FORBIDDEN: A GUEST REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

 

GIVEAWAY ENDED

FORBIDDEN

The Book of Mortals 

BY TED DEKKER 

& TOSCA LEE

ABOUT THE BOOK:

New York Times bestselling author Ted Dekker teams with Tosca Lee to create this gripping thriller set in a desolate future.

A terrible truth has been revealed to one man: the entire human race has been drained of every emotion except one-- fear. To bring life back to the world, Rom must embark on a journey that will end either in his own demise or a reawakening of humanity. But to bring love and passion back into existence will also threaten the powers of the world with the revolution and anarchy that had nearly destroyed them previously.

After happening upon a journal through strange circumstance, Rom's world is shattered. He learns that humanity long ago ceased to "live," that it exists today in a living death of emotions. In a terrible risk, Rom exposes himself to the vial of blood folded into the old leather of the journal. His change is fearful and fraught with mind-bending emotion. A once-pious observer of the Order's passionless statues, he is filled with uncontrollable impulses. He is filled with love.

He is undone, terrified, and alone in the desolate world.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

TED DEKKER is a New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty novels with a total of more than 3 million books in print. He is known for thrillers that combine adrenaline-laced plots with incredible confrontations between good and evil. Visit Ted's website to read more of his Bio HERE.

TOSCA LEE is the critically-acclaimed author of Demon: A Memoir--Christy Award finalist and ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Silver Award winner--and Havah: The Story of Eve, which received a starred review from Publishers Weekly and 4.5 stars from Romantic Times.

Forbidden, the first book in her new Books of Mortals series with NY Times Bestseller Ted Dekker, releases September 2011.  Iscariot, Tosca's highly-anticipated novel about the infamous betrayer of Christ, is slated for the upcoming future--keep watch for updates.

A former first runner-up to Mrs. United States, Tosca received her B.A. from Smith College in Massachusetts. She also studied at Oxford University. Visit Tosca's website HERE to find out more about this talented author.

MY GUEST REVIEW:

Thanks to Steve Capell for his fabulous review of FORBIDDEN. Steve is a huge Ted Dekker fan and I think you all are in for a treat with his review since he is such a student of Dekker's work. Steve lives with his wife in the Kansas City Metro Area and is a good friend and wonderful writer. His own blog, TRUE MEDIA SOLUTIONS, can be found HERE. Be sure and visit him there.

This intriguing novel brings the reader on a journey into the future where the human race has been eradicated of human emotions except the emotion of fear. The seven continents are represented by seven rulers that are all under the supreme Byzantine (Rome) ruler. These rulers are human but they are not human. The rulers along with the population have undergone a genetic transformation where their human emotions have been stripped away.

Rom, son of Elais, is given a vial of blood and a piece of vellum with writing that he does not understand. The vial of blood is enough blood to treat five people and after a person drinks the blood they are turned back into true humans with all the emotions that have been ripped away by the man made genetic virus called Legion. Rom is the first person to drink the blood and the effects of being a real human are immediate and emotionally charged.

Rom finds out that the blood that he drank only brings back the human emotions for a short period of time, but through a person called the Keeper he finds out that there is a plan for the entire human race to be delivered from this genetic catastrophe. The Keeper tells Rom that in order for this plan to carried out he will have to risk many things. 

This novel has a biblical symbolic message that is faintly weaved throughout the story. The novel has the opposing good and evil, blood, sacrificial death, and dreams that need translated.

My thoughts:

When I found out from Karen (a.k.a. Bingo) had the opportunity to review a Ted Dekker novel I jumped up and down and waved my hands and asked pretty please let me review this one. Karen was so generous to let me take on this first novel of Ted Dekker and
Tosca Lee's latest trilogy.  I am an avid reader of Dekker and this book which is co-authored by Tosca Lee also lives up to the brilliant writing that I have read in other Dekker novels.

I remember several months ago I listened to a Blog Radio event with Ted Dekker. I found his speaking style to be very down to earth and he seemed to enjoy interacting with readers of his novels. I did some research on Ted Dekker and found out that he has a very unusual upbringing. Dekker was born to missionaries who lived among the headhunter tribes of Indonesia. His first novels had strong spiritual themes and won several awards.

I would of liked to quote several areas in this book so that you could get of flavor of his writing style, but I was reading a ARC and the publisher asked that I not quote from this version. I will say that Ted Dekker's writings brilliantly flow. Character development is expertly crafted – both good and evil characters are deeply flawed resulting in characters that are alive and believable. This novel is exquisitely written and is emotionally stimulating with human love and dignity and counterbalanced with cold and callous evil deeds. Dekker is one of those rare writers whose books are both chilling and cerebral -- the road between chilling and cerebral is full of twists and turns.

I have rated this novel a 4.5 out of 5 rating.

Who should read this novel?

Any person that likes Ted Dekker will with out a doubt want to read this novel. People that like a good mystery with some fantasy will fall in love with Forbidden. I am hooked on Dekker and this is the first novel of his latest trilogy. I will with out a doubt be reading the remaining novels as they are published. Too bad authors can't write and publish as fast as we read, but perfection takes time and Dekker and Lee's latest novel is perfection from cover to cover.

In accordance with new FTC guidelines regarding endorsements and testimonials for bloggers I am disclosing the following: The publisher provided this book and 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

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO SARAH AT HACHETTE BOOK 

GROUP AND CENTER STREET BOOKS,

I HAVE TWO COPIES OF THIS JUST

RELEASED BOOK, FORBIDDEN, TO

GIVE AWAY TO TWO LUCKY READERS 

  

--U.S. AND CANADIAN RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO 
COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!
**NOTE FROM PUBLISHER: Winners will be subject to the one copy per household rule, which means that if you win the same title in two or more contests, you will receive only one copy of the title in the mail so more people get a

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT YOU READ ABOVE ABOUT FORBIDDEN THAT MADE YOU WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK, AND DON'T FORGET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS

+1 MORE ENTRY:  BLOG AND/OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND COME BACK HERE AND LEAVE ME YOUR LINK

+1 MORE ENTRY:  COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FIND INTERESTING AT TED DEKKER'S WEBSITE HERE

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON ONE WAY THAT YOU FOLLOW MY BLOG. IF YOU FOLLOW MORE THAN ONE WAY, YOU MAY COMMENT SEPARATELY TO RECEIVE EXTRA ENTRIES

 
GIVEAWAY ENDS AT

6 PM, EST, SEPTEMBER 28

GOOD LUCK!