Rating: 
Summary: Great Light Fantasy!
Review: "The Second Summoning" by Tanya Huff is the second instalment in the Keeper's Chronicles, which started with the delightful book, "Summon the Keeper". Though the plot seems a bit stretched and quite improbable at times, I still found "The Second Summoning" to be a hugely entertaining and fun read that I would have been sorry to have missed.Claire Hansen is a Keeper, whose life is dedicated to sealing holes in the fabric of the universe where evil is trying to escape. As the story begins Claire is traveling with her very old and very opinionated talking cat, Austin, and Dean, a Bystander she met in her first adventure. And though Dean really shouldn't be allowed to know that Keepers even exist, a brief and utterly disastrous separation proves that Claire is a danger to herself and the universe when Dean isn't around. But when Claire and Dean reunite after their miserable weeks of separation, they come together with such enthusiasm and passion that they create an excess of positive feelings in the world. Now this would usually be just fine, except that Claire's younger sister Diana, a fellow Keeper, had recently created a huge happiness amplifying snowflake for her school's Christmas dance, which turned Claire and Dean's happiness into a giant bubble of goodness. This bubble then fell under the influence of Diana's friend Lena, who was at that moment trying to manifest an angel in her bedroom. And guess what? She succeeded. However, something went terribly wrong, and though everyone knows that angels are sexless, Lena's angel appeared with a very impressive, fully functional male's body, complete with raging teenage hormones. And as if trying to deal with the angel wasn't enough, the laws of the universe dictate that for every flow of wonderful goodness that enters the world there must be an equal and opposite flow of evil to balance it out. So, in a backwoods area of rural Canada, a demon, fully endowed with the attributes of a normal teenage girl, materializes. (See what I mean about the plot being a little out there?) Anyway, both the demon and the angel are thrown completely off balance by the unfamiliar feelings and emotions their new bodies are capable of. And soon downtown Toronto is thrown into turmoil by an angel who wants to help but isn't very good at it and a demon who wants to cause as much havoc as possible, but isn't sure how. So, it's up to Claire and Diana to solve this problem, and get the demon back to Hell and the angel back to Heaven. Unfortunately, Diana is opposed to Claire's planned method of dealing with this problem, which makes for some serious complications. "The Second Summoning" is an action-packed, fun-filled romp through an enchanting fantasy world, and you don't want to miss it. Austin is as amusing and witty as he was in the first book, giving readers a hilarious running commentary. With compelling and lovable characters and a storyline that will keep you on your toes, this book comes highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: More great humorous fantasy from Tanya Huff
Review: "The Second Summoning" is yet another "keeper" of a book. In it, Claire, the Keeper from "Summon the Keeper" returns, along with her old and cranky cat Austin, her hunky Bystander boyfriend Dean, and a few other folks from book one. The most intriguing semi-new character here was Diana, Claire's sister. Diana is the most powerful Keeper alive, yet is still an adolescent, and her asides are pungent and earthy. She also doesn't seem too pleased about Claire's new relationship (although Claire's own parents don't mind at all). Best of all, whenever Diana shows up, the sparks really fly from both sisters, and some tremendously witty repartee ensues. I very much enjoyed the further adventures of Claire and company, and hope Ms. Huff will continue to write many more inspired sequels about the characters introduced here. Another very fine satirical effort; five stars, recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Not as good as the original, but fun nonetheless.
Review: "The Second Summoning" is one of those books that would be utterly wonderful if it didn't have such a smashing predecessor to live up to. This book still has a number of laugh-out-loud moments, but not as many as "Summon the Keeper." What it does have, however, is a lot more of Diana (Claire's teenage sister) and her parents. Cameos from other classic characters lend a feeling of nostalgia and continuity that the book would not be complete without. I was disappointed by the change in the dynamic between Dean (still as charming as ever, bless his tidy little soul) and Claire, but I know some other readers will appreciate it. The new characters are, for the most part, perfectly written and integrated. The only caution I have about this book is the innuendo level. If you were at all bothered by the suggestive nature of "Summon the Keeper," stay away from the sequel. The comments here are more constant and often more blatant. All things considered, "The Second Summoning" shows a lot of promise, and I'm fairly confident that Tanya Huff can make it work as part of a series.
Rating:
Summary: Tidy up the leftovers
Review: "The Second Summoning" is yet another "keeper" of a book. In it, Claire, the Keeper from "Summon the Keeper" returns, along with her old and cranky cat Austin, her hunky Bystander boyfriend Dean, and a few other folks from book one. The most intriguing semi-new character here was Diana, Claire's sister. Diana is the most powerful Keeper alive, yet is still an adolescent, and her asides are pungent and earthy. She also doesn't seem too pleased about Claire's new relationship (although Claire's own parents don't mind at all). Best of all, whenever Diana shows up, the sparks really fly from both sisters, and some tremendously witty repartee ensues. I very much enjoyed the further adventures of Claire and company, and hope Ms. Huff will continue to write many more inspired sequels about the characters introduced here. Another very fine satirical effort; five stars, recommended.
Rating:
Summary: More great humorous fantasy from Tanya Huff
Review: "The Second Summoning" is yet another "keeper" of a book. In it, Claire, the Keeper from "Summon the Keeper" returns, along with her old and cranky cat Austin, her hunky Bystander boyfriend Dean, and a few other folks from book one. The most intriguing semi-new character here was Diana, Claire's sister. Diana is the most powerful Keeper alive, yet is still an adolescent, and her asides are pungent and earthy. She also doesn't seem too pleased about Claire's new relationship (although Claire's own parents don't mind at all). Best of all, whenever Diana shows up, the sparks really fly from both sisters, and some tremendously witty repartee ensues. I very much enjoyed the further adventures of Claire and company, and hope Ms. Huff will continue to write many more inspired sequels about the characters introduced here. Another very fine satirical effort; five stars, recommended.
Rating:
Summary: It's tough to be smart AND funny,
Review: but Tanya Huff pulls it off in this second addition to The Keeper's Chronicles series. It's hard not to love a book where a cat has all the best lines!
Rating:
Summary: My favorite of the trilogy
Review: Claire Hanson is a Keeper---basically acting as a fulcrom to balance good and evil wherever she is summoned. She's accompanied by Austin, a senior citizen--who coincidentally is feline. In the first of the book, she's reunited with a former companion, Dean, a Bystander who she parted with when she realized that the life of a Keeper wasn't safe for 'bystanders.' The subsequent good feelings of their reunion creates an angel who is brought to Earth---without a summons to fulfill.
All things having to be equal, Chaos spits out a demon in female form who is Samuel's counterpart. Add to the complexity, Diana who is Claire's more powerful younger sister, and you have a whole lot of tension going on.
Huff is not known for her humor, but I think she should be. Of the three books (Summon the Keeper, Second Summoning and Long Hot Summoning) this book strikes the best balance between humor and plot.
All in all, the whole series is a keeper.
Rating:
Summary: Essentially the second half of the first "Summon" novel
Review: Deeper character development and a fascinatingly diverting plotline make this one a "must read." I'd recommend getting and reading "Summon the Keeper" first so you you know who's who, (or who's what?)
Rating:
Summary: Essentially the second half of the first "Summon" novel
Review: Deeper character development and a fascinatingly diverting plotline make this one a "must read." I'd recommend getting and reading "Summon the Keeper" first so you you know who's who, (or who's what?)
Rating:
Summary: True love + sibling rivalry + teenage trauma = hilarious fun
Review: even more so if anatomically correct angels and demons and a sarcastic cat or two are thrown in as well. This is the second book in the KEEPER'S CHRONICLES series and picks up shortly after SUMMON THE KEEPER ends. Claire, a young Keeper is still undecided about her romance - or lack thereof - with even younger Bystander Dean. Her cat, Austin, is always ready to offer her advice as is her bratty younger sister, Diana. To make life even more frustrating the family business of keeping good and evil in balance is particularly busy at the moment due to the holiday rush. The trouble seems to begin in a traditional source of torment - a high school - and leads to a scene between an irate father finding a naked teenage boy in his daughter's bedroom. The daughter's explanation, that this is not a boy but an angelic manifestation, does not calm dad down. Like SUMMON THE KEEPER, THE SECOND SUMMONING is set in modern Canada, and involves a family that is part of a group who keep the world balanced between good and evil. The tone of this series is hilarious, particularly for anyone who has ever lived with a cat. If you are into serious scifi/fantasy (Anne Rice for example) you probably won't like this but if your tastes run more towards life's absurdies this is for you. I would recommend starting with SUMMON THE KEEPER though.
| 
