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No vampires here (yet) but ghosts aplenty, as Kelley Armstrong presents the first in the 'Dark Powers' series, The Summoning. The tale opens with Chloe Sanders, who's struggling to hang onto her sanity as she attracts the spirits of the dead who long to be heard or noticed. Events send her to a group home where she discovers herself among other 'talented' teens who may or may not be safe company for her. Flavors of "Ghost Whisperer" are here, but the setting is darker and the encounters more sinister. Closing with a open-ended finale, YA and teen readers will be compelled to follow the story into the second book in the series, The Awakening. Recommended! (Harper Collins)
In publishing niche that is amply populated by fantasy-flavored fiction for kids and teens, keeping the different worlds, their creatures, their magic and their rules in order can be discouraging for new, as well as experienced, readers of the genre. How refreshing it was to try on John Flanagan's debut novels in "The Ranger's Apprentice" series. Without borrowing heavily from previous kids' fantasy outings, Flanagan crafts an engaging and captivating setting with a strong cast of characters, and a story that doesn't lean too hard on wizardry and impossibility. The first three books in the series, "The Ruins of Gorlan", "The Burning Bridge" and "The Icebound Land" follow the story of Will, who with his fellow orphans and wards of the local baron, are looking forward to being apprenticed at age fifteen. Though he craves to enter apprenticeship with the Battleschool, his small physical size prevents his selection for that trade. Will is offered instead the opportunity to train as a Ranger, learning the skills and responsibilites of that elite and elusive branch in service to the kingdom of Araluen. Under the tutelage of Galt, an experienced and taciturn member of the Rangers, Will's journey of self discovery and personal growth is cast against a quickly evolving backdrop of looming war, political intrigue and heart-stopping action amid a historic European-esque setting. "The Ranger's Apprentice" series thrives because the central characters are not overshadowed by gimmicks and are allowed to remain the strong core of the story, and rightly so, as they are well-crafted and evolving as well. Highly recommended for kids as well as adult fantasy fans who will not find the books childlike, but perhaps may be reminded with pleasure of their first journey to Shannara or Middle Earth.
