(I received the ebook by the author)

WHAT. A. RIDE.

Though The Summoning found its way to me in a time where work and university kept me very busy, the tension in every page made me welcome every opportunity I had to sit down and enjoy some reading time. Angels as a concept are something that, as fantasy readers, we’ve all come across at some point, but S.V. Filice had such an interesting take on these well-known and beloved beings.

Because of the short length of the book, I was surprised by how much world-building was present in the story, and how much I grew to appreciate the characters. The main character is Isabelle, an small-town girl who lives with her younger sister, Brett, and their aunt after the death of her mother and the disappearance of her father. Of the two, Brett is the one who struggles to come to terms with loss the most, and for this reason she asks to visit a psychic in hopes of reconnecting with her mother. From this encounter, Isabelle’s life takes an entirely new course, and she discovers a world far more complex than she thought possible and that her role in this world goes beyond what she ever imagined. In fact, Isabelle and Brett have angel blood, and after their encounter with the psychic they are divided and sent to two different angel boarding schools.

Being divided from her sister forces Isabelle to question everything about who she is and who she wants to be. I found her to be a very believable and relatable character. Her struggles—mental, physical and emotional—are aspects that every girl can relate to, even without angel blood. Unfortunately. Who wouldn’t want to be a badass angel warrior?

The lines between good and evil, angels and demons, were blurred and complex in this world. I really enjoyed learning more about it along with Isabelle and finding myself consumed in this world alongside her. This wouldn’t have been possible without the cast of supporting characters by Isabelle’s side? Do you want women who support women? You have them! Do you want romance—possibly the angsty kind, with a mysterious, brooding male love interest? You have it!

My only problem was that it was hard to understand how the angel abilities worked. It does become easier as you go along, but my difficulty also rested in the fact that I did not have the time to binge this book as I would have liked to. But in the end, I managed, and I love the magic system.

Now it’s time for you to fall in love with this story! If you’re looking for a short read with angels, magic and romance, this is the book you’ve been waiting for!