Sovereign, Books of Mortals Series #3

Ted Dekker is one of my favorite authors. I sometimes explain his style as a Christian Stephen King. Paring him with Tosca Lee you know that you are in for a treat. You can pull for your favorite character, but they don't always win and you can't always figure out what will happen, who is good, who is bad, will bad become good, will good become bad. Another series in the style of the Circle series.

In the world of Sovereigns, Immortals, and Dark Bloods, only one group can survive. Pitted against each other, a Sovereign alchemist creates a virus that will wipe out the Immortals and Dark Bloods. Two Sovereign leaders set out to warn the heads of the other groups of their demise, if they do not become Sovereign themselves. Dekker and Lee take you at a breakneck pace into a complex and intelligent allegory of life and death, love and hate, and the cost of both. While the plot is complicated and twisted, you never lose your way and question the validity of a character. They weave a story that is intellectually challenging, while not losing spiritual depth. Remarkable and fascinating, with those moments of "gasp."

This book was an outstanding wrapup to the Mortals triology. The plot kept you guessing until the very end and there was also the teaser at the end of the blood vial being hidden, which left some more mystery....................

Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee have again combined their tremendous writing talent in "Sovereign", the third installment of "The Book of Mortals" series. As with the first two books, the scenes are vividly drawn, the writing is crisp, and the words flow smoothly, sweeping you up into the power of the story. From the start, the scenes explode with action, and I was immediately gripped by the opening chapters as good clashes with evil. My favourite character in this story is easily that of Jordin, who wrestles with doubt and whether she's making the right choices, but ultimately has a powerful encounter that opens her eyes to truth and to love. All of the characters are very well-developed, and I enjoyed the twists that are written into the story, where nothing is black and white, and even the villains invoke sympathy. The authors have created a book and an entire series that has so many parallels to the Christian walk and what Jesus accomplished through his death and through the abundant life he offers us. As such, the book can be read purely for entertainment value, or you can ponder the deeper truths woven into the story. I did find that the book dragged a bit for me in the middle, but by the end I was glued to the pages to see how everything would resolve. I closed the pages thinking about the strength of my own faith in Jesus and how fully I've allowed his truth to bring freedom into every part of my life. Any book that has me mulling over issues of faith while providing an absorbing ride is definitely worth reading!

Sovereign provides a rich adventure, and readers who have enjoyed the first two books in the series are certain to be pleased with this addition. I strongly recommend this book and award it 4 out of 5 stars.

Book has been provided courtesy of Hachette Book Group. Available at your favourite bookseller from FaithWords, a division of Hachette Book Group.