The Calling (Darkness Rising Series #2)

by Kelley Armstrong

Overview

A powerful secret. A desperate race for survival.

Maya and her friends are on the run. Having escaped a deliberately set forest fire and a fake rescue team with dark intentions, they were just beginning to feel safe again. Then their helicopter crashes near the Vancouver Island wilderness, and Maya and her friends realize they're about as far from safe as they can get.

But Maya has a secret. She can run faster, climb higher, and see better than nearly anyone else. It's part of who she really is—and it has something to do with her mysterious paw-print birthmark. Yet as Maya and her friends face unforeseen dangers, it becomes clear she's not the only one in their close-knit group who has something to hide. And if they're going to survive, they'll need all their extraordinary abilities to help them get back home.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780061797064
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	04/02/2013
Series:	Darkness Rising Series , #2
Pages:	326
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.80(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

When librarians finally granted Kelley Armstrong an adult card, she made straight for the epic fantasy and horror shelves. She spent the rest of her childhood and teen years happily roaming fantastical and terrible worlds, and vowed that someday she'd write a story combining swords, sorcery, and the ravenous undead. That story begins with Sea of Shadows.

Armstrong's first works for teens were the New York Times bestselling Darkest Powers and Darkness Rising trilogies. All of her novels for teens have been New York Times bestsellers. She lives in rural Ontario with her husband, three children, and far too many pets.

Editorial Reviews

Maya Delaney is eager to become a shape shifter, but in this pivot novel of the Darkness Rising trilogy saga, she first must just stay alive. She and her friends have already escaped an arsonist's fire; now they're kidnapped; then Maya walks away from the smoking wreck of a helicopter crash; only to have to battle her way home with just her wits. Kelley Armstrong's compelling characters, ravenous and non-ravenous, will keep you glued to the page.

— Brian Monahan

This second volume in a fantastic teen trilogy from established paranormal fiction writer Armstrong begins with Maya and her friends stuck on a pilotless helicopter about to crash in the isolated mountains of Vancouver Island. Most survive the crash (including Maya's dog), but their trek through the hills is reminiscent of Gary Paulsen's Hatchet, with the added complication of armed enemies running the search parties. The first book in this trilogy ended with Maya and her friends kidnapped, on the pilotless helicopter. This one will not end the story, but at least no one is in immediate mortal danger as the book comes to a close, and the trek through the woods without any supplies is over. Armstrong's strength has always been character development combined with paranormal world building, whether it is Maya and the mountain lion shape-shifters of this novel or the werewolves, witches, and demons of her Otherworld series. This volume is tied tangentially to the Otherworld and her previous YA trilogy, Darkest Powers. The cabals (paranormal mafias disguised as large corporations) are still the ultimate baddies. Their presence will pull her fans further into this newest novel, but new readers—and nonparanormal fans—will simply enjoy the survival tale of a group of teens running for their lives in the remote Canadian mountains. This is a highly entertaining novel that this reviewer stayed up into the wee hours to finish—many other readers will likely do the same. Reviewer: Beth Karpas

VOYA - Beth Karpas

Gr 8 Up—The Calling picks up where The Gathering (HarperCollins, 2011) leaves off. Maya Delaney and her friends are rescued by helicopter while escaping from a suspicious forest fire. In flight, they realize that they are being kidnapped and take action. When the helicopter crashes, they narrowly escape and find themselves alone in the Vancouver wilderness being pursued by their kidnappers. The teens piece together what little information they have and now realize that they all possess supernatural powers. Not knowing whom to trust, they try to find answers by going home. But instead of safety and answers, they are faced with possible betrayal. This engaging read is plot-driven and action-packed, but the many unexpected twists and turns sometimes leave readers with more questions than answers. Armstrong also drops small hints that relate this series to her "Darkest Powers" series (HarperCollins), which is intriguing. Fans of the supernatural will look forward to seeing how the next installment ties all of these loose ends together.—Donna Rosenblum, Floral Park Memorial High School, NY

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