Synopses & Reviews
andlt;iandgt;andlt;bandgt;True love can last an eternity . . . but immortality comes at a price. . . .andlt;/bandgt;andlt;/iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;On the midnight shift at a hospital in rural Maine, Dr. Luke Findley is expecting another quiet evening of frostbite and the occasional domestic dispute. But the minute Lanore McIlvraeand#8212;Lannyand#8212;walks into his ER, she changes his life forever. A mysterious woman with a past and plenty of dark secrets, Lanny is unlike anyone Luke has ever met. He is inexplicably drawn to her . . . despite the fact that she is a murder suspect with a police escort. And as she begins to tell her story, a story of enduring love and consummate betrayal that transcends time and mortality, Luke finds himself utterly captivated. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Her impassioned account begins at the turn of the nineteenth century in the same small town of St. Andrew, Maine, back when it was a Puritan settlement. Consumed as a child by her love for the son of the townand#8217;s founder, Lanny will do anything to be with him forever. But the price she pays is steepand#8212;an immortal bond that chains her to a terrible fate for all eternity. And now, two centuries later, the key to her healing and her salvation lies with Dr. Luke Findley.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Part historical novel, part supernatural page-turner, andlt;iandgt;The Takerandlt;/iandgt; is an unforgettable tale about the power of unrequited love not only to elevate and sustain, but also to blind and ultimately destroy, and how each of us is responsible for finding our own path to redemption.
Review
"Alchemy and love prove a volatile mix in Katsu's vividly imagined first novel, which toggles between the present and the past. While working the graveyard shift at a rural Maine hospital, Dr. Luke Findley discovers that patient Lanny McIlvrae has miraculous self-healing powers. Lanny then relates the incredible tale of her life: sent packing to Boston by her family in 1817 to give birth to her illegitimate child, she fell in with the entourage of Count Adair, a centuries-old alchemist who saved her life with an elixir of immortality. Decadent and domineering, Adair took Lanny as his mistress--a role she accepted until Adair's scheme to use her true love, Jonathan, to perpetuate his unnatural existence forced her to a desperate ruse to thwart his formidable magic powers. Katsu shows considerable skill in rendering a world where Adair's unspeakable evilness and Lanny's wild passion make the supernatural seem possible. The result is a novel full of surprises and a powerful evocation of the dark side of romantic love." —Publishers Weekly
Review
and#8220;Readers wonand#8217;t be able to tear their eyes away from Katsuand#8217;s mesmerizing tale.and#8221; andlt;bandgt;and#8212;Starred andlt;iandgt;Booklistandlt;/iandgt;andlt;/bandgt;
Review
and#8220;Alma Katsuand#8217;s andlt;iandgt;The Takerandlt;/iandgt; is a frighteningly compelling story about those most human monstersand#8212;desire and obsession. It will curl your hair and keep you up late at night.and#8221; andlt;bandgt;and#8212;Keith Donohue, bestselling author of andlt;/bandgt;andlt;bandgt;andlt;iandgt;The Stolen Childandlt;/iandgt;andlt;/bandgt;
Review
andlt;bandgt;and#8220;andlt;/bandgt;Alma Katsuand#8217;s searing tale of otherworldly lovers and eternal obsession will seduce you from page one. With its elegant prose and riveting plot, andlt;iandgt;The Takerandlt;/iandgt; is as irresistible as the hauntingly beautiful, pleasure-seeking immortals who scorch its pages. A wicked, sensuous, shattering love story that I canand#8217;t recommend enough. You have to experience it for yourself!and#8221; andlt;bandgt;and#8212;Kresley Cole, #1 andlt;iandgt;New York Timesandlt;/iandgt; bestselling authorandlt;/bandgt;
Review
"Alma Katsu's debut takes the reader on a spell-binding journey through time. This sensual tale of star-crossed love, betrayal and redemption is a rare and addictive treat. Pleasurable from page one." andlt;bandgt;and#8212;Danielle Trussoni, andlt;iandgt;New York Timesandlt;/iandgt; bestselling author of andlt;iandgt;Angelologyandlt;/iandgt;andlt;/bandgt;
Review
and#8220;andlt;iandgt;The Takerandlt;/iandgt; is a sexy, dark romance. Alma Katsuand#8217;s tale of immortality and unrequited love covers hundreds of years but never strays from this question: What price are we willing to pay to completely possess another?and#8221; andlt;bandgt;and#8212;Alexi Zentner, author of andlt;iandgt;Touchandlt;/iandgt;andlt;/bandgt;
Review
and#8220;A centuries-spanning epic that will keep you turning pages all night. This marvelous debut is a thinking personand#8217;s guilty pleasure.and#8221; andlt;bandgt;and#8212;Scott Westerfeld, andlt;iandgt;New York Timesandlt;/iandgt; bestselling author of andlt;iandgt;Leviathanandlt;/iandgt;andlt;/bandgt;
Review
and#8220;Alma Katsuand#8217;s addictive tale of immortal love is brutal, wrenching, and ultimately moving. Gothic and richly detailed, andlt;iandgt;The Takerandlt;/iandgt; it is an astonishing good read.and#8221; andlt;bandgt;and#8212;andlt;/bandgt;andlt;bandgt;Meg Waite Clayton, bestselling author of andlt;iandgt;The Wednesday Sistersandlt;/iandgt;andlt;/bandgt;
Review
and#8220;This is a great book. And by great, I mean, devastatingly so, like reading andlt;iandgt;The Scarlet Letterandlt;/iandgt;, while riding a roller coaster, on acid. Seductive, daring, soaring, and ultimately gut-wrenching, andlt;iandgt;The Takerandlt;/iandgt; is a lush, historical rendering of transcendent love, paranormal beings, and the depths of pain that can be felt by immortal hearts.and#8221; andlt;bandgt;and#8212;Jamie Ford, andlt;iandgt;New York Timesandlt;/iandgt; bestselling author of andlt;iandgt;Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweetandlt;/iandgt;andlt;/bandgt;
Review
"A haunting tale of passion, obsession, and immortal longing. The Taker is unlike any other novel I have read: a gothic historical with a searing modern twist that will captivate your imagination and keep you reading long into the night." —C.W. Gortner, author of THE TUDOR SECRET
Review
"It renews a genre...and makes it intimate again." andlt;Bandgt; and#8212;andlt;/Bandgt;andlt;iandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Locus Magazine andlt;BRandgt; andlt;/Bandgt;andlt;/iandgt;
Review
"Alchemy and love prove a volatile mix in Katsu's vividly imagined first novel ... Katsu shows considerable skill in rendering a world where Adair's unspeakable evilness and Lanny's wild passion make the supernatural seem possible. The result is a novel full of surprises and a powerful evocation of the dark side of romantic love." andlt;bandgt;and#8212;andlt;iandgt;Publishers Weeklyandlt;/iandgt;andlt;/bandgt;
Review
Looking for a good read? Get ready to hear about a time-transcending page turner. Two years ago,having just finished andlt;Iandgt;The Vampire Chroniclesandlt;/Iandgt; by Anne Rice and andlt;Iandgt;The Twilight Seriesandlt;/Iandgt; by Stephanie Meyer, I was still hungry for more of the supernatural. My only hesitation was that I wanted something a little more plausible than blood-sucking vampires. As fate would have it, I stumbled upon andlt;Iandgt;The Takerandlt;/Iandgt; by Alma Katsu. Dutifully, I checked reviews before purchasing the book. How I hadnand#8217;t heard of it prior to then is beyond me, as the book was insanely well-receiveda nd only growing in popularity. I took the novel home and was blown away by the captivating story of an impressionable young woman, the and#8220;Adonisand#8221; who she falls in love with and the and#8220;monsterand#8221; who falls in love with her. Lanore, Jonathan and Adair had me spellbound like no other characters have. andlt;Iandgt;The Takerandlt;/Iandgt; satiated my need for the supernatural, but was unique in itand#8217;s portrayal of everlasting love and unrelenting obsession, both of which know no boundaries for these characters. The second installment, andlt;Iandgt;The Reckoningandlt;/Iandgt;, was equally fascinatingand#8212;the never-ending love chase propelling the jump between several different time periods and beautiful locations all over the world. Finally, the end of this twisted tale will come to an end with Katsuand#8217;s final installment, andlt;Iandgt;The Descentandlt;/Iandgt;.
Synopsis
Alma Katsu's haunting debut novel about an immortal woman involved in a two-hundred-year love triangle with a Puritan settler and a Hungarian count.
Synopsis
True love can last an eternity . . . but immortality comes at a price. . . .
On the midnight shift at a hospital in rural Maine, Dr. Luke Findley is expecting another quiet evening of frostbite and the occasional domestic dispute. But the minute Lanore McIlvrae--Lanny--walks into his ER, she changes his life forever. A mysterious woman with a past and plenty of dark secrets, Lanny is unlike anyone Luke has ever met. He is inexplicably drawn to her . . . despite the fact that she is a murder suspect with a police escort. And as she begins to tell her story, a story of enduring love and consummate betrayal that transcends time and mortality, Luke finds himself utterly captivated.
Her impassioned account begins at the turn of the nineteenth century in the same small town of St. Andrew, Maine, back when it was a Puritan settlement. Consumed as a child by her love for the son of the town's founder, Lanny will do anything to be with him forever. But the price she pays is steep--an immortal bond that chains her to a terrible fate for all eternity. And now, two centuries later, the key to her healing and her salvation lies with Dr. Luke Findley.
Part historical novel, part supernatural page-turner, The Taker is an unforgettable tale about the power of unrequited love not only to elevate and sustain, but also to blind and ultimately destroy, and how each of us is responsible for finding our own path to redemption.
Synopsis
From the author of The Hunger--hailed by Stephen King as "deeply, deeply disturbing, hard to put down"--comes a hauntingly atmospheric tale replete with alchemy, lust, and betrayal. True love can last an eternity...but immortality comes at a price...
On the midnight shift at a hospital in rural Maine, Dr. Luke Findley is expecting another quiet evening of frostbite and the occasional domestic dispute. But the minute Lanore McIlvrae--Lanny--walks into his ER, she changes his life forever. A mysterious woman with a past and plenty of dark secrets, Lanny is unlike anyone Luke has ever met. He is inexplicably drawn to her...despite the fact that she is a murder suspect with a police escort. And as she begins to tell her story, a story of enduring love and consummate betrayal that transcends time and mortality, Luke finds himself utterly captivated.
Her impassioned account begins at the turn of the nineteenth century in the same small town of St. Andrew, Maine, back when it was a Puritan settlement. Consumed as a child by her love for the son of the town's founder, Lanny will do anything to be with him forever. But the price she pays is steep--an immortal bond that chains her to a terrible fate for all eternity. And now, two centuries later, the key to her healing and her salvation lies with Dr. Luke Findley.
Part historical novel, part supernatural page-turner, The Taker is an unforgettable tale about the power of unrequited love not only to elevate and sustain, but also to blind and ultimately destroy, and how each of us is responsible for finding our own path to redemption.
About the Author
Alma Katsu was born in Alaska and raised near Concord, Massachusetts. She has a BA in writing from Brandeis University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins Writing Program. She lives with her husband in Virginia. Visit her online at AlmaKatsu.com or follow her on Twitter.