Immanuel's Veins by Ted Dekker

Book Description
This story is for everyone--but not everyone is for this story.
It is a dangerous tale of times past. A 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.

My Thoughts:
This book was so not what I was expecting! It isn't a typical Dekker book, and it isn't a typical Christian Fiction. This book is completely original. It isn't a clean, crisp Christian Fiction. The book talks about lust, power struggles, and evil. If you read this book be prepared the author holds nothing back and there are some 'sensual' parts, but they aren't for anything other than to make points.
Toma is a soldier and the Empress', Catherine the Great's, man. He and his friend Alek are sent to guard a Moldavian countess and her daughters. The Empress charges Toma with the family's safety but also orders him not to get involved with the notorious daughters. Along the way to the countess, Toma is warned that he is riding toward evil, but dismisses it as the ramblings of an old man. He is determined to follow the orders of the Empress to the letter, even if his heart has other ideas...
The empress has always taught her daughters, Lucine and Natasha, to live life to the fullest and enjoy EVERY aspect of it. Lucine was an eager, quick learner of her mother's teachings, but now she also bears the scars from it. As Toma is guarding the family, Vlad van Valerik begins to court Lucine and it is Toma's job to make sure the wedding goes off without a hitch. When Toma realizes the Russian is not what he seems, it is a race against time to save the woman he loves, but at what price?
This book was so vivid and thought provoking. The characters are amazing and well developed. The story flows wonderfully. I will warn that it is a 'vampire' book. There is a wonderful good vs. evil plot and the imagery is outstanding! The love in the story comes on quickly but I believe it is supposed to show how they are being drawn together. The best thing about the book is the picture it paints of how much God loves us and what he has done.
Having said that, there were a few small things in the book that I disagreed with in principle but if I tell about them it would be a spoiler and I'm not going to do that. Just remember it is a fictional interpretation of God's love for us.
This book is a 5/5! If you are squeamish at all, this book isn't for you and if you read it, you will forever be changed!
Thank you to Booksneeze for the review copy of this book. I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.

I was asked to answer the question 'what is sacrificial love?'. My answer is simple and complex at the same time. God's love is sacrificial love. But that doesn't explain why. God's sacrificial love was never shown any more than when Jesus died on the cross for us. He CHOSE to come to Earth, leaving God's presence, and be spat upon, tortured, and murdered. He did all this for ME. He did this for YOU. He did this out of love for us. There was no greater love from both God the Father and God the Son (Jesus) than was shown through the crucifixion. God the Father gave up His son for us and God the Son gave up His life.