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SECOND IN ALMA KATSU’S GRIPPING SUPERNATURAL TRILOGY THAT BEGAN WITH THE TAKER
Lanore McIlvrae is the kind of woman who will do anything for love. Including imprisoning the man who loves her behind a wall of brick and stone.
She had no choice but to entomb Adair, her nemesis, to save Jonathan, the boy she grew up with in a remote Maine town in the early 1800s and the man she thought she would be with forever. But Adair had other plans for her. He used his mysterious, otherworldly powers to give her eternal life, but Lanore learned too late that there was a price for this gift: to spend eternity with him. And though he is handsome and charming, behind Adair’s seductive façade is the stuff of nightmares. He is a monster in the flesh, and he wants Lanore to love him for all of time.
Now, two hundred years after imprisoning Adair, Lanore is trying to atone for her sins. She has given away the treasures she’s collected over her many lifetimes in order to purge her past and clear the way for a future with her new lover, Luke Findley. But, while viewing these items at an exhibit at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, Lanore suddenly is aware that the thing she’s been dreading for two hundred years has caught up to her: Adair has escaped from his prison. He’s free— and he will come looking for her. And she has no idea how she will save herself.
With the stunningly imaginative storytelling and rich characterizations that fascinated readers worldwide and made The Taker a singular and memorable literary debut and an international sensation, Alma Katsu once again delivers “a powerful evocation of the dark side of romantic love” (Publishers Weekly) in her breathtaking new novel.
"Katsu’s seductive second book in her supernatural thriller trilogy picks up where her well-received debut, The Taker, left off...this installment stays true to its author’s initial vision. " —Publishers Weekly
"Katsu’s brilliant series second will utterly enchant you." —RT Book Reviews
“Grips you from start to finish. . . . Fascinating and thrilling. A unique, enduring story of the paranormal!” —Historical Novel Review
“With The Reckoning, obsession is taken to a whole new level….The characters in this trilogy are fascinating…Adair is the perfect mix of villain and ‘hot guy.’ Not only is this a good sequel, but it’s a powerful lead-in to what is sure to be the final, unforgettable chapter in Lanore’s amazing life.” —Suspense Magazine
“Enchanting. . . . Amazing. . . . A gorgeously written sequel. . . . I simply couldn’t put it down. . . . Rich, satisfying, and convincing.” —Chapters
“Fast-paced. . . . Fans will enjoy this supernatural drama.” —Genre Go Round Reviews
“Fans of Katsu’s haunting novel The Taker can finally indulge in their next juicy fix. . . . Gripping, pulse-pounding. . . . A whole new level of suspense.” —Night Owl Reviews
“Amazing… breathtaking and beautiful.” —Just Another Story
“The Taker blew my mind and The Reckoning had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. This is a must read series.” —Hooked on Books
tamsparks
Posted June 22, 2012
Alma Katsu is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. Both The Taker and The Reckoning are filled with lush and descriptive writing, historical details, and a delightfully agonizing tension that makes them worthy of the description “page turner.” But at the core of the story are Katsu’s characters, enormously flawed individuals that the reader wants to root for, kill or sleep with, often all at the same time.
The Reckoning picks up soon after the ending of The Taker. Lanny and Luke are in London visiting the Victoria and Albert museum, where Lanny has anonymously donated her precious collection of objects d’art acquired from her travels over the past two hundred years.While gazing at her objects behind the museum glass, Lanny feels a terrible and long-forgotten sensation, the tingling approach of a headache that could only mean one thing: Adair has escaped, and will certainly be looking for her to exact revenge.
In alternating chapters, Katsu goes back and forth between Lanny and Adair, released from his prison by happenstance and thrust into the modern world without a clue about how to survive in it. Of one thing he is certain, however. Lanny must pay for her treachery no matter how long it takes to find her, and so he uses his powerful connection to the members of his immortal “family” to track down Jude, another immortal who has used his freedom from Adair to build a comfortable life for himself. Jude is shocked to see Adair on his doorstep, but reluctantly agrees to help him adapt to modern life and find Lanny. As Jude searches the internet for clues to Lanny's whereabouts, the two discover the truth about Jonathan’s death. Adair is sure that Jonathan is the key to locating Lanny, and so he sets out to find his burial-place and attempt to resurrect him from the dead, using his book of magical “recipes” that also contains the secret to immortality.
As Adair gets closer to tracking down Lanny, she herself has made contact with friends from the past that can help her hide from Adair. But fate is cruel, and from this point on the story is a dizzying game of cat-and-mouse as Lanny realizes she cannot outrun her past. Katsu is brilliant at pacing her story and dropping bits of information about the characters’ pasts in just the right spots to spark the reader’s imagination, but she’s very careful not to give away too much. She takes us from the past to the present and back again, weaving together a story that spans centuries. The characters themselves go through many changes throughout the course of the story. Adair especially surprised me when his cruelty and power over the other characters became something else by the end of the book. But all of the characters seem to have one thing in common: they are all capable of lies and deceit, and the reader is never really sure who to trust.
The Reckoning never loses momentum and unlike many “middle” books, it was even better than The Taker, if that’s possible. The writing is gorgeous and almost visceral, and there was more than one occasion when I marked a lovely passage to go back again read again. Katsu ends the book in a highly satisfying way, but wisely leaves many questions unanswered that she will most likely address in the final installment. A heady mix of intrigue, cruelty, betrayal and enduring love, The Reckoning will leave you breathless and impatient for more.
Many thanks to the author and publisher for supplying a review copy.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted February 26, 2013
THE RECKONING is a brilliant sequel. Katsu makes sure that her exposition remains active, never allowing any summary of the first book in the trilogy to get in the way of the action-packed events of the second book. I normally don't like the first few chapters of a sequel, but Katsu manages to bring life to them in a way others do not. Thank you for an amazing read. I hope it's adapted into a theatrical experience.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Christas_Books
Posted February 26, 2013
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 Reckoningreunited 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 Takeryou will not be disappointed by The Reckoning. It is a sequel that is every bit as good as the first.
Ms. Katsu provided another well written, suspenseful, deeply emotional
and definitely another engaging story. This dark LOVE TRIANGLE will sure
stir up emotions and the extraordinary story telling will have you
reading non stop. The book starts with a quote that I believe sets the
tone and prepares readers of what’s to come. The question is, who is the
Beast and who is Beauty? "You'll always be dear to me, Beast.
I’m truly your friend. But I don't think I shall ever be able to marry
you." "You're my only Joy," said Beast. "I'd die
without you. Promise, at least, that you’ll never leave."
-Beauty and the Beast, Madame Leprince de Beaumont After hundreds of
years of her immortal life, Lenore is still in the same situation. She
is still helplessly in love with Jonathan, a man that can never and will
never love her back. Now, she is mourning his death. The book takes off
a little after The Taker had ended, as Luke and Lenore continue their
days trying to get some routine or normalcy but with Lenore’s immortal
life, nothing will ever be simple. If you’ve read The Taker (which I
recommend reading first), you know that Lenore is not only on the run
from the law but she is also on the run from her past, Adair in
particular. However, her past will soon catch up and well, shock the
hell out of her. Adair’s imminent Reckoning is here and his revelation
is not what I expected. He definitely had time to think of Lenore’s
betrayal. It was justified but what he went through was unforgivable,
IMO. It was wild to see him come out of his prison and wake up to find
himself in a new world. Ms. Katsu did well to explain his experiences
with adapting and comparing the now and then. She also focused more on
his POV, which was great because I was right about his evil existence,
his sick obsessions and evil doings in the past and present….sick
bastard. But damn, Ms. Katsu threw me a curve ball making me think twice
of how I feel for Adair. The character build up was quiet amazing.
Lenore on the other hand, remains the same, strong willed. She continues
to tell her story of the past and of the things she did with and without
Jonathan and Adair. Unfortunately, they are more heartaches, betrayals
and more hardships. I actually admire her for surviving; given the
circumstances, she really does it without any support or assistance from
anyone. My heart truly breaks for her, she just can't seem to get a
grasp of any happiness. Ms. Katsu has to end this series with a good
closure for Lenore, for my heart's sake. We also get to know a bit more
of Luke whom I feel bad for. I also hope Ms. Katsu gives him an HEA of
his own, it’s well deserved. The other immortals made their presence but
didn’t really make a mark on me as much as the leading characters. I do
have to warn readers that there are strong contents of sex abuse such as
rape and violence in this book. Ms. Katsu kept me on my toes, surprised
me with the unexpected outcomes and she left me needing more. Overall, a
spellbinding read. *Review copy provided by author
bookchic8
Posted August 16, 2012
I Also Recommend:
After reading The Taker. I couldn't wait for this book to come out. And it certainly did not dissappoint! Loved it. My only complaint is that I wish the whole trilogy was released at the same time. I forgot alot about the first book and it is so hard to wait for the next!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Icecream18JA
Posted August 15, 2012
Lanore immediately pulled me into her struggle. One might not even need to read the first book, I was never lost or confused while reading The Reckoning, which is the second book of a trilogy about immortals. Lanny successfully saved her first love, Jonathan, by trapping Adair, her master, behind a wall made of stone, lumber, concrete, and brick. Jonathan abandons Lanore, however, and she must learn to live without him and move on with her life with Luke. After she and Luke donate dozens of items she’s accumulated over her long life to museums all over the world, Lanny feels Adair’s presence. He survived his entombment and is now free to hunt and kill her for her betrayal. Fearing for Luke’s safety, Lanore forces herself to leave him and reaches the decision that she must face Adair alone.
Katsu is an excellent writer and I can’t wait to read the other book of this trilogy. There are layers to every character and motivations behind their actions. Katsu switches between many character’s points of views in her writing. I love that she does this because it adds so much to the story! The Reckoning is a book that any woman would love to read. Lanny’s struggles to find and protect love are easy to relate to. Although Lanore has lived for a very long time, she is still very vulnerable and unsure of herself in many ways. This is an excellent novel and I give it five out of five stars.
JenniferShenk
Posted August 2, 2012
This book will forever be one of my favorites! I can't tell you how much I miss reading about Adair & Lanny. Alma you got skills girl!! LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Luv2Read222
Posted July 31, 2012
I found The Reckoning even more exciting than the first novel, The Taker. Not to let too many cats out of the bag, but when the ubervillain, Adair, finally escapes from Lenore's trap, I was on the edge of my seat with anticipation. Now that I have finished book 2, I am eagerly awaiting the conclusion to this fascinating trilogy.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.jenniferzuna
Posted July 19, 2012
I was so so excited when this book came in my mailbox! I read the first book in this trilogy, The Taker, a few months ago and was utterly and completely blown away by it. I started reading The Reckoning the day it arrived. I was immediately drawn back into the tale of Adair and Lanore. Two centuries ago she left Adair entombed in the basement of their Boston home and escaped to live her life free of him. She's traveling with her new lover Luke when she feels the familiar tingling in the back of her head again. She immediately runs and tries to find a safe place where he can't find her. The Reckoning gets more in depth about Adairs past and you get to appreciate his character a little more. This is a great second book. Alma Katsu's storytelling is enthralling and engaging. I can only hope the third installment is not far off!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.EDay
Posted June 29, 2012
Wonderful and engaging book, written by a gifted author!!! Her first book, The Taker, began the journey and The Reckoning keeps the thrill ride going! I highly recommend reading this and all of Alma's books.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Locabella25
Posted June 29, 2012
Great tale, truly original. Alma Katsu makes you want to read more and more. Can't wait for last book of this trilogy.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted June 21, 2012
I had been looking forward to the release of this book for months and was not disappointed. The direction the story is going in was surprising to me but made me love it more, who wants to read something predictable? To me the story seemed less dark than The Taker but it's still no sweet love story. My only complaint is that book three isn't scheduled for release until 2013.
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Overview
SECOND IN ALMA KATSU’S GRIPPING SUPERNATURAL TRILOGY THAT BEGAN WITH THE TAKER
Lanore McIlvrae is the kind of woman who will do anything for love. Including imprisoning the man who loves her behind a wall of brick and stone.
She had no choice but to entomb Adair, her nemesis, to save Jonathan, the boy she grew up with in a remote Maine town in the early 1800s and the man she thought she would be with forever. But Adair had other plans for her. ...