This is the story as told by a young warrior, Toma Nicolescu. It's a tale of a struggle between lust and love. Set in Moldavia in the 1700’s, Toma and his companion Alek are given an assignment to protect the Cantemir family, a woman and her two daughters.

The daughters are very beautiful. One revels in sensuality and men’s affections. The other is demure and waiting for true love, uncertain what true love embodies.

This is the first of Ted Dekker’s books I’ve read, so I was curious and didn't know what to anticipate. Immanuel’s Veins is shrouded in mystery from the very beginning, starting with the synopsis on the back cover. The mysteriousness is what creates a fast-paced read. Being of the fantasy genre, it is suspenseful but not frightening.

Unfortunately, I was extremely disappointed with the content. There were so many sensual scenes and vampire-like activity, that I felt uncomfortable reading it. I believe the author’s intent may have been evangelistic, but I cannot see how the end justifies the means. I feel the imagery was meant to titillate, and I have a problem with it being used in a Christian work. Therefore, I will not be recommending this book.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.