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Lost Town #1
Taken
A small town with a big problem.
Caesar, an undercover operative, enters Carmichael with the briefest of orders from his boss, and a countdown on his phone. What will happen when the clock strikes zero?
Deputy Amelia Miller’s dispatched from a nearby city, and a series of events keeps her around much longer than she’d expected.
In the middle of the night, something shifts, and the whole town disappears off the face of the Earth. Who caused the Shift, and what lies beyond the veil of their settlement? As the citizens grow braver, they begin to explore the mysterious borders while resisting the chaos within.
TAKEN, the thrilling entry into the epic LOST TOWN series is full of suspense, science fiction, and adventure. From the best-selling author of The Other Place, Lost Contact, and First Life comes a genre-bending saga.
Caesar, an undercover operative, enters Carmichael with the briefest of orders from his boss, and a countdown on his phone. What will happen when the clock strikes zero?
Deputy Amelia Miller’s dispatched from a nearby city, and a series of events keeps her around much longer than she’d expected.
In the middle of the night, something shifts, and the whole town disappears off the face of the Earth. Who caused the Shift, and what lies beyond the veil of their settlement? As the citizens grow braver, they begin to explore the mysterious borders while resisting the chaos within.
TAKEN, the thrilling entry into the epic LOST TOWN series is full of suspense, science fiction, and adventure. From the best-selling author of The Other Place, Lost Contact, and First Life comes a genre-bending saga.
411 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 22, 2024
861 people are currently reading
166 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
January 15, 2025
First off, who is this Bradford Hastings guy? Because he's FANTASTIC on the audio! Wow!
I wondered if this would be like an expanded Twilight Zone episode, where a town gets stolen and put somewhere else. It's similar, although It's a much deeper story. The small town in Indiana was familiar - I lived near those (in Indiana) for a long time. The characters in it were spot on for the setting. Maybe not quite as authentic with so much of a southern accent for some, but certainly there were rednecks. Indiana has its own accent, not southern, not northern.
It was a good mystery to figure out exactly what was going on and why. The aliens were formidable but rather stupid. I don't think the suspense ever arrived at palpable, but there were scenes when things caught on fire and those are always scary.
Overall it's a pretty good story. Hystad is dependable for this type of thing. I'm on to the next book.
I wondered if this would be like an expanded Twilight Zone episode, where a town gets stolen and put somewhere else. It's similar, although It's a much deeper story. The small town in Indiana was familiar - I lived near those (in Indiana) for a long time. The characters in it were spot on for the setting. Maybe not quite as authentic with so much of a southern accent for some, but certainly there were rednecks. Indiana has its own accent, not southern, not northern.
It was a good mystery to figure out exactly what was going on and why. The aliens were formidable but rather stupid. I don't think the suspense ever arrived at palpable, but there were scenes when things caught on fire and those are always scary.
Overall it's a pretty good story. Hystad is dependable for this type of thing. I'm on to the next book.
November 12, 2024
Scattered, Disjointed, Disappointing
Interesting premise, but the action and characters jump from place to place without warning, so the plot is very hard to follow. The author probably thinks it is all logical and well-sequenced, but what he’s thinking didn’t always make it into print. I’m sure there’s a sequel, but I win’t be reading it.
Interesting premise, but the action and characters jump from place to place without warning, so the plot is very hard to follow. The author probably thinks it is all logical and well-sequenced, but what he’s thinking didn’t always make it into print. I’m sure there’s a sequel, but I win’t be reading it.
February 22, 2025
kaleidoscope of cliché
If you spent half of your live watching movies, this is the nectar of life. Good book. Thanks. Well done.
If you spent half of your live watching movies, this is the nectar of life. Good book. Thanks. Well done.
January 1, 2025
Struggled a bit with this book as the story didn't really know what it wanted to be. Time travel? Military/Government Ops? Poor boy in a Podunk Town? It really rambled all over the place before finding its groove about 60% in. The 2 teenage girls, Summer and her friend who I want to call Clara but isn't Clara, are the stupidest girls you ever did see. They f* around and find out EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. All that being said, by the end I was kind of engrossed in the town shenanigans. I will be reading the next book because it's like a trainwreck in that you can't turn away. And I want the dude to be rescued.
Bonus: "Small Town" by John Mellencamp would NOT stop running through my head.
Bonus: "Small Town" by John Mellencamp would NOT stop running through my head.
September 10, 2025
Choppy and unresolved
The premise is interesting: A small town gets shifted into another planet or dimension. The townspeople trapped inside their borders with an alien world outside have to band together and fight against marauding beasts. A visiting operative from an obscure and private black op agency wants to figure out what’s happening.
The main problem with this book is there are so many underdeveloped characters involved that you spend an inordinate amount of brain power trying to remember who’s who. Other than a nominal introduction when they first appear on the scene, from then on you have to memorize each person’s place and their relationship in the narrative using only their name. With no distinguishing characteristics in speech patterns to differentiate one from the other, they all start sounding the same and come off as one dimensional, teenagers and adults alike. Not only does this make it easy to lose sight of who’s doing the talking, it breaks the power of the action, making everything feel choppier and more disjointed than a plot with lots of moving pieces needs to be.
The other problem with the story is the author leaves EVERYTHING unresolved at the end, even as he’s opening up new avenues for book two. Give us the satisfaction of being able to table something as resolved, or even semi-resolved, before opening up a whole new set of problems. It can be a relationship. A side story. Something. Anything. What you’re left with at the end is a mess, and I’m not invested enough in the characters to wonder how it all turns out.
That’s a shame because the premise has all the promise in the world. It’s right down my alley.
I recommend this book if you do NOT care about well developed characters and you DO want to read a sci-fi action story that goes on for a long time. Think of this as a 1,000 piece puzzle with tiny fuzzy colored pieces for you to put together.
I do NOT recommend this book if you like well developed characters with beautifully flawed motivations and well written action scenes that give you enough descriptions to anchor you into the story line and make you keep turning the pages well into the night. If so, this one will disappoint.
The premise is interesting: A small town gets shifted into another planet or dimension. The townspeople trapped inside their borders with an alien world outside have to band together and fight against marauding beasts. A visiting operative from an obscure and private black op agency wants to figure out what’s happening.
The main problem with this book is there are so many underdeveloped characters involved that you spend an inordinate amount of brain power trying to remember who’s who. Other than a nominal introduction when they first appear on the scene, from then on you have to memorize each person’s place and their relationship in the narrative using only their name. With no distinguishing characteristics in speech patterns to differentiate one from the other, they all start sounding the same and come off as one dimensional, teenagers and adults alike. Not only does this make it easy to lose sight of who’s doing the talking, it breaks the power of the action, making everything feel choppier and more disjointed than a plot with lots of moving pieces needs to be.
The other problem with the story is the author leaves EVERYTHING unresolved at the end, even as he’s opening up new avenues for book two. Give us the satisfaction of being able to table something as resolved, or even semi-resolved, before opening up a whole new set of problems. It can be a relationship. A side story. Something. Anything. What you’re left with at the end is a mess, and I’m not invested enough in the characters to wonder how it all turns out.
That’s a shame because the premise has all the promise in the world. It’s right down my alley.
I recommend this book if you do NOT care about well developed characters and you DO want to read a sci-fi action story that goes on for a long time. Think of this as a 1,000 piece puzzle with tiny fuzzy colored pieces for you to put together.
I do NOT recommend this book if you like well developed characters with beautifully flawed motivations and well written action scenes that give you enough descriptions to anchor you into the story line and make you keep turning the pages well into the night. If so, this one will disappoint.
November 2, 2025
DNF at 50%
The story takes place in a sleepy small rural village in the sticks somewhere in Indiana which is made invisible for some nefarious reason. It is amazing how much is supposedly going on in this 250 souls village.
The author uses a plethora of POV's . I counted 8 during my read (Logan the rebellious explorer, Caesar the fixer, John a local guy, Amelia Miller the police deputy woman, Carlie a local teenage girl, Gerry the trucker, Harrison , the founder) to tell the story. Luckily, i found it ratther well done and not annoying. The used characare mostly relatable and likeable (except for John in one scene).
I rather enjoyed the first third of the book as the story was well written and the plot at least mildly interesting. Sadly, after that the story turns into a drag that i didn't enjoy. When the story changed from mystery to war i knew it was time for me to stop reading..
Criticism and comments
John acted like an utter jerk towards Katie! Luckily, he understood that later on.
Why would R kill the couple? There should be plenty of empty places around for their secret trade..
The story takes place in a sleepy small rural village in the sticks somewhere in Indiana which is made invisible for some nefarious reason. It is amazing how much is supposedly going on in this 250 souls village.
The author uses a plethora of POV's . I counted 8 during my read (Logan the rebellious explorer, Caesar the fixer, John a local guy, Amelia Miller the police deputy woman, Carlie a local teenage girl, Gerry the trucker, Harrison , the founder) to tell the story. Luckily, i found it ratther well done and not annoying. The used characare mostly relatable and likeable (except for John in one scene).
I rather enjoyed the first third of the book as the story was well written and the plot at least mildly interesting. Sadly, after that the story turns into a drag that i didn't enjoy. When the story changed from mystery to war i knew it was time for me to stop reading..
Criticism and comments
John acted like an utter jerk towards Katie! Luckily, he understood that later on.
Why would R kill the couple? There should be plenty of empty places around for their secret trade..
October 22, 2024
Caesar is an undercover Op sent on a new mission to Carmichael, IN, wherever that is. Doesn’t even show up on his GPS, just st lots of cornfields as far as the eye can see. No information is given except a series of numbers on his phone and they’re counting down. Not knowing why or who he’s supposed to meet or why he is even there, he soon realizes Carmichael is a town you want to escape from, not go to.
Deputy Amelia Miller is assigned to patrol the town and stumbles into what looks to be a drug deal going bad fast. But is that what it is? Anders has a family and lives in the town but he’s very strict with his children and keeps them close. And then the howlers show up. No, it’s not the local motorcycle gang, but something far deadlier. And where did all those bizarre trees come from? Just what the heck is going on?
You’ll have to read it to find out, cuz I’m not telling! This is a book that will keep you guessing as to motive, and who the players really are.
Nathan Hystad just keeps getting better and more creative with every book he writes.
Deputy Amelia Miller is assigned to patrol the town and stumbles into what looks to be a drug deal going bad fast. But is that what it is? Anders has a family and lives in the town but he’s very strict with his children and keeps them close. And then the howlers show up. No, it’s not the local motorcycle gang, but something far deadlier. And where did all those bizarre trees come from? Just what the heck is going on?
You’ll have to read it to find out, cuz I’m not telling! This is a book that will keep you guessing as to motive, and who the players really are.
Nathan Hystad just keeps getting better and more creative with every book he writes.
April 6, 2025
A New Twist On The Apocalypse
Being a member of Kindle unlimited for so many years, I have gotten used to most of the books being fairly mediocre. In my whole lifetime I seldom refused to finish a book, but now that is quite commonplace. It’s the role of the dice in Indy publishing. That’s why it is so refreshing to come across a novel that is not only well written and well edited, but has a superb plot with great character development. One really cares about the characters in this story and there are many of them. However, the author is able to skillfully create a personality for each of them and a reader feels a part of the town and the beleaguered citizenry. I can’t say enough good about this book. It is exciting, it is pulse pounding, it is surprising, And you will not guess the ending. I am so glad I got the privilege to read it, and I look forward to reading the additional installments in this great tale of survival and human ability to not only seek survival, but to seek the betterment of mankind. I am taken with TAKEN, and you will be too. Read it now.
Being a member of Kindle unlimited for so many years, I have gotten used to most of the books being fairly mediocre. In my whole lifetime I seldom refused to finish a book, but now that is quite commonplace. It’s the role of the dice in Indy publishing. That’s why it is so refreshing to come across a novel that is not only well written and well edited, but has a superb plot with great character development. One really cares about the characters in this story and there are many of them. However, the author is able to skillfully create a personality for each of them and a reader feels a part of the town and the beleaguered citizenry. I can’t say enough good about this book. It is exciting, it is pulse pounding, it is surprising, And you will not guess the ending. I am so glad I got the privilege to read it, and I look forward to reading the additional installments in this great tale of survival and human ability to not only seek survival, but to seek the betterment of mankind. I am taken with TAKEN, and you will be too. Read it now.
October 23, 2024
Quite a different premise: physically lifting a small Indiana town in the middle of nowhere, dropping it into a totally different environment, surrounded by a forest with hoards of blood-thirsty creatures that prowl at night! This story starts a bit slow as it introduces the main characters and switches points of view among various townspeople, establishing several intriguing character arcs. Once I grasped the names and relationships, the pace moved into high gear and kept me engrossed with one unexpected situation after another. Mr. Hystad is an excellent student of human behavior, delving deeply into the many interactions in this twisting, turning tale. I’m eager to see how this series evolves!!
May 20, 2025
I have read sci-fi books before, but this was totally different than what I have experienced so far. The premise was terribly intriguing, but it was also unpredictable. Overall alliances were changing and surprising, it's the first in a series of three, and it wasn't until the end that it was even imaginable what the others could cover, but the end left many opportunities for actually finishing the overall story.
The characters were well presented, and changes in individual personalities were relevant to the situations and understandable. But there was a LOT of death, but it was totally consistent with the story and helped illustrate the direness of the situation and serves as an impetus to continue the series.
The characters were well presented, and changes in individual personalities were relevant to the situations and understandable. But there was a LOT of death, but it was totally consistent with the story and helped illustrate the direness of the situation and serves as an impetus to continue the series.
Read
October 24, 2024Gotta love small towns where nothing happens.. then there is Carmichael where its citizens and some others end up when things go weird and sideways. It starts out slowly so get a feel for the town and its citizens as Caesar gets to town right before things go sideways and really feel the tension and unknown that is happening as everyone tries to figure out what is going on along with me. Drama, intrigue, good story, mystery and unknown feel and a suspense of what is going on. I loved it all and was vested in watching it all play out. Just a good entertaining suspenseful tale. And with this author just know its building to something wonderful as the story goes.
October 31, 2024
What a joy to read. Nathan Hystad's writing just keeps getting better and better with every book he writes. Caesar is given orders to go to Carmichael, but nothing to say why he's going there. And his phone is on a countdown for some reason. Once there, he meets all kinds of people, both young and old, who are forced to band together when the roads out of town are all severed, the view across the chasm is different than they are used to and somehow, the creatures who live over there, come across to eat their new neighbours. Nathan brings this story along in a wonderful way that leaves one wanting more. I can't wait for Book Two. This is going to be a great series.
October 25, 2025
Small towns are not really renowned for all kinds of scientific discoveries or whatever. Nor for disappearing as is into nowhere.
The town called Carmichael did.
That is to say, just after Caesar, an undercover agent, got ordered to go there and then get that surprise of a lifetime.
As did the town's 2500 plus citizens.
To nowhere? Actually to a strange overgrown planet in some other realm with all the buildings, streets and property.
This is where things started going haywire even more.
This scenario certainly makes for some fascinating reading as the plot develops into all kinds of surprising events.
Enjoy
The town called Carmichael did.
That is to say, just after Caesar, an undercover agent, got ordered to go there and then get that surprise of a lifetime.
As did the town's 2500 plus citizens.
To nowhere? Actually to a strange overgrown planet in some other realm with all the buildings, streets and property.
This is where things started going haywire even more.
This scenario certainly makes for some fascinating reading as the plot develops into all kinds of surprising events.
Enjoy
October 22, 2024
Nowhere Indiana
Agent Caesar is sent to Carmichael, IN, a town that has nothing with no info. There he stumbles upon an arms deal, rescues two teenage girls and runs into his wife’s old partner that was with her the day she died. He still has no idea what he’s doing in Carmichael but befriends a police officer, Amelia and they begin investigation that leads them to a forest. A forest surrounding the entire town that wasn’t there the day before and is filled with bloodthirsty animals. How has an entire town been moved to another plane of reality?
Agent Caesar is sent to Carmichael, IN, a town that has nothing with no info. There he stumbles upon an arms deal, rescues two teenage girls and runs into his wife’s old partner that was with her the day she died. He still has no idea what he’s doing in Carmichael but befriends a police officer, Amelia and they begin investigation that leads them to a forest. A forest surrounding the entire town that wasn’t there the day before and is filled with bloodthirsty animals. How has an entire town been moved to another plane of reality?
November 29, 2024
Fast read!
While I hardly take the time to leave a review (most time I do tho!)
I'm most pleased with every single chapter that MY NEW FAVORITE AUTHOR wrote! So
many twists and turns, but in a good way!
I mean, come on they even had the whole town participate! A lot of amazing characters that you start to feel deep connections with! Please, if you're in the mood for a fast moving story, I dare ya to start reading it, k?
Now, I'm going to start on second book, and I'm sure will be just as good as the first one!!!
While I hardly take the time to leave a review (most time I do tho!)
I'm most pleased with every single chapter that MY NEW FAVORITE AUTHOR wrote! So
many twists and turns, but in a good way!
I mean, come on they even had the whole town participate! A lot of amazing characters that you start to feel deep connections with! Please, if you're in the mood for a fast moving story, I dare ya to start reading it, k?
Now, I'm going to start on second book, and I'm sure will be just as good as the first one!!!
December 28, 2024
Taken, Book 1 in the Lost Town saga, is told from multiple points of view. We meet Caesar, who is an undercover operative for a clandestine organisation working outside of the Government purview, but using Government credentials. He has been given orders to head to the sleepy little country town of Carmichael in Indiana, and investigate. The only other piece of information he has been provided with, is a countdown. He doesn’t exactly know what he is meant to be investigating.
There is also Deputy Amelia Miller, who has been sent over from the nearby city of Jackson to investigate a disturbance, and follow up on a couple of complaints. This is the last place she really wants to be, and she is looking forward to ending her shift and going home to her place, and sinking into a bath.
John is a local resident of Carmichael, he has lived there all his life. He is with his new girlfriend Katie, hoping that he might get to hook up with her tonight. His friend Darcy is holding a party at his house. Darcy is a bit of a loser who drinks too much. John lives with his younger sister Haley, he has raised her since their parents were both killed in a car accident a few years earlier.
Dot runs the local diner. She is a staple of Carmichael, everyone knows her, the story of how she lost her only son Logan one day, when he went out rock climbing, and never came back. Logan was a genius and had his own company.
There are several other minor characters as well, the two young girls Carly and Summer, Kong who owns the local dive bar, or the woman who owns the florist.
All of these people are going about their lives when, suddenly, in the middle of the night, the whole town of Carmichael just disappears off the face of the Earth. It reappears in a new location, surrounded by a strange forest, and with stranger sounds. The roads leading out of the town just end in trees, much to a couple of resident’s bad luck.
As they start to try and work out what has happened, the things in the woods come to work out what has been dropped in their midst.
This is a captivating thrill ride as we follow the various residents of Carmichael, each of them trying to work out what has happened to them, where they are, and why? The story is told from multiple different viewpoints, so we get to learn about numerous different residents of the town, their different backstories and they all relate to each other. Carmichael is a really interesting town, and we soon learn, that not everyone is who they seem to be.
Added to this is that the town has been transported to a new location and there are things at the perimeter of the town that have come to investigate this new incursion into their area, and they aren’t happy about it.
The world building and descriptive work is brilliant, from the imagery of the town of Carmichael, to the beautiful area that the town is surrounded by, to the strange new area (and creatures), that the town finds itself surrounded by. You find yourself totally immersed in the story, from the characters to the sleepy main street.
This is a combination of Sci-Fi, Thriller, Mystery with a dash of Horror, but it is a book that once you pick up, you can’t put down.
There is also Deputy Amelia Miller, who has been sent over from the nearby city of Jackson to investigate a disturbance, and follow up on a couple of complaints. This is the last place she really wants to be, and she is looking forward to ending her shift and going home to her place, and sinking into a bath.
John is a local resident of Carmichael, he has lived there all his life. He is with his new girlfriend Katie, hoping that he might get to hook up with her tonight. His friend Darcy is holding a party at his house. Darcy is a bit of a loser who drinks too much. John lives with his younger sister Haley, he has raised her since their parents were both killed in a car accident a few years earlier.
Dot runs the local diner. She is a staple of Carmichael, everyone knows her, the story of how she lost her only son Logan one day, when he went out rock climbing, and never came back. Logan was a genius and had his own company.
There are several other minor characters as well, the two young girls Carly and Summer, Kong who owns the local dive bar, or the woman who owns the florist.
All of these people are going about their lives when, suddenly, in the middle of the night, the whole town of Carmichael just disappears off the face of the Earth. It reappears in a new location, surrounded by a strange forest, and with stranger sounds. The roads leading out of the town just end in trees, much to a couple of resident’s bad luck.
As they start to try and work out what has happened, the things in the woods come to work out what has been dropped in their midst.
This is a captivating thrill ride as we follow the various residents of Carmichael, each of them trying to work out what has happened to them, where they are, and why? The story is told from multiple different viewpoints, so we get to learn about numerous different residents of the town, their different backstories and they all relate to each other. Carmichael is a really interesting town, and we soon learn, that not everyone is who they seem to be.
Added to this is that the town has been transported to a new location and there are things at the perimeter of the town that have come to investigate this new incursion into their area, and they aren’t happy about it.
The world building and descriptive work is brilliant, from the imagery of the town of Carmichael, to the beautiful area that the town is surrounded by, to the strange new area (and creatures), that the town finds itself surrounded by. You find yourself totally immersed in the story, from the characters to the sleepy main street.
This is a combination of Sci-Fi, Thriller, Mystery with a dash of Horror, but it is a book that once you pick up, you can’t put down.
June 16, 2025
This story was hard to follow, with many characters and conflated arcs. The overall story was underwhelming, in my opinion. For example, why did the town even shift? Why did it shift to that planet? Why were the aliens just herds of semi-intelligent animals? How did this town-shifting tech become a thing? How did the conspirators get the town to disappear from the internet on earth? So much extra fluff and not enough substance for my liking.
The characters were a dizzying deluge of random personalities, most of which were irrelevant and boring.
The characters were a dizzying deluge of random personalities, most of which were irrelevant and boring.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 14, 2025
Interesting, kept my attention but...
Is an interesting concept an story and it did keep my attention thru to the end, but the jury's still out I think. I want to like it and we'll see what the next one does, but at times I found myself wishing it would get to the end faster so I could move on to something else.
Kinda light on the technology and explanations so far and wherever they are just happens to be just like earth in all the important ways - kinda like an old Star Trek planet.
Is an interesting concept an story and it did keep my attention thru to the end, but the jury's still out I think. I want to like it and we'll see what the next one does, but at times I found myself wishing it would get to the end faster so I could move on to something else.
Kinda light on the technology and explanations so far and wherever they are just happens to be just like earth in all the important ways - kinda like an old Star Trek planet.
October 9, 2024
A stunning and unique new story
Mr Hystad has brilliantly crafted a new unique story. The setting is a small town. The characters are well developed with depth. Their interactions and relationships are very typical of a small isolated community. Impressively written before the mysterious touch of science fiction enters the picture. Not going to spoil it but will add it has a unique and brilliant twist of an ending. Did NOT see that coming!
Mr Hystad has brilliantly crafted a new unique story. The setting is a small town. The characters are well developed with depth. Their interactions and relationships are very typical of a small isolated community. Impressively written before the mysterious touch of science fiction enters the picture. Not going to spoil it but will add it has a unique and brilliant twist of an ending. Did NOT see that coming!
November 2, 2024
Highly recommended
There's a lot going on, and quite a few characters. But the author has done a good job of making each one memorable.
The concept of the shift is original.
Lots of action and even the down moments are filled with personal interactions that are so well written that it just draws you further into the story.
Be warned that this is a series, and of course, it ends on not just one but a number of cliffhangers. I'm hooked and ready to read book #2.
There's a lot going on, and quite a few characters. But the author has done a good job of making each one memorable.
The concept of the shift is original.
Lots of action and even the down moments are filled with personal interactions that are so well written that it just draws you further into the story.
Be warned that this is a series, and of course, it ends on not just one but a number of cliffhangers. I'm hooked and ready to read book #2.
December 18, 2024
Epic story for a science fiction
Really enjoyed getting together learn about Caesar and Andrés and how their paths collided when the town they were in was shifted to another plane or planet. Also will the citizens of Carmichael survive when they’ve already lost so many from creatures inhabiting this strange land? Excited to start the next book 📕
Really enjoyed getting together learn about Caesar and Andrés and how their paths collided when the town they were in was shifted to another plane or planet. Also will the citizens of Carmichael survive when they’ve already lost so many from creatures inhabiting this strange land? Excited to start the next book 📕
December 29, 2024
Taken Review
I paid for this book and have not been compensated for this review.
Taken is a sci-fi/thriller/mystery novel that is fast-paced, with lots of twist and turns. There were a lot of characters introduced, but Hystad built out the main characters and gave just enough info about peripheral characters. This book was right up my alley and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I paid for this book and have not been compensated for this review.
Taken is a sci-fi/thriller/mystery novel that is fast-paced, with lots of twist and turns. There were a lot of characters introduced, but Hystad built out the main characters and gave just enough info about peripheral characters. This book was right up my alley and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
January 29, 2025
Wow.
Great cast of characters, plot twists, thrilling adventure and brutal action. First a small farming community in Indiana has its location and any internet references scrubbed by a shadow agency and then the town actually disappears. The folks in town have to figure what’s up and try to survive wondering where the heck they are. Looking forward to book 2 !
Great cast of characters, plot twists, thrilling adventure and brutal action. First a small farming community in Indiana has its location and any internet references scrubbed by a shadow agency and then the town actually disappears. The folks in town have to figure what’s up and try to survive wondering where the heck they are. Looking forward to book 2 !
June 5, 2025
With a vivid setting and personalities so full of character you feel you could reach out and touch them, it’s all the more disappointing that Nathan Hystad’s "Taken: Lost Town" stumbles with its most important question - where did this lost town go? - though the charming and often compelling interactions among the colourful residents of Carmichael will still make it worth the ride for many.
October 22, 2024
This a fantastic science fiction adventure that keeps you guessing from the start.
It's really hard to put down.
Looking forward to the next edition as the story takes quite a shift at the end of this first book..
Highly recommended.....
It's really hard to put down.
Looking forward to the next edition as the story takes quite a shift at the end of this first book..
Highly recommended.....
July 8, 2025
Very nearly a 4*
Different enough to hold my attention although a lot of the characters and their motives were 'stock issue' found in many EOTWAWKI stories.
I am certainly intrigued enough to read the subsequent novels to find out who/what/why/where/when.
3.75
Different enough to hold my attention although a lot of the characters and their motives were 'stock issue' found in many EOTWAWKI stories.
I am certainly intrigued enough to read the subsequent novels to find out who/what/why/where/when.
3.75
August 30, 2025
A very slow first half ... a few low-key events, nothing to get excited about. Then, the action starts ... very unconvincing action ...
If there is a major arms stash that the 'hero' moved before things got bad ... Why didn't he just go fetch?
If there is a major arms stash that the 'hero' moved before things got bad ... Why didn't he just go fetch?
August 30, 2025
needs a cast list
There are so many people to keep up with. It needs an index of characters with a brief description to lessen confusion. Trying to readjust with every switch of viewpoint is trying.
There are so many people to keep up with. It needs an index of characters with a brief description to lessen confusion. Trying to readjust with every switch of viewpoint is trying.
September 24, 2025
It's a whole new world
What would you do? If 1 minute you were in your sleepy little town and the next minute your town was surrounded by an alien world who did this, how did this happen? Who were the 3 newcomers that are in town? This book is actually a ten
What would you do? If 1 minute you were in your sleepy little town and the next minute your town was surrounded by an alien world who did this, how did this happen? Who were the 3 newcomers that are in town? This book is actually a ten
October 28, 2024
A great yarn destroyed by a lack of editorial polish
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