What would you die for?

That's the question suddenly thrust upon a small band of women and children in Bosnia at the close of World War II. When a group of bitter soldiers stumble upon their peaceful village, they suddenly face an insidious evil . . . and the ultimate test.

It is then, in the midst of chaos and pain that the Martyr's Song is first heard. It is then that the window into heaven first opens. It is then that love and beauty are shown in breathtaking reality.

You have in your hands the story and the song that changed . . . everything.

**

Dekker—author of bestsellers Obsessed, Thr3e and others—turns from suspense to a fable of Christian martyrdom in this novella. When Eve, an Atlanta florist in the 1960s, meets the awkward outcast teenager Marci, Eve promises to "change the way you look with a power beyond your comprehension." Though skeptical, Marci visits Eve, who begins to read from a worn red book. Its story takes them back two decades to a Bosnian village seemingly untouched by WWII. Five soldiers, led by the insane Karadzic, interrupt the birthday party of a 13-year-old girl, Nadia. Karadzic's evil nature quickly becomes evident when he questions Father Michael, the village's Anglican priest, about his politics and his God. Though Father Michael and Nadia become pawns in Karadzic's game of torture and fear, amid their pain they see what awaits them beyond this world. The ending is horrific, but the lesson of hope and love fills the villagers and Marci as she hears the tale years later. Although the story is surprisingly full of joy, Dekker's writing is sometimes overwrought and draining, rarely offering readers a chance to relax and grasp the greater message. The book includes a CD single of "The Martyr's Song" performed by Todd Agnew and discussion questions written by Dekker. (Sept.)
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Ted Dekker is the New York Times best-selling author of more than 25 novels. He is known for stories that combine adrenaline-laced plots with incredible confrontations between good and evil. He lives in Texas with his wife and children. Twitter @TedDekker, facebook.com/#!/teddekker