mystery

I've read everything written by Dean Koontz, some I liked better than others, of course, but "The Taking" is just beyond my pitiful ability to describe! It's the classic tale of good vs. evil, the end of the World as we know it - yet Mr. Koontz handles that age old story in such a fresh, new, and totally exciting way. This is the first book in a long, long time that I was hardly able to put down - it made me late to work and kept me up past my bedtime, yet as fast as I read it I was sad when it ended. Unlike so many authors who crank out a book or two a year - and it's not hard to come up with a couple of names really quick - Mr. Koontz' use of metaphor is so refreshingly unique, his descriptions so singularly graphic that you almost forget it's fiction! From the first line of the first page to the last sentence it's like skipping the first uphill climb of a roller coaster and jumping right into that breath-taking plunge - and it doesn't stop. A terrific read and one I can unequivocally recommend - five stars are not enough.

I have never read a Koontz book before, and know very little about him other than his name. I picked up this book because it promised a spooky read. The opening was very good (though other reviewers have alleged that it is a "rip-off" of an SK novel - I've never read the novel in question, so I don't know). I settled in to be engrossed and entertained. HOWEVER, as I moved farther into the book, I began to realize that the plot was moving towards a preachy, insipid, eye-roll-inducing conclusion. Ugh! I will never pick up another Koontz book. What a waste of time. (PS I completely agree with the other reviewer that mentioned the deeply weird "global warming" rant that happens in the beginning of the book - that little scene serves as a warning for the Far Right nonsense still to come.)

As I read Left Behind and some of the books in that series that followed, I realized how badly the writing and their understanding of certain biblical principals is. Being an avid Koontz fan I was very happy to see him address similar subject matter with his brilliant writing style. His descriptions for despair and evil's hold on this world were only equaled by the elaborate façade of an alien invasion. It's a wonderful work of fiction, well written, and with a spiritual message of hope.

Its always a pleasure to see these different directions that Koontz takes such as with Dark Rivers. Bravo!