History Literature / TheMarkOfTheLionSeries

Trilogy of Christian HistoricalFiction novels published in the 1990s by Francine Rivers. They are set mostly in Rome during the first Jewish-Roman War, circa A.D. 70.

The first two novels are ''A Voice in the Wind'' and ''An Echo in the Darkness''. They form a cohesive story arc following the story of Hadassah, a young Judeo-Christian girl who is sold into slavery, and Marcus, a wealthy Roman aristocrat determined to get the most out of life. 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. 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. The primary link between the first two novels and the third is Julia, Marcus’ hedonistic younger sister who, in her pursuit of control over her own life, strikes up an affair with Atretes.

Complex character arcs, historical and Biblical exposition, action, and intrigue all wind up to form a beautifully-crafted fictional testament to how LoveRedeems.

Each installment’s official page on the author’s website can be found [[http://francinerivers.com/books/voice-wind here]], [[http://francinerivers.com/books/echo-darkness here]], and [[http://francinerivers.com/books/sure-dawn here]].

!! These novels contain examples of the following tropes:
* AllGaysArePedophiles: All major gay characters are presented as one side or the other of this. It’s worth noting that in this case it’s at least somewhat TruthInTelevision, since this was almost the only form of legal/socially acceptable homosexuality for men in ancient Rome.
* AllGaysArePromiscuous: Mostly played straight (but then, who in ancient Rome ''isn’t''?). Averted with Prometheus, but mostly because he [[{{Gayngst}} doesn’t want to be gay]].
* AllTakeAndNoGive: Julia tends towards this in many of her relationships, though it’s most prominent (and destructive) in [[spoiler:her affair with Atretes]].
* AltumVidetur: There’s a [[ShownTheirWork glossary]] in the back.
* AncientRome: In all its glory. And decadence, and corruption…
* AnguishedDeclarationOfLove: Marcus to Hadassah, [[StarCrossedLovers more than once]]. Also [[HopelessSuitor Alexander]] to Hadassah, and Julia to Atretes.
* AttemptedRape / DudeShesLikeInAComa / BeautifulDreamer: Yes, there really is one incident which combines all three of these tropes: midway through the first book, [[spoiler: Hadassah passes out in Marcus’ arms. As he sits beside her sleeping form, he begins to be overwhelmed by his feelings for her and comes within an inch of raping her, only shaken out of it when she begins to wake up and panics]].
* BackFromTheDead: [[spoiler:Rizpah after she is accidentally killed]] in book three, via divine intervention, thus paving the way for [[spoiler:Atretes’]] conversion.
* BigBrotherInstinct: Marcus towards Julia [[spoiler:at least until she betrays Hadassah at the end of the first book]].
* BigBrotherWorship: In Julia’s eyes, Marcus is the embodiment of all things wise, worldly, and wonderful.
* BlueBlood: Lots; among the main characters are Marcus, Julia, and their parents.
* ButIWouldReallyEnjoyIt: Hadassah struggles with this throughout the first book in regards to Marcus.
* TheCasanova: Marcus, who is apparently quite excellent at seducing his family’s female servants with a mere glance.
* TheCorrupter: Unintentionally, Marcus plays this role in [[spoiler:Julia’s]] life, with some (less accidental) help from Octavia, Gaius, and Calabah.
* CuriosityCausesConversion: In a roundabout way, Marcus’ confusion and curiosity about Hadassah’s IncorruptiblePurePureness led to his eventual conversion to Christianity.
* DeadlyDecadentCourt: The entire Roman aristocracy, pretty much.
* DestructiveRomance: [[spoiler:Julia]] goes through at least two of these: the first man she falls in love with turns out to be brutally abusive; the second gives her [[spoiler:a baby she really doesn't want and the STD that eventually kills her, before abandoning her]] and leaving her [[BreakTheCutie totally disillusioned]]. The various affairs she had in between certainly didn’t help her slide towards total cynicism [[spoiler:or excruciating death by syphilis]].
* DiedInYourArmsTonight: [[spoiler:Julia, in Marcus’ arms at the end of book two]]. It’s a synonymous TearJerker and, given the context, a CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming.
* TheDogBitesBack: Averted with Hadassah, who never seizes any of her opportunities to take revenge on Julia despite the latter’s often horrible treatment of her.
* DoubleStandard: Atretes makes no secret of the fact that he’s [[AManIsNotAVirgin slept around plenty]], he comments to Rizaph that if he’d known when he met her that she once spent the night with a man she was not married to in order to get money for food, he would have killed her for immorality. When he is reunited with his tribe, they attempt to kill Rizpah simply for having (monogamously) had [[RomancingTheWidow more than one husband]] in her lifetime, something for which they would never consider condemning a man.
* TheDulcineaEffect: Julia has this on Atretes.
* EarnYourHappyEnding
* {{Gayngst}}: Prometheus suffers a scene of this.
* GladiatorGames
* GoodGirlsAvoidAbortion: Averted. When [[spoiler:Julia gets pregnant with Atretes’ child]], she immediately determines to have an abortion despite that her family would be horrified and that Hadassah begs her to do otherwise.
* GratuitousGerman: In the third book, though it doesn’t resemble modern German much since this is less than a century A.D.
* HappilyMarried: Phoebe and Decemius. It’s implied that Marcus and Hadassah eventually end up this way with BabiesEverAfter.
* HistoricalDomainCharacter: Emperor Vespasian, John the Apostle.
* HopelessSuitor: Alexander never has a chance with Hadassah; even when he [[AnguishedDeclarationOfLove confesses his love]], she mistakes it for [[JustFriends platonic affirmation]].
* OldManMarryingAChild: [[spoiler:Julia’s]] stolid first husband—to her extreme dismay, and Marcus'.
* IOweYouMyLife: Rashid pledges undying loyalty to Hadassah after she rescues him when his former master leaves him to die.
* IncorruptiblePurePureness: Hadassah.
* InterclassRomance: Marcus and Hadassah; [[spoiler:Julia and Atretes]].
* ItsPersonal: Julia, at the end of book one, sends [[spoiler:Hadassah to the lions because she feels like Hadassah “betrayed” Marcus by refusing to marry him. Marcus does not take the same view]].
* LadykillerInLove: Marcus when he falls for Hadassah.
* LoveHungry: Julia.
* LoveMartyr: Hadassah behaves this way in a platonic manner towards Julia.
* LoveRedeems: The major theme of the series.
* MadeASlave: Hadassah, Atretes.
* NeverBareheaded / PleaseKeepYourHatOn: Hadassah invokes this trope as of the beginning of book two, wearing a veil at all times [[spoiler:to hide her maimed face]] Alexander says it doesn’t bother her personally that much, but other people tend to react with visible discomfort and horror if she ever lifts her veil.
* PalsWithJesus: Played straight, and played with for RuleOfDrama / TruthInTelevision. Aside from John the Apostle, who is this trope in the most literal way possible, most of the Christians in the book hear directly from God at least once in the novels. The title of the first book (“A Voice in the Wind”) is a reference to the voice of God as described in [[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20kings%2019:9-14&version=NIV 1 Kings 19]], and represents Hadassah’s struggle with hearing God clearly in her slavery.
* PapaWolf: Rashid, while not literally her father, acts in this capacity for Hadassah when Marcus rediscovers her identity.
* PayEvilUntoEvil: Marcus misguidedly thinks this is the best way to deal with [[spoiler:Julia after she sends Hadassah to the lions]].
* PeacefulInDeath: [[spoiler: Julia,]] in dramatic contrast with [[BreakTheCutie her life]].
* ProudWarriorRaceGuy: Atretes.
* PsychoLesbian: Calabah, though the “psycho” is subtle early on.
* ResurrectedRomance: [[spoiler:After living through a bookful of angst to discover that Hadassah actually survived the arena, Marcus promptly throws out another AnguishedDeclarationOfLove and asks for a RelationshipUpgrade.]]
* ScarsAreForever: [[spoiler: Hadassah is brutally disfigured after being mauled by lions in the arena]] at the end of the first book. This is a periodic source of angst throughout the second.
* SecretRelationship: [[spoiler:Julia and Atretes]]
* SerialSpouse: [[spoiler:Julia, despite her young age]], who goes through ''three'' husbands and multiple lovers in the first book.
* SexlessMarriage: [[spoiler:Julia’s third husband]], who is [[IncompatibleOrientation gay]], marries her by common law for societal convenience.
* SpiritedYoungLady: Julia, with emphasis on the “spirited”.
* SpoiledBrat / RichBitch: Julia, moving from the former to the latter over the course of the first book. Very early on, she could be taken for SpoiledSweet depending on your views.
* StarCrossedLovers: Hadassah and Marcus.
* SwordAndSandal
* ATasteOfTheLash: [[spoiler: Julia’s]] abusive husband attempts to beat her, but it is actually [[spoiler:Hadassah]] who takes the punishment when she throws herself over her mistress’ body. This is what leads to the AttemptedRape, etc., scene described above.
* ThisIsUnforgivable: Marcus severs all his ties to his BigBrotherInstinct and disowns his sister completely after [[spoiler:Julia sends Hadassah to the arena]] at the end of the first book.
* TilMurderDoUsPart: [[spoiler:Julia poisons her abusive second husband and impassionately watches him die.]]
* UnresolvedSexualTension: Heaps of it between Marcus and Hadassah, and some between other pairings too, though not really the kind you [[AccidentalInnuendo get excited]] about.
* WhyCantIHateYou: Julia feels this towards Rapha.
* WidowWoman: [[spoiler:Phoebe]] becomes one in book two. [[spoiler:Julia]] becomes one on two different occasions in book one, though she didn’t waste any tears on either one. Rizpah is one [[spoiler:Until she marries Atretes in book three.]]
* WretchedHive: the Roman Empire in general is protrayed as this, with special mention given to Ephesus.
----

"The Mark of the Lion" is a trilogy of Christian HistoricalFiction novels published in the 1990s by Francine Rivers. They are set mostly in Rome during the first Jewish-Roman War, circa A.D. 70.

* OldManMarryingAChild: [[spoiler:Julia’s]] stolid first husband—to her extreme dismay, andMarcus'.

* NeverBareheaded / PleaseKeepYourHatOn: Hadassah invokes this trope as of the beginning of book two, wearing a veil at all times [[spoiler:to hide her maimed face]].

* SpoiledBrat / RichBitch: Julia, moving from the former to the latter over the course of the first book.

* CuriosityCausesConversion: In a roundabout way, Marcus’ confusion and curiosity about Hadassah led to his eventual conversion to Christianity.

* DestructiveRomance: [[spoiler:Julia]] goes through at least two of these: the first man she fell in love with turns out to be brutally abusive; the second gives her [[spoiler:a baby she really doesn't want and the STD that eventually kills her, before abandoning her]] and leaving her [[BreakTheCutie totally disillusioned]]. The various affairs she had in between certainly didn’t help her slide towards total cynicism [[spoiler:or excruciating death by syphilis]].

* AllGaysArePromiscuous: Mostly played straight (but then, who in ancient Rome ''isn’t''?). Averted with Prometheus, but mostly because he [[Gayngst doesn’t want to be gay]].

* AllGaysArePromiscuous: Mostly played straight (but then, who in ancient Rome ''isn’t''?). Averted with Prometheus, but mostly because he [[CureYourGays doesn’t want to be gay]].

* AllGaysArePedophiles: It’s pointed out that this was almost the only socially acceptable form of homosexuality in ancient Rome.

* The Casanova: Marcus, who is apparently quite excellent at seducing his family’s female servants with a mere glance.
* TheCorrupter: Unintentionally, Marcus plays this role in [[spoiler:Julia’s]] life, with some (less accidental) help from Octavia and Calabah.

* ScarsAreForever: [[spoiler: Hadassah is brutally disfigured after being mauled by lions in the arena]] at the end of the first book. This is a source of angst throughout the second.

* WidowWoman: [[spoiler:Phoebe]] becomes one in book two. [[spoiler:Julia]] became one on two different occasions in book one, though she didn’t waste any tears on either one.

Complex character arcs, historical and Biblical exposition, action, and intrigue all wind up to form a beautifully crafted fictional testament to how LoveRedeems.

Each installement’s official page on the author’s website can be found [[http://francinerivers.com/books/voice-wind here]], [[http://francinerivers.com/books/echo-darkness here]], and [[http://francinerivers.com/books/sure-dawn here]].

* WretchedHive: the Roman Empire in general is protrayed as this, with special mention given to Ephesus

"The Mark of the Lion" is a trilogy of novels published in the 1990s by Francine Rivers. They are set mostly in Rome during the first Jewish-Roman War, circa A.D. 70.

* IncorruptiblePurePureness: Hadassah

* PsychoLesbian: Calabah.

* ThisIsUnforgivable: Marcus severs all his ties to his BigBrotherInstinct and disowns his sister completely after [[Julia sends Hadassah to the arena]] at the end of the first book.

The first two novels are ''A Voice in the Wind'' and ''An Echo in the Darkness''. They form a cohesive story arc following the story of Hadassah, a young Judeo-Christian girl who is sold into slavery, and Marcus, a wealthy Roman aristocrat determined to get the most out of life. They slowly fall in love but are torn by their wildly different social classes and philosophies, since Hadassah is a steadfast, selfless Christian and Marcus is dedicated to the Roman philosophies of hedonism and paganism. 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. The primary link between the first two novels and the third is Julia, Marcus’ hedonistic younger sister who, in her pursuit of control over her own life, strikes up an affair with Atretes.

* ATasteOfTheLash:

The Mark of the Lion series is a trilogy of novels published in the 1990s by Francine Rivers. They are set mostly in Rome during the first Jewish-Roman War, circa A.D. 70.

The first two novels are a cohesive story arc following the story of Hadassah, a young Judeo-Christian girl who is sold into slavery, and Marcus, a wealthy Roman aristocrat determined to get the most out of life; Julia, Marcus' younger sister, a high-spirited girl who desires to be happy and control her own life. 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 The primary link between the first two nvoels and the third is Julia, Marcus’ hedonistic younger sister who

The Mark of the Lion series is a trilogy of novels (''A Voice in the Wind'', ''An Echo in the Darkness'' and ''As Sure as the Dawn'') written by Francine Rivers. They are set mostly in Rome during the first Jewish-Roman War, circa A.D. 70. The novels follow the lives of Hadassah, a young Christian girl who is sold into slavery yet still holds firm to her faith in God; Marcus, a wealthy Roman aristocrat determined to get the most out of life; Julia, Marcus' younger sister, a high-spirited girl who desires to be happy and control her own life, and Atretes, the high chief of a Germanic tribe who is captured and sold to be a gladiator.

!These novels contain examples of the following tropes:
* BigBrotherInstinct: Obviously, Marcus to Julia.
* TheCorrupter: Marcus is probably this to Julia.
* EvenTheGuysWantHim: Both Atretes and Marcus seem to fit this.

* PoisonisEvil:done in the first book in ''{{The Mark of the Lion}}'' series, where young noblewoman [[spoiler:Julia]] poisons her violently abusive suitor to be rid of him. It's tempting to count this as an inversion since he was such a vicious brute, but considering [[spoiler: Julia goes on to condemn the heroine Hadassah to be fed to lions in the Colosseum,]] it's still a pretty straight example [[spoiler: at least until both women get better in the second book.]]
* RapeIsLove: Marcus and Hadassah's relationship features him attempting to rape her in the first book.

* PoisonisEvil:done in the first book in ''{{The Mark of the Lion}}'' series, where young noblewoman [[spoiler:Julia]] poisons her violently abusive suitor to be rid of him. It's tempting to count this as an inversion since he was such a vicious brute, but considering [[spoiler: Julia goes on to condemn the heroine Hadassah to be fed to lions in the Colosseum,]] it's still a pretty straight example (at least until both women get better in the second book).