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 bestselling author Kelley Armstrong pumps up the romance, danger, and suspense that left readers of THE GATHERING clamoring for more.


Review:
First off, I'd like to give a massive, very grateful shout out to Kelley Armstrong who was kind enough to send me a ARC of the book! I've been lucky enough to have met her twice and both times it has reminded me why she is one of my favorite authors in YA. That being said, I had very high expectations for this book due to the fact that I have loved all of her past books and I live near where the book takes place. I'm very happy to say that the book blew away my expectations and was a sensational sequel.

The cover followed the theme of The Gathering's, with the same cover model, font, and an earring. The earring was slightly different than the one on the last book's cover, but it kept the theme nonetheless. Color-wise, it was a tad bit different, more of a purple color instead of the blue of the first book. I love the fact that the cover doesn't give anything about the book away, it just portrays some of the emotions Maya experienced during the duration of the book. Altogether, I really love these covers and I think they look great sitting side by side on a shelf together.

Maya was a hugely enjoyable character. She was strong and didn't back down or take the easy way out of situations. It was her determination that truly made me enjoy reading about her and from her perspective. All of Maya's friends were well developed and used to a good extent, and they were all important in the story in some way. Rafe was still my favorite guy in the series, but Daniel was a close second. I loved Kenjii and I'm glad he was brought into this book too, he added a nice touch to the story that kept the story down to earth.

The writing stayed up to the standards previously set by Kelley Armstrong, never wavering from the quality and descriptiveness. The plot was even better than in The Gathering because it didn't need to give out as much information, so the plot could move forward quicker. Within the plot there was a ton amazing action; it picked up with Maya and her friends being taken away from their homes in a helicopter away from any sense of normalcy. The story carried on with a crash and it simply accelerated from there, throwing many twists and turns to keep the reader on their toes. It also ended in a cliffhanger, leaving me wanting the last book of the trilogy right away.

As I said before, the end was a cliffhanger, leaving room for an amazing final book to the trilogy. I'd recommend this book to anyone looking for a different type of paranormal book, or someone who enjoyed any of Kelley Armstrong's past books, including her adult books. I give The Calling a 5/5.