I had discovered The Summoning about 4 years ago, my library had all three in the series so in one visit I had grabbed them all and did a binge. The series became a hit for me. It wasn't until a few months later that I heard about The Darkest Rising series, that The Gathering was going to be released. Obviously I had to pick that one up too! The Gathering became an even bigger hit for me then The Summoning and its sequels were!
The Darkest Powers and The Darkest Rising are a prequel series to each other, and The Gathering picks up where The Reckoning leaves off (Though with a new set of characters). So if you found that the series left you with some questions then you for sure should read The Darkest Rising because your questions will definitely get answered.
This is a can't go wrong series! I promise!
The series would probably be best for people who like the following books:
Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Shapeshifters, Witches, Ghosts
And, like I say every time. These series' are perfect for everyone!
The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong
Release Date: July 1st, 2008
Publisher: Doubleday Canada
Series: Darkest Powers, #1
Format: Paperback, 400 pages
My name is Chloe Saunders and my life will never be the same again.
All I wanted was to make friends, meet boys, and keep on being ordinary. I don't even know what that means anymore. It all started on the day that I saw my first ghost - and the ghost saw me.
Now there are ghosts everywhere and they won't leave me alone. To top it all off, I somehow got myself locked up in Lyle House, a "special home" for troubled teens. Yet the home isn't what it seems. Don't tell anyone, but I think there might be more to my housemates than meets the eye. The question is, whose side are they on? It's up to me to figure out the dangerous secrets behind Lyle House... before its skeletons come back to haunt me.
The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong
Release Date: April 28th, 2009
Publisher: Doubleday Canada
Series: Darkest Powers, #2
Format: Paperback, 368 pages
If you had met me a few weeks ago, you probably would have described me as an average teenage girl – someone normal. Now my life has changed forever and I’m as far away from normal as it gets. A living science experiment – not only can I see ghosts, but I was genetically altered by a group of people who call themselves The Edison Group. What does that mean? For starters, I’m a teenage necromancer whose powers are out of control: I raise the dead without even trying. Trust me, that is not a power you want to have. Ever.
I’m running for my life with three of my supernatural friends – a charming sorcerer, a cynical werewolf, and a disgruntled witch – and we have to find someone who can help us gain our freedom back before The Edison Group finds us first. Or die trying.
The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong
Release Date: June 14th, 2011
Publisher: Doubleday Canada
Series: Darkest Powers, #3
Format: Paperback, 391 pages
Chloe Saunders is fifteen and would love to be normal. Unfortunately, Chloe happens to be a genetically engineered necromancer who can raise the dead without even trying. She and her equally gifted (or should that be 'cursed'?) friends are now running for their lives from the evil corporation that created them.
As if that's not enough, Chloe is struggling with her feelings for Simon, a sweet-tempered sorcerer, and his brother Derek, a not so sweet-tempered werewolf. And she has a horrible feeling she's leaning towards the werewolf...
Definitely not normal
The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong
Release Date: February 12th, 2012
Publisher: Doubleday Canada
Series: Darkness Rising, #1
Format: Paperback, 384 pages
Sixteen-year-old Maya is just an ordinary teen in ordinary town. Sure, she doesn't know much about her background - the only clue she has to go on is an odd paw-print birthmark on her hip - but she never had put much thought into who her real parents were or how she ended up with her adopted family in this tiny medical-research community on Vancouver Island.
Until now.
Strange things have been happening in her claustrophobic town - from the mountain lions that have been approaching Maya to her best friend's hidden talent for "feeling" out people and situations to the sexy new bad boy who makes Maya feel... different. Combine that with a few unexplained deaths and a mystery involving Maya's biological parents and it's easy to suspect that this town might have more than its share of skeletons in its closet.
In THE GATHERING, New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong brings all the supernatural thrills from her wildly successful Darkest Powers series to Darkness Rising, her scorching hot new trilogy.
The Calling by Kelley Armstrong
Release Date: April 2nd, 2013
Publisher: Doubleday Canada
Series: Darkest Rising, #2
Format: Paperback, 352 pages
Description from GoodReads:
The second book in Kelley Armstrong's wildly popular Darkness Rising trilogy is now available in paperback!
Maya Delaney's paw-print birthmark is the mark of what she truly is--a skin-walker. She can run faster, climb higher, and see better than nearly everyone else. Her intense connection with the animals that roam the woods outside her home tells her that it's only a matter of time before she's able to shift and become one of them. And she believes there may be others in her small town with surprising talents as well.
But then Maya and her friends are forced to flee from their homes during a forest fire they suspect was deliberately set. Next they're kidnapped, and after a chilling helicopter crash, they find themselves in the Vancouver Island wilderness with nothing but their extraordinary abilities to help them survive. Will they be able to make it home alive?
The Rising by Kelley Armstrong
Release Date: April 8th, 2014
Publisher: Doubleday Canada
Series: Darkness Rising, #3
Format: Paperback, 432 pages
Things are getting desperate for Maya and her friends. Hunted by two powerful Cabals, they're quickly running out of places to hide. And with the whole world thinking they died in a helicopter crash, they can't simply go to the authorities for help. All they have is the name and number of someone who might be able to give them a few answers. Answers to why they're so valuable to the Cabals, and why their supernatural powers are getting more out of control. Maya is unprepared for the truths that await her, but she'll have to face them if she ever hopes to move on with her life. Because she can't keep running forever.
With all the twists, thrills, and romance that have made Kelley Armstrong an international bestseller--plus the surprising return of some favourite characters--The Rising will keep you under its spell long after the last page is turned.
So what do you think? Are these series' for you? Let me know in the comments!
At the beginning of the month my work finally had their Christmas party, we went to a Brewery where we were able to sample a beer that they had made in the building. We also had a local restaurant come in and make us this amazing meal. I've honestly been debating on doing an adventure in the summer, where I do a downtown tour of Winnipeg and just find all the best local restaurants. Now I just have to find a few people to go on this adventure with me. 
Then this past weekend I went to my first Escape Room, my friend had her birthday party at one. We did one that had the highest "spook' rating, and I was pretty spooked when we started out but eventually my competitiveness won over and I rushed to get all the clues done. 
Book Haul:
