Wednesday 25 April 2012

Review- The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong


Title: The  Summoning
Series: Darkest Powers
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Published: July 1st 2008
Book 1
When I heard about this novel, it was recommended to me by a friend. I am truthful to say that when I read the first three chapters i thought it was going to be the usual fantasy book. "A girl/boy finds out there is another world and they fight for a lost cause but miraculously win a war". As I got more and more immersed into the world of The Summoning I immediately knew that it was unique. The story begins with a young teenager named Chloe Saunders stressing about high school. She is one day followed by a ghost who got her landed in a mental home called "Lyle House". During her journey at Lyle House she learns more about the place and the people in it. She knew there was something different about the people around her. They were in other words "special" but not in the mental way.
The novel is an addicting and action-packed read which keeps people in constant suspense. Once I picked it up, it was difficult to put it down as I was always thinking about what was going to happen next. It is full of twists and cliff-hangars which left me eager for the next book.

I enjoyed how Armstrong took her time to describe the characters and their distinctive abilities. There was also some added humour in the novel which toned it down and left it not too "over the top". The book also consisted of multi-cultural characters which indicates that Armstrong had a moral in this book; everyone, no matter who they are or where they come from, can work together if they choose to. She describes the characters perfectly including every feeling of love, hate, anxiousness and more.

Despite the many good features about this novel, there was also one main dull feature. The fact that most parts of the novel had the dragging on effect that left me sometimes bored of the book. It was also however, made up for when the interesting parts came up as they left me on the edge of my seat and eager to want more.

All-in-all the book was a success and left me keen on reading the next one. If you are someone who loves books that have several twists, then this is the book for you.

Rated: 4/5

40 comments:

  1. Great review! It was interesting how you said she took time to describe the characters as characterization is key in a good novel. Liking your blog so far!
    Good Luck

    Alex @ Possession of Books

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks..
      Kelley Armstrong is an amazing author with a unique imagination.
      You should read The Summoning unless you've already read it

      Delete
  2. Hi Daniel! Nice Review! I've been wanting to read this book. it seems interesting, I also love reading fantasy novels :)

    Anyway, I'm a new follower!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks a lot...
      The Summoning is a great novel that has a mixture of action, fantasy and more...
      You should definitely make time to read the series!!!
      :)

      Delete
  3. I have this and just can't seem to keep it going. I am reading other things then will pick this up and start a few pages, then do it again. I usually love this type of book, but for whatever reason it's not grabbing me. I remember exactly where I left off, so it must stick with me somehow. I will not give it a fair review until I finish it. Just wanted to comment for the moment.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Honestly I believe that a couple of chapters into the book and you will be hooked. If not then feel free to move on to other novels :)

      Delete
  4. I have been wanting to read this book for a while Great Review!

    your newest follower,
    Kristin
    youngadultbookhaven.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks... you should read this
      And I also followed you

      Delete
  5. Hey Daniel! Great review, I liked it. I wanted to read this book a while back but it never really made my TBR pile. Maybe now I should look into it. It sounds like a good read. Nice blog so far.

    lisseth @read-a-holicz.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks a lot!! You should definitely make time to read this series!!!
      Following you

      Delete
  6. Great review! I enjoyed this series. Thought having a female necromancer character was incredibly interesting.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes I completely agree... it is something new

      Delete
  7. Oooohh!! I read this one! I loved it! Have you read the 2nd and 3rd books? Are you planning to?
    Great review! If I hadn't already read it, you'd have convinced me.

    You've got a new follower by the way :)

    Ro,
    Far Past Midnight

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you very much :)
      Yes I have read the 2nd and 3rd books and they are amazing!!!
      I have followed you as well...
      You have a very creative blog!!!

      Delete
  8. I'm going to add this to my to read list. Definitely looking for a fresh unique plot line. You're right. So many stories are girl/boy find themselves in a new world/war. It's getting old fast. Thanks for sharing!

    -Melissa
    @Harley Bear Book Blog

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you!!! You should definitely add this unique novel to your to reads list :)
      P.S. Following you!!!

      Delete
  9. I really need to read this series, I love books that add humor into them and don't take themselves too seriously, I really liked your review and you reminded me how much I need to read this book!

    your newest follower,
    Kristin
    youngadultbookhaven.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much! I agree that it is a great series and Kelley Armstrong is a great author. Your blog is excellent...

      Delete
  10. I LOVE this series! Kelley Armstrong is amazing! I love her Darkness Rising series as well! New follower!! :)
    http://thelifeoffiction.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey, thanks for following me...
      Armstrong is a great writer with talent and I put her Darkness Rising Series in my To Read pile!!! I followed your awesome blog as well ;)
      Thanks again

      Delete
  11. I read all of KA's other books so when I saw this in the young adult section - I bought it out of curiosity. I'm glad I did. It is about young high school age children but it's still her slow build writing that holds the readers interest without losing any of the detail of the world she creates.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for commenting and following!!!
      I agree... Kelley Armstrong is a great author and you did the right thing by buying this book series ;)

      Delete
  12. I really liked this series! I thought it was great :)
    I just followed your blog :) thanks for following mine!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for commenting!!!
      I agree.. its an amazing series ;)
      Your blog is very creative as well.

      Delete
  13. Loved the darkest power series, you should read the darkness rising books.
    Good review!

    http://thecrossbreeds.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the comment!!!
      The Darkness Rising series is already on my "To Reads" list
      Thanks again!!!
      P.S. Following you!!!

      Delete
  14. Hello Daniel, I'm a new follower of your blog.

    http://blottedpages.blogspot.com

    I very much agree with this review! Addition: Feminine cover with masculine content. :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey, Thanks for following!!!
      You're very observational!!! I never thought about the feminine cover and masculine content. Thanks again ;)

      Delete
  15. This looks great!!! I'll put it on my to reads list straight away especially since I absolutely love paranormal!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Paranormal is a great genre... I only started to read it recently. Even though I like books in the "magic" genre, paranormal is slowly creeping up towards it.
      Thanks
      ~Daniel~

      Delete
  16. This one is also one of my favourites! I´ve been meaning to read other series by her, but haven´t had the change to yet. Have you read anything else by her?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the comment. This is indeed an excellent series by Armstrong. I haven't read anything else by her YET! But I plan to read her Darkness Rising series soon...
      Thanks again for the comment.
      ~Daniel~

      Delete
  17. The summoning is a great blend of the supernatural and great characters. Your review is very clear and I can't wait to read this novel. I will be purchasing it soon thanks to this review :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This was a great novel and I was glad that I picked it up. I will be reading a series called The Darkness Rising which is also by Kelley Armstrong... I will tell you how it goes...
      ~Daniel~

      Delete
  18. this was really rerally god review good job:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. yeah it was the best review yet

      Delete
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