Ted Dekker
Historical Fiction / Biblical Fiction
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 his 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 that 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.
My Thoughts
When I embark upon a reading of a Ted Dekker novel I have certain expectations. I expect to be entertained. I expect there to be a plot full of unexpected twists and turns. And I expect for there to be an underlying message that reaches beyond the page and into my life. With A.D. 30 Ted has not only met those expectations he has exceeded them.
Maviah is a character that can represent any of us, whether male or female. She has been rejected and abused by those who should have shown her love. She has spent her life just surviving. She has sworn allegiance to idols that are silent and have never come to her rescue. The result has been a growing and deep-seated fear. Fear of not being worthy of anything. Fear of failing. Fear of death.
In the midst of some of her strongest turmoil she meets Yeshua and He speaks peace to her weary soul. She drinks in His teachings that bring strength and comfort to her fears. Through her encounters we can also learn from Yeshua. We learn that everything that we think will save us is really what binds us.
In the beginning of the book is a note from the author entitled My Journey Into A. D. 30. Ted speaks of his journey through writing this novel and how deeply it has affected his life. After reading the book I know why. You cannot have such a personal encounter with the Creator and come away unchanged. It is a book that I had to read and put down and absorb what was being presented and then pick it back up and start reading again. The truth that is being presented is that in Christ we have nothing to fear. Even death only puts us in the very presence of our Savior. So if there is truly nothing to fear then the only alternative is to live in freedom. The problem is that we often forget that simple truth.
I so enjoyed my journey through the desert with Maviah. She is the epitome of who we all are, flawed, broken, and bitter. But the beauty is that redemption is being extended to us all. We must only believe.
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