33 A.D. : A Review

Well, seeing that my review for David McAfee's 33 A.D. hasn't shown up on Amazon yet, I figured I would post it on here.  I think because I said "Jesus" in it a few times, it might've sent some red flags.  Those who are familiar with reviewing on Amazon, your reviews usually show up instantly unless there are some "trigger" words.  That doesn't mean the review won't show up.  It just means that most likely somebody at Amazon has to look through it to make sure there's nothing bad in it.

So, here's my review.  I gave the book 5 stars:

“33 A.D.” by David McAfee is one of the most original and inventive novels I’ve read in a long time.  While I’m not big on vampires, I’ve been known to enjoy the occasional vampire flick.  I was really interested with the premise of “33 A.D.” and when I began reading it, I knew there was no turning back.  Within only a short amount of time, I was already invested with the story and the characters.

The story takes place in Jerusalem.  The vampire race is fearful when they learn that a rabbi by the name of Jesus knows of their existence.  This has come to be because one of their own has betrayed them and told Jesus and possibly even his followers their secrets.  It’s unavoidable.  Jesus will have to be dealt with.  An assassin vampire, Theron, is sent to deal with the problem but when he’s forced to improvise, he comes up with a brilliant scheme on how to turn the people against the rabbi.  If the man is seen as a traitor or a false prophet, he will most definitely be executed.  Theron believes that once the rabbi is dead, the people’s faith in the rabbi will diminish and the vampire race will once again be safe.  After all, how valuable can Jesus be after he’s dead?

After reading only the first few pages, I knew that I was in the hands of a very talented a gifted writer.  McAfee knows his craft well, and while others might be more inclined to have the book be an action-packed bloodbath, McAfee takes a great deal of time and care with the story and his characters.  There are some stunning moments of action, but you’re never overwhelmed by it.  The book is about something a lot more interesting than a simple vampire tale.  It goes to show how easy it is to be deceived and manipulated by anger and fear, as you will learn when you read it.

Writing anything about Jesus these days is always a risk.  Some might be put off by the idea and think it’s already sacrilegious before even reading word one in the book.  I found it to be nothing of the sort.  Jesus is handled with great care and the story is meant to be presented as an alternate history.  One of the most stunning pieces of writing in this book is the scene where Theron talks to Jesus for the first time.  It’s one of the best scenes in fiction I have read in a long time.

“33 A.D.” is a triumph for McAfee.  It’s a great thriller that also takes time to establish its characters.  Even the bad guys don’t come off as flat in this.  Everybody in this book, vampire or not, believes that they are doing what is right.  While it is a very bloody and violent story, the violence is never gratuitous or there only for shock purposes.  Even if you’re not big into vampires, I still say give this wonderful read a chance.  It’s a dark and unforgiving journey that you will never forget.  Conspiracies and vampires, oh my!  Grade A material all the way!

You can purchase your copy of David McAfee's 33 A.D. by clicking here