The Calling and over 360,000 other books are available for Amazon Kindle – Amazon’s new wireless reading device. Learn more

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
Express Checkout with PayPhrase
What's this? | Create PayPhrase
Sorry!
X
More Buying Choices
35 used & new from $1.95
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
The Calling
 
 
Share your own customer images
Search inside this book
Start reading The Calling on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don’t have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here.
 
  

The Calling (Paperback)

~ (Author)
4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
List Price: $15.00
Price: $11.70 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save: $3.30 (22%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Want it delivered Friday, November 13? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
21 new from $8.64 14 used from $1.95

Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
  Kindle Edition $9.99 -- --
  Paperback $11.70 $8.64 $1.95

Frequently Bought Together

The Calling + Star Trek: TNG: Losing the Peace (Star Trek, the Next Generation) + Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Soul Key
Price For All Three: $27.68

Show availability and shipping details

  • This item: The Calling by David Mack

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • Star Trek: TNG: Losing the Peace (Star Trek, the Next Generation) by William Leisner

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Soul Key by Olivia Woods

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Special Offers and Product Promotions

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Soul Key

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Soul Key

by Olivia Woods
3.4 out of 5 stars (9)  $7.99
Star Trek: Enterprise: The Romulan War: Beneath the Raptor's Wing (Star Trek : Enterprise)

Star Trek: Enterprise: The Romulan War: Beneath the Raptor's Wing (Star Trek : Enterprise)

by Michael A. Martin
3.4 out of 5 stars (11)  $10.88
Stalking the Dragon: A Fable of Tonight (John Justin Mallory Mystery)

Stalking the Dragon: A Fable of Tonight (John Justin Mallory Mystery)

by Michael D. Resnick
3.3 out of 5 stars (3)  $11.99
Star Trek: Ships of the Line: 2010 Wall Calendar

Star Trek: Ships of the Line: 2010 Wall Calendar

by LLC Andrews McMeel Publishing
4.3 out of 5 stars (3)  $11.19
Sandman Slim: A Novel

Sandman Slim: A Novel

by Richard Kadrey
4.1 out of 5 stars (61)  $15.63
› Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Near the start of this uneven supernatural thriller from Mack (Kabuki: The Alchemy), Tom Nash, who can hear long-distance prayers that oblige him to respond, leaves his near-term pregnant wife and his handyman job in Sawyer, Pa., after receiving a telepathic plea for help from a kidnapped 11-year-old girl somewhere in New York City. Luckily, Nash soon comes across a poster depicting the missing girl, Phaedra Doyle, and manages to talk his way into the Brooklyn townhouse of her wealthy widowed mother, Anna. While the kidnappers have warned Anna not to go to the FBI or police, Anna trusts Nash enough to authorize him to do what he can to recover her daughter. While Erin Sanchez, a supportive local who shares his gift, tells Nash its source, Mack never adequately explains such issues as why Nash isn't overwhelmed by prayers or why he should hear ones far away but not closer by. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


Product Description

HEAR THE CALLING.

No one would guess by looking at Tom Nash that he's extraordinary, and that's just fine with him. A tall, broad-shouldered jack-of-all-trades from Sawyer, Pennsylvania, Tom has a knack for fixing things. He also hides a secret talent: he hears people's prayers. Stranger still, 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....

SEEK THE TRUTH.

Heeding the call and leaving his home for New York City, Tom discovers a secret world beyond the range of mortal perception -- a world of angels and demons and those who serve them. With the guidance of a knowing stranger named Erin, Tom learns that he himself is one of The Called, born with a divine purpose and a daunting task: to help the powers of Heaven in the war against the agents of Hell, an army of fallen angels known as the Scorned. Thrust into an epic battle of the sacred and the profane, Tom Nash must find the girl who prayed for his help -- because her fate will determine whether humanity deserves to be saved, or damned for all eternity....

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

  • Paperback: 336 pages
  • Publisher: Pocket (July 21, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1416579923
  • ISBN-13: 978-1416579922
  • Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #590,569 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

More About the Author

David Mack
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

› Visit Amazon's David Mack Page
Front Cover | First Pages | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:
Inside This Book (learn more)
Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | First Pages | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

The Calling
58% buy the item featured on this page:
The Calling 4.3 out of 5 stars (11)
$11.70
Sandman Slim: A Novel
12% buy
Sandman Slim: A Novel 4.1 out of 5 stars (61)
$15.63
The Calling (Dragon Age)
12% buy
The Calling (Dragon Age) 4.6 out of 5 stars (7)
$10.19
Dead Men's Boots (Felix Castor)
11% buy
Dead Men's Boots (Felix Castor) 4.8 out of 5 stars (5)
$17.15
Explore similar items

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 
(6)
(5)
(4)
(3)
(2)
(2)
(2)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
See all 15 tags...

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags
 

Customer Reviews

11 Reviews
5 star:
 (3)
4 star:
 (8)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.3 out of 5 stars (11 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Original and Satisfying, July 27, 2009
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.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars interesting paranormal thriller, July 25, 2009
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

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Non-Vampire Urban Fantasy. Yeah!, July 18, 2009
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.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars TV Series in the Making
This book reads like a TV series episode. The action was fast-paced, characters likable, good plot. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Fantasy Geek

4.0 out of 5 stars A Guardian Angel Urban Fantasy
The Calling by David Mack

An ordinary guy hears other peoples prayers and tries to answer them. Read more
Published 2 months ago by W. Bentrim

4.0 out of 5 stars Thrilling paranormal novel
Tom Nash can hear prayers, which he feels compelled to answer. Usually, they are run of the mill things and Tom uses his other talent for swaying the minds of people for the best... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Valorie Tucker

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Cool!
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. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Nelaine Sanchez

5.0 out of 5 stars Bridget's Review
Tom Nash has a special ability, he can hear prayers. Tom is sure that there is a reason for this ability but he's not sold on the whole "part of God's plan" thing. Read more
Published 3 months ago by bridget3420

4.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful addition
The Calling is a wonderful addition to the urban fantasy genre. Mack does a wonderful job of weaving the story together. Read more
Published 3 months ago by spunnsugarz

5.0 out of 5 stars Great characters, concept & storytelling
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. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Fred LeBaron

4.0 out of 5 stars The Calling "Called me"
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 [... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Jill A. Bratcher

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   

So You'd Like to...


Create a guide

Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)

Look for Similar Items by Category

Look for Similar Items by Subject

Search Books by subject:














i.e., each book must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...
 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.


Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.