Sunday 12 January 2014

Review: The Calling by Kelley Armstrong




Title: The Calling
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Series: Darkness Rising (#2)
Publisher: Atom
Rating: 5/5 Stars

 
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On the heels of the wildly popular The Gathering""comes the second in the "Darkness Rising" YA trilogy from "NYT "bestselling author Kelley Armstrong.
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.


(From Goodreads)

Source: I own a copy of this book.

I was eagerly awaiting to read this book as I absolutely loved the first instalment. 
I remember the book before this ending in a cliff-hanger, so I needed to know what was going to happen next. 

This sequel didn't disappoint. 
Straight away, the story carried on where the first left off, and I was like "whoah!", so immediately I was hooked. So brownie points for that beginning.

I liked the idea of survival being in the storyline. For some reason I find entertainment in people struggling to live. I think it's just interesting to see what the characters will do in that situation, and what will happen next, etc.

Maya is our main protagonist, and I really like her. She is strong, brave and has a crazy ability to morph, as she is a skin-walker. I think this is interesting as we get to see everything from her point of view, and her experiences with the matter. 
I think it's really good to have a protagonist that you like. If you don't connect with them, then it can sometimes result in you putting the book down.
I admire Maya for her decisions, and she is really good at dealing with things. 

Daniel is Maya's best friend, and I just find him cute. The way he looks after Maya is admirable and I wish I had him as my best friend. I do feel like maybe Daniel likes Maya as more than a friend; more than he shows..But I guess time will tell whether he will reveal that or not. 

Rafe is the guy with the bad boy vibe, which is what I love in male characters. I can't help but love him. Although he isn't in this book a lot, I still like him so. I can really see he cares for Maya, and that is so cool.

Kenji is Maya's pet. I wanted to mention Kenji because this animal is one that I absolutely LOVE. Kenji is so cute and protective towards Maya. I really wish I had a pet like them. 

There is a lot more character development between all of the characters; even ones that are considered minor. I liked learning more about them and when they revealed their secrets, it changed my views on them. 

All of the chapters end climatic; you never know what to expect. 

Armstrong's writing is fantastic. It's very gripping and grabs your attention, and because of that, I want to have a go at the other series she's written. 

The ending of this book is a bit of a cliff-hanger, and that's why I want to continue and read the next book. 

The Calling definitely didn't suffer from the "Bad Sequel Syndrome". I think if I was honest, I liked this just a bit more than the first book. 

In the end, I gave this book five stars; completely recommend this series to all!







I hope you have enjoyed this review.
 

Happy reading =)
 

~Katie~

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