Immanuel's Veins - an intoxicating read

On the book - Immanuel's Veins was released on September 7, 2010. It's the latest book by Ted Dekker. Visit the link to read what the official book description is. I have here my review. :)

PHENOMENAL. This is definitely a book that captures the mind. It is thought-provoking, masterfully written, and deep with meaning. I read it in two hours, devouring the pages at a breakneck pace. In my opinion, Dekker's best work yet. It is a very viable Christian alternative to the Twilight series, though I would probably say that a child under the age of 15 should not read this book.

It takes place in the 1700's, in Russia. It IS a fantasy, though, so even though the book starts out seemingly as a historical fiction-type novel, it is NOT. Keep that in mind - if you don't like reading about fantasy or vampires or the supernatural, then do not read this book without an open mind. Dekker makes use of both first and third persons as definite distinctions between the voices of different characters. Tomo, the main male character, is written from the first person, while Lucine's view is told from the third person. It is a departure from Dekker's usual method of writing, and a little bit of a deviation from his normal style, but it's an intoxicating mixture.

This is listed as one of Dekker's Books of History Chronicles, but you don't need to have read any of them to understand what is happening. Thomas does make a couple cameos, and the Shataiki are mentioned several times, but the way they are in there is such that it would not be confusing for someone who has not read these other books.

Definitely something I'd suggest to others! I'd consider it a MUST-read if you like Twilight, Ted Dekker, books with epic clashes between good and evil, stories about vampires, thrillers, fantasy, or love stories. Once again, though, not something for the younger children.

-enna