Review--The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong

Sixteen-year-old Maya is just an ordinary teen in an ordinary town. Sure, she doesn't know much about her background - the only thing she really has to cling to is an odd paw-print birthmark on her hip - but she never really put much thought into who her parents were or how she ended up with her adopted parents in this tiny medical-research community on Vancouver Island.

Until now.

Strange things have been happening in this 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 best-selling author Kelley Armstrong brings all the supernatural thrills from her wildly successful Darkest Powers series to Darkness Rising, her scorching hot new trilogy. 

I've been looking forward to Kelley Armstrong's The Gathering since forever it seems! I totally love love love this world she created and how it sort of coexists outside the Otherworld series, for the Cabals and Nasts were mentioned by name! And even Chloe and her friends are vaguely mentioned as well, so there will definitely be something that ties this trilogy in with The Darkest Powers one!

I had just read a review this morning about the positives of it and a non-spoiler hint to the ending. First off the beginning of the book does read like a "normal" book, where there isn't much supernatural going-ons. There are a few subtle hints dropped here and there that something is amidst though!

The pacing was still rather good despite the lack of paranormal in the beginning. I didn't want to stop reading! I wanted to know more and more! There's a lot of mysteries and questions building up in this book and unfortunately none are answered, which I totally expected since it's a trilogy and it's how The Darkest Powers worked out. So I am definitely very ready to read the next book, of course I have to wait a year!

Maya was a very likable character for the most part, she did have one flaw that sort of shined a little too much and she does come to realize this and starts re-thinking things which I think is great character development with our protagonist already seeing some of her own flaws and working to improve them. 

The romance sparking between Maya and Rafe--so easy not to think of the Rafe from Blood and Chocolate (the book--which is only $3.60 at Amazon) since he was so different, love his name--was well played. Maya doesn't fall head over heels for the new boy like almost all the other girls in her small town, yet she does admit to herself that there is something appealing about him. And a relationship of some kind does start to grow, but it's uncertain where it's headed.

The characters were just great! The book opens with a memory that is still unresolved. It's a tragic mystery and I sooo can't wait for it to be solved. There were a lot of unanswered questions and yet I'm not upset about it at all. I am just overeager to read the next book and I hate that I have to wait another year! 

Oh well, at least I have plenty to occupy myself with until then! This is a great new trilogy by Kelley Armstrong that I highly recommend if you've read her first one or her Otherworld series. Really any book by Kelley is a must read!

Overall rating 5/5 stars