IMMANUEL'S VEINS by TED DEKKER

Tedd Dekker is an award winning writer. He does writing like no other. You either walk by a Ted Dekker book or you grab it up as soon as it's out. I think you either love his work or hate it. When I say hate, I think it would mean you misunderstand it. I am somewhere in the middle. I have read Dekker's books before and couldn't put the book down. This one was a little harder for me. I am still trying to wrap my mind around it and it will probably take me a few more times reading it to grasp the full meaning.

Here is an excerpt from the book:

To All Who Have Ears to Hear:
I am dead. But perhaps you are as well, if you can read this account penned by a dead man.
I, Saint Thomas of Moldavia, make known this report of all that transpired so that any who seek the truth will know what happened.
Some called me a heretic. They said that my dealing with the matters herein could only mean that I was touched by the devil himself. Some said that I was a creature of the night, a dragon, a beast turned into man. Some said that I was mad, and I will attest that I myself once would have believed that this tale could only come from the mind of a raving lunatic.
But I swear by my very own blood that I am neither devil nor beast and that this is not the tale of a lunatic—unless by love I have been driven hopelessly mad, a reasoning that tempts me more often than I dare admit. Judge it for yourself.
I implore you to open your hearts and your minds to this account. Then, when you have turned the last page, if you still do not believe that what you have read is true, you may say that I deserved my death.
Saint Thomas Lover of his bride

This story is told in first person. It is told by Toma Nicolescu, a warrior of the past. This story is set in the 1700's in Moldavia. It is a story of love, seduction and redemption. We see these dark charcacters fill the pages, along with Toma's right hand man, Alek Cardei, the friend Toma trusts with his life. They are called by Catherine the Great to protect the Cantemir family at all costs. Nathasha and Lucine are the daughters of Kesia. The Cantemir women are known all over for their beauty, a beauty that does not escape the eyes of Toma and Alex. Toma is on a mission. He has given his honor to protect, but not to fall for these women. But beauty captivates Toma and Alek. They drink in this beauty and it sucks them in quickly. There is one who is after the same beauty, Vlad van Valerik.

Here is a portion of the first chapter:

My name is Toma Nicolescu and I was a warrior, a servant of Her Majesty, the empress of Russia, Catherine the Great, who by her own hand and tender heart sent me on that mission at the urging of her most trusted adviser Grigory Potyomkin in the year of our Lord 1772.
It was a year of war, this one the Russo-Turkish war, one of so many with the Ottoman Empire. I had slain the enemy with more ambition than most in the humble service of the empress, or so it has been said, and having earned Her Majesty’s complete trust in my loyalty and skill, I was dispatched by her to the south and east, through Ukraine to the principality of Moldavia, just north of the Black Sea, to the country estate of the Cantemir family nestled up against the base of the Carpathian Mountains.

What are you willing to sacrifice for love? How much are you willing to give? Immanuel's Veins takes us deep into the heart of a man who is willing to go however far he must to gain the love of another. In this book I see the battle of good and evil. I see suduction and lust. I see where the evil's of this world has no bounds when it comes to men and what they want. Are they willing to fight for love? You could say passion flows through our veins. (IV) Intrigue and suspense fill these pages. In this dark tale, it brings me to wonder about the blood sacrificed by our Savior for me. The love He had for me and the life He gave so that I might find life through Him.

This book is not for everyone. I would not suggest it for young readers. There are parts I loved, and others that just seemed out of place. I must say I found this book filled with lust. Toma falls for Lucine when he sees her beauty. I find it hard to move past that beauty. I wanted more from the characters. I wanted to see a relationship here. I wanted to see love build. But with that said, this book is one of those that you must take your time with. It is one that you could read over and over again and find even deeper meanings each time.

Tedd Dekker is one of the best. He tells a tale like no other. He reaches many through his talented writing style and those that love him will not be disappointed in Immanuel's Veins.

During this book tour, Thomas Nelson is giving a way a t-shirt to one who leaves a comment on my blog. One will be chosen and I will reveal the winner on Sept 20.

This book was a gift from Thomas Nelson for it's review.

The son of missionaries John and Helen Dekker, whose incredible story of life among headhunters in Indonesia has been told in several books, Ted Dekker learned at a very early age the difference between authentic Christianity and so-called religion. Surrounded by the vivid colors of the jungle and a myriad of cultures, Dekker received a first-class education on human nature and behavior. This, he believes, is the foundation of his writing.
After earning his Bachelor's Degree in Religion and Philosophy from Evangel College, Dekker spent time in the corporate world before turning to writing full-time in 1997. He states that each time he writes, he finds his vision of God just a little clearer and his expression of that vision a little more vivid. Dekker's body of work contains over twenty novels including Thr3e, The Circle Series, and Sinner.
He lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife LeeAnn and their four children.