Find my reviews on Blogger ~ Literary Meanderings 
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 Almost 500 years ago, humanity was nearly wiped off the face of the planet by nuclear warfare. Since then, the Order has been established. Society now believes they've evolved from the chaos of their ancestors; chaos brought forth from experiencing emotions. The only emotion they have left is fear. There is no sadness. There is no pain. There is no anxiety. Unfortunately, this society is also without happiness, hope, or love. 
 But not everyone has forgotten what it was like to feel. There are people out there who know the truth; who know of the virus called Legion which stripped humanity of their emotions. 
 One day, a man named Rom, comes across one such person. The man thrusts a vial of ancient blood into Rom's hands, along with these words: 
 "Protect it! It's power and life--life as it was--and grave danger. Run! 
 Run!" 
 This man is a "Keeper". This blood has the power to temporarily re-awaken emotions. Rom drinks some, and knows the truth of it. 
 The Keepers have lived in secret, guarding this vial of blood, waiting for the day a prophecy will be fulfilled. One person's blood can save the world--can give them back their emotions; their lives. 
 Rom, along with a small group of newly-awakened friends, begin a quest for the truth and for the salvation of the human race. 
 "Wage war on death. Live for love." 
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 Frankly, I'm not sure where to start with this review. I've never reviewed a book that falls into the genre of Christian Fiction. This book is an allegory, through and through. If you know your theology, know your bible (which I admit, I do not know mine well), you can easily spot the characters and elements which represent something biblical. I loved it and that sort of surprised me. 
 I suppose I will start with what I didn't like. 
 I had a problem with how quickly the transformation from no-emotions to emotions was accepted by Rom and the others who ingested the blood. I feel like they should've been more confused about all of it. Maybe the speed with which they accept it is supposed to be representative of something, but it just made it seem slightly artificial to me; sort of off. 
 BUT, it was really a minor issue when compared to how fantastic this book was. I'd never read anything by Tosca Lee OR Ted Dekker prior to this. My husband loves them both and has read ALL of their books. He is the reason I chose to read this. I mean, aside from the fact that it's a Dystopian. ;) Anyway, my husband and I went to an author signing for Tosca Lee a few weeks back. I was still in the middle of reading this book when we went to meet her, and I asked her how she and Ted co-authored; did they each write a chapter? Did they each do certain POVs? She told me that one of them would write a piece and then the other would rewrite it. She said to me that not even one sentence in the trilogy is all her, or all Ted. It's a true combined effort. It shows. This plot flows so flawlessly! There was truly no lull to be heard of, and there wasn't a plot-hole in sight. It gripped me from page one, and held onto me until the end. In my opinion, these two make perfect co-authors. Bravo! 
 This story is incredibly fast-paced. If you choose to read it, prepared for total and complete engrossment! This is a very plot-heavy book. The intricacies start from the very beginning and don't let up. You should also prepare for some shocking acts of violence and gore. This book is definitely for adults. There is blood. There is sacrifice. Had the authors toned this down, I don't think the book would've been so compelling. The severity and drama of it all seems quite necessary to me. 
 Let me talk about the characters for a moment. Although they are devoid of emotion (except fear, of course), I connected with them easily! What a feat this must've been; to create characters your readers can connect with, grow to love or hate, without letting them feel emotions. This is beyond impressive to me. Now that is stellar writing skills! Oh yes. 
 All in all, Forbidden floored me. I went into it expecting boredom, but ended up being enthralled and thoroughly impressed with both of these authors. Rich themes, solid narrative, stellar world-building, powerful impact. Forbidden is full of shocking twists and unexpected turns in the plot. It contains masterfully created characters; ones that are easy to connect with and to enjoy (whether it be for their villainy or otherwise) despite the fact that they feel no emotion, save fear. 
 Dekker & Lee closed up the book perfectly. Enough loose ends were left open to make way for the next two books, but it wasn't a cliffhanger. This book is a work of stunning writing and amazing attention to detail. The events all come down to one explosive climax that'll leave you shocked and ready for book two! I could definitely recommend this book for those who enjoy dystopia, suspense, or post-apocalyptic tales--as well as fans of Christian Fiction. It's a powerful story of hope and loss, of love and hate, of selfishness and sacrifice, of good and evil. 
 I definitely plan to continue the trilogy! 
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 Book source: Purchased copy 
 Publisher: Center Street/Hachette Book Group