My review of Mortal by Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee

About the book:

Centuries 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. A terrible secret was 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.

Nine years have gone by since an unlikely hero named Rom Sebastian first discovered a secret and consumed an ancient potion of blood to bring himself back to life in Forbidden. Surviving against impossible odds, Rom has gathered a secret faction of followers who have also taken the blood-the first Mortals in a world that is dead.

But The Order has raised an elite army to hunt and crush the living. Division and betrayal threaten to destroy the Mortals from within. The final surviving hope for humanity teeters on the brink of annihilation and no one knows the path to survival.

On the heels of Forbidden comes Mortal, the second novel in The Books of Mortals saga penned by Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee. 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 take the journey. The Books of Mortals are three novels, each of which stands on its own, yet all are seamlessly woven into one epic thriller.

My review:

I loved the first book in this series, but I enjoyed this one even more. There is just something about fiction that parallels the redemptive work of Christ that always inspires me. The world Dekker and Lee created when they wrote this series is compelling and symbolic in a number of ways. I found myself pondering the redemptive meaning of Christ's sacrifice and the use of His blood for our atonement in a deeper way because of this book. I also saw in the story how deception hardens the heart and at the same time how intense and overwhelming our Savior's love is for mankind despite our many flaws.

I found the theology to be pretty deep in this parallel world. This is often true in any of Dekker and Lee's books. They are a perfect match when it comes to creating fiction that speaks to the heart. I found the speech given by Jonathan to be inspiring and insightful. He had a lot to say about life and the difference between being alive - as in body and soul - versus accepting his life's blood and all of the implications that would result from that choice. Several scenes were very emotional and intense. I am eagerly anticipating the third book in the series. The last few pages had some twists that made me glad I wouldn't have to wait long to read Sovereign, which releases in a few months.

Mortal was published by Faithwords and released in June 2012.