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Customer Reviews

36 Reviews

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

Average Customer Review

4.1 out of 5 stars (36 customer reviews)

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26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A truly, unique vampire story!, February 11, 2001

By

FloozyFlapper1926 (Somewhere in the 20's) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Summoning (Mass Market Paperback)

I just finished this book tonight and had to come on here to praise it. I found "The Summoning" to be a dark tale full of eerie twists and turns. Its the story of a small town who becomes the target of a particularly spooky kind of vampire that I found to be quite different from most others. This is a vampire who can change forms, who can manifest itself as your darkest fears and who has a uniquely different appearance than the aristocratic, gothic vampire of most novels. This isn't one of those romantic figures but something hellish.

I also liked the characters especially Sue Wing. She was a very smart, strong heroine. There's also pages of this that made me genuinely freaked out especially some of the forms this vampire took. The use of different cultures, the way this book unfolded to the explosive end made this one of the most chilling novels I've ever read. It was nice to see a horror book where the vampire was so unique. I've never heard of vampires being afraid of jade nor a vampire quite so ugly or so vicious as this one. I give this 5 stars for its unique and frightening story.

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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lots of interesting twists., January 18, 2001

By

Marc Ruby™ "The Noh Hare™" (Warren, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE) (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)

This review is from: The Summoning (Mass Market Paperback)

When I started THE SUMMONING I thought I was going to find myself reading the standard, western vampire story. You know, caves, bats, Indian legends, etc. But every time I almost got it pinned down the plot took a little twist. It still is basically one of the 'small group of people vs. the monster' genre. But it is more than that.

I have no idea if Cup-hu-girngsi's are a real Chinese legend, but they are a unique spin on the vampire persona. These days most vampires are heroes in TV series. Instead, the corpse-who drinks-blood is one of the genuinely horrific, subverting, personalities and human foibles to create some remarkable acts of evil.

The violence escalates nicely without being excessive and it's chilling nature adds a sense of tragedy to the story. Several of the character depictions (like the Chinese grandmother) stand out. The book stands out from others in this genre.

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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars UNIQUE VAMPIRE STORY!, November 20, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Summoning (Mass Market Paperback)

Vampires these days are either of the traditional
European gentleman variety, the young punk/rocker
variety, the misunderstood race of creatures variety
or some combination thereof. Bentley Little has
rejuvinated these tired cliches by infusing them
with some cross-cultural references. To my knowledge,
this is horror fiction's first CHINESE vampire, and
Little not only gets his folklore right but does a
pretty convincing job of portraying the prejudice
minorities face in a small American town. Little has
always included characters that are not the typical
middle-class WASPS of most contemporary horror (witness
his disabled character in UNIVERSITY), but here he
outdoes himself. An epic book that deals with big subjects
and is a hell of a thrill ride to boot. This guy is one of the best.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Impossible to put down. Extreme horror with a healthy dose of satire.
There seems to be two types of Bentley Little book. The outright shocking horror novels (Death Instinct) and the satirical horror novel (The Store). Read more

Published 1 month ago by RStringini

2.0 out of 5 stars Decent but not overly original
Whoever said that this book borrowed heavily from Stephen King was right. I was initially interested by the Chinese vampire concept, but I didn't really feel like it was enough... Read more

Published 24 months ago by Noodle 19-2000

3.0 out of 5 stars GOOD TO THE LAST DROP...OF BLOOD...
This is one of the author's earlier works, and in it he begins to show the promise of great things to come. Read more

Published on May 10, 2008 by Lawyeraau

4.0 out of 5 stars An early Little novel about a unique vampire
Bentley Little's "The Summoning" is a unique vampire tale set in a small Arizona town that's plaqued with a monster that residents neither understand or can control. Read more

Published on July 26, 2007 by coachtim

4.0 out of 5 stars Vampires in the Southwest
If there is one relatively consistent failing in horror novels - particularly supernatural horror novels - it is that they often have poor endings. Read more

Published on June 28, 2006 by mrliteral

5.0 out of 5 stars One of Bentley's best so far!
this novel is one of the best I have read for Bentley Little. this one grabs you and leads you down a very scary path to the exciting ending. Read more

Published on April 30, 2006 by Rhonda Weise

3.0 out of 5 stars Good but way too long
Maybe because I've been reared on Hip Vamp stories from the TV show Buffy and Angel this just didn't seem scary or compelling to me and it just limps along for 3-400 pages. Read more

Published on November 29, 2005 by M. G. Mora

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent book
this is a great book...no complaints from me...

bentley little, although categorized as a horror writer, doesn't really frighten readers with his novels... Read more

Published on August 17, 2005 by j-skim

5.0 out of 5 stars For Once , A Repulsive Vampire (Which Makes A Nice Change)
Something very strange is going on in a small Arizona town .Dead bodies are being found drained of blood and other bodily fluids. Read more

Published on April 15, 2005 by John Baranyai

2.0 out of 5 stars A Chinese Vampire...So What?
To keep it brief, it's typical of Bentley Little's work - an interesting concept, but the whole thing falls apart about halfway through it and you'll find yourself rushing through... Read more

Published on March 30, 2005 by Bueno Bob

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Inside This Book (learn more)
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Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
baht gwa

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Bentley Little, Rio Verde, Pee Wee, Pastor Wheeler, Manuel Torres, The Face, Second Coming, Jesus Christ, Laughing Man, Church of the Living Christ, Mary Beth, Sally Mae, Donna Sandoval, Sue Wing, Taco Bell, Father Martinez, Medusa Syndrome, Bentky Little, Bentley Lick, Church of the Holy Trinity, Radio Shack, Hong Kong, Chief Carter, The Way Things Were, Bill Covey

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