The Calling

By: Kelley Armstrong

Narrated by: Jennifer Ikeda

Length: 7 hrs and 32 mins

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

Definitely Better

If you could sum up The Calling in three words, what would they be?

Captivating, Danger, and Uncertainty

Any additional comments?

This is definitely the second of a series, I hope the author goes on to lead us on this journey of understanding what exactly they are and why they were created. This also had a better ending than the first book, at least we know they are safe and following a lead .... hopefully to a third book. :)

Addictive

I've listened to these sets of books so many times that I've lost count. I can only say that I am addicted!

Love it

All these books are wonder-full my 2 nd time 1st time I read them 2nd time listening to them awesome

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!

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.

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!

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

Still held my attention...

What about Jennifer Ikeda’s performance did you like?

I think Jennifer is amazing. She really captures the main character as well as all the others. She tells the story with excitement and emotion. I really enjoy listening to her.

Any additional comments?

This book was a much anticipated second edition to the first book. I was slightly disappointed, but overall satisfied. The story flowed well and was believable, but it was muddied and complicated and sometimes not clear. The baseline story about a town of experimental people with special powers is good. As a fan of the show "Heros" and the book series "I am Number Four" this story line is right up my ally. I want to know what is going to happen next! I applaud the surprises and the unpredictability of the story line. I would recommend it, for sure. I will patiently wait for the next one and listen to it, without a doubt.

OMG💚💚💚💚

I love this book. It is one of the best books I have ever listened to. I am so in love with the book❣️💖💘 I hope that more people listen to the book ‘cause it has a roller coaster o

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.