(Book 1 of The Immortal Trilogy) (The Taker Trilogy)

With her blend of history and fantasy, Alma Katsu comes blazing out of the gates with her first novel. The best aspect of this novel is the fact that the fantasy part of the story is very obtuse. You don't really know what the main character, Lanny McIlvrae is except that she is immortal. With Lanny's beginnings told in flashbacks to Dr. Luke Findley, the reader is drawn into this story of doomed love and dark desires.

Dr. Luke Findley has hit rock bottom. His wife has left him and he feels trapped in the small Main town of St. Andrews. When he clocks into his night shift he never dreamed he would find himself on the run with a mysterious woman named Lanny who was brought in by the police as a murder suspect. As Lanny explains her life, from her humbled beginnings to why she murdered the only man she has ever loved, Luke finds himself falling for this petite damaged woman.

Even though this story says it is a love story, I didn't feel there was much romance between these pages. This love story is what I stated above, doomed love. From Lanny's childhood crush on Jonathan that turns into an obsession to her dark tormented relationship with Adair, the man that gave her immortality. Lanny's life is full of darkness and sadness.

I would definitely recommend this story to anyone that liked Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles. The world building is exceptional and has the potential to be an amazing trilogy. It will consume the reader until the very final pages and leave you desiring the next installment. I am so glad that I took the advice of my local bookstore employee and picked this one up. I think I found a new author to add to my favorites list!

Reading The Taker made me feel like I was watching an oncoming wreck while being stuck in quicksand with my mouth duct taped shut, powerless to warn the victims of their impending doom.

When Lanny is just 14 years old, she falls instantly and madly in love with Jonathan, the son of the town's founder. They become friends and occasionally more. For Lanny it becomes an obsession, going so far as to sabotage Jonathan's relationships.

Jonathan is a bit of an enigma; he's described as beyond beautiful. This brings him the attention of all of the town's women and yet he seems unhappy. He turns to Lanny whenever his relationships hit a speed bump. Every time she comes to his aid, and every time they seem to take a step forward in their relationship only to take 10 steps backwards. I never could tell if Jonathan truly reciprocated any of Lanny's feelings or if he was just using her to get out of his many illicit affairs or as a rebound. She was easy to manipulate into doing his bidding. She's so young and so infatuated that I could see why she would fall for his lines time & time again. I even found myself believing him once or twice. When he's speaking to her he seems so sincere.....until he doesn't.

When her forbidden relationship with Jonathan causes her family to send her away to Boston, Lanny's life hits yet another tragic turn where she falls prey to a group of beautiful strangers offering her shelter and food and maybe the happiness she seeks. There she meets their enigmatic leader, the Romanian Count Adair. Theirs is a house of horrors which nearly leaves Lanny dead until Adair offers her the gift of immortality and possibly forever for her and Jonathan.

This is where the story took me on an emotional and downright disturbing ride. Katsu has drawn such a detailed picture of Adair. I was horrified to learn his background and even more shaken to see what he had become. The story of how he was sold to a cruel alchemist as a naive and innocent boy turned cruel, sadistic leader was tragic beyond words.

The Taker is really several stories told within a story. Lanny in present time after she is brought to a Maine hospital as a murder suspect and through flashbacks spanning 200 years recounting her and Adair's tales. It was very reminiscent of Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice where the Vampire Louie recalled his tragic life to a reporter.

The present day chapters didn't really grip me the way the past did. Lanny meets a Dr. named Luke Findley who, of course, is immediately drawn to her and Lanny finally tells her story. She's lived with guilt and shame for centuries and finally feels the need to unburden herself. She also needs Luke to help her escape from the police and a murder charge.

I wanted to feel sympathy for the characters because of what they've endured but I just couldn't. I only felt pity. Lanny and Jonathan in particular seem to be passive about everything that happens in their lives as if they had no choices other that the ones they've made. Unfortunately, we never really learned much about Jonathan other than he was beautiful which seems a poor reason for Lanny to be inspired to basically sell her soul for him. To her credit Lanny acknowledges this fact. Adair....well let's just say his situation is more complicated. I in no way liked him or condoned any of his actions, but he was incredibly fascinating and I could see how he got to the place he is at.

I wish at least one person was redeemable or even moderately likable but I couldn't find it. Even Luke who may bring hope for Lanny's redemption didn't make much of an impression. I almost see a set up of him being so infatuated with Lanny that he doesn't see her using him to do her bidding like Jonathan used her. This is the first book in a series so I could be way off base here and Lanny could be, in fact, on her way to finding true love or at least redemption. I hope so for everyone's sake. They most certainly deserve it.

I have to warn you that this is a very dark tale of tragedy, selfishness and hedonistic behavior. The sex scenes are plentiful and for me in no way romantic but were surprisingly not graphic. Honestly, I found what she didn't write far more disturbing when left to my imagination than if Katsu had been more graphic. The author uses sex in The Taker not as titillation but as a psychological weapon (IMHO anyway). It's not going to be for everyone and I had a hard time with it myself. I'm used to having at least one character to pin my hopes on....a glimmer of a happily ever after. You're not going to find that here.

Definitely not for the faint of heart. The Taker is beautifully written with characters that will shock and offend you but hopefully you will see it as a cautionary tale. I do wish that Lanny and Jonathan's story was fleshed out more so that I could see what about him was worth all the sacrifices Lanny made. Adair was both revolting and riveting as the villain.
Tragic..... yes, but I could not look away.

First Impressions: I actually had never heard of this author or this book before I had scoped it out on Goodreads one day. It looked and sounded amazing so I took a chance and requested it for review. I think the cover art is simple and beautiful. This book has rave reviews all over the place, so I was really excited when it arrived and I could start getting into it.

First 50 Pages & Style of Writing: The first thing I noticed was Alma Katsu's style of writing. It is absolutely outstanding. She writes in an effortless, exquisite, yet simple way that just sucks you right in. I felt like I was reading an Anne Rice novel, but without all of the vampires. Her writing style is very similar to Anne Rice's; it's very detailed with an overload of imagery. I knew immediately I wasn't going to be able to put this book back down any time soon. This book was addictive to say the least.

Plot & Characters: I want to point out first that I usually do not care for Historical Fiction in any form, unless it is mixed with some sort of paranormal aspect. The paranormal aspect in this book was very unique. There weren't vampires or werewolves. It was more of a spell of immortality, and I would even dare to say, a big curse in a tiny bottle. It was very refreshing to stray from the normal paranormal creatures and deal with characters who seemed mostly normal, except they could not die easily.

The two main characters I want to touch base on were Lanore and Jonathan. I loved Lanore as the main character and her persistence would impress anyone. She had loved Jonathan since she was a child and she never gives up on him, even hundreds of years later. Jonathan on the other hand, I couldn't stand. I didn't feel any pity for him, even when he lost his mortality unwillingly. Throughout the book, I could not see any reason why Lanore kept trying to get him to love her, especially after one particular incident right before Lanore leaves for Boston.

Throughout all of the twists and turns in this book, I loved the underlying theme of taking and receiving of love. This book clearly illustrates that some people can easily give their love, while others are more suited for receiving. It is a constant battle in this book and it is what keeps the plot going up until the end.

I need to point out one more thing. This book is NOT going to be for everyone. There are ALL forms of sex in this book, willing and unwilling. If you are sensitive to these subjects, I would recommend rethinking your purchase of this book. Some scenes are fairly graphic and it might make a more conservative reader uncomfortable.

Final Thoughts: This is one of the best historical/paranormal books I have read since Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire. It is sensual and haunting and it felt like it stayed with me for a long time after I had finished the book. I would recommend this book to a less conservative reader any day. Alma Katsu's writing is superb and I can't wait to read more from her. I Loved it!

Luke Findley is just settling in for another boring night, working the midnight shift at the local hospital, when the police bring in a young girl completed covered in blood. If that wasn't interesting enough she's also just confessed to murdering a man only hours before. Luke is shocked. Most of the time all he sees at the hospital are hunting accidents and cases of domestic abuse. For someone that has just murdered another, however, she seems quite calm. In fact she's barely spoken a word since they picked her up.

That all changes once alone in the exam room - she begins to open up. She begs Luke to help her escape, claiming she's not like other people. To prove her point she grabs a scapel and slashes herself right across the chest. To Luke's amazement, instead of bleeding, the wound magically begins to heal itself right in front of his eyes. Luke agrees to help her as long as she tells him who she is and so begins an adventure that has spanned centuries and will show Luke a world that he's never imagined.

The Takeris an interesting cross between a paranormal novel and a historical fiction novel. I often find this can be a dangerous line to walk; it's so easy to cross over into the land of cheesy writing. Thankfully The Takersteers clear. I found it to be engaging and exciting. Due to the nature of the myserious girl's...condition...the reader isn't limited to only one time period. The story sweeps you from place to place and you just get lost in the stories and the settings. I loved the variety of historical settings and how well each of them were represented.

I have read a number of reviews and articles about this book that mention it being a vampire story (I even read this is Shelf Awareness). I would like to set the record straight and say there are no vampires in this book. There is no biting, or blood drinking and everyone functions during both day and night. I can't go into too much detail of what actually happens without getting into spoiler territory but there is definitely some unique and interesting paranormal twists going on in this novel and though I do like my vampire stories I found this a refreshing change.

I really enjoyed the detail of The Taker, It really did feel like I was being swept away to the different places. The characters were interesting and I could feel myself hanging onto every word, unable to stop reading. This is a great book for fall. Perfect to read outside, once it gets a little cooler and the leaves begin to turn.

I truly believe that a good series needs a strong foundation, a clever and thoughtful star to help us connect with the characters and the story that will develop next.
This is what happened with me and The Taker, I finished the book in less than two days and honestly I liked it a lot.

What intrigued me the most is the lack of explanation for the immortality of characters like Lanore, Adair or Uzra. During a second I was worried they would be vampires (because I'm very tired of vampires right now...) but then no reasons or origin came to explain this other than alchemy. And I think that's brilliant.
I mean, think about it, vampires are often tortured souls that seek forgiveness for their sin of killing to survive. In this case the characters can choose to follow their nature to survive, being good or bad is only a mere conception of the world. They don't need to kill to exist, but they can choose to do it if that's what they desire.

As for the plot Alma Katsu did a marvelous job taking us from the present where Luke, a doctor that has suffered quite a bit lately, meets a girl, a murder suspect to be more precise. And after she introduces herself as Lanore she proceeds to tell him her story so he can help her escape.
And this is were Ms. Katsu won my heart. Lanny's past was a intricate net of drama, love, despair, violence and survival. A tale of bad or desperate decisions that would lead to more problems for the girl to solve or simply live with.

The cast of characters is vast and their past as marveling and tortured as Lanny's. Some I loved like my dear Uzra, but some I hated and feared for they were twisted and cruel like Adair.

Although sometimes the pace was a little bit slow and the change between first and third person confused me at the beginning overall The Taker has been one of the best adult books I've read in a lot of time.
A dark tale that is intended to a more mature audience as it shows the raw side of human nature.

As for me I can't wait to continue with The Reckoning very soon :]

I bought this & then saw that CosmoUK regarded it as "Twilight for grownups". I'd read almost 100 pages of Twilight & bailed. I couldn't stand anything about the characters or story & the prose was nothing memorable. So, I set this aside. I loved the cover though & finally, having a wonder about what I'd read next, I picked this up with not very high expectations. I'm thrilled to say that I loved it! This is not a vampire/werewolf/witch/angel/fey or anything else that's popular paranormal right now, story! So do expand your idea of the paranormal for this one. Part of the fun in the reading is finding out WHAT exactly they are. The characters were mostly very engaging. Luke & Jonathan pale in comparison to Lanore & Adair but, that seemed understandable, or at least, forgivable, to me.

I must admit that I am not sure to whom the title is referring. Lanore, Jonathan & Adair are all a "Taker" in their own way. They're some bizarre three-sided die that reflect & cancel one another out. None are wholly evil or unsympathetic in the reading. It's a pretty twisted triangle & often I felt that Lanore & Adair were opposite sides of the same coin or that Jonathan & Adair were. I was amazed that Lanore bothered with Jonathan when there was nothing that was exceptional about him, save his looks. He wasn't particularly good, noble, self-sacrificing or able to commit to her, yet she was stuck on stupid where he was concerned. I didn't really see it as love. It seemed more a sick obsession for what you cannot have. If she hadn't realized that she never would, it may have looked differently but she was aware & she still tried to bend Jonathan to be with her no matter the cost, to her or him. As much as I wanted to sympathize with her plight, I really couldn't. She was the architect of her own misery & did so knowingly. That she had to be the one to release him from the fate she'd imposed on him & suffer the loss, seemed somehow, fitting.

And then there's Adair. I could go on about him for a week, so convoluted a character he is but I don't have that kind of time. Suffice it to say, I felt that this was very much a character study of he & Lanore. His cruelties are inexcusable & not cancelled out by his more tender moments & as I read, I wondered how he had become partly the monster that tormented him for so long. It was terribly sad & I waited to find out the answer. The answer came & while I felt a little let down by it, I think there must be more to the story than that (& not just because this is the first book in a series) because it felt too simple. Too easy. And probably I didn't want to believe that there's nothing of the early Adair we're told about that remains. Fingers crossed, I'll find out reading "The Reckoning".

I have since seen this book listed as perfect for fans of the previously-Twilight-fan-fiction "Fifty Shades of Grey" series. I haven't read that series but I will say this, The Taker is not an erotic novel. Sure, there's sex in all manner of variation but that's not the point of the story & it certainly isn't graphic or gratuitous. I am hard pressed to see that fans of that series are going to be sated reading "The Taker" if that is their expectation. This is more a literary historical gothic romance. Frankly, it's written so well, I think pimping it with either "Twilight" & the "Fifty Shades" series is a disservice. I grant that any author wants as many people reading their work as possible, but I can't be the only person who almost passed on this for the reference. So, if you're a woman who wasn't a Twilight fan (I know there have to be at least ten of us out here. :) ) & aren't looking for a book of non-literary erotica (which can be fabulous time passers), then you should read The Taker.

I absolutely loved the cover, and the plot was filled with twists and turns. There was also some occasionally gorgeous writing.

BUT... I did not really care what happened to either Luke, nor Lanore, and the device of Lanore telling a story and then switching to yet another voice, another time period, did not work well for me. This book did interest me enough to finish it, but not enough for me to want to read the rest of the trilogy.

Also, the Lanore & Jonathan "love story" is really a story of a handsome guy who's a narcissistic jerk, and the girl who's unhealthily obsessed by him, which is neither enhanced nor improved by being spread out over a couple of centuries.

got this book from the library after winning the second book in the series (The Reckoning) online. I don't usually read paranormal fiction but the synopsis sounded intriguing and I already had the second book so I thought I'd give it a try.

Unfortunately it wasn't exactly what I was expecting. I actually found the book quite long and boring. Many of the characters weren't that interesting and I just didn't really care about their fate. For example, the main character, Lanny, is in love with a guy named Johnathan. He's not mean to her or anything, just indifferent. They are friends but it's clear that he'll never love her the way she loves him. And yet she remains hung up on him throughout the entire novel. Of course it's understandable that some people are hard to get over, but the amount of time she had to do so doesn't seem to justify the fact that she didn't. Plus, he doesn't seem to be anything remarkable so it was hard to see why exactly she liked him so much.

Then, another character, Adair, brings the supernatural element to the book. So an entire section is dedicated to a detailed flashback about how he acquired his powers. I felt like a short little story would suffice but instead the story went on and on, giving so many details about his previous life. Again, I just didn't care about it. But I kept reading hoping the book would get even better at the end.

Unfortunately the book never did pick up and I began feeling obliged to read it. After finishing the book I was left with a bad taste in my mouth, not because of the book, but because I realized I was reading it because I felt like I had to, not because I wanted to. I already won the second book so I felt obliged to give the first a chance. So now I'm on the fence about reading the second one.

So overall The Taker wasn't a book for me. I'm sure there are many readers who will identify with the main characters and want to find out what happens to them. I wasn't one of them and that, along with my feelings of obligation to read this book, made me like the novel even less. So yes, I'm completely biased in my feelings of this book. But if it seems like something you'd like, then definitely give it a chance.

THE TAKER by Alma Katsu

THE TAKER can best be described as a novel of mixed genre. It is a historical fantasy that spans the past to the present with sci-fi undertones, gothic horror and there is a definite love story, of sorts. Some reviewers have labeled The Taker as a romance story that crosses the centuries, but for everything I have read, this is definitely not a romance novel. The Taker is well written, thought provoking and eerily depressing. The novel spans two centuries in the life of Lanore (Lanny) McIlvrae and is told through flashbacks and flash forwards using three different and varying points of view. My biggest concern is that the novel left me depressed yet wanting more. Apparently I am a reading-masochist at heart because I want to know what happens next and I know I will regret both-not reading and reading more.

The novel is divided into three parts and three stories. There are overlapping stories (between the parts) where flashbacks are required to explain the significance to the current day drama and within the parts-the story is told from two different points of view and the current day is narration. Some readers may find the back and forth confusing, but the individual storytellers recount the circumstances of how they came to be.

Lanny and Jonathan is a story of unrequited love. Lanny has loved Jonathan all of her life and the fact that she has lived more than 200 years, has never eased the longing and memories. But the heartache grows deeper and the sorrow of loss and pain becomes almost unbearable with every bitter story of conquest and denial. Jonathan's history of womanizing will eventually catch up and it will be Lanny who will make the decision between life and death.

Lanny and Adair is another story of love, power and control. But as her Master, Adair demands things from those he has brought into his life, and his demands are hard, especially on Lanny. Adair believes he is unlovable, a man who has lived 100s if not 1000s of years, but with each incarnation, he becomes more despondent and bored. His need for Lanny can only be explained as a necessary evil. Is it because he knows she will never love him the way she have loved Jonathan, or does it go much deeper than a maker to his charge?

Lanny and Luke's relationship is the overlapping narration throughout the story. On the run from the authorities, Luke aids Lanny in her cross country and cross continent trek searching for the answers as to who and what is Lanny McIlvrae. Their adventure is the storyline. Lanny recounts her story to Luke, flashing back to the time of her making and allowing Adair's point of view to flash us back even further. It is this particular part of the storyline that is the apex of the story. All other storylines are told throughout Lanny and Luke's adventures.

The Taker is a well-written novel. It is not a story of vampires and blood. It is dark, mysterious, depressing and passionate. The storyline will haunt and anger. There is grief for the loss of a love, of a child and a life once shared. But in all honesty when I finished the novel, I felt depressed. There was only loneliness and misery, sorrow and pain. There is no HEA. But this is only Book ONE. OK....*looking around for some Xanax and a couch*....on to The Reckoning July 2012 (Book TWO ) and The Devil's Scribe (e-novella)

see all of my reviews at: thereadingcafe.com

Full, non-spoiler review courtesy at ~ Book & Movie Dimension (blog) ~

The story of unrequited love takes a new meaning in "The Taker". For Lanore ("Lanny") life close to childhood friend Jonathan St. Andrew is enchanting. Jonathan has an incredible charasmatic pull which Lanore can't help herself fall in love with. As Lanore matures into a woman she realizes that same love will allow her to to go to great extremes. Sadly she also realizes that Jonathan isn't able to return her love. When tragedy strikes she's forced to leave the town of St. Andrew, Maine to Boston. Scared and alone she comes to meet Adair, a mysteriously seductive man, who gifts her with immortality. Going from the present through the past's many centuries with beautiful description makes it a very pleasant experience. It is in this way, we hear Lanore's story of an intense love, painful memories, and human nature that is left to the reader: to either forgive or forsake.

The characters within The Taker contain remarkable beauty and immortality yet are never content. The most admirable of all the characters is Lanore with her fierce undying love for one man.

The Taker not only has a beautiful amazingly rich storyline but its characters are by far the most complex. I've seen in a while. There is this evocative feel as well as sadness within the story that we can sympathize or at times even despise. A very, very emotional read that will leave you uplifted with its many lessons or shattered. For if your read "The Taker" you'll understand. It's just so richly detailed and beautiful! And, I'm happy to say I'm in love with The Taker!
For This Review: *Book Copy Provided Through Goodreads First-reads Giveaway Program*

Quotes of The Taker by Alma Katsu

" You might ask if I love Jonathan for his beauty, and I would answer: that is a pointless question, for his great, uncommon beauty was an irreducible part of the whole. It gave him his quiet confidence--which some might called aloof arrogance--and his easy, disarming way with the fairere sex.
And if his beauty drew my eye from the first, I'll not apologize for it, nor will I apologize for my desire to claim Jonathan for my own. To behold such beauty is to wish to possess it; it's desire that drives every collector. And I was hardly alone. Nearly every person who came to know Jonathan tried to possess him. This was his curse, and the curse of every person who loved him. But it was like being in love with the sun: brilliant and intoxicating to be near, but impossible to keep to oneself. It was hopeless to love him and yet it was hopeless not to.
And so I was afflicted by Jonathan's curse, caught up in his terrible attraction, and both of us were doomed to suffer for it."
~ Lanore McIlvrae, The Taker (Pg. 24)

" But now with hard-earned wisdom, I understand how foolish we were to say such dangerous words to each other! We were arrogant and naive, thinking we knewwhat we felt was love. Love can be a cheap emotion, lightly given, though it didn't seem so to me at the time. Looking back, I know we were only filling in the holes in our souls, the way the tide rushes sand to fill in the crevices of a rocky shore"
~ Lanore McIlvrae, The Taker (Pg. 97)

" You shouldn't take his inconstancy to heart. He's not capable of such love, not for any woman. He's not capable on putting anyone else's needs before his own wants and desires. For instance, he told me it troubles him that he makes you so unhappy---'
~ Adair, The Taker (Pg. 97)

" That was when it hit me, what I had lost. Jonathan had always been there, even during the years when we were apart, and the resonant hum had always been in the back of my mind, a comfort. Now all, I had was a great, sucking void."
~ Lanore McIlvrae, The Taker (Pg. 430)

" I don't remember ending up at the highway, limping along the logging road to be found by the sheriff and his deputy. It wasn't until I'd been locked in the car with my hands cuffed that it all came back to me, that I realized all I wanted was to be back in the woods with him, to die with him so we could stay together forever."
~ Lanore McIlvrae, The Taker (Pg. 430)

Overall: Amazing read!
Genre: Fiction, Immortals, Alchemy, Historical Fiction, Romance
Recommend Ages: 17 and Up

After midnight, Dr. Luke Findley of St. Andrew, Maine gets an unusual patient, murder suspect Lanore Mellvare. A young man's body had been found in the nearby woods along with "Lanny". As Luke attends to this young woman, who the police said looks "pale", which is probably due to the cold Maine temperatures, Lanny begins to tell the doctor an unbelievable tale. The man's body that is now in the morgue is none other than the body of Jonathan St. Andrew, which cannot be true as no St. Andrew has been alive for a few hundred years.

Pleading for Luke to help her escape, Lanny continues her story which starts in 1811 and talks about her admiration for the town founder's son, Jonathan, despite her father's and brother's hatred for the St. Andrew family. You see St. Andrews were quite wealthy, while everyone else struggled to get by. Secretly, and despite being a few years younger, Lanny develops a friendship with Jonathan that later turns into a fling, one that results in her pregnancy. Lanny tries to hide her situation from her family. Jonathan becomes engaged to another very young girl, an arrangement made by his father. With nowhere else to turn, Lanny tells her parents of her pregnancy. Her father is furious and embarrassed. The decision is made that Lanny will be sent to Boston to live at a nunnery, in which the baby will be given up for adoption.

Lanny's life completely changes as she arrives in Boston. She is instantly swept into a wealth man's, Adair, odd group, where in time she becomes Immortal. She now has riches beyond her wildest dreams, but the only thing she can think about is her beloved Jonathan.

The Taker is a stunningly haunted tale that will stay in your thoughts long after you have read the last word. From the first paragraph, I was swept into this creative world of Lanore "Lanny" Melvare. This is not a sweet love story; this is a very dark and twisted love story. Despite what you might think, Lanny is not a vampire, she is just an immortal, which was forced upon her. The good Doctor Luke Findley is a lost soul and caught up into the dangerous world that Lanny has created for herself. The Taker is a blend of the Interview with a Vampire, and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. The narrative is wonderfully written as is the plot. The paperback edition that I have reviewed includes a sneak peak of the upcoming sequel, The Reckoning. The Taker is a beautiful read and I recommend it to all readers.

The Taker: Book One of the Taker Trilogy was listed in BookList's Top 10 Debut books.

Lanore, "Lanny," shows up in her northern Maine hometown covered in blood, and the police say that she has confessed to killing a man and leaving him in the frozen woods. ER doctor, Luke Findley, becomes the recipient of a Gothic fairy tale that is more dark and sinister than full of fairy dust, unless that fairy is an evil alchemist and sodomite.

The Taker is a story within a story, within a story, spanning from the dark ages through the present day, and Lanny claims to be immortal, but do not be mistaken into thinking she's a vampire or werewolf. She is neither. Her unrequited love for the town pretty boy, Jonathan St. Andrew, is the main crux of the story and how it brings about her downfall that leads to her life as an immortal. Katsu spoke recently at Novel Places about the book and revealed that the story of Pinocchio is the backbone of her novel, which is clear in how the desire to grow up and become a woman with her own life separate from her family propels Lanny to be easily led astray. However, that is where the similarity ends. Katsu's novel is ripe with sodomy, rape, kidnapping, murder, and more, which is why it would be a perfectly dark book to read this season as Halloween approaches and is what would once have been considered horror (rather than the popular category of paranormal, which has a "lighter" tone to it).

Read the full review:[...]

The 411 by Karen (Maria Space's first freelance book reviewer):

The Taker is a classic tale of almost unrequited love.

Lanny is a young girl in Puritan Maine at the turn of the 19th century, she is in love with Jonathan, the son of the richest family in town. Jonathan is adored by all the women of the town because he is stunningly handsome and of course because of his position.

Unfortunately Jonathan is hated by the men of the town for the very same reason. As it goes an unlikely friendship bonds Lanny and Jonathan together and eventually Lanny finds herself with child.

Lanny's family sends her away to Boston bound for a convent in order to avoid the shame that would be brought upon the family should she stay.

Upon arriving in Boston Lanny decides she does not want to give up her baby and disappears into Boston where she is soon taken up by a group of mysterious characters who have their own dark agenda. Lanny finds herself involved in a world far removed from her sleepy Maine home and soon in an unreal battle against evil in its most base form.

Adair a wealthy royal from the old world has just arrived in Boston and is the toast of the town. Adair takes a special liking to Lanny and her world will forever be changed.

This book is a page turner leaving the reader with many questions and a hunger for the second of this trilogy.

While it took until the end of the book to find out what Lanny is and I am still not 100% certain, the build up was appreciated. There were many times, I felt that the story had some unnecessary moments and the same amount of time, I felt that moments should have been elaborated on.

I would be remiss not to mention the amount of sex in the book. While it wasn't offensive to me, there was a lot of non-consensual, violent sex and this could put off some readers. With that being said, it depends on what you like to read and I leave that up to you, the reader.

On another note, the cover, is beautiful and demands to be read.

While working the midnight shift at the hospital Dr. Luke Findley is surprised when a young, petite woman is escorted into the E.R. accused of a brutal murder. Luke is instantly drawn to Lanore (Lanny) McIlvrae and the more he learns about her the more he is compelled to help her.
As Lanny tells her incredible story to Luke it becomes clear she isn't like other people as her history goes all the way back to the days when the Puritans founded the town of St. Andrew in Maine. Lanny's tale is one of obsession. She formed an unlikely friendship with Jonathan, the son of the town's founder, and spent her whole life captivated by his beauty and frustrated by her inability to make him love her the way she loves him. A tragic affair sends Lanny off to Boston where her fate becomes tangled up with Adair- a nobleman with the key to immortality. Lanny's obsession with Jonathan piques the interest of her new, sadistic benefactor and soon Lanny draws Jonathan into a strange world neither of them can escape.

I was surprised at how much I liked this dark and at times disturbing tale of unrequited love, obsession and the price of immortality. It is a story within a story within a story and the way Katsu tells it is beautiful and compelling. The characters were all deeply flawed but that made them all the more interesting. There is a lot of violence and sex scenes, including rape and sadistic acts, but I believe they are necessary to portray the true evil that bound these characters together. It was almost too much for me, but I do feel this author handled these parts with skill and tact. This is the first of a trilogy, but IMHO, the ending was enough for this to be a stand alone read. I will be going to the library tomorrow to get the second book because I am not ready to be finished with this story.
I have to end with my favorite quote:

“I've always wanted him to love me the way I loved him. He did love me, I know he did. Just not the way I wanted him to.
And it's so different for a lot of people I've known. One partner doesn't love the other enough to stop drinking, or gambling, or running around with other women. One is the giver and one is the taker. The giver wishes the taker would stop."
"But the taker never changes," Luke says, though he wonders if this is always the case.
"Sometimes the giver has to let go, but sometimes you don't. You can't. I couldn't give up on Jonathan. I seemed to be able to forgive him anything.”

The Taker was a really fascinating novel that sucked me in from the beginning. It was a dark, sexy, mysterious page turner.

Lanny McIlvere is brought into the ER of a small town in Maine bloodied but seemingly unhurt. She's been arrested on suspicion of murder. Dr. Luke Findley is on staff that night and sets out to examine her for injuries. Finding known, he begins to question Lanny about the blood that is all over her clothing. She admits that she killed someone but says that they wanted to die. Lanny begins to tell Luke her story and soon convinces him to help her escape from the police. During their get-away, Lanny begins to unravel the story of her past to Luke. The novel moves back in forth between the present and the 1800's.

I thought the story was interesting and it captivated me but I really disliked most of the characters including the heroine. Usually this would be a problem for me but having a cast of reprehensible characters is what made this novel so good. I wanted to like Lanny and even felt sorry for what she went through. I just didn't understand her infatuation with her ex-lover, Jonathan and how she pined away for him for so long. But The Taker was about unrequited love & betrayal and the journey through it was dark & twisted. One of the most warped characters in the novel is Adair. His story was intriguing and will have you on an emotional roller-coaster.

Jude then fixed his maniacal glare upon me. "I've come to warn you, too. It's a dangerous game you're playing. There's a reason the rest of us maintain a distance from Adair, and we've all learned our lesson the hard way. But now you've shown him love and that's given him the notion that he is deserving of such devotion. Did you ever think that perhaps the only thing that holds the devil in check is that he knows how despised he is? Even the devil longs for sympathy at times, but sympathy for the devil is fuel for the flame. Your love will embolden him - likely in a way that will bring you regret."
~Jude to Lanny

The Taker was an impressive debut novel. It was filled with flawed characters, wicked sex and rich historical elements with dark magic weaved into the mix. Alma Katsu's novel kept me enthralled to the very end.

Debut author, Alma Katsu has really hit a home run with The Taker. This book is so anti-love, a true pessimist's delight. The Taker shows with Lanore Mcllvrae, the main protagonist, how falling in love with someone who doesn't love you in the same way back can destroy your life. In the case of Lanore, Alma has created a more sensationalized example, using supernatural elements to prove that love can be not only destructive but can become an unhealthy obsession that will eat away at a person until they're a lifeless husk.

Since I'm a pessimist when it comes to love, especially romantic love (which I guess is ironic because not only do I love reading romance but I write it), The Taker really spoke to me on so many levels. I ached for Lanore because of the cruel and selfish actions, not only from the man she has adored her entire life, but from a reprehensible individual who gives her the means to have everything she ever desires, if only she will love him back with her entire soul. At the same time I felt Lanore was much like a victim in a horror movie. You know it won't end well for them as you watch them take actions that will lead to their demise, where the killer is hiding in the basement, waiting for their intended victim to investigate the strange noise they heard.

The Taker is much like a horror movie where love is the crazed serial killer and its victims are those who fall in love and want to be loved by that person they fixate on. Unfortunately the object of their fixation is responsible for their ruin.

This story begins in present day with Dr. Luke Findley. Luke works the overnight shift at the hospital in the backwater town of St. Andrew in the northernmost corner of Maine. Luke is divorced, hardly ever sees his children and is living in the run down house his dead parents once owned. One night a young woman is brought it. She looks barely legal and is accused of murdering a man in the woods. The local authorities want Luke to make certain she's well (she's covered in blood and wounded) before they bring her to jail and question her. The woman, Lanny, tells Luke her name and there's a justifiable reason she had to kill the man she was with. She then cuts herself with a scalpel and before Luke's eyes she heals. She begs him to help her escape and against his better judgment he does that. Luke wants answers, which Lanny will give him. Both go on a road trip where Lanny tells him of her past and how she's over two-hundred years old.

Lanny once lived with her family in a village that Luke knows as St. Andrew. The earliest memory Lanny has is of the year 1809 when she's twelve and realizes she has fallen in love with Jonathan St. Andrew, the son of the richest man of the village. Lanny dreams she'll marry Jonathon, but he thinks of her more as a friend, although she receives her first kiss from him. They become close, but Jonathon turns to other women for comfort, even impregnating a married woman who ends up killing herself, which Lanny feels responsible for. Lanny continues to wait for Jonathon to come to his senses and admit how much he loves her. Jonathon eventually turns to Lanny for physical pleasure and the outcome is devastating. Lanny ends up pregnant, but Jonathon is engaged to another woman and can't marry her. With no other choice, Lanny is banished to a convent in Boston to give birth, where she will have to give up her child.

Lanny reaches Boston, unchaperoned and never reaches the convent. She ends up being taken, or rather coerced, by a woman and a man of means. Lanny makes another big mistake and ends up at a house of horrors, where the master of the domain there, Adair, a nobleman, decides to keep Lanny with him in his eccentric menagerie or his family as he calls them. A series of unfortunate events, thanks to Adair leaves Lanny near death. Adair grants her the gift of immortality, which she accepts.

Lanny has become like Alice who fell down the rabbit hole. Adair's world is full of fiendish sexual delights that Lanny can't help but enjoy. Because she has nowhere else to turn, she allows Adair to tutor her and become her protector. She becomes his favorite and wants her love all for himself. But she can't give him what he wants because her heart belongs to Jonathon. And that's when Adair plans for Lanny to have her heart's desire and orders her to bring Jonathon into the fold. If she doesn't, the consequences could be disastrous not only for her, but for Jonathon as well. She'll have to pay a major price, but when all is said and done she'll finally have Jonathon like she always wanted.

The Taker is a heartbreaking read with unredeemable characters because of their faults and wants. There's a great deal of gloom and doom within these pages, mainly from Lanny whose one stupid move was falling for Jonathon, who is ruled by his cock. He's the worst kind of male, a weak human being who longs for sexual gratification regardless of the consequences of his actions. Adair, the villain of the piece, is more insightful on why he does the things that he does. He makes no apologies and embraces all that he is. He's very manipulative and uses this form of oily persuasion to get what he wants, especially from Lanny.

I can see why Jonathon wasn't dedicated to Lanny. She's pretty average in both looks and personality and doesn't have that appeal Jonathon is searching for. He treats Lanny more like a faithful dog, a pet he plays with until he grows bored. I couldn't really understand why Adair was so enamored with her either. And, the modern day romance with Luke and Lanny seems weak and lacking, especially when we see Lanny's passion for Jonathon and her at times spectacular life with Adair.

The Taker may seem heavy on the sex, but it's written in almost a subdued way with a few throwaway lines here and there. The overall sexual dynamics between the characters are not the important thing here, but more for the psychological and emotional aspect when two join their bodies together to express their hunger for the flesh or a simple desire to be close to another.

The Taker will most likely have many different opinions on what has been accomplished here. It ends with a possible sequel, and when all is said and done, nothing has really been learned, mainly with Lanny. She has an understanding of her situation and the outcome of her actions, but I can see her reverting back to where she once began, searching for acceptance and love in all the wrong places.

Perhaps the best way to explain what The Taker is all about is straight from the words of the author:

"Love can be a cheap emotion, lightly given, though it didn't seem so to me at the time. Looking back, I know we were only filling in the holes of our souls, the way the ride rushes sand to fill in the crevices of a rocky shore. We-or maybe it was just I-bandaged our needs with what we declared was love. But, eventually, the tide draws out what it has swept in."

Makes you think how damaging and ridiculous falling in love can be, which I believe has been accomplished with The Taker.

Katiebabs

"The Taker" defies categorization. Is it a romance? Is it a fictional memoir? Is it a fantasy? It is a seamless blend of genres, that invokes the reader and makes the reader want more, past the end of the book.

Dr. Luke Findley is called to the ER in St. Andrew, Maine where he lives. Expecting a quiet night at the ER, he instead is brought a beautiful woman with a mysterious past. The woman is mysterious and states she is from St. Andrews originally. Lanore (Lanny for short)claims to be a murderer, and also claims to be over 160 years old. She convinces Luke to help her escape the hospital and flee to Canada. Once they are on the road, the novel divides itself. Luke reminises about his ex-wife Trisha and his children who live with her and her boyfriend. Lanny's narrates her past as an innocent girl turned immortal.

Lanore, in 1809, falls in love with Jonathan St. Andrew, of the rich family who founded the town in Maine. She is helpless to do anything about this as she is of a different social situation from Jonathan. They become friends, much to their families dismay. Jonathan is the talk of the town, a handsome man with good manners and money to burn. He enjoys many affairs, and Lanny finds herself intervening in one of these affairs when Jonathan does not know what to do. A tragedy enfolds afterward, and Lanny never forgives herself.

Jonathan discovers that in a way, he does love Lanny; and they begin an affair. This turns out disasterously-Lanny finds herself pregnant-and when she admits this to Jonathan, he states bluntly that he is betrothed to someone in the village and that they will be announcing this soon. After Lanny reveals her situation to her family, she is sent away to a nunnery. However, she and her chaperone to the nunnery become separated, and she decides to run away. In Boston with no prospects, she decides to wander the streets, and then she encounters some beautiful strangers in a carriage. The strangers are Alejandro, Tilde and Dona-for whatever reason they become enamored with her and invite her to a party that evening. Lanore's naivety allows her to join them--and then the story really begins.

I don't want to give too much of the book away. It is truly wonderful, and I could not put it down. Alma Katsu's writing style is reminiscant of Ann Rice, it is that gothic and thrilling. Lanny's narration is the exciting part of the story, and when she is not narrating but Luke is with his story the book is not as interesting. The end of the book easily sets the pace for a sequel. It is a romance-but not between the people you think-and a page turning adventure.

I had mixed feelings about this book from the beginning to end...

When I encountered the writing of Katsu, and found it very well done, I just kept on reading until I finished the book.

Perhaps it was the title and the cover that got me thinking...I now see that there have been a number of covers used for the book. I made an assumption that The Taker was the lead female--is she or isn't she? You won't really know from the first book, or at least I wasn't sure...

I prefer the cover that is now being used...

It's reminiscent of the location of much of the story but still gives the gothic, mysterious feel that is important.

The book begins in the present when a woman is brought into the emergency room and Luke Findley, who is one of the few doctors in St. Andrew, Maine, The woman immediately begins to talk to Luke, seeking his assistance in getting her out of the hospital!

Did I tell you she was wanted for murder?

And that ultimately Luke did help her, not only to escape but to then travel with her to Canada?

Again I formed an assumption that the woman, later called Lanny, had been able to mesmerize Luke...truthfully, I don't know for sure since he seemed to act correctly. Could he have fallen immediately in love?

Lanny certainly was not in love with him. In fact, she had just killed the only man she had ever loved... Jonathan had been her childhood friend and later lover. But he was also quite a handsome young man and had many of the young girls and sometimes wives, offering their affection.

Lanny was jealous of all others, but was able to remain aloof to his faults and remain his one close friend, no matter what...

The story of Lanny and Jonathan takes readers back to the early 1800s, where Jonathan gets one woman pregnant and then also Lanny. Her father quickly makes arrangements for Lanny to go away and give up the baby. However, she never makes it there. She is found on the street by a small group of people of about the same age and offered a place to stay for the night...

And there she meets Adair...

Let me share a short excerpt:

"When I woke up, I was lying on a bed on my back, and I was nearly being suffocated by the man hovering over me. His face was unnaturally close to mine, his hot breath raking my face. I shuddered under his weight and the insistent slamming of his body against mine, and heard myself moan and cry in pain, but the pain was detached, blunted for now by the drug. I knew, instinctively, that it would all come back to me later. I tried to call out for help and a sweaty hand covered my mouth, salty fingers pushed past my lips. "Quiet, pet," the man on top of me grunted, eyes half closed..."

Alma Katsu is a wonderful storyteller. And if you enjoy somebody telling a graphic sensuous, yet violent story, then you will undoubtedly find this tale of horror one that will fascinate you. Her writing is literary in nature and speaks of the past magic and alchemy that we have all enjoyed in other historically set books. I have to recognize that talent at the same time that, personally, I felt that there was too much telling and not enough action. Since Lanny is sharing her past with Luke, the first personal account is insufficiently relieved with actual dialogue. Though I don't profess to enjoy reading about violent actions, on the other hand, reading somebody telling us about that abuse, or even of having sex, failed to pull me actively into the events. Some have said they were bored; I won't say that completely, but I did feel short-changed. The title, The Taker, implied to me much more action. I was disappointed that I never really got to "see" the action Adair supposedly did.

Perhaps because the violence would have been beyond our capabilities to accept? Yes, probably. Still, I felt cheated. There were other minor characters that had undergone similar circumstances as Lanny but we never really learned about them; one, in particular, tries to help Lanny discover what is actually going to happen and help her to escape, only to be murdered. We learn of this from those who didn't see that killing...

Can we allude to actions so often that their impact loses any emotional commitment? Can we glamorize what was an undying love, supposedly, while the character admits to enjoying the sadistic side of the relationship she was involved in? I found too many questions unanswered in this first book. But I am not enticed to read further...

GABixlerReviews

As modern-day readers, we oftentimes don't realize what life was like a hundred, two hundred, or more years ago. Yes, some of the content of this story was dark, but it was necessary. Yes, the tragic love story is troubling, but this is only the first of three books. Have faith that in the other 2/3 of the trilogy, the story will come full circle. What fun would a trilogy be if everything tied up in a nice, neat bow at the end of the first book?

This book is beautifully written, although it does start slowly, but with enough intrigue to keep the reader going. By the end, the rest of the book was worth it. For me, it was just "Wow!" Talk about your full circles. I was moved emotionally and struggled to put the book down the final 1/3 of the book.

I had the pleasure of meeting the author during a workshop at the RT convention in Kansas City this year, where she talked about the Taker Trilogy, so perhaps I'm privy to more information about what's to come than the everyday reader. What I do know is that based on what she said, I was hooked, lined, and sinkered. What's to come in the other two books had me salivating to see how this trilogy will turn out, and I HAD to read these books. I bought them on the spot. I won't reveal what she said, but I will suggest that readers have faith. This is an unbelievably intelligent series.

The Taker by Alma Katsu is a historical love story with supernatural elements and a dark underbelly. I read this novel for a book of the month selection on Goodreads. It had elements I expected and some that made me squeamish. Overall I enjoyed this strange and dark tale. Katsu is a talented writer and her writing style captivated me. Some of the subject matter made me uncomfortable and I found myself skimming through those scenes. Ordinarily I would have stopped reading, but I had this overwhelm need to know Lanore's story.- that is the beauty of Katsu's writing.

The tale begins at a rural hospital in Maine. Dr. Luke Findley is just beginning his shift and is told the local police are bringing in a murder suspect and need him to check her over. When Lanore McIlvrae walks in, he is shocked that this tiny, beautiful blonde, with cork-screw curls and blue eyes is involved in a murder. She is covered in blood and won't speak. The police leave a guard and head out to the woods to find the body of the man she confessed to killing. Once inside an exam room, Lanore (Lanny as she prefers), asks Findley to help her escape. She claims that she only helped a friend die at his request and that there are things he cannot understand. Not easily duped he proceeds to examine her, removing Lanny's bloody clothing and looking for injuries. It is then that Lanny grabs a scalpel and shows Findley something he won't soon forget. She then proceeds to tell him her story....the tale that unfolds is romantic, dark, gritty and spans nearly two hundred years.

Lanore shares her life story with us. She begins her tale in 1809 set against the Maine Territory. The author skillful takes us from the present to the past. Lanore tells the past, and Findley the present. This was clever because Findley could clarify things by asking questions about what we had just read. The tale that Lanore share's with us is so unbelievable that it had a ring of truth to it. It is a one-sided love story about her and a man named Jonathan. It is filled with obsession, alchemy, and magic. Some of the events that occur in Boston, supernatural elements aside, are probably based in truth, but nevertheless made this reader uncomfortable. There are two sides to Lanore and I found her to be complex and interesting. When it came to Jonathan and her feelings for him, she was a naïve, love sick child. Then the author shows us the darker side of Lanore and I was entranced. At times I questioned her feelings for Jonathan, especially after his selfish acts. Findley is captivated and horrified by Lanore and her story. Yet he is unable to resist hearing it to its conclusion. Lanore's story contains lots of sex, some implied and others graphic. It contains all forms of sexual encounters and may offend some readers. Think of an opium house and you will get the idea.

Katsu offers us an intriguing look at unrequited love. While some of the subject matter was dark, I ultimately enjoyed this tale. Days after reading it, I find myself thinking about Lanore and Jonathan. I recommend this to fans of dark fiction. Katsu is a talented author and I look forward to reading more of her work.

One of the things I most enjoy about reviewing books is the wide range of titles that come before me. Every so often I stray from my comfort zone and choose a book I would not ordinarily read to challenge myself. As I am sure you can tell I adore historical fiction but sometimes it is good to stray a bit. While The Taker has hints of that genre present is is first and foremost a love story.

The synopsis fails to describe just how rich and involving this book truly is. I started it reluctantly because I am not generally a fan of this type of book but, BUT once I started reading I simply could not put it down. The story draws you in and you find yourself in a world, well two worlds actually and you don't want to leave either one until you come to the end. But you don't want it to end.

Ms. Katsu has that kind of writing style that is so masterful and fluid that you don't feel like you are reading rather that you are just floating along in her world. The characters are all well rounded - none are perfectly good or totally evil. Their development is nice and slow so that your really get to know them and sometimes something one of them does will really shock you. Ms. Katsu keeps you on your reading toes with quite a few surprising twists and turns. My only slight disappointment was the ending - I felt it just felt faded compared to the power of the rest of the tale. This is truly, though one of the best books I have read this year.

In a sleepy New England town, a sheriff drops off a confessed murderer to a hospital for a physical exam before imprisonment. Dr. Luke Findley is excited yet wary upon seeing the diminutive young patient - nothing exciting happens this far out. The young lady admits to committing the murder but swears she had good reason and even shows him something unbelievable. In exchange for helping her escape, the good doctor can hear her mysterious story and learn about her mysterious skills.

Lanny McIlvrae needs to get away from Maine as soon as possible. Now that she has convinced Luke to help her escape she fulfills her promise to fill him in on her past. Starting from her first meeting with Jonathan St. Andrew which sparks her eternal, unrequited obsession. For years she pined for him while he tom catted around town even cleaning up the mess caused by one of his more serious entanglements. So you can imagine her joy when Jonathan finally looked at her as a woman. Their short interlude leads to a pregnancy, causing her parents to pack her off to a convent till it was born. Instead of going to the convent, she decides to roam the streets of Boston where she bumps into the charming Adair and his motley crew.

Gradually she gets swept in to their world of excess and debauchery and becomes Adair's favorite. A sudden illness requires extreme action from Adair and Lanny comes to learn of the true bond that keeps this "family" together. When Adair hears of Jonathan's renowned good looks, he pesters Lanny to invite him to join the household. Only after Jonathan becomes part of the household does Lanny ascertain Adair's true reason for seeking Jonathan's company. She and Jonathan imprison Adair and flee creating a life for themselves together and separately across the centuries leading to the events where she meets Luke.

The Taker, Alma Katsu's debut novel, is part History Channel and part SyFy Channel. It's a cool play on the concept of immortality that doesn't include vampirism or other typical supernatural creatures. The villain was greatly developed although I wish the other housemates were more developed. Lanny's devotion/obsession with Jonathan was kind of annoying though. She still couldn't get that even with centuries passing he wasn't that interested in her and had trouble letting go.

*The review copy was provided by the publisher Gallery Books in exchange for my honest opinion.*

"The Taker" has an interesting premise and will appeal to those who like the supernatural genre. The story begins with a doctor, Luke who attends to a beautiful woman in the ER. The woman in question, Lanore, is in police custody for having admitted to murdering a man. As she takes Luke into her confidence, the doctor comes to learn of a strange tale about who Lanore aka Lanny is, where she is from, and what has brought her back to St. Andrew, Maine.

Lanny's story dates back to more than a century ago, when she was a young girl desperately in love with the most handsome boy in town, Jonathan. Unfortunately, Jonathan, who comes from a wealthy background (as opposed to Lanny's own humble origins) sees Lanny merely as a good friend. Lanny would like to be more than this of course and eventually events take a tragic turn with Lanny moving far from home and getting involved with a strange group headed by an enigmatic man. The story truly takes off at this point, and Lanny finds herself involved in situations she would never have imagined herself in before, some of which are truly perverse and beyond strange.

The story that appealed to me more was the part that is set in the past, back in the 19th century and it appealed to me more as I felt the characters were more fleshed out than those in the present (I did not much care for Luke the doc and his personal story but since this story is part of a proposed trilogy, he might be a significant character in the next two instalments). The story has many elements to keep readers engaged - romance, the supernatural, the theme of immortality, and good vs. evil.

At Aroostook County Hospital in St. Andrew, Maine, Dr. Luke Findley works the ER graveyard shift. Sheriff Duchesne brings in a handcuffed young person covered with blood and wearing no coat on a freezing night. The sheriff believes Lanore McIlvrae murdered Jonathan.

In the ER with only Luke present, Lanny insists she is innocent. She explains her family exiled her to Boston to give birth to an illegitimate child in 1817. There she met ancient alchemist Count Adair and his retinue. The Count saved her life when he gave her an immortality potion but at the cost of her becoming his mistress. Lanny accepted what her savior expected of her until now when he went after her true love Jonathan.

The merger of alchemy and love in Maine makes for a strong rural fantasy. The story line starts a bit slow as the key players are introduced directly and indirectly in the present and the past; once done the plot accelerates as skeptical readers and a doubting Luke become hooked believers. The key to The Taker is that the audience accepts as true Lanny's Faustian cautionary tale of evil's eternal energy to remain alive at all costs to others.

Harriet Klausner

Dr. Luke Findley thought he knew the difference between life and death, and he was getting tired of this black-and-white life. When he watches murder suspect Lanny McIlvrae heal instantly before him, suddenly Luke's life takes a walk on the gray side. Before he stops to consider the consequences, Luke helps this mysterious young woman escape from the authorities and inexplicably tags along. While on the run, Lanny reveals her story which dates back to the early 1800s. It revolves around an unfortunate and unrequited love that leads to a life of immortality with an evil man and ends with Lanny left alone in the world, unloved but unable to die.

The Taker is fantastic love story that is full of tragedy, and Alma Katsu captures the fragile beauty of Lanny's emotions and injects it with a dose of Faustian bargrain-making. The narration is absolutely mesmerizing that the pages turned by themselves, and I got lost within the mysterious and terrifying events that surround Lanny's past. I did not quite understand the role of Luke. He mostly served as Lanny's listening board, but I wished he had more of an impact to how Lanny's story ended. Of course, one can argue he DID impact it at the very end - but then again, I also wished the ending had played out differently. It felt a little too tidy and too perfect - and I wanted a little mess beforehand - a dramatic struggle or something - because it felt that Lanny's story is not quite over yet.

Review: The 2 Things I love about The Taker

1) This is not another love story.

I read lots of books about love. Romantic love. Familial love. Loving friends. Loving life. But I've yet to read a story that explores the darkness of love. When one will do anything... be anything for the one s/he loves. And that is exactly what Katsu does in her debut novel. Lanore (Lanny for short) is in love with Jonathan, has been ever since she was young. Although she couldn't explain it at a young age, she knew her love for him was deep, completely unconditional, and knew no bounds. Jonathan was not the most evil person in the novel, but I instantly labeled him as a bad guy. He took advantage of Lanore's love and devotion to him every chance he had, which led Lanore to making unthinkable decisions she never recovered from.

The power of choice and love can turn dark and deadly very fast. Lanore's love took on many forms, from adolescent love to obsessive love to blind love. She made decisions with her emotions, rather than her head. My heart broke every time Lanore made a choice based on love because the love she desired was never returned and her life spiraled downward incredibly fast as a result.

2) Human nature is it's own scary story.

Many people know that I am a huge fan of horror, but the concepts I have the most trouble digesting are the ones that touch on the madness of human nature. The second and third parts of Alma Katsu's novel is the scariest thing I have ever read, even trumping Stephen King. Lanore lands in the company of Adair, and he is the most evil character I've come across. It's extremely difficult to describe the effect Adair's character had on me. Let's just say that I had to take breaks from reading this novel because Adair's madness, psychotic nature was psychologically overwhelming. And that's saying something from someone who can watch the unedited version of The Exorcist and not bat an eyelash. I definitely applaud Katsu for her powerful and multi-dimensional character develop. It didn't go unnoticed!

The Taker is amazing. I've never read anything like it. It has captivated me, hypnotized me. This story is enchanting and magical. Undying love and betrayal are so strong that the power of choice is more important that ever before.

Zee, Fire Pages

Dr. Luke Findley thought he knew the difference between life and death, and he was getting tired of this black-and-white life. When he watches murder suspect Lanny McIlvrae heal instantly before him, suddenly Luke's life takes a walk on the gray side. Before he stops to consider the consequences, Luke helps this mysterious young woman escape from the authorities and inexplicably tags along. While on the run, Lanny reveals her story which dates back to the early 1800s. It revolves around an unfortunate and unrequited love that leads to a life of immortality with an evil man and ends with Lanny left alone in the world, unloved but unable to die.

The Taker is fantastic love story that is full of tragedy, and Alma Katsu captures the fragile beauty of Lanny's emotions and injects it with a dose of Faustian bargrain-making. The narration is absolutely mesmerizing that the pages turned by themselves, and I got lost within the mysterious and terrifying events that surround Lanny's past. I did not quite understand the role of Luke. He mostly served as Lanny's listening board, but I wished he had more of an impact to how Lanny's story ended. Of course, one can argue he DID impact it at the very end - but then again, I also wished the ending had played out differently. It felt a little too tidy and too perfect - and I wanted a little mess beforehand - a dramatic struggle or something - because it felt that Lanny's story is not quite over yet.

Review: The 2 Things I love about The Taker

1) This is not another love story.

I read lots of books about love. Romantic love. Familial love. Loving friends. Loving life. But I've yet to read a story that explores the darkness of love. When one will do anything... be anything for the one s/he loves. And that is exactly what Katsu does in her debut novel. Lanore (Lanny for short) is in love with Jonathan, has been ever since she was young. Although she couldn't explain it at a young age, she knew her love for him was deep, completely unconditional, and knew no bounds. Jonathan was not the most evil person in the novel, but I instantly labeled him as a bad guy. He took advantage of Lanore's love and devotion to him every chance he had, which led Lanore to making unthinkable decisions she never recovered from.

The power of choice and love can turn dark and deadly very fast. Lanore's love took on many forms, from adolescent love to obsessive love to blind love. She made decisions with her emotions, rather than her head. My heart broke every time Lanore made a choice based on love because the love she desired was never returned and her life spiraled downward incredibly fast as a result.

2) Human nature is it's own scary story.

Many people know that I am a huge fan of horror, but the concepts I have the most trouble digesting are the ones that touch on the madness of human nature. The second and third parts of Alma Katsu's novel is the scariest thing I have ever read, even trumping Stephen King. Lanore lands in the company of Adair, and he is the most evil character I've come across. It's extremely difficult to describe the effect Adair's character had on me. Let's just say that I had to take breaks from reading this novel because Adair's madness, psychotic nature was psychologically overwhelming. And that's saying something from someone who can watch the unedited version of The Exorcist and not bat an eyelash. I definitely applaud Katsu for her powerful and multi-dimensional character develop. It didn't go unnoticed!

The Taker is amazing. I've never read anything like it. It has captivated me, hypnotized me. This story is enchanting and magical. Undying love and betrayal are so strong that the power of choice is more important that ever before.

Zee, Fire Pages

Dr. Luke Findley works at St. Andrew Hospital in Maine. Dr, Findley's night is about to get a whole lot more interesting. The authorities are bringing in murder suspect. It is a woman. When the woman arrives, she does not look like a murderer but you can never be too sure. The woman identifies herself as Lanore "Lanny" McIIvrae. Lanny asks Dr. Findley to let her go. She did not kill anyone or at least no one that didn't want to die.

Lanny proceeds to tell Dr. Findley a story. One that is of love, obsession and sorrow. Dr. Findley becomes fascinated by Lanny's story and knows that if he wants to her how it all ends than he will have to escape the hospital with Lanny. Thus the story begins.

If you are expecting a lot of paranormal elements that most vampire novels have than you will be disappointed. This story is told in a simplistic, old fashion tale way. There was not a lot of romance. If any, the romance was a bit one sided, I thought. Lanny's lover may have said he loved her but he seemed like he would string her along. While, I did enjoy this book as it was refreshing from the same old, girl falls for vampire love story, it does move a little slow at times. The story mainly stays in the past and progresses to the present, which was the interesting part of the book as the times that involved Dr. Findley and Lanny were not that intriguing. Overall, I liked this book and thought author, Alma Katsu did a good job.

Browsing in the Fantasy / SF section of my bookstore, I immediately was attract by the black cover: simple and elegant of "The Taker". The spine of the book, black also, brought class to this book.
Then, the first sentence of the back: "Have you ever loved someone so much that you'd do anything for him?" has me hooked. I expected a love story kind of like "Twilight" surfing on wave of vampire's love. Still, nothing to compare between the world created by Stephanie Meyers and the one of Alma Katsu. Both authors are great writters. But no vampire in this story, only dark magical creatures.

A fantasy novel constructed as a thriller, a police investigation, in which the reader is embedded in the steps that lead to immoratlité. Full of suspense, "The Taker" is tied a bit like the movie "The Others" with Nicole Kidman, where anticipation of the reader causes the atmosphere of anguish. The reader is immersed in the madness of a man willing to defy death and in a love story which has a surprising ability to survive the centuries pass.
A novel that keeps you awake at night.
Wonderful writting skills. I really enjoyed it.

Lucie
newbooksonmyselves.blogspot.fr

Lanore McIlvrae is brought into a hospital in small town St. Andrews, Maine late one cold night by the police. She had been found wandering the highway in the middle of the night, with blood soaked clothes, and is suspected of murder. Luke Findley is the ER doctor on call who is inexplicably drawn to Lanore as soon as he meets her. Lanore starts to tell Luke a fantastic story, about her childhood in St. Andrews over two hundred years ago. That of course can not possibly be true, until Lanore proves to Luke that in fact her claims of immortality isn't the stuff of fairy tales. Before you know it, Lanore and Luke are on the run from the police and more of Lanore's incredible life story unravels, including her life-long love for the self absorbed Jonathan (who also happens to be the man she is suspecting of murdering) and the connection that binds her to Aidar, a sadistic man who made Lanore what she is today. But can Lanore truly run from her past and start over again, or is it only a matter of time until it all catches up to her?

The Taker by Alma Katsu, the first book in a trilogy, was a wild ride of a story that had me feverishly turning the pages. This atmospheric, gothic tale of doomed romantic love, the price of immortality and escaping your own fate was a great story that grabs hold of you and won't let you go until the very last page.

What's interesting about The Taker is that even though I didn't find the character's very likeable, I still wanted to continue reading to see what would happen to them. Lanore comes off as selfish and manipulative, Aidar is controlling and just plain crazy and Jonathan as a self absorbed man who has a wandering eye for all the pretty ladies. This would usually turn me off, as I tend to need to get emotionally invested with the characters to care what happens to them. This wasn't the case however with The Taker. I simply found the story to be so darn intriguing that I just had to continue reading! I was glad though to read in the Q&A section at the back of the book, where the author says that ultimately the characters in the series will struggle with the question of redemption. I'll be holding my breath to see if in fact the author will make the characters a bit more sympathetic in book two. Regardless, I very much enjoyed The Taker and cannot wait to get my hands on book two, The Reckoning which is due out on June 19th!

Get ready for an amazing adventure!! The Taker is such a nice change of pace from the increasingly overdone paranormal romance of vampires and wolves. Alma Katsu has touched on a bit of magic that has never been done before and it was so amazing to feel like not only was I experiencing the story for the first time, but a whole new untouched immortal realm. The characters are so real. I dont know another word to describe it. You feel like you know them, like they are in the room talking to you. I often felt like I was right there with Luke, listening to Lanny's unbelievable and utterly amazing story of her past 200 years. I felt her pain, her anger, and her happiness. I cried with her and laughed with her. The adventure you go on with her is one of magic, love, loss and triumph. I can't say enough how wonderful and new The Taker is. This is not your normal paranormal romance. It is something MORE and it is something FANTASTIC! You will not be disappointed!!

I know what you're probably thinking, not another vampire story about immortality and love! Once a fan of the vampire lore, I've come to loathe each new release because of the over and poorly done books flooding the market. However, I'm not completely jaded and I'm glad I gave Taker a chance to seduce me back into the underworld. The story alternates between past and present combining modern with historical fiction. A spin on immortality, or how it came about for these characters, adds a fresh twist that is interesting and captivating. Author Alma Katsu establishes her own style combining fairy tale lore with an Anne Rice like voice providing the story with an old school vamp feel that made me grin and turn page after lovely page. Don't get me wrong, it's not redundant or copied by any means, but if you prefer tradition with a turn, you'll enjoy reading Taker.

The story grabs you attention from the very beginning. The main character Lanny, you learn is some kind of immortal, but you will find out what kind, why and how she became this way while she tells her story to Luke, the emergency doctor that becomes her protector. The circumstances that they meet under is not considered hopeful but they can't help certain familiarity growing within them.

The whole story is done using flashbacks between the present and the early 1800, where she starts her grueling journey. It is a sad story, very compelling where she is put through very harsh and abusive situations. The sexual content, even if not graphic, it is dark and shocking. Would have liked the closure less rushed ,it left me questioning a lot of open options with the unexpected discovery, giving the impression that a sequel is in the works.

A good book, not for the faint of heart, that includes romance, violence, intrigue within an enthralling history telling.

Alma Katsu's "The Taker" takes the time-honored (and dare I say it, recently somewhat over-exposed) vampire tale of supernatural lovers crossing decades, even centuries, within and yet apart from the mortal world, and twists it in a slightly different direction.

Katsu's supernatural beings are not vampires, though they possess many of the characteristics we have to come to associate with the familiar blood-sucking undead fiends of legend -- heightened senses, more-than-human strength, and eternal life -- with the advantages of not requiring blood to maintain their powers, and not being required to retreat to a dark hideaway at sunrise. Their lot would be almost too easy were it not for the fact that these creatures have been created by, and are beholden to, a "sire" who alone can end their immortal existence. The "sire" is a vengeful, quixotic being who holds the lives of his creations in thrall, while using them to further goals of his own which are even more evil than is immediately apparent.

The tale is well-researched in its historical and geographic details, and Ms Katsu's prose is delightful, but I felt that the story lingered too long in the 19th-Century Maine woods in the early stages, and rushed to a conclusion toward the end, with some gaps and shortcuts (the explanations of which would comprise spoilers) toward the end. There are some logical missteps -- or at least they seemed so to me -- in the latter quarter or so of the story which I found to be mildly bothersome, but not off-putting.

In creating a new class of supernatural being, both like and unlike the more familiar vampire, Ms Katsu may have opened a door to a new direction in the horror/supernatural genre, but I think that she needs to take this opportunity to more completely define the manner in which these creatures came about, and the parameters that bound their existence. With that done, in the early to middle stages of the story, and with a little more attention paid to the logical gaps in the rush to conclusion, "The Taker" would be a ground-breaking landmark work in the genre; as it stands, however, it misses that status by a noticeable margin, while remaining quite an enjoyable reading experience.

I selected this book because of the lovely cover and the description -- it sounded right up my alley. I'm a huge fan of historical novels that take a turn for the supernatural. And I'm an even bigger fan of novels that deliver multiple settings in multiple time periods and point of views.

The Taker started out wonderfully...a depressed, grieving doctor in a small, podunk town in Maine + a mysterious, beautiful young woman with a dark past and unknown origins. Once Lanore began to reveal her story, I was even more drawn in to the novel and very interested to see where it was going. Like many other reviewers, I assumed the supernatural portions would deal with vampires or something similar...and that's not too far from the truth (but I don't want to spoil it for others). But then things took a turn for the sloooow....I had a hard time not flipping ahead in the book to find the action scenes and the present-day scenes between the doctor and Lanny seemed to lack passion or warmth. Actually, for a book so focused on passion (illicit or otherwise), it seemed the opposite -- very cool, very aloof, very stark. And perhaps that's intentional...maybe the author was trying to show how the constant desire for passion (or, as in the case of the doctor, lack thereof) can ultimately backfire on you in unexpected and devastating ways. Also, the setting (Maine) and the season (Winter) during which much of the novel takes place isn't exactly a warm, passionate place.

I will say this book was beautifully written. Clearly Ms. Katsu can write and there were many, many moments where I had to pause and reread a sentence or paragraph just to enjoy the lyrical quality of her prose. I do look forward to reading more from her in the future...I feel like she almost had it with this book but not quite.

The Taker is novel that begins in 1800s Puritan Maine and ends in the present day. Our heroine is in love with a boy she can't have. When she becomes pregnant with his child, her family sends her to Boston to have the baby so they can avoid the shame that she would bring upon them. Once there, she falls in with a group of immortals, who make her immortal as well. Much of the novel is full of sexually explicit and sadistic scenes, so if that isn't your cup of tea, I would not read this book. The book is well-written but I found that the present-day scenes were lacking in the depth of the scenes from the past. Luke, a present-day doctor who helps our heroine, seems one-dimensional. The story line was fairly original and interesting but there were still times when the book was all too easy to put down and not want to pick up again.

Reviewed by Angela & posted at Under the Covers Book Blog

Call me a masochist if need be, but I loved this heartbreaking story. Alma Katsu is a wonderful storyteller. I have to admit that this story is dark and depressing to the point where I wanted to stop reading the book but Ms. Katsu's left and right twists of the story kept me flipping the pages non-stop.

Lanny finds herself in the ER in shock of what she had just done. She confides in the local doctor and convinces him to help her with her troubles. In their journey, she talks about decades of misfortune and misery. Her love for Jonathan (her first and only love) has no bounds. She would do anything and everything for him. And same goes for Adair (her lover & the one who gave her immortality), but not to a point of love and obsession just means to an end.

Unfortunately, these men brought her nothing but heartache after heartache. How she moved on with this immortal life, I have no idea. But then again, how did I keep on reading each heart-wrenching tale she tells? Let me tell you, it is the hope of finding any scrap of happiness for Lenore.

This book captured my feelings of lost, regret and made me appreciate my simple mortal life. It goes back and forth from past to future which made the feelings of regrets more intense. I have to warn you, it is a story full of hardships and it is hell on earth. You will either love it or hate it.

I don't consider this anything like the Fifty Shades trilogy at all but a class on its own.

*Review copy provided by author

Review Courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: An engaging historical fiction novel with an interesting twist on the paranormal but the main relationship is a bit annoying and frustrating to deal with.

Opening Sentence: Goddamned freezing cold.

The Review:

Interview with an Immortal would be the best way to describe this novel. Lanore McIlvrae has just killed the love of her life Jonathan St. Andrews. She is arrested and taken to the local hospital covered in blood. Doctor Luke Findley is a surgeon but he just happens to be there when Lanny is brought in. She pleads with him to let her escape. She cannot be in jail because of what she is. She demonstrates her healing ability to Luke but in order for him to fully understand her, she tells him her story.

She tells him of her life in Maine in the early 1800's and of the beautiful boy, Jonathan, that she was obsessed with since she was a little girl. They become friends at the dismay of both their families, Jonathan's family basically owns the town while Lanny is just a poor farm girl. Even at an early age Jonathan is showing signs of being a ladies man. There is something unnaturally beautiful about him and he knows it. Time passes, Lanny and Jonathan become young adults and Jonathan has slept with about every woman available and unavailable in town except for Lanny, whom he knows has obvious feelings for him.

When a town tragedy finally brings them together, Lanny is excited that she has finally won Jonathan's affections. But as they are from different socioeconomic levels, they cannot be together or at least Jonathan won't fight for her, and Lanore is sent away to Boston. Once in Boston, she is picked up off the streets by vultures, which use her youth and her naivety against her. She gets wrapped up in a dark supernatural world, where a man named Adair likes to turn people for his own amusement. Adair has his own story and hidden secrets that Lanore uncovers during her time with him. Then when Adair hears of Jonathan's beauty he wants nothing more than to meet Lanny's love. Lanny will stop at nothing to keep Jonathan away from Adair.

The worldbuilding in The Taker has potential for a mysterious new kind of immortality. The immortals have an interesting set of rules but really don't really have too many downfalls. They can live forever with no pain but can only be hurt by their creator. The history of the world is researched and written cleverly for the time represented.

As for the characters they mostly fell flat. I had a really hard time feeling sorry for anyone. When I did start feeling bad for Lanore the feeling was ruined by her feelings for Jonathan. The title The Taker perfectly represents their relationship. Jonathan was always taking everything from Lanore, her feelings, sex, whatever she willing gave away for his affections but he never returned them. He would try to make her happy but two seconds later would diss her like she was some random stranger and completely hurt her feelings. Their relationship was just so annoying and frustrating, even though Lanore would acknowledge how she needed to forget him and move on, she just couldn't. Luke pretty much just fell for Lanore, no questions asked. Adair was the most creepy and deceptive in the novel and I really got sucked into the story when he was on the page.

The story really just followed Lanore, Luke and Adair in a weird third person/first person change up depending on how the story flowed. Present day was pretty much third person but when Lanore and Adair told their stories it would change to first person. The story was predictable at times mainly with Lanore and Jonathan's relationship, but the parts with Adair did leave me guessing what chaos was going to happen next.

The Taker is a decent historical novel even with the frustrating aspects of Jonathan and Lanore's relationship. I would recommend this book for fans of Interview with a Vampire. Lanore's actions weigh heavily on the next book in the trilogy, The Reckoning, and I can't wait to find out what the repercussions are for her and Luke.

The Taker Trilogy:

1. The Taker

2. The Reckoning

FTC Advisory: Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster provided me with a copy of The Taker. No goody bags, sponsorships, "material connections," or bribes were exchanged for my review.

Excellent, excellent, excellent!! A page turner from the beginning. Katsu draws you in and keeps you wanting to know more.

A mysterious young woman is brought in to the ER. She has confessed to murder. Luke, the doctor working the graveyard shift, is to check her for injuries and then return her to the sheriff. Up until that moment, the woman has said little. There is something about Luke that makes her open up and she pleads with him to help her escape.

Wanting to flee from his own sorrows and trouble, he helps Lanny and she begins to tell her story. It is a tale that spans centuries and seems unbelievable. Is Luke being deceived by this young woman? And if not, how can what she is telling him possibly be true?

If you enjoyed Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire, I believe you will love The Taker. No vampires in Ms. Katsu's world, but the supernatural element will hook you from the beginning. Then the book swings 200 yrs into the past, showing us Lanny's early life, how she came to love or obsess (you be the judge) over the object of her affection Jonathan. The historical details are fascinating and you can tell she did her research.

Katsu's brilliant storytelling and beautiful prose kept me turning the pages, drawing me to the point I eagerly anticipated: how Lanny fell into the clutches of evil and became immortal. Although some specifics are vague--purposefully and skillfully so in my opinion--I was not disappointed with the terrifying villain Adair. Ms. Katsu bravely delves into some dark places, but there were no graphic scenes and tough subject matter was handled with expert care. As the protagonist, Lanny, is on a journey I understand that some things I wanted to see in book one (don't want any spoilers) will most likely occur in the rest of the series. Don't worry. No cliffhangers, but I'm ready for the sequel!

Since I love Anne Rice and Nathaniel Hawthorne, this book was perfect for me! I took my time reading it, savoring the chapters so I could appreciate all of the gorgeous layers. There is no cookie-cutter formula here. Lanny and Adair are refreshingly unique. And some of the twists are downright daring. The Taker was an unforgettable tale of obsession, desire, the depths of darkness the soul is capable of, transformation, and love. Alma Katsu is now one of my favorite authors. Don't hesitate to buy this!

There are descriptive words for so many things that we'd never even think of, like petrichor, which is the smell of rain on dry ground, or brontide, the low rumbling of distant thunder. But I've been unable to find a word that describes the feeling of living inside a book one is reading, that the book's life is carried on even when the covers are closed. Maybe someday I'll invent one.

Word or not, that was definitely the feeling I had when reading The Taker, the first novel by the amazingly skilled Alma Katsu. It has only taken me a couple of days to complete, but I know I will read it again - I did Ms. Katsu an injustice by rushing through some parts to find out what was going to happen next. Any time I was not reading, a part of my mind was imagining the story's progression.

The book employs foreshadowing to tell the story of Lanore, or Lanny, through many and varied stages of her life. I'm not really fond of this writing style, but it was done with excellence in The Taker. I found myself longing to get back to the flashback portions of the story, hurrying through the present day chapters, although both were crucial to comprehending Lanny's life. There are sections of poverty and deprivation, of glamor and wealth, of love won and love lost. All this is done with the elegance and grace of language that is such a delight to find in a book today.

I am not a reader who tries to figure out what is going to happen next, preferring to live in suspension of disbelief as much as possible (and that was pretty much the whole time in this book). There were things that happened that were somewhat predictable, but there were several passages that took me completely by surprise. This is crucial for me in a great book, and it was carried out up to the last sentence.

Although it is quite different, there were aspects of The Taker that reminded me of Mistress of the Art of Death, possibly because the historical era passages caught me up so completely in both books.

The title of a book is usually not the first thing that attracts me, but once I've started reading, I have an awareness of attempting to forge the link between the author's title and the story being told. Several times in my reading of The Taker, I was sure I had found the author's intention, only to find it in a different way as I continued to read. Upon reflection, there are several plausible interpretations; be sure to see which one you think is it.

I predict you'll love this book. You'll get times past as well as the world today. You'll get the real world and the supernatural, although it is completely erroneous to compare The Taker to any of today's popular supernatural tales. You'll get full-bodied, rich, three-dimensional characters who will grab your attention and carry you through the pages.

Although I am an avid reader, I honestly think that I could possess a small bookshelf with a limited number of books that I would delight in reading over and over. The Taker would be on the top shelf, without a doubt. This is an amazing first novel by a highly skilled author, and I eagerly await her next book - may there be many yet to come!

When "The Taker" opens, Dr. Luke Findley is going through what he considers a routine shift in a small-town Maine hospital. Unhappy and restless, he wants to escape. But that was before the self-confessed murderess showed up....

This story mainly centers on Lanny, the young woman. When asked about herself, she begins a truly unbelievable narrative, that begins in nineteenth-century Puritan New England, where she grew up, fell in love with Jonathan, the son of the town's founder, and was sent to Boston in disgrace to have her baby. Arriving in Boston, she falls in with mysterious Count Adair, who turns her immortal, through supernatural means. Lanny joins his household of immortal beings and the story gets much darker, including sexual perversion and S&M - not that it was ever what you would call light. Eventually, Jonathan attracts Adair's attention, and, Lanny, who has never wavered in her adoration of him, gets the opportunity to keep him in her life forever.

At first, I wasn't that crazy about the present-day setting, but it did help anchor the story and I got gradually more engaged in it as the story went on. Ms. Katsu's prose is excellent - her descriptions and wording are a strong point in the story. For the most part, she keeps the story moving at a good clip, although I thought the "Maine" section got a big slow and draggy. Her characterization is extremely strong. Even the most reprehensible characters are understandable and elicit some sympathy.

That being said, I wish the product description had carried a more explicit warning about the kind of book it was, because, I don't really enjoy tales of torture and rape, especially if it's a large focus of the story. Your mileage may vary. The story is straightforward, with an old-fashioned Gothic feel to it, lacking some of the features (and cliches) of recent paranormal romances.

Three and a half stars, which I will round up to four.

First I must say thank you, Alma for the opportunity to read and review your debut novel! I loved it and I know my words can not give it justice.

To all readers, I would HIGHLY suggest you read this in hard back. The book is so beautiful and sometimes there is just something about holding a book in your hand enjoying turning the pages, seeing it stained with tears (proof of the emotion felt while reading) etc... The cover is GORGEOUS!

This story was so addictive. I didn't want to put it down, my poor family... LOL! The story deals with immortal love, has great aspects of historical fiction. The Taker, kept me reading late in the night. I wanted/ want more! Combining paranormal romance and historical fiction, this book will take your emotions up and down leave you gasping, eyes watering, heart racing, wanting to know what is going to happen next. I really enjoyed the research and history that went into this book. I am writing this review several months later after reading it a second time and I enjoyed it more the second time than I did the first! This book is cleverly put together and has a few stories within a story, it's very well written. Alma is able to describe characters and scenes like nothing I have experienced before. Everything is so very detailed. She describes things so well I was not left wondering, I could picture everything perfectly.

The ending COMPLETELY shocked me! I was not expecting it all. I can't wait to read The Reckoning (Taker #2), also excited to read The Devils Scribe, but sad that it is only available electronically.

I have to say thank you again to Alma for captivating me like no one ever has. :)

What a story. The plot, the people and the writing are all worthy of a standing ovation. I liked "The Taker," and I'd like to thank author Alma Katsu for such a fresh, fearful and furious journey she provides. I came out of my comfort zone to enjoy this story.

I believe that this author had personal insight into suffering to have written so ferociously with revenge and so passionately with love. Alma Katsu maintained a level style of writing while altering my emotions with each revealing sentence. I was hungering for what would happen next.

I welcomed Lanny and Luke's present day activities. The past and present stories interrelate well with one another. This really is a story of humanity's attempt to overcome the temptations of evil.

One of the most evil monsters of men I've come across in my reading is found within these pages. I liked this book of fiction better than any I've read in some time. It really captured my imagination and gracefully carted me to places I may never have ventured. So many cycles of life and death in relationships, as well as, in one's self. I'm still clapping loudly!

"How we hated ourselves, each in our own way!"

"The devil's hand is there, surely."

note: I revised my review in order to give readers more insight into why I liked it so much. It's deserving of a 5 star review.

This story centers around the main character, Lannie, who became immortal by means I won't mention (so I don't give away too much about the book).
The book begins near the end of the story, where a small town doctor (Luke), is uncharacteristically drawn to Lannie, an admitted murderess. While helping Lannie, she tells him her story, and so the book jumps from their present day lives, to Lannie's past which begins in the early 1800's.

Lannie tells her story beginning with her young, naive love for the unbelievably handsome Jonathon, to her relationship with the man who eventually enslaved her, and beyond. From the beginning, the story was extremely compelling. Although her narration is chock full of gripping details that will keep you glued to the page, it is still easy to follow the events and the few essential secondary characters. In fact, a couple of the secondary characters felt more like co-'main' characters to me.

This is not the kind of book I usually read, and due to the maliciousness of most of the characters, it did Not make me want to read more of it's type. UNLESS, of course there is a sequel to this one. Which brings me to my only complaint; I felt the book just ended kindof sudden without enough closure. There are loose ends, and if you read the book you'll know what I'm talking about. That being said, I can only hope that the author intends to write a sequel. I am already invested in this story, so I would definitely like to read more about the future of Lannie and her captor.

After an inevitable divorce and the death of his parents, Luke is unable to sell his parents farm and move on. His life has become a monotonous holding pattern of regret and indecisiveness until Lanore is brought into the E.R. Covered in the blood of her true love, Lanore must prove to Luke that she's not a murderer and solicit his help in escape. To get his attention, she reveals a secret and weaves a tale that is so unbelievable it forces Luke to turn away from his inherent belief of right and wrong, and follow his heart, and soul.

Lanore's story begins with Jonathon; the beautiful and alluring son of the town's founding family. Overcome with her emotion and want to singly possess him, she corners him and professes her love. Born with an almost otherworldly beauty, Jonathon's face is the kind that turns every head in the room. Men despise him, women want to own him and through it all Lanore is his only friend and confidant.

The story is almost painful to read as the two get older. Jonathon grows into his beauty and the attention it draws causing Lanore's love for him to reach a turning point and go beyond normal to a dark possessiveness and leading to her forced departure. Alone and in a strange city, she's lured to the house of Count Adair and forced into a hidden world of excess, depravity, and immorality. Adair's apparent obsession with the collection of beauty and vitality threatens the one person Lanore holds dear. Because of Lanore's love and protectiveness of Jonathon, the two embark on a dangerous path that could ultimately lead to the loss of his soul.

Back in the present, Luke is captivated with Lanore's story. Her inconceivable loss, loneliness, and amount of love she has to give brings out an inherent belief that he must protect her at all costs, as well as an emerging affection for her that he can't explain. As she draws them deeper into her past, she provides the ability for him to finally move on from his own.

Memorable Quotes:
Lanore's taker...
"I've always wanted him to love me the way I loved him. He did love me, I know he did. Just not the way I wanted him to.

"And it's so different for a lot of people I've known. One partner doesn't love the other enough to stop drinking, or gambling, or running around with other women. One is the giver and one is the taker. The giver wishes the taker would stop."

"But the taker never changes," Luke says, though he wonders if this is always the case.

"Sometimes the giver has to let go, but sometimes you don't. You can't. I couldn't give up on Jonathan. I seemed to be able to forgive him anything."

The deception of youth...
"We were arrogant and naive, thinking we knew what we felt then was love. Love can be a cheap emotion, lightly given, thought it didn't seem so to me at the time. Looking back, I know we were only filling in the holes in our soles, the way the tide rushes sand to fill in the crevices of a rocky shore. We-or maybe it was just I-bandaged our needs with what we declared was love. But, eventually, the tide draws out what it has swept in."

A warning taken in stride, but neglected...
"I've come to warn you, too. It's a dangerous game you're playing. There's a reason the rest of us maintain a distance from Adair, and we've learned our lesson the hard way. But now you've shown him love and that's given him the notion that he is deserving of such devotion. Did you ever think that perhaps the only thing that holds the devil in check is that he knows how despised he his? Even the devil longs for sympathy at times, but sympathy for the devil is fuel for the flame. Your love will embolden him--likely in a way that will bring you regret."

If you liked The Taker...
If you enjoyed The Taker and are looking for more dark tales of unrequited love, passion, and possession, don't miss E.L. James' Fifty Shades of Grey: Book One of the Fifty Shades Trilogy, a memorable story of passion, discovery, and the ultimate control.

Final Thoughts:
The Taker is gripping, desolate, and beautiful. Katsu's way with words and ability to leave the reader on the edge of their seat as she maneuvers through past and present, love and lasciviousness, keeps your eyes glued to the page and your heart in your throat. The Taker is a must-read!

*Review originally written for GraveTells. No compensation was received.

The beginning of this book is soooo bittersweet it almost hurts. Then suddenly it becomes very violent all of a sudden. It really throws both the main character and the reader off balance. From that moment on you know that everything is possible.

I loved the fact that even though some parts are very violent, there aren't too many details in the parts where the violence is mostly sexual.

I loved the fact that even though this book is part of a trilogy, you can read just this volume. It's a complete story, with an ending that clearly leaves enough room for a next book, but doesn't just end in the middle of the story.

Every day after I completed a section of the book and put it down for the evening, I was always searching for a word to describe what I just read. When friends stared at the cover and quietly asked what the novel was about, I wanted to desperately sum it up with as much accuracy as possible. But unfortunately the words never came and I was often left with a puzzled expression on my face. However, as I read the last page and closed the book with a heavy sigh, I finally had an epiphany.

There is NOT one perfect word to describe this novel. Matter-of-fact, there is not one perfect sentence to describe this novel. To express what The Taker is you must live the experience, every word, every laugh, and every despicable act that transpired. When I thought I had the heart of the story figured out, Katsu changed it up and made it into something else entirely. It was an intensely dark tale of unrelenting love and the struggle one woman went through to keep it in her possession.

To be honest the only reason I wanted to review this book was because of the cover. Normally I don't read books that are considered "historical". Not to say that those books aren't well written, I just typically like my books to be set in the present or future (blame that on my addiction to technology). But when I saw the cover of The Taker, I was immediately intrigued and wanted to know more. Yes I know, never judge a book by the cover, but once you see it for yourself you will understand my instant attraction.

I do not want to go into too much detail about this book. As I previously stated you must live the experience to appreciate a story of this caliber. I implore you all to not judge this book based on what you think it might be. Because as you will soon find out, this journey will unexpectedly change your perspective by tugging on one thing that so many authors fail to capture - your heart.

The Taker by Alma Katsu is a historical gothic dark-fantasy. It is the first book in a planned series. The story starts in Maine at around 1800. The story moves through time from the early 1800's to the present as three stories were interspersed. The main subject of this book is that of living forever. This is a very interesting concept.

This book was entertaining and held my interest. I recommend this book for those who enjoy the genre of paranormal dark-fantasy and historical fiction. It does have graphic sex and violence and adult themes so readers should be at least 15 years old, I think.