This month sees the re-release of The Summoning (UK/ANZ), the first book in Kelley Armstrong’s Darkest Powers series. It’s got a new cover to fall in line with the look we’ve given to its sequel The Awakening (UK/ ANZ), and we think it’s super-stylish. The reviewers have had some great things to say about what’s inside the covers too – here’s what Melissa Marr, author of Wicked Lovely has to say about the book:

Action, danger, supernatural secrets, and a hint of romance – Armstrong’s world is one in which trusting the wrong person can have dire consequences. You’ll be desperate for a sequel.

And DeathRay have been equally complimentary, calling it:

A punchy opening to the series, benefitting from strong characterisation and atmosphere.

The Summoning sees Kelley Armstrong returning to the Otherworld, but this time from a teenage perspective. Chloe Saunders, our protagonist, thinks the trials of high school are bad enough. That is – until she starts seeing ghosts in the corridors. And when Chloe finally cracks because the dead people won’t leave her alone, she ends up at a group home for disturbed kids. But what Chloe begins realise is that Lyle House isn’t your typical group home, and what binds its residents together is something more sinister than your usual ‘problem kid’ behaviour.

It’s great to revisit the Otherworld from this fresh new angle, and Kelley Armstrong has this to say on her website about her decision to write a YA series:
 

I had an idea for a plotline with younger characters, which meant I needed to do it outside the regular series. I really wanted to explore the idea of what it’s like to be that age, coming into your powers. And the plotline I had in mind added a lot of extra twists and hurdles to what would already be a difficult time in a young supernatural’s life.
 

The second instalment to the Darkest Powers series, The Awakening (UK/ANZ), is also out now, and you can read Kelley’s thoughts on it here.