Smoke and Summons

by Charlie N. Holmberg

Overview

A captivating world of monsters and magic from the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Paper Magician Series.

As a human vessel for an ancient spirit, Sandis lives no ordinary life. At the command of her master, she can be transformed against her will into his weapon—a raging monster summoned to do his bidding. Unlike other vessels, Sandis can host extremely powerful spirits, but hosting such creatures can be fatal. To stay alive, she must run. And in a city fueled by smoke and corruption, she finds a surprising ally.

A cunning thief for hire, Rone owns a rare device that grants him immortality for one minute every day—a unique advantage that will come in handy in Sandis’s fight for freedom. But Sandis’s master knows how powerful she is. He’s determined to get her back, and he has the manpower to find her, wherever she runs.

Now, to outwit her pursuers, Sandis must put all her trust in Rone and his immortal device. For her master has summoned more than mere men to hunt her down…

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781503905436
Publisher:	Amazon Publishing
Publication date:	02/01/2019
Series:	Numina , #1
Pages:	332
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Born in Salt Lake City, Charlie N. Holmberg was raised a Trekkie alongside three sisters who also have boy names. She is a proud BYU alumna, plays the ukulele, owns too many pairs of glasses, and finally adopted a dog. Her fantasy Paper Magician Series, which includes The Paper Magician, The Glass Magician, and The Master Magician, has been optioned by the Walt Disney Company. Her stand-alone novel, Followed by Frost, was nominated for a 2016 RITA Award for Best Young Adult Romance. She currently lives with her family in Utah. Visit her at www.charlienholmberg.com.

Editorial Reviews

10/15/2018
An enslaved woman fleeing for her life must work with a jaded thief to keep her freedom in Holmberg’s enthralling fantasy. Sandis Gwenwig is a vessel, a human with the rare ability to host high-level demons for summoners to use as weapons, and is enslaved by the summoner Kazen. Unlike other vessels, she can communicate with the demon who is bound to her flesh. When Kazen’s ambition proves too great and he kills a vessel, Sandis flees into the underbelly of Dresberg. There she allies with Rone Comf, a thief with a magical item that grants him immortality. Rone seeks to free his mother, who has been imprisoned for his heists. Kazen will stop at nothing to retrieve Sandis, and soon Sandis and Rone are forced to fight and flee for their lives. Sandis is both sweetly naive and strong-willed, but Rone sometimes reads as flat, and his concerns are less vivid than those of the empathetic Sandis. Late in the book, readers will be shocked by an act of horrifying treachery and perhaps unhappy that it’s resolved too quickly and neatly. Nonetheless, the story is gripping from the start, with a surprising plot and a lush, beautifully realized setting. Holmberg (The Paper Magician) knows just how to please fantasy fans with plenty of magic and intrigue. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

12/01/2018

At 14, Sandis was picked up by grafters and taken to live below the city to work for Kazen, a ruthless criminal. She was also chosen as a vessel for the powerful numina Ireth. Brought to a business meeting, Sandis had only a moment to see the name of her brother, presumed dead, in a ledger before Ireth was charged with destroying all present. Now, four years later, Sandis is willing to risk it all to find her family, but the truth might be more than she can bear. A well-developed setting and social, economic, and political systems make it easy to picture how this bleak, unforgiving world shapes the emotional and mental viewpoint of its inhabitants, adding depth to the story. Characters are slowly revealed through their thoughts and actions, while deliberate contradictions in their choices and dark secrets build tension into the relationships. VERDICT With scads of action, clear explanations of how supernatural elements function, and appealing characters with smart backstories, this first in a series will draw in fans of Cassandra Clare, Leigh Bardugo, or Brandon Sanderson.—Stacey Hayman, Rocky River P.L., OH

Library Journal

[An] enthralling fantasy…The story is gripping from the start, with a surprising plot and a lush, beautifully realized setting. Holmberg knows just how to please fantasy fans.” —Publishers Weekly

“With scads of action, clear explanations of how supernatural elements function, and appealing characters with smart backstories, this first in a series will draw in fans of Cassandra Clare, Leigh Bardugo, or Brandon Sanderson.” —Library Journal

“Holmberg is a genius at world building; she provides just enough information to set the scene without overwhelming the reader. She also creates captivating characters worth rooting for, and puts them in unique situations. Readers will be eager for the second installment in the Numina series.” —Booklist

“A gripping adventure that keeps your heart racing from the first page to the last!” —Jessica Day George, New York Times bestselling author of Silver in the Blood

From the Publisher

Fate brings together Sandis and Rone, and they are running for their lives. Lauren Ezzo narrates the point of view of Sandis, a young woman who has run away from enslavement as a vessel for channeling spirits. Ezzo conveys Sandis’s anxiety and diligence in searching for a distant relative to save her. Scott Merriman narrates the portions from the point of view of Rone, a young man who must support his mother and himself by thievery. Merriman sustains suspense as Rone finds himself in one tight spot after another, starting the first day he meets Sandis. The dual narrators accentuate the different perspectives and motivations of the two characters. J.E.M. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

JANUARY 2019 - AudioFile