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Moon Wolf Saga #1
Summoning
The World Snake is coming, devourer of Thrace and Atlantis… and the only one standing in its way is Amber, a sixteen-year-old runaway, recently arrived in Los Angeles.
Amber is more than just a girl with a stolen ID and an attitude; she is a daughter of the wolf-kind, a shapeshifter able to change forms at will. One night, as Amber prowls the Hollywood Hills in wolf form, she stumbles onto an occult ceremony, interrupting the ritual. As a result, Amber finds herself the unwilling mistress of a handsome demonic servant, Richard. Appearing as a fair youth of eighteen years, Richard is a demon accidentally summoned, then captured, by Dr. John Dee, court magician to Queen Elizabeth I. Richard has been trying for four centuries to free himself from a succession of masters and mistresses, but finds himself bound to Amber, the only one who can protect him from his greatest fear, the herald of the World Snake, the Eater of Souls. But all hell is about to break loose, and Amber and Richard are going to need some allies to stop the Eater of Souls and avert the World Snake, and the battle has only begun.
From Carol Wolf comes the urban fantasy debut The Summoning, a novel of a wolf girl, a demon boy, and a city on the edge of disaster.
Amber is more than just a girl with a stolen ID and an attitude; she is a daughter of the wolf-kind, a shapeshifter able to change forms at will. One night, as Amber prowls the Hollywood Hills in wolf form, she stumbles onto an occult ceremony, interrupting the ritual. As a result, Amber finds herself the unwilling mistress of a handsome demonic servant, Richard. Appearing as a fair youth of eighteen years, Richard is a demon accidentally summoned, then captured, by Dr. John Dee, court magician to Queen Elizabeth I. Richard has been trying for four centuries to free himself from a succession of masters and mistresses, but finds himself bound to Amber, the only one who can protect him from his greatest fear, the herald of the World Snake, the Eater of Souls. But all hell is about to break loose, and Amber and Richard are going to need some allies to stop the Eater of Souls and avert the World Snake, and the battle has only begun.
From Carol Wolf comes the urban fantasy debut The Summoning, a novel of a wolf girl, a demon boy, and a city on the edge of disaster.
320 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2012
9 people are currently reading
337 people want to read
About the author
Carol Wolf
12 books39 followersCarol Wolf is the author of Summoning and Binding, Books One and Two of The Moon Wolf Saga, Savage Island, Voyages of the Shep, and Coyote Run (with Eric Elliott). Wolf's new novel, The Book of Lost Days, a science fiction adventure, is scheduled for release on March 23, 2019.
Wolf's plays have been produced on both coasts and five continents, and have won the L.A. Drama Critic's Circle Award, the Bay Area Critic's Award, and the London Fringe First. The Thousandth Night was translated into French and will be seen at the Avignon Theatre Festival in July, 2019, at the Theatre des Rampartes. Dr. Rowan, the Demon, and Love, winner of the Stage to Screen playwriting contest, will receive a workshop production August 27-Sept 3, 2019, in the Bay Area. She is a proud member of the Pear Theater Writer's Guild, SWFA, and The Dramatist Guild.
Wolf is the author of Playwriting: the Mericiless Craft; Comprehensive Techniques for Mastering Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced Playwriting.
Wolf wrote the scripts for the blockbuster video games Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain, and Legacy of Kain: Defiance. She is a co-founder of Paw Print Studios, for which she wrote and directed two feature films, The Valley of Fear, and Far from the Sea. She produced and directed the documentary feature Letters to my Grandchildren, which will be submitted to festivals in 2019.
Wolf lives in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada with her husband, Eric Elliott, two border collies, and a varying number of sheep. She is a yon-dan in Toyama-rhu Iaido, the Japanese art of the sword, a certified instructor in Shiyomi-rhu, and holds a knighthood in the Society for Creative Anachronism. She is a regular attendant of CombatCon, where she takes part in panels on how to write realistic fight scenes.
Wolf's plays have been produced on both coasts and five continents, and have won the L.A. Drama Critic's Circle Award, the Bay Area Critic's Award, and the London Fringe First. The Thousandth Night was translated into French and will be seen at the Avignon Theatre Festival in July, 2019, at the Theatre des Rampartes. Dr. Rowan, the Demon, and Love, winner of the Stage to Screen playwriting contest, will receive a workshop production August 27-Sept 3, 2019, in the Bay Area. She is a proud member of the Pear Theater Writer's Guild, SWFA, and The Dramatist Guild.
Wolf is the author of Playwriting: the Mericiless Craft; Comprehensive Techniques for Mastering Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced Playwriting.
Wolf wrote the scripts for the blockbuster video games Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain, and Legacy of Kain: Defiance. She is a co-founder of Paw Print Studios, for which she wrote and directed two feature films, The Valley of Fear, and Far from the Sea. She produced and directed the documentary feature Letters to my Grandchildren, which will be submitted to festivals in 2019.
Wolf lives in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada with her husband, Eric Elliott, two border collies, and a varying number of sheep. She is a yon-dan in Toyama-rhu Iaido, the Japanese art of the sword, a certified instructor in Shiyomi-rhu, and holds a knighthood in the Society for Creative Anachronism. She is a regular attendant of CombatCon, where she takes part in panels on how to write realistic fight scenes.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
October 1, 2012
I won this book on first reads and I am very glad I did. It was a quick and exciting book to read. Carol Wolf has captured my favorite elements- romance, mystery, and the paranormal characters that I must have in every book.
The only negative comment I have Is about the cover. It is not a cover that I would normally pick up to read. It just didn't capture my interest. I would have hated to miss out on this great story.
I will be looking forward to reading the next book. Thanks!!!
April 13, 2020
A couple chapters into this book, I was thinking "Heh, this is a pretty shameless girl-fantasy. Super-powerful female protagonist with shape-changing abilities and everyone's scared of her or in awe of her, plus she owns an incredibly hot boy-demon who cooks gourmet food and cleans for her? What a bunch of wish-fulfillment tropes." And then the further I got into the book, and the more unexpected things that came of that initial setup, the more it surprised me and the better I liked it. Halfway through, it became that rare book I didn't want to put down. And then the ending just stunned me, in terms of where it went and how many expectations it defied.
And… it reminded me that there's nothing wrong with the occasional unashamed escapist fantasy. The protagonist, who goes by a variety of names, is a "wolf kind," a woman with two natures and the ability to become a wolf and to change size and alter how others perceive her. Even just a few pages into the book, I was enjoying her narrative voice — her confidence and arrogance and ferocity, her utter not-humanness. In a world where female protagonists seem to fall into such limited categories, this one feels unique in some really enjoyable ways.
The world itself is also highly enjoyable. It reminded me a bit of The Dresden Files, and Ursula Vernon's Black Dogs books, and Charles De Lint in general, and Emma Bull's War for the Oaks, a longtime favorite of mine. It takes place in an LA that's absolutely lousy with magic circles and hidden powers, and of course they all seem to hold each other mildly in contempt and mildly in respect, but each new one introduced was fun. I went into this book expecting nothing, and I came out disappointed that there are only two volumes in the series. Looking forward to reading more Carol Wolf.
And… it reminded me that there's nothing wrong with the occasional unashamed escapist fantasy. The protagonist, who goes by a variety of names, is a "wolf kind," a woman with two natures and the ability to become a wolf and to change size and alter how others perceive her. Even just a few pages into the book, I was enjoying her narrative voice — her confidence and arrogance and ferocity, her utter not-humanness. In a world where female protagonists seem to fall into such limited categories, this one feels unique in some really enjoyable ways.
The world itself is also highly enjoyable. It reminded me a bit of The Dresden Files, and Ursula Vernon's Black Dogs books, and Charles De Lint in general, and Emma Bull's War for the Oaks, a longtime favorite of mine. It takes place in an LA that's absolutely lousy with magic circles and hidden powers, and of course they all seem to hold each other mildly in contempt and mildly in respect, but each new one introduced was fun. I went into this book expecting nothing, and I came out disappointed that there are only two volumes in the series. Looking forward to reading more Carol Wolf.
September 4, 2018
4.5
I'm impressed. I am not a fan of urban fantasy--or at least of the urban fantasies I've read--couple that with this cover and I was sure I was in for a book I would not enjoy.
I couldn't have been more wrong.
Solid plot, strong world-building, multidimensional and fascinating characters... this book had it all. I read it in two days because I literally couldn't stop. The ending was satisfyingly realistic without making the mistake of being either too saccharine or too depressing. I could see an argument for the thwarting of the great evil being too easy and to that I would say to take another look at the real point of this story.
Definitely reading the rest of the series, despite these not strictly being YA. Highly recommended for fantasy fans.
I'm impressed. I am not a fan of urban fantasy--or at least of the urban fantasies I've read--couple that with this cover and I was sure I was in for a book I would not enjoy.
I couldn't have been more wrong.
Solid plot, strong world-building, multidimensional and fascinating characters... this book had it all. I read it in two days because I literally couldn't stop. The ending was satisfyingly realistic without making the mistake of being either too saccharine or too depressing. I could see an argument for the thwarting of the great evil being too easy and to that I would say to take another look at the real point of this story.
Definitely reading the rest of the series, despite these not strictly being YA. Highly recommended for fantasy fans.
August 21, 2012
This was a lot of fun! Amber is a compelling and flawed heroine. I enjoyed her approach to saving the world.
I can't recall a story where the protagonist acknowledges their burden. They usually are blindly led by the Fates. Amber embraces her decisions. She revels in her anger and accepts her flaws. And forever unapologetic.
I'm looking forward to watching her unravel other mysteries!
I can't recall a story where the protagonist acknowledges their burden. They usually are blindly led by the Fates. Amber embraces her decisions. She revels in her anger and accepts her flaws. And forever unapologetic.
I'm looking forward to watching her unravel other mysteries!
July 12, 2022
2.5*. This was ok. But I just couldn’t connect to the characters. Also it lost me in parts.
June 25, 2017
Just could not connect
Characters are very cold. There was no warm moments to connect to. Confusing beginning just got worse with the snake.
Characters are very cold. There was no warm moments to connect to. Confusing beginning just got worse with the snake.
December 4, 2022
Nice to listen too. Good background noise whilst I was gaming
April 8, 2013
Summoning is centered on sixteen-year-old Amber a wolf-shifter, and daughter of the moon wolf (moon wolf’s significance isn’t explained in the book but is hinted that her lineage is important). Amber is on the run from her family, and living in the city of Los Angeles as a painter/construction worker (I think). On one of Amber’s daily runs, she finds herself enthralled by the drumming on the hilltop. Upon arrival Amber notices that she just interrupted a group of Wiccan witches in the middle of a ritual and they’re about to kill a demon. The witches spares the demon’s life, letting Amber dispose of the demon as she wishes but she instead finds herself bound to the demon as his master. The demon Richard warns Amber of a coming catastrophe that’s heading straight for L.A and that she is the city only hope to stop it. The last thing Amber wanted was to be stuck with a demon but she isn’t about to let the city she loves be destroyed. Amber and Richard will have to get all the help they can get to stop the World Snake and Eater of Souls.
The Summoning is labeled as an urban fantasy (adult I think) but it read more like a younger YA book, I mean the main heroine is sixteen-years-old but that isn’t the problem. The writing and dialogue seemed choppy and amateurish, and while the heroine is a teenager…the way she acted, talked, her living situation, and job didn’t seem like she was sixteen more like in her early-middle twenties. When I initially found this book, I thought the cover and synopsis sounded interesting and plus it had great reviews but it wasn’t what I expected. The Summoning had way too many plot holes that left me confused and full of questions at the end of the book. For example the World snake and Eater of Souls, what are they exactly and why are they headed for L.A? The book mentioned that the World Snake was a female and Eater of Souls as male, and the Eater of Souls paved the way for the World Snake. They’re both the reason why some cities cease to exist (Thrace and Atlantis). Also Amber may have ran away from her family but how did she delude them for as long as she has when she’s still in the family territory? There wasn’t a lot that made sense, and since I couldn’t make head or tails of things I began to slowly lose interest in the story. In the end I was still left with unanswered question and felt the ending was rushed and anticlimactic.
As for Amber, Richard and the secondary characters they all didn’t make any lasting impressions. I felt disconnected from Amber from the start. It didn’t help that for most of the book Amber acted like a hard ass, thinking she owns the city even though there were a lot of other magical beings living in the same area. I really wanted to like the Summoning, but in the end it wasn’t for me. Bottom line, the Summoning was an okay read with a plot line that didn’t really hold my attention, lackluster characters and world-building that needs more improvement.
The Summoning is labeled as an urban fantasy (adult I think) but it read more like a younger YA book, I mean the main heroine is sixteen-years-old but that isn’t the problem. The writing and dialogue seemed choppy and amateurish, and while the heroine is a teenager…the way she acted, talked, her living situation, and job didn’t seem like she was sixteen more like in her early-middle twenties. When I initially found this book, I thought the cover and synopsis sounded interesting and plus it had great reviews but it wasn’t what I expected. The Summoning had way too many plot holes that left me confused and full of questions at the end of the book. For example the World snake and Eater of Souls, what are they exactly and why are they headed for L.A? The book mentioned that the World Snake was a female and Eater of Souls as male, and the Eater of Souls paved the way for the World Snake. They’re both the reason why some cities cease to exist (Thrace and Atlantis). Also Amber may have ran away from her family but how did she delude them for as long as she has when she’s still in the family territory? There wasn’t a lot that made sense, and since I couldn’t make head or tails of things I began to slowly lose interest in the story. In the end I was still left with unanswered question and felt the ending was rushed and anticlimactic.
As for Amber, Richard and the secondary characters they all didn’t make any lasting impressions. I felt disconnected from Amber from the start. It didn’t help that for most of the book Amber acted like a hard ass, thinking she owns the city even though there were a lot of other magical beings living in the same area. I really wanted to like the Summoning, but in the end it wasn’t for me. Bottom line, the Summoning was an okay read with a plot line that didn’t really hold my attention, lackluster characters and world-building that needs more improvement.
November 3, 2013
This was a recommendation in Charles De Lint's excellent column in Fantasy and Science Fiction magazine, which I've learned to trust pretty much unquestioningly as not only do I enjoy De Lint's own novels, I've loved pretty much everything else he's pointed me at (and frankly, he seems nearly as into urban fantasy as I am, so that's a plus). This was no exception, despite a slightly rocky start. There's a lot of cool magic details, a refreshingly original take on werewolves (in this case, "wolf kin", and there are kin of other animals) and demons, and a protagonist that's not at all a conventional hero (or for that matter, anti-hero). She takes on the problems she faces because she's claimed territory and has no intention of backing down, and she enjoys asserting dominance and garnering "respect" (for which often read "fear"). Her perspective simply isn't that of a human, because she's not. And I dig that. It may seem slightly unsatisfying that certain larger issues are resolved essentially by authorial fiat, but I would argue that they were never the point of the story, merely color and impetus. I will be interested to see the protagonist further build herself a home and community in subsequent books, and look forward to her resolving the issues from her past that are teased but not strongly explored in this book.
May 8, 2012
A very polished, fast-moving debut novel from a new author to watch!
Amber's on the run from an abusive step-father. She has a big secret to hide as well -- she's a werewolf who can change forms at will. She's found a job and an apartment in Los Angeles, but the city has secrets of its own. The area we call L.A. is a collection of towns, not a single city, crammed together between the mountains to the east and the ocean to the west. In this patchwork, studded with glitz as well as despair, a good many magical folk live and try to continue their work.
And some of them are not what you'd call Nice Folks . . .
The book is quite clearly the first of a series. The ending wraps the story up to a great extent, but there are threads left dangling for a next book.
Wolf does a good job with her characters and her setting. The plot moves right along; the people and the not-so-human types are well presented and read as real. Her prose is sound, readable, and fresh. Highly recommended!
Amber's on the run from an abusive step-father. She has a big secret to hide as well -- she's a werewolf who can change forms at will. She's found a job and an apartment in Los Angeles, but the city has secrets of its own. The area we call L.A. is a collection of towns, not a single city, crammed together between the mountains to the east and the ocean to the west. In this patchwork, studded with glitz as well as despair, a good many magical folk live and try to continue their work.
And some of them are not what you'd call Nice Folks . . .
The book is quite clearly the first of a series. The ending wraps the story up to a great extent, but there are threads left dangling for a next book.
Wolf does a good job with her characters and her setting. The plot moves right along; the people and the not-so-human types are well presented and read as real. Her prose is sound, readable, and fresh. Highly recommended!
December 10, 2014
What a fantastic book that is very different from the usual werewolf books. The main character is certainly a wolf and yet she is also a strong human character who is growing up and learning about life. Since this is the start of a series, there are a diverse number of characters who stories have yet to be told. I really hope to get to know Tamara and Yvette more in the future, they may have some great back stories. The ending was in some ways anticlimactic and yet I found it very satisfying. I enjoyed the different take on demons, power raisers, and particularly the wolf and bear kind. While this book is probably a 4, I feel like it is the start of something unique and fun so I marked it up a notch. There is a lot to explore in this world that Carol Wolf has created and I will anticipate playing I it for years to come.
November 15, 2013
So..... Next time I see a book with iffy reviews but decide to read it anyway due to general shininess, someone please smack me over the head and stop me. Summoning starts out strong with an intense main character and a quickly diverse world. There's a ticking clock with the world snake coming to eat LA. So why did I eventually come to dread picking up this book? The love interest. Not that he's particularly badly drawn. The supporting cast is pretty thinly drawn, but the main characters are stronger. It's not his fault- it's the fact that he's a centuries old rape victim who then gets raped twice more in the course of the story. When he has sex with the heroine I'm really not sure if it's consensual. That's too high a level of squickiness for a not very good novel for me. I'm out.
December 12, 2014
This wasn't a bad start. I have to admit there were some copy editing and grammar spots that made my brain stumble a bit, but over all it wasn't bad.
The primary protagonist thinks that people being afraid of her is "respect" and I sincerely hope that's one of the things she will grow to learn about as the character matures. She's young, but it's an adult kind of young - or near adult. I don't feel like I'm reading a YA book even though she's young.
I liked it. I'm going to read the next one.
The primary protagonist thinks that people being afraid of her is "respect" and I sincerely hope that's one of the things she will grow to learn about as the character matures. She's young, but it's an adult kind of young - or near adult. I don't feel like I'm reading a YA book even though she's young.
I liked it. I'm going to read the next one.
May 2, 2012
Summoning combines fantasy, adventure, romance, and mystery- there's something for everyone to enjoy. The 16 year old main character is gutsy, but has a heart, and is easy to identify with. Teenagers would like this book. I found the romance between Amber and Richard touching, and the intimate scenes were handled with discretion. Many interesting supporting characters with believable quirks; many plot twists and turns. I look forward to Book 2 of the series.
September 5, 2012
I did like the main character but it seems as if the ending was just the riding of the tide out. So I didn't know if that last tid bit was worth it or not. Would I read the next one? maybe not There are other books in my library that I'm excited to start or finish. Maybe the second is better but I'll probably wait to read it at another time.
March 11, 2013
An interesting book that I enjoyed quite a bit, except that I felt the ending to be somewhat contrived. Then again, perhaps that was just me expecting something slightly different. Still, the characters were charming, and I'm interested to see what's next for Amber.
Want to read
July 20, 2016I'll have to come back to this one. It's a book I have on Audible, and I don't really have the time to sit and listen at the moment. So I'm not stopping because I was bored, I just don't want to leave this on my currently reading shelf when I'm not currently reading it.
March 8, 2013
This one was definitely so-so. Why build up to such an anti-climactic climax? It's such a shame, with such a possibly interesting set of main characters.
April 19, 2012
Review to come!
July 8, 2012
I'm going to read it a second time before I write a review.
June 2, 2012
Too much language, holey plot
August 29, 2012
Liked characters alot, but I am curious to see where author will take them after the ending of the book? I love strong heroines and this book definately has it.
November 30, 2012
A fast, fun, solid read. Definitely recommended to anyone who likes urban fantasy!
April 19, 2013
it was good but the end was kind of a cop out. all that build up for it to be wished away.
November 7, 2014
This novel broke my heart a little bit. *tears* Good read though!
April 9, 2017
Fun read. Would make a great tv series.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews