Taken (Dark Legacy Trilogy Book 1)

WOW! Taken by Natasha Knight was disturbing and absolutely delicious--I floved this book! Taken is book one in the new Dark Legacy Duet had me reeling and on the edge of my seat and read to scream by the time the inevitable cliffhanger transpired. I love dark romance – gritty with lots of sex? Yep, sign me up! And that’s exactly what Taken was. The story was dark and twisted. I am not going to lie, the cover is why I picked up the book to start with, but the storyline was unique and had me incredibly intrigued. I loved Helena. Her defiance and unwillingness to bow to Sebastian—or the other key players in the story—made her easy to route for. I wanted to see her find her HEA even if that HEA was different than what most seek. And Sebastian? **deep sigh** he was a total a$$hole but then again, that’s my favorite type of hero. Readers catch glimpses of a softness to him that also stole my breath. I loved the dual POV and I can not WAIT to read the second book in this duet… as a matter of fact, I am starting it as soon as I finish this review! QUOTES: “Isn’t that what you do? Isn’t that the point? You take a Willow Girl, and you beat her and rape her, and you break her so that when you return her, she’s already dead even if you don’t kill her.” I’ve never made love before. I’ve never wanted to. I’ve never wanted to be that close to anyone. But right now, with her like this, vulnerable and breaking a little, fracturing before my eyes, I want to make love to her.

I found out about this book before it was released and was immediately intrigued by the storyline. This book is written in first person POV, with dual narration by the 2 MCs (Helena and Sebastian). I listened to the audiobook version of this book and I thought the narrators did a great job of bringing this book to life. I didn't really know what to expect from this book because the storyline was unlike anything I've read before. The author did a great job of developing the story and kept me guessing throughout the book. This book does end in a cliffhanger, but luckily the second book is already available, so you don't have to wait to find out what happens. This is a dark romance and the "relationship" between the MCs is not an easy one. I would recommend this to anyone who is a fan of dark romances and is looking for a book that is different from a lot of the other books in that genre.

One Willow daughter will be sacrificed to the Scafoni brothers. This legacy has been passed down to each generation. The Willow daughter of choice will barely survive and when returned, will be a shell of her former self. Can Helena Willow change her fate? The firstborn son, Sebastian has the first right of choice and whom he chooses will submit to him for a year, before he passes her over to the next brother in line. Sebastian chooses Helena, she is not flawless, and he sees the darkness and rebellion in her which piques his interest. Can Helena survive through this ordeal? She challenges the Scafoni family and in return is reprimanded and abused for her disobedience. Each generation of Willow woman has suffered and it looks like Helena will suffer the same fate or will she? Sebastian was a perplexed character who blew hot and cold. Helena was the woman who had a backbone until she learns to submit, but is she really submitting or just biding her time? The stepmother is the most despicable woman out, who thrives on inflicting pain on others. You will loathe this evil woman and her middle son. Gregory, the youngest brother, seems to watch and not say much, but you know beneath it all, something is lurking. This story seemed like something from the medieval times with the abuse that is inflicted on women, especially Willow women. At times I warmed up to Sebastian and then he did something that would put him back as the villain. The story evokes mixed feelings, the legacy is bizarre and the characters are mysterious and yet the story is so good. Be warned, this ends on a cliff-hanger. Reviewed for Hot books and Sassy Girls book blog

This book!! I seriously could not put it down. From the beginning I was pulled in and held captive till the very end. And the ending!!! What a way to leave us hanging. I am definitely on edge with anticipation while we wait for book 2. Helena is a strong spirited, stubborn, say what she thinks girl who is right to question everything that is happening. I could never imagine being in her situation and could never imagine her situation happening in this day and age. But that is the brilliance of this story! Helena doesn't realize how strong she really is and I think that's how many of us are. We endure what is handed to us, that which many would crumble under the same pressure, yet we push on and make of it what we can. Sebastian is sort of your typical alpha male. But then he is so much more. Takes what he wants. Domineering yet compassionate. He is so much wrapped into a beautiful package. Secrets and lies seem to tie these families together but as these are unraveled more questions are waiting. I seriously loved this book. Loved the story line. Loved the characters. And I can not wait to see what happens next!!

This book while a good read was also a disturbing one to me. It's very clear the mother of the sons who has the hate, takes the hate out on innocents and expects her sons to join in expressing her hate through actions.. The mother of these sons needed locked up.

I found myself on another emotional journey with this book by Ms Knight. This is storytelling at its finest by this author who continues to take my breath away.She is adept at both plot and character development which will captivate readers and hold your attention until the last page.This is more then just a story of revenge and romance between two families,this is about damaged people who have locked away their emotions without dealing with them.Helena was unclean,she took drastic actions to make sure she was not the chosen one.Sebastian Scafoni was drawn towards Helena despite her imperfections,she would pay for the sins of generations past.Helena vowed to be the one to break the antiquated tradition, even if it destroyed her by doing so.Despite his sadistic streak,Helena's body responds to Sebastian and his cruel treatments.Both Sebastian and Helena are fighting to break the past that binds them together.This book is dark and intense,it's about decisions made, paths taken,forgetting your past and forging a better future.Its visceral and gritty,a dictomy of sweet and sour,a hot as hell forage into an unconventional relationship.I am now impatiently waiting for the next book ,and I do mean impatiently !! I loved the lust that grew between Sebastian and Helena within a world that is bursting at the seams with chaos,conflict and destruction.The story has a great cast of secondary characters who add mystery and suspense. Bring on book two.

Very good start to this trilogy. I love that Helena is sassy and not afraid to speak up for herself and stand up to Sebastian. She does suffer some pretty bad punishments but she still stands up for herself. I have a love hate relationship with Sebastian . The ending was a very big shocker. I can’t wait to see how this ends and if Helena and Sebastian get their HEA. Taken gets two thumbs up from me.

A Willow girl will be sacrificed to a Scafoni man once again and all for what? Helena Willow is one of the quadruplet girls that is placed on blocks for what the call the Reaping. This is where the oldest Scafoni son gets to choose which of the four girls him and his brothers get to use for the next three years. It is an archaic tradition and Helena doesn't understand it and she can't figure out why her parents are even going along with it. There are certain ways things are supposed to be done and some of the Scafoni family members are not happy with Sebastian when he chooses Helena, especially since she has been deemed "unclean". Helena is truly alone and has no one to rely on and even though Sebastian says he is her only ally, she doesn't feel she can trust him and with the way he handles things he does show her he is trustworthy either. This is a great first book in the series and ends on a heart stopping cliffhanger. I'm dying to know what happens next in book two, Torn.

Look, I am in for a dark romance, but a lot of happens here is not consensual, and it makes me feel sick. She says no, and they (spoiler alert) don't stop. Wtf? How your body reacts to a situation doesn't change the fact you said no, more than once. The whole plot is a bit Whaaaat?

This is one of those 'legacy' type reads, where the hero and heroine are bound by centuries of family tradition and expectations. Where refusing isn't an option but cooperating isn't much better. These always take a little more suspension of disbelief but this story is definitely worth making that effort. Taken by Natasha Knight, is book #1 of the Dark Legacy Duet. I read it because it was picked as one of the Book of the Month reads over in the Dark Erotica group. Whilst it's the first of this author's books that I've read, it won't be my last - and not just because it's a duet and #1 ended on a huge cliff-hanger! I usually feel some trepidation when reading a dark book by a new-to-me author. I find I'm disappointed more often than I'm not with the level of darkness (or lack thereof). However that wasn't the case with Taken. It is definitely dark, it has scenes that tread the line between dubious and non-consent, it has unfair and cruel punishments. If you like sweet, light and fluffy this won't be for you. Helena and Sebastian are caught in the rules that have bound their families together for generations. Not only is there no love lost between the two families, but it appears that there is no love within the families either. This is a scorching hot, sordid tale of lust, power, money and greed. One that will keep you on the edge of your seat. I loved Helena, I loved that she never gave up and never gave in. Instead she gave as good as she got whenever she could. I loved the darkness of this, it's full of dubious and non-consent. It wallows both in its hideous beauty and its perverted depravity. It had me full of ire, anger and anxiety and the tension had me on the edge of my seat. It is extremely well written, though I never felt as though I really knew Sebastian, and I certainly didn't feel an emotional connection to him. I would have also liked to feel more fear from Helena and definitely more self-revulsion. I wanted her to be torn apart by her inability to resist the devil that was Sebastian. Come on, this guy has stolen her away for three years of her life. Taken away her freedom, consigned her to three years of sexual slavery and abuse. Yes she rages against this, yes she rubs his nose into that poop and reminds him of it frequently. I can even accept her body betraying her when it comes to Sebastian, but what I missed was her mind rounding on her afterwards. For me that's why I can't give it 5 stars, along with the fact that she felt much older than a pretty sheltered and naive 21 year old. This was not a book where you would feel like, nor want to, skim read or skip any parts. It takes you by the throat and doesn't let go until you're struggling for breathe, in the same way Sebastian does to Helena. It's full of sex, violence and dirty talk, it definitely is a NSFW 18+ read, for those that like their romance tainted and speckled with blood. OMG I can't wait for book 2.

I was so addicted to this book, finished it in a few hours. I love these types of books and story lines. Not your typical romance, which makes it absolutely addicting

As usual, Natasha Knight's writing is incredible. There isn't a book I've read yet from her that I've fumbled through the pages just to get to the end of the storyline. Her words weave together to make the most amazing, heart wrenching stories. I am so torn with how I feel about Sebastian. For the first time, in a long time, I really cannot put into words how I feel about him. Now Helena, so strong, one of the best heroines I've ever read. Ever. I was up into the early hours of the morning reading this one. Could not put it down and cannot wait for the second to come out. Amazing.

Die Geschichte ist etwas verstörend aber gleichzeitig sehr gut in der Story und mit dem Ende muss man dringend das nächste lesen