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The Calling  By  cover art

The Calling

By: Kelley Armstrong
Narrated by: Jennifer Ikeda
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Publisher's summary

Maya Delaney's paw-print birthmark is the mark of what she truly is - a skin-walker. She can run faster, climb higher, and see better than nearly everyone else. Experiencing intense connections with the animals that roam the woods outside her home, Maya knows it's only a matter of time before she's able to Shift and become one of them. And she believes there may be others in her small town with surprising talents.

Now Maya and her friends have been forced to flee from their homes during a forest fire they suspect was deliberately set. Then they're kidnapped, and after a chilling helicopter crash, they find themselves in the Vancouver Island wilderness with nothing but their extraordinary abilities to help them get back home.

In The Calling, the sizzling second book in the Darkness Rising trilogy, New York Times best-selling author Kelley Armstrong pumps up the romance, danger, and suspense that left readers of The Gathering clamoring for more.

©2012 KLA Fricke Inc. (P)2012 HarperCollinsPublishers

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What listeners say about The Calling

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Seems to be Setting up for a Great Finale

A week after finishing this book, I have to say, I still don't know what to make of it. This book was a marked departure from the first book. Where the first book felt like a normal teen story, complete with protective parents and high school relationship drama, The Calling is more of a survival story then anything else. I thought this book could have been a bit shorter - there was not as much intrigue or character development as the first installment, and was mostly a blow-by-blow action story.

With the main romantic character missing for most of the novel, I did not feel the same anticipation or thrill at watching Maya's relationships play out. For the most part, the way she interacted with the people around her (Daniel, Cory and Sam), did not change much. The small realizations that she did have were not major when it came to her character development as a whole. And by the end of the book, I felt like she was still the exact same person that she was at the beginning of the book - just a little more informed about the St. Clouds and Nasts. But, alas, as I have read Armstrong's other books, the information that was revealed about these organizations held little intrigue for me, as I was already familiar with them.

Overall, I did not think that this book was as strong as The Gathering, or the first trilogy of Dark Powers books. However, the end of this novel leaves me highly anticipating the third book, which I feel will be a lot stronger then this current novel. If you are a fan of the Dark Powers books, I would still recommend reading this one, despite the shortcomings, as I feel this novel is just a stepping stone towards what should be a great book!

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Golly, What now?

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I would have to say it was hard to finish this book because I got bored shortly after starting and it never got a lot better. It would be a great young adult or teen book, but it was too slow amd didn't develope fullly for me.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

When the end came was the most interestomg and the least interesting was when it started with the kids already on the run.

What does Jennifer Ikeda bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The narrator did an adaquate job considering the material she had to work with.

Did The Calling inspire you to do anything?

Stay away from this author.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Good continuation of The Gathering

Any additional comments?

You get a lot of fill in information for questions developed in the first book but you don't get any real progression in the plot. Now that we know where they are going from here, I'm really interested in the conclusion. The narrator did a great job and the characters are endearing so the lack of progression doesn't detract from the book too much. It's simply the bridge between the first book and the conclusion and answers enough questions to keep you content.

This is not a series that you would enjoy piece-wise but is definitely a good continuation of the overall story.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Great Listen...fun and captivating!

What other book might you compare The Calling to and why?

Darkest Powers series. These books are a spin off of those but I think these are better.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

It definitely held my attention.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Will Continue with the Series

I enjoyed this, the 2nd book in the series and look forward to the continuation of Maya's adventure / quest. Though this would be considered a young adult book, and I am most definitely not part of that demographic, I really like the story and where it is headed. Jennifer Ikeda does a wonderful job of reading the book and making it come to life for me.

I have been reading Ms. Armstrongs books for a while and started with "Bitten" featuring Elena and the werewolf pack. This is a great story set in the same world of the cabals and supernaturals introduced in that first book. Give it a try, if you've enjoyed that world, you won't be disappointed.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Meh

I love Kelley Armstrong but this book seemed to stall. I think it was necessary to read to help move on to finale, but I was easily distracted while it played. Not the best book but I think it is leading to a great finale. I still can't wait for the next one. If you liked the first book and want to read/hear the last you need to listen to this one. Sorry

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Good Listen

Any additional comments?

The book is fun and entertaining. The mystery is far more deep and complex than any other book in this genre and age group which made it really fun. I'm excited for the next book to come out!

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Love it!!!

Would you consider the audio edition of The Calling to be better than the print version?

I loved listening to the book because I can close my eyes and picture the scenes happening.

Any additional comments?

This sequel keeps you on your seat and can't stop reading until it's finished. I can't wait for the next one to come out. Already counting the days for more!!!!

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Book for older Teens

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Got the series based on audiobook recommendations. Not sure if I missed something in the sales intro (click/purchased a bunch of books one day.) Not being familiar with the series - it wasn't apparent that this was a young adult title. Last time I was a young adult, corded touchtone phones were all the rage.

Would you be willing to try another book from Kelley Armstrong? Why or why not?

While there are many series that span multiple books; I find it preferable that each stands on its own as a complete story. Here, you have to read the previous books in order. Otherwise it is like starting a new book from "chapter 31." This could be a intentional cliffhanger approach by the author who may have limited time for writing - or more of a suit-and-tie contractual decision by the publisher to generate significantly more sales. In either case, a year or two between "chapter sets" seems far too long to wait for a single story arcline. As well as quite expensive. However if the entire story (series will be 3 books?) was encapsulated and slightly shortened into two books with a decent ending between; It would certainly be a good read even for older fiction readers (as a light read between brasher sci-fi/fiction fare) Therefore if you can get get book 1&2 for a good price at the same time - the story holds up.

Have you listened to any of Jennifer Ikeda’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

She is a very good narrator. I have not listened to other books by Jennifer - but for the young adult genre, she certainly seems ideal.

Any additional comments?

I have not read any of the other authors series. In this series (The Gathering was the first); there is a peculiar overuse of trailing sentences. Such as "I wanted to say I was sorry for...." or "He turned to see...." sorry for what? See what?! The technique can be used to help the reader engage in the story; to fill in the blanks. However when it is done every 10 sentences, it becomes a distraction to the story. This technique occurred a little less in this 2nd book where it often materialized as an awkward pause between words. Perhaps it was to emphasize the challenge of teens to express themselves, but the technique seemed a bit overused.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

wow!

What made the experience of listening to The Calling the most enjoyable?

jennifer did a great job bringing you into the story of where they left off in the first book,

What did you like best about this story?

if i say it will give away the book alot of twist and turns

What does Jennifer Ikeda bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

not sure she did a great job

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

the calling

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