The Calling

Book two of the series picks up right where book one ended. Maya Daniel and the others must find someone to help them. They are start to have more changes in their powers and it is scary and they do not know who they can trust. Everyone seems to have lied to them and they are on the run throughout the book. Maya brother is introduced ( )

While I wouldn't necessarily rank Kelley Armstrong as one of my favorite authors, she is one author whose books I do always look forward to reading. They're just so much fun from beginning to end, with action and romance and humor. They're like Cheez-Its or potato chips, super tasty snack food that you just have to have and cannot get enough of. The Calling has pretty much convinced me that I like the Darkness Rising series even better than the Darkest Powers trilogy which preceded it, due to the awesome characters and constant action.

It's been about two years since I read The Gathering, so I was really afraid I would remember enough to be parse what was going on, but Armstrong does a nice job refreshing everything, so, while there are some things I don't remember, I've got what I need to know. So, if it's been some time since you read book one, no worries!

The Calling starts with a bang, as the book picks up where The Gathering left off, with the kids (Maya, Daniel, Rafe, Sam, Nicole, Hayley, and Corey) having just been rescued from a forest fire along with the mayor. Things quickly go from bad to worse, as the mayor collapses and suspicion turns to the helicopter pilot who's rescuing them and flying them in the wrong direction. They manage to subdue the helicopter pilot, but that, unfortunately, means no one's flying the helicopter, though they do have enough skill between them to not totally crash it. Until the helicopter pilot wakes up and does it for them. That opening scene is insanely action-packed. Can you say hooked?

Anyway, they mostly survive, but now they have to Hatchet their way through the wilderness while trying to avoid the supposed rescuers out to capture them and do who knows what to them. Meanwhile, they're dealing with the reality of the fact that they all appear to have paranormal powers of some sort and wondering whether they can all really trust each other. I won't go into any details on that stuff, because you should enjoy the drama for yourself. I will say, though, that the romantic element is kept very minor in this book, which I thought was a nice respite from the whole love triangle thing.

Though The Calling was a complete and total blast to read, there were some elements of the plot that felt manufactured and overly convenient. Basically, they're running around and being chased at all turns, and they keep dropping off one at a time, sort of like And Then There Were None. Also, they were strangely mature about everything; every team member acknowledged that the survival of the group was worth the sacrifice of the one, and they were all eager to be sacrifices. This seemed a little ridiculous to me, especially given that some of them weren't even great friends. There's also a scene where Maya has this great idea to get into a truck with this creepy guy, bringing Sam with her. Yeah, she has a plan, but he's so obviously a freaking bad guy and the whole thing just made me headdesk.

Despite those drawbacks, The Calling is an awesome read, and I could hardly put it down. Even better, I love the way the ending set up The Rising, and I am very excited to read that one next. ( )

I actually liked this better than the first one. The setup is all out of the way so there's room for more character development. It still feels like it's moving pretty slow in terms of plot and reveals partly because this is a Kelley Armstrong Otherworld book so obviously there's going to be magic and supernaturals and such. Looking forward to the next one which promises to bring the two trilogies together. ( )

Excellent 2nd installment; all go from start to finish. Quite exhausting! ( )

The Calling by Kelley Armstrong is the second in the Darkness Rising series. Armstrong picked up right where we left off and delivered non-stop action. Filled with shape-shifters, witches and other supernatural beings this book has ensured Armstrong a place on my favorite authors list. I plan to begin her other series as well.

I strongly recommend you read The Gathering (my review), the first book in this series before attempting to read The Calling. Armstrong doesn’t waste any time with back-story and you will be completely lost without it. The tale begins inside the helicopter with Maya and her friends. Maya and the others are anxious to be reunited with their parents, when they realize the helicopter isn't traveling in the right direction and that the mayor is unconscious. When Daniel confronts the pilot, things quickly go from bad to worse, as the helicopter spins out of control and crashes. The tale that unfolds is action-packed as the kids attempt to escape and find their parents. While most of the plot advancement occurs in the last part of the book, we do see a lot of character growth and get a better understanding of the town and the kids. The ending sets us up for the final book in this trilogy and left me eager to read more.

Maya and Daniel quickly establish themselves as leaders of the group. The kids begin to understand that they are different and that their little town of two hundred is anything but boring. Armstrong gives us conspiracies, secret agencies and a possible psycho-path among the teens. I found myself completely enthralled by the plot. Rafe and Maya’s romance develops further and felt genuine. Daniel begins to believe that he has abilities, and admits to having used them. He is like the mother-hen of the group and whether it’s because of his ability or not...the rest look to him for all the answers. Despite the circumstances they found themselves in, I was impressed with the way these kids kept it together. The growth in Maya was wonderful. In the first novel her moral compass was strictly black and white, and I found her at times to be very judgmental and unforgiving. In this novel we get a closer look at the other characters and Maya begins to understand them better. This isn’t to say that she still didn’t annoy me, but by the end of the novel she is able to rationalize better and think things through. In The Gathering, Maya experienced dreams of running in the wild, and felt like she communicated with animals. In The Calling, she shifts and it was neat to see how she handled this. Maya is fearless and protects those around her. She is confronted by a person from her past, and isn’t sure how to handle it. I really liked Corey. He is a funny, quirky and flawed character who made things interesting. I am really anxious to see everyone’s ability develop and see how they work as a team in the final installment.

The plot Armstrong brings us in The Calling is extremely intense. The kids are involved in one life or death situation after another. Armstrong makes all of it believable and kept me engaged. She has created a situation with multiple threats, and left even me the reader unsure about whom the good guys are. She created characters with depth, and I have come to care for them all. The action packed ending has me excited for book three and wondering how things will work out.
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