh, how I hated her! She falls in-love with men she sleeps with. She's selfish, cruel and spoiled. I wanted to see her demise, unless she converted to Christianity. No spoilers, here, but she's the character that made me roll my eyes the most. She's a horrid character.

Atretes (no idea how to spell his name) is obviously going to be in Series #2.

At the very end of the story, I thought "nooooooooooo"! Again, no spoilers, but the ending is very open-- and I will consider listening to the sequel of the series. Maybe.

Bottom line: If you are atheist, then you'll hate this book. If you are agnostic, I'm not sure if this book will speak to your heart. As a God loving Christian, I enjoyed the story. Boy, did it really make me thankful that I did not live in those times. It sounds absolutely awful, and the Romans were an immoral Society. No wonder Roman fell! I hope that our country doesn't go that route.

Fiction that follows the truth.

Moved an old man to tears to see how a fictional book could follow the truth of the Bible. My dad now lives Francine Rivers! Made me want to hear it and I loved it too.

A beautiful testimony for the Lord Jesus Christ!

Its absolutely shocking some of the things that went on in Rome. The immortality was everywhere. I feel for my brothers & sisters in Christ that had to face the lions. Its a horrible way to die. Thankfully they are all in heaven with our Lord! 💜🤗

Beautifully written, inspiring & challenging.

Francine Rivers once again writes a book that tears at the heart & inspires the spirit.

A MUST READ!!!

What did you love best about A Voice in the Wind?

I had physically read this series several years ago and purchased it on audible remembering how much I loved it. Even though F.R. is a Christian author, her writing is full of passion, gore, sensuality, heart-wrenching drama, and thrill. I really love Nora Roberts books and I would say F.R.'s story line is better than anything I've ever read by N.R. It is simple a historical fiction of the life of a young Jewish girl turned Christian who lived during the oppressive, warring, ancient Roman times. The descriptions used in this book are absolutely captivating. I bought this book to listen to when I'm at work, but found myself enthralled and listened on the way home in the car and during my workout. Suffice it to say, I have already purchased the 2nd book in the series. I don't want it to end!!!

Who was your favorite character and why?

I know everyone says Hadassah so I will say Marcus or Atretes. Marcus is a man lives a hedonistic life and says he doesn't care ow his actions will affect others. But you see his restlessness throughout the book and how he struggles with his passions and want to be moral like his father. Atretes is a really neat character. He is a Germanic King taken from his tribe to become a gladiator of Rome. I love how he stays strong even in the face of death.

Have you listened to any of Richard Ferrone’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Never.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

A book you'll never want to put down.

Any additional comments?

Buy it.

A Voice in the Wind

There are many times I think it would be better to have a man and a woman narrating. Many men make the women characters sound like they are whining. It takes away from the story.

beautifully written. enjoyed every minute!

Would you consider the audio edition of A Voice in the Wind to be better than the print version?

I love the way the narrator brings the characters to life.

Any additional comments?

Hadasah's quiet faith is inspiring and uplifting.