Hmm... I'm not sure how to begin this review. Despite the two star review I gave it, I did enjoy it more so towards the ending and there was a lot of spiritual wisdom and entertainment speckled throughout it.. buutttt there were just some things I didn't like about this book. And since I got to start somewhere, I might as well get my "problems" with the book out of the way. So brace yourself peeps.In this Mark of the Lion series, I noticed a discomforting trend. The romantic relationships between the main characters (Hadassah and Marcus in the first two books, and then Atretes and Rizpah and the third) all began on tumultuous and dangerous grounds. I'm talking about abuse here, people... emotional, physical, and spiritual. You can argue that it is to be somewhat expected in the first two books due to Hadassah being a slave and Marcus her owner and although that doesn't make it right, I appreciate how Francine shows the darker nature of that time and slavery and the effects of living in it. But in As Sure As Dawn, it was very unsettling as I continued to read Rizpah and Atretes love story unfold. As Sure As Dawn picks up with Atretes seeking out his son only to discover that the child, though still a babe, is not willing to depart from his mother so easily to be weaned by another and Rizpah is as unwilling to yield her son back to his father who abandoned him. Thus begins their rocky relationship. Though Atretes is cruel to her in speech and in his handling with her, and also regards her Christian faith mockingly, somehow Rizpah realizes that she has fallen head over heels in love with him. Uh... come again? Let's rewind and push pause.Problem #1: This literally happened out of nowhere and in such a short time frame from their meet. There was no build or possible sustenance to her love. He hadn't showed any amount of kindness to her, practically threw her out of his house when they first met, threatened to kill her, and exerted physical and emotional pain on her, and she constantly found herself brought to her worst when ever she was around him. This leads me to believe that ultimately, Rizpah fell in love with the handsome face and build of Atretes which is more akin to lust than I dare say would be called romantic love, so can we just call it that. I admit it is easy to fall in this trap even as a seasoned Christian so I appreciate Mrs. Rivers bringing this to light but the abuse Rizpah endured from Atretes seemed to be glazed over and unconfronted as if it's something to be expected from such a "manly man". Pfft! It might as well been an issue that stayed in the dark if it was only going to encourage women who are in such situations to stay and endure, and that things will eventually get better! Atretes had all the warning signs of being abusive. So are we really surprise when he is? I'm glad Francine didn't hide this even after Atretes "sees the light". However, at the same time I felt like Francine may have undermine the effects of abuse and glazed over it as normal. It was never confronted as wrong but daily introduced as normal.Problem #2: As soon as Atretes meets Rizpah, he begins to lust after her when he notices how beautiful she is and somehow that is translated into love. Um... no. I seriously did not see where his lust ended in his love began. Throughout the book, he makes it a goal to break down Ripzah walls to take pleasure in her as if she's a conquest. He orders her around like a slave (and she is in no way in bondage to him) and treats her like one as well. Multiple times he takes advantage of her by forcing himself upon his embrace and kissing her harshly when she definitively says no and despite her pushing away. Sidebar: Ladies... this type of man is bad news and you should not be alone or entertaining relationships with him or he will end up compromising your purity by encouraging lustful thoughts or worse... doing some seriously physical and emotional damage to you. I encourage showing compassion and mercy and forgiveness but I don't agree with subjecting yourself to temptation and dangerous relationships. Flee from temptation. Not stand in the middle of it when God gives you an escape. If you are in a relationship that is showing early signs of abuse (possessiveness, jealousy, domineering behavior, etc.), whether through words or actions, don't stick around! That's a relationship that you don't need to be in. Seek guidance and help. And please don't marry them thinking it will make things better!I appreciate books that bring the trauma of relationship abuse to the forefront but to make it okay or to dance it over it? Uh... NO. You have a choice and a voice in a relationship and women especially should see that walking away from this type of behavior early on is perhaps the best route to take! I have no problem at all with Christian books bringing some of these "problems" to light in their books because these are real issues and life just isn't peaches and rainbows. But I just felt that the issues were hardly addressed as being negative, were glazed over, and to an extent encourages women readers that this type of behavior is okay and to stick it out. I don't believe that God desires for us to be in unhealthy relationships and you shouldn't have to subject yourself to that type of treatment. Don't even get me started on being equally yolked!! I didn't believe that what was portrayed was a display of love and in a way I'm more so concerned with the people who may be enduring these types of abusive relationships and feel the need to stick it through to bring that person to the Christ (specifically people who aren't married and can easily walk away). Justifying staying in a bad relationship, or even encouraging someone to pursue or entertain someone in order to be a "light" in their life is not biblical (once again be equally yolked). And I don't think God wants us to subject ourselves to unnecessary danger. You can minister to people and show Christ's love to them, even of the opposite sex, without falling in love with them or enticing them to fall in love with you. In fact you should be guarding your heart and being watchful that their ways do not rub off on you.Whew! Now that I got those bad sentiments out of the way let me now shed a more positive light. My problems with the book really made it hard for me to enjoy it to a certain extent. It wasn't until I got three fourths of the way until I began enjoying the story and a huge portion of this was due to the fact that it was slow pace (and that's a common trait I have found while reading Francine Rivers books). But it does get better towards the end.With all that said, I admire how Francine Rivers shows us a different perspective of love. Love isn't always pretty, and neither is the beginning of Rizpah's and Atretes' love story. Rizpah is feisty, stubborn, and she doesn't say or do, let alone think, all the right things, (so you can get rid of your perfect Christian stereotypes. Believe it or not we all fall short despite our efforts) but she committed to loving Atretes despite his arrogant (and even abusive) ways, even before marriage or courtship was on the table. Love is long-suffering and we definitely see the suffering she endures from Atretes. Rizpah also shows how easily even a faithful servant can fall to temptation and go through struggles of the flesh many times over. Another thing I truly love about Francine Rivers, is how she is able to implement scripture into the dialogue of the characters without disturbing the flow of it being a fiction book. This book is peppered with scripture and pearls of wisdom and it reflects the relevancy of the Bible.In my opinion, this book is not without flaws although in it there's a beautiful message of redemption, salvation, restoration, forgiveness, and the powerful might of God. Would I recommend: Proceed with CautionReasonings: Not at all saying that you won't enjoy this book or that it was a wasted read, but due to my inclinations that this book can easily be perceived and misinterpreted to stay and persevere through unhealthy relationships and not be effective for women or maybe even men reading this book (both Christian and non-Christians alike) I would have to speak out of honesty and say I would not recommend. True rating: 2.8Abuse comes in many shapes and forms and if you're lucky you will see the warning signs. No one deserves to be abused. It is NOT an act of love. If you are being abused, please get help.
Personally, I love this book most, in comparison to the other 2 books of Mark of the Lion series. It had very very little to do with the 2 books before it. But what I love are the topics Rivers touches on, and wishes to convey through Rizpah, Atretes, Theophilus, and other characters. Topics such as the evangelism and bringing the Gospel to a barbaric tribe, anger and pride and vengeance, spiritual warfare, lust, marital problems, and even a little on celibacy were in this book. Miracles occurred more often compared to the other two books. The topics and the way Rivers portrayed them were somehow more vivid, more realistic, and more in-depth compared to the other two books. I really love the way the characters struggle so much in choosing God's way over the way of the world; how much faith and self control they need, to abstain from the world's corrupted practices. And that all the characters had flaws, flaws that only God could help with, especially Atretes. His pride and anger really made me realize how vulnerable we become when we succumb ourselves to those evil elements, how we give Satan a foothold when we allow pride and anger to reign in our lives. I was really really irritated by the way his pride and anger always kept him from thinking logically and reasoning properly. It kept him from loving others and forgiving his enemies. It made him disobedient to the word of God. Only God could have change a man like him, which I believe, many exist in today's world. And yes, God molded him through a series of challenges, and Atretus emerged victorious.Furthermore, the way Rizpah and Theophilus prayed is something which I fell I must set as a personal goal to achieve although they are merely fictional characters. They prayed, they just prayed so hard about everything, and always always used the scriptures to direct their ways, to make decisions, to forgive, and to love. Truly admirable qualities. And their prayers were insightful and meditative upon God's Word, bringing to light many important versus and promises of God to us. The plot was very well written. From Atretus' villa to his homeland. It was really interesting that Rivers used baby Caleb to bring these 2 totally different characters together. Caleb somehow reminds me that I am still an infant, an infant craving for spiritual milk and holy nourishment. I need God, but I also need other godly people around me to help me see the light better. Character development was excellent, as usual. Rizpah played the role of Hadassah, but with more character flaws(preferred). A great book to be read by everyone. Just one thing puzzled me - why did Rizpah marry Atretus other than for her admiration of his physicality, and maybe a little sympathy for him? Was it because she wanted to bring him into the Light? I couldn't really see the reason behind her accepting his proposal. Because from what I saw, Atretus married her for a admirable interesting Christian attributes such as gentleness, humility, obedience, loving, honest, etc...but of what purpose did she choose to marry him? Did she know that it was her calling at that time to bring the Gospel to Atretus' tribe?
What do You think about As Sure As The Dawn (1998)?
What can I say that I haven't said about Francine Rivers? Nothing, she is awesome! As Sure as Dawn is the final book in the Mark of the Lion trilogy. You know how when you read a trilogy or series, you have one book that stands out. Not with this one. All three books can hold it's own, yet completes this saga. There is no favorite, yet all is my favorite if that makes any sense whatsoever. What I like about Francine Rivers books the most is that when the book ends, it ends. There is no longing to know what happened to the characters or leave you hanging. There is closure with all the characters, whether they died, got married, moved away, etc... You can move along and not have a nagging feeling about the characters. I am going to listen to all her books in Audible. I highly recommend this Series.
—Missy
There are books that are good, even great, books that you will remember and offer glowing recommendations to all you meet. And then there are books like As Sure as the Dawn, which, days later, will still leave you in awe and wonder. There’s power behind this story, that transformative, tremor-inducing power that makes you forget this is a work of fiction and not something that raised itself out of the ground. This is considered Christian fiction, which by definition already holes itself to certain prejudices. Francine Rivers, however, is a tremendous story-teller who appeals to Christians and non-Christians without compromising the crux of her message. The characters are flawed, weak, and remarkably human, and not the perfect, holier than thou robots one might expect to find in this genre. Needless to say, I loved everything about this final installment in this trilogy and would highly recommend.
—Raya
I read all three of these books as recommended by my daughter. She writes well. I appreciated her Christian emphasis and attention to historical detail but, like so many modern writers and filmmakers, so much of the book is devoted to the bad behavior of the unconverted or the slow, stumbling process of the newly converted. There is also a great deal of mysticism passing for true spiritual growth and closeness to God. I found little spiritual depth here. They are also so female-dominated that she seems unconcerned with God's plan for men and women. Granted, men may be hard-converted, and women may come to Christ sooner, but to have women do all the real spiritual growing and activity is troubling.
—Mary Findley
