Darkest Powers Trilogy (Darkest Powers, #1-3)

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Darkest Powers Trilogy (Darkest Powers Trilogy #1-3)

by Kelley Armstrong (Goodreads Author)

4.52 of 5 stars 4.52 · rating details · 6,179 ratings · 144 reviews

The Summoning
The Darkest Powers Series, Book I

After years of frequent moves following her mother’s death, Chloe Saunders’s life is finally settling down. She is attending art school, pursuing her dreams of becoming a director, making friends, meeting boys. Her biggest concern is that she’s not developing as fast as her friends are. But when puberty does hit, it brings more...more The Summoning
The Darkest Powers Series, Book I

After years of frequent moves following her mother’s death, Chloe Saunders’s life is finally settling down. She is attending art school, pursuing her dreams of becoming a director, making friends, meeting boys. Her biggest concern is that she’s not developing as fast as her friends are. But when puberty does hit, it brings more than hormone surges. Chloe starts seeing ghosts–everywhere, demanding her attention. After she suffers a breakdown, her devoted aunt Lauren gets her into a highly recommended group home.

At first, Lyle House seems a pretty okay place, except for Chloe’s small problem of fearing she might be facing a lifetime of mental illness. But as she gradually gets to know the other kids at the home–charming Simon and his ominous, unsmiling brother Derek, obnoxious Tori, and Rae, who has a “thing” for fire–Chloe begins to realize that there is something that binds them all together, and it isn’t your usual “problem kid” behaviour. And together they discover that Lyle House is not your usual group home either…

The Awakening
The Darkest Powers Trilogy, Book II

Book II in the Darkest Powers trilogy takes us deeper into a world where the supernatural intrudes on the everyday with riveting effect.

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
The Darkest Powers Trilogy, Book III

Only two weeks ago, life was all too predictable. But that was before I saw my first ghost. Now along with my supernatural friends Tori, Derek, and Simon, I'm on the run from the Edison Group, which genetically altered us as part of their sinister experiment. We're hiding in a safe house that might not be as safe as it seems. We'll be gone soon anyway, back to rescue those we'd left behind and take out the Edison Group . . . or so we hope.(less)

Paperback, 832 pages

Published November 2nd 2010 by Doubleday Canada (first published May 4th 2009)

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Dec 26, 2012 Blake rated it 5 of 5 stars

i can honestly say that this is one of the most underrated series out there. everyone talks about the mortal instruments, the hunger games or even the vampire diaries, that twilight crap,being good (some are far from it) but i would put the darkest powers right there with them. The first book had a good intro, i loved the way armstrong set the atmosphere of where everything began which was at Lyle house. A lot of the time i can't stand or continue a book because of the setting but this one was p...more

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Feb 16, 2013 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

15-year-old Chloe is frightened and confused by the visions that have been plaguing her. She sees people and things that aren’t there, people and things that terrify her but that nobody else can see. Quickly labeled as mentally ill and shipped off to a live-in youth centre, Chloe is determined to prove that she doesn’t belong there. As she learns more about the centre and the other young teens who live there, she starts to understand that there is something far more dangerous and sinister going...more 15-year-old Chloe is frightened and confused by the visions that have been plaguing her. She sees people and things that aren’t there, people and things that terrify her but that nobody else can see. Quickly labeled as mentally ill and shipped off to a live-in youth centre, Chloe is determined to prove that she doesn’t belong there. As she learns more about the centre and the other young teens who live there, she starts to understand that there is something far more dangerous and sinister going on beneath the surface than she thought at first.

The ideas behind this book are not new. Supernatural powers show up in adolescence, kids are misunderstood and sent away, people want to control them and their powers, and there’s a classic battle of good against evil (or at least power-hungry). Youth going up against an unfair adult system is a recurring theme in young adult fantasy and science fiction, and this book is no different. But that doesn’t make it any less enjoyable! Sometimes the same themes show up in books time and time again because they’re entertaining, they’re exciting or they make us think. This is, first and foremost, a story about struggling to find yourself in a world where you don’t quite fit in. It’s about fighting against an unfair adult organization that is much stronger than you are.

The Darkest Powers has an obligatory teenage angst love triangle. I don’t have anything against love triangles, although I do feel that they're overdone. This one was refreshingly believable and it wasn’t quite so obvious who Chloe would choose in the end. I found myself rooting for all of the three main characters in the book; no one is perfect, but they are all likeable.

This is a light, fun read. There are some dark bits, but this wasn’t a book that made me squirm. The pacing is great and the writing flows smoothly. This trilogy won’t change the way that you look at the world, but you’ll have a lot of fun reading it!

This book made me want to: draw comics.

Verdict: a light, fun read, perfect for vacation reading.
(less)

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May 27, 2012 Taylor rated it 5 of 5 stars

I can't say enough great things about this book! I just re-read them and loved them all the same! It's impossible to pick a favorite out of the three though. Each book has qualities that makes you adore the series as a whole. I think even though it touches on the cliche paranormal/supernatural/group of teens with powers category that a lot of y-a does I think it's extremely original! The writing is written pretty flawlessly (kudos to Kelly Armstrong) The characters are very developed and clear f...more

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Oct 03, 2011 Charlotte rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: paranormal lovers, sci-fi lovers, conspiracy lovers, teens

Shelves: i-wish-this-book-was-a-person, kickass-female-characters, mildly-amusing, it-was-ok

Spoiler alert:
Ah, Chloe, Chloe, Chloe. I wanted to like you, I did. You were certainly a lot more likeable than the stereotypical Ever Bloom, more aware of your own body than Bella Swan, and nicer and certainly SMARTER than Nora Grey. Another good factor: you weren't sixteen or seventeen, like them, and--shudder--Luce Price, who I hate to mention comparitavely in ANY review. You were younger, but still depicted as smart and self-aware. I liked that about you.
But I didn't like some things, as sad...more Spoiler alert:
Ah, Chloe, Chloe, Chloe. I wanted to like you, I did. You were certainly a lot more likeable than the stereotypical Ever Bloom, more aware of your own body than Bella Swan, and nicer and certainly SMARTER than Nora Grey. Another good factor: you weren't sixteen or seventeen, like them, and--shudder--Luce Price, who I hate to mention comparitavely in ANY review. You were younger, but still depicted as smart and self-aware. I liked that about you.
But I didn't like some things, as sad as it is. I didn't like that the violent, rather overprotective and certainly jealous-type Derek is the one you chose over his nicer, calmer brother, Simon. I can potentially see a lot of abuse in the future of Derloe if they ever got serious(er), which was something I was rooting for Chloe to realize by the end of The Reckoning. But sadly, The Reckoning ends with Chloe, perfectly content, kissing Derek in a meadow. Oh, death! Oh, sorrow!
Skipping past Chloe: Victoria/Tori. I liked her. I did. I thought she was just some bitch who was added simply for the effect of a catfight between Chloe and herself in TS, but she has depth: her mother is a controlling witch--literally--who is never satisfied with her daughter, and this forces Tori into her mean state. Luckily she softens up quite a bit after TA and is practically nice in TR. I don't really remember it well, but I think Tori ends up being Simon's half-sister, which was sad, because if Chloe/Simon didn't happen, I was rooting for Simon/Tori.
Another thing: Aunt Lauren. Evil? Not evil? Dead? Not dead? Ghost? Not ghost? I wish Kelley Armstrong had made up her freaking mind about what the heck she wanted Lauren to BE, because I sure didn't see any clearer concerning her character at the end of TR.
Another thing: I wish there had been ONE adult in the whole thing, besides the disillusioned aunt, who wasn't evil and/or slightly corrupt. Do-gooders who AREN'T children are a nice touch, for future reference.
The time they spent on that house in TA seemed forced and dragging, rather like the time Harry, Ron and Hermione spent in the tent in HP7. However, the botched 'date' between Chloe and Simon/Derek/whoever it was was nice: I forget who the actual date was supposed to be with, but I remember that it was Simon who ended up insulted.
Anothet thing again: I liked how Chloe spent time with Derek and helped him with the transition between teenager and werewolf. That was a nice touch, and added to both their characters.
All in all, I kinda-sorta enjoyed this trilogy, but there wre some things that could have been better, IMO. (less)

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Jun 20, 2010 NatashaSonya rated it 5 of 5 stars

This series is set in the same world as Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series, however that doesn't become extremely apparent until around the second and third books. I read the first book and really wondered if it would be any good. However, the fact that I sat around in bed and read the whole book non-stop until I was finished says quite a lot. This series is nothing like I've ever seen. Chloe is a 15-year-old girl who just wants a normal life, though everything out of the ordinary...more This series is set in the same world as Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series, however that doesn't become extremely apparent until around the second and third books. I read the first book and really wondered if it would be any good. However, the fact that I sat around in bed and read the whole book non-stop until I was finished says quite a lot. This series is nothing like I've ever seen. Chloe is a 15-year-old girl who just wants a normal life, though everything out of the ordinary ends up happening to her. She is taken to Lyle house where she meets a group of people who are all thought to be mentally unstable as she too thinks she is, and throughout The Summoning she begins to learn more about the brothers (who are not actually blood-related) Derek and Simon, and about herself and the fact that she indeed sees ghosts, can talk to them, and even more. As Chloe discovers more, along with Derek and Simon, as well as the other housemates, Rae, Liz, and the hateful Tori, some very bloody secrets are unraveled about Lyle House and it meant one thing. They must run. I've said it before, and I will say it again, Kelley Armstrong does a fantastic job with weaving a storyline so concrete and absolute, with a world full of mysteries, and yet with very certain boundaries, that the world in her books become reality to the reader. It's not a story with untouchable perfect characters, and supernatural races and beings who are indestructible. On the contrary, there are limits and consequences that are very human to each of the races as well as the characters. And not only is the world realistic, but the story and lead-up to the realizations in the books are slow and steady and so well hinted that the books just come together perfectly. Kelley Armstrong has yet to fail me in making a story that isn't realistic and down to earth, and not mention romantic. The build up of the romantic plot is just as subtly and well done as is the action, almost as though the characters are guiding themselves through an adventure and not a story being told. The characters are imperfect and human to the very raw emotion, and the relationships and interactions between them amaze me. Though the sex and adult content are toned down many notches, as well as the change in writing style, compared to her adult series, there is plenty of humour and swearing to go around. Along with suspenseful action, daring adventure, and the sutble build-up of romance, this trilogy is by far the diverse urban fantasy supernatural series I've ever read. Loved it.(less)

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May 20, 2013 Samantha rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favourites

This series is AMAZING! If you haven't read it yet... what are you waiting for, bro? It surprises me so much that this series isn't that well known compared to all those other crappy books that get so much hype. This has sooo much potential to become the next big series because the story is simply brilliant. Kelley Armstrong just has a way of writing that is so captivating. You fell in love with Derek throughout this trilogy right along with Chloe, and you felt her feelings in every chapter like...more

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Aug 10, 2012 Rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 12, 2013 Vickie rated it 5 of 5 stars

I can honestly say that this Is by far one of my favourite trilogies! I have read and re read this series so many times that the book barely stays together and Armstrong still manages to get to me every time. She did everything right from the plot to the settings to the characters. I love the way she dragged the romance out and kept us guessing till the last minute, was Chloe going to pick Simon or Derek? In other books I have felt that the love story has overdone the real plot and I have found...more

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Mar 08, 2013 Samantha rated it 5 of 5 stars

Like what Blake said, this series is REALLY underrated. It's one of my favorite series, and all of the characters just tie together perfectly and just ahh!
My favorites went in this order: the reckoning, the summoning, the awakening.
The only bad thing about this book is that it sometimes did overly describe stuff that I could really just picture without all the description. Also, it was a little gory at times, but that's a part to make it interesting.
There is so much I could say about this trilog...more

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Feb 02, 2011 Amy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: own-it

Since this is three books, it was hard for me to give it an accurate rating. So i tried to average it out as good as I possibly could based on my opinions of each book. I also rated it based on my opinion of the entire series.

The First book (The Summoning) got of to a quick start and pulled me into a mysterious world that I needed to know more about. I was very much into the characters, and I felt like the story really flowed nicely. I gave it 4 stars (really liked it).

The second book (The Awak...more

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Aug 31, 2011 Ashley rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, best-of-the-best

I have so much love for this trilogy.
Kelley Armstrong's spin on modern day necromancers grabs the attention and sympathy of the reader immediately. Chloe Saunders has just hit puberty and her powers are starting to flair up. She is haunted by dreams and ghostly specters that no one else can see. After being placed in a home for psychologically disturbed teens, she uncovers a conspiracy that threatens her life and the lives of those around her.
This has to be one of the best series that Kelley A...more

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Nov 11, 2011 Cass - Words on Paper marked it as top-wishlist

Shelves: bindups

This looks pretty cool. Inside, do they have the cover images of each separate book to indicate when the next book has begun? That would compel me to wait and buy this one.

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Mar 07, 2011 Blythe rated it 5 of 5 stars

Loved this series, very cool. Reminded me of the tv series "Heroes", which I loved except in these books the characters are younger, I love Derek though.

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May 04, 2013 Jenna rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love this series! It is interesting, detailed, written wonderfully, and is just so magnificent!

This series is interesting and always has you sitting on edge waiting for the next thrill! I love the supernatural characters; Chloe, Derek, Simon, Tori, Liz, and Rae. They are all so different and have cool personalities. I found my self nervous when a Chloe was nervous, and I excited when she had adrenaline pumping through her body. This series makes you feel like you are a part of it-that you, th...more

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Apr 20, 2013 Daniella Okezie rated it 5 of 5 stars

this book got my heart racing, i simply couldnt take my eyes off! i actually started DREAMING about reading the book. it was just THAT good! i love how the romance didnt really start till the last book, it gave me somthing to look foward too, and there was always something happening, an obstacle to face. i love, love, LOVE Chloe and Derek's character! Chloe is not the usual love struck-dum-follow your heart-kinda teenager, she was actually smart and focused on the more important things at hand,...more

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Mar 31, 2011 Juliann Whicker rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This world and series was so really high quality YA that after I read it I immediately bought her first novel in her adult series. Bitten or something. It was really really really awful. It's hard to believe that one writer could make two such entirely different impressions, but there you go. I loved this. Clean, plot driven, good character development, appropriate and believable romance, enough action, and a different fresh world without being weird. The main character was interesting and a tee...more

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Mar 14, 2013 Nyanya rated it 4 of 5 stars

I can honestly say I enjoyed this trilogy. At first I wavered between Simon and Derek, so I re-read the first two before reading the third. I'm quite content with who she choose. I particularly like how it was a teenage book and though romance played a part, it wasn't petty 'I dunno... maybe this one. But that one's sooooo adorable. I just can't decide!!! *insert pout*' romance. She was confused but tried to be honest about her feelings. I also appreciated it being a background conflict. I'm a s...more

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Apr 26, 2013 Lauren rated it 5 of 5 stars

To be quite honest, I am not a huge fan of vampires, werewolves, or anything of that sort. This series what is the only series that I actually followed through with reading all of the books. I would stay up till way past midnight reading. This series is definitely my favorite series out of all of them that I have read. I encourage teens to read this book as I think it is appropriate for their age. Kelley Armstrong is an extremely talented writer who can keep me engaged for hours in a book. I abs...more

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Jun 05, 2013 maria rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: all-time-favorites

It was honestly oneof the best reads I've had last year. Took me a while to get involved in the first book, but once sh** got real I couldn't stop reading until I got to the end. Once I was finished, I hoarded the short stories and devoured them with just as much enthusiasm. I still miss it, and wish there were more books added to the series, as the plot was very well-built and the characters were simply fantastic. Very nice read to those who are into quality YA novels and very inspirational to...more

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Nov 13, 2012 Aeiley rated it 5 of 5 stars

Chloe Saunders is a normal teenager with one exception. She can see the dead. That and she can also talk to them raise them and see replays of the more violent deaths. Oh ya I forgot she also a living science experiment is being chased by something called the Edison group and her only companions are a temperamental, sarcastic, and hateful witch. A extremely anti social werewolf with anger issues, and an all around hot sorcerer. O yeah I forgot to mention she has a thing for both the were wolf a...more

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May 17, 2012 Taylor rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is amazing!! Its one of those books you cannot set down until you finish it and since there is two other book, which only makes you want to go out to a book store and buy both right after you finish it. Other people that have read this have compared it to Twilight and it is so not like Twilight. The whole series is about a group of kids who are "different". Chole who is the main character has an episode at her school. She sees a man, that no one else sees. She runs down a hallway and...more

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Apr 21, 2012 Jacqueline Sinard rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 03, 2012 Skyla marked it as reading-on-hold

The Summoning:

This was a very short read at only 288 pages, in my omnibus edition, and though it was very short it took longer than it usually takes me to read that many pages...probably because I just didn't care about any of the characters and was frankly quite bored for the majority of the book.

The book started off well enough but then it started going downhill fast.

I am okay with hating the adults in a book when it is done right, the Dursleys and Umbridge in Harry Potter are very well done,...more

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Sep 19, 2012 Jessica Reineccius rated it 5 of 5 stars

These books were absolutely amazing! My best friend recommended me to read these and this series has to be the best that I have read so far. I love how Armstrong actually explains the changing into a werewolf and explains everything that happens with everyone in the book. Even though it has been a few years since I read this book, I can still briefly explain this book to someone who would be interested in reading these. Even though I can't remember anyone's name except for Derek who is the werew...more

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Jul 13, 2012 Micheline rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Micheline by: Anne

Shelves: magic-witches-wizards, paranormal-supernatural, urban-fantasy, vampires-werewolves, young-adult

This is the edition I actually own and read and while I really do feel all three books are supposed to be read as one single volume, I opted for reviewing all three books separately to add perspective. That being said, here are the links to my reviews for all three separate books The Summoning, The Awakening and The Reckoning.

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Apr 18, 2012 Carolyn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

4.5 stars

I love this book. The mythology of the supernatural creatures is intriguing, the plot moves at a good pace and there's an interesting romance. What's holding it back from being 5 stars is that every once in a while I want to shake Chloe. Most of the time Chloe is an interesting protagonist, but every so often she is just infuriating (mainly when dealing with the boys).

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Jan 07, 2012 Shannon Evans rated it 5 of 5 stars

When I first read these books, I read them separately. I read the first, then had to find out what happened in the Second, and then the Third. Ive thought about the events that happened in the books, and how they would play out if it was my life. These books were so good, that I actually had to buy this book, so I can re-read all three instead of taking them out from the Library.

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Apr 15, 2012 Jrkniss added it

Shelves: ya

Trying not to get sucked into a series.... That was my intension when I purchased the first book in this series. I failed. This story pulled you in and wouldn't let me go until I'd run to the book store and purchased the complete series, then, read them all back to back!! Its been a while since that has happened, and I am not pleased that I have my life back:)

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Aug 11, 2011 Mizznysha rated it 5 of 5 stars

OKAY i'm reviewing all three books.
book 1: got right to the point. it didnt take six chapters to get to the fact she can see ghost
book 2: left off where book 1 did i think the chatrcters started to grow
book3: left us with a cliffhanger i think because we dont know where they will countited and where it ends
but really great books awesome writing

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Oct 11, 2012 Emily Thorne rated it 5 of 5 stars

The darkest power trilogy are amazing read, with loveable characters that you really feel for from the beginning. With twist and turns throught all three books and i cant wait to read the next book in this series. If you like fantasy, romance, action and drama the darkest power series is the series for you. I would recommend it to anyone x

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About Kelley Armstrong

Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers' dismay. All efforts to make her produce "normal" stories failed.

Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked a...more

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