Review – Immanuel’s Veins

“Beware; Toma…There is evil in the wind… Beware the evil…”

Toma, Catherine the Great’s fiercest warrior, and his friend, Alec, had paused to rest their mounts before proceeding to the “great white” Moldavian castle below, the concern of their mission, the Cantemir family, particularly twin sisters, Natasha and Lucine. At the sound of the man’s voice Toma wheeled his horse around only to see a shriveled old man with long, stringy grey hair, a large black crow on his shoulder.

“State your business, old man,” Toma commanded, wondering whether he dealt with an honored elder or a “wandering lunatic,” a question whose subject would soon become angel or devil.

Instead of answering, the shriveled little man said, “The crow saw it.” With a toothless grin, he identified the crow as “…Peter the Great.”

Continuing to ignore Toma’s questions, the gnome-like man said, “I’m not the devil…he is far more beautiful than I…God told me to tell you…evil is in contest with you…”

Thus begins Ted Dekker’s new release, Immanuel’s Veins, set in 1772 during the Russo-Turkish war. It’s a dark narrative built around what sacrificial love really is according to Dekker when he talks about the focus of his new release.

The story is told in the voice of Toma, (a first for the author) a loyal, fierce warrior in service to Her Majesty, the Empress of Russia. His friend Alec, also in service to the Empress, shares Toma’s warrior-like attributes but not Toma’s honor or integrity.

Lucine’s story runs parallel to Toma’s and is told in third person. Lucine, twin sister Natasha and their mother are who Toma and Alec are commissioned to protect. Both men are love-struck when they meet the beautiful sisters; particularly Alec with Natasha’s temptress’s wiles, while Toma remains stoic, committed to duty.

Add Russian aristocrat, Vlad van Valerik, Nephilim, offspring of angels who mated with humans in Genesis, a Blood Book, telepathy, supernatural abilities, sensual provocative behavior and you have the makings of Dekker’s a account of lust, power, evil and love. What makes the story powerful is the author’s handling of the cost of sacrificial love and how he links it to redemption.

The story is also about drinking blood, vampires, with passionate non-explicit sexual scenes. Although Toma isn’t a Christian in chapter one, he changes with the story and learns about God, selfless sacrifice and why salvation can’t be earned with good works. Visit Ted Dekker’s website for more: http://tinyurl.com/4gkeh3z

I’m ambiguous about the book, but it’s typically well-done Dekker. I’m glad I read it but like it says on the back cover, Immanuel’s Veins “This story is for everyone…but not everyone is for this story.”