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    The Taken: Celestial Blues
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    The Taken: Celestial Blues
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    The Taken: Celestial Blues
    Ebook431 pages7 hours

    The Taken: Celestial Blues

    By Vicki Pettersson

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    “Exceptional. Mystery, crime scene drama, and more than enough romance to keep the heart pumping blend seamlessly into an enthralling read that kept me glued to the pages.”
    —Kim Harrison

    “A delectably dark paranormal thriller. I’ve always been a fan of Pettersson’s work, but she knocks it out of the park with this one.”
    —Kelley Armstrong

    Vicki Pettersson, author of the New York Times bestselling Signs of the Zodiac urban fantasy novels, breaks out with The Taken. The first book in her sexy, supernatural noir mystery series, Celestial Blues, The Taken features a former p.i.-turned-fallen angel and a beautiful, tough Las Vegas reporter—the most unorthodox pair of avengers since Jeaniene Frost’s Cat and Bones—joining forces to confront a terror that threatens to wreak murderous havoc in both the mortal and the immortal worlds. A dark and delicious mix of noir mystery, urban fantasy, and paranormal romance, The Taken is a must-read treat for the insatiable fans of Nalini Singh’s angel books, and for the many, many readers who have made Kelley Armstrong, Charlaine Harris, Kim Harrison, and Laurell K. Hamilton fantasy superstars.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateJun 12, 2012
    ISBN9780062064110
    Unavailable
    The Taken: Celestial Blues
    Author

    Vicki Pettersson

    Vicki Pettersson is the New York Times bestselling author of the Sign of the Zodiac novels, a six-book urban fantasy series set in her hometown of Las Vegas. Though she'll always consider that glittering dust bowl home, she now divides her time between Vegas and Dallas, where she's learning to like good Tex-Mex (easy) and the Dallas Cowboys (easier than you'd think).

    Read more from Vicki Pettersson

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    Reviews for The Taken

    4/5

    128 ratings33 reviews

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    • 1/5
      I disliked this book on so many levels. I am just glad it is finally over! The main character was completely obnoxious and I really didn't care what happened to him. There was no chemistry whatsoever between him and his 2 love interests. There are some very disturbing parts about sleeping around to propagate the race, and I never really understood the world building. I do not recommend this for anyone.
    • 3/5
      This book really started to lag in the second half and started out with a rather odd sexual tone (in my opinion), but kept me interested enough to keep reading (even with the lackluster world-building).
    • 5/5
      Interesting, action- filled, epic, and dynamic, this debut novel of Erin Bowman, Taken, feels like a combination of City of Ember and Divergent. I really admired how Erin made a different kind of story and molded it new. With the unbelievable writing of Erin, this book acquired the title of "The Most Favorite Book of The Year As Of The Moment"of mine. It was utterly truly awesome. I am speechless right now. I don't know how to eventually continue this review. I can't make out the words to say about this book. But I'm trying my best.!!! Gray Weathersby, the main character, was referred to as the mirror image of his older brother but has the most opposite attitude of him. He is not as likable as you think he is. Many people in their walled town, Claysoot, doesn't like him. He was already seventeen and his brother, Blaine would be taKen by the Heist on the very midnight during start of the book. Gray only has 365 more days before his own heist will occur. He was completely empty and lost when his brother was taken until he saw a piece of paper behind the picture frame on their door. It was a secret written by her deceased mother , addressed to Blaine. It was a secret kept from him. With that piece of paper, his journey outside Claysoot starts. He actually looks for answers and he believes that there is something outside Claysoot, that there is more than there walled town, that there is something behind the Heist. Even when no one has ever made it through alive outside the walls, with their body returned burned, Gray must search for answers. He must try to find out. The other characters ,as well, really dragged me in. They were seemingly captivating and they felt true. They were built with perfection. Their essence as a character was properly wielded. The plot was undeniably UNPREDICTABLE.. It's always nice to read a plot that surprises you! You can't expect something would happen but you want to, of course. You don't wanna miss anything about the book. It wasn't full of twists that would make you feel dizzy but was enough to make you feel excited. It wasn't at all BORING. It drives me crazy coz' everything is important and everything is meat.Yummy! Even the small and minor events are epic. You can't stop from rereading certain parts because you wouldn't want to be lost. The world building is just acceptable. Although it lacks some certain points but it can still be imagined and be brought to life! Come on, it's her first book. She'll be having more! She has good ideas in store. However, one thing that distracted me is the Love triangle between Emma, the ex-gf , Bree, the present and Gray himself. . I don't like the love triangle. Please, kill that part. It adds to the color of the whole picture but it's a smudge! Don't like it. But it's okay. HAHA. Im having two sides of me right now. I don't like the idea of having a love triangle in the book, but I love how the love triangle is working out. It makes me mad that Gray is having confusions with his feelings. He is a douchebag. No, that was too much. It's normal to have confusions. It's just that the was also hurt, but he was also "holding back" his feelings for his first love. That's hard. Anyway, well, I love the whole sense that the government or the president or what you call him is corrupt. I love stories with those kind of picture. I love it how he manages to make an innocent guy be hated by all his countrymen. Frank, the leader of Taem, was a liar! He was a fraud. He made Harvey a criminal who was accused of things he hasn't even done. I also love the ideas of rebels. They're fierce and free. The idea of fighting for a goal of cleansing the government is awesome. It symbolizes our future government now. The rebels are trying to help the poor to be feeling alive and happy again. Then, I also love the thought of making the whole life of Claysoot a lie and an experiment! That was a truly excellent idea! Kudos for that! There's a lot to find out if you read the book. There a lot that happened in the book. Over-all, it reached my expectations. It was a new type of dystopian and it is unique. It is UNIQUE! It did not disappoint me. I would give this book a 4.8/5 just because of the love triangle. Without that, it would've been a 5/5. Can't wait for the 2nd book and the 3rd book already. :D
    • 4/5
      [An ARC paperback copy was provided by the publisher for review purpose. Thanks HarperCollins!]"You ready to perform your first Heist?"—BreeFrom the cover to the concept, this book has totally got my interest. The color of the cover was stunning and beautiful, the tag line was intriguing, and moreover, the blurb was really able to make the reader questioned, "Why?" and "What?". Such a great things a few lines could do.Taken told us about a village called Claysoot, where they lives under a boundary of the Wall, and every curious soul trying to climb it had been found burned the next day. In Claysoot, no men had passed the age of eighteenth, as they were all vanished in—as the villagers called it—The Heist, and in Gray Weathersby's case, his brother would vanished in a matter of hours.But his life took a drastic turn when Gray founded a letter his Mother had written, which was abruptly cut in the middle. Lonely and desperate to bring his brother back from The Heist, Gray decided to pursue whatever truth was left on the letter, even if it means climbing the Walls and escaped Claysoot. But what if the truth was not what he would expect, and that the things he called natural was not so true after all?I especially love how this book started with action at its very first page, introducing us with the culture and background, and therefore making it easy for us to relate with the story. This book was averagely paced, with some minor sagging here and there, but overall, the pace suited the story quite well. One thing I really love about this book was the strong world-building and believable culture revolving around The Heist. Fifteen year old boy was considered adult, and there was no such thing as marriage but simply breeding—this were all really simple, but it helped in making the story seemed believable and the world pretty real.The ending was good as well, left the reader curious and wanting to know what exactly would happen next on its continuation, yet still satisfied as the first book reached its end.The character, however, was not really as stunning as the world-building. They were not exactly uninteresting-and-oh-so-plain-and-boring bad, but they didn't really popped out and exceptionally strong either.Gray Weathersby, our main protagonist, was quite well-developed, and it's very interesting to read that although he was a man, his narration still gave us a glimpse about his feeling without sounding girlish or boy-flat at all. His personality was well-balanced too, with a kind heart and distinct flaw, like his temper. One thing I didn't quite fond of him was, even if he was pictured as an impulsive, temperamental, hot-blooded man, at some part, he actually felt quite flat, and his reaction didn't quite showed his personality as well.Brianna "Bree" Nox, our other main character as well as Gray's counterpart, was actually the one I found most interesting. She was portrayed as a brave, straightforward, and unusually bold, and I really love how her attitude toward Gray flowed in a very smooth manner and didn't changed way too abruptly. Her personality was interesting as well, and I like how her badass side was balanced with a fragility she rarely showed.One thing I'm not quite fond of this book was Emma's character, Gray's company from Claysoot who escaped the Wall with him, as well as his first love. Throughout the book, I felt that her character was really inconsistent. When she decided to come after Gray and leave Claysoot, she looked like a strong girl with a firm stubbornness, but when they met again the second time, she was just a weak girl, incapable of standing on her own and easily swayed away. She constantly switched from strong to weak to strong again and over and over, and seeing the fact that she was quite an important character to begin with, it was not really believable, and it wasn't really easy to sympathize with her either.Overall, if you're looking for a fresh dystopian read with a unique twist, as well as a strong world building and rich culture, you should definitely give this one a try.
    • 3/5
      The ending of this book was somewhat anticlimactic than I would of liked. The story was interesting but not one of my favorites. I'm not saying it was bad and you should not read it though. For the most part it was a good read.
    • 3/5
      Boys disappear from Claysoot and no one knows why. Now Gray's brother has gone, and Gray has a chance to find out more. And of course, there's a girl, cause if there wasn't, how could there be any potential romance happen?Loved the idea of the book, but it didn't turn out as well as I expected. Things happened much too conveniently for my liking.
    • 3/5
      Closer to a 3 1/2 star rating. At first my coworkers and I dismissed it because the summary made us think it was "Gone" by Michael Grant revisited. I'm glad I decided to read it however because it was better than a Grant rip-off. It lacked a bit of the emotional punch that other dystopian novels have but it kept my interest and I'll be glad to see book two.
    • 4/5
      Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: A fast paced dystopian with an intriguing love triangle.Opening Sentence: TODAY IS THE LAST DAY I will see my brother.The Review:Gray has grown up in the town of Claysoot. In this town there are no men only boys under the age of 18. At midnight on their 18th birthday every young man disappears and this is called the Heist. No one knows where they go or what happens to them but it is unpreventable. Some people try to escape the Heist by climbing the wall that surrounds Claysoot, but it is always fatal for anyone that tries. Every time someone has tried their body ends up by the wall burned so bad it is unrecognizable. Gray is turning 17 in a few days but his brother is exactly 1 year older than him and will be going through the Heist very soon. Blaine is Gray’s only family, his father was Heisted when he was a baby and his mother died when he was only 13. They have taken care of each other ever since, and are very close. After Blaine is Heisted, Gray is lost but he finds a letter that his mother wrote to Blaine on her death bed. The letter contains some very interesting facts that leave Gray questioning everything he has ever known. What really happens during the Heist is it preventable, and what’s really on the other side of the wall. As Gray searches for answers he discovers that nothing is what it seems.Gray is a very interesting character. There are things that I really liked about him and others that drove me nuts. I loved that he always follows his gut. At times it makes him very irrational, but he acts instead of doing nothing and I liked that about him. He really cares about his family and he is very dedicated and follows through when he makes a promise. Now for the things that drove me nuts. There is a love triangle in this book and honestly I thought that he treated both of the girls crappy and I didn’t like that. I felt that both girls deserved better. At times he jumps to conclusions and he doesn’t forgive easily. I feel that he judges people unfairly and I had a hard time with that. Overall, I did like him as a character, but he has a lot of maturing to do and I hope to see that more in the next book.Emma also grew up in Claysoot and ever since they were kids Gray has always fancied her. To keep their population up, Claysoot has set up a system where the boys are slated to a different girl every month. Realistically there really is no reason to have any kind of relationships since the boys will be gone by the time they are 18. Gray has never really liked the slating system and he tries to avoid it at all cost. He doesn’t have any children and he doesn’t want one, but right after Blaine is Heisted he is finally slated to the only girl he has ever liked. Emma is a sweet girl she is the daughter of the healer in town and works with her. She has known Gray since they were children; she is the same age as Blaine and they all played together as children. She has always thought Gray was too spontaneous and at times unkind, but as she spends time with him and gets to know him her feelings change. I think that Emma is actually really good for Gray, she mellows him out, and is a good partner for him. Yes, she makes some mistakes, but I feel that she tries to do what’s right and follow her heart.Later on he meets a girl named Bree. I’m not really going to go into details about her since that would spoil some if the book. She is very wild and spontaneous as well. She has had to protect herself for most of her life so she doesn’t open up easily to people. Her and Gray fight a lot but they also have many things in common. So as they get to know each other they start to become attracted to each other. They have pretty good chemistry, but I felt that their personalities were just too similar. I actually really liked Bree as a character, but I don’t think she is quite right for Gray.Overall, I really did enjoy this book. The story moved right along and it was a really fast read. There is lots of action and some interesting plot twists throughout the book. The love triangle at times drove me a little nuts but honestly I am also very intrigued by it as well. I really can’t wait to see what happens in the next book. This book would be a great read for boys or girls and I would recommend it to anyone that enjoys YA Dystopian books.Notable Scene:I stoop to collect the fallen frame, which houses a charcoal drawing of the Council building done by Blaine as a child. It has broken on impact, and as I collect the pieces, I notice something behind Blaine’s childhood sketch. The parchment is coarse but not as faded as the original artwork. I lift it from the debris and unfold it carefully.It is a letter, written in script I would recognize anywhere.To my eldest son, it begins. This is Ma’s handwriting, careful and clean.I take a deep breath and keep reading.It is imperative that you read this, know this, and then hide it immediately. Gray cannot know. I have thought many times of how to share this with you—both of you—but have come to terms with this secret being one that you alone must bear after my passing. Know that I write this to you in my final hours, that I wish so much to be able to explain it in person, but I am a prisoner of my bed.This world is a mysterious one, with its Heists and Wall, so unnatural that I have never been able to accept it outright. And I believe, come your eighteenth birthday, you will understand why I’ve shared this secret with you. The truth, or the pursuit of the truth, must not die with me. Above all, you must not tell your brother. I know this will be hard for you, but if Gray knows, he will look for answers. He will risk everything, and in turn jeopardize your discovering the truth. And you must. You must discover the truth for me because death will take me before I am able to witness it myself.And so I share this with you now, my son: You and your brother are not as I’ve raised you to believe. Gray is, in fact—I flip the letter over, but there are no more words. I search the debris on the floor, but whatever sheet once accompanied the first is no longer hidden within the frame. I reread the letter once, twice, several times over.Gray is, in fact— I am, in fact, what?Taken Series:1. Taken (April 16, 2013)FTC Advisory: Harper Collins provided me with a copy of Taken. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
    • 4/5
      This was somewhat reminiscent of The Maze Runner. It wasn't written quite as well, but I still really enjoyed it.
    • 5/5
      WOW! Let me take a minute here to catch up with my blown mind!!!This book is freaking good. It's fan-freaking-tastic that I still, even after days of reading it still can't get it out of my mind. The plot is what captures me. Imagine being in a town where any male that turns eighteen automatically disappears before your eyes. Gone. Just like that. You never hear or see them ever again... Yup, I'm hooked. After reading the first chapter your in the shoes of Gray. A struggling teenager who's about to lose his brother and I'm intrigued. Gray is nothing like his brother. Gray is dark, blunt, and faces everything head on. His brother is nice, kind, and thinks things through. The plot moves at a good pace that I can't help but want it to go faster. I want to discover the wall and climb over it. I want to see what no one else has been able to see. I want. I want. I want.The love interest in this story is well played. It's not a love triangle but not what you think either. It's so much more complicated than I ever thought. And no, it's not complicated based on girls(well, some of it is) but it's mostly complicated based on situations. The lies of the town, where the young boys really are going and what happens once you cross the WALL. Yeah, this is one love interest that I can't help but feel it could go either way. Taken is a crazy good book that you will not be able to get out your head for days! With every breathtaking plot twist, things aren't always what they seem. The originality of the plot mixed in with good characters releases an infectious story you want to read. Taken takes you to the edge of insanity that is delightful!
    • 5/5
      I'd heard mixed reviews prior to picking up Erin Bowman's Taken, but the colorful cover and intriguing premise proved too intriguing to avoid for long - thank goodness - because I ended up really enjoying this first installment of the Taken books.The story is narrated by Gray Weathersby, a teen-aged boy who has grown up in the curious town of Claysoot. The town is surrounded by a wall, but whether the wall keeps danger out, protecting the inhabitants, or keeps the people of Claysoot in, trapping them, is up for debate. When Gray's older brother, Blaine, is heisted, mysteriously disappearing from Claysoot like every boy in the settlement at the age of eighteen, Gray starts to question what he knows (and doesn't know) about Claysoot and ends up finding answers he's never dreamed of.I really liked Gray as a narrator. Given the premise of the novel, Taken would have been a very different novel if told from the point of view of a female inhabitant of Claysoot. I found especially interesting the idea that the boys in the community are "slated" to various girls, month by month, to ensure the continuation of Claysoot's population. I can't say for sure what goes through the head of a teen boy who is faced with forcibly playing musical, uh, beds with the girls in his community, but I felt Gray's reaction was pretty genuine. On one hand, he's a teen boy who enjoys spending the night with girls and all that entails, but he also hates that he's forced to do anything and struggles with the fact that he might have real feelings for one girl in particular. Outside the wall, things change dramatically for Gray, but I felt that the romantic elements of the novel - specifically the discussion and focus on what love is, how it feels, and the confusion that comes with it - to be engaging and well-executed.I very much looking forward to Bowman's next book, which promises the reader more answers about Claysoot and the (*spoilery*) information revealed in Taken. I wish I could say more about what I think and hope will happen in the next book, but I can't say much without revealing important elements of Taken's plot! Suffice to say, book two has the potential to blow the revelations revealed in Taken away!
    • 5/5
      This book was a most enjoyable read for me as there was not much else I could do at the time as I was stuck in bed unwell so that is what I did with my time.
    • 3/5
      If you are a male living in Claysoot, your days in the city are numbered. On your eighteenth birthday, a great light and the rumbling of earth comes and you disappear, never to be seen or heard from again. No one knows where the boys go, only that they are gone — forever. When Grey’s brother, Blaine, is taken in The Heist (this is what they call the night the boys disappear) it means two things: Grey is now all alone, and in a few short months, he, too, will be gone.After Blaine is taken in The Heist, Grey discovers a note from his late mother which raises questions about who Grey really is and what really happens in The Heist. Desperate for answers, Grey knows his only chance to find out what really happens when you’re taken might lay over the wall that borders Claysoot — a wall that no one has ever managed to cross over and live to tell about.Grey is the MC, and quite honestly, I had a really hard time liking him. He was harsh, demanding, head-strong and a bit of a bully. I held on, hoping that as the story progressed he would change and maybe mold into a more likable person, but that never really happened.There were several other characters, some I liked, others I wavered on. Emma is a girl from Claysoot that Grey is paired with and eventually joins him on his journey outside the wall. She was likable enough, and a little more together, but I felt like we didn’t get enough time with her to really get to know her. Blaine, Grey’s brother, was much more likable — the perfect contrast to Grey — which makes sense later on in the story when you find out a little more about the two of them.I will warn — there is a love triangle that, to me, never really made sense. I would say more on this, but I don’t want to give anything away.There’s a lot happening in this book. Lots of twists and turns and backstabbing. Lots of action, lots of alliances and lots of questions to be answered. Sometimes it felt like maybe there was too much going on, and sadly, it was all pretty predictable. I liked the concept of The Heist and Ms. Bowman does a great job at building the world, I just felt like I had read it all before. Nothing really surprised me. It felt almost like a mashup of Divergent and Under the Never Sky. Ms. Bowman writes well, and as I said earlier, crafted an intriguing premise, I just didn’t find anything that blew me away.With an intriguing premise, Taken starts off with a bang. Sadly, I felt like I had read this story before, so, for me, it was just okay.
    • 5/5
      Taken is one of those books I feel like I've been waiting forever to read. But once I started reading it, I felt like I'd just started it and it was already ending. I have been dying to know, what happens to the boys during the Heist? Where do they go? How does the population survive? Since the first time I saw the premise of this book, it has probably hooked me better than any other book I've ever read a premise for simply because boys disappearing right in front of everyone?? That's a scary thought.Gray has an older brother, Blaine who is taken in the beginning of the story. I've never had a book made me swallow the lump in my throat by the third chapter, but when Gray talked about how lonely he was, I was about to bawl! He's this big strong boy that hunts and takes care of himself, but inside, he's this scared kid. He's lost everyone he loves and he has no one to talk to about his feelings. It is really sad.The world is very Hunger Games like. Except the men aren't men. They are boys. Otherwise it kind of reminds me of a town in a western movie. There is no technology and rudimentary medical supplies. They have no electricity or running water. No indoor plumbing. But except for the Heist, people seem satisfied with their lives, not living in poverty.Then there is the Wall. It's as if it's a living breathing thing. It Walls the people of Claysoot in and the rest of whatever else is out there, out. Brave or scared individuals have climbed the tree that reaches the top of the wall and tried to look past the wall. All that's visible is black nothingness. Anyone that goes over the wall, their body turns up the next day, charred and burned. Some boys do this to escape the Heist.I am stopping my review here. I haven't told you anything past the summary because I'm not going to spoil anything for you. But that is just one quarter of the book. It took me only a couple of hours to read this book, I couldn't put it down. Plus, I had to know what was going on. I LOVE Gray Weathersby. He is impulsive and rash, but he has so much fire and life to him, he's such a great character. He wants to save everyone and I love him for that! The writing is easy and as you might have guessed, fast paced. There is a lot of character growth and a lot of action. Things that could have been over explained were thankfully only gone over once. Everything was explained just enough, but not in too much detail, to make it interesting but not cumbersome. And no cliffhangers or insta love!I'm ready for the next book, please! Can I be a Beta reader? Please!!!Great start to a new dystopian series! Recommended for lovers of dystopians with some romance, maybe a bit of sci-fi and great characters.Let me know if you read it and what you thought!I received an E-Arc of this novel from HarperTeen through Edelweiss for review. The opinions expressed are my own. I was not compensated for my review.Heather
    • 5/5
      I was kind of scared to read Taken, I think because I read a bad review about it and it scared me enough to not read it for a couple months. But, I decided to give it a go anyways because the summary sounded awesome, and I really wanted to know what the Heist was. Ultimately, I'm glad I decided to read it because it ended up being one of my favorites for this year.I've read a few reviews that mention Gray not being a likable character, which I definitely understand. He can be very moody, so moody that he felt obligated to punch a girl. I understand why people would get upset about this. It didn't bother me, but you are now warned if you can't get passed something like that. I felt like Gray had his reasons to be upset. His brother was just Heisted and he is now on his own, and only has a year left until he is also Heisted. So, I went into Taken knowing Gray might be an unlikable character, but as I read, I grew to understand him, and like him.The summary is kind of misleading, though. The Heist is only the first 1/3 of the book, the rest is about what is beyond the wall, and how bad things have become outside. If I remember correctly, you find out what the Heist is, not even 100 pages in. I don't want to ruin the whole Heist part of the book, but there is so much to Taken, besides the Heist and Claysoot.One thing that bothered me throughout Taken was Emma. She annoyed me so much, I would have been much happier if she decided to stay in Claysoot and not follow Gray over the wall. I honestly did not care if Gray was able to save her or not. She put him into dangerous situations that wouldn't have happened if she wasn't there.I really liked Claysoot. I enjoyed learning about Claysoot and how all of it came to be and all the people living there and how they cooped with the Heist. It was all very fascinating to me. I also loved learning about the city outside the wall and the rebellion group and all the things that happened.Taken definitely reminded me of The Maze Runner by James Dashner (being stuck in a walled in place and not knowing why or how) and Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi, so if you liked those books, check this one out!Overall, I loved this book. Taken took me by surprise, I didn't expect to love it as much as I did, and I can't wait for the next book!
    • 5/5
      TAKEN was a very promising debut novel. The characters were well-written and well-rounded and the writing didn't get in the way of the story. There was enough description and world-building and the author didn't inundate us with large info-dumps.TAKEN stands out among the large current crop of dystopias because of its well thought out plot and intriguing characters. Grey Weatherby is the younger more impulsive brother. When his older brother Blaine reaches eighteen and is removed from their town of Claysoot--"heisted" as the residents say, Grey doesn't know what he should do next. When he finds a part of a letter that his mother wrote Blaine as she was dying, he begins to look for answers to the new questions it brings up. Grey decides to climb the wall that surrounds Claysoot, even though everyone else who has tried has been found near the inner wall as a burned up body. Learning that he was a twin and has passed the time when he should have been heisted, makes him believe that he will be able to successfully cross over the wall. But he doesn't go alone. Grey has had a crush on Emma, the healer's daughter, for a long time but she seemed to prefer Blaine. Now that Blaine is gone and Grey has been slated for Emma, they become better friends. When Grey leaves, Emma follows him. Together they discover a world that they couldn't imagine.This story has it all--exciting adventure, great danger, a dastardly villain, and noble rebels--and Grey and Emma find themselves in the thick of it. There is even a potential love triangle as Grey meets a rebel girl named Bree who fascinates him with a courage and recklessness much like his own.Fans of dystopias will enjoy this one. I know that I am eager to read the next book in this trilogy myself.
    • 3/5
      This book initially got dangerously close to a DNF. I really wasn't a fan of any of the characters and consistently found myself frustrated with so much pertaining to them. Then the can of worms was opened and all of these intense secrets pertaining to the world created by Erin Bowman came spilling out. At that point I couldn't seem to get enough!



      This is one of those books that I can't say too much about because even one little detail can ruin some of the suspense discovered amongst the pages. I would suggest reading this if you enjoy world-building more than you enjoy characters and relationships. This world is fairly complex with all its little secrets and it is the reason I plan on reading the next book in the series.



      Now if only we could come to like the characters a lot more. . . .
    • 5/5
      This book is definitely a page turner for me. I can't wait to read the second installment and find out what happen to Gray, Emma and Bree.
    • 3/5
      The copy on the back of the book calls this a blend of The Giver and The Maze Runner, and that is very close. The book was fine, but with no real surprises, other than the need to suspend disbelief at times.
    • 3/5
      Griff Shaw is a Centurion, a lower class angel whose job is to take people when they die. He allows Nicole to change clothes after she dies (since you stay in whatever you were wearing at the time of death), and loses his wings because of that. Now he has to find Kit, Nicole's friend, and wait for her to die because Nic endangered Kit and now Griff has to take Kit to the Everlast. I am assuming the Everlast is something like a waiting room for Paradise where those whose lives ended violently come to forget. All he has to do is wait for the killers to come, kill Kit and take her. He couldn't. His superior can appear anywhere, anytime (like talking to Griff through a newborn - that must have been creepy).

      Kit's friends are all rockabillies. I am not sure why that was important other than to make them different. I can imagine how they looked to Griff who was killed in 1960.

      This book has one of the most disgusting, horrible, vile villains I've read. Whatever fate he got in this book, I am not satisfied.

      I would have liked this book more if only it hadn't been preachy at times. Since Griff is an angel, I expected some talk about God and all that, but I wouldn't mind less. Apart from that, this is a pretty good mystery - minus the religious talk.
    • 1/5
      After Grif died, he became an angel tasked with shepherding newly killed souls to the afterlife. But a moment of mercy threatens the angels' secrecy, and as punishment Grif is forced to become human again. He can return to his celestial form only after he watches Katherine Craig die. But Grif finds her imminent death intolerable, and is clearly going to try to circumvent fate. I don't know--I only got 14% of the way into it. I just didn't care about Grif or the oh-so-beautiful Katherine. The writing is fine, but it didn't pull me in.
    • 4/5
      In Claysoot all the men disappear on their 18th birthday, one minute they are there then the next poof...gone. No one knows where they go or why. Gray's brother is no exception. He turns 18 and disappears and Gray starts learning stuff about himself that send him over the wall. The very wall that no one has come back alive from attempting. Alright, TAKEN was interesting. Because the men disappear when they are 18 they don't really have relationships but they are matched every few months with girls and they have to try to get them pregnant. That was a bit crazy but they explain it better than I can. After Blane is taken by the heist Gray is matched with Emma. They have known each other since they were born and never really got along but become close pretty quickly. Together they find out some shocking secrets and when Gray goes over the wall Emma decides to follow him right over. I don't want to go to much more into the book as it would give away to many spoilers but things definitely aren't what they seem at pretty much every turn of the page. TAKEN kept me on my toes. There are a lot of characters to get to know but they are all interesting and well-developed. The world is kinda crazy. Just like any good dystopian the bad guy is extra bad. There are a few different love connections in TAKEN but they are shaky and in no way set in stone. I can't even begin to tell you how many secrets are in this book. I was flabbergasted more than once.TAKEN was a good start to the Taken trilogy. The characters still have a long road ahead of them and hopefully it will be just as action packed and fast paced as book one. I definitely would like some more answers to the many secrets that are still out there.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      The approach to angel lore is interesting, but I most enjoyed the interplay of Twitter-era technology and Film Noir-esque personalities and outfits.
    • 3/5
      I liked the idea the author presents in the book about angels. What I didn't care for was all the tell and not show on the rockabilly side of the heroine's life. And as much as she talked about the lifestyle other than the dress up I wasn't sure what drove her to aggressively live in that time frame to the point of tracking down old brands of cigarettes to smoke. The villain is really evil and he does almost everything except twirl his mustache since he is so secure that he will never be caught. I'll read the next one since I liked how the book ended with the angel side but the heroine side was a bit weak.
    • 4/5
      In the isolated town of Claysoot, every male is mysteriously "Heisted" on his eighteenth birthday, and seventeen-year-old Gray Weathersby is determined to figure out why
    • 5/5
      Great Book can't wait for the next one.
    • 4/5
      Griffin Shaw used to be a PI until he was killed and now he escorts dead souls to the afterlife. He makes a mistake in his latest collection and he lands back in the mortal world to learn a lesson.He's ordered to collect the soul of Kit Craig but when they meet there's something there between them, and not only because Kit is a rockabilly! He's also curious about his and his wife's death fifty years ago.This is a fun read, interesting mythology and interesting characters.
    • 3/5
      This was the first Vicki Pettersson I’ve read, and I did so on a recommendation from Kim Harrison, whose books I LOVE.This wasn’t bad, but she’s no Kim Harrison. There were a number of things about this story that set it apart from the usual paranormal/urban fantasy books out there. The angel stuff was new and interesting, and I also liked the focus on the rock-a-billy lifestyle. Really, the rock-a-billy stuff was necessary in order for Grif to be accepted with few questions, and I liked the “film noir” feel it gave the story. The mystery went in directions that I didn’t expect, so that was good. Las Vegas is also the perfect setting, because there no one raises an eyebrow at things that would be considered quite odd elsewhere.But I wasn’t overwhelmed. Things moved quite slowly at times, and it took me a long time to get into the story. I found I was more invested in Grif than in Kit, when it should have been at least equal.I would definitely read Ms. Pettersson again, but I’ll be hoping her other books are a little stronger.
    • 5/5
      Loved, loved, LOVED this book. It's the beginning to a new trilogy by Vicki Pettersson (author of the Signs of the Zodiac series, beginning with The Scent of Shadows). It's set in Vegas and features an angel who was a noir-ish PI when alive (he died in the 1960's) and a modern reporter who lives the rockabilly life. I love the way the characters interact, and Pettersson makes each one jump off the page. But my favorite part of this book is the language. Pettersson is extremely precise in her word choice and the narrative throughout this book SINGS. I can't recommend it highly enough.
    • 4/5
      Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy:allthingsuf.comAn angelic Sam Spade with a softer side and a fast talking reporter who sees the good in everyone, the two main characters of THE TAKEN are two of my favorite tropes brought to glorious new life on the Vegas strip. Pettersson’s rich writing style brings the witty banter and glamorous fashion of noir mystery into modern day technicolor, and I could not be more fascinated by her intriguing new world.THE TAKEN asks you to buy into two main conceits: the Rockabilly lifestyle that defines Kit Craig and a celestial mechanism of souls being returned to heaven. Pettersson won me over with the billies. Though there were times when the underlying psychology of nostalgia seemed a little far fetched, THE TAKEN‘s entire narrative structure activates the senses. A lifestyle of immediacy, of practiced living and art, seems both possible and seductive in this context. Grif’s position, of being a reincarnated P.I. simultaneously wrestling with unresolved guilt and celestial longing, took longer for me to digest. Like the slow burning romance, however, when Pettersson turns her attention to a subject she does a fantastic job. Kit and Grif’s chemistry just burns off the page, and by book’s end, Pettersson had taken all of her individual threads: Kit’s lifestyle, Grif’s past, angelic politics and human murder and corruption and depravity… all weave together into a cohesive story that makes me oh so glad I went along for the ride.Though THE TAKEN is satisfying all on it’s lonesome, I’m excited to know that it is just the start of a beautiful friendship. Despite the dark nature of the mystery in THE TAKEN, Pettersson’s hero has a gentle center underneath his gruff exterior. Paired with Kit’s whimsy, these two make a team I can’t resist. Add to that the intriguing impact of earthly senses on celestial beings, and this is one world I can’t wait to revisit.Sexual Content: References to prostitution, rape; Mild descriptions of group sex; sex scenes.