Immanuel's Veins is a Christian novel by the New York Times Bestselling Author Ted Dekker that was released in America on September 7, 2010.[1] It follows the life, love, and death of Saint Thomas the Beast Hunter of Russia in the 1st person. (Thomas is mentioned briefly, twice, in Dekker's book Green.) This is Ted Dekker's first published 1st person book.[2]
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 sacrific.
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 form this fountain of life, enter.
But remember, not everyone is for this story.
In 1772, the Cantemir family is placed in the safe-keeping of Toma Nicolescu - a fearsome but loyal warrior - by Catherine the Great. Though he was sworn to remember his duty and not become entangled with the family, particularly the two sisters, he soon finds himself falling in love with Lucine Cantemir, the daughter of the family he is sworn to protect. But the fact of his love is kept secret from even her, for he is faithful to his duty. And that's when Vlad van Valerik comes onto the scene and starts courting Lucine. Toma is alerted by this, whether it be in a sense of danger, or out of jealousy. Whatever it is, Toma is determined no one will harm Lucine, even if it means dying to himself.
In Holland, Immanuel's Veins was not published because it was deemed by the Dutch publisher to be 'too sensual'. Dekker defended his novel by saying it was no more sensual than the Song of Solomon in the Bible. His American publisher, Thomas Nelson, saw no reason not to publish the novel, and it was released in America on schedule.[3]