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The Taker Trilogy #2
The Reckoning: (Book 2 of The Immortal Trilogy)
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Paranormal Fantasy (2012)I turned to Luke and reached for him. My blood felt as though it had seized up in my veins.
"Lanny, what is it?" Luke asked.
I clutched his lapel desperately
"It's Adair. He's free."
FOR 200 YEARS SHE'S BEEN HIDING
He gave her immortality.
She tried to destroy him.
Now he is searching for her.
They must not meet.
Or there will be a RECKONING
354 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 2, 2012
115 people are currently reading
5467 people want to read
About the author
Alma Katsu
38 books3,525 followers"Hard to put down. Not recommended reading after dark." -- Stephen King
"Makes the supernatural seem possible" -- Publishers Weekly
Award-winning author of eight novels, including historical horror (The Hunger, The Deep, The Fervor) and spy novels (Red Widow, Red London). Coming September 2025: FIEND (Putnam)
"Makes the supernatural seem possible" -- Publishers Weekly
Award-winning author of eight novels, including historical horror (The Hunger, The Deep, The Fervor) and spy novels (Red Widow, Red London). Coming September 2025: FIEND (Putnam)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 404 reviews
August 9, 2014
This is the second installment in The Taker trilogy & honestly, it should have been called "The Waiting" because that's all you're doing in anticipation of the reunion of Lanore/Adair after his 200 year entombment by her hand. If that's your huge draw, then just read the last 75-50 pages and satisfy yourself. It'll give you enough of the gist & give the payoff quickly enough. If you're really only in for the reunion, read the last 25 or so pages (it's heartbreaking). This was a lot of buildup & considering that this is a shorter book than The Taker, it's a bit torturous. If you're down with the torture, take in every page & savor it selfishly. I put this down many times to make it last because I know there's going to be a year for the finale to arrive & that pains me.
We pick up right where the Taker left off & Lanore is attending the exhibit of all her treasures at the museum with Luke (the doctor who helped her abscond St. Andrew in the first book) & she feels that old familiar hum in the back of her head. She realizes it's Adair & she's in a right panic. So begins her flight because she knows that Adair will be coming for her. She abandon's Luke & heads for Casablanca. We are introduced to Saava, another immortal & learn about him & the time in the past that he & Lenore spent together. His life is sad & wretched but I found him to be an important character to come to know. Through the flashbacks Lanore comes to realize that she has always loved Adair & the men she found herself most drawn to & deeply loved (& who loved her back) were not like Jonathan, they were like Adair. As much of a brain-twister as that proves to be, she needs to get on because that does not change that she's sure Adair is going to come & exact his revenge.
Back in Boston, Adair is freed from his entombment & as is to be expected, is having a difficult time adjusting to how much the world has changed in 200 years. Jude is his guide here & it's a frustrating, sometimes farcical & other times sad, to watch Adair try to get his new bearings. He is singly set on finding Lanore & at times seems unhinged. I often worried as much as Jude that Adair would do something & find himself caught up by a police investigation. He had no willingness to take to heart that he couldn't just act the way he had before, now that we have cameras, forensics & such. Killing, menacing & stealing are generally not the best way to go, especially when it's Adair doing it, as he does these things on impulse & doesn't even think about the clean up. And it made things no easier as Adair found it too much to take direction from Jude or anyone who had been subservient to him before. Two-hundred years had changed everyone in some ways & Adair's realization took some time to catch up. Adair does find that he is incapable of exacting bloody revenge on Lanore because he is too much in love with her, to the point of distraction & obsession (a thing that led him to being open to being betrayed by her in the first place). Such complication! I was glad & horrified to find out the details of what happened to the peasant boy Adair, that we learn of in the first book & am hoping that wrong can be righted in the final book because it is one of the things that has happened that disturbs me most.
Now, I will admit that I've never been a Jonathan fan & frankly was glad to be rid of his bland-but-beautiful existence by the end of The Taker. So when Adair went about to resurrect him, I was a bit perturbed. Happily, Jonathan doesn't reconstitute to his former perfection & actually turned into a more interesting person. Death gave him more of a personality & I found that I liked him. He still came out with some eye-roll comments, like how his having had sex with Lanore was only done because it was what she wanted & he was just trying to be a nice guy. Whatevs. This is the guy that shagged everything in a skirt that would stand still long enough, but the sex with Lanore was his one noble act? Anyway, excepting that, Jonathan has some interesting insights to impart & a very cryptic mention of "The Queen of the Underworld". I'm hoping that since this mention fills Adair with a good bit of dread, we'll be seeing this being in the last book of the series. I found the idea that even the Queen of the Underworld is so taken with Jonathan's beauty a bit more than I could buy into. Surely deities have seen all manner of perfection & are they themselves so, but even they are struck & moved by Jonathan as to be just as singularly co-opted to possess him as Lanore? M'mkay. If you say so. By this book's end, Jonathan has been dispatched once again & I can only hope that everyone will just let him rest now & not trot out his reanimated head or whatever in the final book.
We get to see Alejandro & Tilde while Lanore is on her search to find out what she can do to keep herself from the wrath of Adair. Alej & Tilde have tragic lives once you delve beneath the surface & we find out how much they suffered when Lanore & Jonathan got rid of Adair & left them to nothing. I could see how it pained Alej still & it was sadder still that Lanore had never given a second thought how her actions & drive to save Jonathan would affect or damn anyone else. She told herself that she'd done them a favor but she wasn't the one left penniless & wondering, was she? As often is the case with Lanore, her reasons are self-serving & excused by her. It is never until she is confronted with those she's wronged with the truth of who she is, that she seems to be able to stop & see it. I could completely understand why Alej & Tilde double-crossed her this time. It's not just about Adair, she wronged them as well.
And then there's Luke. I saw the point of him in the first book as we needed Lanore to tell someone her story. But now in book two, I just don't give a darn about his dead parents, divorce or his obsession with Lanore. I don't buy her being in love with him either. I understand what it's supposed to be but I just don't believe it. Luke is cloyingly earnest, whiny & more pathetic than anything & I can't see Lanore loving him. I can't stand him & don't find anything in him to adore. Frankly, I was hoping Adair would kill Luke so I could be sure I wouldn't have to deal with his wet personality in the final book.
This was well worth the read but not what you don't usually get from second books in a trilogy. You know something big is coming & this is just the bridge. And the way this one ends is enough to want you to will another five pages to properly whisk you off to 1038.
A word about the cover. I have a beautiful cover with a golden filigree & a bottle of what I can only surmise is the immortality elixir that Adair makes, golden flecks in the bottom & all. I love it & it matches well with the hardcover copy of The Taker. I keep seeing these other covers that are very YA-like & I can't stand them. First of all, who are all these chicas with long dark hair?! They can't be the embodiment of Lanore, she's blond with curls. The US cover with the blue-eyed brunette (I'm going by her very dark eyebrows here) & feathers aplenty, can't be Lanore either. I know it's not Tilde, she's another blonde. So unless this is Alej in drag, I need for this nonsense to cease. Do the people making the covers, even read these books? Does the author get any say at all? As a reader, it makes me ranty but I am glad that I'm not going to have to be subjected to purchasing one of those covers & hope that I'm saved at the end of the trilogy. I'd like one more filigreed cover to match my other two.
We pick up right where the Taker left off & Lanore is attending the exhibit of all her treasures at the museum with Luke (the doctor who helped her abscond St. Andrew in the first book) & she feels that old familiar hum in the back of her head. She realizes it's Adair & she's in a right panic. So begins her flight because she knows that Adair will be coming for her. She abandon's Luke & heads for Casablanca. We are introduced to Saava, another immortal & learn about him & the time in the past that he & Lenore spent together. His life is sad & wretched but I found him to be an important character to come to know. Through the flashbacks Lanore comes to realize that she has always loved Adair & the men she found herself most drawn to & deeply loved (& who loved her back) were not like Jonathan, they were like Adair. As much of a brain-twister as that proves to be, she needs to get on because that does not change that she's sure Adair is going to come & exact his revenge.
Back in Boston, Adair is freed from his entombment & as is to be expected, is having a difficult time adjusting to how much the world has changed in 200 years. Jude is his guide here & it's a frustrating, sometimes farcical & other times sad, to watch Adair try to get his new bearings. He is singly set on finding Lanore & at times seems unhinged. I often worried as much as Jude that Adair would do something & find himself caught up by a police investigation. He had no willingness to take to heart that he couldn't just act the way he had before, now that we have cameras, forensics & such. Killing, menacing & stealing are generally not the best way to go, especially when it's Adair doing it, as he does these things on impulse & doesn't even think about the clean up. And it made things no easier as Adair found it too much to take direction from Jude or anyone who had been subservient to him before. Two-hundred years had changed everyone in some ways & Adair's realization took some time to catch up. Adair does find that he is incapable of exacting bloody revenge on Lanore because he is too much in love with her, to the point of distraction & obsession (a thing that led him to being open to being betrayed by her in the first place). Such complication! I was glad & horrified to find out the details of what happened to the peasant boy Adair, that we learn of in the first book & am hoping that wrong can be righted in the final book because it is one of the things that has happened that disturbs me most.
Now, I will admit that I've never been a Jonathan fan & frankly was glad to be rid of his bland-but-beautiful existence by the end of The Taker. So when Adair went about to resurrect him, I was a bit perturbed. Happily, Jonathan doesn't reconstitute to his former perfection & actually turned into a more interesting person. Death gave him more of a personality & I found that I liked him. He still came out with some eye-roll comments, like how his having had sex with Lanore was only done because it was what she wanted & he was just trying to be a nice guy. Whatevs. This is the guy that shagged everything in a skirt that would stand still long enough, but the sex with Lanore was his one noble act? Anyway, excepting that, Jonathan has some interesting insights to impart & a very cryptic mention of "The Queen of the Underworld". I'm hoping that since this mention fills Adair with a good bit of dread, we'll be seeing this being in the last book of the series. I found the idea that even the Queen of the Underworld is so taken with Jonathan's beauty a bit more than I could buy into. Surely deities have seen all manner of perfection & are they themselves so, but even they are struck & moved by Jonathan as to be just as singularly co-opted to possess him as Lanore? M'mkay. If you say so. By this book's end, Jonathan has been dispatched once again & I can only hope that everyone will just let him rest now & not trot out his reanimated head or whatever in the final book.
We get to see Alejandro & Tilde while Lanore is on her search to find out what she can do to keep herself from the wrath of Adair. Alej & Tilde have tragic lives once you delve beneath the surface & we find out how much they suffered when Lanore & Jonathan got rid of Adair & left them to nothing. I could see how it pained Alej still & it was sadder still that Lanore had never given a second thought how her actions & drive to save Jonathan would affect or damn anyone else. She told herself that she'd done them a favor but she wasn't the one left penniless & wondering, was she? As often is the case with Lanore, her reasons are self-serving & excused by her. It is never until she is confronted with those she's wronged with the truth of who she is, that she seems to be able to stop & see it. I could completely understand why Alej & Tilde double-crossed her this time. It's not just about Adair, she wronged them as well.
And then there's Luke. I saw the point of him in the first book as we needed Lanore to tell someone her story. But now in book two, I just don't give a darn about his dead parents, divorce or his obsession with Lanore. I don't buy her being in love with him either. I understand what it's supposed to be but I just don't believe it. Luke is cloyingly earnest, whiny & more pathetic than anything & I can't see Lanore loving him. I can't stand him & don't find anything in him to adore. Frankly, I was hoping Adair would kill Luke so I could be sure I wouldn't have to deal with his wet personality in the final book.
This was well worth the read but not what you don't usually get from second books in a trilogy. You know something big is coming & this is just the bridge. And the way this one ends is enough to want you to will another five pages to properly whisk you off to 1038.
A word about the cover. I have a beautiful cover with a golden filigree & a bottle of what I can only surmise is the immortality elixir that Adair makes, golden flecks in the bottom & all. I love it & it matches well with the hardcover copy of The Taker. I keep seeing these other covers that are very YA-like & I can't stand them. First of all, who are all these chicas with long dark hair?! They can't be the embodiment of Lanore, she's blond with curls. The US cover with the blue-eyed brunette (I'm going by her very dark eyebrows here) & feathers aplenty, can't be Lanore either. I know it's not Tilde, she's another blonde. So unless this is Alej in drag, I need for this nonsense to cease. Do the people making the covers, even read these books? Does the author get any say at all? As a reader, it makes me ranty but I am glad that I'm not going to have to be subjected to purchasing one of those covers & hope that I'm saved at the end of the trilogy. I'd like one more filigreed cover to match my other two.
October 1, 2014
This book should have been titled "THE ANGSTING"
How do you readers do it?
My emotions went from anxious, to impatient, extremely frustrated, slightly hopeful, utterly hopeless, completely pissed, 1000% heartbroken (yes, 1000% ...okay, slight exaggeration ) and now SCARED TO DEATH OF The Descent.
As flawed as it may sound , I adore Adair ....
" The need to see her was undeniable. He had to find her and look at her, touch her skin and stand in her presence one more time, even if it used up the last of his strength, even if it killed him." **sigh**
" There was a time when I would’ve done anything you asked. I would’ve made the sun shine for a full twenty-four hours or had the tides stand still on the shore. I would’ve made the world bloom, every field and plain, to worship you with flowers. I would’ve created a second moon to rise in the sky or made everyone disappear, every soul from here to the ends of the earth, so that we could have the world to ourselves, just you and I. ..Hello, can you blame me?
Please Alma Katsura,
And give Lanore and Adair the happily ever after he deserves .........see people, this is why I don't read romance novels, it's exhausting!
How do you readers do it?
My emotions went from anxious, to impatient, extremely frustrated, slightly hopeful, utterly hopeless, completely pissed, 1000% heartbroken (yes, 1000% ...okay, slight exaggeration ) and now SCARED TO DEATH OF The Descent.
As flawed as it may sound , I adore Adair ....
" The need to see her was undeniable. He had to find her and look at her, touch her skin and stand in her presence one more time, even if it used up the last of his strength, even if it killed him." **sigh**
" There was a time when I would’ve done anything you asked. I would’ve made the sun shine for a full twenty-four hours or had the tides stand still on the shore. I would’ve made the world bloom, every field and plain, to worship you with flowers. I would’ve created a second moon to rise in the sky or made everyone disappear, every soul from here to the ends of the earth, so that we could have the world to ourselves, just you and I. ..Hello, can you blame me?
Please Alma Katsura,
And give Lanore and Adair the happily ever after he deserves .........see people, this is why I don't read romance novels, it's exhausting!
July 13, 2012
Riveting, disturbing, intriguing, uniquely bizarre. The Reckoning picks up a year after The Taken. All the same characters are back and the plot can't be explained without big spoiler alerts so I won't even try.
I find myself torn while I read Alma Katsu's work because no one in their right mind should root for any of these characters because they are so ridiculously selfish and twisted and yet I do! Adair is the most despicable of men and yet his one hint of vulnerability shows and I am cheering for him. I am ashamed of myself but I just can't help it. Lanore is just a tragic character that has had poor judgement for hundreds of years and uses men to fill the hole in her personality and heart with little remorse but I still want her to be happy. It is hard to explain but it only proves that Alma Katsu is a brilliant writer. This story is a complete original and jumps all around history from the 1300's to modern day seamlessly. There is a wonderful interlude when Lanore spends time with Lord Byron that is a real treat. I am eagerly awaiting the conclusion to this trilogy and will buy it hot off the press.
Warning: Parts of the book, as in The Taker, are very brutal and explicit. The cover makes it look like a YA book but it is not for kids.
I find myself torn while I read Alma Katsu's work because no one in their right mind should root for any of these characters because they are so ridiculously selfish and twisted and yet I do! Adair is the most despicable of men and yet his one hint of vulnerability shows and I am cheering for him. I am ashamed of myself but I just can't help it. Lanore is just a tragic character that has had poor judgement for hundreds of years and uses men to fill the hole in her personality and heart with little remorse but I still want her to be happy. It is hard to explain but it only proves that Alma Katsu is a brilliant writer. This story is a complete original and jumps all around history from the 1300's to modern day seamlessly. There is a wonderful interlude when Lanore spends time with Lord Byron that is a real treat. I am eagerly awaiting the conclusion to this trilogy and will buy it hot off the press.
Warning: Parts of the book, as in The Taker, are very brutal and explicit. The cover makes it look like a YA book but it is not for kids.
October 29, 2013
Insane character development mixed in with fantastic world building made reading this series a absolute delight.
Unrequited love
Passion
Hate
Jealousy
Desire
Fear
Love
Redemption
Greed
Misery
Envy
Desperation
Deception
And pretty much every other emotion you can think of is weaved into this dark and twisted tale. Immortal beings created by dark magic that can only be released by the one who created them. This is not a pretty tale full of sparkly vampires with a conscious. Not for the feint of heart. This series is violent and for adults only.
Unrequited love
Passion
Hate
Jealousy
Desire
Fear
Love
Redemption
Greed
Misery
Envy
Desperation
Deception
And pretty much every other emotion you can think of is weaved into this dark and twisted tale. Immortal beings created by dark magic that can only be released by the one who created them. This is not a pretty tale full of sparkly vampires with a conscious. Not for the feint of heart. This series is violent and for adults only.
May 5, 2012
I am so excited to be writing this review, it's really hard to type, while doing the happy dance. The Taker (Book 1) was by far, my favorite book of 2011. When I received The Reckoning (Book 2), I was very excited. Alma Katsu is an amazing storyteller. What goes on in that brain of hers, let me just say... it's pure awesome. I could always read about Lanny and Adair, their story could go on forever, and it doesn't get old.
When I started this book, I knew Lanny was in deep, deep trouble. I am saying this because of her actions, in the first book. It actually made me nervous, for Adair is not someone to be trifled with. She was so very brave in The Taker. Lanny is very smart though, however she was constantly running and looking over her shoulder in this book, very climatic. Adair actually grew on me more this time around, than in The Taker. He was such an evil, evil sinister person, it was a little unnerving. In The Reckoning we get to read about another side of Adair. It is refreshing how this very unusual love story just keeps twisting and turning. There is no way anyone will figure out how the third, in this trilogy, will end.
I really like the formatting of this series as well. Just like book 1, The Reckoning takes you back and forth from present day to, oh let's say... Morocco 1830 or Romania 1300's. If this book is not taking you way back, then you are in present day Michigan, Maine, Aspen, Boston, Barcelona, Casablanca, and Italy.
I really cannot tell you how much this series amazes me. It is haunting, evil, lovely and very romantic all at the same time. I seriously cannot stop thinking about these books, when I am not reading them! The last in the series The Descent coming out in 2013, is very much anticipated.
-Amy
Readingteen.net
When I started this book, I knew Lanny was in deep, deep trouble. I am saying this because of her actions, in the first book. It actually made me nervous, for Adair is not someone to be trifled with. She was so very brave in The Taker. Lanny is very smart though, however she was constantly running and looking over her shoulder in this book, very climatic. Adair actually grew on me more this time around, than in The Taker. He was such an evil, evil sinister person, it was a little unnerving. In The Reckoning we get to read about another side of Adair. It is refreshing how this very unusual love story just keeps twisting and turning. There is no way anyone will figure out how the third, in this trilogy, will end.
I really like the formatting of this series as well. Just like book 1, The Reckoning takes you back and forth from present day to, oh let's say... Morocco 1830 or Romania 1300's. If this book is not taking you way back, then you are in present day Michigan, Maine, Aspen, Boston, Barcelona, Casablanca, and Italy.
I really cannot tell you how much this series amazes me. It is haunting, evil, lovely and very romantic all at the same time. I seriously cannot stop thinking about these books, when I am not reading them! The last in the series The Descent coming out in 2013, is very much anticipated.
-Amy
Readingteen.net
July 25, 2012
I was drawn to The Taker Trilogy when the book cover for The Reckoning caught my eye on the GR Giveaways. The cover was so artistically stunning. Check it out
. The stricking beauty in color contrast and composition paired with the book’s title more than grabbed my attention. I am , however,not one who judges a book by its cover, so I looked up The Reckoning and book 1, The Taker, here on GR. Read the blurbs, summaries and some reviews. I decided that it sounded like something I could definitely sink my teeth into. Lucky, lucky me. I entered the giveaway and won an advance copy. My most enthusiactic thanks to Gallery Books and Alma Katsu.
But The Reckoning, is after all book 2 in Alma Katsu’s Trilogy, and since I am also peevishly unable (it may be more so unwilling) to pick up a piece of literature from any place other than the very beginning, I had to first get my hands on book one. Done that and am I ever so pleased with myself for soing so. Check out my review http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/.... It is such an amazingly well written and compelling story that when I finished and closed the book I immediately pick up book 2 and couldn’t put that one down either.
The Reckoning seamlessly picks up from where book 1, The Taker leaves off albeit with a heart pounding jump-start. We find Lanny and Luke in present day London visiting one of the museums to which she has donated some of the treasures collected over the past 200 years when she gets that humming buzz at the base of her skull. The familiarity of it doesn’t click right away, after all it has been 200 years. But then it hits her like a freight train. Adair is Free!!! Her first and most understandable reaction, she bolts. From there the story just continues to draw and drive you into a page turning frenzy.
Through her mad dash journey to evade Adair while trying to devise a plan to either neutralize him as a threat or stay his wrath, we get more details of Lanny’s life over the last two centuries, a greater understanding of what transpired between her and Jonathan that brought them to that fateful night in present day St Andrew, Maine. Each of her side stories is in itself a fantastical tale and in their retelling Lanny is brought to some very unsettling self realizations. We also get more back story on Adair and the physic and brought up to date on the status of some of the other immortals, Jude, Alejandro, Tilde, and Dona.
Where as The Taker explores man’s nature toward passion, obsession, love and desire and the circumstances under which it can easily sink to the depths of carnality, The Reckoning will have you questioning if and when should redemption no longer be a possibility. I myself found these questions more profound as they relate to Adair than to Lanny. It takes a very talented writer to bit by bit humanize such a character as Adair to the point where we can actually hope for his redemption if not out rightly root for it. As if all of this wasn’t hypnotic enough, Katsu introduces some new elements such as necromancy, questions of the afterlife, and some new characters (one in particular) all of which hold additional promises of a breathtaking finale in book 3. I’ve already added The Descent to my TBR and will be anxiously awaiting its publication.
The only thing that so far keeps this from being a 5 star series is that I can’t quite find myself invested in the Luke character or in his relationship with Lanny. I don’t know what it is, haven’t figured out why. It’s really a very small issue, and given the scope of the Lanny/Jonathan/Adair triangle, it shouldn't really matter. Still I look forward to seeing if I can make the connection in the next book.
. The stricking beauty in color contrast and composition paired with the book’s title more than grabbed my attention. I am , however,not one who judges a book by its cover, so I looked up The Reckoning and book 1, The Taker, here on GR. Read the blurbs, summaries and some reviews. I decided that it sounded like something I could definitely sink my teeth into. Lucky, lucky me. I entered the giveaway and won an advance copy. My most enthusiactic thanks to Gallery Books and Alma Katsu. But The Reckoning, is after all book 2 in Alma Katsu’s Trilogy, and since I am also peevishly unable (it may be more so unwilling) to pick up a piece of literature from any place other than the very beginning, I had to first get my hands on book one. Done that and am I ever so pleased with myself for soing so. Check out my review http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/.... It is such an amazingly well written and compelling story that when I finished and closed the book I immediately pick up book 2 and couldn’t put that one down either.
The Reckoning seamlessly picks up from where book 1, The Taker leaves off albeit with a heart pounding jump-start. We find Lanny and Luke in present day London visiting one of the museums to which she has donated some of the treasures collected over the past 200 years when she gets that humming buzz at the base of her skull. The familiarity of it doesn’t click right away, after all it has been 200 years. But then it hits her like a freight train. Adair is Free!!! Her first and most understandable reaction, she bolts. From there the story just continues to draw and drive you into a page turning frenzy.
Through her mad dash journey to evade Adair while trying to devise a plan to either neutralize him as a threat or stay his wrath, we get more details of Lanny’s life over the last two centuries, a greater understanding of what transpired between her and Jonathan that brought them to that fateful night in present day St Andrew, Maine. Each of her side stories is in itself a fantastical tale and in their retelling Lanny is brought to some very unsettling self realizations. We also get more back story on Adair and the physic and brought up to date on the status of some of the other immortals, Jude, Alejandro, Tilde, and Dona.
Where as The Taker explores man’s nature toward passion, obsession, love and desire and the circumstances under which it can easily sink to the depths of carnality, The Reckoning will have you questioning if and when should redemption no longer be a possibility. I myself found these questions more profound as they relate to Adair than to Lanny. It takes a very talented writer to bit by bit humanize such a character as Adair to the point where we can actually hope for his redemption if not out rightly root for it. As if all of this wasn’t hypnotic enough, Katsu introduces some new elements such as necromancy, questions of the afterlife, and some new characters (one in particular) all of which hold additional promises of a breathtaking finale in book 3. I’ve already added The Descent to my TBR and will be anxiously awaiting its publication.
The only thing that so far keeps this from being a 5 star series is that I can’t quite find myself invested in the Luke character or in his relationship with Lanny. I don’t know what it is, haven’t figured out why. It’s really a very small issue, and given the scope of the Lanny/Jonathan/Adair triangle, it shouldn't really matter. Still I look forward to seeing if I can make the connection in the next book.
August 8, 2012
***This is a review of books 1 & 2***
Part me was shocked and a smalldark part of me was mad. I don’t know exactly what to say about this book. I don’t even know what possessed me to read this book. I haven’t read any reviews of this book so I don’t have any expectations. In fact I have absolutely no idea what I’m about to read. So when I finish the two books I was so flabbergasted that this book is like…that.
This book is sort of an enigma to me. But one thing I’m sure of is that the book’s theme is dark. Very dark. It tackled love in the ugliest ways. The characters that loved and were loved in this book were tangled in web of lies, deceit and carnal obsession. I don’t like anyone of them. They irked me, and even made me furious. Their decisions and how they handled the situation want me to bang my head and question their sanity. What were they thinking?! If the book’s intention was to show that love can be horrid emotion then I applauded it because for me it worked. That being said, I don’t think that whatever it is they are feeling for each other is love (at least according to my description).
The first book The Taker felt as it was a long prelude of the real story (I thought the story has ended after book two, then I found out this is a trilogy and I’m not quite sure I’m up for the challenge of continuing it…let’s see). It started with Luke, a doctor and he met a girl who was suspected of murder. Lanore McIlvrae or Lanny asked Luke to help her escape. She told him that she killed the guy she loved but it was to make him free. To get his complete trust Lanny told her about her past and her true nature. She is an immortal. She has been living for centuries now and it all happened when she met Adair, a powerful aristocrat. He has the knowledge of alchemy. He was the reason why she was an immortal. When her family found out she was pregnant and the father of her child was an engaged man, they shipped her to Boston. She met Adair there, became his plaything until she got sick. But Adair was far too interested to let her die. So he cured him and now she’s living an endless life.
But she wanted extricate herself from him, so she deceived him and let him sleep for two hundred years. In the second book The Reckoning , Adair has woken up and he was furious. He wanted Lanny badly so he sought her. When he finally got her, he found out that she’s in love with somebody else. He asked her to be with her to save Luke’s life so she did. But after months being together Adair realized that he cannot force Lanny to love him, so he set her free.
From not including those horrible details, you’ll get an impression that Adair was just a lonely guy and just madly in love with Lanny. Nope, not even close. If I were to be blunt, he was obsessed with her. He used her in all sort of ways. Introduced her to sexual activities (and not just limited to the two of them, gender or age). But if you’re asking if it was graphic? No, not really. It wasn’t descriptive but it wasn’t elusively worded either. Adair was evil incarnate. He uses people for pleasure (and not just sex). He’s mad and he’s a frightening character. I do not like his character and even if I found what make him what he is (justifiable in a way I couldn’t comprehend how) I don’t think my first impression would change. My stance is solid. He’s bad. Bad, bad, bad.
I don’t understand Lanny. At all. I don’t know why she loved Jonathan. He’s not good for her, he was just using her. Jonathan is not a good guy, he’s married and still having an affair (with a married woman no less!!). But what I think his redeeming part is that he, at one point was honest with Lanny that he cannot love her the way she loved him. And then there’s Luke, the doctor. I don’t understand how she arrived to that conclusion that she’s in love with him. I do not see anything that shows love. They were into each other, yes, but that’s all there is. Now how will that convince me?
This one’s dark. And it caught me off guard plenty of times. And those times were not pleasant times…to say the least. I’m quite amazed with myself that I managed to finish the book (two books!) in one day. Then again, one of the book’s charms (for the lack of better word) is that it didn’t falter. It rendered me shocked…but those moments made me mad. Gosh, I hate all the characters. No one to empathize!!!
Part me was shocked and a small
This book is sort of an enigma to me. But one thing I’m sure of is that the book’s theme is dark. Very dark. It tackled love in the ugliest ways. The characters that loved and were loved in this book were tangled in web of lies, deceit and carnal obsession. I don’t like anyone of them. They irked me, and even made me furious. Their decisions and how they handled the situation want me to bang my head and question their sanity. What were they thinking?! If the book’s intention was to show that love can be horrid emotion then I applauded it because for me it worked. That being said, I don’t think that whatever it is they are feeling for each other is love (at least according to my description).
The first book The Taker felt as it was a long prelude of the real story (I thought the story has ended after book two, then I found out this is a trilogy and I’m not quite sure I’m up for the challenge of continuing it…let’s see). It started with Luke, a doctor and he met a girl who was suspected of murder. Lanore McIlvrae or Lanny asked Luke to help her escape. She told him that she killed the guy she loved but it was to make him free. To get his complete trust Lanny told her about her past and her true nature. She is an immortal. She has been living for centuries now and it all happened when she met Adair, a powerful aristocrat. He has the knowledge of alchemy. He was the reason why she was an immortal. When her family found out she was pregnant and the father of her child was an engaged man, they shipped her to Boston. She met Adair there, became his plaything until she got sick. But Adair was far too interested to let her die. So he cured him and now she’s living an endless life.
But she wanted extricate herself from him, so she deceived him and let him sleep for two hundred years. In the second book The Reckoning , Adair has woken up and he was furious. He wanted Lanny badly so he sought her. When he finally got her, he found out that she’s in love with somebody else. He asked her to be with her to save Luke’s life so she did. But after months being together Adair realized that he cannot force Lanny to love him, so he set her free.
From not including those horrible details, you’ll get an impression that Adair was just a lonely guy and just madly in love with Lanny. Nope, not even close. If I were to be blunt, he was obsessed with her. He used her in all sort of ways. Introduced her to sexual activities (and not just limited to the two of them, gender or age). But if you’re asking if it was graphic? No, not really. It wasn’t descriptive but it wasn’t elusively worded either. Adair was evil incarnate. He uses people for pleasure (and not just sex). He’s mad and he’s a frightening character. I do not like his character and even if I found what make him what he is (justifiable in a way I couldn’t comprehend how) I don’t think my first impression would change. My stance is solid. He’s bad. Bad, bad, bad.
I don’t understand Lanny. At all. I don’t know why she loved Jonathan. He’s not good for her, he was just using her. Jonathan is not a good guy, he’s married and still having an affair (with a married woman no less!!). But what I think his redeeming part is that he, at one point was honest with Lanny that he cannot love her the way she loved him. And then there’s Luke, the doctor. I don’t understand how she arrived to that conclusion that she’s in love with him. I do not see anything that shows love. They were into each other, yes, but that’s all there is. Now how will that convince me?
This one’s dark. And it caught me off guard plenty of times. And those times were not pleasant times…to say the least. I’m quite amazed with myself that I managed to finish the book (two books!) in one day. Then again, one of the book’s charms (for the lack of better word) is that it didn’t falter. It rendered me shocked…but those moments made me mad. Gosh, I hate all the characters. No one to empathize!!!
Want to read
March 19, 2012Um, what is with the cover...has it suddenly gone all YA on us?
August 21, 2012
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: Deeply unsettling and gripping sequel to The Taker. Part historical, part modern day thriller that explores deeper character development and emotions.
Opening Sentence: We were nearly at the Victoria and Albert Museum when we saw the crowds spilling out of the entrance and across Cromwell Street, forcing our taxi to stop in the middle of the road.
The Review:
Lanore McIlvrae and Lucas Findley are spending some quality time together in Europe after Lucas helped her escape from murder charges. It is not long before their tranquil lives are shattered as Lanore once again feels the tug of Adair’s’ presence. Her first conclusion is that Lucas is not safe with her so she runs away leaving him to pick up the shattered pieces of his life by himself much like Jonathan left her many years ago. Lanny seeks other immortals whom were once Adair’s companions looking to find a way that could possibly undue her curse or destroy Adair forever. Lucas is left hurt and betrayed. He wants to prove to Lanny that he should stay by her side while wondering if she has already been caught and destroyed by Adair.
Adair is furious. He wants nothing more than to claim his revenge on Lanore for locking him up for two hundred years. Adair must enlist the help of Jude, one of his unloyal and selfish companions, to find Lanore and to learn about the modern world. As the time passes for Adair, he realizes his feelings for Lanore are less about revenge and more about love. He has never felt this way for anyone in his centuries of life. Adair spares no expense or injustice until he can find Lanny again.
The Reckoning has a dark, grim and terrible atmosphere that reminds me so much of Anne Rice books. There are really no redeeming qualities for any of these characters yet I was sucked in by their emotional plight. Lanore and Adair both come to realizations about their feelings for each other and they both fight these feelings in different ways. I absolutely cannot wait to see how this plays out.
Lanore goes from fighting to live her life too wanting to end it so she doesn’t have to live through what Adair will undoubtedly put her through. She is a strong character but sometimes comes off a little childish even though what she is doing makes sense. She wants to protect Luke from harm, but it doesn’t take much research for Adair to find who she was last seen with so her protections may be for naught.
Adair is frightening. He has no scruples to how far he will go to get what he wants. He really doesn’t care about anyone or anything else but himself. When he realizes that Lanore has left him with feelings he has never felt before, he tries to act on them. He tries to make himself a better person but is it enough for this tragic tale?
I really like how The Reckoning goes between modern times and historical storytelling. How Lanore’s past lessons reflect on events that are currently happening. The Reckoning goes between different perspectives, Lanore’s first person to Adair and Luke’s third person accounts. The only thing that I had problem with was the time shifts between Adair and Lanore. Weeks would pass with Adair then it would go back to Lanore and it was only a couple days since Adair had escaped.
Overall, there is nothing fun or lighthearted about The Reckoning. It is a dark, heavy read that borders on tragic consequences. I was a little surprised by how this novel ended and I can’t wait to read the conclusion of the trilogy in The Descent.
Notable Scene:
Whereas, when I thought of Adair, I knew I should be terrified of him, I knew he was capable of doing horrible things, but I also couldn’t help being overtaken with excitement, too. It had been like being courted by a demon, heady and intoxicating. My stomach fluttered at the memory of it. I had been loved by a man who would do anything for me: lie, cheat, steal. Murder. How many women could say that? As frightening as it had been, it also had been a singular love.
Exactly the way I had felt about Jonathan, once upon a time.
I sat upright, holding a pillow to my stomach as though it had some magical power to keep down the bile rising in my throat. The belief I’d held most sacred in life, the star by which I’d charted my course, had been an illusion. Even if I’d had a perfect love with Abdul and the others, each had come about because, subconsciously, I’d sought to re-create what I once had with Adair. The truth of this realization fell into place like tumblers aligning in a lock. It had been Adair all this time, not Jonathan. Adair, the monster, was the one I had loved all along.
This couldn’t be. For a moment the inside of my head spun like a top, or perhaps it was my world flipping topsy-turvy and crashing around me. I’d always prided myself on following my heart, but I could not—would not—accept this. It must be mad lust or some kind of sick attraction dressed up to look like love. It must be trickery, one of his spells to make me think I loved him. It must be insanity brought on by Jonathan’s death. I could not be in love with a monster, I vowed. I would not let myself be in love with the devil.
FTC Advisory: Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster provided me with a copy of The Reckoning. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: Deeply unsettling and gripping sequel to The Taker. Part historical, part modern day thriller that explores deeper character development and emotions.
Opening Sentence: We were nearly at the Victoria and Albert Museum when we saw the crowds spilling out of the entrance and across Cromwell Street, forcing our taxi to stop in the middle of the road.
The Review:
Lanore McIlvrae and Lucas Findley are spending some quality time together in Europe after Lucas helped her escape from murder charges. It is not long before their tranquil lives are shattered as Lanore once again feels the tug of Adair’s’ presence. Her first conclusion is that Lucas is not safe with her so she runs away leaving him to pick up the shattered pieces of his life by himself much like Jonathan left her many years ago. Lanny seeks other immortals whom were once Adair’s companions looking to find a way that could possibly undue her curse or destroy Adair forever. Lucas is left hurt and betrayed. He wants to prove to Lanny that he should stay by her side while wondering if she has already been caught and destroyed by Adair.
Adair is furious. He wants nothing more than to claim his revenge on Lanore for locking him up for two hundred years. Adair must enlist the help of Jude, one of his unloyal and selfish companions, to find Lanore and to learn about the modern world. As the time passes for Adair, he realizes his feelings for Lanore are less about revenge and more about love. He has never felt this way for anyone in his centuries of life. Adair spares no expense or injustice until he can find Lanny again.
The Reckoning has a dark, grim and terrible atmosphere that reminds me so much of Anne Rice books. There are really no redeeming qualities for any of these characters yet I was sucked in by their emotional plight. Lanore and Adair both come to realizations about their feelings for each other and they both fight these feelings in different ways. I absolutely cannot wait to see how this plays out.
Lanore goes from fighting to live her life too wanting to end it so she doesn’t have to live through what Adair will undoubtedly put her through. She is a strong character but sometimes comes off a little childish even though what she is doing makes sense. She wants to protect Luke from harm, but it doesn’t take much research for Adair to find who she was last seen with so her protections may be for naught.
Adair is frightening. He has no scruples to how far he will go to get what he wants. He really doesn’t care about anyone or anything else but himself. When he realizes that Lanore has left him with feelings he has never felt before, he tries to act on them. He tries to make himself a better person but is it enough for this tragic tale?
I really like how The Reckoning goes between modern times and historical storytelling. How Lanore’s past lessons reflect on events that are currently happening. The Reckoning goes between different perspectives, Lanore’s first person to Adair and Luke’s third person accounts. The only thing that I had problem with was the time shifts between Adair and Lanore. Weeks would pass with Adair then it would go back to Lanore and it was only a couple days since Adair had escaped.
Overall, there is nothing fun or lighthearted about The Reckoning. It is a dark, heavy read that borders on tragic consequences. I was a little surprised by how this novel ended and I can’t wait to read the conclusion of the trilogy in The Descent.
Notable Scene:
Whereas, when I thought of Adair, I knew I should be terrified of him, I knew he was capable of doing horrible things, but I also couldn’t help being overtaken with excitement, too. It had been like being courted by a demon, heady and intoxicating. My stomach fluttered at the memory of it. I had been loved by a man who would do anything for me: lie, cheat, steal. Murder. How many women could say that? As frightening as it had been, it also had been a singular love.
Exactly the way I had felt about Jonathan, once upon a time.
I sat upright, holding a pillow to my stomach as though it had some magical power to keep down the bile rising in my throat. The belief I’d held most sacred in life, the star by which I’d charted my course, had been an illusion. Even if I’d had a perfect love with Abdul and the others, each had come about because, subconsciously, I’d sought to re-create what I once had with Adair. The truth of this realization fell into place like tumblers aligning in a lock. It had been Adair all this time, not Jonathan. Adair, the monster, was the one I had loved all along.
This couldn’t be. For a moment the inside of my head spun like a top, or perhaps it was my world flipping topsy-turvy and crashing around me. I’d always prided myself on following my heart, but I could not—would not—accept this. It must be mad lust or some kind of sick attraction dressed up to look like love. It must be trickery, one of his spells to make me think I loved him. It must be insanity brought on by Jonathan’s death. I could not be in love with a monster, I vowed. I would not let myself be in love with the devil.
FTC Advisory: Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster provided me with a copy of The Reckoning. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
July 6, 2012
There are some books that you read quickly through and there are those books are almost too seductive and you want to slow down and savor every moment with the characters, and The Reckoning by Alma Katsu — the second book in The Taker series — is the latter. Once plunged into this world of immortal, devilish, and sometimes wayward beings, readers will not want to leave and by the end of the book, they will be clamoring for more.
The novel picks up just where Lanny and Luke leave off in the previous novel, and just as he begins to settle into their new life together — helping her to purge her past — the unthinkable happens. The terror Lanny feels is palpable and forces her to take action in a way that she never thought she would, leaving Luke devastated. What makes this all work so well is the tables are turned not just on Lanny forcing her to react, but the tables turn on other characters as well, including the powerful and frightening Adair.
Read the full review: http://savvyverseandwit.com/2012/07/t...
The novel picks up just where Lanny and Luke leave off in the previous novel, and just as he begins to settle into their new life together — helping her to purge her past — the unthinkable happens. The terror Lanny feels is palpable and forces her to take action in a way that she never thought she would, leaving Luke devastated. What makes this all work so well is the tables are turned not just on Lanny forcing her to react, but the tables turn on other characters as well, including the powerful and frightening Adair.
Read the full review: http://savvyverseandwit.com/2012/07/t...
December 12, 2014
So... not really what I expected...
I am super interested in all of the history of the characters, and I think that Lanny is flawed just enough that she isn't worthless, so overall I like the general idea.
I'm overly surprised at Adiars change of heart, and think the Jonathan thing was weird. There was a lot of stuff brought up that wasn't resolved, but I guess that's what the final book will be for. (I like the last chapter just because I'm excited that its opening the door for more history!)
I guess my biggest issue is that I'm not really sure what the point of this series is... A love story? Finding redemption? Life and death? Because I feel like any of those are a stretch...
Oh, and Luke has ZERO reason to be in these books. Seriously.
I am super interested in all of the history of the characters, and I think that Lanny is flawed just enough that she isn't worthless, so overall I like the general idea.
I'm overly surprised at Adiars change of heart, and think the Jonathan thing was weird. There was a lot of stuff brought up that wasn't resolved, but I guess that's what the final book will be for. (I like the last chapter just because I'm excited that its opening the door for more history!)
I guess my biggest issue is that I'm not really sure what the point of this series is... A love story? Finding redemption? Life and death? Because I feel like any of those are a stretch...
Oh, and Luke has ZERO reason to be in these books. Seriously.
June 28, 2012
oh my goodness...genius. pure genius. the wave of emotions i've felt over the couple of days it took me to read this has been overwhelming...to be completely honest, i'm speechless.
the dark twists, the emotions, the inherent truths Katsu makes you face all wrapped up in this amazing story...oh, and holy zombies batman - zombies and oddly enough i'm not just ok with that - it totally works and feels completely right - how is that possible?
this one has left a mark on my soul
longer review to come as soon as i can gather coherent thoughts properly!
link to my Scandalicious Book Review:
http://www.scandaliciousbookreviews.c...
the dark twists, the emotions, the inherent truths Katsu makes you face all wrapped up in this amazing story...oh, and holy zombies batman - zombies and oddly enough i'm not just ok with that - it totally works and feels completely right - how is that possible?
this one has left a mark on my soul
longer review to come as soon as i can gather coherent thoughts properly!
link to my Scandalicious Book Review:
http://www.scandaliciousbookreviews.c...
September 12, 2014
A deeply dark and disturbing tale of obsession/unrequited love. After reading quite a few candyfloss YA fantasy books, this feels like drinking some decadent dark chocolate - just what I needed. I also enjoyed the authors comparison of technology to alchemy. I can't wait for book number 4.
August 25, 2013
I loved this book, the second of trilogy. Katsu has a rare talent she made me enjoy fantasy/horror as a genre. she is a brilliant writer and she leaves you breathless with a fast paced harrowing story.
June 25, 2016
Well, I actually enjoyed this one more than the first in the series. Less rapey.
April 17, 2013
Notes: I read the ARC (Advanced Reader Copy)
My Synopsis:
It had been three months since Lanny ended the life of Jonathan, the love of her life, per his request. She and Luke have become close since then, and she'd promised to never leave him. That she'd spend the rest of his life with him. For the first time in Lanny's life she was with someone who took care of her and cherished her. It endeared Luke all the more to her. The relationship had changed her, grounded her and she was content.
She'd always known someday she'd have to once again face her maker.The one who'd made her immortal. She shouldn't have made a promise to Luke she might not be able to keep because now, after hundreds of years of feeling nothing of Adair's presence, she began to feel a slight humming. At first she didn't recognize it or understand what she was feeling, but soon enough she understood it for what it was--the presence of the one man she never wished to cross paths with ever again, Adair.
For two hundred years he's been imprisoned in a space no larger than a closet with no food and no contact with the outside world or another individual. He's had two hundred years to plot and scheme about how he'd get his revenge on the two individuals who had entombed him within the walls of his own home. Two hundred years to think about all that he's done and wishes to do. Two hundred years of solitude are about to come to an end.
My Thoughts:
This is the second book of The Taker series. In the first book, Lanny was introduced to Adair's dark world when she'd been sent off by her parents to a convent in Boston to have the baby she and Jonathan had conceived. She'd never made it to her final destination. She'd gullibly accepted a ride with a couple who said they'd take her to where she needed to go. That had sealed her fate and that of the unborn child she'd never give birth to. She'd been inducted into a world of sin and indulgence where nothing was sexually unacceptable and refusal was not an option. When Lanore comes down with a fatal illness, Adair shed his own type of mercy on her and made her immortal.
At first she was seduced by Adair's world of over indulgence, lack of morality, and what most would see as sexually deviant behavior. Lanny, however, was not like the others although she didn't know it. You see, she did have a conscience, and she fell out of favor, or so she thought, with Adair when she attempted to save an underage girl from Adair's world and her ultimate death. Adair's punishment was designed to humilate and make the bearer afraid to ever again deviate from his wishes. Then she'd found out about his plot to switch souls with Jonathan, and that was when she decided to find a way to stop him, and when she saw a means to do so she took it. That had been two hundred years ago. Now she was fleeing for her life. From what she knew of Adair there would be no mercy.
In The Reckoning, we learn more about Adair. We find out how he became immortal and some of the things which molded him into the man he became. When faced with everlasting immortality one can see one's self as Godlike. Adair has no conscience, no one to account to for his actions. Being locked up for two centuries had done a number on him, but he was determined to get back to where he wants to be. He'll need to relearn how the world works because so much has changed. He'll also need to get back on his feet because all his possessions and money are gone. He'll not only attempt to track down Lanny, but also all his old converts who are still beholden to him and owe him their allegiance.
We also get to get a glimpse of the life that Lanny and Jonathan led after they first fled Adair. Ms. Katsu incorporates a touch of history, which centers around Lord Byron, into the mix. We learn more about Luke and the family he left behind. So if you read the last book, it was written similarly to this one where Ms. Katsu changes points of view to let you know what all the crucial players are thinking.
When Lanny feels Adair's presence she knows she needs help. She seeks out some of Adair's former prodigies hoping for their assistance. What she hadn't counted on was that not everyone resented Adair. She'll need to be careful in order to stay one step ahead of him.
There are a couple of quotes I'm going to list from The Taker that I feel are crucial to this book. The first is, 'I couldn't say, even to Jonathan, the heart of my secret fear--that my happiness mattered to know one, not even to my father or mother.' This is the key to understanding what makes Lanny tick. She wants to be loved. It also, I feel, answers the off handed question that Adair indirectly posed about Lanny, "I sense something about you...you're a kindred spirit in some way that I haven't figured out yet. But, I will." He has also never felt loved, but once upon a time sensed it in Lanny before he did the unthinkable to her.
Overall I gave this one 4 1/2 out of 5 roses. I'm loving the series, but I'm not sure what I think about Adair in this one. His character at one point seemingly does a total 180 and it just seems a little out of character. This could be a brilliant move setting up for the next book or it could be showing a weakness much larger than an Achilles' heel. That's the reason I'm torn between a 4 and a 5 rose rating. I can't wait to find out in the next book. By the way, Adair's change of character brought to mind a quote by Mae West that I felt catches Adair's essence in this one, "When I'm good, I'm very good. But when I'm bad, I'm better." lol While I don't necessarily like Adair at his worst, I think that some of that badness could never permanently disappear. It'll be fun to see what Ms. Katsu has planned for the next book. I just wish we didn't have to wait.
My Synopsis:
It had been three months since Lanny ended the life of Jonathan, the love of her life, per his request. She and Luke have become close since then, and she'd promised to never leave him. That she'd spend the rest of his life with him. For the first time in Lanny's life she was with someone who took care of her and cherished her. It endeared Luke all the more to her. The relationship had changed her, grounded her and she was content.
She'd always known someday she'd have to once again face her maker.The one who'd made her immortal. She shouldn't have made a promise to Luke she might not be able to keep because now, after hundreds of years of feeling nothing of Adair's presence, she began to feel a slight humming. At first she didn't recognize it or understand what she was feeling, but soon enough she understood it for what it was--the presence of the one man she never wished to cross paths with ever again, Adair.
For two hundred years he's been imprisoned in a space no larger than a closet with no food and no contact with the outside world or another individual. He's had two hundred years to plot and scheme about how he'd get his revenge on the two individuals who had entombed him within the walls of his own home. Two hundred years to think about all that he's done and wishes to do. Two hundred years of solitude are about to come to an end.
My Thoughts:
This is the second book of The Taker series. In the first book, Lanny was introduced to Adair's dark world when she'd been sent off by her parents to a convent in Boston to have the baby she and Jonathan had conceived. She'd never made it to her final destination. She'd gullibly accepted a ride with a couple who said they'd take her to where she needed to go. That had sealed her fate and that of the unborn child she'd never give birth to. She'd been inducted into a world of sin and indulgence where nothing was sexually unacceptable and refusal was not an option. When Lanore comes down with a fatal illness, Adair shed his own type of mercy on her and made her immortal.
At first she was seduced by Adair's world of over indulgence, lack of morality, and what most would see as sexually deviant behavior. Lanny, however, was not like the others although she didn't know it. You see, she did have a conscience, and she fell out of favor, or so she thought, with Adair when she attempted to save an underage girl from Adair's world and her ultimate death. Adair's punishment was designed to humilate and make the bearer afraid to ever again deviate from his wishes. Then she'd found out about his plot to switch souls with Jonathan, and that was when she decided to find a way to stop him, and when she saw a means to do so she took it. That had been two hundred years ago. Now she was fleeing for her life. From what she knew of Adair there would be no mercy.
In The Reckoning, we learn more about Adair. We find out how he became immortal and some of the things which molded him into the man he became. When faced with everlasting immortality one can see one's self as Godlike. Adair has no conscience, no one to account to for his actions. Being locked up for two centuries had done a number on him, but he was determined to get back to where he wants to be. He'll need to relearn how the world works because so much has changed. He'll also need to get back on his feet because all his possessions and money are gone. He'll not only attempt to track down Lanny, but also all his old converts who are still beholden to him and owe him their allegiance.
We also get to get a glimpse of the life that Lanny and Jonathan led after they first fled Adair. Ms. Katsu incorporates a touch of history, which centers around Lord Byron, into the mix. We learn more about Luke and the family he left behind. So if you read the last book, it was written similarly to this one where Ms. Katsu changes points of view to let you know what all the crucial players are thinking.
When Lanny feels Adair's presence she knows she needs help. She seeks out some of Adair's former prodigies hoping for their assistance. What she hadn't counted on was that not everyone resented Adair. She'll need to be careful in order to stay one step ahead of him.
There are a couple of quotes I'm going to list from The Taker that I feel are crucial to this book. The first is, 'I couldn't say, even to Jonathan, the heart of my secret fear--that my happiness mattered to know one, not even to my father or mother.' This is the key to understanding what makes Lanny tick. She wants to be loved. It also, I feel, answers the off handed question that Adair indirectly posed about Lanny, "I sense something about you...you're a kindred spirit in some way that I haven't figured out yet. But, I will." He has also never felt loved, but once upon a time sensed it in Lanny before he did the unthinkable to her.
Overall I gave this one 4 1/2 out of 5 roses. I'm loving the series, but I'm not sure what I think about Adair in this one. His character at one point seemingly does a total 180 and it just seems a little out of character. This could be a brilliant move setting up for the next book or it could be showing a weakness much larger than an Achilles' heel. That's the reason I'm torn between a 4 and a 5 rose rating. I can't wait to find out in the next book. By the way, Adair's change of character brought to mind a quote by Mae West that I felt catches Adair's essence in this one, "When I'm good, I'm very good. But when I'm bad, I'm better." lol While I don't necessarily like Adair at his worst, I think that some of that badness could never permanently disappear. It'll be fun to see what Ms. Katsu has planned for the next book. I just wish we didn't have to wait.
April 2, 2012
Stars: 4.0
The Reckoning by Alma Katsu picks up where the first book in her supernatural, gothic trilogy, The Taker, ends. Katsu describes The Taker as “a story about desire, obsession and the dark things we sometimes do for love.” It’s also about the curse of immortality and the price paid by its victims.
I didn’t realize that The Taker was part of a trilogy when I read and reviewed it for Simon & Schuster Canada, but now that I’ve read the second book, I can’t wait for the final piece of this extraordinarily compelling puzzle which is currently known as The Descent. This trilogy is a Twilight for adults (R-rated) although its main characters are not vampires. While I found The Taker to be quite melancholy because of its focus on an unrequited love story, The Reckoning, is more visceral and suspenseful in the way it expresses Lanny’s terror in being reunited with her maker, Adair, which is her worst nightmare made manifest.
The Reckoning opens with main character, Lanore “Lanny” McIlvrae, a 200 year old immortal, living with her latest human lover, Dr. Luke Findley in London, England. Lanny has just donated a collection of lost 19th century artifacts to the Victoria and Albert Museum, the featured treasure being a fan autographed to her by the poet, Lord Byron that had been given to her by the love her life: the astonishingly beautiful Jonathan St. Andrew. We learn more about why Jonathan begged Lanny to release him from the chains of immortality, why she agreed, and the ultimate price she has to pay for her actions.
Near the end of The Taker, we discover that Lanny and Jonathan have sealed their maker, Adair (the Count cel Rau from Romania), in the walls of his Boston home, but two centuries later, the house is demolished and Adair is free to seek revenge on his imprisoners. Only Lanny knows the horrors that Adair is capable of inflicting and she realizes that she can’t allow Luke to stay with her and continue to live as a fugitive when it’s only a matter of time before Adair catches up with them and unleashes his vengeance. The narrative unfolds primarily between London and Boston with pit stops in ancient Venice, Casablanca, Marquette, Michigan, Maine, Barcelona, Pisa, Aspen, Colorado and Lake Garda, Italy as Lanny tries to keep as much distance as possible between herself and Adair.
Adair’s minions, the greedy Jude, the fiendish Tilde (who is exquisitely demonic!) and the deceptive Alejandro are back in this volume, and we meet two other immortals bound to Adair: the long-suffering Savva and his newest convert, Pendleton. These secondary characters are integral to the story and are tremendously entertaining, but it is Adair who you will never forget. He’s a 21st century Lestat, only far less charming and much more vicious.
The Reckoning is Adair’s story and it’s the tale of an immortal man who has existed for almost 1,000 years in a body that doesn’t belong to him. He’s a man who is so morally bankrupt and inherently evil that everyone who knows him fears him for the monster that he is. What makes him truly captivating is that although Adair essentially still possesses a human soul, his is a soul who might just be the only soul in all creation who has never been loved. This is the story of a soul whose battle is against his desire to change and his inability to overcome his intrinsic nature.
"Could a person like that change? I didn’t want to be uncharitable; I wanted to believe everyone is capable of change, of acting selflessly, of becoming a better person. The longer we live, the more we understand and develop empathy for our fellow man, and are moved to change our selfish ways. I would hate to meet the person who was forever inured to the misery of others."
Adair, who is well-practiced in the art of alchemy, is so powerful that not only is he capable of astral travel and lighting fires with his mind, but he can raise the dead. And he just might have to spend all of eternity engaged in penitence for his sins. Even though he’s a rapist and a murderer, Katsu writes him with such complexity and compassion that we can find empathy for him as he endures his own torture.
By the end of The Reckoning, we realize that Lanny, who on the outside appears as a kidnapping victim suffering from Stockholm Syndrome, is bound to Adair for eternity, no matter where she goes, what she does, or who she loves, and therein lies her fate.
I love a good paranormal mystery/romance and this trilogy by Alma Katsu will fit perfectly between my collection of Anne Rice, Clive Barker and Stephenie Meyer novels. I see movies of these books being made and envision Rufus Sewell as Adair and Mia Wasilkowska as Lanny, but I can’t yet imagine what actor could be considered beautiful enough to play Jonathan. Johnny Depp is unfortunately now too old for the part.
I feel privileged to have been able to read an advanced reader’s edition of The Reckoning and will be a die-hard fan of Katsu’s for as long as she continues to write.
The Reckoning by Alma Katsu picks up where the first book in her supernatural, gothic trilogy, The Taker, ends. Katsu describes The Taker as “a story about desire, obsession and the dark things we sometimes do for love.” It’s also about the curse of immortality and the price paid by its victims.
I didn’t realize that The Taker was part of a trilogy when I read and reviewed it for Simon & Schuster Canada, but now that I’ve read the second book, I can’t wait for the final piece of this extraordinarily compelling puzzle which is currently known as The Descent. This trilogy is a Twilight for adults (R-rated) although its main characters are not vampires. While I found The Taker to be quite melancholy because of its focus on an unrequited love story, The Reckoning, is more visceral and suspenseful in the way it expresses Lanny’s terror in being reunited with her maker, Adair, which is her worst nightmare made manifest.
The Reckoning opens with main character, Lanore “Lanny” McIlvrae, a 200 year old immortal, living with her latest human lover, Dr. Luke Findley in London, England. Lanny has just donated a collection of lost 19th century artifacts to the Victoria and Albert Museum, the featured treasure being a fan autographed to her by the poet, Lord Byron that had been given to her by the love her life: the astonishingly beautiful Jonathan St. Andrew. We learn more about why Jonathan begged Lanny to release him from the chains of immortality, why she agreed, and the ultimate price she has to pay for her actions.
Near the end of The Taker, we discover that Lanny and Jonathan have sealed their maker, Adair (the Count cel Rau from Romania), in the walls of his Boston home, but two centuries later, the house is demolished and Adair is free to seek revenge on his imprisoners. Only Lanny knows the horrors that Adair is capable of inflicting and she realizes that she can’t allow Luke to stay with her and continue to live as a fugitive when it’s only a matter of time before Adair catches up with them and unleashes his vengeance. The narrative unfolds primarily between London and Boston with pit stops in ancient Venice, Casablanca, Marquette, Michigan, Maine, Barcelona, Pisa, Aspen, Colorado and Lake Garda, Italy as Lanny tries to keep as much distance as possible between herself and Adair.
Adair’s minions, the greedy Jude, the fiendish Tilde (who is exquisitely demonic!) and the deceptive Alejandro are back in this volume, and we meet two other immortals bound to Adair: the long-suffering Savva and his newest convert, Pendleton. These secondary characters are integral to the story and are tremendously entertaining, but it is Adair who you will never forget. He’s a 21st century Lestat, only far less charming and much more vicious.
The Reckoning is Adair’s story and it’s the tale of an immortal man who has existed for almost 1,000 years in a body that doesn’t belong to him. He’s a man who is so morally bankrupt and inherently evil that everyone who knows him fears him for the monster that he is. What makes him truly captivating is that although Adair essentially still possesses a human soul, his is a soul who might just be the only soul in all creation who has never been loved. This is the story of a soul whose battle is against his desire to change and his inability to overcome his intrinsic nature.
"Could a person like that change? I didn’t want to be uncharitable; I wanted to believe everyone is capable of change, of acting selflessly, of becoming a better person. The longer we live, the more we understand and develop empathy for our fellow man, and are moved to change our selfish ways. I would hate to meet the person who was forever inured to the misery of others."
Adair, who is well-practiced in the art of alchemy, is so powerful that not only is he capable of astral travel and lighting fires with his mind, but he can raise the dead. And he just might have to spend all of eternity engaged in penitence for his sins. Even though he’s a rapist and a murderer, Katsu writes him with such complexity and compassion that we can find empathy for him as he endures his own torture.
By the end of The Reckoning, we realize that Lanny, who on the outside appears as a kidnapping victim suffering from Stockholm Syndrome, is bound to Adair for eternity, no matter where she goes, what she does, or who she loves, and therein lies her fate.
I love a good paranormal mystery/romance and this trilogy by Alma Katsu will fit perfectly between my collection of Anne Rice, Clive Barker and Stephenie Meyer novels. I see movies of these books being made and envision Rufus Sewell as Adair and Mia Wasilkowska as Lanny, but I can’t yet imagine what actor could be considered beautiful enough to play Jonathan. Johnny Depp is unfortunately now too old for the part.
I feel privileged to have been able to read an advanced reader’s edition of The Reckoning and will be a die-hard fan of Katsu’s for as long as she continues to write.
June 6, 2012
--Full, non-spoiler review courtesy at Book & Movie Dimension a Blog--
For many The Taker, the first book in The Taker Trilogy, not only introduced but also swept them up into the world of some alarmingly deprived Immortals. The Reckoning has quite the few shocks and unexpected reveals. We had lastly left off in The Taker with Lanore (Lanny) having imprisoned Adair the person who gifted her with Immortility itself. Lanore had also just met Luke , a doctor, who felt a certain connection to her and she and Luke seemed rather happy together. Now in The Reckoning, by mere chance Adair is released from his prison. Years have passed and though Lanore felt she made a good choice by entrapping Adair she never feels at ease after her decision. Lanore forever lives in fear of having committed her betrayal. She'll finally get to let go of her fear of Adair ever escaping since he finally does escape! Adair is back with a vengeance. You really get to see how he struggles to accept his new surroundings considering he's in the modern world and not in older times where he feels more in control. Adair comes of as vulnerable in The Reckoning which is a contrast to how he always felt self-assured in The Taker. Adair's fury toward Lanore's betrayal on most ocassions can be seen as conflicted since he loved her and as readers will see is that taking over Jonathan's body in the past which led to Lanore imprisoning him was because he simply wanted to please her. Adair throughout The Reckoning has an intense love/hate relationship toward Lanore.
Alma Katsu delivers once again with her suspenseful story of longing. For those of you who wanted to see more of Jonathan the beautiful man that so captivated Lanore for many centuries and many other women as well than you should be happy to know that he will be making an appearance. He wont be the same as he was! Something rather weird is going on with him. There's some curiosity there. He will though let readers know how he truly felt about his relationship with Lanore.
The writing is equal parts present and flashbacks to the past. There are encounters with Lanore's past and Adair's perspective of things that happened then. Adair where as a fan of the trilogy saw as a completely cruel and inmoral individual there is some eye-opening views of how he became the person he is in this novel. His greed for power ultimately changed him. He reached an idea that people with a bigger knowledge of alchemy had the right to take what they wanted and act on their desires. Although that turned him into a man with no restraint. As of now, Adair is someone that understand and actually root for him to hopefully end up with Lanore if he changes his ways. Some of the other characters acquired vulnerability where there only seem to be depravity before and yet others were worse in who they are as individuals. The books, so far, in The Taker Trilogy have managed to expand on the story and add to the characters on both fronts.
By now, have an inkling, that with Alma's books, well in reference to The Taker Trilogy specifically, you can only get mind-shocking turns in the play of events. If this book was one of the books that you or anyone were holding in high expectations then rest assure. The Reckoning builds on The Taker Trilogy and cements Alma as a master storyteller in Dark Fantasy.
Overall: Amazing read!
For many The Taker, the first book in The Taker Trilogy, not only introduced but also swept them up into the world of some alarmingly deprived Immortals. The Reckoning has quite the few shocks and unexpected reveals. We had lastly left off in The Taker with Lanore (Lanny) having imprisoned Adair the person who gifted her with Immortility itself. Lanore had also just met Luke , a doctor, who felt a certain connection to her and she and Luke seemed rather happy together. Now in The Reckoning, by mere chance Adair is released from his prison. Years have passed and though Lanore felt she made a good choice by entrapping Adair she never feels at ease after her decision. Lanore forever lives in fear of having committed her betrayal. She'll finally get to let go of her fear of Adair ever escaping since he finally does escape! Adair is back with a vengeance. You really get to see how he struggles to accept his new surroundings considering he's in the modern world and not in older times where he feels more in control. Adair comes of as vulnerable in The Reckoning which is a contrast to how he always felt self-assured in The Taker. Adair's fury toward Lanore's betrayal on most ocassions can be seen as conflicted since he loved her and as readers will see is that taking over Jonathan's body in the past which led to Lanore imprisoning him was because he simply wanted to please her. Adair throughout The Reckoning has an intense love/hate relationship toward Lanore.
Alma Katsu delivers once again with her suspenseful story of longing. For those of you who wanted to see more of Jonathan the beautiful man that so captivated Lanore for many centuries and many other women as well than you should be happy to know that he will be making an appearance. He wont be the same as he was! Something rather weird is going on with him. There's some curiosity there. He will though let readers know how he truly felt about his relationship with Lanore.
The writing is equal parts present and flashbacks to the past. There are encounters with Lanore's past and Adair's perspective of things that happened then. Adair where as a fan of the trilogy saw as a completely cruel and inmoral individual there is some eye-opening views of how he became the person he is in this novel. His greed for power ultimately changed him. He reached an idea that people with a bigger knowledge of alchemy had the right to take what they wanted and act on their desires. Although that turned him into a man with no restraint. As of now, Adair is someone that understand and actually root for him to hopefully end up with Lanore if he changes his ways. Some of the other characters acquired vulnerability where there only seem to be depravity before and yet others were worse in who they are as individuals. The books, so far, in The Taker Trilogy have managed to expand on the story and add to the characters on both fronts.
By now, have an inkling, that with Alma's books, well in reference to The Taker Trilogy specifically, you can only get mind-shocking turns in the play of events. If this book was one of the books that you or anyone were holding in high expectations then rest assure. The Reckoning builds on The Taker Trilogy and cements Alma as a master storyteller in Dark Fantasy.
Overall: Amazing read!
June 10, 2012
Okay. So I was taken aback by "The Taker." It was so beautifully written and articulated but lacked 1) morals and 2) character likeability. To summarize The Taker; Lanore is born in the early 1800s. She loves Jonathon, a beautiful and shallow boy. They grow up in parallel lives but are friends. Jonathon sleeps around. Lanore finds herself pregnant. She is sent to Boston to have the baby in a convent. She runs away and finds herself in the company of Adair and his crew who happen to be not only immortal but into all things unholy and carnal. Sexual acts of the imagination ensue but not in detail. Also, Adair is incredibly sadistic. Punishment is also sexual in nature. Lanore becomes immortal. She returns to her village and gets Jonathon who is, at that moment, caught for sleeping with another man's wife. Jonathon becomes immortal. Lanore feels trapped by Adair and she is. She makes a plan and makes Jonathon carry it out with her, rendering Adair neutralized for the next two centuries. Jonathon is gone. Lanny is with a doctor who helped her escape. Adair awaits.
This is all important to understand for the second book which I went into prepared to love the writing style, never connect to the characters, but I really wanted to know what happens to Adair. The book opens with Lanny and Luke (the doctor) at a museum exhibit opening. Treasures were donated anonymously throughout the world by Lanny cleaning out her things. Suddenly, she feels a keening inside her head and knows immediately the cause. Adair is free.
In the first book, Adair was formidable. His life spans many, many centuries of growing in the art of alchemy. He is terrifying but never single dimensional. He follows his internal compass to the closest of his minions, Jude, and enters the twenty-first century.
The rest of the book is told by differing points of view. Lanny revisits some of her immortal siblings (Adair's creations) and makes some self-discoveries of her true nature. She doesn't like who she is when she sees herself in contrast to the others. They were all chosen for their ruthlessness, lack of conscience, and overall unlikeability. They had histories that were sordid and crimes that horrific. We get a glimpse of the history of many of them. Most are still vague except for her first stop, a man who wants immortality to stop. He is ready to die. He is so tired. And she continues on her journey to the old players from the first book, always trying to stay away from Adair.
Meanwhile, Adair is adjusting to this new world. He still holds a great deal of power within him and, with his old books, it seems he is even more powerful. He bides his time until he and Lanny meet by being controlling, hateful, vengeful, and trying to master patience until he can exact his revenge upon Lanny. We also get a brief history on Adair. He flashes back to other times in his life when becomes immortal, how he gains his current body, and some other noteworthy moments. Also, Adair finds himself despicable like Lanore finds herself the same. Weird as it is, Adair becomes the character I liked the most in this book. He discovers his buried humanity.
Again, the book is very well written. Violence is abundant but not detailed. It is not a young adult book, regardless of the cover. I liked it much better than "The Taker" but found the information from the first book to be crucial to the second. Developments in this book make the third book MUST READ. I will definitely read the third book.
This is all important to understand for the second book which I went into prepared to love the writing style, never connect to the characters, but I really wanted to know what happens to Adair. The book opens with Lanny and Luke (the doctor) at a museum exhibit opening. Treasures were donated anonymously throughout the world by Lanny cleaning out her things. Suddenly, she feels a keening inside her head and knows immediately the cause. Adair is free.
In the first book, Adair was formidable. His life spans many, many centuries of growing in the art of alchemy. He is terrifying but never single dimensional. He follows his internal compass to the closest of his minions, Jude, and enters the twenty-first century.
The rest of the book is told by differing points of view. Lanny revisits some of her immortal siblings (Adair's creations) and makes some self-discoveries of her true nature. She doesn't like who she is when she sees herself in contrast to the others. They were all chosen for their ruthlessness, lack of conscience, and overall unlikeability. They had histories that were sordid and crimes that horrific. We get a glimpse of the history of many of them. Most are still vague except for her first stop, a man who wants immortality to stop. He is ready to die. He is so tired. And she continues on her journey to the old players from the first book, always trying to stay away from Adair.
Meanwhile, Adair is adjusting to this new world. He still holds a great deal of power within him and, with his old books, it seems he is even more powerful. He bides his time until he and Lanny meet by being controlling, hateful, vengeful, and trying to master patience until he can exact his revenge upon Lanny. We also get a brief history on Adair. He flashes back to other times in his life when becomes immortal, how he gains his current body, and some other noteworthy moments. Also, Adair finds himself despicable like Lanore finds herself the same. Weird as it is, Adair becomes the character I liked the most in this book. He discovers his buried humanity.
Again, the book is very well written. Violence is abundant but not detailed. It is not a young adult book, regardless of the cover. I liked it much better than "The Taker" but found the information from the first book to be crucial to the second. Developments in this book make the third book MUST READ. I will definitely read the third book.
September 6, 2012
I read and reviewed The Taker, Alma Katus’s first novel in this trilogy with a Goodreads group. I found it to be disturbing, compelling and one that left me breathless. I found myself repulsed and drawn to Lanore MciLvrae’s story and had to know more. The group decided to read The Reckoning for August and again I found myself completely drawn to this tale and its fleshed out and complex characters. Katus is a powerful story teller and I encourage you to pick this trilogy up.
The tale picks up shortly after book one ended, and we find ourselves in England with Lanore and Luke Findley. While at a museum, Lanore senses that Adair has escaped the prison that she and Jonathan trapped him in over two hundred years ago. Lanore is terrified for she knows he will hunt her down and seek revenge. Adair wakes up to find his fortune gone and the world around him completely changed. He seeks one of the others and makes plans to find Lanore. The tale that unfolds left me breathless, as Lanore tries to escape and the two of them deal with their complex feelings.
The characters in this tale are unique, complex, and twisted. I find myself completely surprised that I connected with them and understood them. They are all flawed, all damaged and despite what they claim they all want love. We get to know more of Adair’s back story, and things we thought were true, turn out to be lies. We learn more about the other members of Adair’s twisted family and I enjoyed getting to know them. I liked Lanore more in this novel, perhaps I understood her a little better. While a part of me still fears Adair I was completely floored by the other side of him that Katus unveiled to us. I am amazed at the hold Lanore has on Jonathan, Luke and Adair. I think what I find refreshing is that she doesn’t think she deserves it, and has a twisted idea of “happiness”. These characters will haunt you long after you close the book.
While there is still a veil of mystery to the alchemy behind Adair and his ties to them all, I found this to be a wonderful middle book. Often, it can fall flat, but this was action packed and took me on an emotional ride. Character development and depth brought the tale to life. The author’s writing style flows beautifully as you ride one intense scene after another. Elements of suspense, mystery and fear had me turning the pages, oblivious to the world around me. This is a dark tale that explores love, greed, hatred, selfishness and power. The characters kept me riveted and I consumed this in a single afternoon. This tale will take you out of your comfort zone and intrigue you at the same time. Readers in our group have made comments like, “It made me uncomfortable, yet I loved it.” “It’s sick but addicting.” It has left me eagerly awaiting the final installment and has currently earned a place on my top five adult novels for 2012.
Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer
The tale picks up shortly after book one ended, and we find ourselves in England with Lanore and Luke Findley. While at a museum, Lanore senses that Adair has escaped the prison that she and Jonathan trapped him in over two hundred years ago. Lanore is terrified for she knows he will hunt her down and seek revenge. Adair wakes up to find his fortune gone and the world around him completely changed. He seeks one of the others and makes plans to find Lanore. The tale that unfolds left me breathless, as Lanore tries to escape and the two of them deal with their complex feelings.
The characters in this tale are unique, complex, and twisted. I find myself completely surprised that I connected with them and understood them. They are all flawed, all damaged and despite what they claim they all want love. We get to know more of Adair’s back story, and things we thought were true, turn out to be lies. We learn more about the other members of Adair’s twisted family and I enjoyed getting to know them. I liked Lanore more in this novel, perhaps I understood her a little better. While a part of me still fears Adair I was completely floored by the other side of him that Katus unveiled to us. I am amazed at the hold Lanore has on Jonathan, Luke and Adair. I think what I find refreshing is that she doesn’t think she deserves it, and has a twisted idea of “happiness”. These characters will haunt you long after you close the book.
While there is still a veil of mystery to the alchemy behind Adair and his ties to them all, I found this to be a wonderful middle book. Often, it can fall flat, but this was action packed and took me on an emotional ride. Character development and depth brought the tale to life. The author’s writing style flows beautifully as you ride one intense scene after another. Elements of suspense, mystery and fear had me turning the pages, oblivious to the world around me. This is a dark tale that explores love, greed, hatred, selfishness and power. The characters kept me riveted and I consumed this in a single afternoon. This tale will take you out of your comfort zone and intrigue you at the same time. Readers in our group have made comments like, “It made me uncomfortable, yet I loved it.” “It’s sick but addicting.” It has left me eagerly awaiting the final installment and has currently earned a place on my top five adult novels for 2012.
Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer
August 8, 2012
The Reckoning is the story of immortal Lanore McIlvrae who has imprisoned her evil “maker” Adair in a brick wall, and has spent the last two centuries trying to atone for the sins of her mortal and immortal lives. She is looking to the future with the doctor, Luke Findley, who helped her in the first novel in the trilogy, The Taker. As she views items from her past that she has presented for an exhibit at a London museum, she feels a humming in her head warning her that Adair has escaped his prison and that he will hunt for her. Suddenly on the run after two hundred years, Lanore must seek out those like her to search for a way to destroy the indestructible Adair. From her present dreams, to memories from her past, and spanning the globe, Lanore travels great distances to protect the man she loves and herself.
As Lanore searches, so does Adair. As he struggles to acclimate himself to life in the present and find the best way to exact his crushing revenge on Lanore, he is increasingly agitated by feelings of fear, weakness, and even love for her, though his demonic nature continues to assert itself. When he finds her, will he unleash his fury, or will he make her see the depth of his feeling for her?
Set in multiple time periods and featuring unforgettable characters like Lord Byron, The Reckoning is a fascinating, page turning, thrilling novel that has every bit as much power as the first book in the series. Katsu manages to create highly unique and diverse characters as rich and layered as the times from which they come. She even makes a devil like Adair somehow sympathetic, which is a mark of genius.
Katsu is a master of suspense and surprise. Just when the reader thinks she knows what will happen, the pages take a turn one cannot predict or anticipate. I gasped out loud several times in the reading and groaned when I finished the book knowing I would have to wait for the final book in the trilogy. I can’t wait to see how this trilogy ends.
As Lanore searches, so does Adair. As he struggles to acclimate himself to life in the present and find the best way to exact his crushing revenge on Lanore, he is increasingly agitated by feelings of fear, weakness, and even love for her, though his demonic nature continues to assert itself. When he finds her, will he unleash his fury, or will he make her see the depth of his feeling for her?
Set in multiple time periods and featuring unforgettable characters like Lord Byron, The Reckoning is a fascinating, page turning, thrilling novel that has every bit as much power as the first book in the series. Katsu manages to create highly unique and diverse characters as rich and layered as the times from which they come. She even makes a devil like Adair somehow sympathetic, which is a mark of genius.
Katsu is a master of suspense and surprise. Just when the reader thinks she knows what will happen, the pages take a turn one cannot predict or anticipate. I gasped out loud several times in the reading and groaned when I finished the book knowing I would have to wait for the final book in the trilogy. I can’t wait to see how this trilogy ends.
June 25, 2012
Originally reviewed at Hooked on Books
The more I read this series the more I love Alma Katsu’s writing. She is a mystery/paranormal/historical fiction mastermind. She’s got three genres going on here and doesn’t drop the ball once.
The Reckoning reunited us with Lanny and Luke a few months after The Taker ends. They’ve settled into a life together and Lanny is learning to let go of her past, to really let herself be free. This plan hits a snag however when the building keeping Adair prisoner is demolished and he is finalley freed, ready to seek vengeance on Lanny.
Despite being horribly evil Adair is easily my favourite character of this series. He’s just so…bad. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the page when he’s in the scene. So you can imagine I was happy to see him return in The Reckoning. Not only does he return – you get to know his character in some very new and personal ways. It was really interesting to get a look inside the mind of the Devil himself.
The Reckoning also goes back and fills in the gaps. It tells the reader, in amazing detail, what Lanore goes through all those years that Adair was buried in the wall. She travelled all over the world and Alma Katsu devotes equal attention to all the different locations she visited. From Moracco, to Italy, to Barcelona – it is so easy to get swept up in the epic nature of this story.
Final recommendation: if you haven’t picked up this series yet, go out and find a copy of book one, The Taker, immediately. If you’ve already read (and loved) The Taker you will not be disappointed by The Reckoning. It is a sequel that is every bit as good as the first.
The more I read this series the more I love Alma Katsu’s writing. She is a mystery/paranormal/historical fiction mastermind. She’s got three genres going on here and doesn’t drop the ball once.
The Reckoning reunited us with Lanny and Luke a few months after The Taker ends. They’ve settled into a life together and Lanny is learning to let go of her past, to really let herself be free. This plan hits a snag however when the building keeping Adair prisoner is demolished and he is finalley freed, ready to seek vengeance on Lanny.
Despite being horribly evil Adair is easily my favourite character of this series. He’s just so…bad. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the page when he’s in the scene. So you can imagine I was happy to see him return in The Reckoning. Not only does he return – you get to know his character in some very new and personal ways. It was really interesting to get a look inside the mind of the Devil himself.
The Reckoning also goes back and fills in the gaps. It tells the reader, in amazing detail, what Lanore goes through all those years that Adair was buried in the wall. She travelled all over the world and Alma Katsu devotes equal attention to all the different locations she visited. From Moracco, to Italy, to Barcelona – it is so easy to get swept up in the epic nature of this story.
Final recommendation: if you haven’t picked up this series yet, go out and find a copy of book one, The Taker, immediately. If you’ve already read (and loved) The Taker you will not be disappointed by The Reckoning. It is a sequel that is every bit as good as the first.
January 26, 2013
A delicately interwoven, stunning tale that is utterly enchanting and which takes one on an acutely dreamlike journey of the heart
The exquisite blend of supernatural fantasy, detailed historical elements and spinechilling horror makes this original work appeal to a wide-readership. Remarkable and astonishing I was swept away by this deeply and profoundly affecting, emotive tale of eternal love. I was captivated by the cleverly crafted narrative told with a distinctive voice that professes the author’s unique, identifiable style. Attractive characters delight and intrigue you whilst you loose yourself within a tantalizingly tempting, exceptional read of intense multi-layered meaning and sublime simplicity. Unable to put this book down the hypnotic, ingrained love triangle between Luke, Adair and Lanny I felt was remicent of Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight Saga. Darkly sinister, sensual and sexy this seductive supernatural thriller is an evocative paranormal phenomenon, exploring the power of love, frenzied obsession and potent revenge. Alma Katsu is an accomplished author, who has produced something of notable caliber therefore I cannot praise this highly enough. Beguiling and ambitious this impressive book transcends other works within this genre.
The breathtaking complexity, scope and substantial plot makes me want to re-read this wonderfully written, memorable tale.
*I was sent by ‘New Books magazine’ a copy of The Reckoning by Alma Katsu to review for them*
www.newbooksmag.com
The exquisite blend of supernatural fantasy, detailed historical elements and spinechilling horror makes this original work appeal to a wide-readership. Remarkable and astonishing I was swept away by this deeply and profoundly affecting, emotive tale of eternal love. I was captivated by the cleverly crafted narrative told with a distinctive voice that professes the author’s unique, identifiable style. Attractive characters delight and intrigue you whilst you loose yourself within a tantalizingly tempting, exceptional read of intense multi-layered meaning and sublime simplicity. Unable to put this book down the hypnotic, ingrained love triangle between Luke, Adair and Lanny I felt was remicent of Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight Saga. Darkly sinister, sensual and sexy this seductive supernatural thriller is an evocative paranormal phenomenon, exploring the power of love, frenzied obsession and potent revenge. Alma Katsu is an accomplished author, who has produced something of notable caliber therefore I cannot praise this highly enough. Beguiling and ambitious this impressive book transcends other works within this genre.
The breathtaking complexity, scope and substantial plot makes me want to re-read this wonderfully written, memorable tale.
*I was sent by ‘New Books magazine’ a copy of The Reckoning by Alma Katsu to review for them*
www.newbooksmag.com
July 11, 2012
Wow. The Reckoning takes off with a bang – Lanore is at a museum exhibit when she once again feels Adair’s presence in her head. Trying to outrun his reach will be futile, so she sends Luke back to his family.
Themes of unrequited love flow through The Reckoning, fast and furious – and in its wake come disappointment, disillusionment, anger, remorse, and – hopefully – redemption. I never thought I’d say this, but I like the Adair we end up with in The Reckoning. I may actually even like this Lanore a lot – she didn’t have much in the way of “good” qualities in The Taker, other than to get Jonathan out of Adair’s grasp. Here though, there’s a growing realization that she acted out of her own selfish desires, no matter what she told herself before.
If you thought The Taker was engrossing, you’ll have to pick up The Reckoning – it will have you flipping pages as fast as you can, as you inhale Adair’s history, Lanore’s inevitable heading to Adair, and Luke’s realization that his love pales in comparison to a two-hundred-year-old threat. I cannot wait to see where Alma Katsu brings this story next!
drey’s rating: Excellent!
Themes of unrequited love flow through The Reckoning, fast and furious – and in its wake come disappointment, disillusionment, anger, remorse, and – hopefully – redemption. I never thought I’d say this, but I like the Adair we end up with in The Reckoning. I may actually even like this Lanore a lot – she didn’t have much in the way of “good” qualities in The Taker, other than to get Jonathan out of Adair’s grasp. Here though, there’s a growing realization that she acted out of her own selfish desires, no matter what she told herself before.
If you thought The Taker was engrossing, you’ll have to pick up The Reckoning – it will have you flipping pages as fast as you can, as you inhale Adair’s history, Lanore’s inevitable heading to Adair, and Luke’s realization that his love pales in comparison to a two-hundred-year-old threat. I cannot wait to see where Alma Katsu brings this story next!
drey’s rating: Excellent!
December 28, 2013
Good lord all these characters are vile. I'm trying to figure out what the author is trying to say about love here and the best I can gather is that the emotion is not the sole territory of good people; that perhaps even the vilest of humanity can be capable of love despite being utterly undeserving of it. And towards the end, I almost believe Adair capable of the sacrifices love might require of him. But I am never convinced by Lanore. Her affections still strike me as shallow and ultimately meaningless. She is the best of the characters but being the best of the worst is no prize. She never intends or actively attempts to do wrong, it is her utter passivity and acceptance of wrongs done to herself and others that makes her weak and unsympathetic. She has no fire for living, just a talent for survival.
February 5, 2017
This sequel to The Taker was so good.
Although I find Adair disgusting in every sense of the word, he is by far the most interesting character.
Lanny felt like she had given up long ago but only now admitted it to herself.
I was very glad to see very little of Luke, he just felt so dependent on Lanore, like he wasn’t his own character anymore.
Totally random:
This was actually the first book of the series that I bought. Never having heard of either the series or the author before, I had no idea why I was so adamant on buying this book that day. Now, I think maybe it was faith or something, as my namesake is mentioned in this book, and that doesn’t happen very often, I think it’s only ever happened once before.
Although I find Adair disgusting in every sense of the word, he is by far the most interesting character.
Lanny felt like she had given up long ago but only now admitted it to herself.
I was very glad to see very little of Luke, he just felt so dependent on Lanore, like he wasn’t his own character anymore.
Totally random:
This was actually the first book of the series that I bought. Never having heard of either the series or the author before, I had no idea why I was so adamant on buying this book that day. Now, I think maybe it was faith or something, as my namesake is mentioned in this book, and that doesn’t happen very often, I think it’s only ever happened once before.
September 16, 2012
It is very rare that the second book in a trilogy is even better than the first and this was exactly what happened here. I liked the fact that Lanny seemed to have matured more and that Adair was this time round at a bit of a disatvantage. Richly descriptive, dark and obsessively distructive. I cant wait for the last book.
October 30, 2013
Még mindig nehezen találom meg a szavakat, a vége gyönyörű és fogalmam sincs mikor vehetem a következő kötetet a kezembe. Igazi szépség és a szörnyeteg, kedvenc lett.
December 1, 2015
Well the only good thing about this book was that I borrowed it from a library instead of buying it.
June 19, 2012
It had been three months since Lanny ended the life of Jonathan, the love of her life, per his request. She and Luke have become close since then, and she'd promised to never leave him. That she'd spend the rest of his life with him. For the first time in Lanny's life she was with someone who took care of her and cherished her. It endeared Luke all the more to her. The relationship had changed her, grounded her and she was content.
She'd always known someday she'd have to once again face her maker.The one who'd made her immortal. She shouldn't have made a promise to Luke she might not be able to keep because now, after hundreds of years of feeling nothing of Adair's presence, she began to feel a slight humming. At first she didn't recognize it or understand what she was feeling, but soon enough she understood it for what it was--the presence of the one man she never wished to cross paths with ever again, Adair.
For two hundred years he's been imprisoned in a space no larger than a closet with no food and no contact with the outside world or another individual. He's had two hundred years to plot and scheme about how he'd get his revenge on the two individuals who had entombed him within the walls of his own home. Two hundred years to think about all that he's done and wishes to do. Two hundred years of solitude are about to come to an end.
__________________
This is the second book of The Taker series. In the first book, Lanny was introduced to Adair's dark world when she'd been sent off by her parents to a convent in Boston to have the baby she and Jonathan had conceived. She'd never made it to her final destination. She'd gullibly accepted a ride with a couple who said they'd take her to where she needed to go. That had sealed her fate and that of the unborn child she'd never give birth to. She'd been inducted into a world of sin and indulgence where nothing was sexually unacceptable and refusal was not an option. When Lanore comes down with a fatal illness, Adair shed his own type of mercy on her and made her immortal.
At first she was seduced by Adair's world of over indulgence, lack of morality, and what most would see as sexually deviant behavior. Lanny, however, was not like the others although she didn't know it. You see, she did have a conscience, and she fell out of favor, or so she thought, with Adair when she attempted to save an underage girl from Adair's world and her ultimate death. Adair's punishment was designed to humilate and make the bearer afraid to ever again deviate from his wishes. Then she'd found out about his plot to switch souls with Jonathan, and that was when she decided to find a way to stop him, and when she saw a means to do so she took it. That had been two hundred years ago. Now she was fleeing for her life. From what she knew of Adair there would be no mercy.
In The Reckoning , we learn more about Adair. We find out how he became immortal and some of the things which molded him into the man he became. When faced with everlasting immortality one can see one's self as Godlike. Adair has no conscience, no one to account to for his actions. Being locked up for two centuries had done a number on him, but he was determined to get back to where he wants to be. He'll need to relearn how the world works because so much has changed. He'll also need to get back on his feet because all his possessions and money are gone. He'll not only attempt to track down Lanny, but also all his old converts who are still beholden to him and owe him their allegiance.
We also get to get a glimpse of the life that Lanny and Jonathan led after they first fled Adair. Ms. Katsu incorporates a touch of history, which centers around Lord Byron, into the mix. We learn more about Luke and the family he left behind. So if you read the last book, it was written similarly to this one where Ms. Katsu changes points of view to let you know what all the crucial players are thinking.
When Lanny feels Adair's presence she knows she needs help. She seeks out some of Adair's former prodigies hoping for their assistance. What she hadn't counted on was that not everyone resented Adair. She'll need to be careful in order to stay one step ahead of him.
There are a couple of quotes I'm going to list from The Taker that I feel are crucial to this book. The first is, 'I couldn't say, even to Jonathan, the heart of my secret fear--that my happiness mattered to know one, not even to my father or mother.' This is the key to understanding what makes Lanny tick. She wants to be loved. It also, I feel, answers the off handed question that Adair indirectly posed about Lanny, "I sense something about you...you're a kindred spirit in some way that I haven't figured out yet. But, I will." He has also never felt loved, but once upon a time sensed it in Lanny before he did the unthinkable to her.
Overall I gave this one 4 1/2 out of 5 roses. I'm loving the series, but I'm not sure what I think about Adair in this one. His character at one point seemingly does a total 180 and it just seems a little out of character. This could be a brilliant move setting up for the next book or it could be showing a weakness much larger than an Achilles' heel. That's the reason I'm torn between a 4 and a 5 rose rating. I can't wait to find out in the next book. By the way, Adair's change of character brought to mind a quote by Mae West that I felt catches Adair's essence in this one, "When I'm good, I'm very good. But when I'm bad, I'm better." lol While I don't necessarily like Adair at his worst, I think that some of that badness could never permanently disappear. It'll be fun to see what Ms. Katsu has planned for the next book. I just wish we didn't have to wait.
To see more of my reviews, please visit my blog at www.seducedbyabook.com I'd greatly appreciate it if you do.
She'd always known someday she'd have to once again face her maker.The one who'd made her immortal. She shouldn't have made a promise to Luke she might not be able to keep because now, after hundreds of years of feeling nothing of Adair's presence, she began to feel a slight humming. At first she didn't recognize it or understand what she was feeling, but soon enough she understood it for what it was--the presence of the one man she never wished to cross paths with ever again, Adair.
For two hundred years he's been imprisoned in a space no larger than a closet with no food and no contact with the outside world or another individual. He's had two hundred years to plot and scheme about how he'd get his revenge on the two individuals who had entombed him within the walls of his own home. Two hundred years to think about all that he's done and wishes to do. Two hundred years of solitude are about to come to an end.
__________________
This is the second book of The Taker series. In the first book, Lanny was introduced to Adair's dark world when she'd been sent off by her parents to a convent in Boston to have the baby she and Jonathan had conceived. She'd never made it to her final destination. She'd gullibly accepted a ride with a couple who said they'd take her to where she needed to go. That had sealed her fate and that of the unborn child she'd never give birth to. She'd been inducted into a world of sin and indulgence where nothing was sexually unacceptable and refusal was not an option. When Lanore comes down with a fatal illness, Adair shed his own type of mercy on her and made her immortal.
At first she was seduced by Adair's world of over indulgence, lack of morality, and what most would see as sexually deviant behavior. Lanny, however, was not like the others although she didn't know it. You see, she did have a conscience, and she fell out of favor, or so she thought, with Adair when she attempted to save an underage girl from Adair's world and her ultimate death. Adair's punishment was designed to humilate and make the bearer afraid to ever again deviate from his wishes. Then she'd found out about his plot to switch souls with Jonathan, and that was when she decided to find a way to stop him, and when she saw a means to do so she took it. That had been two hundred years ago. Now she was fleeing for her life. From what she knew of Adair there would be no mercy.
In The Reckoning , we learn more about Adair. We find out how he became immortal and some of the things which molded him into the man he became. When faced with everlasting immortality one can see one's self as Godlike. Adair has no conscience, no one to account to for his actions. Being locked up for two centuries had done a number on him, but he was determined to get back to where he wants to be. He'll need to relearn how the world works because so much has changed. He'll also need to get back on his feet because all his possessions and money are gone. He'll not only attempt to track down Lanny, but also all his old converts who are still beholden to him and owe him their allegiance.
We also get to get a glimpse of the life that Lanny and Jonathan led after they first fled Adair. Ms. Katsu incorporates a touch of history, which centers around Lord Byron, into the mix. We learn more about Luke and the family he left behind. So if you read the last book, it was written similarly to this one where Ms. Katsu changes points of view to let you know what all the crucial players are thinking.
When Lanny feels Adair's presence she knows she needs help. She seeks out some of Adair's former prodigies hoping for their assistance. What she hadn't counted on was that not everyone resented Adair. She'll need to be careful in order to stay one step ahead of him.
There are a couple of quotes I'm going to list from The Taker that I feel are crucial to this book. The first is, 'I couldn't say, even to Jonathan, the heart of my secret fear--that my happiness mattered to know one, not even to my father or mother.' This is the key to understanding what makes Lanny tick. She wants to be loved. It also, I feel, answers the off handed question that Adair indirectly posed about Lanny, "I sense something about you...you're a kindred spirit in some way that I haven't figured out yet. But, I will." He has also never felt loved, but once upon a time sensed it in Lanny before he did the unthinkable to her.
Overall I gave this one 4 1/2 out of 5 roses. I'm loving the series, but I'm not sure what I think about Adair in this one. His character at one point seemingly does a total 180 and it just seems a little out of character. This could be a brilliant move setting up for the next book or it could be showing a weakness much larger than an Achilles' heel. That's the reason I'm torn between a 4 and a 5 rose rating. I can't wait to find out in the next book. By the way, Adair's change of character brought to mind a quote by Mae West that I felt catches Adair's essence in this one, "When I'm good, I'm very good. But when I'm bad, I'm better." lol While I don't necessarily like Adair at his worst, I think that some of that badness could never permanently disappear. It'll be fun to see what Ms. Katsu has planned for the next book. I just wish we didn't have to wait.
To see more of my reviews, please visit my blog at www.seducedbyabook.com I'd greatly appreciate it if you do.
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