Taken is a dark love story set in the 1500's of Hungary. It's one that begins with terror and cruelty. Mikhal the Merciless is pure evil, a dark anti-hero who will fill you with loathing long before he catches your heart. The road to love for Alliana and Mikhal is a rocky one; and any roses that bloom, also pierce with thorns. You may well be wishing for Mikhal's demise before you cheer them on to love, but you will cheer them on to love. Stolen from her family and very way of life, a young Gypsy girl finds herself trapped among evil. She is to be kept and bred by the dark lord who has taken her from all she knew and thrust her into his world of terror. Mikhal is the known and feared Mikhal the Merciless, a rich and heartless Lord, who has a taste for blood and cruelty. Many suspect his true origins. Alliana is a poor Gypsy girl, but her family has much magic. It is rumored that Alliana will bring those around her great wealth and power when she comes of age. She is their treasured golden child. When Mikhal happens upon her one night on his land, he decides he must have her for his own. With the magical help of Marishka, his sister, he plans to create a son with the wild Gypsy, one who will help him rule the earth as he lives out his life of eternity. Will Alliana's innocence shatter the fierceness of Mikhal's heart and drive the cruelty from him, or will he cast her aside once she gives him what he seeks?