Customer Reviews

The Calling

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Tom Nash seems like an ordinary man with a wife and child on the way. But Tom has a gift. He can hear people's prayers and feels a compulsion to answer them. When he hears a terrified young girl pleading for her life, Tom knows that he must help her. Tom embarks on a mission to save a kidnapped girl, and along the way discovers that he's not the only one with special gifts. And not everyone uses them for good.

Mack has created an incredible fantasy world of angels (the Called) and demons (the Scorned), among other super-powered beings. Tom Nash is a good man with a destiny to help people. When faced with deadly adversity, he doesn't even question what he's doing. He simply makes up his mind that helping an innocent stranger is his only option. Along the way, he meets another Called like himself, with not as wholesome morals. But the Scorned are pure evil. And when the forces of evil team up with vicious mafia, Tom is confronted with a danger he has never faced before.

The supporting characters are vivid and mysterious. It's difficult to go into much detail without giving away some surprises. But there are several twists to the story, with some revelations at the end that leave it open-ended for a sequel. Here's hoping!

The Calling is an exciting, dark and suspenseful urban fantasy tale. Fast-paced and thrilling, this is definitely one of my favorite original novels of the year. This is a must read for urban fantasy fans.

Urban Fantasy is replete with different themes and catchy permutations of your standard combination of mythological/fantastic beings who happen to turn up in the world we live in today. In The Calling, David Mack tries something pretty original by trading on the concept of Guardian Angels and their evil counterparts to create a Fantasy version of the world we live in.

Tom Nash is your everyman who happens to have a mystical gift. In his case, this gift is the mechanism by which he is Called into the service of a force for good. The very nature of his existence is so set in opposition to all things fantastic that it sets up a powerful conflict between his need to stay in his life's paradigm while struggling through a serious adventure into the fantastic. It's refreshing to see a Urban Fantasy author who can understand how really difficult it could be to have your frame of reference thrown completely out of balance.

Tom Nash is not terribly exciting as a character, but that's the point. The story is not so much about Tom as it is about anyone who could be placed on this path away from reality. How Tom reacts, his ability to apply real-world skills to the challenges he faces, and his willingness to adapt, but not cave in to the temptation to toss aside his morality when faced with something completely different.

Tom leads us on quite a chase back an forth through New York City trying to answer the prayer of a young girl in need. David Mack doesn't stick with just his perspective. We are shown how the story evolves through at least four different sets of eyes, but this doesn't give you an omniscient view, it just fills in some blanks. Mack is very good at this and he also does a really good job of creating tension. I almost felt like I was reading a thriller novel instead of Urban Fantasy.

For the first book in what appears to be a new series, I was very impressed. David Mack writes very well and gets the story moving at a pace that keeps you interested without blowing through too much too quickly. His characters are believable for the most part and in this genre that's important to keep any sense of realism. I strongly recommend this as a quick read with the hope that more will be soon on it's way.

In Sawyer, Pennsylvania, Tom Nash is gifted or cursed depending on your perspective with the ability to hear telepathically someone's prayers. He feels a need that borders on obsession to follow-up on the call for help. Thus he drops whatever he is doing and goes to the person in need.

When he hears an eleven year old girl in New York City begging God to save her from her kidnappers, Tom knows he must find and rescue her. He leaves his pregnant wife and his job behind and travels to the Big Apple though he is unsure where the child is being held. Though some would say dumb luck, Tom believes he has been guided to a poster of missing Phaedra Doyle. This leads him to Phaedra's despondent wealthy mom, the widow Anna in Brooklyn. He explains how he found her and she trusts him to help save her daughter while telling him she has been warned to keep law enforcement out or else. .

This is an interesting paranormal thriller starring an intriguing intrepid lead character who "hears" voices of prayers. The story line is fast-paced as Tom terrific courageously does what he believes is his calling in life when he just wants to stay in Pennsylvania with his family. The lack of explanation as to how the champion chooses his involvement and mutes the zillion prayers for divine intervention to keep from going certifiable (think of Rogue of the X-Men without the need to touch someone) detracts from an otherwise super thriller.

Harriet Klausner

The Calling is the first novel in what almost has to be a new ongoing series by Star Trek author David Mack (not to be confused with the Kabuki graphic novelist). In this novel we are introduced to Tom Nash, an average, everyman type with one secret - he answers prayers. Not all of them obviously, but every so often a prayer gets telegraphed to his head and he is compelled to act. When he hears the prayer of a recently kidnapped girl, he sets off on a quest that will put him in the crossfire of a supernatural conflict that has raged for centuries.

The Calling's brilliant cover artwork caught my eye, and after reading the back cover I picked it up hoping for an urban fantasy along the lines of the Dresden Files or Repairman Jack series. Mack's novel shares some characteristics with those series (more so Repairman Jack than Dresden Files), but it doesn't feel like the typical urban fantasy, which is a good thing. I found it especially refreshing that the conflict between what is pretty obviously angels and demons is presented in a non-religious way (it's decidedly not a Christian novel by the way). The supporting characters are all quite memorable, and the action is almost choreographed for an eventual TV series.

The problem - for me at least - is that the main character seems almost too bland and generic. I never got a feel for what makes the guy tick. The motivations of some of the other characters seemed a bit shallow as well. The plot seemed to rely on coincidence and blind luck, and even with the eventual explanation for (some of) that it still stretched belief at times.

Despite those flaws, The Calling is a very enjoyable read and has the potential to be a standout urban fantasy series, especially if Mack can give Nash more personality. There's a lot of potential here, and I'd love to see where he takes the story.

Tom Nash might seem like a normal average guy from Sawyer, Pennsylvania. He's a jack-of-all-trades with a knack for fixing things. But beneath all that, Tom is anything but ordinary - he hears people's prayers. And more odd than that, he answers them. Maybe it's because he's a handyman, but Tom feels compelled to fix people's problems. Which is all well and good - until the soul-shattering plea of a terrified girl sends him on the darkest journey of his life....

Please God - don't let them kill me.

Those seven words turn Tom's world upside down. He departs from home and heads out to New York City where he is immersed in a world full of angels and demons and a never-ending battle between good and evil. There he meets a saucy, Latina named Erin who more or less gives him a quick lesson on what he is - one of The Called. He was born with a divine purpose for a reason - to help the powers of Heaven in the war against the agents of Hell (otherwise known as the Scorned). It is up to Tom to find the girl who prayed for his help -- because her fate will determine whether humanity deserves to be saved, or damned for all eternity.

Doesn't that just sound fantastic?! I know the description totally hooked me and boy was I in for a treat. Firstly, Tom was a great character - he was very down to Earth, loves his wife (I really like that in a man), yet is in a position where he has a calling to help other people. He does this and does it well. And although, his wife is very supportive of this, he knows that she is not all that happy with him when he leaves her several weeks before their baby is due. On his mission, he meets Erin (which may be because I'm Latina myself) but I loved her. She was saucy, funny and was a major kick a$s character. We are kept at the edge of our seat as Tom and Erin head from one dangerous situation to the next and all while trying to get the next clue that will bring them closer to the missing girl - Phaedra.

I found the storyline to be very engaging - it was a cross between the tv show Heroes and the movie Constantine which created its very own unique blend. Full of twists and turns that kept you guessing and helped the pages turn quite easily. I can envision this becoming a series and I would definitely love to read more of Tom Nash. I can't help it, I have a thing for men with special powers. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys fantasy, good writing and powerful characters.

The Calling is a great addition to a genre I've really come to enjoy, but don't exactly have a name for. Some other recent examples are the S.J. Day "Eve" series, and the Signs of the Zodiac series by Vicki Petterson. A hallmark of the genre is that mortals are recruited/shanghaied into the cosmic struggle between good and evil, on both sides, and serve as the troops, the footsoldiers, the actual combatants, in the ancient struggle between those who wish this world and its people well, and those who wish to destroy it and them (or just see them suffer - for the fun of it). Come to think of it, the Repairman Jack series by F. Paul Wilson is another great example of this genre, which I'll call "Angels Unaware." Ok, that is somewhat lame, but maybe someone else can do better. Howabout "Apocalypse for Everyman?"

Anyway, on to attempt an actual review. I enjoyed the heck out of this book. Some elements I found particularly appealing: the protagonist, Tom Nash, is a character with whom its easy to empathize, even (especially?) as he gets in over his head. He's kind of reminiscent of some old time Dick Francis everyman characters who find themselves out of their depth, but are able to dig deep and find the resources, physical and spiritual, to persevere and survive, if not actually prosper. I did find Tom's wife, Karen, a big self absorbed pain in the keister, I must say, to the point where I wondered if her only function was to make the other "good" character, Erin, even more tempting to Tom than she might otherwise have been. Not that she needed any help, imho, she's also a richly imagined and multi-dimensioned heroine with strenghths, vulnerabilities and personality to spare. Another element I really enjoyed was the basic story. It just never quits! I had a hard time putting this down when I got to work, and could barely wait for the train ride home to reenter the story and its universe. The villains are another great element, with the main antagonist being appropriately despicable, sleazy and yet realistically human as well. The settings are well evoked, too, with the craziness of New York City underscored by the small town opening, and Tom's unfamiliarity with the urban locales.

So, all in all, a great read, straight ahead story, action and a great metaphysical framework in which they unfold. I am looking forward to sequels, which is part of my rationale for this review. If enough people discover (and buy) this, maybe the likelihood of those sequels will increase! Here's hoping!

I passed the author's table this past weekend at the STAT (Star Trek Association of Towson [MD]) event "ShoreLeave 31" at the Hunt Valley Inn/Marriott [ http://www.shore-leave.com/ ]. While the annual convention has broadened its scope to sci-fi/fantasy in general, most of Mack's dozen-plus books have centered on the Star Trek (TM) franchise; however, this one does not. (To the best of my recollection, I had read none of his previous books.) The cover intrigued me, so I asked what the book was about. I actually had to stop David from telling me too much, and I was glad I had done. I like a few surprises.

Basically, an average Joe from a small community, handyman Tom Nash, has for many years "heard others' prayers" and done something about it - from talking down a suicidal person to suggesting a better course of action or providing for a need. One night, Tom hears an urgent, seven-word prayer of a kidnapped ten-year-old girl, "Dear God...please don't let them kill me." Following that "lead" takes Tom 100 miles from his small town to New York City, where he's totally out of his element and completely in over his head.

A likable fellow, Tom can gently persuade people to do what he wants, too. Still, as this Calling proves a dangerous business, Tom struggles with how far he wants - and how far his *very* pregnant wife at home wants him - to go to answer this little girl's prayer.

Partnering up with another of the Called, a young woman named Erin, who is as attractive as she is independent, Tom races to find Phaedra before her kidnappers can kill her, collect twelve million dollars in untraceable bearer bonds and disappear without a trace. Through it all, Tom learns more about his gifts and others' - including those fighting on the *other* side.

The Called explores the age-old struggle between good and evil in terms of the use of paranormal abilities for betterment or bitterment. Though Mack holds back not at all in describing violent actions - both hand-to-hand combat and gunfights - he focuses on the use of each individual's special abilities more than the gore. The good guys actually get hurt, i.e., the baddies are not always incompetent marksmen.

While predictable in places and a fairly easy read (one transcontinental flight and an hour-plus BART ride), he provides enough twists and turns to make turning the page worthwhile. He does have a few pet [read: overused] words like "shambling", and this easily could turn into a series - if not featuring Tom Nash in particular, featuring others with these (and other) special abilities.

All in all, I recommend the book and would be interested in more if it did become a series.

Pretty good book. I have read a lot of David Mack's Star Trek books, and this
one was of the same caliber. Did not dissappoint.

The Calling is a real page-turner. It's got all the elements of a good action/adventure story and is full of strong, vibrant characters. It's hard to believe this is David Mack's first original novel.

The main character, Tom Nash, leads a pretty ordinary life: he owns a cranky red pickup truck, lives in a modest house in Pennsylvania, is married, and is expecting his first child. One thing has always set Tom apart, though, and that is his ability to hear prayers. When he hears a prayer, Tom is compelled to help. Usually this means little more than driving across town to help someone with something trivial, but everything begins to change when he hears the prayer of young Phaedra Doyle.

"Please, God...don't let them kill me."

Those seven words would jump-start Tom's adventure to a whole new level. The bulk of the plot takes place in arguably the most exciting place in the world: New York City. Tom's journey turns into a heart-pounding race against time as he must fight gangsters, elude the authority, and escape impossible situations to save the kidnapped girl. Along the way, he learns that he is more than he thought he was. His paranormal abilities make him one of an entire hidden culture of people--a culture bathed in supernatural war.

Though this novel is as exciting as any, the depth of writing could be accused of being slightly "shallow." There was nothing that made me stop and think, "Wow, I can't believe I just read that!" Mack offers very little intellectual, emotional, or existential material for his characters or his reader to think about. This is something that I thought could have been explored more, especially since the basis for the book is built around the fine line between religion, spirit, and the physical realm.

Nevertheless, Mack did an excellent job with The Calling. It was an exceptional first outing, and I sincerely hope that he continues the story in future works.

"The Calling" moves at a fast pace and delivers a well crafted reality. I enjoyed this urban fantasy. Read this if you are looking for action, good story development and interesting characters. Tom Nash is a great unlikely hero and I really hope there will be future books. The story presented here is just beginning and the only let down I had was that I wanted to know more. More about seekers, sages, sentinels...you get the idea.