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The Books of Mortals #1
Forbidden
New York Times bestselling author Ted Dekker teams with Tosca Lee to create this gripping thriller set in a desolate future.
Many years have passed since civilization's brush with apocalypse. The world's greatest threats have all been silenced. There is no anger, no hatred, no war. There is only perfect peace... and fear. But a terrible secret has been closely guarded for Every single soul walking the earth, though in appearance totally normal, is actually dead, long ago genetically stripped of true humanity.
Fleeing pursuit, with only moments to live, a young man named Rom stumbles into possession of a vial of blood and a piece of cryptic writing. When consumed, the blood will bring him back to life. When decoded, the message will lead him on a perilous journey that will require him to abandon everything he has ever known and awaken humanity to the transforming power of true life and love.
But the blood will also resurrect hatred, ambition, and greed.
Set in a terrifying, medieval future, where grim pageantry masks death, this tale of dark desires and staggering stakes peels back the layers of the heart for all who dare to take the ride.
Many years have passed since civilization's brush with apocalypse. The world's greatest threats have all been silenced. There is no anger, no hatred, no war. There is only perfect peace... and fear. But a terrible secret has been closely guarded for Every single soul walking the earth, though in appearance totally normal, is actually dead, long ago genetically stripped of true humanity.
Fleeing pursuit, with only moments to live, a young man named Rom stumbles into possession of a vial of blood and a piece of cryptic writing. When consumed, the blood will bring him back to life. When decoded, the message will lead him on a perilous journey that will require him to abandon everything he has ever known and awaken humanity to the transforming power of true life and love.
But the blood will also resurrect hatred, ambition, and greed.
Set in a terrifying, medieval future, where grim pageantry masks death, this tale of dark desires and staggering stakes peels back the layers of the heart for all who dare to take the ride.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2011
549 people are currently reading
8425 people want to read
About the author
Ted Dekker
201 books9,857 followersTed Dekker is known for novels that combine adrenaline-laced stories with unexpected plot twists, unforgettable characters, and incredible confrontations between good and evil. Ted lives in Austin with his wife LeeAnn and their four children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 913 reviews
October 1, 2011
(originally @ http://literating.wordpress.com/2011/...)
This was, by far, the most frustrating novel I’ve read. It comes out tomorrow, for those interested.
Don’t get me wrong, Dekker put effort into Forbidden. He’d have to with his “New York Times Bestselling Author” blurb on every book. The book had moments of rapture, these moments where I believed these characters existed out there. Chapters clipped along, tiny hybrids of Brown and Grisham, pulling me in. Overall, it’s probably worth your time if you’re a Dekker fan. It’s my first Dekker. There are better ways to spend the hours I devote to reading.
Forbidden erects a post-apocalyptic world plagued by an emotion-killing virus. It’s similar to zombie books, but feels different. For one, there are no zombies – not technically. Yes, the people walk around dead to the world, but it’s because this virus (called “Legion”) stripped everyone of emotion. No one feels anything except for fear and its derivatives like anxiety. Cool set-up, right? King could work wonders in that world.
Our protag, Rom, finds himself assaulted by a raving madman. The lunatic’s out of Order, yelling about some ancient Order of Keepers, and being chased by trusty officers of the law. Violence is prohibited. Knives are no-nos. Guns… do they even exist? I don’t remember any guns…
So when this Keeper gives Rom a small wooden box (the thing he’s been “keeping” all this time) and tells him his father didn’t die in an accident, but was murdered – Rom’s ready to turn the guy into to the “wellness center.” I imagine the wellness center’s something like Soylent Green, but without the eco-friendly reduce, reuse, recycle bit. Too morbid, Lance. Too morbid.
About that time, the trusty officers of the law murder the Keeper right before Rom’s eyes. Witnessing murder and having spoken a promise to the Keeper, Rom goes on a noirish-quest to return the emotions to the world.
Okay, synopsis over. Cool concept, like I said. I think it’s a brilliant idea with wonderful moments. I found myself disgusted at the antagonist Saric and rooting for Rom. I felt sorry for Saric’s past and hated Rom’s propensity for violence. Dekker is a man who understands both the sexual and the rage impulses. Moments of conflict were so… raw that I felt myself yanked into the story, critiquing establishment along with Dekker:
On each of the city’s seven hills, the spires and turrets of centuries old buildings stabbed at the heavens like so many lances piercing a boil.
No, it’s not just because my name’s in that sentence. I like what he’s saying without saying it. That’s good showing. At another point, two characters who know something of emotions outside of fear start talking about what emotion – what life – might be like. The older reveals absurdity in his talk with the younger:
“Here we are, two corpses, talking.”
That’s not prose, that’s poetry. That line, in and of itself, made up for the frustrations in the read. I half-expected to find this hidden in some MeWithoutYou lyrics or inside an Elliot poem. It summed up the novel, and I think let Ted say something to the reader. I loved this moment, and will mull this line over and over until it’s burned into my hippocampus.
There’s another:
“Here are the eyes that have captivated the world.”
Which, in context, works well. This style of talking echos a future-dialect in the world he created. The downside is this play with language left me longing for more idioms that the book lacked elsewhere, especially concerning modern, emotional phrases. I expected an emotional tone similar to 1984 with Forbidden, but got The Notebook and A Game of Thrones instead. Less emotion at the start of the book might have sold me on the world itself. It set me up and let me down. Let me reiterate, though, that these were great moments and I’m happy in their memory.
But a book is more than a compilation of good moments strung into a plot. The plot was good. The set-up was good. Even the pay-off was decent.
The inconsistency, however, wounded me.
A dozen or so times during Forbidden I found myself ready to set it down. It’s not that I was bored. I felt preached at. The place names seemed ripped out of the New Testament rather than born out of the author’s mind. Some of the quotes, supposedly in a post-apocalyptic Europe some five hundred years from now, came straight from Scripture. Examples?
We see now through a cloudy mirror.
…power beyond any earthly throne
peace reigns on earth (and I said aloud good will to men)
I am the artist and you are my perfect clay
Add these to the renaming of Rome into Byzantium, the monotheistic world where everyone believes in God and refers to him as “Maker,” and the unanimous naming of the afterlife as “Hades” – a first-century Greco-Roman concept foreign even to me, a twenty-first century American, let alone imaginary thirty-first century characters – and you’ll see why I felt preached at. I wondered if Forbidden was a scheme for quoting scripture at me. If that’s what he’s doing, that’s not creative writing. That’s stilted theological prose that happens to classify as “fiction.” I’d say the same to someone who studied Nietzsche or Wittegenstein and quoted him verbatim. We’re not in the business of footnotes, people.
What’s worse is when a character curses with “dung hills” in the mist of a rage, only to use the word “damn” two paragraphs later. I don’t care what an author does with their characters but be consistent. Either replace the first with “shit” or the second with “dang,” but as is I don’t accept it. As is, I get distracted with inconsistency and find myself critiquing the author instead of the culture he’s critiquing, wondering if he’s so committed to his audience that he would compromise the integrity of a character. Triphon, as a character, moved all over the place. Nail him down for me so I can enjoy him.
In the end, most of this isn’t directed at Dekker, but the crowd of people behind him. I did enjoy the beginning and end of the book. It’s the middle that made me mad. To the people that aspire to write like him, I’d say this:
You wanna follow Jesus? Great!
You wanna write books? Cool.
Don’t write Christian books.
What I mean is, Christians claim to follow Jesus. If Jesus wrote a novel, he wouldn’t market it to religious people. You wouldn’t find his book in Pharisee bookstores. You’d find it on the desk of the tax collector, by the register at a brothel and in the hands of bartenders. I’m not saying Jesus would write smut or donate money to modern sex slavery. I’m saying he wouldn’t slap the adjective Christian onto his fiction and market it to religious people. I went into Forbidden expecting a novel and felt scammed into a religious… product? Yeah, product. Like the enterprise and religious system itself was more important than the story. That’s not a novel.
That’s a bumper sticker.
Maybe I’ve overstated. I enjoyed moments, but found the book packaged all wrong, forcing me into a love-hate. I’ll give Dekker another chance. Seems like a cool enough guy. Check out Forbidden, if you want, but be warned. It gets preachy.
Words I learned from Ted Dekker:
hippocampus – the elongated ridges on the floor of each lateral ventricle of the brain, thought to be the center of emotion, memory, and the autonomic nervous system.
lathe – a machine for shaping wood, metal, or other material by means of a rotating drive that turns the piece being worked on against changeable cutting tools.
affecting – have an effect on; make a difference to (always get this mixed up with effect)
sconce – candle holder, or a holder of another light source, that is attached to a wall with an ornamental bracket.
prelates – a bishop or ecclesiastical dignitary
galvanizing – shock or excite (someone), typically into taking action (the first time he used this, it was novel. The second time, cliché based on his own usage.)
virulent – of a disease or poison – extremely severe or harmful in its effects
lithe – thin, supple, graceful
thrall – the state of being in someone’s power or having great power over someone
brusquely – abrupt or offhand in manner
rankled – continue to be painful; fester
vitriolic – sulfuric acid
This was, by far, the most frustrating novel I’ve read. It comes out tomorrow, for those interested.
Don’t get me wrong, Dekker put effort into Forbidden. He’d have to with his “New York Times Bestselling Author” blurb on every book. The book had moments of rapture, these moments where I believed these characters existed out there. Chapters clipped along, tiny hybrids of Brown and Grisham, pulling me in. Overall, it’s probably worth your time if you’re a Dekker fan. It’s my first Dekker. There are better ways to spend the hours I devote to reading.
Forbidden erects a post-apocalyptic world plagued by an emotion-killing virus. It’s similar to zombie books, but feels different. For one, there are no zombies – not technically. Yes, the people walk around dead to the world, but it’s because this virus (called “Legion”) stripped everyone of emotion. No one feels anything except for fear and its derivatives like anxiety. Cool set-up, right? King could work wonders in that world.
Our protag, Rom, finds himself assaulted by a raving madman. The lunatic’s out of Order, yelling about some ancient Order of Keepers, and being chased by trusty officers of the law. Violence is prohibited. Knives are no-nos. Guns… do they even exist? I don’t remember any guns…
So when this Keeper gives Rom a small wooden box (the thing he’s been “keeping” all this time) and tells him his father didn’t die in an accident, but was murdered – Rom’s ready to turn the guy into to the “wellness center.” I imagine the wellness center’s something like Soylent Green, but without the eco-friendly reduce, reuse, recycle bit. Too morbid, Lance. Too morbid.
About that time, the trusty officers of the law murder the Keeper right before Rom’s eyes. Witnessing murder and having spoken a promise to the Keeper, Rom goes on a noirish-quest to return the emotions to the world.
Okay, synopsis over. Cool concept, like I said. I think it’s a brilliant idea with wonderful moments. I found myself disgusted at the antagonist Saric and rooting for Rom. I felt sorry for Saric’s past and hated Rom’s propensity for violence. Dekker is a man who understands both the sexual and the rage impulses. Moments of conflict were so… raw that I felt myself yanked into the story, critiquing establishment along with Dekker:
On each of the city’s seven hills, the spires and turrets of centuries old buildings stabbed at the heavens like so many lances piercing a boil.
No, it’s not just because my name’s in that sentence. I like what he’s saying without saying it. That’s good showing. At another point, two characters who know something of emotions outside of fear start talking about what emotion – what life – might be like. The older reveals absurdity in his talk with the younger:
“Here we are, two corpses, talking.”
That’s not prose, that’s poetry. That line, in and of itself, made up for the frustrations in the read. I half-expected to find this hidden in some MeWithoutYou lyrics or inside an Elliot poem. It summed up the novel, and I think let Ted say something to the reader. I loved this moment, and will mull this line over and over until it’s burned into my hippocampus.
There’s another:
“Here are the eyes that have captivated the world.”
Which, in context, works well. This style of talking echos a future-dialect in the world he created. The downside is this play with language left me longing for more idioms that the book lacked elsewhere, especially concerning modern, emotional phrases. I expected an emotional tone similar to 1984 with Forbidden, but got The Notebook and A Game of Thrones instead. Less emotion at the start of the book might have sold me on the world itself. It set me up and let me down. Let me reiterate, though, that these were great moments and I’m happy in their memory.
But a book is more than a compilation of good moments strung into a plot. The plot was good. The set-up was good. Even the pay-off was decent.
The inconsistency, however, wounded me.
A dozen or so times during Forbidden I found myself ready to set it down. It’s not that I was bored. I felt preached at. The place names seemed ripped out of the New Testament rather than born out of the author’s mind. Some of the quotes, supposedly in a post-apocalyptic Europe some five hundred years from now, came straight from Scripture. Examples?
We see now through a cloudy mirror.
…power beyond any earthly throne
peace reigns on earth (and I said aloud good will to men)
I am the artist and you are my perfect clay
Add these to the renaming of Rome into Byzantium, the monotheistic world where everyone believes in God and refers to him as “Maker,” and the unanimous naming of the afterlife as “Hades” – a first-century Greco-Roman concept foreign even to me, a twenty-first century American, let alone imaginary thirty-first century characters – and you’ll see why I felt preached at. I wondered if Forbidden was a scheme for quoting scripture at me. If that’s what he’s doing, that’s not creative writing. That’s stilted theological prose that happens to classify as “fiction.” I’d say the same to someone who studied Nietzsche or Wittegenstein and quoted him verbatim. We’re not in the business of footnotes, people.
What’s worse is when a character curses with “dung hills” in the mist of a rage, only to use the word “damn” two paragraphs later. I don’t care what an author does with their characters but be consistent. Either replace the first with “shit” or the second with “dang,” but as is I don’t accept it. As is, I get distracted with inconsistency and find myself critiquing the author instead of the culture he’s critiquing, wondering if he’s so committed to his audience that he would compromise the integrity of a character. Triphon, as a character, moved all over the place. Nail him down for me so I can enjoy him.
In the end, most of this isn’t directed at Dekker, but the crowd of people behind him. I did enjoy the beginning and end of the book. It’s the middle that made me mad. To the people that aspire to write like him, I’d say this:
You wanna follow Jesus? Great!
You wanna write books? Cool.
Don’t write Christian books.
What I mean is, Christians claim to follow Jesus. If Jesus wrote a novel, he wouldn’t market it to religious people. You wouldn’t find his book in Pharisee bookstores. You’d find it on the desk of the tax collector, by the register at a brothel and in the hands of bartenders. I’m not saying Jesus would write smut or donate money to modern sex slavery. I’m saying he wouldn’t slap the adjective Christian onto his fiction and market it to religious people. I went into Forbidden expecting a novel and felt scammed into a religious… product? Yeah, product. Like the enterprise and religious system itself was more important than the story. That’s not a novel.
That’s a bumper sticker.
Maybe I’ve overstated. I enjoyed moments, but found the book packaged all wrong, forcing me into a love-hate. I’ll give Dekker another chance. Seems like a cool enough guy. Check out Forbidden, if you want, but be warned. It gets preachy.
Words I learned from Ted Dekker:
hippocampus – the elongated ridges on the floor of each lateral ventricle of the brain, thought to be the center of emotion, memory, and the autonomic nervous system.
lathe – a machine for shaping wood, metal, or other material by means of a rotating drive that turns the piece being worked on against changeable cutting tools.
affecting – have an effect on; make a difference to (always get this mixed up with effect)
sconce – candle holder, or a holder of another light source, that is attached to a wall with an ornamental bracket.
prelates – a bishop or ecclesiastical dignitary
galvanizing – shock or excite (someone), typically into taking action (the first time he used this, it was novel. The second time, cliché based on his own usage.)
virulent – of a disease or poison – extremely severe or harmful in its effects
lithe – thin, supple, graceful
thrall – the state of being in someone’s power or having great power over someone
brusquely – abrupt or offhand in manner
rankled – continue to be painful; fester
vitriolic – sulfuric acid
September 23, 2011
4-5/5
I am restraining the urge to go all fangirly, given that is the first book of Dekker’s that I’ve read. But me saying ‘I liked this’ is quite the understatement. I don’t know what I was expecting when I first started it, but not this: Forbidden, with some (not all) of its well drawn characters. Or Forbidden, with its political intrigue. Or Forbidden with its world of fear.
The world. I should not compare this one to Delirium, but it’s what came to mind upon reading the first few pages. The difference is this world came out as more plausible than the latter. In Lena’s world, peace is attained by wiping out love. Here, it is every other emotion that has been repressed, save fear. And it is fear that has led a relatively peaceful world. Don’t get me wrong, I am a big fan of Delirium… it’s just that there were some obvious (read gaping) plot holes in it. Forbidden, just took the same thing (repression of emotion for a kind sameness and fear-filled people guided toward Order,) dealt with it better (I still have questions, but I did buy most of it.)
The characters. The lot of them were so far from perfect that I wanted to drop-kick one, some or all of them at one point or another. But at leastthey some were well drawn. I could understand what motivated them. Note that understanding the why of someone’s actions does not mean I have to like said action. Take Neah, whose familiarity with fear had her acting in a certain way. Or Feyn, Sovereign- to-be, whose acts revealed not just her wisdom, but faith too.
Political intrigue. I would never have considered myself a fan of such a thing, but a lot of things in this one just drew me in. Wanting to know what someone would do, being surprised by another’s actions… I really enjoyed a lot of this. But Forbidden isn’t dry nor that difficult to follow. The ‘baddie’ in this one was motivated and ambitious, contrary to the norm. So he simply stood out. Of course, a lot of the time he felt like the token crazy bad guy, but there were bits when I caught glimpses of conflict in him and it was those moments that creeped me out and had me curious about what he would do next.
Like I said, I’ve never read anything by Dekker before… but Forbidden is epic fantasy meets a utopia/dystopia. It’s an epic fantasy of man/boy on quest with people aiding him along the way. His quest? To find something, (here it’s a someone.) Those who helped him? A warrior, his Heart and Keepers of knowledge. Then stick them in a society that’s not quite complete particularly since people are limited (even if they are unaware of it.)
OK, I can’t help it:
THANKS NET GALLEY!
I am restraining the urge to go all fangirly, given that is the first book of Dekker’s that I’ve read. But me saying ‘I liked this’ is quite the understatement. I don’t know what I was expecting when I first started it, but not this: Forbidden, with some (not all) of its well drawn characters. Or Forbidden, with its political intrigue. Or Forbidden with its world of fear.
The world. I should not compare this one to Delirium, but it’s what came to mind upon reading the first few pages. The difference is this world came out as more plausible than the latter. In Lena’s world, peace is attained by wiping out love. Here, it is every other emotion that has been repressed, save fear. And it is fear that has led a relatively peaceful world. Don’t get me wrong, I am a big fan of Delirium… it’s just that there were some obvious (read gaping) plot holes in it. Forbidden, just took the same thing (repression of emotion for a kind sameness and fear-filled people guided toward Order,) dealt with it better (I still have questions, but I did buy most of it.)
The characters. The lot of them were so far from perfect that I wanted to drop-kick one, some or all of them at one point or another. But at least
Political intrigue. I would never have considered myself a fan of such a thing, but a lot of things in this one just drew me in. Wanting to know what someone would do, being surprised by another’s actions… I really enjoyed a lot of this. But Forbidden isn’t dry nor that difficult to follow. The ‘baddie’ in this one was motivated and ambitious, contrary to the norm. So he simply stood out. Of course, a lot of the time he felt like the token crazy bad guy, but there were bits when I caught glimpses of conflict in him and it was those moments that creeped me out and had me curious about what he would do next.
Like I said, I’ve never read anything by Dekker before… but Forbidden is epic fantasy meets a utopia/dystopia. It’s an epic fantasy of man/boy on quest with people aiding him along the way. His quest? To find something, (here it’s a someone.) Those who helped him? A warrior, his Heart and Keepers of knowledge. Then stick them in a society that’s not quite complete particularly since people are limited (even if they are unaware of it.)
OK, I can’t help it:
THANKS NET GALLEY!
July 3, 2025
I loved this more than I did the first I read it. Definitely for the adult reader. The book explores Christian New Testament allegory is a very original way. It was action packed, intense and grim dark. I loved it-again!
CW/TW: death, grief, blood/gore, physical assault, imprisonment
CW/TW: death, grief, blood/gore, physical assault, imprisonment
November 25, 2011
First posted on my blog, Legacy of a Writer.
Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee make an awesome team! Wow! Forbidden, the first in what I am sure will be an amazing series, had such a unique (and really cool) story plot. A world where no feeling, except fear, exists. It may seem like a really bizarre and far-fetched concept to grasp, but—in true Ted Dekker style—by the end of this book you’ve come to believe in it as firmly as Rom and his friends do. Simply amazing!
Each and every character in this book was amazing. From the main characters, to the secondary characters, to those who you only met once or twice – each was vividly brought to life with amazing talent. There was nothing shallow about Rom, Avra, Triphon, Neah, Feyn, and Saric. As the story progressed, stakes rose higher, and heartache intensified, my heart bled for them. Ted and Tosca did a fabulous job on building a believable world with unforgettable characters.
I would only recommend this book to adult readers. Since the whole world can feel nothing but fear, the characters have never experienced true love. So when they are suddenly able to feel this, they get very passionate. There was only one scene that got extremely heated, but several times throughout the book men ‘desire’ a woman or want to ‘take’ her. One other caution is that Forbidden is very gory. Lots of blood and violence in this book! And a bit of disturbing content that creeped me out a bit.
Forbidden was awesome from start to finish, the whole plot moving along at a fast pace and whipping the reader up into a mind-boggling adventure in a world devoid of feelings. The book ends leaving you wanting more and now I am looking forward to when the second book comes out, Mortal! Jonathan, who I only got to know a little bit in this book, really intrigues me and I’m holding my breath that he will fulfill his destiny and restore humanity. All in all, another great book by Ted and Tosca. Way ta go!!
Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee make an awesome team! Wow! Forbidden, the first in what I am sure will be an amazing series, had such a unique (and really cool) story plot. A world where no feeling, except fear, exists. It may seem like a really bizarre and far-fetched concept to grasp, but—in true Ted Dekker style—by the end of this book you’ve come to believe in it as firmly as Rom and his friends do. Simply amazing!
Each and every character in this book was amazing. From the main characters, to the secondary characters, to those who you only met once or twice – each was vividly brought to life with amazing talent. There was nothing shallow about Rom, Avra, Triphon, Neah, Feyn, and Saric. As the story progressed, stakes rose higher, and heartache intensified, my heart bled for them. Ted and Tosca did a fabulous job on building a believable world with unforgettable characters.
I would only recommend this book to adult readers. Since the whole world can feel nothing but fear, the characters have never experienced true love. So when they are suddenly able to feel this, they get very passionate. There was only one scene that got extremely heated, but several times throughout the book men ‘desire’ a woman or want to ‘take’ her. One other caution is that Forbidden is very gory. Lots of blood and violence in this book! And a bit of disturbing content that creeped me out a bit.
Forbidden was awesome from start to finish, the whole plot moving along at a fast pace and whipping the reader up into a mind-boggling adventure in a world devoid of feelings. The book ends leaving you wanting more and now I am looking forward to when the second book comes out, Mortal! Jonathan, who I only got to know a little bit in this book, really intrigues me and I’m holding my breath that he will fulfill his destiny and restore humanity. All in all, another great book by Ted and Tosca. Way ta go!!
September 4, 2012
"Forbidden", the first in a series by Ted Dekker and Toscas Lee, is the story of a dystopian future where humanity exists without any emotion, save fear. An unlikely band must find a way to defeat the Order and restore mankind.
I'm not certain why but this book did not appeal to me for a variety of reasons. I thought the premise, basic challenges and background were very unique and original. It appeared that the authors provided great effort to making a coherent and compelling background. Several of the pivotal scenes were done well enough.
But possibly I just did not care for the overall style of writing. In my opinion;
- the plot dragged at a glacial pace throughout
- the only changes of setting were "the city"-> the Dungeon -> the Citadel -> back to the Dungeon and so forth. Really very little in the way of any descriptive imagery at all.
- possibly a result of the inherent challenge of writing characters with only fear as an emotion, but 90% of the characters in the work were simply boring.
- the primary character experienced as much melodrama as anything else. Again, might be an intentional result of the world building wherein experiencing emotion of any kind is novel, but way overdone for my taste.
- Throughout the whole book, the dialogue is stilted and artificial. Much of the "action" is monologues, as are key elements of the plot.
- finally, this is going to sound REALLY ODD but I don't think a strong enough case was made to the reader via the thoughts/actions/dialogue of the characters that the world of the Order was any worse than a world with a full-range of emotions available to all.
Ted Dekker has a lot of books published and I intend to read some of his other works, but I think I'll have to pass on this series.
I'm not certain why but this book did not appeal to me for a variety of reasons. I thought the premise, basic challenges and background were very unique and original. It appeared that the authors provided great effort to making a coherent and compelling background. Several of the pivotal scenes were done well enough.
But possibly I just did not care for the overall style of writing. In my opinion;
- the plot dragged at a glacial pace throughout
- the only changes of setting were "the city"-> the Dungeon -> the Citadel -> back to the Dungeon and so forth. Really very little in the way of any descriptive imagery at all.
- possibly a result of the inherent challenge of writing characters with only fear as an emotion, but 90% of the characters in the work were simply boring.
- the primary character experienced as much melodrama as anything else. Again, might be an intentional result of the world building wherein experiencing emotion of any kind is novel, but way overdone for my taste.
- Throughout the whole book, the dialogue is stilted and artificial. Much of the "action" is monologues, as are key elements of the plot.
- finally, this is going to sound REALLY ODD but I don't think a strong enough case was made to the reader via the thoughts/actions/dialogue of the characters that the world of the Order was any worse than a world with a full-range of emotions available to all.
Ted Dekker has a lot of books published and I intend to read some of his other works, but I think I'll have to pass on this series.
July 27, 2022
Well that was a roller coaster!
July 13, 2017
Listened to the audiobook and while the narrator did a good job with the voices and emotions, I think this one may be better suited to an actual reading. My own mind could fill in the anger, love and spite of the characters.
The overall dystopian premise behind the book was interesting. When it began to fall into the realm of mystical occurrences it started to lose me. I'd rather have the story fleshed out with science completely or fully into the realm of the mystical. And I feel this one could have done that.
While the language was tame, some of the adult content regarding sex and violence puts this into the hands of older teens.
The overall dystopian premise behind the book was interesting. When it began to fall into the realm of mystical occurrences it started to lose me. I'd rather have the story fleshed out with science completely or fully into the realm of the mystical. And I feel this one could have done that.
While the language was tame, some of the adult content regarding sex and violence puts this into the hands of older teens.
March 14, 2012
This book is basically a dystopian retelling of the story of Jesus. It's about 500 years in the future, and society has eradicated every emotion except for fear. And everything is going along peacefully, if boringly, until one day when a young man named Rom finds himself in possession of a vial of blood and a sheet of vellum with an odd code on it. When drunk, this blood will return to the drinker the full spectrum of human emotion, thus waking him from the dead life that is humanity's current lot. Thus Rom and his friends start on an adventure to save humanity.
I read this book as Christian literature for a class, so I was on the lookout for religious symbolism and themes. They're definitely not hard to miss in this story what with the blood that you drink and the theme of love and compassion (and the appearance of a wise and compassionate boy who was foretold as the savior of humanity). But really I was pleasantly surprised at the complexity of the authors' engagement with religious themes. So for example, the government is basically a theocracy, similar to what it would look like if the Vatican ruled the world. But the events of the book question this government, even though it's supposedly the Maker's will, and multiple characters struggle with what they should believe in.
So in the end I liked this book more than I thought I would, which is great. It got only three stars, though, because I wasn't the biggest fan of the writing. The characterization was pretty shallow, and the authors really relied on plot and shocking details to move the story forward. Also, I felt that the authors didn't take the living-dead thing far enough. The society before Rom and his friends start on their quest didn't feel dystopian enough. Later in the book, humanity is described as the living-dead, as corpses walking around, and you really don't get that feeling at all from the writing. I mean, the authors say that the characters don't feel anything, but the reader doesn't really feel that...if that makes any sense.
I read this book as Christian literature for a class, so I was on the lookout for religious symbolism and themes. They're definitely not hard to miss in this story what with the blood that you drink and the theme of love and compassion (and the appearance of a wise and compassionate boy who was foretold as the savior of humanity). But really I was pleasantly surprised at the complexity of the authors' engagement with religious themes. So for example, the government is basically a theocracy, similar to what it would look like if the Vatican ruled the world. But the events of the book question this government, even though it's supposedly the Maker's will, and multiple characters struggle with what they should believe in.
So in the end I liked this book more than I thought I would, which is great. It got only three stars, though, because I wasn't the biggest fan of the writing. The characterization was pretty shallow, and the authors really relied on plot and shocking details to move the story forward. Also, I felt that the authors didn't take the living-dead thing far enough. The society before Rom and his friends start on their quest didn't feel dystopian enough. Later in the book, humanity is described as the living-dead, as corpses walking around, and you really don't get that feeling at all from the writing. I mean, the authors say that the characters don't feel anything, but the reader doesn't really feel that...if that makes any sense.
March 31, 2024
A Quickie Review
Ted Dekker is a rarity: a Christian author who has consistently had mainstream success. One look at his writings, and it's not hard to see why: he tells a compelling story, and does it amazingly well. The Books of Mortals series is off to a crackling good start with this premiere novel, which I read for the second time so I could re-familiarize myself with the story arc before I read the last entry in the series. Anyone who enjoyed Mr. Dekker's Circle trilogy should definitely check this out.
Content Concerns: The length alone makes it not for kids, but it's also a bit too edgy for the very young.
Score: 4.75/5
EDIT: See my review of the entire trilogy here: http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2014/0...
Ted Dekker is a rarity: a Christian author who has consistently had mainstream success. One look at his writings, and it's not hard to see why: he tells a compelling story, and does it amazingly well. The Books of Mortals series is off to a crackling good start with this premiere novel, which I read for the second time so I could re-familiarize myself with the story arc before I read the last entry in the series. Anyone who enjoyed Mr. Dekker's Circle trilogy should definitely check this out.
Content Concerns: The length alone makes it not for kids, but it's also a bit too edgy for the very young.
Score: 4.75/5
EDIT: See my review of the entire trilogy here: http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2014/0...
July 31, 2015
Everytime I want to read something different, I pick up a Dekker. And I know that almost nobody likes his work but I'm a huge fan of him. You need to have a very open mind, it has a lot of religious stuff going on but is worth it and I don't mind religion once in a while. Great characters and interesting story.
480 años después de la Era del Caos(guerras entre continentes), el mundo vive muerto, o casi, bajo un tipo de represión sin emociones salvo una, la única capaz de mantener a todos controlados: EL TEMOR.
Una de las cosas que mas me llamo la atención es que mas que un gobierno con tecnología avanzada como en casi todas las distopias es como si el mundo se hubiera atascado en una era, o peor, como si hubiera retrocedido en lugar de avanzar. EL MIEDO LOS TIENE CONTROLADOS, no solo a la gente sino al gobierno también.
En este libro no tenemos a un Gobierno encerrado por años en un Orden sin vida. Y eso me llamo mucho la atención, entre otras cosas como que ya no sean 5 continentes sino 7 y que les cambiaran el nombre, me gusto que la capital del mundo que rige a todo los países sea lo que antes era Roma.
Todo en este libro es genial, esta escrito de una forma única, al mas puro estilo Dekker, donde te cuestiona constantemente una sola cosa: QUE NOS HACE HUMANOS? nuestras acciones, dirigidas por nuestro cuerpo y cerebro, o las emociones que llevamos dentro? De que te sirve una familia, si no vas a amarla? De que te sirve un trabajo, si no vas a hacerlo con pasión?
Los personajes están muy bien estructurados, tanto los buenos, como los malos, las emociones están muy bien descritas, y aunque a mi se me hizo un poco exagerado el amor demasiado profetizado de Rom y Avra, no me cayo tan mal.
Como bien deben saber aquí hay un lado bueno y uno malo, así es siempre con Dekker. Un protagonista bueno y un enemigo despiadado, lo que me gusto es que esta historia no es sobre un gobierno tan represor, si no sobre un mal creado demasiado tiempo atrás que termino consumiendo al propio gobierno.
Si bien este libro tiene un tanto asunto religiosobastante ya saben del tipo un niño que lo ponen como si fuera Jesús, pero no es algo que hable mal de la fe católica o cristiana ni nada, si no que mas bien se nota que Dekker y Lee sacaron su inspiración de ahí. pero Dekker siempre lo hace, eso ya es sabido por sus lectores.
En lo personal me gusto mucho la personalidad de Saric, nuestro villano, me interesaba la forma en la que la avaricia, y los celos lo dominaban, la forma en que los autores lo describen es muy buena.
Siento que ya dije mucho y nada a la vez. Es difícil describir un libro de Dekker. No e salgo que recomiende mucho porque escribe para un publico muy especifico, pero si no les importa lo religioso, les recomiendo mucho al autor, aunque debes estar muy abierto a las enfrentaciones entre el bien y el mal que siempre son el argumento principal en sus obras y a mucha gente eso de un bueno muy bueno y un malo muy malo no les va XD
No importa lo que diga yo, o lo que lean en otras reseñas. NADA DE LO QUE PUEDAN ESTAR ESPERANDO PARA ESTE LIBRO SE ACERCA, NO ES EL TÍPICO LIBRO DISTOPICO. Pero si quieren intentar con algo nuevo...ADELANTE!
480 años después de la Era del Caos(guerras entre continentes), el mundo vive muerto, o casi, bajo un tipo de represión sin emociones salvo una, la única capaz de mantener a todos controlados: EL TEMOR.
Una de las cosas que mas me llamo la atención es que mas que un gobierno con tecnología avanzada como en casi todas las distopias es como si el mundo se hubiera atascado en una era, o peor, como si hubiera retrocedido en lugar de avanzar. EL MIEDO LOS TIENE CONTROLADOS, no solo a la gente sino al gobierno también.
En este libro no tenemos a un Gobierno encerrado por años en un Orden sin vida. Y eso me llamo mucho la atención, entre otras cosas como que ya no sean 5 continentes sino 7 y que les cambiaran el nombre, me gusto que la capital del mundo que rige a todo los países sea lo que antes era Roma.
Todo en este libro es genial, esta escrito de una forma única, al mas puro estilo Dekker, donde te cuestiona constantemente una sola cosa: QUE NOS HACE HUMANOS? nuestras acciones, dirigidas por nuestro cuerpo y cerebro, o las emociones que llevamos dentro? De que te sirve una familia, si no vas a amarla? De que te sirve un trabajo, si no vas a hacerlo con pasión?
Los personajes están muy bien estructurados, tanto los buenos, como los malos, las emociones están muy bien descritas, y aunque a mi se me hizo un poco exagerado el amor demasiado profetizado de Rom y Avra, no me cayo tan mal.
Como bien deben saber aquí hay un lado bueno y uno malo, así es siempre con Dekker. Un protagonista bueno y un enemigo despiadado, lo que me gusto es que esta historia no es sobre un gobierno tan represor, si no sobre un mal creado demasiado tiempo atrás que termino consumiendo al propio gobierno.
Si bien este libro tiene un tanto asunto religioso
En lo personal me gusto mucho la personalidad de Saric, nuestro villano, me interesaba la forma en la que la avaricia, y los celos lo dominaban, la forma en que los autores lo describen es muy buena.
Siento que ya dije mucho y nada a la vez. Es difícil describir un libro de Dekker. No e salgo que recomiende mucho porque escribe para un publico muy especifico, pero si no les importa lo religioso, les recomiendo mucho al autor, aunque debes estar muy abierto a las enfrentaciones entre el bien y el mal que siempre son el argumento principal en sus obras y a mucha gente eso de un bueno muy bueno y un malo muy malo no les va XD
No importa lo que diga yo, o lo que lean en otras reseñas. NADA DE LO QUE PUEDAN ESTAR ESPERANDO PARA ESTE LIBRO SE ACERCA, NO ES EL TÍPICO LIBRO DISTOPICO. Pero si quieren intentar con algo nuevo...ADELANTE!
October 5, 2011
Full post at One More Page
My supply of Christian fiction has sort of run low ever since I started reading more YA books, so new books from my favorite Christian authors are always exciting and squee-worthy. One of the dream team-ups I had ever since last year when the news went out was Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee, and I have waited with anticipation over this book, Forbidden . Imagine my excitement when I saw that the book was available in Netgalley.
In the year 2005, geneticists discovered that there is a certain gene in our DNA that controlled the emotion of fear, further leading to the discovery of other genes that control other kinds of emotions. After a war that devastated the world, humanity vowed to destroy everything that led to that war, particularly the emotions that come with it -- love, joy, passion, anger, hatred, sorrow. Out of all emotions, only fear was allowed to survive. And because of this, peace reigned.
480 years later, we meet Rom Sebastian, a simple, ordinary man who sings songs for the dead. On his way home from a funeral, he meets an old man who tells him of an Order called Keepers and leaves a vial of blood wrapped in a vellum with strange symbols. Citadel Guards caught up with them and to Rom's horror, they killed the man. Soon Rom is on the run from the guards with his childhood friend Avra, confused and scared to why they were running away. When he decides to drink some of the blood in the vial he carried, long-forgotten emotion surface within him together with the fear that he has been so used to feeling: sorrow. Anger. Passion. And most of all, love.
Early into the first pages of Forbidden , I couldn't help but compare this book with Delirium by Lauren Oliver. Both books have the same premise and almost the same environment. But where Delirium lacks, Forbidden totally makes up. The world building in this book is solid, so real, and contains the signature Dekker that I have known and loved. I found that the world building here makes the idea of a world operated by fear because of genetic means more plausible as compared to that where "love is illegal and I'd have to cut a vague area under your ear to get that love out". This book had touches of Dekker's Circle series, with the countries and royalties and guards and the people. The composition of the world contains both ancient and modern elements that somehow mesh together really well -- from advanced alchemy to the hierarchy order of the Brahmin. This somehow gives the readers a clue that while it is set in the future, it doesn't mean that it is actually advanced. Maybe the truth is, the world is going backwards because of the fear that the people were kept in.
Add to the world building, we have the fleshed out characters, which I think is Tosca Lee's expertise. I liked how different and conflicted the characters were -- Rom with his good heart, Avra's loyalty, Neah's hesitation, Triphon's bravery. Feyn's wisdom, Sarric's greed, Jonathan's innocence. These all seem like typical character traits, and I have to admit that some of the characters' actions were predictable, but I think they were able to give life to them. People may be a bit turned off with the jubilant exaltation of emotions that some characters did in the book, but I thought it was forgivable as they've never experienced emotion like that before. Taking the reactions of the characters in this context, it wouldn't seem exaggerated but just right. These characters were also involved in the right amount of action that it made me cringe and be surprised a couple of times. There was a particular part in the book that got me shaking my fist, but knowing I was in the hands of good writers, I know well enough to trust them.
Forbidden is very, very good. So what's keeping me from giving it five stars? Well, it may be just me, but I cannot shake off the similarity of this with the Circle series. Also, this book feels just a tad like a prequel rather than the real first book. While there is action, I felt the climax and the ending was just a little anticlimactic. Perhaps I was expecting more...erm, bloodshed there? Not that there wasn't enough bloodshed earlier, but I just thought there would be more there. However, that may be just because Dekker and Lee are preparing us for the next book in the trilogy. And the ending really did leave a lot of loose ends that I'm sure will be picked up and played with in the next book.
I will finish this review with a quote from the book that pretty much sums up the message of this book:
Forbidden by Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee is now out in paperback and hardbound in all stores. In the Philippines, I saw some trade paperback copies of it in Fully Booked. Must. Get. Finished. Copy!
My supply of Christian fiction has sort of run low ever since I started reading more YA books, so new books from my favorite Christian authors are always exciting and squee-worthy. One of the dream team-ups I had ever since last year when the news went out was Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee, and I have waited with anticipation over this book, Forbidden . Imagine my excitement when I saw that the book was available in Netgalley.
In the year 2005, geneticists discovered that there is a certain gene in our DNA that controlled the emotion of fear, further leading to the discovery of other genes that control other kinds of emotions. After a war that devastated the world, humanity vowed to destroy everything that led to that war, particularly the emotions that come with it -- love, joy, passion, anger, hatred, sorrow. Out of all emotions, only fear was allowed to survive. And because of this, peace reigned.
480 years later, we meet Rom Sebastian, a simple, ordinary man who sings songs for the dead. On his way home from a funeral, he meets an old man who tells him of an Order called Keepers and leaves a vial of blood wrapped in a vellum with strange symbols. Citadel Guards caught up with them and to Rom's horror, they killed the man. Soon Rom is on the run from the guards with his childhood friend Avra, confused and scared to why they were running away. When he decides to drink some of the blood in the vial he carried, long-forgotten emotion surface within him together with the fear that he has been so used to feeling: sorrow. Anger. Passion. And most of all, love.
Early into the first pages of Forbidden , I couldn't help but compare this book with Delirium by Lauren Oliver. Both books have the same premise and almost the same environment. But where Delirium lacks, Forbidden totally makes up. The world building in this book is solid, so real, and contains the signature Dekker that I have known and loved. I found that the world building here makes the idea of a world operated by fear because of genetic means more plausible as compared to that where "love is illegal and I'd have to cut a vague area under your ear to get that love out". This book had touches of Dekker's Circle series, with the countries and royalties and guards and the people. The composition of the world contains both ancient and modern elements that somehow mesh together really well -- from advanced alchemy to the hierarchy order of the Brahmin. This somehow gives the readers a clue that while it is set in the future, it doesn't mean that it is actually advanced. Maybe the truth is, the world is going backwards because of the fear that the people were kept in.
Add to the world building, we have the fleshed out characters, which I think is Tosca Lee's expertise. I liked how different and conflicted the characters were -- Rom with his good heart, Avra's loyalty, Neah's hesitation, Triphon's bravery. Feyn's wisdom, Sarric's greed, Jonathan's innocence. These all seem like typical character traits, and I have to admit that some of the characters' actions were predictable, but I think they were able to give life to them. People may be a bit turned off with the jubilant exaltation of emotions that some characters did in the book, but I thought it was forgivable as they've never experienced emotion like that before. Taking the reactions of the characters in this context, it wouldn't seem exaggerated but just right. These characters were also involved in the right amount of action that it made me cringe and be surprised a couple of times. There was a particular part in the book that got me shaking my fist, but knowing I was in the hands of good writers, I know well enough to trust them.
Forbidden is very, very good. So what's keeping me from giving it five stars? Well, it may be just me, but I cannot shake off the similarity of this with the Circle series. Also, this book feels just a tad like a prequel rather than the real first book. While there is action, I felt the climax and the ending was just a little anticlimactic. Perhaps I was expecting more...erm, bloodshed there? Not that there wasn't enough bloodshed earlier, but I just thought there would be more there. However, that may be just because Dekker and Lee are preparing us for the next book in the trilogy. And the ending really did leave a lot of loose ends that I'm sure will be picked up and played with in the next book.
I will finish this review with a quote from the book that pretty much sums up the message of this book:
This is the mystery of it. Life is lived on the ragged edge of the cliff. Fall off and you might die, but run from it and you are already dead!
Forbidden by Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee is now out in paperback and hardbound in all stores. In the Philippines, I saw some trade paperback copies of it in Fully Booked. Must. Get. Finished. Copy!
August 23, 2011
There are just certain things that apart, truly are great all by themselves, but if you were to combine these two things, you get an end result that is quite remarkable. For example- love peanut butter, love chocolate, together they are amazing. Then there’s Batman and Robin- both very cool crime-fighters in their own right, but put them together and you have the Dynamic Duo. This is of course what you get when you combine fast paced, adrenaline producing, NY times bestselling author Ted Dekker ( Batman- hah!) and the breathtakingly passionate and fearless writing of Tosca Lee and put them together. The term “Dynamic duo”, doesn’t really do them justice with their combined offering of “Forbidden”.
Forbidden gives us a futuristic dystopian society where geneticists or “alchemists” in the book have figured out a way to eliminate all emotions in the human race, with the exception of fear, deemed a necessary emotion for survival of the race. Imagine a society where your only emotion permitted you, is fear, sounds a little dreary, huh? This is how we find our main character “Rom” as the novel opens. But very quickly he finds himself in a situation that puts him in trouble with the authorities. He is chosen to carry something of extreme value by an underground group called “the keepers” which are being hunted down and eliminated to get the very thing that is now in Rom’s possession- and what is it? Why it’s the key to “life” of course, or at least life as it used to be and was created to be. Rom now finds himself discovering what it means to be truly alive and realizing that he has a responsibility to wake up the world around him to real life. That is rather a daunting challenge and you will meet the different characters along the way that help him in that challenge.
I honestly didn’t want to go into too much detail in this review as I really don’t want to rob the reader of the pleasure of discovering this amazing story as it unfolds before you. Yes, I would agree that Forbidden has the feel of the “Circle series” of Dekker fame, and the lovely prose of Tosca Lee is certainly apparent on the pages. I found it to be truly a fascinating read and loved the storyline and characters because it was passionate, fast- paced, and a story that completely draws you in. I will say that it’s not for the faint of heart, some of the scenes are quite graphic with regards to the violence. At one point I was thinking, “EW, why did they choose to do that?” But even with that said, I feel that with these authors, I really trust them, and think it was necessary to show the depth of the struggle. There is some definite heartbreak in this novel as well, but the allegories are rich for sure and a novel well worth reading. All I can say is bring on “Mortals”, the next offering in this series, I will be waiting with baited breath. (5 stars)
I graciously received a free digital copy of this book from the publisher Center Street through the Netgalley program in exchange for an honest review. I was not obligated to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Forbidden gives us a futuristic dystopian society where geneticists or “alchemists” in the book have figured out a way to eliminate all emotions in the human race, with the exception of fear, deemed a necessary emotion for survival of the race. Imagine a society where your only emotion permitted you, is fear, sounds a little dreary, huh? This is how we find our main character “Rom” as the novel opens. But very quickly he finds himself in a situation that puts him in trouble with the authorities. He is chosen to carry something of extreme value by an underground group called “the keepers” which are being hunted down and eliminated to get the very thing that is now in Rom’s possession- and what is it? Why it’s the key to “life” of course, or at least life as it used to be and was created to be. Rom now finds himself discovering what it means to be truly alive and realizing that he has a responsibility to wake up the world around him to real life. That is rather a daunting challenge and you will meet the different characters along the way that help him in that challenge.
I honestly didn’t want to go into too much detail in this review as I really don’t want to rob the reader of the pleasure of discovering this amazing story as it unfolds before you. Yes, I would agree that Forbidden has the feel of the “Circle series” of Dekker fame, and the lovely prose of Tosca Lee is certainly apparent on the pages. I found it to be truly a fascinating read and loved the storyline and characters because it was passionate, fast- paced, and a story that completely draws you in. I will say that it’s not for the faint of heart, some of the scenes are quite graphic with regards to the violence. At one point I was thinking, “EW, why did they choose to do that?” But even with that said, I feel that with these authors, I really trust them, and think it was necessary to show the depth of the struggle. There is some definite heartbreak in this novel as well, but the allegories are rich for sure and a novel well worth reading. All I can say is bring on “Mortals”, the next offering in this series, I will be waiting with baited breath. (5 stars)
I graciously received a free digital copy of this book from the publisher Center Street through the Netgalley program in exchange for an honest review. I was not obligated to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.
September 14, 2011
FORBIDDEN (The Book of Morals, #1) is the collaboration of authors Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee. It is no secret that I am a huge Dekker fan, so when presented with the opportunity to review this book, there was no hesitation on my part to accept. There was just something about the entire premise of this new series that just screamed EPIC.
FORBIDDEN is so reminiscent of Dekker's Circle series that I was immediately emotionally invested.It has Dekker's mastered thriller feel and slightly graphic content (violence), which I felt added to the story, along with his classic redemptive process for the characters. Unfortunately I haven't read anything by Lee, so I can't speak about her contribution to this book. I can say that this story was a seamless masterpiece. I loved this book.
Life gives us many choices. In this story, there are lovers, those filled with rage, those filled with fear. Every day we must choose how we will live, what we will allow ourselves to be consumed by. Something that was made clear in this story is that you cannot force a thing (idea, belief, etc) onto another person. The effects are not the same as it would be to a willing participant. It usually only leads to unhappiness, suffering, and confusion. Emotions are powerful things. They can make people love with abandon, hate with ferocity and makes us betray all we know. The characters of this tale experienced all of those things. It was beautiful at times, and terrifying at others. There were moments of extreme danger, and utterly heart wrenching circumstances from which I didn't know if a character would survive, and then moments of complete tenderness that made me choke up.
“Three thrillers. Two authors. One last chance for humanity. The Books of Mortals are three novels, each of which stand on their own, yet all seamlessly woven into one epic thriller. The journey begins September 2011 with FORBIDDEN. Mortal will be published in September 2012. Sovereign will be published in September 2013.” -from the ARC back cover
I couldn't have said it any better. This book is phenomenal. It weighed on my mind and heart for days after finishing. I am very much looking forward to the rest of this story. Will the cast of FORBIDDEN succeed in their fight to restore life to the world? That is one huge question that I am dying to have answered.
FORBIDDEN is so reminiscent of Dekker's Circle series that I was immediately emotionally invested.It has Dekker's mastered thriller feel and slightly graphic content (violence), which I felt added to the story, along with his classic redemptive process for the characters. Unfortunately I haven't read anything by Lee, so I can't speak about her contribution to this book. I can say that this story was a seamless masterpiece. I loved this book.
Life gives us many choices. In this story, there are lovers, those filled with rage, those filled with fear. Every day we must choose how we will live, what we will allow ourselves to be consumed by. Something that was made clear in this story is that you cannot force a thing (idea, belief, etc) onto another person. The effects are not the same as it would be to a willing participant. It usually only leads to unhappiness, suffering, and confusion. Emotions are powerful things. They can make people love with abandon, hate with ferocity and makes us betray all we know. The characters of this tale experienced all of those things. It was beautiful at times, and terrifying at others. There were moments of extreme danger, and utterly heart wrenching circumstances from which I didn't know if a character would survive, and then moments of complete tenderness that made me choke up.
“Three thrillers. Two authors. One last chance for humanity. The Books of Mortals are three novels, each of which stand on their own, yet all seamlessly woven into one epic thriller. The journey begins September 2011 with FORBIDDEN. Mortal will be published in September 2012. Sovereign will be published in September 2013.” -from the ARC back cover
I couldn't have said it any better. This book is phenomenal. It weighed on my mind and heart for days after finishing. I am very much looking forward to the rest of this story. Will the cast of FORBIDDEN succeed in their fight to restore life to the world? That is one huge question that I am dying to have answered.
January 2, 2015
I've had Forbidden in my TBR pile for about two years (I know, I'm about to reach book-hoarder status), and I never put it off for any particular reason. In fact, Tosca Lee is one of my favorite authors, and I'll recommend her to most everyone. I've only read one other Ted Dekker novel, and while I can see his widespread appeal, I wasn't amazed by it. It was a good, solid read.
To be honest, I'm a bit conflicted when it comes to this review. There were some parts I really loved, and I was moved...then, there were other parts that the writing felt a bit off. It was really obvious that two different styles of writing were coming together. Tosca Lee is very lyrical, almost poetic, in her writing style. And though I've only read one by Dekker, his writing seems to be more to the point and fast-paced.
I loved the premise of the story and the overarching idea behind it. The plot is fast-paced and held my attention. The stakes are definitely high, and you could feel that as the story played out.
At times the styles worked well together, but for me, there were times that they didn't. I don't mind a bit of darkness, a bit of ominousness and even violence, as long as it isn't gratuitous, and as long as it has a point in the plot. But some of the descriptions of death here were just unnecessary. They weren't even necessarily overly graphic, but they just felt pointless. Given the character, and the bloody nature of their death, I didn't need extra details about the body after death to make me more sad about it or understand the other characters' grief.
I'm not sure what it was that didn't always work for me, except that the phrase "trying too hard" keeps coming to mind. Sometimes the writing just felt a bit forced and the flow of the story felt a bit clunky.
I did like the book, and I don't like sounding harsh in my reviews. I think I was expecting to love it, but ultimately just felt a bit detached from the story. Like I said, the stakes were there, I just couldn't work up a lot of feeling about them. I tried though, I really did!
I would like to read the second and third books at some point, but didn't end this one feeling a desperate need to seek them out immediately.
To be honest, I'm a bit conflicted when it comes to this review. There were some parts I really loved, and I was moved...then, there were other parts that the writing felt a bit off. It was really obvious that two different styles of writing were coming together. Tosca Lee is very lyrical, almost poetic, in her writing style. And though I've only read one by Dekker, his writing seems to be more to the point and fast-paced.
I loved the premise of the story and the overarching idea behind it. The plot is fast-paced and held my attention. The stakes are definitely high, and you could feel that as the story played out.
At times the styles worked well together, but for me, there were times that they didn't. I don't mind a bit of darkness, a bit of ominousness and even violence, as long as it isn't gratuitous, and as long as it has a point in the plot. But some of the descriptions of death here were just unnecessary. They weren't even necessarily overly graphic, but they just felt pointless. Given the character, and the bloody nature of their death, I didn't need extra details about the body after death to make me more sad about it or understand the other characters' grief.
I'm not sure what it was that didn't always work for me, except that the phrase "trying too hard" keeps coming to mind. Sometimes the writing just felt a bit forced and the flow of the story felt a bit clunky.
I did like the book, and I don't like sounding harsh in my reviews. I think I was expecting to love it, but ultimately just felt a bit detached from the story. Like I said, the stakes were there, I just couldn't work up a lot of feeling about them. I tried though, I really did!
I would like to read the second and third books at some point, but didn't end this one feeling a desperate need to seek them out immediately.
September 28, 2012
I loved Dekker's early works, but his latest books haven't appealed to me...until now.
The world is populated by the living dead; they just don't know that they have died.
Stripped by a virus of all emotion except fear, humanity as we know it has ceased to exist. War and the pain of loss are unheard of on the earth. But so are love, hope and joy. But not all have forgotten what it means to be alive. A secret society of keepers guard a vial of blood that has the ability to temporarily re-awaken emotion, while they wait for the prophesied one whose blood has the power to return life to the world.
Dekker and Lee write powerfully moving and fast paced fantasy narrative. The telling is filled with raw emotion and it does contain violence, but the contents are well in keeping with the story and the reality of a war against evil. As in Christianity itself, there is a centrality to the theme of blood within the narrative. (Parents might consider pre-reading to prepare to discuss these elements of the book with your teens or pre-teens).
Yes, as some reviewers have mentioned, there are details that don't exactly click together all neat and tidy, but I believe that the idea of the book is not to get you to analyze the storyline, but to stretch your imagination and provoke questions. The character's do take awhile to develop (or come to life - literally), but I'm OK with that. How impossible is it to try to make a character "dead," bereft of all emotion except fear, and at the same time get the reader to connect with them?
If you have read Dekker's non-fiction work, The Slumber of Christianity, you will see some parallels to his exposition on imagination, emotion, faith and the power of hope. I found the themes of Forbidden richer for having explored these concepts in his non-fiction work.
I think Lee and Dekker have given us an excellent story in Forbidden and I look forward to reading more in this series.
(I recommend you read the free teaser e-book, The Keeper, before you read Forbidden. It sets the stage for the series, opening the story in the days when world first died.)
The world is populated by the living dead; they just don't know that they have died.
Stripped by a virus of all emotion except fear, humanity as we know it has ceased to exist. War and the pain of loss are unheard of on the earth. But so are love, hope and joy. But not all have forgotten what it means to be alive. A secret society of keepers guard a vial of blood that has the ability to temporarily re-awaken emotion, while they wait for the prophesied one whose blood has the power to return life to the world.
Dekker and Lee write powerfully moving and fast paced fantasy narrative. The telling is filled with raw emotion and it does contain violence, but the contents are well in keeping with the story and the reality of a war against evil. As in Christianity itself, there is a centrality to the theme of blood within the narrative. (Parents might consider pre-reading to prepare to discuss these elements of the book with your teens or pre-teens).
Yes, as some reviewers have mentioned, there are details that don't exactly click together all neat and tidy, but I believe that the idea of the book is not to get you to analyze the storyline, but to stretch your imagination and provoke questions. The character's do take awhile to develop (or come to life - literally), but I'm OK with that. How impossible is it to try to make a character "dead," bereft of all emotion except fear, and at the same time get the reader to connect with them?
If you have read Dekker's non-fiction work, The Slumber of Christianity, you will see some parallels to his exposition on imagination, emotion, faith and the power of hope. I found the themes of Forbidden richer for having explored these concepts in his non-fiction work.
I think Lee and Dekker have given us an excellent story in Forbidden and I look forward to reading more in this series.
(I recommend you read the free teaser e-book, The Keeper, before you read Forbidden. It sets the stage for the series, opening the story in the days when world first died.)
July 25, 2017
Book Club, July 2017
Listened on audiobook via Hoopla
This was one of those books that captured my attention with a cool premise, but then disappointed me in the execution of the story. I understand what the author was trying to do considering the premise. Humanity has lost the ability to feel any emotion besides fear. Obviously the story will require emotive language. However, sensationalism doesn't make up for weak writing. The story was rife with clichés, heavy-handed symbolism, mixed metaphors, and unnecessary gore. I understand that gore is to be expected in horror/thrillers, but it should support the story. Gore for the sake of gore is just offputting. It may seem from this review that the book grossed me out. It didn't really. I like thrillers, but this one just didn't rise above mediocre for me.
I think this book tried too hard to fit into the Christian Fiction category. The biblical references seemed forced and the messianic symbolism inconsistent. Symbolism should enhance a story, but this story suffered from what felt like forced symbolism to please a publisher. Don't preach at me; tell me a story. Subtlety is far better as a literary device, especially for building intrigue and keeping a reader's attention.
I really wanted to like this book. I have read a few of Ted Dekker's other books, and enjoyed them. I know people who are huge fans of his and constantly recommend him. I get the appeal, but Dekker just doesn't do it for me. Despite all that, the story was interesting enough to hold my curiosity to the end, but perhaps not enough to finish the series.
P.S. I was impressed with the audiobook narrator and must admit that my attention was kept primarily because of his good performance of the story. I will definitely look for more books performed by Henry Leyva.
Listened on audiobook via Hoopla
This was one of those books that captured my attention with a cool premise, but then disappointed me in the execution of the story. I understand what the author was trying to do considering the premise. Humanity has lost the ability to feel any emotion besides fear. Obviously the story will require emotive language. However, sensationalism doesn't make up for weak writing. The story was rife with clichés, heavy-handed symbolism, mixed metaphors, and unnecessary gore. I understand that gore is to be expected in horror/thrillers, but it should support the story. Gore for the sake of gore is just offputting. It may seem from this review that the book grossed me out. It didn't really. I like thrillers, but this one just didn't rise above mediocre for me.
I think this book tried too hard to fit into the Christian Fiction category. The biblical references seemed forced and the messianic symbolism inconsistent. Symbolism should enhance a story, but this story suffered from what felt like forced symbolism to please a publisher. Don't preach at me; tell me a story. Subtlety is far better as a literary device, especially for building intrigue and keeping a reader's attention.
I really wanted to like this book. I have read a few of Ted Dekker's other books, and enjoyed them. I know people who are huge fans of his and constantly recommend him. I get the appeal, but Dekker just doesn't do it for me. Despite all that, the story was interesting enough to hold my curiosity to the end, but perhaps not enough to finish the series.
P.S. I was impressed with the audiobook narrator and must admit that my attention was kept primarily because of his good performance of the story. I will definitely look for more books performed by Henry Leyva.
December 10, 2011
This synopsis of this book sounds like this is an amazing book. It really does. However, it just didn't blow me away.
I found the concept interesting. This is something that hasn't been done before, and it's execution for the reasoning behind how the human body lost all emotions except Fear was good. However, the execution of the entire book just wasn't that great.
I felt that there were a lot of internal dialogues that were full of questions. Instead of full thoughts we're met with question after question. Sometimes these questions span several paragraphs and even continue onto the next page. It was boring and sometimes hard to read.
I feel that the first two chapters were great; they pulled you in and really made you want to read more, but after the opening, the books becomes drab, hard to read and full of thoughts that are disjointed or are full of telling more than showing. Also, some parts of the story were not surprising. They were predictable. I saw things coming before they happened which didn't make for a great story either.
Also, the characters were really one dimensional. Sure, you could argue that the characters were the way they were because they lacked emotions, but really, they were not deep reaching people. Saric had only one intention. He behaved only one way. Avra, Rom's friend and love interest behaved one way. I could go on but I will save that for you to determine on your own. The way the characters were written just did not pull me in or make me like them in any way.
I found the concept interesting. This is something that hasn't been done before, and it's execution for the reasoning behind how the human body lost all emotions except Fear was good. However, the execution of the entire book just wasn't that great.
I felt that there were a lot of internal dialogues that were full of questions. Instead of full thoughts we're met with question after question. Sometimes these questions span several paragraphs and even continue onto the next page. It was boring and sometimes hard to read.
I feel that the first two chapters were great; they pulled you in and really made you want to read more, but after the opening, the books becomes drab, hard to read and full of thoughts that are disjointed or are full of telling more than showing. Also, some parts of the story were not surprising. They were predictable. I saw things coming before they happened which didn't make for a great story either.
Also, the characters were really one dimensional. Sure, you could argue that the characters were the way they were because they lacked emotions, but really, they were not deep reaching people. Saric had only one intention. He behaved only one way. Avra, Rom's friend and love interest behaved one way. I could go on but I will save that for you to determine on your own. The way the characters were written just did not pull me in or make me like them in any way.
August 1, 2016
2.5
Yasaklı, mantık hataları ve amaan işi zorlaştırmaya ne gerek var tarzında yazılmış basitliği dışında genel olarak güzel bir kitaptı, kolay okunan bir tarzı var ve sayfalar hızlıca aktı gitti. Ancak okuyup bitirdikten sonra tatmin olmadığınızı hissediyorsunuz, her şey fazla basitti çünkü, yazarların daha fazla emek harcamasını dilerdim, kitap ne yazık ki hayal kırıklığı oldu benim için. İyi ki serinin diğer kitaplarını almamışım diyorum, şuan hiç okuyasım yok, fazla basit geldi çünkü. Seriyi ne öneririm ne de önermem. Beklentiniz olmazsa ve öylesine okuyayım derseniz tercih edebileceğiniz bir kitap.
Ayrıntılı yorum için; http://yorumatolyesi.blogspot.com/201...
Yasaklı, mantık hataları ve amaan işi zorlaştırmaya ne gerek var tarzında yazılmış basitliği dışında genel olarak güzel bir kitaptı, kolay okunan bir tarzı var ve sayfalar hızlıca aktı gitti. Ancak okuyup bitirdikten sonra tatmin olmadığınızı hissediyorsunuz, her şey fazla basitti çünkü, yazarların daha fazla emek harcamasını dilerdim, kitap ne yazık ki hayal kırıklığı oldu benim için. İyi ki serinin diğer kitaplarını almamışım diyorum, şuan hiç okuyasım yok, fazla basit geldi çünkü. Seriyi ne öneririm ne de önermem. Beklentiniz olmazsa ve öylesine okuyayım derseniz tercih edebileceğiniz bir kitap.
Ayrıntılı yorum için; http://yorumatolyesi.blogspot.com/201...
September 12, 2011
It pains me to say that this novel wasn’t my forte. This is my first Dekker novel, and while I’ve heard many glorious things about his writing, this particular story just didn’t reach out and grab me. Although the underlying concept of the novel is quite superb, I never personally connected with the characters, which is a must for me. I understood the character’s plights, and I disliked the bad guys and cheered on the good guys, but that was the extent of my connection with them. Now, I was quite upset...
To read my full review (9/13): http://wp.me/p1jhaj-1bW
To read my full review (9/13): http://wp.me/p1jhaj-1bW
October 9, 2018
Liked the concept, hated the fact that I got to the end only to discover it's book 1.
And the library doesn't have book 2 or 3. LOL
So... I might just end this read here for now.
And the library doesn't have book 2 or 3. LOL
So... I might just end this read here for now.
June 5, 2021
Okay. I see the allegory here. I really do. But the plot is so convoluted and so many extremely random things happen. The characters are really dry, and the plot sequence is super mixed up. There were several points where I wouldn't be checked in for several pages, but when I started paying attention again, I didn't have to go back and reread. Aaaahhhh.
April 15, 2022
I got to about 70 pages in this book before I decided to stop reading it. There was too much gore and sexual content for my liking, and while I understand the need to show how evil the villain is, I personally believe there are other ways to pull it off. This was my first Ted Dekker book, so I'm willing to give him another try in another book, I just wasn't thrilled with the kind of content that was in this one. 😛
August 26, 2016
I did enjoy this book, don't get me wrong. But I had a few problems with it and I was in a major reading slump. But let's move on.
Humanity has been stripped of it's emotions, all except for one: fear. The world is at peace, but is it really peace when humans no longer have what makes them human? But it is all about to change. Rom is given vial of blood that, once consumed, has the power to give the person back all the original emotions people use to have. The message that came with the vial will lead him and others on a quest to bring true life back to all of humanity. But can so few accomplish so much? Rom is suddenly thrust in a world he never knew of. One of love and hope, but also hatred and sadness.Read more...
I have to say that the characters felt a little flat to me. I didn't connect to them as well. I think Saric (one of the "bad guys") was the most interesting. Rom, is the average kind of young man in that world. He isn't poor, but he isn't rich. He only knows fear. It is interesting to see how he reacts to having other emotions. He is brave, risking himself before others. He is reckless sometimes, but smart. And he really worries about those he loves, at least, when he got the emotions to do that. Avra, is...small. She is that person that is usually timid and quiet, but love motivates her to do brave and dangerous things. Triphon is the soldier. He's energetic and bold. He ready to do anything, well, he thinks he is. Neah is a rule follower, she's scared more than anyone else. She is such a rule follower that she makes some very bad decisions. And it "kills" her. Feya is strong. She follows the truth with a dedication that is unreal. Her life is changed and she is probably braver than anyone else in this book.
So I definitely can't say that this plot was boring. It was very fast paced and exciting. But there were a few things in the plot that had me a bit frustrated. The beginning was a little cliche to me. Also, Rom made a few decisions at the beginning that got the story moving. It was the right decisions, but there was no reason or point to back up the decisions. It seemed quite random and accidental. To me, it made the character seem very foolish. After that, the story moved pretty smoothly. There were a few times that characters got out of dangerous situations too easily, but otherwise it was swell.
There was a lot of violence, and it was very bloody in some cases. Just a caution for younger people. Saric, spent time with consorts and treated them terribly. It was mentioned, but never described or shown.
In the end, I'll continue this series. I wasn't too into it, but I'll blame some of that on being in a reading slump. And for its faults, it still was a good book. I'd recommend this to older teens for some of the content, but it wasn't that bad at all.
You can check out this review on my blog too, at: https://aheartredeemed.wordpress.com/... Thanks!
Humanity has been stripped of it's emotions, all except for one: fear. The world is at peace, but is it really peace when humans no longer have what makes them human? But it is all about to change. Rom is given vial of blood that, once consumed, has the power to give the person back all the original emotions people use to have. The message that came with the vial will lead him and others on a quest to bring true life back to all of humanity. But can so few accomplish so much? Rom is suddenly thrust in a world he never knew of. One of love and hope, but also hatred and sadness.Read more...
I have to say that the characters felt a little flat to me. I didn't connect to them as well. I think Saric (one of the "bad guys") was the most interesting. Rom, is the average kind of young man in that world. He isn't poor, but he isn't rich. He only knows fear. It is interesting to see how he reacts to having other emotions. He is brave, risking himself before others. He is reckless sometimes, but smart. And he really worries about those he loves, at least, when he got the emotions to do that. Avra, is...small. She is that person that is usually timid and quiet, but love motivates her to do brave and dangerous things. Triphon is the soldier. He's energetic and bold. He ready to do anything, well, he thinks he is. Neah is a rule follower, she's scared more than anyone else. She is such a rule follower that she makes some very bad decisions. And it "kills" her. Feya is strong. She follows the truth with a dedication that is unreal. Her life is changed and she is probably braver than anyone else in this book.
So I definitely can't say that this plot was boring. It was very fast paced and exciting. But there were a few things in the plot that had me a bit frustrated. The beginning was a little cliche to me. Also, Rom made a few decisions at the beginning that got the story moving. It was the right decisions, but there was no reason or point to back up the decisions. It seemed quite random and accidental. To me, it made the character seem very foolish. After that, the story moved pretty smoothly. There were a few times that characters got out of dangerous situations too easily, but otherwise it was swell.
There was a lot of violence, and it was very bloody in some cases. Just a caution for younger people. Saric, spent time with consorts and treated them terribly. It was mentioned, but never described or shown.
In the end, I'll continue this series. I wasn't too into it, but I'll blame some of that on being in a reading slump. And for its faults, it still was a good book. I'd recommend this to older teens for some of the content, but it wasn't that bad at all.
You can check out this review on my blog too, at: https://aheartredeemed.wordpress.com/... Thanks!
April 14, 2014
Empezó bien y entonces...
Pues a ver, la historia va sobre una sociedad utópica que a mi parecer funcionaba excelente, donde la gente estaba privada de las pasiones. Pero entonces hubo algún señor alquimista inconformeDarth Sidious, que convirtió al lado oscuro a Scar Saric, el hermano de la futura gobernante. Y entonces éste empieza la búsqueda de una sangre que es capaz de regresar a la gente al Caos. Entonces acá entra Rom Sebastian que por cosas del destino se encuentra con este antídoto y pues... se hace un GRAN desmadre.
Ya ven que yo acá me encontré con varios parecidos a otras historias. Pero ésta tiene sobretodo muchas referencias religiosas. Que según me informé, es parte del estilo de Ted Dekker.
Personajes
Con base a lo anterior en la zona de roles, tenemos aMaría y José Rom y Avra que en esta primera parte tienen la historia en sus manos y que bueno, resulta que para ser artesano Rom es El Hombre y Avra... bueno, Avra es linda pero aaaaah no se quedaba quieta la mujer.
Por lo demás tenemos un mesías, un Herodes, un Judas, a toda Roma y al personaje roba historias que es el mejor amigo de Rom, Triphon, de quien me gustó sobretodo su compostura.
Historia
Bueno, el libro fue escrito por Ted Dekker y Tosca Lee, y me la pasé bomba tratando de adivinar los capítulos escritos por cada uno porque ya les digo que donde unas partes son absurdamente cursis, otras son genialmente retorcidas. Disfruté, más que nada las segundas.
Estas descripciones espeluznantes son las que casi me hacen darle las 4 estrellas, pero pensándolo bien, a lo largo del libro los autores se quedan cortos al darle sentido a las acciones de los personajes. Entonces, se quedó en 3.
Conclusión
Es un libro muy entretenido debido a la experiencia de los escritores, el plot no es nuevo, pero lo llevaron a un extremo interesante. Sin embargo, le faltó más fundamento, creo yo; y hubiera estado interesante que en vez de tanta palabrería y pensamiento cursi, los personajes se hubieran expresado más mediante acciones pasionales. Igual y es por eso que el villano tiene mención honorífica en esta review.
Bonus: El Malo
En Saric, tenemos a un hombre que es despertado a las emociones negativas, que se pierde en ellas y deja embobado al lector con sus pensamientos inquietantes. Mi parte favorita es cuando WOW. Tiene sus declives claro, hacia el final la presión lo pone algo patético. Pero su comienzo como villano es tan fuerte, que resulta difícil de olvidar. Fin.
Pues a ver, la historia va sobre una sociedad utópica que a mi parecer funcionaba excelente, donde la gente estaba privada de las pasiones. Pero entonces hubo algún señor alquimista inconforme
Ya ven que yo acá me encontré con varios parecidos a otras historias. Pero ésta tiene sobretodo muchas referencias religiosas. Que según me informé, es parte del estilo de Ted Dekker.
Personajes
Con base a lo anterior en la zona de roles, tenemos a
Por lo demás tenemos un mesías, un Herodes, un Judas, a toda Roma y al personaje roba historias que es el mejor amigo de Rom, Triphon, de quien me gustó sobretodo su compostura.
Historia
Bueno, el libro fue escrito por Ted Dekker y Tosca Lee, y me la pasé bomba tratando de adivinar los capítulos escritos por cada uno porque ya les digo que donde unas partes son absurdamente cursis, otras son genialmente retorcidas. Disfruté, más que nada las segundas.
Estas descripciones espeluznantes son las que casi me hacen darle las 4 estrellas, pero pensándolo bien, a lo largo del libro los autores se quedan cortos al darle sentido a las acciones de los personajes. Entonces, se quedó en 3.
Conclusión
Es un libro muy entretenido debido a la experiencia de los escritores, el plot no es nuevo, pero lo llevaron a un extremo interesante. Sin embargo, le faltó más fundamento, creo yo; y hubiera estado interesante que en vez de tanta palabrería y pensamiento cursi, los personajes se hubieran expresado más mediante acciones pasionales. Igual y es por eso que el villano tiene mención honorífica en esta review.
Bonus: El Malo
En Saric, tenemos a un hombre que es despertado a las emociones negativas, que se pierde en ellas y deja embobado al lector con sus pensamientos inquietantes. Mi parte favorita es cuando WOW. Tiene sus declives claro, hacia el final la presión lo pone algo patético. Pero su comienzo como villano es tan fuerte, que resulta difícil de olvidar. Fin.
October 18, 2011
Egalley thanks to Hachette Book group
This is as different from Equilibrium as it could have been.
A very interesting idea which really if you think about it is believable.
After the last World War which nearly destroyed the planet and pretty much wiped out Asia and Middle East, the scientists managed to separate the genes responsible for human emotions in our bodies. A radical from The Order, a religious structure which preached world peace and non-violence, sponsored further research which developed the virus that could potentially destroy the genes responsible for all our emotions apart from fear. The virus was unleashed.
5 centures later, people live in somewhat archaic society with very few luxuries, strict diets and regulations. The Order rules it all. There are certain ruling casts, among which The Order selects a Sovereign according to the date and hour of their birth. Only the richest casts have few cars, planes or computers. You can see cold weapons or firearms only in museums. Deformities be that a birth defect or broken in an accident bones are not allowed. People are reported, taken to wellness centres and never seen again. The funerals are done with empty caskets.
Among all this is Rom Sebastian, a poet (as much as you can be a poet when the only emotion you feel is fear) who believes in every teaching of The Order until an old stranger running from The Royal Guard stumbles upon him and tells him that his father was a Keeper, and it's now up to Rom to take a mysterious package, bring it to the man called Book and listen to his directions. The faith of the world depends on him.
Overwhelmed by fear, the young man runs and since that moment his destiny changes. The package has a vial of blood which restores his emotions and shows him that until this very moment he was dead and now he is alive...
The book is a rollercoaster, a very interesting ride with somewhat naive, sometimes stupid but utterly charming characters. There is plenty of blind faith. There are prophecies, evil alchemists, sacrifices, desperation and love. There is a bit of Dune in this book but it's a tiny bit.
Overall, a weird but enjoyable book. I will definitely read book #2 - Mortal, which comes out on 5/06/2012.
This is as different from Equilibrium as it could have been.
A very interesting idea which really if you think about it is believable.
After the last World War which nearly destroyed the planet and pretty much wiped out Asia and Middle East, the scientists managed to separate the genes responsible for human emotions in our bodies. A radical from The Order, a religious structure which preached world peace and non-violence, sponsored further research which developed the virus that could potentially destroy the genes responsible for all our emotions apart from fear. The virus was unleashed.
5 centures later, people live in somewhat archaic society with very few luxuries, strict diets and regulations. The Order rules it all. There are certain ruling casts, among which The Order selects a Sovereign according to the date and hour of their birth. Only the richest casts have few cars, planes or computers. You can see cold weapons or firearms only in museums. Deformities be that a birth defect or broken in an accident bones are not allowed. People are reported, taken to wellness centres and never seen again. The funerals are done with empty caskets.
Among all this is Rom Sebastian, a poet (as much as you can be a poet when the only emotion you feel is fear) who believes in every teaching of The Order until an old stranger running from The Royal Guard stumbles upon him and tells him that his father was a Keeper, and it's now up to Rom to take a mysterious package, bring it to the man called Book and listen to his directions. The faith of the world depends on him.
Overwhelmed by fear, the young man runs and since that moment his destiny changes. The package has a vial of blood which restores his emotions and shows him that until this very moment he was dead and now he is alive...
The book is a rollercoaster, a very interesting ride with somewhat naive, sometimes stupid but utterly charming characters. There is plenty of blind faith. There are prophecies, evil alchemists, sacrifices, desperation and love. There is a bit of Dune in this book but it's a tiny bit.
Overall, a weird but enjoyable book. I will definitely read book #2 - Mortal, which comes out on 5/06/2012.
November 20, 2011
Well... this was one interesting story. I've read Dekker by himself, then Dekker and Healy, and now Dekker and Tosca Lee (whose writing I adore!) I can see bits an pieces of the feminine perspective in this story. The imagery surrounding love was pretty profound. Better to have loved and truly live, then to merely exist. That was a big part of the story. It made me also think of the scripture where it says Jesus came to give us life, and not just life, but abundant life. That symbolism is clearly in the story. I loved that.
While a bit violent in several parts (I'm a wuss when it comes to gore as I have a very visual mind,) the passion in this novel shines through and overtakes the darkness. Passion is part of life, and with it comes not only joy, but pain. Rom's extreme grief was very well done, as was his anger at "The Maker" for allowing him experience love so profoundly only to feel like his heart had been cut out from the intense loss of that object of his affection, Avra.
I found the symbolism with Feyn quite profound, too. The slow dying of a person's heart back into death is symbolic of those who forget who saved them and thus allowed their hearts to grow cold. But the sacrificial lamb in this book was a powerful message, because she remembered that love... enough to give everything for it. So deep and heartfelt! I loved that about the story. I loved the characters' discovery of love for the first time. It was precious to them, as it should be to us.
There was some similarity regarding betrayal and the reasons behind it (like with Judas in the Bible) that I also found quite thought-provoking. Great imagery there as well. All in all this was a great book. Some parts seemed futuristic, and some seemed like a shadow of the past. It also had a bit of a dystopian feel to it. I am looking forward to the next book when it releases in 2012.
While a bit violent in several parts (I'm a wuss when it comes to gore as I have a very visual mind,) the passion in this novel shines through and overtakes the darkness. Passion is part of life, and with it comes not only joy, but pain. Rom's extreme grief was very well done, as was his anger at "The Maker" for allowing him experience love so profoundly only to feel like his heart had been cut out from the intense loss of that object of his affection, Avra.
I found the symbolism with Feyn quite profound, too. The slow dying of a person's heart back into death is symbolic of those who forget who saved them and thus allowed their hearts to grow cold. But the sacrificial lamb in this book was a powerful message, because she remembered that love... enough to give everything for it. So deep and heartfelt! I loved that about the story. I loved the characters' discovery of love for the first time. It was precious to them, as it should be to us.
There was some similarity regarding betrayal and the reasons behind it (like with Judas in the Bible) that I also found quite thought-provoking. Great imagery there as well. All in all this was a great book. Some parts seemed futuristic, and some seemed like a shadow of the past. It also had a bit of a dystopian feel to it. I am looking forward to the next book when it releases in 2012.
May 9, 2023
Im used to Dekker's descriptive style and violent gore. Forbidden is no different, plenty of blood, guts and foul things happen to the characters in this world and while I've come to expect this style from Dekker, I actually found some of the violence a bit gratuitous.
The murders and some particular scenes felt done for shock value and that's hard for me to say as I'm a Dekker fan, there's not much he can write that I wouldn't like, however I couldn't help thinking many of the scenes (even the sexy scenes) were for the wtf and not for the flow of the story. I was half surprised seeing how the book deals with dead-like people that at some point zombies didn't start popping out behind trees to start eating peoples brains. Which honestly would have been great!
Forbidden is not an overtly Christian book but when drawing parallels to the Christian faith, the most profound aspect I could take away was the blood issue. The characters in this dystopian set society all suffered the after effects of a government controlled disease that over time depleted citizens of their human emotions, leaving them with only the sense of fear. In order for any of those senses to return, a person (or in this case the main MC) had to drink a special vial of blood to restore those feelings.
I think anyone could pick this up and enjoy the eerie doomed scenarios and gruesome violence that surrounds it. I know I will be carrying on with the series and with each authors bold takes on creation, sin, sex and violence, I'm eager to see where the Dekker/Lee team takes us.
The murders and some particular scenes felt done for shock value and that's hard for me to say as I'm a Dekker fan, there's not much he can write that I wouldn't like, however I couldn't help thinking many of the scenes (even the sexy scenes) were for the wtf and not for the flow of the story. I was half surprised seeing how the book deals with dead-like people that at some point zombies didn't start popping out behind trees to start eating peoples brains. Which honestly would have been great!
Forbidden is not an overtly Christian book but when drawing parallels to the Christian faith, the most profound aspect I could take away was the blood issue. The characters in this dystopian set society all suffered the after effects of a government controlled disease that over time depleted citizens of their human emotions, leaving them with only the sense of fear. In order for any of those senses to return, a person (or in this case the main MC) had to drink a special vial of blood to restore those feelings.
I think anyone could pick this up and enjoy the eerie doomed scenarios and gruesome violence that surrounds it. I know I will be carrying on with the series and with each authors bold takes on creation, sin, sex and violence, I'm eager to see where the Dekker/Lee team takes us.
September 8, 2011
Forbidden is the first book in a new trilogy by Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee. I've never read The Circle Series or anything by Ted Dekker for that matter, but after reading Forbidden I will finally pull The Circle Series off my shelf.
Let's start at the beginning. In order to create peace, 480 years ago humans were given a highly contagious drug created to alter human DNA to remove all emotions other than fear. Can you imagine a life without pain and sorrow? Without joy and love? That's the only life the characters in this book have ever known until a young man named Rom is given the chance to not only experience those emotions but to bring all that's been missing back to mankind.
In an anything but classic version of good versus evil, the authors somehow bring out all levels of emotion while writing about a world void of any. It has something for everyone - romance, drama, action, mystery, and science fiction. And while the book had its fair share of violence, those moments didn't take away from the overall plot. I quickly fell in love with the characters, especially Rom, and became addicted to the story. Ted and Tosca were able to make a fantasy world come to life, and I for one can't wait to see how and if the world will ever get the chance to feel alive again.
Let's start at the beginning. In order to create peace, 480 years ago humans were given a highly contagious drug created to alter human DNA to remove all emotions other than fear. Can you imagine a life without pain and sorrow? Without joy and love? That's the only life the characters in this book have ever known until a young man named Rom is given the chance to not only experience those emotions but to bring all that's been missing back to mankind.
In an anything but classic version of good versus evil, the authors somehow bring out all levels of emotion while writing about a world void of any. It has something for everyone - romance, drama, action, mystery, and science fiction. And while the book had its fair share of violence, those moments didn't take away from the overall plot. I quickly fell in love with the characters, especially Rom, and became addicted to the story. Ted and Tosca were able to make a fantasy world come to life, and I for one can't wait to see how and if the world will ever get the chance to feel alive again.
December 3, 2011
Rom, an obedient member of society, becomes an instant outlaw when he comes to possess a vial of blood and ancient letter, given to him by an old man his father knew. In a society devoid of all emotion by fear, Rom is scared of being killed. He flees to his friend, Avra, but she is afraid as well. Rom replays the words of the old man over and over in his mind, and seeing no other way, drinks a portion of blood from the vial. And becomes human again, fully feeling all things. Avra takes some blood as well, as do three others, until the blood is gone. This is enough to spread a kernel of truth, that life in Byzantium is not the way it was meant to be, which is enough to start a rebellion.
Liked it! The storyworld and history were well-thought out and unique. The plot was engaging with plenty of mystery revealed in bits to keep me guessing. There were some shocking surprises and I look forward to discovering how those are worked out. I enjoyed Rom’s character and Feyn too. The bad guy has a lot of sensual, violence in his point of view scenes, so that is a caution for younger readers. Dekker and Lee have crafted a wonderful start to this series. I can’t wait to read more of this tale.
Liked it! The storyworld and history were well-thought out and unique. The plot was engaging with plenty of mystery revealed in bits to keep me guessing. There were some shocking surprises and I look forward to discovering how those are worked out. I enjoyed Rom’s character and Feyn too. The bad guy has a lot of sensual, violence in his point of view scenes, so that is a caution for younger readers. Dekker and Lee have crafted a wonderful start to this series. I can’t wait to read more of this tale.
August 4, 2011
Forbidden is a book about a dark future where the only emotion your genes can produce is fear. The world is ruled by a Sovereign, who obeys the rules set forth in Order, to live in harmony with the rest of mankind. Death is uncommon and war long forgotten, though vile practices still slither unnoticed in the shadows to make it all possible. Everyone is dead because there is no love - that is, until one man is given a vile of blood capable of restoring all of his emotions. Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee explore a unique setting, where the reader is shown first what it is like not to be able to love, and then what it would feel like to experience it for the first time. May we all live like we're experiencing love for the first time, even in spite of the fact that it can be taken away without our control. The emotional experience of this book is vibrant across the board, and I walk away in love with this story because of a new perspective on reconciling life and death. After seeing a world where people walked around as corpses, unaware of the life they were missing, I'm challenged not to do the same with the incredible gift I've been given.
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