Brought to you by OBS staff member Krystal

Book One: The Lost Books Series

Summary
Think with your heart and prepare to die for you have been Chosen.

The land of the Forest Dwellers has been decimated by the Horde under the watchful eye of the vilest of all creatures, Teeleh. Thomas Hunter, supreme commander of the Forest Guard, is forced to lower the recruitment age of his army from 18 to 16. From among thousands, four new recruits are chosen to lead–and perhaps die–for the greater good.

The chosen four are sent on a quest to prove their character, but their mission takes a dramatic turn when they are intercepted, sworn to secrecy, and redirected to a different endgame. Now they must find the seven lost Books of History. Books that have power over the past, present, and future. Books whose words are alive. Books sought by the Dark One that control not only the destiny of their world… but that of ours as well.

Characters
Thomas Hunter – commander of the Forest Guard, said to be from another world
Johnis – a young man who at first is uncertain of his place in the world and the Guard
Silvie – a quiet young woman whose hell bend on avenging the deaths of her parents
Darsal – an insecure young woman who along with Billos likes to be in charge
Billos – a young man and Darsal’s best friend, who doesn’t like Johnis
Gabil & Mickal – the two Roush who help the four youngsters in their travels
Teeleh – the evil creature and source of the plague that spreads across the land

Review
At first glance Chosen reminded me of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings or Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance Cycle, but I was sorely mistaken.

Chosen, the first in The Lost Books series, spans the fifteen year gap between the Circle Trilogy’s Black and Red books. Whether you have or haven’t read the Circle Trilogy doesn’t matter though because The Lost Books stand alone as intriguing tales of good versus evil.

Dekker throws us into a world much like our own, but at the same time very different where 13 years ago a terrible evil wreaked havoc on the followers of Elyon. The evil shows itself in the form of a scaly disease that covers the flesh, turning people into the Horde and decimating the lush and colorful forests. All that’s left is seven small forests surrounding lakes where the people of Elyon bathe daily to rid themselves of the disease.

While the story mainly follows the four teenagers, Dekker frequently plays with point of view in this new tale. He manages to create memorable characters, a visually beautiful landscape, subtle hints, foreshadowing, and clever twists that kept me interested for all 260 pages. A rather short book in comparison to the others out there right now, but worth every word.

Some criticize Dekker’s cheesy dialogue and call the characters underdeveloped, but still find they are unable to put the books down due to his ability to tell a fascinating tale. The majority of people, on the other hand, praise him for the amazing world he has created.