I received this book for free from the library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the library
Summoning the Night
by
Jenn Bennett
urban fantasy in eBook edition that was published by Pocket Books on April 24, 2012 and has 324 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Kindling the Moon, Binding the Shadows, Bitter Spirits, Grim Shadows, Banishing the Dark, Grave Phantoms
Second in the Arcadia Bell urban fantasy series and revolving around Cady, a young Moonchild. It’s been a month since Kindling the Moon, 1.
I was tempted to go with a “3” for reasons listed below, but chose the “4” simply because I like Bennett’s twist.
My Take
LOL, Cady is learning that Jupe has no filters on his mouth, even if they’d benefit him in the long run. Makes me think of no-nos I tried to get away with when I babysat my nieces and nephews. I had to fall back on “auntie’s privilege”…sigh…
Scary to learn who makes up the Hellfire Club. All pillars of the community. Seems too real-world for me, LOL.
When Cady makes her deal with Hajo, why doesn’t she get the Hellfire Club to pony up for what she needs? She’s doing this job for them. Cady needs to tell Lon what Ambrose is doing. So much for his touting of family values. What he’s doing is wrong, and Lon wouldn’t stand for it. I have to confess that I don’t like how Bennett set this up. It’s too crude. Too easy. Besides Cady was doing them a favor. She never set herself up as being omnipotent. Nor are they paying her, so…eff off!
I dunno. I’d’a thought their experience at the old cannery would have made them more cautious at the putt-putt course. As for the fire, If they know it is a diversion, why go there? How could neither of them realize what Merrin was doing to them? Why would Dare leave it all up to the two of them? Why would they leave Lon’s house with all its wards and go to Cady’s?
I do enjoy Jupe. He is sooo enthusiastic and such a love. Using his love for classic movies to solve clues.
Ooh, cool new birthday present!
I do like this series with the slight twists Bennett has included, even if it is a bit crude. I adore the Lon and Jupe characters, as they bring a lively yet homey warmth into this. Yes, Cady is interesting as well. There certainly is a lot of mystery about her, and Bennett is very slowly revealing Cady’s past in bits and pieces, which only makes me more curious.
All it wants is but a bit of polish to bring it up a level.
The Story
Oops, Jupe has discovered his “knack”, but neither Lon nor Cady believe him as it’s much too early for him to learn it. When it can’t be ignored, Cady and Lon make good use of it. It’s a useful learning experience for Jupe.
He may well need that knack when they find out which children the Snatcher is taking.
The Characters
Arcadia “Cady” Bell (her real name is Seléne Duval, although the demons call her Mother) is free of her parents after Kindling the Moon. Now she’s only in hiding from the FBI. She’s fearful of her newfound Moonchild abilities, especially concerned that she may go mad if she uses them. Mr. Piggy is her pet hedgehog. She owns a bar in Morella, the Tambuku, with her partner, Kar Yee Tsang, a Hong Kong ex-pat. Amanda is their human waitress whose parents run a pottery studio. Mrs. Marsh is her crazy next door neighbor.
Lon Butler is an Earthbound, a Kerub with an empathic knack, with a passion for rare books, and a famous photographer who lives in nearby La Sirena. He’s also Cady’s boyfriend. Jupiter, call him Jupe!, is Lon’s young, teenaged son who has taken Cady into his heart. Foxglove is their black Lab. Mr. and Mrs. Holiday are the caretaker couple Lon employs. Yvonne is Lon’s nutjob ex-wife with a terrifying knack to manipulate people into doing what she wanted.
Ambrose Dare (his knack is to inspire large groups) is the head of the Hellfire Club, an organization of Earthbound who indulge in hedonistic parties and orgies with incubi and succubi. Mark Dare is the son with whom Ambrose is reconciling and CEO of Dare Energy Solutions. Jesse Bishop is a suspect, even though he was a Hellfire Club member, for the club refused his request to Transmutate.
Cindy Brolin was supposed to have been the seventh victim back then. Bob has a low-level knack of healing, a love of Hawaiian shirts, and spends most of his time in Cady’s bar. Hajo is the death dowser Cady wants to hire; he’s also a sømna addict. Cristina is the girlfriend he uses. Mrs. Grace Forsythe is Jupe’s favorite teacher as well as his homeroom and science teacher. Dr. Lawrence Spendlove is a psychiatrist with the knack for truth saying for the Earthbound. Frater Karras used to charge the glass summoning circles for the Hellfire Club. Frater Merrin leads the Morella Silent Temple in its weekly worship. Voxhele is the incubus demon Cady freed in Kindling the Moon.
The Sandpiper Park Snatcher is a serial killer from thirty years ago. And he’s back. He took seven children back then, and he seems to be on track to repeat this. Only this time, he’s focusing on Earthbound children of those who have Transitioned. Grand Duke Chora commands two demonic legions of dragons.
Earthbounds are demons who were originally pulled into human bodies by a magician in the Roanoke Colonies. Heka is the magic used in Arcadia Bell’s world.
The Cover and Title
The cover is tones of red with a ruined wall covered in ancient graffiti and Cady wearing a green skull-and-floral fronted tank top over a black net T-shirt with elbow-length sleeves, holding her caduceus.
The title is Summoning the Night with evil intent.
