The Calling is the second book in the Darkness Rising trilogy and therefore this review will contain spoilers for the first book, The Gathering.

After fleeing the forest fire, Maya and her friends start to suspect their helicopter pilot doesn’t have their best interests at heart. When a scuffle breaks out, they lose control and crash land on the shore of Vancouver Island. Miles away from civilisation, they must find their way back to their parents without getting caught. But Maya has only just discovered what she is; a skin-walker. Can she trust her friends with the truth and will they even believe her?

After putting The Calling off for months, I ended up liking it a lot more than the first book in the trilogy. It somehow seems more like a Kelley Armstrong book, perhaps the presence of the cabals is the cause or the concept of supernaturals trying to get to grips with their powers, which is common in her work. For a moment, I thought she was going to make the mistake of teenagers being able to fly a helicopter (really, computer games do not prepare you) but it’s fine, they crashed. I know, I sound cruel, but the resulting trek across Vancouver Island makes for a surprisingly gripping story.

There’s bickering, misunderstandings and jealousy. Everything you’d expect when a bunch of hormonal teens ended up stuck together in the woods, even without taking their supernatural situation into account. I found the bits about Rafe a bit predictable but that doesn’t mean I didn’t want to keep on reading just to make sure! The ending at least felt a little bit more like an ending this time too.

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