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snazel's review
4.0
Higher and delightful levels of canadian sass, and the glimpses into high school life for a keeper were hilarious. There was some odd undercurrent stuff about humanity and personhood being tied to having genitals (and thus a sex drive) which the story didn't quite manage to refute. So that was -- less hilarious?
anzunagi's review
3.0
I was surprised with how much I enjoyed this sequel compared to the first one!
This book focused much more on resolving the actual plot than unnecessary relationship melodrama. I liked that we got to learn more about the "evil" characters in this installment and I felt for them more than the "evil" in the first book.
The ending wrapped up a bit too nicely once again but it felt less out of left field this time.
Probably closer to 3.5 stars.
This book focused much more on resolving the actual plot than unnecessary relationship melodrama. I liked that we got to learn more about the "evil" characters in this installment and I felt for them more than the "evil" in the first book.
The ending wrapped up a bit too nicely once again but it felt less out of left field this time.
Probably closer to 3.5 stars.
tachyondecay's review
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Claire Hansen returns in this sequel to Summon the Keeper. It’s rare that I manage to read the next book in a series in such close succession, but here we go! The Second Summoning embraces and builds upon certain elements of absurdity present in the first book. I admire how Tanya Huff can write urban fantasy that is simultaneously tense and intriguing yet also funny and lighthearted. However, the plot of this book didn’t entertain me as much as the first; I think this Huff series might just not be for me.
Spoilers for the first book ahead but not for this one.
Picking up shortly after the conclusion of the first book, The Second Summoning sees Claire and Dean have a fight over Dean’s continued association with her. Despite being in lurrrve, Claire is worried that Dean will get hurt (you know, standard superhero stuff). When they do finally consummate their love, it’s apparently sooooo good, so magically significant, that it leaves enough raw energy lying around to help jumpstart some shenanigans of Claire’s sister into a real, living embodiment of an angel. And where there’s an angel, there’s bound to be a demon….
I’m starting to realize that maybe being disinterested in sex is one of the reasons I am less enthusiastic about Huff’s writing in this series. Her Gale Women trilogy certainly mentions sex (and in semi-incestuous ways even), but I don’t know—something about this series just feels so horny, and it doesn’t work for poor, ace Kara! The constant innuendo about Claire and Dean’s relationship, followed by all the references to Samuel having genitals (oh my!) … I’m trying to register how much I didn’t enjoy this writing while not condemning it, because my goal is not to be prudish but instead communicate what didn’t work for me.
My favourite parts of the story probably involve the dynamic between Claire and her younger sister, Diana, who is an even more powerful Keeper but, of course, less mature. Diana acts not just as Claire’s foil but at times can even be an antagonist or anti-hero. Her fluid role in the story helps to keep things interesting. Ultimately, she and Claire are always on the same side—but as with her other series, this one demonstrates how Huff has a great handle on family dynamics and the ways in which family members will often be at odds over smaller issues even as they agree to work together on larger ones.
Like I said at the start of my review, the actual plot did very little for me. It is a lot of running around in Toronto, a lot of sex jokes, a lot of “isn’t being human weird but also kind of fun?” Though the stakes are arguably higher in this book, they don’t feel all that higher.
I guess my overall opinion of The Second Summoning is that it was fine as a distraction, a decent novel, but nothing I got excited about. I will read the last book in the trilogy because I have already bought it; I’m curious to see what Huff brings and whether it will alter my “meh” reaction.
Originally posted at Kara.Reviews.
Spoilers for the first book ahead but not for this one.
Picking up shortly after the conclusion of the first book, The Second Summoning sees Claire and Dean have a fight over Dean’s continued association with her. Despite being in lurrrve, Claire is worried that Dean will get hurt (you know, standard superhero stuff). When they do finally consummate their love, it’s apparently sooooo good, so magically significant, that it leaves enough raw energy lying around to help jumpstart some shenanigans of Claire’s sister into a real, living embodiment of an angel. And where there’s an angel, there’s bound to be a demon….
I’m starting to realize that maybe being disinterested in sex is one of the reasons I am less enthusiastic about Huff’s writing in this series. Her Gale Women trilogy certainly mentions sex (and in semi-incestuous ways even), but I don’t know—something about this series just feels so horny, and it doesn’t work for poor, ace Kara! The constant innuendo about Claire and Dean’s relationship, followed by all the references to Samuel having genitals (oh my!) … I’m trying to register how much I didn’t enjoy this writing while not condemning it, because my goal is not to be prudish but instead communicate what didn’t work for me.
My favourite parts of the story probably involve the dynamic between Claire and her younger sister, Diana, who is an even more powerful Keeper but, of course, less mature. Diana acts not just as Claire’s foil but at times can even be an antagonist or anti-hero. Her fluid role in the story helps to keep things interesting. Ultimately, she and Claire are always on the same side—but as with her other series, this one demonstrates how Huff has a great handle on family dynamics and the ways in which family members will often be at odds over smaller issues even as they agree to work together on larger ones.
Like I said at the start of my review, the actual plot did very little for me. It is a lot of running around in Toronto, a lot of sex jokes, a lot of “isn’t being human weird but also kind of fun?” Though the stakes are arguably higher in this book, they don’t feel all that higher.
I guess my overall opinion of The Second Summoning is that it was fine as a distraction, a decent novel, but nothing I got excited about. I will read the last book in the trilogy because I have already bought it; I’m curious to see what Huff brings and whether it will alter my “meh” reaction.
Originally posted at Kara.Reviews.
ghostlyprose's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
better than the previous one, funnier too
literaryfeline's review
3.0
In the second installment of The Keeper’s Chronicles, Claire, Dean and Austin hit the road, leaving behind the guesthouse to carry on with Claire’s mission in life, to go where she is summoned, hoping to clean up the messes left behind by evil doings. A combination of a powerful feel good spell and the ultimate union between a Keeper and a pure hearted man deeply in love have unexpected consequences when an angel and a demon manifest as teenagers on earth, struggling to realize who they are and what their missions could possibly be. In a search to find the angel and demon to send them back from where they came, Claire, Dean and Austin set off on their wintry journey. Meanwhile, Claire’s sister, Diana, has her own ideas and she herself sets out to find the angel and demon, for a slightly different purpose than that of her sister. Although this particular book did not have the same draw that the first one in the series did, I enjoyed it overall. It seemed a bit thin and drawn out at times, with the characters not being quite so interesting.
cindywho's review
2.0
More of the same from the first book... At first I thought is was in a bad way, then it was in a good way. Hokey and happy, though she did make fun of the word "kewl" a few times more often than funny.
P.S. I tried to read the third on the airplane, but the irritation level went too high and I gave up about 1/3 of the way in.
(March 31, 2005)
P.S. I tried to read the third on the airplane, but the irritation level went too high and I gave up about 1/3 of the way in.
(March 31, 2005)
katekat's review
4.0
I love how Tanya Huff writes the perfect mix of sci-fi/fantasy that has both humor and a serious twist. No matter what series of hers I read I find myself thoroughly enjoying it. The main character in this is a kick butt heroine but not in the traditional sense and I love all of the secondary characters so very much, especially her cat.
krisrid's review
2.0
This was okay. I didn't love it as much as the first book in the series, but I liked it enough to finish it.
This time around, I felt like the story - and the author - were trying just a tad to hard to be continuously clever with the humour and the cheek. It had its moments, but it also went over the top a lot more than I saw in book 1. I did find myself rolling my eyes at points, and thinking: "okay, already, we get it! They're clever! They're funny!"
I also felt like this book dragged a bit for me about 100 pages in. It wrapped up okay, but I really feel like this could have told the story faster, with better pacing, and a little less angst on the parts of both Clair and Diana.
It was okay, but I'm not reading the third book, because Diana as the main character would get on my last nerve REALLY quickly. I don't care if she IS the most powerful Keeper ever, she's still a seriously annoying teenager. No thanks!
This time around, I felt like the story - and the author - were trying just a tad to hard to be continuously clever with the humour and the cheek. It had its moments, but it also went over the top a lot more than I saw in book 1. I did find myself rolling my eyes at points, and thinking: "okay, already, we get it! They're clever! They're funny!"
I also felt like this book dragged a bit for me about 100 pages in. It wrapped up okay, but I really feel like this could have told the story faster, with better pacing, and a little less angst on the parts of both Clair and Diana.
It was okay, but I'm not reading the third book, because Diana as the main character would get on my last nerve REALLY quickly. I don't care if she IS the most powerful Keeper ever, she's still a seriously annoying teenager. No thanks!