Night Calls [Mass Market Paperback]

Katharine Eliska Kimbriel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1996

The werewolves came shattering the peace of the village of Sun Return. Five were taken before the girl's parents agreed to give her up. They called in Cousin Cory, Aunt Marta, all the known practitioners. The ones who could teach me how to hide in a leaf, "dip" into minds, and find the secret herbs that heal. Her childhood now over, the girl must face the Dark of the Other Side.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

In the beginning Katharine Eliska Kimbriel was nominated for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New SF/Fantasy Writer.  Katharine's work has long straddled the line: "too literary to be commercial, too commercial to be literary" - she has a list of itinerant occupations to prove it.

Published novels include the historical dark fantasies NIGHT CALLS and KINDRED RITES.  On the science fiction side you will find FIRE SANCTUARY, FIRES OF NUALA, and HIDDEN FIRES, stand-alone tales which take place on the same planet.

Katharine is managed by a Burmese cat and a handful of gargoyles. Her occasional hobbies have included ballroom dancing, brewing beer, antique roses and macrobiotic cooking.

Go to her web site for the most recent info; she posts at her Live Journal blog (Alfreda89) which runs downhill to Facebook, My Space and other points east.  She is a member of Book View Cafe, and books and info may also be found there.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Harpercollins (Mm); First Edition edition (May 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061054119
• ISBN-13: 978-0061054112
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,515,670 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Immensely enjoyable reading, also respectful of topic, April 3, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Night Calls (Mass Market Paperback)

I discovered this quiet classic just after it was first published. I have lost track of how many times I have read it. It is very well written, telling its story through the eyes of an 11 - 14 year old but on an adult reading level. Having been a solitary wiccan for 17 years, I was skeptical that it might be just another "monsters and mayhem" tale, but the author manages to walk with ease "between the worlds" without the tiniest smidgeon of exploitation to be found. I have "redisovered" it after a long absence from it, and was astounded to find it had developed an amazing following. So much for that "just to read on the plane" beginning! Bottom line is great story, characters that are vibrantly alive, and a fascinating plot through man, myth, and magic. My only complaint: we need a third book to round out the story!!!!!! Ok, so I'm busted, I want a happy ending with Allie and Shaw... P.S. I now own three copies of "Night Calls" and its sequel, "Kindred Rites" because everyone keeps borrowing them from me!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A New Slant on Fantasy, September 17, 2001

By 

Joseph J. Schultz "poetographer1967" (Plymouth, Indiana United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Night Calls (Mass Market Paperback)

I received Night Calls as a gift, and didn't read it for several months. I shouldn't have put it off! I was fortunate enough to take it with me on a long train ride, and very little reading time has been spent more pleasantly.

The backgdrop of the story is one I haven't encountered before: the American frontier, but through the eyes of a budding young girl/witch of Scandinavian descent. The unusual (but light) cultural slant, coupled with the author's ability to write a story that serves the characters, gave me a new perpsective on dark fantasy. The reader learns about the magic art along with the protagonist, and the writing makes all of it believable. Much of the magic element of the book is based in herbalism, of which I know little, but which the author presents with authority. However, the technical details never overshadow the human elements of the story. I would recommend this book to adult and young adult readers. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Night Calls a lovely read, November 1, 2000

By 

Catherine G. Murphy (Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Night Calls (Mass Market Paperback)

Alfreda may have been a little afraid to discover she could hear the werewolves calling, but she was not afraid to choose the path of learning that would help her protect not just her own family but others. She was gutsy without being snotty, a very normal, believable girl.

I enjoyed this book. It had a consistent, interesting voice that was a little different but not at all difficult to read. I liked the skillfully woven in details, both the realistic and the fantastical. From the smells of cider and baking bread to the use of an ash slat bucket and garlic, from a mother's grief to a friend's loyalty, Kimbriel keeps the details coming, and keeps me fascinated.