The Taker
Alma Katsu
September 2011
448 pages
Published by Gallery Books
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Overview blatantly nabbed from B&N (I bought the book from them…it’s the least they can do):
On the midnight shift at a hospital in rural Maine, Dr. Luke Findley is expecting another quiet evening of frostbite and the occasional domestic dispute. But the minute Lanore McIlvrae—Lanny—walks into his ER, she changes his life forever. A mysterious woman with a past and plenty of dark secrets, Lanny is unlike anyone Luke has ever met. He is inexplicably drawn to her . . . despite the fact that she is a murder suspect with a police escort. And as she begins to tell her story, a story of enduring love and consummate betrayal that transcends time and mortality, Luke finds himself utterly captivated.
Her impassioned account begins at the turn of the nineteenth century in the same small town of St. Andrew,Maine, back when it was a Puritan settlement. Consumed as a child by her love for the son of the town’s founder, Lanny will do anything to be with him forever. But the price she pays is steep—an immortal bond that chains her to a terrible fate for all eternity. And now, two centuries later, the key to her healing and her salvation lies with Dr. Luke Findley.
Part historical novel, part supernatural page-turner, The Taker is an unforgettable tale about the power of unrequited love not only to elevate and sustain, but also to blind and ultimately destroy, and how each of us is responsible for finding our own path to redemption.
As I got deeper into this book, I’ll confess, my overwhelming thought was “Hallelujah…eternal life sans vampires!” For that alone, I was prepared to bow down to Alma Katsu in gratitude. But I also found The Taker to be a compelling tale of alchemy and excess and turpitude (and is that not the coolest word? I’ve always wanted to use it) and it moved along at a good clip, without a vampire in sight (not that I have anything against vampires, mind you, it’s just that lately they’re the character du jour, and they all have a distressing tendency to sparkle). And while I didn’t much care for the characters (really it was the character of the characters…so utterly lacking in a conscience, all of them! (or else wishy-washy, like Luke)), I still found them fascinating and was curious to see what badness they’d come up with next.
However.
As I got closer and closer to the end, I started thinking that there were a few loose ends. Namely, the chief baddie, who (SPOILER ALERT) was left languishing à la The Cask of Amontillado. And then I came to The End.
Which was followed by an excerpt for the next book.
THE INHUMANITY!!!!!!
Egads!!! You had me almost hooked until you said “Which was followed by an excerpt for the next book.” Can NO ONE finished a story any more? What do we have to do to get a standalone? Geez louise! I need closure authors. CLOS.URE. *sigh*
Still, it does sound interesting. The whole lack of vampirism coupled with unexplained (by you anyway) immortality does have its…wait for it…sparkle. *snort*
Heather´s last [type] ..Wordless Wednesday – Four
hahahahaha . . . I seem to remember you posting a review recently about the distaste you have for series and the cliffhangers that usually go hand in hand, which made the ending of this review make me laugh that much harder. I hadn’t realized this book was part of a series.
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I hated all the characters, and I hated the story, and I hated the abusive sick sex, and um, let’s see, was there something I liked? Um….. I’ll get back to you…
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I met Alma at SIBA and just adored her, so I’m a little nervous about reading the book. It’s not a genre I usually read.
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I agree with your assessment of this one, and was confused by the ending until I realized that it was the first in a trilogy. It was a really atmospheric book and I was also glad that there were no vampires in sight. I enjoyed reading your thoughts on this one!
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That cover alone looks like enough for me! Plus, I’m all for supernatural goodness without those pesky vampires or zombies (which, to me, also seem like they’re getting their fair share of the spotlight lately). Also, I’m with Heather – why can’t we seem to get stand-alone books anymore!? When it works, it’s good, but when it doesn’t… Thanks for the great review!
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Hmm, you had me wanting to read this and then I got to the end of your review! Bummer dude
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Oops! I accidentally read the spoiler. I just couldn’t stop myself. Oh, the inhumanity! … indeed.
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I loved this book. Loved the nastiness, the deviance, the lack of vampires, everything. And Alma is wonderful, so wonderful you wonder how on earth she came up with them all! The second book, called The Reckoning is in heavy editing right now. I chuckled at that title. You betcha there is going to be a reckoning!!!
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Can I just say I love the sound of the first paragraph, but the more I read, I’m not sure. Yet the reviews are good…I am SO confused!!! LOL
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Another book waiting ever so patiently on me on my kitchen table…..
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