Sovereign is the third book in The Books of Mortals, a series Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee are writing together. It began in Forbidden, and Sovereign wraps things up pretty well but leaves room for future books. (I cannot tell from this book if more will definitely be written or not.) If you have not read the first two books and think you might, don't read this review. SPOILERS from the first two books follow. Instead, start with my review of Forbidden (above).
If you are familiar with Dekker's Circle series, these books are similar. They are fantasy but hint at the modern world we know as being ancient history. This third book focuses on some different characters than the first two books did. Rom, the main character from the first book, is still in play (though others from that book have died), but we don't get into his thoughts. Instead, the story focuses on Jordin, a warrior from the second book, who took Jonathan's blood into her veins and lost her powers but supposedly gained something more, something that seems to be leaving her with the passage of time, filling her with doubt. The story also focuses on Feyn, the Sovereign of the land and the new villain of the story after the preceding Sovereign, her brother Saric, killed Jonathan and then disappeared into the wild.
Jonathan is this world's version of Jesus, in some ways. He's not exactly the same, the most notable difference being that he loves Jordin as a man to a woman while he's alive. But he does sacrifice himself at the end of the second book, and his blood has all sorts of powers, both before he dies and after.
Jordin is one of a group of dwindling believers who received Jonathan's blood in their veins after his death and call themselves Sovereigns. His blood before death gave powers such as quick reflexes and heightened eyesight, invaluable things for a warrior. His blood after death takes those powers away but seems to come with a deeper insight into life and a bit of precognition. Now, however, six years later, Jordin hangs onto her beliefs with dwindling conviction as the powerful Immortals (those who took Jonathan's blood before his death but not after) and the Dark Bloods (warrior slaves of Feyn's, completely loyal to her, fearless, and also powerful to a lesser degree than Immortals) seek the annihilation of those who call themselves Sovereigns.
When a new virus is threatened to be unleashed, one that will kill the Immortals and Dark Bloods and return the Sovereigns to the emotionless beings they were before Jonathan's blood ever touched them, Rom and Jordin know they must go into the heart of enemy territory if they hope to save their people and discover Jonathan's true purpose.
The plot and setting are a little complicated for me to reiterate here in a succinct manner that doesn't sound completely chaotic. Dekker and Lee do a much better job unwinding the details for you. This is not my favorite series of Dekker's, but it's still fascinating. I kept wondering, along with Jordin, who was wrong and who was right. I missed her superpowers along with her, and I thoroughly enjoyed her side of the story as she ventured into the unknown (I can't reveal too many spoilers!). I found it a little hard to buy into the romance at the end of the book. It seemed a bit contrived and forced. Maybe it just needed more time to develop, because I do like the result of it. And don't worry, I haven't given anything away about it in this blog.
Overall, though, the story is not a romance, at least not in the stereotypical sense, though it is a tale of a higher love. It's a dark story of doubt and living on the edge of life, wondering if you missed the point. It's a story of warriors battling an evil so terrible it takes all love and hope from your being. It's a story of death and life and what it really means to live. And it's a story of redemption, even for what seem to be the vilest of souls. Perhaps that, more than anything, separates it from most fantasy battles of good versus evil. But nobody expects Dekker, or Lee for that matter, to do things the normal way.
Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee make a good team, and I give them four stars for a fantasy story that delivers high entertainment with a deep and true message.
Showing posts with label Books of Mortals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Books of Mortals. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Mortal (The Books of Mortals #2)
If you read and loved The Circle Series by Ted Dekker, his newest Books of Mortals fantasy, co-written with Tosca Lee, is right up your alley. The series begins with Forbidden, reviewed previously HERE, and Mortal is the sequel. The third book, Sovereign, will be released this June. If you haven't read Forbidden and plan to, skip this review for now until you are caught up.
Mortal begins nine years after the events in Forbidden. Rom is now leader of the Keepers who have allied with the Nomads in a group numbering over a thousand brought to life through Jonathan's blood. They call themselves Mortals. The rest of the world is essentially dead, purged of all emotions except fear, which keeps them docile and obedient. In a few days, young Jonathan is set to come of age and take the throne to rule the world, but evil has been waiting for this moment to rise. Saric, supposed dead (truly dead) by the Mortals, is more alive than they could possibly guess. Through alchemy, he has devised a way to feel emotion, albeit a darker version than the Mortals experience, and he's amassed a loyal army from his own blood. The Mortals have dedicated themselves to serving Jonathan, in awe and thanks for the life he's given them, and all their efforts have been poured into preparing to live a life under his rule. But when Jonathan's succession to the throne is suddenly called into question and an army stands in the way of what should have been an easy transition, the Mortals are suddenly thrown into chaos. It doesn't help that their soon-to-be sovereign is reluctant to step into the spotlight and doesn't seem cut out to rule. In fact, the boy seems to have plans of his own...plans that could get him killed.
Ted Dekker's fantasy series are far different from his thrillers, and this one is perhaps even more different than his usual fare because it's co-written. Yet his fantasy series are very similar to each other. In some ways, The Books of Mortals seems like a repeat of The Circle Series. Both are somewhat allegorical, containing symbolic representations of similar Christian ideas. Both take place in a world that has fantastical elements (like superhuman power) but is actually our world at a different point in history. The story arcs of the two series are even similar: characters awaken to a new, vibrant life, but they rebel against any further change, and further change is always required. Thematically, as well, the stories are parallel. Further change comes through sacrifice and blood and appears, to those on the outside, to be unnecessary, even a regression. In fact, the only difference I see between the two series is the packaging of the plot itself, and to be honest, though The Books of Mortals series rests on an intriguing premise, The Circle Series is, as far as I'm able to compare the two with one yet unfinished, the more complex, interesting series. That's not to say The Books of Mortals isn't entertaining and insightful. But comparing the two, it seems like it's been done before, and done so well as to be a difficult act to follow.
As for Mortal itself, I didn't really get into the book until halfway through. It's not as punchy as a Dekker thriller. It takes its time setting the stage for the second half of the book. That's just how fantasy is, often, but since I'm normally grabbed pretty quickly by a Dekker book, I noticed the slow going even more than I might have. The second half of the book, however, is thrilling. The payoff begins. Everything unravels. The characters' lives get worse before they get better. It's the type of conflict that keeps you reading, and it's everything good storytelling should be. Not comparing it to the books of The Circle Series, it's a crazy ride by its own right in an intriguing world with edgy, conflicted characters who explore the deepest themes of life in the ultimate good versus evil plot.
For Ted Dekker, who often likes to blow your mind by making everything you thought you knew about God wilder and more uncomfortable, Mortal is not his strongest portrayal of Truth, though it's certainly full of the right stuff. For me, it was only a three-star read. But that doesn't mean I won't own and treasure this series, like I do most of his other books, because when it comes to Truth, Dekker hits it on the nail.
Mortal begins nine years after the events in Forbidden. Rom is now leader of the Keepers who have allied with the Nomads in a group numbering over a thousand brought to life through Jonathan's blood. They call themselves Mortals. The rest of the world is essentially dead, purged of all emotions except fear, which keeps them docile and obedient. In a few days, young Jonathan is set to come of age and take the throne to rule the world, but evil has been waiting for this moment to rise. Saric, supposed dead (truly dead) by the Mortals, is more alive than they could possibly guess. Through alchemy, he has devised a way to feel emotion, albeit a darker version than the Mortals experience, and he's amassed a loyal army from his own blood. The Mortals have dedicated themselves to serving Jonathan, in awe and thanks for the life he's given them, and all their efforts have been poured into preparing to live a life under his rule. But when Jonathan's succession to the throne is suddenly called into question and an army stands in the way of what should have been an easy transition, the Mortals are suddenly thrown into chaos. It doesn't help that their soon-to-be sovereign is reluctant to step into the spotlight and doesn't seem cut out to rule. In fact, the boy seems to have plans of his own...plans that could get him killed.
Ted Dekker's fantasy series are far different from his thrillers, and this one is perhaps even more different than his usual fare because it's co-written. Yet his fantasy series are very similar to each other. In some ways, The Books of Mortals seems like a repeat of The Circle Series. Both are somewhat allegorical, containing symbolic representations of similar Christian ideas. Both take place in a world that has fantastical elements (like superhuman power) but is actually our world at a different point in history. The story arcs of the two series are even similar: characters awaken to a new, vibrant life, but they rebel against any further change, and further change is always required. Thematically, as well, the stories are parallel. Further change comes through sacrifice and blood and appears, to those on the outside, to be unnecessary, even a regression. In fact, the only difference I see between the two series is the packaging of the plot itself, and to be honest, though The Books of Mortals series rests on an intriguing premise, The Circle Series is, as far as I'm able to compare the two with one yet unfinished, the more complex, interesting series. That's not to say The Books of Mortals isn't entertaining and insightful. But comparing the two, it seems like it's been done before, and done so well as to be a difficult act to follow.
As for Mortal itself, I didn't really get into the book until halfway through. It's not as punchy as a Dekker thriller. It takes its time setting the stage for the second half of the book. That's just how fantasy is, often, but since I'm normally grabbed pretty quickly by a Dekker book, I noticed the slow going even more than I might have. The second half of the book, however, is thrilling. The payoff begins. Everything unravels. The characters' lives get worse before they get better. It's the type of conflict that keeps you reading, and it's everything good storytelling should be. Not comparing it to the books of The Circle Series, it's a crazy ride by its own right in an intriguing world with edgy, conflicted characters who explore the deepest themes of life in the ultimate good versus evil plot.
For Ted Dekker, who often likes to blow your mind by making everything you thought you knew about God wilder and more uncomfortable, Mortal is not his strongest portrayal of Truth, though it's certainly full of the right stuff. For me, it was only a three-star read. But that doesn't mean I won't own and treasure this series, like I do most of his other books, because when it comes to Truth, Dekker hits it on the nail.
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