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mayflowergirl74's review against another edition
3.0
I really loved The Taker and enjoyed The Reckoning. By the second book, I started to have an inkling of where the author was going with Adair, but I couldn't have imagined where it would end up. It kind of felt like a different series, something drawing us toward a supernatural path I wasn't expecting and to an ending not entirely satisfying.
And Jonathan getting to be a God! He was often annoying, and I think in the end he just wanted to end it because he'd fallen in love, and then he becomes a consort, again looked at only for his beauty. Maybe being a God is better than being split up into nothing, but still.
And Adair. He had a great deal to redeem himself for, and I think he was truly becoming a better man. But does he deserve a better end than Luke? I did root for Adair and Laney, but the Underworld and all of that took me away from the beginning story, of what we had learned of Adair's past, good and bad. Had it all been put in his head? What of it was real? Did the peasant boy ever exist? Could Adair not have been redeemed in another way?
These are of course my nits, and others may have loved the way the story ended.
Thank you Alma for a very entertaining trilogy even if I didn't totally agree with the end!
Spoiler
I felt like Luke got the short end of the stick. I'm not sure I wanted him to end up with Lanny, but his end was so sad, to die of cancer and then to be stuck in the underworld, hanging on and knowing he was just going to break up and become part of the cosmos again. Seemed an unfair end for a good man.And Jonathan getting to be a God! He was often annoying, and I think in the end he just wanted to end it because he'd fallen in love, and then he becomes a consort, again looked at only for his beauty. Maybe being a God is better than being split up into nothing, but still.
And Adair. He had a great deal to redeem himself for, and I think he was truly becoming a better man. But does he deserve a better end than Luke? I did root for Adair and Laney, but the Underworld and all of that took me away from the beginning story, of what we had learned of Adair's past, good and bad. Had it all been put in his head? What of it was real? Did the peasant boy ever exist? Could Adair not have been redeemed in another way?
These are of course my nits, and others may have loved the way the story ended.
Thank you Alma for a very entertaining trilogy even if I didn't totally agree with the end!
crimsoncor's review against another edition
1.0
The darkest thing about this series is that the author thinks that failing in love with your rapist somehow qualifies as a romance. Utterly unfulfilling and insulting to sexual assault victims. Also a third-rate deus ex machina ending that read like something someone who was exposed to mythology in middle school and thought it was 'neat' might write.
lamom77's review against another edition
3.0
Loved the first 2 books in this trilogy, but this one was disappointing. Slow moving and seemed forced like the author could not figure out how to get to the end point, which I liked.
justgina93's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
amym84's review against another edition
4.0
The Descent marks the ending to what I believe has been one of the most surprising trilogies I've ever read. The different twists and turns throughout the series as a whole have been a lot. The characters that can be so dispicable and evil one moment try so hard to overcome and gain forgiveness for their variable and many sins.
The Descent picks up four years after [b:The Reckoning|13091829|The Reckoning (The Taker, #2)|Alma Katsu|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1358271532s/13091829.jpg|16737758]. Lanny has been living away from Adair, not certain she wants to be around him after his declaration of love. Not sure if she can believe him. After experiencing terrible nightmares showing Jonathan being kept and tortured by the Queen of the Underworld, Lanny knows that Adair is the only one who can help her save Jonathan. Little does she know that this quest will ultimately force her to look back on herself and her life and finally come to decisions about herself she has maybe put off for far too long.
This trilogy started out as Lanny's story, but it's become very apparent that Adair shares the spotlight as well and no where does he do it more than in The Decent. Adair has been trying to show Lanny that he can be good, can be changed. He's sequestered himself on a remote island hoping to serve up pennance for his past indiscretions. Has he really changed? Can he really change and become who Lanny needs and who he wants to be? It was very interesting that we finally got the full story of Adair's life. Up to this point we've read bits and pieces of different times in his life, not sure what was truth and what may have been fabricated. Well, it's all laid out here.
I found the book to be one of those that I don't want to put down, I wanted to rush through to see how it would ultimately end. I will say, however, that I found there were a few threads that I thought were maybe rushed. Story threads that, in some cases, have been set up from the beginning of the series and because they weren't deeply involved in the ultimate end, Alma Katsu decided to just find a quick and acceptable ending for them. I dislike it when authors do this because it alsmot feels like why bother to introduce these threads in the first place.
Besides that little quibble, I enjoyed The Descent as well as the rest of the trilogy. There were times throughout reading the series that I was shocked with myself for sticking with it as long as I did because of all the various flaws and few redeem abilities of the characters. I'm glad that I did. It was a very thought-provoking series. I'll be interested to see what / where Alma Katsu takes us next.
The Descent picks up four years after [b:The Reckoning|13091829|The Reckoning (The Taker, #2)|Alma Katsu|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1358271532s/13091829.jpg|16737758]. Lanny has been living away from Adair, not certain she wants to be around him after his declaration of love. Not sure if she can believe him. After experiencing terrible nightmares showing Jonathan being kept and tortured by the Queen of the Underworld, Lanny knows that Adair is the only one who can help her save Jonathan. Little does she know that this quest will ultimately force her to look back on herself and her life and finally come to decisions about herself she has maybe put off for far too long.
This trilogy started out as Lanny's story, but it's become very apparent that Adair shares the spotlight as well and no where does he do it more than in The Decent. Adair has been trying to show Lanny that he can be good, can be changed. He's sequestered himself on a remote island hoping to serve up pennance for his past indiscretions. Has he really changed? Can he really change and become who Lanny needs and who he wants to be? It was very interesting that we finally got the full story of Adair's life. Up to this point we've read bits and pieces of different times in his life, not sure what was truth and what may have been fabricated. Well, it's all laid out here.
I found the book to be one of those that I don't want to put down, I wanted to rush through to see how it would ultimately end. I will say, however, that I found there were a few threads that I thought were maybe rushed. Story threads that, in some cases, have been set up from the beginning of the series and because they weren't deeply involved in the ultimate end, Alma Katsu decided to just find a quick and acceptable ending for them. I dislike it when authors do this because it alsmot feels like why bother to introduce these threads in the first place.
Besides that little quibble, I enjoyed The Descent as well as the rest of the trilogy. There were times throughout reading the series that I was shocked with myself for sticking with it as long as I did because of all the various flaws and few redeem abilities of the characters. I'm glad that I did. It was a very thought-provoking series. I'll be interested to see what / where Alma Katsu takes us next.
christajls's review against another edition
4.0
This review originally posted at More Than Just Magic
What constantly amazes me about the Taker Trilogy is that each book is so unique but yet still part of one story.
The Descent brings us a few years into Lanore’s future. Luke has died, victim of a terminal brain tumour, and she is alone once again. But before long she begins to suffer from horrible dreams. Dreams involving, who else? Jonathan. They’re disturbing dreams where he being kept and tortured by the Queen of the Underworld. She may have put her romantic feelings for Jonathan behind her, but she will always care about him and resolves to go rescue him. But there’s only one man who can help her get to the underworld – Adair.
The Descent reunited the two best characters of this whole series – Lanore and Adair. Don’t get me wrong I love all of the characters but these two are the real shining stars. Both of them have changed and grown so much since we first met them way back in The Taker. I think that’s the main reason I’m so attached to them. I’ve watched them grow up (so to speak). I also enjoyed that after two whole books of running from one another and being cruel to one another, they finally learned that they work better together than they do apart.
But even though the characters are familiar the settings are all new, keeping things interesting. There are three main locations where this novel takes place, all dramatically different but all equally fascinating. There’s the island where Adair has hidden away – deserted except for him and two women and it was interesting to see how he has fared so far away from society. And then there’s the Underworld where Lanore is searching for Jonathan. I like that Katsu didn’t fall back on conventional ideas of heaven/hell/the afterlife. The underworld is an interesting place and as a nice bonus a few of my favourite secondary characters have a cameo. And last but not least, through flashbacks, we get to see a little more of Adair’s past – this time in Italy. As always the transitions between time periods are seamless and it is incredibly easy to lose yourself in this book for extended periods of time.
I don’t want to say too much more about the story, since this is the final book in the series. I’ll just conclude by saying that this is an satisfying and touching end to what has been one of my favourite series. If you’ve been anxiously awaiting this book you won’t be disappointed and if you haven’t picked up Alma Katsu’s work yet now is the perfect time to binge read.
What constantly amazes me about the Taker Trilogy is that each book is so unique but yet still part of one story.
The Descent brings us a few years into Lanore’s future. Luke has died, victim of a terminal brain tumour, and she is alone once again. But before long she begins to suffer from horrible dreams. Dreams involving, who else? Jonathan. They’re disturbing dreams where he being kept and tortured by the Queen of the Underworld. She may have put her romantic feelings for Jonathan behind her, but she will always care about him and resolves to go rescue him. But there’s only one man who can help her get to the underworld – Adair.
The Descent reunited the two best characters of this whole series – Lanore and Adair. Don’t get me wrong I love all of the characters but these two are the real shining stars. Both of them have changed and grown so much since we first met them way back in The Taker. I think that’s the main reason I’m so attached to them. I’ve watched them grow up (so to speak). I also enjoyed that after two whole books of running from one another and being cruel to one another, they finally learned that they work better together than they do apart.
But even though the characters are familiar the settings are all new, keeping things interesting. There are three main locations where this novel takes place, all dramatically different but all equally fascinating. There’s the island where Adair has hidden away – deserted except for him and two women and it was interesting to see how he has fared so far away from society. And then there’s the Underworld where Lanore is searching for Jonathan. I like that Katsu didn’t fall back on conventional ideas of heaven/hell/the afterlife. The underworld is an interesting place and as a nice bonus a few of my favourite secondary characters have a cameo. And last but not least, through flashbacks, we get to see a little more of Adair’s past – this time in Italy. As always the transitions between time periods are seamless and it is incredibly easy to lose yourself in this book for extended periods of time.
I don’t want to say too much more about the story, since this is the final book in the series. I’ll just conclude by saying that this is an satisfying and touching end to what has been one of my favourite series. If you’ve been anxiously awaiting this book you won’t be disappointed and if you haven’t picked up Alma Katsu’s work yet now is the perfect time to binge read.
nearly_empty_nesting's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this series. The ending was not what I was expecting, but was very satisfying and felt true to the characters.
teganbeesebooks's review against another edition
5.0
This review is also published on my blog: T and a Book
Title: The Descent
Author: Alma Katsu
Type: Adult Fiction
Genre: Fantasy/Erotica/Romance/Paranormal Romance/Urban Fiction
Tea: Earl Grey Creme mixed with Jasmine Dragon Phoenix Pearls, a delightful addition to something already great.
Rating: 5 out of 5.
I was lucky enough to receive and advanced copy of this novel from Net Galley. When I found it on the site I knew I had to read it. I just loved the first novel and I wanted to be one of the first to read this one. The Descent did not disappoint.
This novel picks up four years after the end of the second novel. I was curious to see where Ms. Katsu was going to take the story, as it had already changed quite drastically from the first novel. I wasn't the biggest fan of the second one, I enjoyed it, but it didn't do it for me like the first. Thankfully, the third one did.
This novel was very different than the first and the second, but had a magic all its own. The same characters were there and the story line still made sense and still went along with the other novels, but it was going in a new direction, which is much like life. I enjoyed that her characters weren't perpetually doing the same things throughout the trilogy, as that is what many series are today.
I enjoyed the magical side of this novel, as well as learning A LOT more about Adair's past. I enjoyed seeing Ms. Katsu's take on many different ideas, such as the underworld. I enjoyed seeing both Lanny and Adair grow and change. This novel also had me guessing and I never quite knew what was going to happen next.
If you've read the first two novels, definitely pick this one up, you won't be disappointed. If you haven't read the series yet, get on it! You'll love it.
I can't wait to see what Ms. Katsu writes next. I can only imagine it will be great.
Title: The Descent
Author: Alma Katsu
Type: Adult Fiction
Genre: Fantasy/Erotica/Romance/Paranormal Romance/Urban Fiction
Tea: Earl Grey Creme mixed with Jasmine Dragon Phoenix Pearls, a delightful addition to something already great.
Rating: 5 out of 5.
I was lucky enough to receive and advanced copy of this novel from Net Galley. When I found it on the site I knew I had to read it. I just loved the first novel and I wanted to be one of the first to read this one. The Descent did not disappoint.
This novel picks up four years after the end of the second novel. I was curious to see where Ms. Katsu was going to take the story, as it had already changed quite drastically from the first novel. I wasn't the biggest fan of the second one, I enjoyed it, but it didn't do it for me like the first. Thankfully, the third one did.
This novel was very different than the first and the second, but had a magic all its own. The same characters were there and the story line still made sense and still went along with the other novels, but it was going in a new direction, which is much like life. I enjoyed that her characters weren't perpetually doing the same things throughout the trilogy, as that is what many series are today.
I enjoyed the magical side of this novel, as well as learning A LOT more about Adair's past. I enjoyed seeing Ms. Katsu's take on many different ideas, such as the underworld. I enjoyed seeing both Lanny and Adair grow and change. This novel also had me guessing and I never quite knew what was going to happen next.
If you've read the first two novels, definitely pick this one up, you won't be disappointed. If you haven't read the series yet, get on it! You'll love it.
I can't wait to see what Ms. Katsu writes next. I can only imagine it will be great.
jennrobyn's review against another edition
2.0
So anticlimactic compared to the first two. I was disappointed for sure. I wanted an epic battle between demons and love, between psycho queen and two doomed lovers...the ending was sweet, to be expected but the journey there was nothing short of the most "epic-less" thing I have ever read.
Overall I would give the series 4 out of 5 stars had this last installment even had a hint of amazing it would've got the full 5
Overall I would give the series 4 out of 5 stars had this last installment even had a hint of amazing it would've got the full 5