The Taking

A Novel

By: Dean Koontz

Narrated by: Ari Meyers

In one of the most dazzling books of his celebrated career, Dean Koontz delivers a masterwork of suspense that surpasses even his own inimitable reputation as a chronicler of our worst fears - and best dreams. In The Taking, he tells the story of a community cut off from a world under siege and the terrifying battle for survival waged by a young couple and their neighbors as familiar streets become fog-shrouded death traps. Gripping, heartbreaking, and triumphant in the face of mankind’s darkest hour, here is a small-town slice-of-doomsday thriller that strikes to the core of each of us to ask: What would you do in the midst of the Taking?

On the morning that will mark the end of the world they have known, Molly and Neil Sloan awaken to the drumbeat of rain on their roof. It has haunted their sleep, invaded their dreams, and now they rise to find a luminous silvery downpour drenching their small California mountain town. A strange scent hangs faintly in the air, and the young couple cannot shake the sense of something wrong.

As hours pass and the rain continues to fall, Molly and Neil listen to disturbing news of extreme weather phenomena across the globe. Before evening, their little town loses television and radio reception. Then telephone and the Internet are gone. With the ceaseless rain now comes an obscuring fog that transforms the once-friendly village into a ghostly labyrinth. By nightfall the Sloans have gathered with some of their neighbors to deal with community damage...but also because they feel the need to band together against some unknown threat, some enemy they cannot identify or even imagine.

In the night, strange noises arise, and at a distance, in the rain and the mist, mysterious lights are seen drifting among the trees. The rain diminishes with the dawn, but a moody gray-purple twilight prevails. Soon Molly, Neil, and their small band of friends will be forced to draw on reserves of strength, courage, and humanity they never knew they had. For within the misty gloom they will encounter something that reveals in a terrifying instant what is happening to their world - something that is hunting them with ruthless efficiency.

Epic in scope, searingly intimate, and immediate in perspective, The Taking is an adventure story like no other, a relentless roller-coaster that brings apocalypse to Main Street and showcases the talents of one of our most original and mesmerizing novelists at the pinnacle of his powers.

©2004 Dean Koontz (P)2004 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.

sci fi for Koontz fans

It takes a Dean Koontz to put across this oozy tale of apocalypse by alien invasion - or is it? Certainly many die, but maybe they deserve it, and maybe there's somebody making the decisions whom we'll come to respect and thank. But, unlike a Koontz murder thriller, there is no way to to be sure of one's hypothesis.

Great at story, mediocre reading

You'll get used to the narrators voice after a view chapters, but not her mens voices.

BEST DEAN KOONTZ!

Loved this book could not stop listening!!! Definitely one of my top five of all time!

Interesting Mix

I have a hard time with some of Dean Koontz' work because it hurts my heart. However he is a great bard and tells stories that speak of things felt but not seen, said but not heard. This book is an interesting mix of sadness, --- and hope.

Worth the effort.

When I read the reviews I was hesitant to invest in this book. I decided to go ahead and take a chance. I am able to settle in to ANY narrator. I found that some of the complaints in reviews were true. The narrator did have a monotone 'ish voice. Some of the male voices were gravelly. What I found amazing is that the various childrens and creature voices were so well done I didn't cringe listening to them. As for the storyline, I listened to the end and realized that I had missed something in this amazing book. So, I listened to it all over again. This book was worth my time and money.

Knoontz Did It Again!

Action packed from the very beginning to the end. The end was a little weird though. Narrator was great. 4 1/2 🌟

I loved it!

This book was one of the best alien invasion stories I have ever read! Brilliant.

Great story, wrong narrator.

I first read this book years ago, and remembered it being really good, so I had to get the audiobook. As far as the story goes, it was just as creepy and unsettling as I remember, in a good way of course. The entire first part of the book is so surreal and expertly sets the tone of the story by slowly and relentlessly building a sense of unease and otherworldliness. There are strong elements of religion and faith throughout the story, and the semi twist at the end is easy to predict earlier on, and make make some people groan.

As for the performance, i didn’t like it. Nothing against Ari Meyers, her voice is inoffensive when narrating, and her voices for the children and Molly are quite good, but it just wasn’t a good fit. Her voice for male characters is annoying and they all sound the same, but the big thing for me was really just the straightforward, matter of fact way she narrates. There is so much imagery in this book, almost like the night is cast in an ethereal glow, and the narration should reflect that. Someone with a softer, dreamlike quality to their reading would have worked much better. Just my opinion. I was still able to listen to it and enjoy it anyway.

good book iffy narrator

let me say this first. the book/story is great. i enjoyed it immensely. however the narrator was not as good, her voice dosent mesh well with the material, but when she does the voices shes very good. but just reading the story itself is lacking some of the passion im used to when listening to dean koontz books.

Wonderful, and often scary, read

I really enjoyed listening to this book. I had reservations because people made comments about the narrator, but her voice fit the storyline. Her tone matched the novel. It was frightening, it was disheartening, but also had the underlining ribbon of hope. There were times I had to cut it off when it was too late at night because I became afraid, but found myself still listening because I needed to know what would happen.