amazing books and a prayer request

If you are looking for an amazing series to read, this is it. It's a romance, tear jerker, historical, fiction all in one. It also is challenging and convicting in terms of realizing how easy we have it as Christians in present day America! I first read the series in high school 9 years ago and I read it just about every year. I picked it up again last week and am as enthralled now as I was the first day I started.
The first two books follow three main characters: Hadassah, a Christian who is captured in Jerusalem by Roman soldiers who assume her to be a Jew. She is sold into slavery and it follows her new life in servitude, how she grows in her faith, loves her owners and shares the love of God and eventually the message of Christ while risking the threat of the arena (at the time, Christians were the lowliest of low and were thrown into the arena during gladiator matches as entertainment so people could watch them torn apart by lions)...its so convicting to read about her faith and trust in the Lord...I come away so challenged every time.
The second character is a wealthy Roman named Marcus, he is the son of Hadassah's owners. the book follows his journey as he grows into a man, falls in love with Hadassha, learns about Jesus, and...well...you have to read it to find out :)
The third character is Atretes, a German soldier and tribal chief's son, who is captured in a battle with the Romans. He is eventually sold to be trained as a gladiator. The third book focuses solely in on him and how he learns about Jesus...the first 2 follows his amazing and anger-filled journey as he rises to be the most loved gladiator in in Rome.
I know I don't do these books justiced, but SERIOUSLY...consider reading them. I PROMISE you will not be disappointed.
Please pray for Tommy, Amber and Miles. They are back in Des Moines now, but Miles is still in the hospital. They are really starting to feel the strain of Miles' hospitalization and I don't think that things are going the best for them right now (he's doing okay, but I think they've had some not-good news lately)....please please pray that the Lord will give them strength to continue and trust in Him.