Forbidden by Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee

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 centuries: 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. 

I am thrilled with this new adventure from Ted Dekker. Forbidden and the following Book of Mortals books have been touted as the greatest follow-up to Dekker's Circle series. And I'm thinking the reviewers may be right.

As the first book of a trilogy, Forbidden lays a solid foundation. Once you are introduced to our hero Rom, a man shows up with the message, "RUN!" There's no looking back for Rom.

I had never heard of Tosca Lee before learning she was partnering with Dekker on this series. The pairing is superb. Lee has quite the influence in this book. This addition is a wonderful experience. Lee and Dekker make a great pair. Her ideas and characters create the boost that Dekker's plots need.

You will be discussing the emotional and ethical dynamics of this book months after finishing it. In fact, it would be wise to read it multiple times in order to wrap your imagination around the intensity.

Like many of Dekker's books, Forbidden has a direct connection to The Circle Series and its hero, Thomas Hunter. Fans will probably notice the tie-in before it's revealed but they will be doing flips.

You have to hand it to Dekker and Lee. They have created a fine introduction to a world that will be full of surprises and cleverly unique.



This book was provided for review, at no cost, by Center Street Publishing