A Nest in the Rocks

Building a nest on the rocks of faith and family

“A.D. 33” by Ted Dekker

by Leave a Comment

Disclosure Pic

They call her the Queen of the Outcasts. Maviah, a woman whose fate was sealed on her birth by this world-unwanted, illegitimate, female, a slave-subject to the whims of all. But then she met a man named Yeshua who opened her eyes. She found strength in his words, peace from the brutal word around her. Because of what he taught her, she has gathered her own traveling kingdom of outcasts deep in the desert, wielding an authority few have seen. But when her growing power threatens the rulers around her, they set out to crush all she loves, leaving her reeling as a slave once more. She must find Yeshua to save her people, but when she does, she will be horrified to discover that he faces his own death. Enter a story full of intrigue, heart-wrenching defeat, uncompromising love and staggering victory-one that re-examines everything you thought you knew about the heart of Jesus’s stunning message and the power that follows for those who follow his easily forgotten way.

AD 33 Book Cover

Dekker pens a stunning conclusion to Mavia’s story in A.D. 30: A Novel‘>A.D. 30, this sequel opens onto a chilling scene.  Mavia spends the rest of the book trying to rectify the problems created in this opening. 

Dekker puts his signature spin on Mavia’s journey.  While Mavia struggles to follow the Way, Yeshua’s words are never quite what you expect – even for the modern reader who knows the end of His story.  I like this aspect of the story; while it is often personally difficult to do as He leads, Dekker shines a spotlight on His words.  The meaning stands out in stark relief to how we normally operate in our comfortable, everyday lives.  These provocative messages are guaranteed to make any reader ponder Yeshua’s words long and deep.

My favorite aspect of any Dekker story is the way that he slides a total plot shake-up in just when you least expect it.  He excels at describing the unexpected and giving the story myriads of twists and turns.  I am never able to predict the ending of any of his stories, and lest you think that this series is an exception to that rule, I can assure you that it’s not.  While the story of Yeshua remains Biblically accurate, Dekker throws several curve balls in through Mavia’s actions.  The responses that he imagines the Disciples and Yeshua’s followers might have are heart-wrenching to read, and that only pulls the reader deeper into the story.

I love the story of

Like this:

Reader Interactions

What are your thoughts?

Visit Us On PinterestVisit Us On TwitterVisit Us On Facebook