Mortal is a tale that is wonderfully grand in scope, an epic novel that pits the forces of good against evil in a satisfying and gripping read. The scenes are painted in vivid and crisp detail, marching like a movie across the screen of your mind, and the plot is filled with twists and turns where you wonder who is good and who is evil. Indeed, by the end of the book I realized that nothing is as it seems, making the wait for the final book in the series rather unbearable as I wait to see what is actually going on! My only criticism of the book is that there seemed to be quite a lot of similarities between Ted Dekker's Circle series and Mortal in some of the plot elements and scenes. While the books are indeed supposed to be connected, I experienced perhaps too much of a sense of familiarity in some of what I was reading, rather than my usual awe at watching these authors unveil unexpected story lines. Again, though, the power in this book is watching the different characters come to life, and realizing that those characters who I assumed were good were not necessarily all that good after all. The novel is rich with symbolism, leaving me pondering what it means to be spiritually alive and spiritually dead, and the crazy power of love and the upside-down-nature of God's kingdom. As with Forbidden, readers should be warned that this book contains scenes of violence and blood being spilled, and so readers who usually shy away from such material may not find this book to be to their liking.

Fans of previous works by Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee will ultimately enjoy this well-crafted, superbly paced novel. I strongly recommend this book and award it 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Book has been provided courtesy of the publisher, Center Street, for the purposes of this unbiased review.

A good follow up to the first one and just as riviting

IF YOU ENJOYED THE CIRCLE BOOKS- THE MORTAL BOOKS WILL NOT DISAPPOINT YOU. I LOVE ALL TED DECCKER MATERIAL AND AM A TRUE FAN OF HIS AND TOSCA LEES.

I really enjoyed this series :). It kept me glued to the book until it was finished! I can't wait for the third one to come out!

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.