Summon the Keeper: The Keeper's Chronicles #1 [Mass Market Paperback]

Tanya Huff (Author)

Book Description

Release date: May 1, 1998 | Series: Keeper's Chronicles (Book 1)

Being one of the Earth's protectors is never easy, but when Claire the Keeper and Austin the cat find themselves in charge of the Elysian Fields Guesthouse Bed and Breakfast, all Hell breaks loose in the form of a gateway residing in the basement! Do not miss the latest from one of the top writers in the fantasy genre!

• Compares to best-selling fantasy authors Mercedes lackey and Charles deLint
• Tanya Huff's DAW books were chosen by the New York Public Library system as part of their Books for Teens program!

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Ever notice that the boundary between the supernatural and mundane worlds is very thin in eastern Canada? Tanya Huff made Toronto a vampire territory and hotbed of evil eruptions (Blood Price, Blood Trail, Blood Lines, Blood Pact, Blood Debt). Now she moves to Kingston, Ontario, for Summon the Keeper.

Claire Hansen, the Keeper, is summoned to the Elysian Fields Guest House to reseal a hole in the basement, which is literally an opening to Hell. The owner and monitor of the site disappears, leaving Claire stuck managing the place until the problem is solved. Her new employee, Dean McIssac, is a gorgeous Newfie who cooks, cleans, and lives the Boy Scout oath. Then there's Jacques Labaet: very French Canadian, very sexy, very dead. Jacques is a ghost who wants to be the man in Claire's life. Oh yeah, and there's Austin, a talking cat with attitude: "I barely know you, but I'm assuming you're human. I'm not saying this is a good thing, it's just the way it is."

Huff keeps the plot moving and the quips coming to the very end. Fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series will find this novel light but refreshing. --Nona Vero

About the Author

Although she left Nova Scotia at three, and has lived most of her life since in Ontario, Tanya Huff still considers herself a Maritimer. On the way to the idyllic rural existence she shares with her partner Fiona Patton, six cats, and a Chihuahua, she acquired a degree in Radio and Television Arts from Ryerson Polytechnic—an education she was happy to finally use while writing her recent Smoke novels. Of her previous twenty-three books, the five—Blood Price, Blood Trail, Blood Lines, Blood Pact, Blood Debt—featuring Henry Fitzroy, bastard son of Henry VIII, romance writer, and vampire are among the most popular.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: DAW (May 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0886777844
• ISBN-13: 978-0886777845
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 0.9 x 6.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (103 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #492,085 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I laughed so hard, I got hiccups! April 10, 1998

By Aliza Mansolino

Format:Mass Market Paperback

"Summon the Keeper" is a hilarious entry into what I hope will be a new series from the talented pen of Ms. Huff. Claire Hansen is a Keeper, one of the descendents of Adam and Lilith who, well, basically saves the universe from the forces of evil on a regular basis. As the book opens, Claire is on her way to answer a summons when she and her smart-ass cat (are there any other kind?) Austin get caught in a rainstorm. (Did I mention that Austin talks?) They duck into the less than welcoming shelter of the Elysian Fields Guesthouse. The next morning, Claire awakens to find herself the new owner of the guesthouse, which comes complete with: 1) a lascivious French ghost, 2) a sweet, yet hunky young caretaker named Dean, 3) a (very dusty)woman who's been asleep in Room Six for decades and 4) a hole to Hell in the furnace room. Claire has to find a way to seal the hole to Hell without awakening the occupant of Room Six (trouble with a capital T), resist the charms of her amorous ghost, fight her attraction to the wholesome Dean, and deal with an impetuous younger sister with more power than commonsense. You think YOU'VE had a hard day? Highly recommended!

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An entertaining, delightful fantasy romp. December 8, 1998

By [e-mail]

Format:Mass Market Paperback

I grabbed this book as something to read aloud to my husband on a long drive, and was delighted to discover that Tanya Huff had set her capable hand to an intriguing story that is also a delightful romp, full of jokes and references. As other reviewers have noted, her main character is Claire, with her cat, Austin. Claire is a Keeper, one of the folk who help humanity, and the universe, survive cosmic "accidents." But of course they do it quietly, kind of behind the scenes. In this case, Claire gets stuck with a rather "interesting" B&B-type house complete with a Sleeper you don't want to wake, a lascivious but appealing ghost (whose French provided me with a great challenge reading this book aloud!), a very hunky, good-hearted caretaker (whose name happens to be Dean and whose description immediately reminded me of a certain other Dean who played a good-hearted hunk not too long ago on television), and a Pit to Hell-which just happens to talk to itself. Of course, Claire comes to conclusion that the "accident" is that Pit, and that she must be there to close it. This problem (and its connection to that Sleeper in Room 6) is complicated by an obstreperous nosey neighbor and her dog, various eclectic visitors, and Claire's younger sister. Not to mention Austin (who talks). The humor had both of us laughing aloud. Highly recommended!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulously Funny Fantasy! August 13, 2002

By Sophie

Format:Mass Market Paperback

"Summon the Keeper" by Tanya Huff is a wonderfully funny and witty read that is sure to keep all its readers utterly enthralled. Huff has created a fascinating fantasy world that sets the stage for this delightful tale of supernatural excitement and otherworldly romance.

Claire Hansen is a Keeper, which basically means that her life is devoted to travelling from place to place sealing leaks in the fabric of the universe where evil is trying to escape. As the book begins, Claire receives a summons, which leads her to the Elysian Fields Guest House, a run-down old B&B run by an unpleasant little man. Claire and her very opinionated, far from young talking cat, Austin, rent a room for the night, and the next morning Claire is shocked to discover that she is the new owner of the B&B.

But it's not just any old B&B that Claire has inherited. The Elysian Fields Guest House comes complete with a hole to Hell in the furnace room and a very, very evil and very, very dusty Keeper who's been sleeping in Room 6 for decades. In addition to these supernatural extras Claire also has to deal with her new employee, the gorgeous yet innocent caretaker/cook/handyman/Newfie, Dean McIssac. With her hormones already in overdrive, Claire soon finds out she also has to contend with Jacques Labaet, a lusty French-Canadian ghost who wants to be the man in Claire's life.

While trying to figure out how to close the hole to Hell, Claire finds herself renovating the B&B, dealing with her infrequent but always exciting guests (I liked the retired Olympians best), and figuring out what on earth she should do about her undeniable attraction to two men, one who is far too young and the other who is far too dead.

Of course Austin, when not telling someone to "feed the cat", always has some commentary to make about Claire's life and the situations she gets into. Indeed, Austin has some of the best lines in the book, which more often than not had me laughing out loud.

But the precarious balance keeping all Hell from breaking loose (quite literally) is put in jeopardy when Claire's younger sister Diana, a fellow Keeper with far more power than sense, arrives at the B&B to help out. Disasters seem to follow Diana wherever she goes, and the very thought of Diana in the same house as Hell strikes fear into Claire's heart. But Diana is there to stay until the problem is resolved, and she manages to start a chain reaction that makes for some fantastic reading and an explosive conclusion!

"Summon the Keeper" is, quite simply, a great book. Each and every character was vivid and intriguing, and I found myself completely caught up in the adventures of Claire, Austin, Dean and Jacques. You do not want to miss out on this hugely entertaining read, so buy "Summon the Keeper" today. I promise you will not regret it!