Customer Reviews

The Summoning

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

 

 

Let's hear it for the girls - or at least for Sudi, Meri, and Dalila, three girls of high school age (and from very different backgrounds) who discover that they are descendants of the divine pharaohs of ancient Egypt, and identified by their birthmarks as Sisters of Isis.

Understandably skeptical at first, they spend the rest of the book fighting against the dark forces of the Cult of Anubis, learning spells from the Book of Thoth and practicing their new powers of transformation, while at the same time trying to lead normal teenage lives, go to parties and deal with boys.

This first book in the series is mostly about Sudi, who having recently broken up with Brian, is harboring a huge crush on Brian's friend Scott. Her story begins with a sleepwalking episode, after which she discovers an unpleasant surprise in her bed, and ends with her fighting for her life, while trying to keep her spells straight, with sometimes hilarious results.

A quick and easy read, and a good choice for girls between nine and thirteen.




Amanda Richards, October 27, 2007

We all remember the enchanting world that Lynne Ewing had brought us in Daughters of the Moon: Night Shade - Book #3 (Daughters of the Moon)and then in Sons of the Dark: Barbarian - Book #1 (Sons of the Dark). And now Ewing does it again with her new series, SISTERS OF ISIS.

Sudi never thought that one note could change her life; she just thought it would give her a chance at dating her longtime crush, Scott. But that note that fell out of her locker was not from Scott. Instead of Scott at the nice restaurant, he's replaced with Abdel and two other girls. Abdel was sent by the Hour Priest, a secret Egyptian society, to tell Sudi, along with Meri and Dalila, that they are all descendants of the Egyptian Pharaohs and have powers that only they can use to stop the Cult of Anubis.

Like any other teenager, none of the girls believe Abdel--just think Mia Thermopolis discovering she was a princess (SHUT UP!). As each girl tries to get away from Abdel, he makes sure that they each get a scroll, but of course they think nothing of it. Curiosity takes over, though, and before they know it, all three girls turn into unusual creatures: Sudi, a bird; Meri, a cat; and Dalila, a cobra. Their destiny has been set for them and if they still don't believe it, maybe the evil forces will help them figure it out.

THE SUMMONING is another great read from Lynne Ewing. The tales that Ewing brews up and the world that she creates in the SISTERS OF ISIS is even more imaginative and creative. Reading THE SUMMONING just reminds me of how Ewing can take the reader out of reality and into a fantasy that not only haunts but amazes them. THE SUMMONING is only the beginning and the next novel (Sister of Isis: Divine One - #2 (Sister of Isis)) should be just as amazing.

Reviewed by: Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen

The Summoning is a quick easy YA read staring a group of three girls that learn they are descendants of ancient Egyptians. This book is from Sudi's point of view, a pretty normal teenage girl with two twin sisters and boy problems. The size of this book and the plot led me to believe that this would be a younger teen book, but the talk of sex brings it up a notch. I don't have a problem with that, but I felt that the character maturity level didn't fit the very simplistic writing style. Everything is just barely brushed upon, and each event only lasts a few pages. The Summoning is certainly a fun read, but it's short and simplistic. It may have been better without the boyfriend drama, the angst, and the shallow characters. I really wanted to like it because of the Egyptian theme. Unfortunately, it was just ok to me, and I won't be continuing the series.

I don't know if the things written in this book are accurate (not about the Hour Priests, but about general mythology) but I found reading about it pretty cool. Egyptian mythology is kind of a breath of fresh air from Greek, Roman, and Norse mythology for me. The girls are likable, but I found Sudi to be kind of whiny. Since she's a teenager, I think she deserves a pass though. I can't remember her best guy friends name, but I look forward to seeing what his role in the girl's future turns out to be. Her other supporting characters, the twins, Michelle, and Scott are interesting too. The book is an easy read and isn't boring. The only part of the plot I though was strange was the fact that Dalila transformed into a goddess form instead of a firebreathing snake. It seemed more like something to push the plot along more easily than something that made sense. Also, it was pretty lame of Sudi to just immediately ditch her friend just because she was a Descendant. All her very best friend in the world got was a sentence about how she just wouldn't fit into Sudi's life anymore. Weak. I look forward to seeing what Meri and especially Dalila are like.

The Summoning is an impressive start to the Sisters of Isis series. Ewing has obviously done her research, embedding the story with specific details over the Egyptian mythos and culture, but it is how she so convincingly weaves it into a modern day setting that truly draws me in. This story is also more atmospheric than most, for her writing is so descriptive that it utilizes all of the senses, painting it with more than just imagery. This writing style hooks you in and then never lets go because, despite the fantasy, it really does feel like a story plucked out from the real world. This is largely because of the characters: the protagonist for book one, Sudi, is fleshed-out and relatable. The flirty, skeptic teen is not a character I usually find myself drawn to, but her perspective shows more depth and makes her instantly likable. And, even though Sudi is now burdened with an ancient destiny, she has normal, everyday problems which are still an important part of her life even if not quite as dire as they had been. As quoted from the book, "she [is] only a teenager who love[s] to dance and flirt with guys and [has] trouble conjugating French verbs." The other characters are also very distinct and likable as well. (And some enjoyably not as likable.) The plot is intriguing and has you madly reading till the satisfying conclusion. I look forward to reading the future volumes and seeing where Ewing takes these characters and her well-developed world.

The Sisters of Isis is a book like no other. It caught my attention by its magical contents.
It was great because it provided a series of ethical situations to a certain degree. If I had to choose a book to give an opinion off the top of my head it would be this one. I myself personally cannot possibly give a better explanation to describe the book other than an epic, magical, mysterious, and great read for the mind. Keevan Jackson

Everyone has already given the details..I just have to say that I absolutely LOVED this book. If I hadn't have been up for 3 days already, I would've stayed up and finshed in one sitting. Can't wait to read the rest of the series, I'm ordering today.

Lynne Ewing is one of my favorite authors. The Summoning is about 3 girls who were born with ancient powers but they have no idea about it. And their future mentor meets them, awaken's their powers & trys to help them get ready for the fight that is coming. So now not only do they have to deal with evil they also have to deal with being teenagers, being in highschool & all the typical things that go along with it. This is a must read!!! Don't forget that are more books to this series.

Anyone into magic and mythology will love The Summoning. As a fan of ancient Egypt, I especially enjoyed the twist the author put into this book. The result is an original story idea that keeps the reader hanging onto the Sister's of Isis world.

There are very few stories out there that tackle ancient Egypt, and Ms. Ewing definitely managed to bring out its story potential. She obviously did her research; the history and traditions she refers to are all solidly based on Egyptology, something that helped me immerse myself in the book.

As a person who read the Daughters of the Moon series, however, I felt that the writing quality went down a tad. There was some romance, but I didn't find it so realistic; it seemed to move too fast. Still, it added that teenage feel to the book, and I definitely thought that the mummy element was a great touch to it.

All in all, I'd give The Summoning a 4.5. Can't wait for another one!

I walked into the YA section of my local Barnes & Noble the other day because a friend of mine was looking at some graphic novels and I happened to look down and see this book and its sequel. Even though they're YA (and I've never really gotten into that sort of book--with the exception of the Princess Diaries and Royal Diaries, of course), I picked the books up because of "Isis" on the cover (and I happen to be both a Priestess of Isis and a member of the Fellowship of Isis).

"The Summoning" is a good read and difficult to put down at times. Ms. Ewing makes the characters lovable and they seem to tackle the sort of problems real teens do...the only problem is that the climax wasn't very thrilling. In the Harry Potter series, Jo Rowling makes it clear that the major conflict in each book is just a small part of a greater whole, but Ms. Ewing only conveyed that sense in a vague fashion. If the second book hadn't come out the day before I bought both, I might not have been interested in buying it. I can only hope "Divine One" (which I am only a few pages into) is better.

Final Rating: 3.5 stars