Immanuel's Veins - Ted Dekker

“This story is for everyone – but not everyone is for this story.”

Rating:



Summary:
The year is 1772. Toma Nicolescu is sent on a special mission by the Empress of Russia to protect the two Cantemir daughters. Toma’s best friend Alek accompanies him on the mission. The first night there, they meet danger in the form of the strangers from Castle Castile. Toma doesn’t trust them but cannot place the reason for his distrust. Soon, Alek and Natasha are fascinated with this group and submerse themselves at the castle. Toma faces his greatest challenge when he must confront himself and the lord of the castle. Who will win the girl?

Analysis:
As soon as I finished reading Immanuel’s Veins, I was ready to turn back to the beginning of the book and start all over. Once again, Ted Dekker creates a story that captivates the reader. His intense writing style enlivened the story and made me never want to leave. It had me laughing, crying, shocked, and impressed within the first forty pages of the book. I did not want to put it down. I was hooked after reading the first page.

Impact:
Immanuel’s Veins is an allegory. It made me realize that God’s love is remarkable. While we hated him and spat on him and rejected him, he sacrificed His life for us. All because He loves us. This was done so that we can love Him in return. Immanuel’s Veins tells this story in a powerful and vivid way that leaves you amazed at God’s love. I will never be able to read a love story again without seeing God as the ultimate lover. This story delved into my mind and had me thinking about it constantly. God is real and so is His power. But, that also means that Satan is real and actively trying to make you stray. But God will conquer Satan and be the everlasting King.

“If I were a woman I would have loved Alek. If I were a king I would have hired him to remain in my courts. If I were an enemy I would have run and hid, because wherever you found Alek you would find Toma, and you would surely die unless you swore allegiance to the empress.” (Immanuel’s Veins 4)

“The hour was late and the rain fell with God’s wrath on those mountains. I felt like a fool for ever having doubted his existence. There was certainly a devil, for I had met either him or his offspring. If there was a devil, there must be a God, or I had no hope.” (Immanuel’s Veins 227)

“There is indeed good and there is indeed evil, and both walk the earth. But good has little to do with the forms of religion, and evil has as little to do with so much behavior condemned by religion. Both good and evil vie for the passions of the heart.” (Immanuel’s Veins 286)

“Lucine and I stood in the Castle Castile now emptied of all her evil, and together we wept. For we had found the truest love. We had found God’s blood. We had found each other.” (Immanuel’s Veins 364)