'The Calling' by Kelley Armstrong: Review & Giveaway

The Calling

Darkness Rising Book #2 

By Kelley Armstrong

Published on April 10, 2012 

Published by Harper

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.

The Calling is the second book in the Darkness Rising Trilogy by the incomparable Kelley Armstrong. I have been simply dying to read this book since it came out, I bought it right away, but didn't have a break in my review schedule until a few weeks ago. I plowed through this book in a day and then sat and cursed myself because once again I would have to wait for the last book in the trilogy. I was lucky enough to snag an arc of The Rising (due out in April 2013) but once again, I find myself lacking the time to read for pleasure. Alas, the cycle continues.

The characters are normally my favorite part of a book and this was no exception.  Maya's character proves again how tough she really is. She may be terrified and heartbroken but she just keeps pushing forward, doing what she has to for her and her friends' survival. I love her. And then we have Rafe. Oh, how I LOVE him. Not only is he supremely swoon-worthy, he's grown so much since The Gathering! I can't wait to see what comes next for them. 

I loved every moment of this book; whether I was gasping, laughing or crying. It was fantastic. Packed with nonstop action and danger, the plot flies onward dragging you along for the ride. The characters continue to grow and mature and there is nothing predictable about the story. My only complaint is the end came way too soon for my liking. Kelley Armstrong knows how to hook you and not let go, she seems to have it down to a science. I have yet to read a book she's written that I didn't adore. 

My Rating:

And now for the giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers' dismay. All efforts to make her produce "normal" stories failed.

Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She's the author of the NYT-bestselling "Women of the Otherworld" paranormal suspense series and "Darkest Powers" young adult urban fantasy trilogy, as well as the Nadia Stafford crime series. Armstrong lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.

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