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Dark Chronicles #3
The Calling
Landing a role with an exclusive dance troupe called the Theater of the Dead, Miki rehearses a piece of choreography about vampires and becomes alarmed when a series of local murders involves victims with bitten necks.
224 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1995
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 18, 2025
The final book in Steiner's Dark Chronicles trilogy from the early 1990s. I had to purchase a Kindle copy as it is the only one of the three books, I have not found a physical paperback copy for. Decent or even ludicrously overpriced for the record.
Out of the three, it is probably the weakest...but in the best way. Steiner is really good at creating atmosphere and giving us characters we can actually feel sympathy or even disgust towards. The way the story unfolds is just very predictable to a seasoned reader of YA horror.
It is also a weak rehash of the first book in the trilogy where the lead character there was also a dancer like the one in this book, Miki. The difference we have this time is that instead of a demonic or satanic cult, it is vampires. I have nothing against vampires and as much PG-13 steaminess this book can provide but it comes as no actual surprise.
Miki sees a troupe of dancers going into an abandoned building after her normal dance class and finds them doing trapeze work instead of straight up ballet geared more towards performance art.
The all have dark hair, pale skin, wear black and capes and pretend to be vampires so it is obvious that they are. I read Interview with The Vampire, saw the movie and the television show...you can't pull the wool over the eyes of the audience.
They let her join, and Miki falls hard for her dance partner, Davin. Lots of sexual tension between them but not everyone is happy that Miki has stumbled into their world. Miki's bestie Paige is a little jealous of the time Miki spends with the troupe and fears she is going to leave her behind.
They have been friends since they were little enough to start dance classes, and they even did a blood sister ritual as kids. Miki is closer to her friend's family than her own mother, a lawyer who has been a little emotionally distant since Miki's father left when she was only ten years old.
Both of Miki's parents were dancers but in order to support the family, Miki's mother went to school to study law. She works late and Miki is on her own most of the time. She knows her mother won't be happy with her daughter trying to follow in her father's pipe dream of being a performer so hesitates to tell her for a while.
Being a lawyer, Miki's mother could have the police check on this "troupe", but Miki can just feel this pull on her to be a part of their world...a calling if you will. Once Miki tries to bring Paige to join her is when most of the excitement starts with people being killed and someone in the troupe trying to get rid of Miki.
Just who it is trying to make Miki flee is painfully obvious even if Steiner sets up a few red herrings.
A reveal that is supposed to be a twist I suppose is not hidden very well either and the ending is also so abrupt and so ambiguous. Even emotional wise, I don't know whether I should feel sad or angry, but I do know I'm left...dumbfounded.
The Dark Chronicles started strong but got weaker with each entry yet there was some continuity of the books taking place in the same city and mentioning previous books. The Calling will be enough for all of us who adore vampire fiction if read as a standalone entry. Seeking out the other books is worth it even if you have to pay for a Kindle copy or any other bit of the late Barbara Steiner's bibliography.
Out of the three, it is probably the weakest...but in the best way. Steiner is really good at creating atmosphere and giving us characters we can actually feel sympathy or even disgust towards. The way the story unfolds is just very predictable to a seasoned reader of YA horror.
It is also a weak rehash of the first book in the trilogy where the lead character there was also a dancer like the one in this book, Miki. The difference we have this time is that instead of a demonic or satanic cult, it is vampires. I have nothing against vampires and as much PG-13 steaminess this book can provide but it comes as no actual surprise.
Miki sees a troupe of dancers going into an abandoned building after her normal dance class and finds them doing trapeze work instead of straight up ballet geared more towards performance art.
The all have dark hair, pale skin, wear black and capes and pretend to be vampires so it is obvious that they are. I read Interview with The Vampire, saw the movie and the television show...you can't pull the wool over the eyes of the audience.
They let her join, and Miki falls hard for her dance partner, Davin. Lots of sexual tension between them but not everyone is happy that Miki has stumbled into their world. Miki's bestie Paige is a little jealous of the time Miki spends with the troupe and fears she is going to leave her behind.
They have been friends since they were little enough to start dance classes, and they even did a blood sister ritual as kids. Miki is closer to her friend's family than her own mother, a lawyer who has been a little emotionally distant since Miki's father left when she was only ten years old.
Both of Miki's parents were dancers but in order to support the family, Miki's mother went to school to study law. She works late and Miki is on her own most of the time. She knows her mother won't be happy with her daughter trying to follow in her father's pipe dream of being a performer so hesitates to tell her for a while.
Being a lawyer, Miki's mother could have the police check on this "troupe", but Miki can just feel this pull on her to be a part of their world...a calling if you will. Once Miki tries to bring Paige to join her is when most of the excitement starts with people being killed and someone in the troupe trying to get rid of Miki.
Just who it is trying to make Miki flee is painfully obvious even if Steiner sets up a few red herrings.
A reveal that is supposed to be a twist I suppose is not hidden very well either and the ending is also so abrupt and so ambiguous. Even emotional wise, I don't know whether I should feel sad or angry, but I do know I'm left...dumbfounded.
The Dark Chronicles started strong but got weaker with each entry yet there was some continuity of the books taking place in the same city and mentioning previous books. The Calling will be enough for all of us who adore vampire fiction if read as a standalone entry. Seeking out the other books is worth it even if you have to pay for a Kindle copy or any other bit of the late Barbara Steiner's bibliography.
January 11, 2022
Not as good as the first two, really just a lovestruck teen and an uninspiring ending
July 28, 2023
Short novel. Very predictable. Not something I'd re-read. Good to a point, but not good enough.
September 19, 2015
Actual page number- 200 pages
Meh, a vampire book with little action and scares. That's my biggest problem with the book. Most of the time, it's basically main character being hypnotized/charmed vampires as she performed dance practices and expressing her feelings being in the dance troupe. Later on, the book does have some suspense later on but I have to read 100 pages of plodding, boring parts to get to it.
I do find the main character sympathetic regarding here absent parent and how lonely she feels. And I do like how subtle here father's whereabouts are as the readers know it, rather than the main characters.
I can't recommend this book because it's just uninteresting.
Meh, a vampire book with little action and scares. That's my biggest problem with the book. Most of the time, it's basically main character being hypnotized/charmed vampires as she performed dance practices and expressing her feelings being in the dance troupe. Later on, the book does have some suspense later on but I have to read 100 pages of plodding, boring parts to get to it.
I do find the main character sympathetic regarding here absent parent and how lonely she feels. And I do like how subtle here father's whereabouts are as the readers know it, rather than the main characters.
I can't recommend this book because it's just uninteresting.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews