Ah, yes. Another Bookbub free novel. This one was better than most, in that it seemed to be professionally edited and polished like an actual published work of fiction. It was an odd read, though. The story has a great hook: What if the execution of Jesus was all just a vampire plot to gain control of Israel. Promising, right?It doesn't deliver on that promise. It meanders a bit too much, takes a few too many inexplicable twists, and at one point it lays the Jesus-y bit on so thick that the reader practically chokes on the cloying sincerity of it all. It's less "vampires in ancient Israel" and more "vampires in OH MY GOD JESUS IS REAL AND WILL SAVE YOUR SOUL and also some story." It's not exactly a proselytizing book, that's not the problem. It seems more like the writer spent two-thirds of the book building fairly believable and interesting characters only to find himself totally unable to imagine Jesus as anything other than what he learned in Sunday school. Anyway, not a bad book if you want something free and quick to read, but I wouldn't go out of your way looking for it. Jesus and vampires! When I picked up this book and saw that bit, I knew this would either be the most awesome read ever, or the greatest let down. Happily, it was a fun read, though not the epic awesomeness that I had wanted. The book did drag a bit here and there, but I'm noticing a lot of books do that lately. So, I can't really complain.This is a story told by either the POV of the vampires or the Romans during the last day or two of Christ's life. Jesus actually isn't a main character, and only speaks three times in the book. We have a few threads of plot that weave together at various points. There is Theron, the Lead Enforcer of the vampires who is sent to kill Jesus, but can't get near Him because His faith is so strong it makes Him glow. Then, there is Marcus, the Centurian, who wants revenge for the death of his brother, and believes that it was done by zealots. To him, the only death that will suffice is that of Jesus. And then there is Taras, a soldier special in the Roman army who looks Northern but acts Roman. He is in love with a young Jewish woman named Mary (not one of the many mentioned in the Bible). In his loyalty, he joins the hunt for Jesus and learns that there are more things at work than just the war between the Romans and the zealots.I liked the book a lot. I totally fangirl squeale when Jesus' name was first mentioned. Since the POV is mostly in the minds of Romans or vampires, the Jews aren't thought of kindly. But, that was the political climate of the time. Had POV been in any Jewish head, the thoughts on the Romans would have been unkind. I did feel a little cheated by how little Jesus showed up, and I was hoping he would play a slightly bigger role. However, I so enjoyed the character Taras that I'm thinking of picking up the next book.
What do You think about 33 A.D. (2010)?
An interesting concept, but not very well written. Didn't quite pan out. Nice try, but not stellar.
—amen
Fantastic book! I was hooked!! I cannot wait to start the second book!
—Flo
Not usually my thing but going to give it a chance.
—Nathan
