My comments about the book:
I love Ted Dekker's books. I have almost a full shelf devoted to them. I've lent them out to siblings and friends. The ending of Thr3e made me gasp for hours. I even had the privilege of interviewing Ted once.
So it is with very deep regret that I must state: I did not enjoy his latest book, Immanuel's Veins.
Some readers might have issues with the book's dark tone and sensuality, but that part didn't bother me (the tone fit and much was kept offstage). I liked the historical setting. The pace hit the right notes.
But I was bored. I'd seen these characters before. I knew this plot. It was pure Dekker - and I'd read it before, in his other books.
I think my heart broke a little.
There have been other authors who've hit that too familiar place. I don't read their books any more. I think I sold most of them. Where once I eagerly devoured, now I skip over with disinterest.
I'm not giving up on Dekker, though. I plan to at least read one more of his books. Maybe this was a fluke. Maybe his other books still hold that spark of wonder. I can only hope.
But what about you? Should you read Immanuel's Veins? Yes, by all means. Especially if you haven't already read a dozen or more of Dekker's books previously. It's gotten some great reviews. This familiarity is my own fault. And even with that, I still read the entire book in one sitting.
Spoilers below - highlight if you've already read the book:
So, how fast did you figure out what the inhabitants of Castle Castile really were? Didn't take me long at all. And my first reaction was, really, Ted? At least this "Edward" didn't sparkle or get the girl in the end.
Oh, and if you do happen to feast on mosquito juice yourself, be sure and try to win the shirt below. Since the design places a picture of the heart slightly to the right of the chest, it may confuse any Slayer who's trying to stake you.
Leave a comment below to be entered to win a beautiful "Spread the Love" tshirt!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Ted Dekker is a New York Times best-selling author of more than twenty novels. He is best known for stories which could be broadly described as suspense thrillers with major twists and unforgettable characters, though he has also made a name for himself among fantasy fans.Early in his career he wrote a number of spiritual thrillers and his novels were lumped in with ‘Christian Fiction’ a surprisingly large category. His later novels are a mix of mainstream novels such as Adam, Thr3e, Skin, Obsessed and BoneMan’s Daughters, and fantasy thrillers that metaphorically explore faith. Best known among these is his Circle Series: Green, Black, Red, White and The Paradise Books: Showdown, Saint, and Sinner.
Dekker was born to missionaries who lived among the headhunter tribes of Indonesia. Because his parents’ work often included extended periods of time away from their children, Dekker describes his early life in a culture to which he was a stranger as both fascinating and lonely. It is this unique upbringing that forced him to rely on his own imagination to create a world in which he belonged.
After leaving Indonesia, Dekker graduated from a multi-cultural high school and took up permanent residence in the United States to study philosophy and religion. Upon earning his Bachelor’s Degree, he entered the corporate world and proceeded to climb the proverbial ladder. But his personal drive left him restless and, after many successful years, he traded corporate life for wide range of entrepreneurial pursuits that included buying and selling businesses, healthcare services, and marketing.
In the early nineties while visiting a friend who had just written a book, Dekker decided to pursue a long held desire to be a novelist. Over the course of two years he wrote two full length novels before starting from scratch and rewriting both. Now fully enamored by the the process and the stories, he realized that storytelling was in his blood and a new obsession to explore truth through story gripped him anew.
He sold his business, moved his family to the mountains of Western Colorado and began writing full-time on his third novel. Two years and three novels later his first novel, Heaven’s Wager, was published.
Now, Dekker’s novels had sold over 3.4 million copies worldwide. Two of his novels, Thr3e and House, have been made into movies with more in production. Dekker resides in Austin, Texas with his wife Lee Ann and two of their daughters.
ABOUT THE BOOK
It is a dangerous tale of times past. A torrid love story full of deep seduction. A story of terrible longing and bold sacrifice.
Then as now, evil begins its courtship cloaked in light. And the heart embraces what it should flee. Forgetting it once had a truer lover.
With a kiss, evil will ravage body, soul, and mind. Yet there remains hope, because the heart knows no bounds.
Love will prove greater than lust. Sacrifice will overcome seduction. And blood will flow.
Because the battle for the heart is always violently opposed. For those desperate to drink deep from this fountain of life, enter.
But remember, not everyone is for this story.
If you'd like to read the first chapter of Immanuel's Veins, go HERE.
Watch the book trailer:
