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Alaana's Way #1
The Calling
An insatiable fever demon...
A restless Wind spirit...
A treacherous shaman...
A golden walrus...
And one courageous young girl.
.
In the frozen north, a land of deadly weather and unforgiving spirits, the shaman is all that stands in the way of disaster. When Alaana is called upon to become shaman for the Anatatook people she discovers a kaleidoscopic world where everything is alive, where the tent skins whisper at night and even the soapstone pot has tales to tell. She faces vengeful ghosts and hungry demons as she travels the dangerous path to becoming a shaman.
And there's just one other problem. Girls aren't allowed to be shamans.
This is Book One in an epic fantasy series with a unique arctic setting. All fans of fantasy will enjoy these five novels.
A restless Wind spirit...
A treacherous shaman...
A golden walrus...
And one courageous young girl.
.
In the frozen north, a land of deadly weather and unforgiving spirits, the shaman is all that stands in the way of disaster. When Alaana is called upon to become shaman for the Anatatook people she discovers a kaleidoscopic world where everything is alive, where the tent skins whisper at night and even the soapstone pot has tales to tell. She faces vengeful ghosts and hungry demons as she travels the dangerous path to becoming a shaman.
And there's just one other problem. Girls aren't allowed to be shamans.
This is Book One in an epic fantasy series with a unique arctic setting. All fans of fantasy will enjoy these five novels.
- GenresFantasy
397 pages, Paperback
First published July 4, 2012
181 people are currently reading
475 people want to read
About the author
Ken Altabef
57 books28 followers As a Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America member, my short fiction has frequently appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. I also had stories in Interzone, Buzzymag, Abyss & Apex, Unsettling Wonder and Ominous Realities.
ALAANA'S WAY, my 5-part series of epic fantasy novels is published by Cat's Cradle Press. Described as "cutting-edge fantasy from the top of the world" the arctic setting and unique characters will bring something new to even the most jaded fantasy enthusiast. You can preview this work and others at my website www.KenAltabef.com
ALAANA'S WAY, my 5-part series of epic fantasy novels is published by Cat's Cradle Press. Described as "cutting-edge fantasy from the top of the world" the arctic setting and unique characters will bring something new to even the most jaded fantasy enthusiast. You can preview this work and others at my website www.KenAltabef.com
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
November 10, 2016
It is surprising that so many fantasy fans are eager to devour pale imitations of Tolkien when there are such original works as this one. I am really tired of elves and orcs and of the pseudo-Celtic mythology underpinning endless quests for something or other. Non-European cultures should be a rich source of inspiration for fantasy writers precisely because they can deliver the sense of wonder that Tolkien clones sadly lack. I was looking for scholarly volumes on Inuit folklore and came upon The Calling by chance. But it is a wonderfully imaginative depiction of the dream universe created by the people who lived in the land of endless nights. The depictions of their daily life are as astounding as the powerfully rendered visions of the spirit underworld. I seldom say it about fantasy series but I am looking forward to readying the rest of the Alaana books.
August 26, 2017
*This book is free today on the Kindle. If you like YA fantasy about young female protagonist. You need to give it a chance.*
"The Calling" is the first book of a very promising series. I'd basically describe it as "The Female Inuit Harry Potter."
The protagonist is Alaana, a 12-year old Inuit girl who lives in the arctic with her people. By circumstance, she is chosen to become the tribe's newest shaman and becomes the student of Old Manatook a mysterious shaman that's part Gandalf and part Polar Bear.
Village is described authentically and in many ways this book resembles Pearl Buck's "The Good Earth." Inuit culture is (to my eyes) described accurately and respectfully. The characters are well-developed and are properly motivated.
But where this book really shines is the well-developed use of Inuit mythology as the fantasy world setting. We travel with Alaana to the Underworld and meet a great number of spirits and creatures, including squirrel-men, a spirit that lives in small stone, and a golden walrus spirit who should probably be cast in the film as Zach Gallifinakis.
I think this book is every bit as good as "The Lightning Thief" and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
"The Calling" is the first book of a very promising series. I'd basically describe it as "The Female Inuit Harry Potter."
The protagonist is Alaana, a 12-year old Inuit girl who lives in the arctic with her people. By circumstance, she is chosen to become the tribe's newest shaman and becomes the student of Old Manatook a mysterious shaman that's part Gandalf and part Polar Bear.
Village is described authentically and in many ways this book resembles Pearl Buck's "The Good Earth." Inuit culture is (to my eyes) described accurately and respectfully. The characters are well-developed and are properly motivated.
But where this book really shines is the well-developed use of Inuit mythology as the fantasy world setting. We travel with Alaana to the Underworld and meet a great number of spirits and creatures, including squirrel-men, a spirit that lives in small stone, and a golden walrus spirit who should probably be cast in the film as Zach Gallifinakis.
I think this book is every bit as good as "The Lightning Thief" and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
July 18, 2015
One cool book. Am sure to read the rest of the series :-) #amreading
August 8, 2015
This is a coming of age story like no other. The author weaves imagination, fantasy, life's daily struggles and community life in a way that captivates the reader. Even more, the use of a female lead in a society that questions the need for female leaders makes this story a must read for teenagers.
The spirit world complicates Alaana's life. You would think that as a young girl these struggles will become too much and she would walk away but she stays on and puts up a fight. Her ideas and problem solving methods are creative and despite the situation she is in makes you want to say, 'you go, girl."
I recommend this story for many reasons but most of all for the detailed story telling which bring the characters to life.
Reviewer Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
The spirit world complicates Alaana's life. You would think that as a young girl these struggles will become too much and she would walk away but she stays on and puts up a fight. Her ideas and problem solving methods are creative and despite the situation she is in makes you want to say, 'you go, girl."
I recommend this story for many reasons but most of all for the detailed story telling which bring the characters to life.
Reviewer Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
September 14, 2017
Very interesting prehistorical novel about a young girl who is called to be a shaman. I read it as a Kindle edition. In the beginning, the author responds to critics who say people have trouble keeping the characters apart so she provides a list of character names (which are unusual as you might expect for a prehistorical setting) and how they relate to Alaana or other characters. The book focuses a lot on the trials and tribulations Alaana goes through on her path to becoming a shaman. She deals with a lot of supernatural forces, not all of them friendly - in fact, most of them are the opposite. I liked the story enough to want to read the entire series.
June 27, 2018
A wonderfully creative story. I don't know how culturally accurate it is, but it certainly seemed to reflect a northern culture. It was really refreshing to read a not-Eurocentric fantasy. The reader struggles right along with Alaana and her family as they adjust to the new reality of her being a shaman. A few of her journeys of discovery seemed a little 'made-up,' (not integral to the story line) but then, not being a shaman myself, who am I to judge the route one takes on their road to discovery?
January 14, 2019
What a unique book! I enjoyed every bit of it. Very imaginative! The ending was a bit surprising.. but, that definitely makes one want to read the next book in the series!
April 11, 2019
Just could not get into this book.
September 27, 2020
A good read
Very imaginative and creative. I enjoyed the story very much. Gripping and suspenseful and some thing just a little different. I highly recommend it.
Very imaginative and creative. I enjoyed the story very much. Gripping and suspenseful and some thing just a little different. I highly recommend it.
February 13, 2015
I found this book difficult to get into. I received it as a goodreads first read selection, and it seemed really interesting. The opening presented the main character of Alaana, her tribe and their way of life, and quickly set up the situation that leads to her becoming the protagonist. Unfortunately, then the middle of the book comes along and the pace slows to a crawl. Without giving any spoilers, which I usually like to do, the basic section of the middle of the book is Alaana's training to become the tribe's shaman. This situation is of course unheard of because she is a woman - kinda reminds me of Whale Rider for some parts. However, it is this section which caused me all the trouble with the reading. I have been a busy person recently with other aspects of my life, and I just couldn't bring myself to read the book. Luckily, after ages of nothing really happening, we get to the more interesting bit at the end where Alaana gets to use her powers to become the shaman and save her people - or does she?
This is the first book in Ken Altabef's series, and while the subject matter was interesting, especially from the standpoint of learning about the life and culture of the people's who lived in the Arctic Circle, it was not exciting. The prose is good, even if some of the words were hard to read (there is a glossary which is very nice), but it lacks pace. It is a Fantasy Novel, but set in the real world, and it is relying upon that idea to keep us engaged in the story. I know that, for example, my mother would love this book. As an Art Historian (a sub-group of Anthropologists) her background is in understanding the full cultural context in order to understand the people. So, while I agree with that, it doesn't make for particularly entertaining reading - except when making some sort of academic argument. If you like Fantasy and Historical Drama, or Fantasy and History, this may be the book for you; however, I personally like my novels to have a bit more pace to them.
This is the first book in Ken Altabef's series, and while the subject matter was interesting, especially from the standpoint of learning about the life and culture of the people's who lived in the Arctic Circle, it was not exciting. The prose is good, even if some of the words were hard to read (there is a glossary which is very nice), but it lacks pace. It is a Fantasy Novel, but set in the real world, and it is relying upon that idea to keep us engaged in the story. I know that, for example, my mother would love this book. As an Art Historian (a sub-group of Anthropologists) her background is in understanding the full cultural context in order to understand the people. So, while I agree with that, it doesn't make for particularly entertaining reading - except when making some sort of academic argument. If you like Fantasy and Historical Drama, or Fantasy and History, this may be the book for you; however, I personally like my novels to have a bit more pace to them.
January 2, 2016
Ambitious. That’s how I would describe Ken Atlabef’s saga of a twelve year old Inuit girl and her perilous journey of transformation. In bringing THE CALLING to life, Altabef had to tackle several formidable challenges. Not only did he have to bring a native American culture to life for the average reader, but make their legends and spiritualism real. He had to do all this through the eyes of a young girl.
Alaana is a young Inuit girl on the edge of womanhood. Her tribe, the Anatatook, thrive somewhere in the frozen north. In this world modern technology is unknown and white men are only distant, seldom encountered trading partners far to the south. The story opens with three shamans fighting a desperate battle against a deadly fever ravaging Alaana’s people. This novel quickly sets itself apart as the author treats the spiritual world no differently than the real world. In the course of the story, the venerable shaman Manatook reveals Alaana is destined to become a shaman, and personally undertakes her training. However, women are not supposed to become shamans and Alaana finds herself torn between the calling of a powerful god, and the equally powerful call of her family. However, there is something Manatook isn’t telling her about her calling, and his own past.
...read the rest of this review at UndergroundBookReviews(dot)org!
Alaana is a young Inuit girl on the edge of womanhood. Her tribe, the Anatatook, thrive somewhere in the frozen north. In this world modern technology is unknown and white men are only distant, seldom encountered trading partners far to the south. The story opens with three shamans fighting a desperate battle against a deadly fever ravaging Alaana’s people. This novel quickly sets itself apart as the author treats the spiritual world no differently than the real world. In the course of the story, the venerable shaman Manatook reveals Alaana is destined to become a shaman, and personally undertakes her training. However, women are not supposed to become shamans and Alaana finds herself torn between the calling of a powerful god, and the equally powerful call of her family. However, there is something Manatook isn’t telling her about her calling, and his own past.
...read the rest of this review at UndergroundBookReviews(dot)org!
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February 13, 2015ALAANA’S WAY: THE CALLING is a coming of age story for a young Anatatook girl who lives with her tribe in the Arctic lands. For her people, the world is a wide and wondrous thing, filled with creatures and spirits both good and evil. Alaana has been called to become a shaman during a time of great sickness for her people. However, there has never been a female shaman before and this worries her tribe, especially her father. The author has created a vivid world, characters (great and small), and a strong main character in Alaana. It was easy to tell the author had done a vast amount of research into Native cultures, their beliefs and how they lived day to day. My favorite characters were Alaana and the small rock she found whose spirit spoke to her. THE CALLING is the first book in the Alaana’s Way series and it truly brings the reader into a wholly different world from their own. Very well done!
September 8, 2015
The fantasy in Ken Altabef’s Alaana’s Way is twofold. First there is life among the Inuit of the far north, different enough to be thought of as fantasy. Second there’s the spirit life - whether stone, snow, or walrus - which blends thoroughly within the story and which is key to the novel’s reality.
The end result is a thoroughly enjoyable read that opens new worlds in the course of 12-year-old Alaana’s becoming a shaman. The characters surrounding her - from family, friends, and acquaintances to spirits - are well drawn and appealing.
The end result is a thoroughly enjoyable read that opens new worlds in the course of 12-year-old Alaana’s becoming a shaman. The characters surrounding her - from family, friends, and acquaintances to spirits - are well drawn and appealing.
June 12, 2016
I wavered between rating this at two or three stars and finally decided to round up, for two reasons. one, it is a fascinating collage of Inuit folklore, and even though I didn't feel like the story itself was very well constructed (or even present at all in a few places) I enjoyed the setting. Second, it did have a good ending, and I'm a bit curious about the next book in the series. So... three stars.
July 14, 2016
Highly recommend.
This story pulled me in and made a past world live. Even minor characters have depth. The only negative for me is the abrupt transitions within chapters but that could be caused by reading on a tablet; perhaps there is line spacing in the print version that makes it clear that a scene has changed.
This story pulled me in and made a past world live. Even minor characters have depth. The only negative for me is the abrupt transitions within chapters but that could be caused by reading on a tablet; perhaps there is line spacing in the print version that makes it clear that a scene has changed.
July 7, 2016
I felt completely swept into the arctic world of ice and snow. Through the whole book I kept saying to myself, this is really different. I liked the fact that the setting is on Earth, but feels so alien that it is shocking. The description of the food eaten was horrifying to my ...
To read the complete review go to www.talesuntangled.wordpress.com
To read the complete review go to www.talesuntangled.wordpress.com
December 5, 2016
This strong start to an Inuit-inspired fantasy series is an appropriately unforgiving entry to the harsh climate that is home to the Anatatook. It subverts expectations at every turn, the monsters are both horrific and intensely human, and the insights it provides into survival in such a climate are stunning.
August 19, 2016
A simple but heartwarming engaging tale
This was an enjoyable way to spend a day. The author did a good job of drawing me into his world of Inuit shamans and their walks between the worlds.
This was an enjoyable way to spend a day. The author did a good job of drawing me into his world of Inuit shamans and their walks between the worlds.
July 5, 2016
Good book
Loved the world of fantasy. Amazing spiritual experience. It takes you to other dimensions and makes you feel like you are there.
Loved the world of fantasy. Amazing spiritual experience. It takes you to other dimensions and makes you feel like you are there.
September 17, 2016
Awesome Read!!
Very Good Book!! I recommend this one! On to the next in this series
Very Good Book!! I recommend this one! On to the next in this series
January 27, 2017
Another fabulous book from the category of "girls can't ______". This time it's be a shaman. Reminds me of why I love Tamora Pierce's books so much!
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews