A.D. 30 – My Review

Wow! I can’t really find a better word to describe this story. It’s as emotional as it is epic. I wasn’t prepared for this book. It’s one of those that leaves you feeling that it found you. And I’m so glad that it did.

A.D. 30  is a book readers will not forget. It won’t let you. The spiritual, physical, and emotional journey within its pages caught my heart and with it caught my breath. There were dark moments I was unprepared for. And there were beautiful moments that left me speechless. Both brought tears to my eyes.

I loved that it was in first person. I loved the questions and lessons each of the characters faced. I loved, most of all, every page that contained a word or a glimpse of Jesus, or Yeshua as He is called in the book. I’ve never read anything like this. Even though so much of it was fiction, it all felt very real and very applicable to me. I have no doubt it will grip the hearts of many readers.

I won’t say it was an easy read. I was surprised at many points along the way, but each of those difficult moments just left me that much more eager for when Jesus would walk onto the scene. And by the time He arrives in the book, I was about in tears. I was so happy to see Him. Yes, parts were fictionalized, of course, but the heart of Christ and his followers was still there, written beautifully to brighten the story and bless the reader.

I have never read any of Ted Dekker’s books before this, but I will be looking him up in the future. A.D. 30  is a captivating tale of unconditional love and the way of salvation. I knew from the start that it would be a roller coaster of a read. And it did not disappoint. I closed the book with the same word on my lips that I had when I turned the first page. Wow.

Thank you to Center Street and Tiffany from Shelton Interactive for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Enter a sweeping epic set in the harsh deserts of Arabia and ancient Palestine.

A war that rages between kingdoms on the earth and in the heart.

The harrowing journey of the woman at the center of it all.

Step back in time to the year of our Lord…A.D. 30.

The outcast daughter of one of the most powerful Bedouin sheikhs in Arabia, Maviah is called on to protect the very people who rejected her. When their enemies launch a sudden attack with devastating consequences, Maviah escapes with the help of two of her father’s warriors–Saba who speaks more with is sword than his voice and Judah, a Jew who comes from a tribe that can read the stars. Their journey will be fraught with terrible danger. If they can survive the vast forbidding sands of a desert that is deadly to most, they will reach a brutal world subjugated by kings and emperors. There Maviah must secure an unlikely alliance with King Herod of the Jews.

But Maviah’s path leads her unexpectedly to another man. An enigmatic teacher who speaks of a way in this life which offers greater power than any kingdom. His name is Yeshua, and his words turn everything known on its head. Though following him may present even greater danger, his may be the only way for Maviah to save her people–and herself.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ted Dekker (born October 24, 1962) is a New York Times best-selling author of over thirty five 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. Ted’s latest work, a historical fiction based on the teachings of Jesus, is a radical departure from previous outings and is receiving critical acclaim.
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