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“…a poignant finale. Vividly portrayed, deeply instructive, emotionally satisfying.”…“Whether you are Christian or not, you will find much to like about this series.”… “well-drawn visions from the past, building to a stunning conclusion to a series of awesome scope.”
The Seeds of Christianity Go to Rome.
The Emperor is dead.
Long live the Emperor!
Claudius is gone and Nero now wears the crown. Jews are returning to Rome meaning Simon Peter can resume his missionary work among the Romans. Shemu’el and Rivkah and their family have set sail for Rome in hopes of joining Peter and re-uniting with Atticus and Marcelina.
Meanwhile, a revolt breaks out on the Empire’s western fringes. Led by Queen Boaddicea of the Iceni, she aims to right the wrongs done to her and, in process, wrest the new Province of Britannia out of Roman hands.
Then a huge conflagration leaves most of Rome in ashes. When voices rise in the street accusing Nero being the incendiary, he searches for a scapegoat. His wife Poppea, still smarting from Atticus’ rejection of her advances, suggests he blame the Christians. She realizes too late that like Pandora, she has unleashed a demon she cannot control.
The Christians construct the first catacomb and its niches quickly fill as more and more believers are slain for their faith. As the numbers climb, Shemu’el realizes they have a traitor in their midst. But how can he identify this false Christian who’s selling out his friends to save his own skin? Author’s notes included.
The Seeds of Christianity Go to Rome.
The Emperor is dead.
Long live the Emperor!
Claudius is gone and Nero now wears the crown. Jews are returning to Rome meaning Simon Peter can resume his missionary work among the Romans. Shemu’el and Rivkah and their family have set sail for Rome in hopes of joining Peter and re-uniting with Atticus and Marcelina.
Meanwhile, a revolt breaks out on the Empire’s western fringes. Led by Queen Boaddicea of the Iceni, she aims to right the wrongs done to her and, in process, wrest the new Province of Britannia out of Roman hands.
Then a huge conflagration leaves most of Rome in ashes. When voices rise in the street accusing Nero being the incendiary, he searches for a scapegoat. His wife Poppea, still smarting from Atticus’ rejection of her advances, suggests he blame the Christians. She realizes too late that like Pandora, she has unleashed a demon she cannot control.
The Christians construct the first catacomb and its niches quickly fill as more and more believers are slain for their faith. As the numbers climb, Shemu’el realizes they have a traitor in their midst. But how can he identify this false Christian who’s selling out his friends to save his own skin? Author’s notes included.
332 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 20, 2012
About the author
E.G. Lewis
14 books21 followersEdward (E. G.) Lewis was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. As a young man he lived and worked in Kentucky and traveled the back roads of its Appalachian hill country for many years. Memories of this wonderfully wild place and its people became the inspiration of his novel, PROMISES.
A former newspaper editor and publisher, his articles have appeared in many national and regional magazines. He writes both Commercial fiction and Christian/Biblical Fiction. Two — PROMISES, Commercial Women’s Fiction, and WITNESS, Book One of the Seeds of Christianity Series™ — are currently available. Disciple, Book Two of the Seeds of Christianity Series™, is slated for release in Spring of 2010 followed by LOST, a Commercial Novel.
He holds a graduate degree in Economics from Ohio State University and worked in planning and corporate management before deciding to become a fulltime novelist. He's currently working on another in the Seeds of Christianity Series™ along with a love story set in occupied France during WWII. He and his wife, Gail, also a writer, live on the Southern Oregon Coast with more pets than he thinks they need.
A former newspaper editor and publisher, his articles have appeared in many national and regional magazines. He writes both Commercial fiction and Christian/Biblical Fiction. Two — PROMISES, Commercial Women’s Fiction, and WITNESS, Book One of the Seeds of Christianity Series™ — are currently available. Disciple, Book Two of the Seeds of Christianity Series™, is slated for release in Spring of 2010 followed by LOST, a Commercial Novel.
He holds a graduate degree in Economics from Ohio State University and worked in planning and corporate management before deciding to become a fulltime novelist. He's currently working on another in the Seeds of Christianity Series™ along with a love story set in occupied France during WWII. He and his wife, Gail, also a writer, live on the Southern Oregon Coast with more pets than he thinks they need.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 5, 2012
At last, the final novel in Ed Lewis’s Seeds of Christianity series has been released, and it’s well worth the wait. A fitting conclusion to this well-researched and deeply intriguing set of novels, Martyr creates a wholly plausible and enthralling picture of ancient Rome in the time of the first Christians. Favorite characters from earlier tales undertake the perilous journey by sea from Antioch while waves crash and timbers creak. Filled with the sights and smells of ocean and harbor, the hustle and bustle of market and the curious wonder of ancient feastday and procession, the novel’s worth reading just for this.
Soon the family reaches Rome, where characters cope with trials and tribulations of decrepit buildings and corporate greed. History comes alive with real people in situations not so different from those of today. The obnoxious woman next door annoys. The Christian heroine forgives. And the rest of the Christians think she’s just as mad as they would in the present day. A church united by faith threatens to splinter under pressure. And a world united by powerful subjugation begins to fall apart.
The horror of a city in flames, the panicked flight of civilians, the madness of a fallen emperor, it’s all in here, well-researched, beautifully portrayed, and even illustrated with truly engaging pictures at the end of each chapter. Did you know what an ancient amphora looked like or what it was used for?
The author uses (and explains in his notes) just the right amount of poetic license to bring the familiar and unfamiliar of this time and its people into focus. History, geography, science and Bible research combine convincingly. The whole makes beautiful, tragic sense, setting the scene for the present day in well-drawn visions from the past, and building up to an awesome conclusion for a series of awesome scope. I almost wish it wasn’t over, and I’m ready to start reading Witness again and repeat the whole journey.
Disclosure: The author sent me a free ecopy in exchange for my honest review, and I can only count myself blessed to have had the chance to read all four of these books.
Soon the family reaches Rome, where characters cope with trials and tribulations of decrepit buildings and corporate greed. History comes alive with real people in situations not so different from those of today. The obnoxious woman next door annoys. The Christian heroine forgives. And the rest of the Christians think she’s just as mad as they would in the present day. A church united by faith threatens to splinter under pressure. And a world united by powerful subjugation begins to fall apart.
The horror of a city in flames, the panicked flight of civilians, the madness of a fallen emperor, it’s all in here, well-researched, beautifully portrayed, and even illustrated with truly engaging pictures at the end of each chapter. Did you know what an ancient amphora looked like or what it was used for?
The author uses (and explains in his notes) just the right amount of poetic license to bring the familiar and unfamiliar of this time and its people into focus. History, geography, science and Bible research combine convincingly. The whole makes beautiful, tragic sense, setting the scene for the present day in well-drawn visions from the past, and building up to an awesome conclusion for a series of awesome scope. I almost wish it wasn’t over, and I’m ready to start reading Witness again and repeat the whole journey.
Disclosure: The author sent me a free ecopy in exchange for my honest review, and I can only count myself blessed to have had the chance to read all four of these books.
April 11, 2012
I recived a copy of this book from the publisher on the date of publication, though I did later purchase a copy!!
Let me start this off by saying that I love the Seeds of Christianity series, and that Mr Lewis is a fantastic author. That being said I was really disappointed in this book.
I had been excited to get into this last book in the series, and so I dove into it eagerly. This books pick up right where Apostle dropped off. We join Rivka and her family on a boat headed to Rome, where they feel God's word is calling them to. We catch up with everyone, and through different ways through out the book are brought up really artfully to alot of the details of the previous books, in summary form of course.
When they land in Rome, they meet up with Atticus, and then begin to establish their houses and a new community in Rome. We see the difficulties of Roman life: the living conditions, the people, the culture, though in a smaller doses than in the previous books. The community continues to grow, and they cope with issues, first the fire of Rome, then the persecution of the Christians by Nero, and then, we learn there is a traitor in their community.
We hear from Nero, as well as a few soldiers, some feel a little thrown in and I think the story could have survived with out their additions, and the usual diversity from Rivka's family, and we even see from Pavlos' point of view, which I really enjoyed.
Ultimately I didn't feel that as much was accomplished in this book as the others, and at times it feels to just coast along. It was an easy read, and didn't touch me as deep as the others, but that was alright, until the end of the book.
For me, the end of the book was majorly disappointing and that's what put this book down to only 3 stars. To me the feeling felt rushed, badly written, especially knowing the skill this author has. It also came across to me as though it was a last minuet change. There isn't a lot of build up before the end happens, there is no resolution or explanation as how the community continues after the loss of certain characters.
This book does contain some amazing, moving, well written passages about the love of Christ, especially those that happen between Rivka and Servinia, and it is definitely worth the reading, to see the new changes to the family and the community. But you may find yourselves still longing for some resolution that isn't going to be found!!!
******SPOILERS AFTER THIS POINT!!!********
I was expecting more because after Rivka, her husband and the others are led into the arena, it's clearly stated that before the animals pounced on the victims that Pavlos throws himself over Rivka,to me it felt as though we were almost leaned towards her surviving and sneaked out. Which would have allowed the book to continue more to a satisfactory conclusion. It just felt as though originally there was another ending before.
Let me start this off by saying that I love the Seeds of Christianity series, and that Mr Lewis is a fantastic author. That being said I was really disappointed in this book.
I had been excited to get into this last book in the series, and so I dove into it eagerly. This books pick up right where Apostle dropped off. We join Rivka and her family on a boat headed to Rome, where they feel God's word is calling them to. We catch up with everyone, and through different ways through out the book are brought up really artfully to alot of the details of the previous books, in summary form of course.
When they land in Rome, they meet up with Atticus, and then begin to establish their houses and a new community in Rome. We see the difficulties of Roman life: the living conditions, the people, the culture, though in a smaller doses than in the previous books. The community continues to grow, and they cope with issues, first the fire of Rome, then the persecution of the Christians by Nero, and then, we learn there is a traitor in their community.
We hear from Nero, as well as a few soldiers, some feel a little thrown in and I think the story could have survived with out their additions, and the usual diversity from Rivka's family, and we even see from Pavlos' point of view, which I really enjoyed.
Ultimately I didn't feel that as much was accomplished in this book as the others, and at times it feels to just coast along. It was an easy read, and didn't touch me as deep as the others, but that was alright, until the end of the book.
For me, the end of the book was majorly disappointing and that's what put this book down to only 3 stars. To me the feeling felt rushed, badly written, especially knowing the skill this author has. It also came across to me as though it was a last minuet change. There isn't a lot of build up before the end happens, there is no resolution or explanation as how the community continues after the loss of certain characters.
This book does contain some amazing, moving, well written passages about the love of Christ, especially those that happen between Rivka and Servinia, and it is definitely worth the reading, to see the new changes to the family and the community. But you may find yourselves still longing for some resolution that isn't going to be found!!!
******SPOILERS AFTER THIS POINT!!!********
I was expecting more because after Rivka, her husband and the others are led into the arena, it's clearly stated that before the animals pounced on the victims that Pavlos throws himself over Rivka,to me it felt as though we were almost leaned towards her surviving and sneaked out. Which would have allowed the book to continue more to a satisfactory conclusion. It just felt as though originally there was another ending before.
September 17, 2014
The only thing I didn't love about this book was that it is the last book in the series, and I would like to read a dozen more.
After reading the first, book I did something I almost never do. I immediately went to Amazon and downloaded the other three books in the series. I had picked up Witness when it was free, and I have almost 500 free unread books in my Kindle. Yet, I hurried to pay full price (albeit an extremely reasonable price) for three more books and read them right away.
This book was both sad and hopeful--sad about the persecution and martyrdom of Christians in Rome in the first century yet filled with hope for the future of all Christians--those persecuted in the first century, those persecuted and martyred today, and those who are relatively safe from persecution--in Heaven with the Lord.
Although there were editing errors, especially homonyms, they did not take away from the reading experience.
I highly recommend this entire series to anyone who enjoys a good story well-told and who likes to learn about the early days of Christianity.
After reading the first, book I did something I almost never do. I immediately went to Amazon and downloaded the other three books in the series. I had picked up Witness when it was free, and I have almost 500 free unread books in my Kindle. Yet, I hurried to pay full price (albeit an extremely reasonable price) for three more books and read them right away.
This book was both sad and hopeful--sad about the persecution and martyrdom of Christians in Rome in the first century yet filled with hope for the future of all Christians--those persecuted in the first century, those persecuted and martyred today, and those who are relatively safe from persecution--in Heaven with the Lord.
Although there were editing errors, especially homonyms, they did not take away from the reading experience.
I highly recommend this entire series to anyone who enjoys a good story well-told and who likes to learn about the early days of Christianity.
Read
March 3, 2014Excellent book - this is the last in the - Seeds of Christianity - series
Book 1 - Witness
Book 2 - Disciple
Book 3 - Apostle
Book 4 - Martyr
They are all excellent.
Book 1 - Witness
Book 2 - Disciple
Book 3 - Apostle
Book 4 - Martyr
They are all excellent.
November 21, 2015
Outstanding
Fairly believable. I would like to read more books by this author . And I hope to find more in the future.
Fairly believable. I would like to read more books by this author . And I hope to find more in the future.
July 8, 2016
An unbelievable book of heroism (and its opposite). Dare not discuss it. Wish I could, but don't want to spoil any of it. A wonderful read!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews