When I heard Ted Dekker (one of my all-time favourite authors) was coming out with a new series, I was ecstatic. I purchased it as soon as I could get it and immediately dived into it. And was disappointed. The plotline, while intriguing, is not as good as what's found in Dekker's older books. It sounded almost as though it were written for a younger audience, perhaps high school level. I would have preferred more connection to the Circle Series or the Books of History. That being said, I loved the connections made to Rome, a favourite city of mine. The idea of this futuristic society was very interesting- something I saw traces of as well in The Hunger Games, which I read months later. It is a thought provoker in that humans need to take into greater consideration the power of government and society, and fear and love. While I did enjoy this book, I wish I hadn't spent money on it. When the next books in the series come out, I'll likely just borrow them from the library instead of spending money on them, unless they're better than Forbidden.

Can't wait for the 2nd one to come out! :)

I received this e-book for review from the publisher, Hachette Book Group, through NetGalley. I did not receive any compensation for my review, and the views expressed herein are my own. I thought this book was very interesting! The book takes place at some point in the future. Geneticists isolate the gene that causes fear, and they unleash a contagion on the world that destroys every person's emotion except for fear. By taking away someone's ability to love or hate or covet or a myriad of other emotions, you can ultimately predict how they will act. In this case, because fear is the only emotion that individuals are permitted to have, you create a society that will bend and yield to power out of fear, thereby controlling them. As a result, you have a peaceful society that is oppressed...only they don't realize it! *SPOILER WARNING! Rom, the protagonist, is a 24-year old young man whose father died when he was a child. On his way home one evening, he is approached by a strange elderly man who hands him a package and claims that Rom's father was killed for the secrets contained in the package and that all the other "Keepers" were killed as well. Rom is confused because he thought his father died from fever, but this man tells him that what he has always been led to believe is untrue. He instructs Rom to find a man called "The Book" and to give the parcel to him. Just as he pushes the parcel into Rom's hands, the Citadel Guards (aka the people who keep the peace in their society, what we would call the police) find the old man, who tells Rom to run and to protect the contents of the package. As Rom turns to leave, he witnesses the old man slaughtered before him and then he realizes that he is now no longer safe, as the Citadel Guards turn to come after him. It turns out that the package contains a vial of blood, which has five marks on the side showing five doses. The blood is pure, and any person who drinks of it will have his full range of emotions restored. There is also an ancient vellum that contains a message. Whether it was out of curiosity or doubt or a bit of both, Rom drinks a dose of the blood. Once his senses are awakened, his life is never the same and he knows that it is his destiny to protect the vial with his own life and find the man called "The Book." This is very much a story of "good versus evil," and there is some religious symbolism throughout the book if you are type that likes to analyze that sort of thing. I thought Rom was a fantastic character, and I loved watching his development in the novel. Other characters that I really enjoyed include Avra (Rom's beloved), Triphon (Rom's friend), and Feyn (the Sovereign). This is the first book in a planned trilogy, so the ending sets you up on a bit of a cliff-hanger for the next installment. I enjoyed the book very much, and Forbidden has hooked me into seeing where the story goes next! I have only read one other Dekker novel (Boneman's Daughters), which I also enjoyed. Lee is a new-to-me-author, and I plan to look into her other works. MY RATING: 4 stars! I really enjoyed the book, and I look forward to the next in the series! Thank you, Hachette Book Group, and NetGalley!

Enter a future where every emotion except fear has been removed from humanity. Rom, a simple artisan, is content in this world, until he is thrust in the middle of a battle for power after a vial of blood and a mysterious parchment come into his possession. Soon, his eyes are opened to a world he never imagined, and he is on the run to uncover a closely guarded secret about the true state of the world. Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee have penned a fast-paced and astonishingly good read in Forbidden, and the book was impossible to put down. The world they portrayed is simply fascinating, and I found myself considering questions of what it means to be human, and what role our feelings play in making us who we are. The characters are expertly rendered, and the peril they find themselves in will have your heart racing. A warning to readers – the book is passionate and raw and some of the scenes are violent and bloody as a result. This is definitely not reading for the faint of heart. But for those looking to be swept up in imagining a future unlike anything you may have read about before, this is the book for you. Highly Recommended. 5 of 5 stars. This review is based on an electronic copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley for the purpose of completing this review.