Ebook of Darkest Powers Stories

I've just noticed that there is a Darkest Powers Bonus Pack ebook available:

Contains three companion stories to the #1 NYT bestselling Darkest Powers trilogy.
Dangerous (prequel to The Summoning) The story of how Derek and Simon came to Lyle House, told from Derek's point-of-view.
Divided (set between The Summoning and The Awakening) Derek and Simon's adventures while separated from Chloe and Rae in the factory. Also told from Derek's point of view.
Disenchanted (overlaps part of The Awakening) Simon and Tori continue their journey after Chloe and Derek are left at the truck stop. Told from Tori's point of view.
Please note: these are stories, not novels. Combined, they equal half the length of a Darkest Powers novel.

It's available as epub and Kindle.

My reviews of The Summoning and The Awakening.

Recent Publishing Deals

Some publishing deals announced in the last two Lunch Weekly emails from Publishers Lunch:

Middle grade
The eighth and final installment of Eoin Colfer's ARTEMIS FOWL series THE LAST GUARDIAN, for publication in summer 2012, plus two books in a new W.A.R.P. series, beginning with The Reluctant Assassin for publication in Winter 2013, about young Riley, who has fallen into the FBI's Witness Anonymous Relocation Program, after a murderous escapade with a Victorian illusionist -- who he tries to keep from returning to Victorian times, where, with his new knowledge of all things scientific and technological, he could literally change the world to Disney-Hyperion.

NYT bestsellers Kelley Armstrong & Melissa Marr's THE BLACKWELL PAGES, a trilogy about three 12-year olds descended from Norse Gods who have to stop the impending apocalypse, to Little, Brown, for publication in Spring 2013.

Author of Newbery Honor book THE EVOLUTION OF CALPURNIA TATE Jacqueline Kelly's WIND IN THE WILLOWS REDUX, a sequel to the beloved classic, to be illustrated by Clint G. Young, creator of the forthcoming picture book THE WISH COLLECTOR, to Holt Children's, for publication in Fall 2012.

YA
Gen Albin's CREWEL, the first in a trilogy that is equal parts science fiction, adventure, and romance, this debut novel takes place in a world where women known as "spinsters" are able to "weave" the very fabric of existence, to Farrar, Straus Children's, in a three-book deal.

Review: The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong

The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong (May 2009, Orbit, ISBN: 1841497118)

First Lines:
When the door to my cell clicked open, the first thought that flitted through my doped-up brain was that Liz had changed her mind and come back.

Review: NB Includes spoilers for The Summoning.

The Awakening is the second in the Darkest Powers series which began with The Summoning. The main character is Chloe Saunders, a fifteen-year-old necromancer. At the end of the last book, she and her fellow supernaturals, were on the run from their group home, Lyle House; the two girls were captured and the two boys escaped. Chloe and Rae have been taken to a warehouse facility where they are prisoners along with Tori, who hadn't tried to run off.

It's not long before Chloe is able to find out information about the source of her and her friends' abilities and manufactures a situation in which they escape and reunite with brothers Derek and Simon. Four of the teenagers go on the run, with the sole aim of finding a friend of Derek and Simon's dad who may be able to help them. The Awakening covers their journey and we get to see bonds and unexpected alliances form between group members whilst being hunted, and Chloe tries to avoid raising the dead.

As with The Summoning, I enjoyed the book very much. I felt completely at ease with the writing and I was gripped throughout. There's plenty of action, including some scary moments, especially if you don't like bats, but the main focus of The Awakening, I felt, is that of character development. You get much more of a handle on the personalities than in the first book. The next part, The Reckoning, is now out and I can't wait to see how all the threads are drawn together.

Trailer Thursday - The Reckoning

The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong was published last week.

The nail-biting climax to Kelley Armstrong's bestselling Darkest Powers trilogy Chloe Saunders is fifteen and would love to be normal. Unfortunately, Chloe happens to be a genetically engineered necromancer who can raise the dead without even trying. She and her equally gifted (or should that be 'cursed'?) friends are now running for their lives from the evil corporation that created them. As if that's not enough, Chloe is struggling with her feelings for Simon, a sweet-tempered sorcerer, and his brother Derek, a not so sweet-tempered werewolf. And she has a horrible feeling she's leaning towards the werewolf...Definitely not normal.

Read The Summoning - Online & Free

You can now read Kelley Armstrong's The Sumoning online at the HarperCollins website.

The Summoning is the first in the Chloe Saunders, Darkest Powers trilogy and my review is here. The Awakening has been published and The Reckoning is due in April (US)/May (UK).

Synopsis:
My name is Chloe Saunders and my life will never be the same again.

All I wanted was to make friends, meet boys, and keep on being ordinary. I don't even know what that means anymore. It all started on the day that I saw my first ghost—and the ghost saw me.

Now there are ghosts everywhere and they won't leave me alone. To top it all off, I somehow got myself locked up in Lyle House, a "special home" for troubled teens. Yet the home isn't what it seems. Don't tell anyone, but I think there might be more to my housemates than meets the eye. The question is, whose side are they on? It's up to me to figure out the dangerous secrets behind Lyle House . . . before its skeletons come back to haunt me.

Review: The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong (July 2008, Orbit, ISBN: 184149710X)

First Line: (from Prologue)
Mommy forgot to warn the new babysitter about the basement.

Review: The Summoning is the first part in the Darkest Powers trilogy. Part two, The Awakening, is also available with the final part, The Reckoning, out next May.

Fifteen-year-old Chloe Saunders is being driven to school when she sees a boy run out in front of the car. Except that he's not there. At school she's chased by a burnt janitor that no-one else can see. Her aunt, who is also her doctor, ships Chloe off to a group home, Lyle House, to get some rest and possibly treatment. The psychiatrist there soon diagnoses Chloe as having schizophrenia - much more plausible than an ability to see ghosts.

Chloe's fellow detainees include surly Derek and his foster brother, the superficial seeming Simon, catty Tori and the friendly Rae and Liz. Liz reveals that she has a poltergeist getting her into trouble and asks for help from Chloe. This request sets off a chain of events which lead Chloe to the realisation that her new friends have rather a lot in common with her. How have they all ended up in Lyle House? Is there something sinister going on?

The Summoning proceeds at a steady pace with any action mostly contained to the several floors of Lyle House. Though I didn't feel a great deal happened (it's 400 pages long), I was never bored and am now eager to get onto the next book. The main characters are introduced and their 'skills' revealed, as are their family situations. Characters, who at first seem not so likeable become the ones you really must have in the next book(s). I was getting quite panicky towards the end wondering if a certain character would be in The Awakening.

I really enjoyed The Summoning and with its cliff-hanger ending, it's probably best if you have #2 to hand!

Cover: The book came highly recommended so the cover didn't influence me to pick it up. This version does imply that it is YA as - on the actual cover it says "Young Chloe Saunders has a gift..."

There is a Chloe Saunders website and a prequel story is being serialised on the Chloe Saunders myspace page (it began on 15 Jan).

Though this is a YA/Teenage series it can be found in various sections in bookshops eg paranormal romance (Borders) and horror (Waterstone's) in Birmingham at least!