Taken

by Lilith Saintcrow

Sophie never believed she was special. Avoiding a violent ex, she can't remember the last time she truly felt safe. Then vampires murder her best friend and Sophie is kidnapped by a dangerously sexy shape-shifter. Zach insists that Sophie is a Shaman--someone with a rare gift for taming his savage side--and he needs her to help him save his pack. Now, with a malevolent enemy closing in, Sophie and Zach must risk everything on a bond that may be their only salvation....

Genres: Paranormal Romance, Romance, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Shapeshifters, Vampires, Harlequin Nocturne

280 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 18, 2011

About the author

Lilith Saintcrow was born in New Mexico, bounced around the world as a child, and fell in love with writing stories when she was ten years old. She and her library co-habitate in Vancouver, Washington.

Reviews

[BookAddict ✒ La Crimson Femme · Rating 1 out of 5]

      I never thought there would be a day that I'd rate a Ms. Saintcrow book as I hated it. I did. Maybe it is because she published it under the Harlequin line. I'm not sure. I've read other Harlequin and liked them. The concept of this story was good. The world that we are in is interesting too. What killed this for me were the characters.

      Never underestimate the power of annoying characters. They can completely destroy the book for a reader. I loathed Julia. She's the spoiled little shit in this story. She's the one who's been allowed to grow unchecked. I kept hoping something would kill her so we'd stop having to read about her awkward behaviour. Zach, the main character had some kind of split personality. He was great sometimes and other times, I just wanted to slap him upside the head - hard. He character was all over the place. The one I really despised was the main character - Sophie. If I see another inner dialog with her freaking out over Unpleasant Things , I'll take a hit out on her myself. Sophie is a victim and she has this role down pat. She really is too stupid to live. Just kill her. I can't believe she's this amazing Shaman to be "triggered". I don't buy it. She is the kind of lead character I can't stand.

      Ms. Saintcrow usually writes some amazing kick ass leading female characters. I guess she tried something different and used a more vulnerable one. I believe that was a mistake because it sucked. Instead of coming off as vulnerable and soft, it came across as stupid, whiny, wimpy and useless. Sophie's turn around at the end of the book was ridiculous. Totally out of character based on how she's been the first 9/10th of the book. The last 1/10th of the book was the only good part to the book too. Sadly, it wasn't enough to save this book for me. Basically, all I got from this book is that the shifters are judgmental cowards that talk a big talk and then proceed to get everyone killed. Apparently they don't have enough brain cells put together to come up with a decent plan to take out a violent threat. On top of this, it appears the entire cast of characters are all emotional dysfunctional with no communication skills what.so.ever. This is probably the most disappointing book I've read all year since I'm such a big fan of Ms. Saintcrow and was expecting much more.

[Skyla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, Weasel-Boy. I <3 you.

I was a grinning, squealing, girly mess by the end of the book; thankfully I read it in the privacy of my own home, or I might've had to eat a baby just to get my evil street cred back. I liked reading a Lili book where I could trust my heart wouldn't be broken at the end. Loads of fun and the scene involving soap opera watching had me in fits of giggles. Sophie's past was heartbreaking (I nodded more than once--some things were phrased the very same way I've said things...t'was eerie) and followed up by some great cathartic scenes towards the end. And Zach was...well, he's Weasel-Boy. And is awesomesauce.

[Mara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A "lighter" Saintcrow, but still worth reading.

re-read on 9/12/2014: I would give it three stars now. The heroine is a domestic violence victim, and too much of a scarey cat for me. I can't decide whether to kill her or not. But Saintcrow is a great author to me, and I end up loving this book against myself.

[Strix · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ignore the cover, this ain't paranormal romance except in the strictest sense of the genre. Instead it's a powerful story about an abused, battered woman living with the trauma of having an ex who beat her, and then being violently thrust into the world of vampires and were-critters and her best friend dying.

Sophie is the strongest protagonist I think I've read, in how she's completely traumatized but hasn't given up and won't give up, even when she flirts with the concept. She's kidnapped for most of the novel, still escapes, still finds out what the truth is and finds her own life.

And here's the fascinating problematic aspect of the story that I love: Zach, our hero, is a fuck-up. Most of the conflict in this book is between Sophie and Zach because she saw her best friend get brutally murdered and then was kidnapped and held captive and Zach could not figure out how to explain what the hell was going on without sounding crazy. He's in love with her instantly, but she spends a lot of the novel thinking he's a monster, and it's fascinating. It's entirely a culture clash, as he's been living on the run, hunting violent vampires and doing his best to keep his family alive, and he has NO idea how to keep Sophie safe without sometimes manhandling her, or, well, kidnapping her.

And it isn't instantly forgiven. It isn't immediately solved. Sophie comes around (of course) but it takes time and Zach nearly dying, and the warmth I felt at the ending was all the more poignant because it was earned. These two EARN their happy ending despite wading through a muck of troubles, and by god I loved it.

But of course: read this one with caution as it gets right inside the head of someone who has been abused and it shows the abuse, and it's not shy about what trauma can do. Hence the horror tag.

Last comment: I love Saintcrow's standalone romances as she fills them with interesting worldbuilding that I want to read more of. Werebear sleuths! Upir as a concept! I want to see more - same as I did with the angels in Incorruptible - but alas, this is a standalone. What a wonderful glimpse of a vibrant urban fantasy setting.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book because it was by one of my favorite authors. I'm not sure what I expected out of it, other then knowing that anything by Lilith Saintcrow is a going to be a good read. This was my first time dipping my toes into the Nocturne imprint and I wasn't sure what to expect, besides sex. Which there was a surprising lack of. (Okay, that's purely my old Harlequin prejudices rearing their ugly head again. These reactions take time to correct.)

This book really blew me away. It's relatively short and a quick read, and perhaps the pacing of the relationship suffers a bit for it. It starts with a bit of a roller-coaster as the situation forces the main characters together and provides plenty of natural conflict. The ending isn't terribly surprising, but I liked how the little details got twisted so that it didn't feel cliche.

I'm not much of a were-anything fan, but I really loved this take on them - especially which animals are used. Wolverines! Bears! Tanuki! I'm dying to read more stories that take place in this world.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't sure how I was going to like this book. I love Lilith Saintcrow and if you don't follow her on twitter I recommend that you should. I've never read a harlequin novel before but to think that this was #106 really made me quite happy. (It means I'll actually have stuff to read over summer vacation!)

It was an interesting take on both werewolves and vampires and it was worth the couple of bucks I paid for it. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes paranormal romances. Saintcrow does a good job at creating egalitarian relationships which is something that plays out really well in this novel. I think some of the topics that were touched on through the characters were a good addition, especially those dealing with Sophie.

If you love shifters you'll love this book! Another great addition to my Saintcrow collection.

[Samantha · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really enjoy this author's YA series, Strange Angels, and I've enjoyed the first book in her Dante Valentine series, but this one was just…not good. The characters had no chemistry imo and most of the time we were confronted with their inner dialogues which went in circles. It should have been sizzling, but I never felt that from them, even at the end, probably because I didn't really feel like I knew either of them. The conflict, which had potential, was never fully realized and the bad guys were two-dimensional. It felt like she was trying to tell too many stories at once and the world building and characters suffered because of it. I guess I'll stick with what I know I like from this author. Disappointing.

[Sandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a big fan of the hero. I don't understand why she would choose him. He kidnapped and terrorised her, then after she escaped he tracked her down and basically told her she had no choice about living with his faimly as they needed her. To him, her needs and wants were irrelevant. So what if he saved her life, it was probably only because he needed her for his family. Yes he was a step up from her abusive, murderous ex husband but that doesn't make him a good choice.

[Debbie Heaton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Lilith Saintcrow's debut Nocturne book and it she gave a whole new twist to the "werewolf" legend. I felt immersed in timeless passion for love and life. I'm hooked and sincerely hope that there will be a follow-up.

[Fabiola Chenet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vraiment super! Un gros coup de coeur. Un bon suspense, pas de scène hot mais l'auteur a réussi à m'entraîner dans son histoire. Très captivant, le meilleur de la collection que j'ai lu jusqu'à présent. Je crois que je tenterai l'auteur chez Milady...

[ScholasticPerturbation · Rating 1 out of 5]

I usually really like this author's stuff, but this was an earlier work and apparently before she smoothed out her anti-hero/grimy-heroine formula. Her later works (especially Selene and the Working for the Devil series) do a much better job of balancing vulnerable but resilient women (especially in her ex-sex-worker characters) and bastard heroes.

That said, I hated almost every second of this book and loyalty to the author (and even coming here to check spoiler reviews for 'don't give up, it gets better' messages) kept me reading it. The last 2 chapters is where it gets better and starts feeling like her better works and I can't say it's worth it. Give up. Get another book.

The FMC spends too much time obsessing over her abuse (I mean that from a readers standpoint- there's only so much hammering in the point of it before the reader starts to feel like the dead horse getting hammered) on the page. At first I felt like a shitty person for getting tired of it, then I didn't even feel shitty and just didn't like her anymore.

The MMC is an abuser. Not physically but in every other sense. He kidnaps her, isolates her, intimidates her (and his sister) and has a very unhealthy viewpoint (everyone does, except the FMC) that she will "fix" them all if she'd just play her part. I hated him in an EXTREME way.

There's just too much social education today about the abuse cycle for nearly anyone to ever accept this kind of work anymore (as a romance). The level of mental crisis in this for the FMC would never lend to a romantic situation at this stage in her life. The Stockholm scenario is a very popular romance situation (I even usually like it, myself) but her state of mind is absolute Fight or Flight CRISIS, making it just.. not the right time AT ALL to introduce love interests (especially one like this). If that aspect had been cut from the book completely and instead this been a jumping point for a series in which they get through this crisis stage together and then begin the process of becoming a family/tribe- it would have been much better, even a good start.

As a standalone "romance"- set it on fire. I'm assuming the author was boxed in to a degree, being published by Harlequin and probably having to meet certain "romance" standards to get it published, but.. if you're digging back through Saintcrow's writings because you're a fan of other things and want more- this isn't it. Only the last couple of chapters will feel like the familiar writing style you're looking for.

[Le carnet de Calli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Une lecture qui se lit rapidement. J’ai bien aimé même si j’ai trouvé que l’histoire se développait trop vite et que la fin est arrivée rapidement.

Sophie est une femme battue, elle a échappé à son ex grâce a son amie Lucy. Un soir, les 2 amies vont en boite de nuit et Lucy est tuée par un vampire.
Alors qu’elle assiste à la scène un loup-garou, se met en travers pour protéger Sophie.

De l’a s’en suit un enlèvement, une fuite, un feu d’appartement, se cacher pour échapper aux vampires et tenter de comprendre pourquoi ils en ont après Sophie.

En même temps, celle-ci découvre qu’elle a des pouvoir de shaman et ceux-ci se révèlent a elles au contact du clan de loup-garous.

Bien sûr, le beau Zach a un effet sur elle qu’elle tente de nier, mais qui deviens une évidence au fur et à mesure du roman.

J’ai passé un bon moment avec les loups-garous, j’aime bien ce genre de lecture.

[Britt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tough

If you’re going to be triggered by domestic violence, kidnapping (to save lives) and the idea of “mates” being formed without conscious decisions, don’t read this. It’s got a lot of grit to it. A lot of hard situations. And a survivor who is a heck of a lot stronger than she thinks she is.

[Reforming · Rating 2 out of 5]

Liked the Tribes, but otherwise rather lackluster.

[Amelia Jones]

3 stars

[Merry · Rating 4 out of 5]

The pace of the book keeps the reader's interest because there isn't really a significant lull.

[Leandri Boshoff · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good story line but expect a little bit more of this book

[Nicole Luiken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wolverine shifters and shamans! Vivid writing, sympathetic leads and strong pacing made this a quick read.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Setting: Jericho City, midsized urban city. A time of ‘Tribes’ (shifters), ubi (similar to vampires), and magic.

Theme: fear, conquering fear, safety, fitting in, need, love

Characters:
Carcajou – a tribe of shifter, kinda wolfy, but much more - Most lethal tribe to the Ubi (as compared to the other tribes). Mejir- spirits, that speak with the shaman.

Sophie – Shaman potential, triggered by her contact with the Family. She comes from a poor family, though she was lucky to marry a millionaire, until his true nature revealed itself, and he beat her for imperceptible transgressions. She finally got herself free & divorced, she is hiding & going to school to be a social worker. Her only friend, Lucy, helped her get out, and is continues to befriend her… she convinces her she needs to go out and have some fun… dressing her up, and taking her to a club for dancing.

Lucy – Sophie’s true friend. She is killed by an Ubi at the club.

Kyle: alpha of the Family, but not a great alpha. He fights the Ubi, and while protecting Julie is killed by the Ubi.

Julia / Brun / Eric: The rest of the Family – twins, siblings and cousin. They lost their father and mother (shaman) in a fire, started by Kyle who was playing with matches. They are young, inexperienced in controlling their alter egos, and shunned by the other tribes because they don’t have a shaman – who would keep them together. Julia spoiled and least in control, Brun submissive & cute & eager to please, Eric – cousin – the muscle and doer.

Zach – True alpha of what is left of the Family, but feels guilty about parent’s death and seeing but not confronting Kyle with the matches. He steps into the role of alpha with Kyle’s death (who else)… and is the first to recognize Sophie as a shaman potential…. And his mate. In the heat of the moment, he snags Sophie, forcing her to go with them in the van, wanting to protect her, and ultimately to keep her as they need her shaman abilities, not only to be safer in the world, to be able to settle in one place, for focus of the Family, but to be able to draw on the other Tribes for assistance. He tries so hard to ease her, but since he won’t let her go, she struggles with feeling powerless and kidnapped. He senses and reacts to her intense fear, grounded in the horrific way her husband had treated her.

Mark Harris – Sophie’s abusive, millionaire ex-husband cum Ubi. He volunteered to sacrifice her to the Ubi’s to absorb her power and to gain him entrance into the ‘club’. He and the local, head Ubi have placed a price on her head.

Summary:
The story introduces this shifter/vampire mythology… the various tribes (human/animal shifters -loosely based on animal groups, such as the Ursi, bears, or the Fellinis, cats) and Ubi – vampiric. For the tribes, a shaman is a necessary member to spread peace (especially to the animals sides), to serve as a focus for the Family, and to communicate with the spirits- for information & wisdom.

And this is mostly the story of Zach and Sophie – Sophie who is so fearful (and rightly so), who is trying so hard to overcome vast obstacles & she suddenly finds herself in a foreign culture (so to speak) struggling to not let her fear paralyze her, to understand this tribe, to understand the changes in her… she slowly comes to trust the safety she feels when with Zach.

And poor Zach – always second guessing himself; trying so hard to ease Sophie in, to explain things to her, to comfort her – both as the family Shaman and his mate – but not letting her have the freedom that she wants so badly. As her shamaness develops, and as she observes how he is, her fear changes.

They need to solve why the Ubi are after her (first at the nightclub, then at the hotel they are staying, then at her apartment)… and as her trust is growing, Zach is able to talk with other Tribes (who would not talk to the pre-shaman)… and learns that the Ubi are in control in this city, and that they have killed 2 shamans… and the have placed a price on Sophie’s head.

And when the Ubi capture her, imprisoning her in the wine cellar basement of her old home, with plans of some ceremonial death for her – she is confronted by her ex-husband again… and she handles him, no longer fearful of him, though he does hurt her and she anticipates dying. And she finally ‘embraces’ the Mejir, drawing them into herself, finally hearing their words. And Zach gives into his animal side, tracking her, and plowing through the Ubi to protect her – and when the rest of the Tribes show up, the Ubi are defeated… but Sophie is unconscious and Zach is a feral animal… he is chained, she is pushed into healing (with the help of the Mejir and other shamans)… and when barely conscious, and aware of Zach’s pain, she is brought down to him at her own insistence, and she calls him to her… ahhhh

[CherylB · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this shifter tale. These wolverine shifters are more ferocious making them the ideal species to fight the vampires. Sophie discovers her hidden talents. And Zach steps up to protect his family.

[Addiction_livre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un bon livre, simpa et rapide à lire.
C'est un livre qui m'a fait passer un bon temps.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was super excited to hear that Saintcrow was publishing a new book. I had no idea what to think when I heard it was a Harlequin. I love Saintcrow's books, but they're not really romance. Any relationships in her books tend to be... interesting.

This is my first Nocturne, and I was really impressed.

I liked the relationship between Sophie and Zach, and I liked that it didn't get very far in the book. That would have bugged me. There was a lot of action, and they both had lots to work through to get to a place where either of them could be in a healthy relationship. I have a problem with books with characters who are very damaged and get healed without effort. Magical Hoohaa indeed! It does everyone a disservice and is, in my opinion, sheer laziness.

Sophie has baggage and issues to work through. Zach needs to learn how to deal with things in general, and Sophie's things as well. This book probably wouldn't have worked without the back and forth between their POV. If we don't hear what Zach is thinking, he comes off as a scary psycho. If we don't hear what Sophie is thinking, we don't understand her reactions.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. I was definitely not impressed with this book. I never connected to the characters. I wasn't endeared to Zach and his family, and I found Sophie to be horribly whiny and insecure. I understand that she's had lots of issues, but it took over half the book until she got somewhat of a backbone.

To me the author explained the obvious over and over again. The things that needed in-depth explanation were neglected. It took me a while to figure out if we were dealing with vamps, shifters, or what. It was unclear. Also, there was no steaminess at all.

I confess, I read this book in one sitting on my Kindle. I just kept waiting for it to turn the corner and suck me in. That never happened.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here is another romance novel that is low on the romance and high on the paranormal action. Sophie has just come out of a very abusive marriage and is hiding from her ex-husband. She is persuaded by her best friend to go out to a bar one night when her friend is killed by a vampire and Sophie is kidnapped by a shape-shifter, who of course becomes her lover - well, not until after the book ends (we assume). There is a lot of violence and action so it makes it a fast read. The disappointment is in the romance because it's hard to see a woman, who has been in an abusive marriage, fall in love with her kidnapper who mistreats her at the beginning. Her kidnapper, Zach, seems only to be in love with her because of her smell! Oh, well, it was entertaining while reading it.

[Jedi Kitty · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was not a very memorable story. Lots of familiar elements, and less exciting than other Saintcrow books. I like/love a lot of things about Saintcrow's books, but sometimes her writing quirks and tropes go overboard and annoy me. Her characters tend to not communicate well, and she writes some very ambiguous yet angsty romances. I like the angst, but it needs to be balanced with true emotion that you can cheer for. It was hard to cheer for Zach or Sophie. Both have bigger worries than what the other one thinks of them, or how they feel about each other. Verrry weird for a Harlequin! I don't expect some subtle, equivocal romance where one of the partners might be "settling"- I want a happy ending and true love!

[Missy Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars, it's likely that I'll re-read this book someday.

Light on the romancy aspect. And for those looking to avoid the explicit sexoring this is a good choice. Which is why I'd recommend it as a bridge book for those whose are starting to age out or are becoming bored with YA.

Love the world building and the tough heroine. She's been through hell and has managed to pull herself out of it. Awesome. LOVE THIS.

Bonus, if you hate the sexy suave vampire - you'll like this world. Vicious ugly blood suckers here.

Dear Saintcrow/Nocture make me a happy reader and give me more from this world.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had this book on my shelf for a long time and was not sure if I should or should not read it ... in the end I read it because I love Lilith Saintcrow (although not all of her books ... but if she takes you in, you are caught)

for this book, I liked the main characters and I really liked the fact that they were not the super heros and they made mistakes
the love story was kind of light but always there ... actually I would have liked to see more of them together.

I know this is not meant as a series but maybe ... I would like it

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just couldn't relate to the characters at all and I found the story to be a bit choppy. I often found myself re-reading a sentence or paragraphs just to try to make sense of it. I love Lilith's Strange Angels series, so that is what prompted me to pick up this book, but I just did not enjoy it. I pushed myself to read this one, and it took me a ridiculous amount of time to finish it considering it's low page count.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

All I can say is take it for what it is worth--I have never really read a harlequin romance novel before but I love Saintcrow so I gave it a go. It was a super fast read--just a couple hours tops. Not really any sex even--so maybe I had a wrong impression of those types of books? I assumed it would be porn and it wasn't. Much the better for it. Perfect to read on a flight--from cover to cover--enjoyable, light.

[WillowBe · Rating 2 out of 5]

My biggest problem with this book was the lack of culmination of their relationship. With a harlequin, the action ends at the presumed HEA.I also wished there was more smexiness in the book, but again- Harlequin paranormal. The book reminded me a bit of Selene but without the intensely sensual and sexual love scens. *Sigh* I wish she'd finally do that book on Selen and Nikolai. They are my favorites!