REVIEW: A.D. 33 by Ted Dekker

A.D. 33 (a novel)
by Ted Dekker
Publisher: Center Street
Release Date: Oct. 6, 2015
Genres: Christian, Historical, Suspense
Pages: 384
Buy at: Amazon, B&N, IndieBound, CBD
Add on: Goodreads
Find the author at: website, Facebook, Twitter
Rating: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5 stars)

New York Times bestselling author Ted Dekker delivers the gripping story of Maviah, a slave who becomes a queen in Arabia, A.D. 33.

They call her the Queen of the Outcasts. Maviah, a woman whose fate was sealed on her birth by this world-unwanted, illegitimate, female, a slave-subject to the whims of all. But then she met a man named Yeshua who opened her eyes. She found strength in his words, peace from the brutal word around her. Because of what he taught her, she has gathered her own traveling kingdom of outcasts deep in the desert, wielding an authority few have seen. But when her growing power threatens the rulers around her, they set out to crush all she loves, leaving her reeling as a slave once more. She must find Yeshua to save her people, but when she does, she will be horrified to discover that he faces his own death.

Enter a story full of intrigue, heart-wrenching defeat, uncompromising love and staggering victory-one that re-examines everything you thought you knew about the heart of Jesus’s stunning message and the power that follows for those who follow his easily forgotten way.

My Review:

In this sequel to the already compelling A.D. 30, be prepared to once again be swept off your feet in this incredibly powerful story of how a woman, man, and child become one with the man known as Yeshua.

It’s been three years since Maviah started the journey that led her to become queen of the Bedu and daughter of the One True King. Even though she trusts in Yeshua, the past three years have not been without suffering and great hardship. The man she loves, Judah, is imprisoned by the ruthless evildoer who killed her first son. Her people, the outcasts, are lost in the desert and risk starvation every day. But still, Maviah strives to spread the good news of Yeshua and maintain peace with the help of Saba, her protector and rock. When her newly adopted son is kidnapped, Maviah gives into her rage and fear and all peace is lost. Now faced with a seemingly impossible mission, Maviah and Saba rush to Yeshua in hopes of remembering the forgotten way and saving her son. But can Maviah keep faith even as her Savior faces certain death?

Wow, what an incredible read. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that so deeply touched me before, so much so I practically balled my eyes out about five different times. I hung onto every word, eagerly anticipated each chapter. I was this close to reading A.D. 33 before A.D. 30, and I am so happy I didn’t and borrowed the latter from the library. It allowed a deeper insight into the characters and backstory that I wouldn’t have been able to grasp fully otherwise. So though they can be read separately, I HIGHLY recommend you read A.D. 30 first!

I don’t want to say much else about the plot, because I don’t want to ruin a single moment of surprise and suspense from this epic novel. But I will say that the scenes with Yeshua were POWERFUL and evoked much thought. The author did a fantastic job of staying true to His teachings, but it didn’t feel copy-and-paste. The suspense was crazy, there were moments where I literally could feel my heartbeat racing. At the same time, this book focused more on the spiritual journey of Maviah, Saba, Judah, and Talya (different perspectives are portrayed in this one) instead of the physical story of war and adventure, though it had that too just not as much as the first. The message the author was trying to convey is very clear and marvelously done. I know this inspiring story will stay on my mind and heart for a long while to come.

An utterly brilliant and riveting biblical fiction novel from Ted Dekker! I honestly can’t even begin to explain it properly, you will simply have to read it and see for yourself. So, so happy I picked this one up. Again, highly recommended!!

P.S. (Please don’t skip the author’s awesome foreword!)

*I received this book free in exchange for my honest review.

Find out more about A.D. 33 here and check out more reviews from my fellow bloggers here! And don’t miss this fun preview! Thanks so much for visiting Will Bake for Books! Have you read anything from Ted Dekker? What are YOUR thoughts on the A.D. books? ♥