My Thoughts: The Reckoning by Alma Katsu

The Taker, a stunning tale of a mysterious young woman, Lanore, and an unwitting Maine doctor who falls into her world, a hidden world that exists outside the boundaries of time. In this magical realm, where the predatory use pleasure to corrupt the innocent, Lanore`s incredible devotion to her first true love, captured the attention of the dangerous man man who rules this world, and ignited within him an all-consuming desire to possess her. 


The Reckoning, Lanore McIlvrae is the kind of woman who will to 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 facade is the stuff of nightmares. He is a monster in the flesh, and he wants Lanore to love him for all 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.


** ARC received by Simon and Schuster Canada**


Oh, The Reckoning. How you have slain me.


The Reckoning is the sequel to Alma Katsu`s debut The Taker which I read and reviewed last summer. If you have read my review you will know that I LOVED The Taker and for a good chunk of the year could not wait to get my hands on the sequel. The Taker was, absolutely, one of the best books I had read in 2011 and I am pretty sure that I can say the same thing for The Reckoning. Alma is brilliant writer and she has an absolute gift at weaving scenarios and actions together to create these stories that are breath taking and beautiful.  She is amazingly creative and the originality found in her plots is utterly refreshing.

I often find it hard to review a sequel and in this case it is extra difficult because I really don't want to give anything away, but I also want to convince you all to pick up this series. I assure you, it is worth it.  It is also difficult to write a review for a middle novel. Because often they are just considered filler novels, not really adding to the story. This is not the case for The Reckoning. This story gives so much and answers those burning questions, while at the same time giving you a few more to ponder. It was such s thrill to read and be a part of.

Everything that I loved about The Taker I found in The Reckoning.  The writing was beautiful. There were times when I would have to go back and reread a part to simply appreciate the beauty of the words. Alma has a way with words. The smallest details that were put into her descriptions really added to the beauty of the novel. Especially when she was talking about Adair.

The Reckoning, is for the most part, is Adair's novel.

I really enjoyed reading from his view point. In The Taker we are introduced to him and we get a general idea about him, but it was from Lanny's point of view, we as readers only knew him through Lanny. This was not a bad thing. I think it's a wonderful example of Alma's gift at story telling. However with The Reckoning, it's Adair we are hearing from, his emotions we get to experience and know. There were so many things that I was shocked to realize about Adair, that I didn't know about in The Taker. Things about him that I would not have guessed. This is because it wasn't something Lanny knew, wasn't something she would have thought of. Adair is a very multidimensional character. Someone at one point said that The Reckoning changed their mind and they actually liked Adair. I don't know that I would go that far personally. But there were definitely some changes in my mind regarding Adair.

I think what I liked THE best in The Reckoning, was the way emotions were described and how essential they were to the story. Fear, anger, lust, love, grief, joy, guilt, are what make up this novel. Decisions are made on based on these emotions. Rarely is there rational thought (it's not totally absent mind you), when it came to responding to a situation. This may be a common characteristic in most fiction, but it was more potent in The Reckoning. All those emotions are believable. Every single one. You can feel the rage coming from Adair followed by his guilt and confusion. You experience Lanny's unbearable fear and extreme panic. Luke's heartbreak is agonizing and you can't help but to want to make it better. There was a multitude of emotions in this book and they were sometimes overwhelming, but I would never suggest that any of it be taken out. They completely necessary. It's what makes the story and the characters believable.

Overall, The Reckoning was amazing. A perfect addition to The Taker trilogy. If you haven't read The Taker, then you should. Because it to is amazing. A compelling story with beautiful writing! I have admit that I am SO eager for The Decent to see where this story goes and how it ends.

The Reckoning hits the Shelves June 19th, 2012.

~Happy Reading Everyone!