Dean Koontz’s The Taking is a story of the end of the world. But, not as you might imagine, the end of the world in fire and glory and asteroid collisions, or aliens, or anything fantastic or scientific. Rather, Koontz’s novel is all about the end of the conservative Christian world.

In The Taking, a perfect, intelligent, and loving couple is surrounded by an “alien” infestation, a long silver rain that blankets the globe in inhuman seed that spawns fungus, plants that are half animal, and demon-creatures who steal souls and replace them with shells. For Molly and Neil Sloan, the couple, their goal is to survive, have faith in their own ability, and help those around them who need to be saved from the menace–namely the children, an inept metaphor for the future generation.

In the book, Molly, Neil, and the world are presented with a demonic war-chant as the taker-of-souls strips mankind:

Yimaman see noygel, see refacull, see nod a bah, see naytoss, retee fo sellos.

All this turns out to be is:

My name is legion, is Lucifer, is Abbadon, is Satan, eater of souls.

So, if you can stand a tense thriller that ultimately is just too weird, too moralistic, and too straightforward, it’s a fast decently exciting read, but well below the level we would call “masterwork.

My Rating--- 2.5/5