Review: The Gathering By Kelley Armstrong

Title: The Gathering (A Darkness Rising Book)
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Released: 12 April 2011
Source: Purchased
Reviewed by: Sapphired Dragon

Sapphired Dragon rating : *****
Purchase: Amazon | The Book Depository

Synopsis ( back of the book):
Maya Delaney has always felt a close bond with nature.  The woods around her home are a much-loved sanctuary - and the pawprint birthmark on her hip feels like a sign that she belongs.

But then strange things begin to happen in the tiny medical-research town of Salmon Creek.  A young girl drowns mysteriously in the middle of a calm lake.  Mountain lions appear around Maya's home, and won't go away.  her best friend Daniel starts experiencing bad vibes about certain people and things.  One of those people is Rafe - the new bad boy in town.  What is he hiding - and why is he suddenly so interested in Maya...?

Review:

I loved this book.  I literally devoured it from start to finish in just a couple of sittings (well one sitting broken up only by having to work and get just a little sleep).  Its set in the same world as most of Kelley Armstrong's books and having read both the women of the Otherworld series and Darkest Powers series, entering May's world, a little medical research town  in a larger world where names like St Cloud and Dr Davidoff (among others) have some significance from previous novels, was like visiting one of those favourite vacation spots that you like to go to once in a while, forget about the where you normally live and catch up on what been happening since youlast visited and discover some new places there to explore.

In The Gathering, the first novel of the Darkness Rising series, we meet Maya, a regular teenager living in a small town, adopted but happy with her lot and not overly curious about where she came from.  From the beginning I connected with Maya. She is strong and comfortable in who she is and her place in the world.  She is still getting over the drowning of her best friend but this hasn't stopped her from continuing to tackle the world  arond her and get on with life.

Now any veteran of Armstrong's books will have a fair idea of at least part of what Maya's birthmark means but Armstrong, who is using this book also a a set up for  a new trilogy (series?) creates a story that leaves even the veterans with more questions than answers.  While part fo the mystery might be solved in this book, that also gives the reader more questions than answers and the ending leavves the reader gasping for more.

I most definitely recommend this book to both the avid Kelley Armstrong fan and those who are newer to her books as while there are titbits there for the veterans, they are not necessary to know to still enjoy the story being told and as always its an awesome story.

I have no hesitation giving this book 5 stars.

Sapphired Dragon xx