The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong

Series: Darkness Rising
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Page Count: 359
Published: April 12th, 2011
Publisher: Harper
  4 Stars ★★★★

Maya is an adopted teenage girl living in a medical research town in Canada. It's a really small town, but she's surrounded by nature and happy with her life. She has an interesting paw-print birthmark on her hip and she's Native American....and she's started having strange visions when she touches the rescue animals that she shelters. 

After being called a skin-walker by an old lady in a nearby town, Maya finds herself unable to shake the various happenings around her town. A reporter has appeared and claims to be researching small towns, but many people believe that she's actually researching something else... A new boy and his sister move to town, and she finds herself attracted to him. With his help, and the help of her best friend, will Maya find out what's going on?

So I didn't enjoy this as much as Kelley Armstrong's Darkest Powers series, but it was still a good start to a new trilogy. First off I have to mention that I love that this was set in Canada! I also found myself intrigued by the idea of living in a small medical research town.

The characters were all developed quite well, with Maya the star of the book. I thought her interest in her background was definitely relatable and understandable, considering that she was adopted. However I think that her response to some revelations about her past and heritage later in the book were a bit over-dramatic. I did love her journey discovering who she was on a supernatural level, though. 

As usual, Kelley Armstrong's writing was super easy to read, yet not so simple that it was boring. I found myself reading the book non-stop, almost swallowed up whole by the book. I needed to know what was going on....especially when the dead body showed up! 

I hope that the next book will be at least as good as this one! I recommend this for fans of paranormal young adult fiction. If you're interested in books about shapeshifters and small towns, you might like this one. If you'd like to read a book featuring a Native American main character, with Native American legends featured, this would also be a great choice for you.

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The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong

Series: Darkest Powers
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Page Count: 391
Published: April 6th, 2010
Publisher: Orbit
  5 Stars ★★★★★

Chloe and her friends have taken refuge with Andrew, a man from Simon and Derek's past who is part of an organization against the Edison Group. The teens fear that the Edison Group will kill them, especially Derek, because their genetically modified powers seem to be out of control. But the Edison Group aren't the only people who think that they are dangerous: individuals in Andrew's group agree that they might be better off with the Edison Group. 

Their problems aren't just a matter of life and death. Chloe is dealing with some personal issues as well, such as her attraction to the two brothers. While she doesn't want to break Simon's heart after all this time, she can't deny that her attraction is leaning towards the werewolf boy, Derek. With their lives and their hearts at stake, the group has a lot to lose. 

In the conclusion to the Darkest Powers trilogy, Chloe doesn't know who she can trust. 

This is the third book I've read by Kelley Armstrong, and it certainly won't be the last. As with the first two books in this trilogy, I was absolutely captivated by the story of Chloe, a young necromancer, struggling with her powers and her feelings. 

As usual, Chloe's narration remained sincere and genuine, her voice making her identity as a fifteen year old girl certainly very plausible. I also like that she is portrayed as quite mature for her age, and that she deals with her problems generally in a very serious, thought-out way. She is a likeable character for sure, she's the kind of paranormal, teenage girl that readers of all ages will be cheering on from start to finish, from the first page to the last. 

Her friends, Simon, Derek, and Tori, return in this book as well. Tori is still a bit annoying, of course, not exactly getting along perfectly with the others, but the way that she changes and becomes more cooperative reflects the danger that she and the others are facing. Simon and Derek, brothers, and Chloe's love interests, remain unique and likeable in their own ways, and just as important to the story as they were in the previous two books. I really love both of them, but this book made me lean more towards Derek, just as Chloe did. The author did a great job of making me understand Chloe's feelings and choices, both related to romance, and unrelated to it as well. 

This trilogy made it possible for me to understand what it is like to be pursued by a scary organization! Yes, the characters' fear was very real, very important, and incredibly well portrayed. This made the book not only a paranormal romance, but suspenseful and thrilling. Chloe's struggles were an adventure, and I have to say that I'm sad that the trilogy is over. 

I recommend this trilogy to anyone who likes paranormal romance, especially if you're into young adult. If you want to read a book featuring a necromancer, this is a great pick. 

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The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong

Series: Darkest Powers
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Page Count: 360
Published: April 28th, 2009
Publisher: HarperCollins
  5 Stars ★★★★★

Chloe has escaped from Lyle House, but she's been captured by the Edison Group and is staying in another one of their facilities. With Simon and Derek still on the run, Chloe has to escape by herself this time. While the group continues to pose as one that helps those with powers like herself, Chloe knows the truth, that there have been deaths... young people who have been subjects in the Edison Group's studies have died mysteriously in their care, and that she may have been genetically modified. 

When Chloe does escape, she leaves with Tori, a girl with a bad attitude, to find Simon and Derek. But there is a reward offered for her return, so Chloe has to travel in the shadows to safety... that is, if she isn't killed first. 

Kelley Armstrong has done it again! I remember loving The Summoning, and when I remembered that I already owned The Awakening, I decided that I had to find out what happened to Chloe, Simon, and Derek, next. I enjoyed this book as much as I loved the first one, maybe even more. 

In this sequel, the same interesting characters star in an exciting supernatural story. Chloe remains the likeable necromancer that she was in the first book, Simon and Derek, the two foster brothers, continue to be complete opposites of each other and friends with Chloe, and Tori is still the same annoying, stuck-up bully that she was in the first book. This cast of characters makes for a book of paranormal thrills, amusing dialogue, and lots of tension!

The author did a great job of making me feel what Chloe was feeling. This mainly consisted of concern for those she cared about, and fear of the Edison Group. Chloe's voice remained believable, and her struggles relatable, despite their often supernatural nature. I love when I can relate to characters in vastly different situations than my own, because it just makes the whole situation seem a bit more real to me, which greatly affects my reading experience. 

The writing style was incredibly easy to read, which made this book go by very quickly for me. I just devoured page after page because I couldn't stop reading! The book was packed with event after event, one after the other, and I was never, ever bored. I hope that the third book in this trilogy is as good as the first two!

I recommend this trilogy to fans of young adult paranormal stories. If you're looking for a story with different paranormal creatures, secret groups, and teenagers on the run, this book is for you.

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