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Forbidden (The Books of Mortals #1)

by Ted Dekker (Goodreads Author), Tosca Lee (Goodreads Author)

3.98 of 5 stars 3.98 · rating details · 2,900 ratings · 447 reviews

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 c...more

Hardcover, 384 pages

Published September 13th 2011 by Center Street

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Nov 25, 2011 Katie rated it 5 of 5 stars

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...more

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Sep 23, 2011 Isamlq rated it 4 of 5 stars

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 d...more

11 likes · like · see review

Nomes awesome review

i use to be a huge ted dekker fangirl, but haven't read much of his stuff lately.

i just requested this from netgalley. but i have no ide...more
Sep 23, 2011 09:07pm

Isamlq Nomes wrote: "awesome review

i use to be a huge ted dekker fangirl, but haven't read much of his stuff lately.

i just requested this from netgalley. but...more
Sep 23, 2011 11:24pm

Nomes oh, i liked black (actually own that series ~ it's out on loan with a friend at the moment)

i didn't realise the 60 day thing. nice to know :) that's h...more
Sep 23, 2011 11:47pm

Oct 02, 2012 FantasyWereld rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: volwassenen

De wereld is 500 jaar geleden ternauwernood ontsnapt aan de Apocalyps. De wereld wordt nu geleid door de Soeverijn en door een bewust gecreëerd virus is de mensheid ontdaan van alle emoties, behalve angst. Er is geen haat meer, geen passie, geen onvrede en geen oorlog. Maar er is een hoge prijs voor deze wereldvrede betaald. Want menselijk leven zelf is Verboden.

Het verhaal
In het eerste deel van het boek wordt op zeer geloofwaardige wijze deze vreemde wereld geïntroduceerd. Ook worden belangrijk...more

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Sep 27, 2012 Ryssmiles rated it 5 of 5 stars

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 emo...more 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.) (less)

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Sep 04, 2012 Chris Bauer rated it 2 of 5 stars

"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...more

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Aug 25, 2012 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

I admit that iBooks finally had a sale. I plunk down 10 bucks for every book and wondering if I should head to the library. I spend way too much money on books now that it so easy to browse and sample. So this book was 5 bucks. By Grapthar's Hammer...what a savings. I knew Dekker from his Christianish books which I sometimes think are slasher novels with God thrown in. At least that's what I thought about House.

Anyhoo, it ended up being a fun book. To save humanity, all emotion is taken from hum...more

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May 26, 2012 Gail Welborn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviews

***“Forbidden” was also nominated as a 13th annual Christy Awards finalist Visionary category in April:
http://www.christyawards.com/ca_new/i...

“Forbidden,” book one in “The Books of Mortals” planned trilogy, co-authored by Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee, takes place almost five hundred years into the future. In a plot-driven narrative that bends the minds of readers with a multifaceted “thriller like none other.”

The plots roots are in the distant past of 2005 with the discovery of the human gene that...more

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May 21, 2012 Renn Shearin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Forbidden by Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee was a wild ride, steered by surprising twists, heartwrenching pain, breathtaking love, and beautiful allegories.

Four Hundred and Eighty Years have passed since humanity was almost wiped off the earth. Since then, the Perfect Order has been established. There is no more war, no more hate, no more disease...no more emotion, no more Love. All that is left is fear and the world wide peace that universal fear brings. Until the day when one man, Rom, finds out th...more

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Apr 14, 2012 Jamie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Compassionate story telling with a gripping story to tell. I can't wait to read the next two books in this series. Can you imagine a life where there is no emotion other than fear? What would happen when suddenly your whole existance was shifted because you could now experience life really for the first time, see the beauty in another human being or in the flame of candle, such a mundane every day item? Dekker and Lee make an amazing writing duo as they explore the future in a world where all em...more

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Mar 14, 2012 Allison rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult, dystopian, religious-inspirational

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 l...more 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.(less)

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Jan 09, 2012 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: christian-fiction, modern-fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. In "Forbidden," Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee create a reeling dystopia in which every emotion, except fear, has been removed from the human mind. The agent of this removal is Legion, a virus released on the heels of a philosophical reawakening that emphasized the importance of unity, order, and restraint. As with many of Dekker's novels, then, the premise is an odd balance of the technological and the metaphysical. Throughout most of the novel, Dekker and Lee maintain this balance, but by the end of...more

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Dec 03, 2011 Linda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Warning: Graphic scenes

Forbidden by Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee will take you on a fantasy ride like no other! I’ve read many of Ted Dekker’s books, but none by Tosca Lee, so I’m not familiar with whose style is presented the most, or if the two mesh together so well one cannot tell.

It’s the story of a civilization where the living are walking dead– while undisclosed secrets held for years leave the people unaware of their loss. It started with The War of the Chaos, when Legion spread and stripped...more Warning: Graphic scenes

Forbidden by Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee will take you on a fantasy ride like no other! I’ve read many of Ted Dekker’s books, but none by Tosca Lee, so I’m not familiar with whose style is presented the most, or if the two mesh together so well one cannot tell.

It’s the story of a civilization where the living are walking dead– while undisclosed secrets held for years leave the people unaware of their loss. It started with The War of the Chaos, when Legion spread and stripped the genetic code of the limbic region of the brain of every thing but fear. It seems like a Utopia without the threat of war, hatred, lofty ambitions, greed, etc., but they must proclaim their loyalty to and live under fear of The Order.

This alleged Utopian life will be challenged for a few individuals, starting with Rom Sebastian. A box is tossed to him one evil night for safe-keeping, containing a vial of blood wrapped with vellum that includes a cryptic poem and an indiscernible message. Fleeing the Citadel Guard, he shares his finding with current and former friends, putting their lives in danger. Once they consume the contents, they will have to abandon everything they once knew as they encounter real humanity and its sensations.

However, once the message is decoded, a journey of delight, death, and danger throws multiple groups into conflict. Set in what appears to be a medieval era, the action is swift and sometimes brutal. The graphic scenes show the difference of The Order’s view on murder and the reality of what takes place–the proverbial ‘Do what I say, not what I do.’ Your own senses are put on high alert as they encounter the pages of this book, and your own emotions are stretched during the difficult and delightful circumstances.

Would a life with love that includes pain and loss be better than a dead life with fear? This question must be answered individually by each of the alive characters. The authors create circumstances that will tear them apart. What will they decide? Their decisions will be crucial as the authors reveal their stories. It’s a question the authors tweak your own emotions with as well. Are you alive or just stagnating? Living in Love or fear?

I do have a problem with the drinking of blood, as Scripture is adamant about not drinking blood. Knowing Ted and Tosca, it will most likely be brought around full circle.

I found a double meaning to the story that I believe the authors are acutely aware of, and wondering if we catch on.

You will find that this is not a light-reading book and that it doesn’t end with Forbidden. But I can say I’m already hooked for the next book in the trilogy.

Special thanks to Sarah Reck, Web Publicist | FaithWords & Center Street | Hachette Book Group, for sending me a review copy. No monetary compensation was exchanged.(less)

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Dec 03, 2011 Jill Williamson rated it 5 of 5 stars

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 bloo...more

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Nov 14, 2011 Norma rated it 4 of 5 stars

Review @ http://www.bookwormhollow.com/?p=379

My take:
I love how Tocsa Lee writes. I love her ability to make words flow like poetry on paper. I also love Ted Dekker’s style and imagination. Combine those two together, and I was sure I was in for a great story. For the most part I really liked Forbidden. There were a few things I think needed to be explained (not in length, but greater detail could have been taken), and a few places I felt were borrowed. There were also a few parts I think were t...more

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Oct 23, 2011 Kristin Lundgren rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, science-fiction

Interesting take on the society marches on after a global war. The new society, about 500 years old, is founded on Order. All things are to be within Order. The people have no emotions but fear. Any infraction and you are sent to the Hall for discipline or punishment. Older people, infirm, or those with not perfect bodies are sent to the Wellness center from which none return. All this in a quasi medieval/some technology/modern clothes setting of ancient Rome, now Byzantium. Enter in our young h...more

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Oct 11, 2011 Terri Armstrong rated it 4 of 5 stars

“Forbidden” by Ted Dekker & Tosca Lee:

Byzantium (once known as Rome) is the greatest city on earth with half a million citizens. It’s considered the center of the earth where all things political, religious, social and economic are found. Since the end of the Age of Chaos, it has been the seat of power that all authority acknowledges. Directly below the city’s assembly hall of the senate is another vastness all its own, and only a very few, including Saric, Vorrin’s—the current ruler of the...more

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Oct 01, 2011 lancelot schaubert rated it 2 of 5 stars

(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...more

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Sep 14, 2011 Nate LaClaire rated it 5 of 5 stars

What would life be like if the only emotion we were capable of feeling was fear? In Forbidden, authors Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee describe a future society that believes it has evolved from the chaos of experiencing multiple emotions. As the story unfolds, we learn, with the book’s hero, that the reality is much darker: a previous world ruler used a virus to change the citizens’ DNA in order to give him more control by allowing only fear to be experienced. Fortunately, a group of people has been t...more What would life be like if the only emotion we were capable of feeling was fear? In Forbidden, authors Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee describe a future society that believes it has evolved from the chaos of experiencing multiple emotions. As the story unfolds, we learn, with the book’s hero, that the reality is much darker: a previous world ruler used a virus to change the citizens’ DNA in order to give him more control by allowing only fear to be experienced. Fortunately, a group of people has been tasked these 480 years with protecting the truth in preparation for the realization of a prophecy.

I loved this book. It caught my attention within the first couple of pages and didn’t let go until the end (actually, it still hasn’t – I can’t wait until the next book in the series, Mortal, due out in 2012, is released). Prepare to be riveted. The fast-paced story includes a number of twists and turns that leave the reader wondering what surprise is coming up next. The characters are well-developed and the rich history behind the story is delivered in such a way that the reader isn’t bored by the experience. It was interesting to see the authors’ idea of how one might react to feeling emotion for the first time. The only thing that I didn’t like about the story is how graphic some of the descriptions are. The “extremeness” of some of the violence left me wishing I had seen it coming and skipped over the description. Still, many readers will probably love that about the book – it’s a matter of taste.

The book certainly has spiritual application. Many times I found myself drawing parallels between scripture and the story. I wouldn’t call it an allegory, but I think that there are many morals to be drawn from the story and some aspects might be allegorical.

If you like mystery, suspense, and science fiction and don’t mind a bit of gore, I urge you to read this book.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a digital galley proof of this book free from Hachette Book Group via netGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”(less)

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Sep 14, 2011 Lindsay (The Violet Hour) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 conte...more 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. (less)

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Sep 07, 2011 Britni rated it 4 of 5 stars

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...more

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Sep 07, 2011 Jane rated it 4 of 5 stars

It is the author match made in heaven – the heart-pounding thrills and pacing of Ted Dekker and the heart-rending character development of Tosca Lee – that makes Forbidden such an unforgettable read.
Dekker, known for testosterone-charged thrillers and speculative fiction like the Circle series and Immanuel’s Veins, brings his own brand of allegory to the table. Dekker writes in bold colors and broad strokes about sin in all its tragic loss and the terrible price at which grace is made available....more

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Sep 03, 2011 Meagan Myhren-bennett rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Young Adults & up, Thriller & Christian Fiction Fans

Shelves: christian, friendship, hidden, mystery, prophecy, allegory, blood

The Books of Mortals: FORBIDDEN

By Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee

2005 was the year that changed everything, because in that year the gene that controls fear was discovered. Soon the genes that controlled the other emotions were discovered. This breakthrough was put to use after humanity was nearly destroyed by a war of cataclysmic proportions. All emotions except fear were removed. For the last 480 years the human race has lived in peace, peace brought by fear. But this is a world without joy, love, s...more

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Aug 04, 2011 Kathleen (Kat) Smith rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: christian-action-adventure, christian-fiction, christian-suspense-fiction, christian-science-fiction, contemporary-fiction, supense-thriller-fiction

Fleeing pursuit, with only moments to live, a young man named Rom stumbles into possession of a vial of blood and a cryptic vellum. When consumed, the blood will bring him back to life; revive his emotions; 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 at terrible risk.

Set in a terrifying,...more Fleeing pursuit, with only moments to live, a young man named Rom stumbles into possession of a vial of blood and a cryptic vellum. When consumed, the blood will bring him back to life; revive his emotions; 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 at terrible risk.

Set in a terrifying, medieval future, where grim pageantry masks death, this tale of passionate love and dark desires from master storytellers Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee peels back the layers of the heart for all who dare take the journey.

The Books of Mortals: 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 and Sovereign will be published in September 2013.

My Review:

Set in the very realistic future of our world, geneticists have been working on the DNA structure within the human brain to control which emotions we can feel. In order to create a perfect world capable of working together, humans have been given a retrovirus called Legion that wipes out all emotion from them except fear. When they can only feel fear, they will do whatever it takes to make sure that the world exists in a manufactured version of peace.

Rom is thrust into the discovery late one night when an old man in alley way tells him that his father was killed protecting the secret that could once more provide humanity with hope and restore order. Leaving Rom with nothing more than a cryptic message in a box, wrapped around a vial of blood with 5 measuring lines on the outside, he is forced to uncover what has been missing in his life that he never knew was ever there.

The Order wants nothing but to keep things the way it has been for the past 480 years and when they discover the secret of the blood exists, they will stop at nothing to make sure that all evidence of it is removed before they can undo the way people have been living their whole lives. Once more Chaos is on the verge of being thrown back into the world and the presence of good and evil once more will battle to restore humans back to the way their Maker designed.

I received Forbidden by Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee compliments of Center Street Publishers, a division of Hachette Book Groups for my honest review. Being a huge fan of all of Ted Dekker's written works, this was truly a delightful surprise when it arrived in my mail. Once more Mr. Dekker's works have kept me glue to his novel until the final page is turned. The only disappointment is always finishing much too soon, leaving me wanting more.

These two wonderfully talented writers have managed to tap into something no one else has bothered to think about. What if all our emotions to feel anything at all, were simply removed and the only thing we could comprehend was only fear? No love, no hope, no joy or even sorrow. This futuristic spin in this new compelling series will captivate you and leave you desperately wanting more. This one rates a stellar 5 out of 5 stars.(less)

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Nov 06, 2011 Steven rated it 3 of 5 stars

This most certainly is a Ted Dekker book from cover to cover, where Tosca Lee influences come in I don't know. But like nearly all Ted Dekker books it was filled with twist and turns from one short interesting chapter to another. The reader is really left questioning and wondering what in the world was going to happen next. This I feel is a good thing because it keeps the reader coming back for more. The characters in the book are very interesting, but also plain. Rom, the main character is appe...more

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Oct 31, 2011 Olga rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011

After several nuclear bombs have been detonated on Earth the survivors followed the new leader Sirin and his teaching of excising emotion to guarantee peace and survival. Almost 500 years later humanity is still rebuilding itself and the new Order shuns everything to do with the past age of Chaos that lead to destruction. All emotions with the exception of fear have been genetically eliminated and people live to serve Order and to be guided by it. When Rom discovers a vial of ancient blood that...more After several nuclear bombs have been detonated on Earth the survivors followed the new leader Sirin and his teaching of excising emotion to guarantee peace and survival. Almost 500 years later humanity is still rebuilding itself and the new Order shuns everything to do with the past age of Chaos that lead to destruction. All emotions with the exception of fear have been genetically eliminated and people live to serve Order and to be guided by it. When Rom discovers a vial of ancient blood that promises "life" and takes one of the five portions he awakens everything about himself that is human. But the vial came with a task encrypted on piece of velum and now Rom and four of his newly-alive friends must find out what it means and complete their quest. Everything they know and believe will be tested and all their strength and courage will be required to survive for dark powers want nothing more but to kill them and claim what they possess.

When I first saw the galley of this book on NetGalley I was intrigued by the cover. The whole "metal badge on a stone wall" design was appealing all by itself but with the bleeding heart in the middle the concept became that much more interesting. But there it sat, waiting for its time, which finally came late last week. I was immediately swept into this odd world where people feel nothing but fear and into Rom's life that's turned upside down when an old man gives him a mysterious box and almost immediately gets killed for it. I felt for this simple young man who didn't ask for anything that follows, who struggles with the onslaught of feelings that couldn't be any more strange. I hoped that the bad guys would fail once and for all and yet I knew that things couldn't be that simple. I recoiled at the twisted and horrific things the villains did and wondered about their leader's apparent omniscience.
There are plenty of dark and terrible things in this book and at first all the violence and blood spilling shocked me a bit but then I remembered that this is not a YA book and kept reading. Everything that happened made sense and I'm not sure that the book would've gripped me as it did had the authors shied away from the blood and gore or even toned it down. Morbid of me? Maybe. Doesn't make the book any worse.
The combination of highly advanced science and hardly any technology accessible to the masses creates a very interesting atmosphere. It kept me wondering what else was possible in this strange society, what else wasn't destroyed and what kind of advancements were actually made in the centuries when the world's population just tried to survive. The last several chapters sure opened up a lot of possibilities.
There are some things that weren't very believable. No matter how trusting people are how many times can the same trick really work? Wouldn't they be on the lookout for that exact thing? Shouldn't they be on the lookout for it? Similarly, if someone knows that something that doesn't fit with their plans is going to happen and they know when exactly it'll happen and where wouldn't they take steps to prevent it? Apparently not in this world.
The book didn't end on a cliff-hanger and I'm grateful for that - we all know what it's like to impatiently wait for a year or more to find out what happens next. The authors tied up the plot threads without leaving any loose ends but making plenty of promises for the sequel and giving an idea of what to expect in the future books of the series. I'm still wondering what will happen next, but at least I can wait without biting my nails to nothing.(less)

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Oct 25, 2011 Michael Jones rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I would consider myself a pretty big Ted Dekker fan. I love the Books of History Chronicles, which I basically stumbled on accidentally at the library after seeing one of them advertised in a ChristianBook.com catalog, and at this point, I have read a pretty good majority of what he's written. But I approached this book with a little bit of caution; Dekker's books are a thrill ride, which is a good thing, but they are complex enough that they can also be a tiring read. I think you also have to b...more I would consider myself a pretty big Ted Dekker fan. I love the Books of History Chronicles, which I basically stumbled on accidentally at the library after seeing one of them advertised in a ChristianBook.com catalog, and at this point, I have read a pretty good majority of what he's written. But I approached this book with a little bit of caution; Dekker's books are a thrill ride, which is a good thing, but they are complex enough that they can also be a tiring read. I think you also have to be willing to work through the first couple of chapters, which set up the action, before you get to the "good stuff" later on.

This one is like that. The first chapter or two are a little confusing; you have to get your bearings on the universe you're living in. Once you get the hang of who the characters are and where the story is going, though, the fun begins. The characters are well-developed and the twin plots are easy enough to follow; I think you have to kind of suspend disbelief when it comes to the parts where people just decide that it's a good idea to drink from a 400-year-old vial of blood, but in context of the story it makes a weird kind of sense. The Christianity-inspired elements of the story (powerful blood, the Christlike boy character who is to bring salvation to the world, the walking dead being restored to life, etc.) are certainly there, and are quite obvious to the Christian, but probably would not be as up-front to someone who doesn't know very much about Christian theology. Not that Dekker particularly is trying to write evangelistic works; I think his work is designed to be enjoyable by anyone, but to have an added dimension for the Believer. That's the way this one is: the symbolism is there, but you only see it if you have the background to understand it.

Most of Dekker's novels take place in a single continuity, and if I remember properly from references to a virus in the far future in one of the other books, this one would seem to take place later in time than the other novels (but earlier than Thomas Hunter's "other Earth" where the Roush and Shataiki exist); I fully expect an eventual tie-in with the others, especially since blood plays such an important role in Immanuel's Veins and the Books of History Chronicles. To me, this book has a little bit of a "prequel" feel to it, like the first bit of something which will become much more exciting later on. I'm interested to see how the story continues when Mortal comes out next year.

(NOTE: since I wrote this, I found out about this short story, which is a prequel to Forbidden by the same authors as the novel, and which makes the connection to the Thomas Hunter stories explicit. Guess I was right!)(less)

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Sep 09, 2011 Nancy rated it 5 of 5 stars

I've enjoyed two of Ted Dekker's books before. Both were good and psychologically thrilling. This one is, by far, my favorite. It is a dystopia for adults and a trilogy to boot. Just want to put that warning out there. The next book will be released in June 2012 and the last October 2012.

As per Dekker's style, the story is more psychological thriller and a cleaner read than many other thrillers. This one, however, is quite violent and bloody. If you are infected by Legion, this won't bother you...more

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Jun 28, 2012 Alyce rated it 5 of 5 stars

I should start this with. I love Ted Dekker. I love Tosca Lee. I love this book. My copy was an ARC courtesy of my dad who knows how much I love both authors, so there was some mild grammar and rough spots. But they probably got fixed before the release.

I could not put this story down! it was so good that I'm tentative about the next book because I just don't think its possible to be as good! (knowing full well I'll probably love it)

Forbidden is set in a future where Scientists have determined...more

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Jan 10, 2012 Lori rated it 4 of 5 stars

Already a Ted Dekker fan, I had heard rumors that his new series with Tosca Lee had the potential to be even better than The Circle Trilogy. I loved that series so The Books of Mortals Trilogy, beginning with Forbidden, was stepping in some big shoes. I think it filled them pretty well.

Where The Circle Trilogy took a bit to set up the story and didn't really hook me until the end of book one, this story had me from the beginning. The reader is immediately thrown into a dystopian world where emot...more

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Jan 05, 2012 Aaron rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebooks, own

I can usually get some enjoyment out of just about any book, but I found this one really hard to get into. The premise of the book was really promising, and I even read the prequel first and enjoyed it. But for whatever reason I just found the characters boring and all of their actions so improbable and ridiculous. The way they acted never seemed to match the way the story line and the world was built (they're supposed to consumed by fear and always follow the Order, but they never seem to have...more

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About Ted Dekker

Ted 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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Books by Ted Dekker

White: The Great Pursuit (The Circle, #3)

Black: The Birth of Evil (The Circle, #1)

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“It's the sorrow you feel that allows you to crave love. Without the suffering, there would be no true pleasure. Without tears, no joy. Without deficiency, no longing. This is the secret of the human heart, Rom.” — 27 people liked it

“Wage war on death. Live for love.” — 16 people liked it

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Forbidden (The Books of Mortals #1)

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