“Forbidden” by Ted Dekker & Tosca Lee

Byzantium (once known as Rome) is the greatest city on earth with half a million citizens. It’s considered the center of the earth where all things political, religious, social and economic are found. Since the end of the Age of Chaos, it has been the seat of power that all authority acknowledges. Directly below the city’s assembly hall of the senate is another vastness all its own, and only a very few, including Saric, Vorrin’s—the current ruler of the royal family—son, knows of its existence. It is here where the Book of Orders was canonized, the command to destroy all other works of Chaos was given and Sirin—martyred father of the Order—was assassinated by his devotees no less.
Rom, Sirin’s son, is twenty-four years old and finds himself in possession of a vial of serum which is believed to have the blood of his father inside. Said to bring back full-life and restore all human emotion, the serum is doing a serious job of ending a few lives, as well as heightening the only emotion they do have…fear. Pravus, an elder, chose fear to be the emotion everyone keeps. He felt it was the only one needed for survival in the Order.
Feyn Cerelia, Vorrin’s daughter, was to be inaugurated as the new sovereign in five days. The city was bulging with nearly twice as many people, one million to be exact, for the festivities. Imagine that many people and the roads aren’t only bad, but automobiles are extremely rare, too! I hope they have a Reeboks somewhere.
Dekker brings on the thrill of suspense full-throttle in this attention-grabbing novel of rationed electricity and protein-ridden diets. There are many details, which at times are hard to keep track of, but it’s so worth it! This glimpse into Dekker’s make-believe future will have you thinking about your real present.

Reviewed by Terri Ann Armstrong, author of “Morning Menace” & “Medieval Menace”