"Forgive me," I whispered. It was all I could press past my aching throat.
I was only dimly aware that the march of death had passed through the gates leading up to Golgotha…
The Romans were going to crucify Yeshua.

After eating up A.D. 30, I was anxious to find out right away what would happen next to the characters.

I started and stuck with A.D. 33 to find out. But unfortunately, around a third or halfway into the read, I stopped enjoying it, with its one miserable turn of events after another.

In the midst of the constant and compounding gloom and despair, Maviah becomes an increasingly frustrating character—lashing out, being irrational, and regressing. It's as if her growth from the first book is erased, and it takes her the length of the sequel to learn the same basic lesson another time around.

Although Yeshua goes off-script a bit more in this novel than in the first one, he's still much of the same "Jesus character" cliché, like more of a prescribed figure than a real person, and his expressions and actions are described as "gentle" over and over again—even as many as five times in one particular scene.

Also, much of the book's scriptural and spiritual content is superfluous. The pages and pages of theological exposition and discussions seem to go around in circles, stalling the story to teach and reteach a message when the idea could have gotten across with more "showing," or at least much less "telling."

At this point in my bibliophilic life, I normally wouldn't keep pushing through a rather depressing and redundant read I'm no longer enjoying (especially one as long as this one), but my carried-over interest in the characters from Book One and my overall curiosity about their outcome made me determined to finish.

I understand the A.D. novels are a departure from Dekker's usual work. Because these are the only two books I've read by him so far, and I loved the first one, it's my plan to try something else of his sometime. ( )

Dekker has weaved an intense adventure with Petra, the Arabian desert, and ancient Jerusalem as its backdrop. Maviah, Queen of the Desert—Queen of the Outcasts—is waylaid after seeing that Yeshua has been crucified. She lives a tortured existence believing that most, if not all, hope is lost to be able to get her child back from the clutches of the evil Thamud prince, Kahil.

This book is gripping. As one who is not big on fiction novels that take place during biblical times, I was very pleasantly surprised that this wasn't just another rehash of the life of Jesus. This book is about life. It's about hope. It's about enduring in the most remote and brutal of circumstances. Both books of the A.D. series should be made into epic feature films. Of all that Ted Dekker has written, these are the stories that would draw crowds to a screen. ( )

Set in AD33, the year of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection, this brilliant story follows the story of Maviah as she encounters Yeshua . How it changes her life with loss,heartbreak, renewed hope and faith. ( )

Sequel to A.D. 30 and I highly recommend reading that book before reading this one. Maviah, the central character of both books, is living as a "Queen of the Desert" after the events of the last book. Several tribes have flocked to her and are learning more about the way of Yeshua. But when her enemies seek to crush her by destroying that which she loves, Maviah becomes confused and blinded. She feels that she must travel back to Judea to seek Yeshua and find guidance. She know that He will be able to help her save that which is near and dear to her. But when she arrives in Jerusalem in A.D. 33 she finds the Master and his disciples involved in much bigger events, and what follows will sorely test her faith.

It was wonderful to experience these characters again and experience Dekker's lush storytelling. This sequel was not as great as the first book, in my opinion, some of the interactions and how things were wrapped up seemed more contrived to bring about a neatly wrapped up end to the story. Still, it was an excellent look at characters trying to figure out how to live by Yeshua's (Jesus') teachings at a time when there wouldn't have been much help from outside sources. Seeing them forced to figure out how to live out their lives as His disciples with only their memories of His words and His spirit inside them (eventually) was intriguing.

I recommend this book to seekers of what it means to walk in the ways of Yeshua (Jesus) who enjoy learning through a well told story. ( )

A.D. 33 by Ted Dekker continues the story of Maviah that began in A.D. 30. Maviah has gathered outcasts from the desert and seeks to build a kingdom from the ruins of her father’s reign. But she has many enemies that want to crush, humiliate and eventually destroy her and all she loves. Told in alternating first and third person points of view, this novel is more intellectual for want of another term than the first book in the series. There is still a great historical context and suspense, but there are many long passages devoted to the teachings of Christ, His final days, and what it means to be His follower. Old and new characters are included, but it is Maviah who is the center of the story. A good conclusion to the series.

The center of the story, despite the story line of Maviah and her quest to rescue her son, is the Way of Jesus. Many people at that time (and today) did not understand Jesus’ teachings about His kingdom and coming death. Dekker does an excellent job of showing the emotions of His followers as they experience the exultation of His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the dismay over His silence during His trial, and the despair following His crucifixion. Jesus’ radical teachings were (and are) hard to understand and even harder to follow. A.D. 33 will make you re-examine who you think Jesus really is.

A book that combines gritty hardship, emotional turmoil and the triumph of Christ, A.D. 33 is a recommended read.

Recommended.

Audience: adults.

(Thanks to the publisher for a review copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.) ( )