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Brides of the Empire #1-3
Brides Of The Empire
Oppressed but not broken, three young women within the Roman Empire struggle to find true and lasting love.
Anna is a Samaritan at a time when the hatred between Samaritans and Jews is at a fever pitch. When she finds herself attracted to a Jewish man, can she bridge the gap between them with her knowledge of Jesus Christ?
Sara is a Jewish slave to a wealthy tribune's sister. How can she dare let her Christianity show during Nero's reign of terror?
Chara has been bought as a slave by a former slave. Can she trust him when he says, as a Christian, he has no use for a servant?
Anna is a Samaritan at a time when the hatred between Samaritans and Jews is at a fever pitch. When she finds herself attracted to a Jewish man, can she bridge the gap between them with her knowledge of Jesus Christ?
Sara is a Jewish slave to a wealthy tribune's sister. How can she dare let her Christianity show during Nero's reign of terror?
Chara has been bought as a slave by a former slave. Can she trust him when he says, as a Christian, he has no use for a servant?
368 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
7 people are currently reading
86 people want to read
About the author
Darlene Mindrup
39 books17 followersDarlene Mindrup has always had a love of writing and an active imagination. Years of journalism classes and homeschooling her children gave her the tools to make her writing better and more professional (and with a lot less errors). She has a love of history that comes through in her novels, especially Bible history and World War II.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
August 27, 2009
Three amazing Christian women who lived in the First Century find themselves in dangerous predicaments, tests of faith, and in love. Sara, Chara, and Anna are role models for all women; they display strength, faithfulness, and intelligence at a time when women were oppressed and deemed as inferior to men.
The Eagle and The Lamb:
Sara's family was Jewish and converted to Christianity. Living close to Rome, Sara's family was in the minority compared to those of Jewish faith and the Romans who believed in many pagan gods. While out in the woods one day, Sara was accidentally shot with an arrow by a Roman soldier who thought she was a deer. From then on, Sara and Antonius (the Roman soldier) find their lives intertwined as Antonius is there to rescue her family from crisis and Sara becomes a servant in Antonius's household. Antonius has no problem with Sara's Christianity until she starts to share God's love with his sister and it makes him question his own faith. Now, Antonius is faced with problems in his household, his mind, and his heart.
Edge of Destiny:
Decimus observes a female slave being auctioned off in Rome and after seeing her innocence and fear, makes a rash decision and bids an exorbitant price for her. Chara (the female slave) is forever grateful for Decimus's rescue from abuse and defilement she may have received if the other bidders had won. The only problem is that Decimus is trying to escape Rome and now he has more baggage. How will Decimus and Chara make it safely out of Rome when Roman guards, under the command of Nero, are ordered to find Christians and bring them to the arena where they are killed by lions?
My Enemy, My Love:
Barak is a devout Jewish man in Jerusalem with his family for Passover Feast. He rescues Anna from a runaway chariot even though he knows her to be a Samaritan. This is at a time when Jewish people were prejudiced and showed hatred towards Samaritans. Barak happens to be in the right place and the right time again to rescue Anna a second time. But this rescue will demand more of his time, patience, and test his religious convictions. Anna is a Christian, and if there is one thing Jewish people didn't like more than Samaritans, it was Christians. Will Barak reject the truth of Jesus when Anna tries to share it with him?
How I loved this book!!!!! I could go on about it all day, but I won't :) I have a read a bunch of books like this, but never have I found one that inspired me so much, taught me so much, and humbled me so much. I loved learning about life as an early Christian believer, it has made me want to be strong in my faith like the characters in this book. I learned a lot about the time period and will probably look things up now to learn more. The author created admirable, inspiring characters, with a lot of depth and reality. I will look for another book by her now, entitled: The Chalice of Israel: Cup of Courage/Cup of Hope/Cup of Honor/Cup of Praise (Inspirational Romance Collection)
January 15, 2020
The first story 5 shiny hearts 💖💖💖💖💖
The second story 4.5 shiny hearts 💖💖💖💖
The last story 3 shiny hearts 💖💖💖
The second story 4.5 shiny hearts 💖💖💖💖
The last story 3 shiny hearts 💖💖💖
May 11, 2024
This collection had some great parts with wholesome love stories and the center revolving around Christ and salvation but they all seemed to blend together and the story seemed to be on repeat over and over. The third one was particularly disjointed, going by very fast and with a sudden influx of love and affection between the characters.
May 1, 2014
This book holds a particular place for me in my heart because it was the first time I'd ever read or even heard of Christian romance. It turned out to be the catalyst that started me to indulging in good Christian fiction that wasn't boring and still held a gospel message. With that said, this book is a good read as it tells the story of three women during the Roman empire and their loves. The first is a story of slave girl who is bought by a Roman soldier to care for his sister. I loved the play on the master and slave which made it my favorite story. The next is a story of a girl sold by her stepbrother and then bought by a male Christian who, along with other, want to leave Rome since it's getting hard for Christian to stay there as the persecution rises. The third is a story of a Samaritan girl, who is a Christian. This is two strikes against the very devout Jewish man who aids her against his prejudices and discrimination.
All in all, these stories are well written.
All in all, these stories are well written.
May 19, 2007
Oppressed but not broken, three young women within the Roman Empire struggle to find true and lasting love. Anna is a Samaritan at a time when the hatred between Samaritans and Jews is at a fever pitch. When she finds herself attracted to a Jewish man, can she bridge the gap between them with her knowledge of Jesus Christ? Sara is a Jewish slave to a wealthy tribune's sister. How can she dare let her Christianity show during Nero's reign of terror? Chara has been bought as a slave by a former slave. Can she trust him when he says, as a Christian, he has no use for a servant?
June 14, 2018
re-read without meaning to, the stories didn't have as much character development as I would have liked
July 19, 2011
The Eagle and the Lamb-
Sara was in her hiding place contemplating when two Roman soldiers came into view. As she watched them suddenly everything went black.
Antonius could not believe it when a human scream came after he shot his arrow at what he believed was a deer. They brought the young Jew to the village to her family. She survived.
A few weeks later Sara and her family were being taken away. Her brother had gambled and they came to collect. Antonius came at that moment and bought everything. Sending her brother Dathan to the galleys and taking her as a slave. She became a friend for his ill sister, Diana.
A story of two young Christians in a pagan household making a difference. By loving Diana and doing her best to serve God, even while under the status of a slave, Sara lives an example.
Three stories from early AD.
Edge of Destiny:
Decimus had been a slave in Antonius's home. Diana was like a sister to him. Being a Christian, he was attracted to Sara when she came. Out of jealousy Antonius freed him and sent him away with a pouch of money to keep him away from Sara. Five years later brings us to where Decimus is still trying to find a way out of Rome since the persecution of Christians has increased. He still had much of the money given him but he dressed poorly to avoid being robbed. He stopped to watch a slave auction and the young girl looked at him with pleading eyes. She reminded him of Sara and he also seen the men bidding on her would lead her to a bad life. At the last moment he bought her.
Sara had been sold by her step-brother after her mother died. She was a Christian and glad to find herself among others of the faith. A Roman soldier was going to take them to Brittania where Christians could live safer and Galla and Decimus had once had family.
A long journey and many sad happenings later they arrive. They find Nero has died. He had tried to conquer these Druid areas and could not but the message of Christ has been brought by the many Christians fleeing Rome. In God's time and His ways.
My Enemy, My Love:
Barak is a Jew among Jews. He has come to the temple to sacrifice his lamb for passover. He is disgusted how the non-Jews can also use their temple for pagan sacrifices. He notices a girl across the street but as soon as he sees her eyes he is disgusted, a Samaritan.
Anna feels something toward the handsome Jew immediately but she sees the moment he realizes what she is, disdain and hatred fill his eyes.
She saves a child from a wild chariot and Barak saves her. As much as he tries to dislike her she stays in his mind.
Anna's father wants to betroth her to Amman the Arab but she knows he only wants her fathers money. And he scares her. Barak's uncle is trying to betroth him to his best friends daughter. Miriam is very forward for a Jewish girl. Barak knows his best friend loves her and he keeps putting off a betrothal.
Through many incidences Barak helps Anna. He not only saved her from the chariot but he overheard Amman's plan to kidnap her to get money from her father. Even though it is passover Barak ends up taking Anna to the hated land of Samaria. Anna knows she needs to tell Barak of the Christ knowing the Jews hate Christians as much as Samaritans, perhaps more.
This story is told while the Apostle Paul still walks the earth teaching, where men have seen Jesus heal and rise from the dead.
It is told in such a unique way that you feel you are walking through the Holy Land with the characters. Darlene even has it that the woman at the well in Samaria was Anna's aunt.
Where Barak knew he could not love a Samaritan or Christian, Anna knew she could never marry a non-believer either. Great story.
Sara was in her hiding place contemplating when two Roman soldiers came into view. As she watched them suddenly everything went black.
Antonius could not believe it when a human scream came after he shot his arrow at what he believed was a deer. They brought the young Jew to the village to her family. She survived.
A few weeks later Sara and her family were being taken away. Her brother had gambled and they came to collect. Antonius came at that moment and bought everything. Sending her brother Dathan to the galleys and taking her as a slave. She became a friend for his ill sister, Diana.
A story of two young Christians in a pagan household making a difference. By loving Diana and doing her best to serve God, even while under the status of a slave, Sara lives an example.
Three stories from early AD.
Edge of Destiny:
Decimus had been a slave in Antonius's home. Diana was like a sister to him. Being a Christian, he was attracted to Sara when she came. Out of jealousy Antonius freed him and sent him away with a pouch of money to keep him away from Sara. Five years later brings us to where Decimus is still trying to find a way out of Rome since the persecution of Christians has increased. He still had much of the money given him but he dressed poorly to avoid being robbed. He stopped to watch a slave auction and the young girl looked at him with pleading eyes. She reminded him of Sara and he also seen the men bidding on her would lead her to a bad life. At the last moment he bought her.
Sara had been sold by her step-brother after her mother died. She was a Christian and glad to find herself among others of the faith. A Roman soldier was going to take them to Brittania where Christians could live safer and Galla and Decimus had once had family.
A long journey and many sad happenings later they arrive. They find Nero has died. He had tried to conquer these Druid areas and could not but the message of Christ has been brought by the many Christians fleeing Rome. In God's time and His ways.
My Enemy, My Love:
Barak is a Jew among Jews. He has come to the temple to sacrifice his lamb for passover. He is disgusted how the non-Jews can also use their temple for pagan sacrifices. He notices a girl across the street but as soon as he sees her eyes he is disgusted, a Samaritan.
Anna feels something toward the handsome Jew immediately but she sees the moment he realizes what she is, disdain and hatred fill his eyes.
She saves a child from a wild chariot and Barak saves her. As much as he tries to dislike her she stays in his mind.
Anna's father wants to betroth her to Amman the Arab but she knows he only wants her fathers money. And he scares her. Barak's uncle is trying to betroth him to his best friends daughter. Miriam is very forward for a Jewish girl. Barak knows his best friend loves her and he keeps putting off a betrothal.
Through many incidences Barak helps Anna. He not only saved her from the chariot but he overheard Amman's plan to kidnap her to get money from her father. Even though it is passover Barak ends up taking Anna to the hated land of Samaria. Anna knows she needs to tell Barak of the Christ knowing the Jews hate Christians as much as Samaritans, perhaps more.
This story is told while the Apostle Paul still walks the earth teaching, where men have seen Jesus heal and rise from the dead.
It is told in such a unique way that you feel you are walking through the Holy Land with the characters. Darlene even has it that the woman at the well in Samaria was Anna's aunt.
Where Barak knew he could not love a Samaritan or Christian, Anna knew she could never marry a non-believer either. Great story.
August 5, 2012
One thing that I've always held against romance-themed entertainment is its predictability. I'm sure the draw for audiences then is the character journies. Because of the historical nature of thes stories, I decided to give it a try.
The Eagle and The Lamb: The development of the main characters' feelings felt a little jerky. Suddently, a Roman woman turns Christian after one conversation? The story lacked depth in its discoveries. I thought the first half of the story was good, but the second half left me underwhelmed. Additionally, the male lead seemed to have some anger-management issues, so it kind of turned me off.
Edge of Destiny: This story has a stronger plotline -- Christians escaping Rome because of persecution there. It surrounds a minor character from the Eagle story, which I liked. Sometimes Mindrup's characters observe the same things across storylines, which is a charming touch. As this story unfolds, it illustrates God's hand in the characters' lives. It tackles the meaning of sacrifice and centers around trust. The more I read, the better the story got. Good surprises and twists. It focused not just on romance but also about God's mysterious ways and Jesus' message.
My Enemy, My Love: I started this story and didn't feel the draw, so I took a break from the book. It took longer for me to get into the story because the feelings were so strongly negative and confused. What I liked was challenging predjudices. There was so much misinterpretation of Jesus' actions and words: "The body of Christ" breaking of bread misinterpreted as Christians being cannibals. The story should have had more of Barak's shadowing of Jesus' footsteps. Its like the author was tentative to pen the Bible's historical figures. Overall, I was again left wanting with this chapter. I also noticed that the author uses the same similes over and over again, which was kind of annoying. I really wanted to experience a historical figure or two, not hear of them in passing or miss their presence in the story by a jump in time. The characters got to experience the prophets, but not the readers, and that was disappointing for me.
I appreciate the author's love of history. I liked the touches here and there into history. I just wanted a bit more of a presence of those surrounding Jesus.
The Eagle and The Lamb: The development of the main characters' feelings felt a little jerky. Suddently, a Roman woman turns Christian after one conversation? The story lacked depth in its discoveries. I thought the first half of the story was good, but the second half left me underwhelmed. Additionally, the male lead seemed to have some anger-management issues, so it kind of turned me off.
Edge of Destiny: This story has a stronger plotline -- Christians escaping Rome because of persecution there. It surrounds a minor character from the Eagle story, which I liked. Sometimes Mindrup's characters observe the same things across storylines, which is a charming touch. As this story unfolds, it illustrates God's hand in the characters' lives. It tackles the meaning of sacrifice and centers around trust. The more I read, the better the story got. Good surprises and twists. It focused not just on romance but also about God's mysterious ways and Jesus' message.
My Enemy, My Love: I started this story and didn't feel the draw, so I took a break from the book. It took longer for me to get into the story because the feelings were so strongly negative and confused. What I liked was challenging predjudices. There was so much misinterpretation of Jesus' actions and words: "The body of Christ" breaking of bread misinterpreted as Christians being cannibals. The story should have had more of Barak's shadowing of Jesus' footsteps. Its like the author was tentative to pen the Bible's historical figures. Overall, I was again left wanting with this chapter. I also noticed that the author uses the same similes over and over again, which was kind of annoying. I really wanted to experience a historical figure or two, not hear of them in passing or miss their presence in the story by a jump in time. The characters got to experience the prophets, but not the readers, and that was disappointing for me.
I appreciate the author's love of history. I liked the touches here and there into history. I just wanted a bit more of a presence of those surrounding Jesus.
October 15, 2008
I haven't started the last story yet, but I feel as though the previous two have ended very abruptly. I mean, the conflict fixes itself in the last chapter both times. I don't know about you, but I think that very abrupt, especially given that the last chapter is rather short while the rest of the story encompasses about a hundred pages.
The epilogue of the first story was really fast, leaping from one moment to another. The epilogue of the second wasn't really an epilogue in the traditional sense but rather a guide of the time frame for the story.
I have liked the stories, though. I just wish they were resolved in more time.
The epilogue of the first story was really fast, leaping from one moment to another. The epilogue of the second wasn't really an epilogue in the traditional sense but rather a guide of the time frame for the story.
I have liked the stories, though. I just wish they were resolved in more time.
July 27, 2011
I was blown away by this book! I didn't want to get my hopes up with this being an author I've never heard of, but I was totally floored! The stories were all so different, but the same in a certain light. I was disappointed when I got to the end of the first story because I was sure the others wouldn't be able to compare, but I was beyond wrong. All the stories were so beautifully written. The second one was a bit nerve racking, and even though it had a 'happy' ending, it really wasn't happy in the long run. Happy but not. The setting of the final story was quite interesting to say the least. Overall a wonderful book!
July 4, 2016
3 romance stories among the Christians of the First Century. Sara is a Jewish slave who falls in love with her master. Is there love doomed? Chara is purchased on the auction block by Decimus who is fleeing from the Christian persecution. Will they survive the journey and realize they are in love? Anna is a Samaritan and her father is arranging her marriage. Will she marry who her father wants her to marry? or is he after her for their money? Will Barak be able to help her escape some men who want to kidnap her? Will she help him to come to know Jesus? Pretty good read.
May 17, 2020
I have read these stories twice now and enjoy the historical setting with a focus on eary Christianity and enjoy the fun of the unrequieted, though cliche, romance. The stories are typical romances, with frustratingly stereotypical gender roles of helpless women that need saving by powerful, yet often uncontrollable men who are only brought to self control because of their love for a woman, through God's help. This isn't to say that the stories aren't fun, but they likely won't be of value in establishing realistic romantic expectations or encouraging varied gender characteristics.
September 13, 2014
I wish I could give it zero stars. I'm really glad I didn't have to pay for this book. It is the most lackluster, unimaginative book I've ever tried to read.
Very rarely do I not finish a book, even one that I might find myself getting annoyed at, because I want to see it through.
I barely made it halfway through the first story. I just didn't care what happened to Sara, and figured I wouldn't care about anyone else after her.
Sorry. This was just not my cup of tea.
Very rarely do I not finish a book, even one that I might find myself getting annoyed at, because I want to see it through.
I barely made it halfway through the first story. I just didn't care what happened to Sara, and figured I wouldn't care about anyone else after her.
Sorry. This was just not my cup of tea.
April 18, 2010
I'd like to give this 3 1/2 stars and lean towards 4. One of the stories I'd already read ~ maybe in another one of these compilation books, I'm not sure. In any case they were all good. Considering the short length, the author did a good job developing her characters and I enjoy the time period very much.
December 1, 2016
Good book to take my mind off of things and go into another time period. Perfect because I'm studying Phillipians, I & II Timothy, Titus at CBS and this book takes place during the rein of Nero and the Roman Empire, the persecution of Christians...krb 11/12/16
I enjoyed this book. Probably wouldn't read it again but it is a good 1 time read..krb 11/30/16
I enjoyed this book. Probably wouldn't read it again but it is a good 1 time read..krb 11/30/16
February 2, 2013
Good compilation of stories. Quick reads. As per HeartSong norm, there is a lot of depth to the story until the ending, which seems rushed, as if the author ran out of ideas at the end. Enjoyed the era of the stories, as well as the strong characters.
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August 31, 2013I have no idea how this and four other books came to my shelf. I just found them,I can't even remember when I got them. I don't even like these kind of cheesy stories lol. Not gonna read unless they are the last books I own (which is too many)
August 22, 2007
Its a good book
May 7, 2013
too slow and uninteresting characters, not for me.
June 3, 2013
Great book full of inspirational stories,I loved this book,read it more then I can count
August 7, 2015
I think the last story should have been the first, since the Apostle Paul was still preaching during this story.
August 20, 2007
This is a fantastic comfort read, but that's really all it's good for.
August 13, 2009
Delightful short stories of love. Will captivate you!!!
January 22, 2013
Amazing! Could not put it down! If you liked Francine Rivers' Mark of the Lion you'll love this!
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March 14, 2018tlfcu
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