We've seen lots of books with people who can see or talk to the dead. This book is slightly different; our main character can hear people's prayers and ultimately finds that he needs to take action. He's a sympathetic protagonist, and author David Mack excels at action scenes. See my full review at SFReader.com here: http://sfreader.com/read_review.asp?t=The+Calling-by+David+Mack&book=1365 ( )

Tom is one of the Called. He can hear prayers of other people and goes to helping the ones he is nudged to help. Tom is married to his wife Karen who are expecting a baby. Tom's gift enables him to hear a prayer of a twelve year old girl for help and leaves on an unforgettable quest to New York that will change his life. ( )

Tom Nash might seem like a normal average guy from Sawyer, Pennsylvania. He’s a jack-of-all-trades with a knack for fixing things. But beneath all that, Tom is anything but ordinary - he hears people’s prayers. And more odd than that, he answers them. Maybe it's because he's a handyman, but Tom feels compelled to fix people's problems. Which is all well and good - until the soul-shattering plea of a terrified girl sends him on the darkest journey of his life....

Please God - don’t let them kill me.

Those seven words turn Tom’s world upside down. He departs from home and heads out to New York City where he is immersed in a world full of angels and demons and a never-ending battle between good and evil. There he meets a saucy, Latina named Erin who more or less gives him a quick lesson on what he is - one of The Called. He was born with a divine purpose for a reason - to help the powers of Heaven in the war against the agents of Hell (otherwise known as the Scorned). It is up to Tom to find the girl who prayed for his help -- because her fate will determine whether humanity deserves to be saved, or damned for all eternity.

Doesn’t that just sound fantastic?! I know the description totally hooked me and boy was I in for a treat. Firstly, Tom was a great character - he was very down to Earth, loves his wife (I really like that in a man), yet is in a position where he has a calling to help other people. He does this and does it well. And although, his wife is very supportive of this, he knows that she is not all that happy with him when he leaves her several weeks before their baby is due. On his mission, he meets Erin (which may be because I'm Latina myself) but I loved her. She was saucy, funny and was a major kick a$s character. We are kept at the edge of our seat as Tom and Erin head from one dangerous situation to the next and all while trying to get the next clue that will bring them closer to the missing girl - Phaedra.

I found the storyline to be very engaging - it was a cross between the tv show Heroes and the movie Constantine which created its very own unique blend. Full of twists and turns that kept you guessing and helped the pages turn quite easily. I can envision this becoming a series and I would definitely love to read more of Tom Nash. I can't help it, I have a thing for men with special powers. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys fantasy, good writing and powerful characters. ( )

I think my major problem with this novel, (probably) the first of a new urban fantasy series by David Mack, is more a reflection on me than a reflection on the novel. It's about a guy named Tom who can hear prayers and usually chooses to answer them. It reminds me of the old TV show Early Edition, which I always enjoyed. He was trained by Jesuits, even-- how cool is that? I was expecting an origin story, which this wasn't, not really, but I soon got over that. But it turns out that there's more to Tom's powers than hearing prayers, and this is where I lost it: he and the other Called also have the ability to blend into the background, can't be fingerprinted or recorded, can tell when someone's telling lies, &c. Up against all that, what's hearing prayers? The novel wouldn't play out much differently if Tom got his mission from, well, a newspaper turning up on his doorstep a day early. In addition, Tom has a guardian angel who sees fit to intervene whenever he can't get his own way out of a situation... which is a bit too convenient. But this is the actual premise, and maybe I just need to jettison the premise I expected.

The novel was a bit slow to start, I think maybe because Tom is kind of a flat character (and his partner Erin the Hot Butt-Kicking Latina even more so), but after around a hundred pages, the narrative picked up steam and never really stopped-- until it crashed in a train station! Mack delivers his typically slick action there, and throughout the novel. And Frank was a fun villain. The book has its flaws, but it was an enjoyable way to spend a few hours. (It needed more Jesuits, though.)

The Calling by David Mack

An ordinary guy hears other peoples prayers and tries to answer them. This is an unlikely premise that works surprisingly well until Tom Nash hears a prayer more frightening and sinister than he has ever heard before. Nash’s response, his experiences and the surprising things he discovers about himself comprise the gist of the book.

The clear portrait painted of Tom Nash, depicts an ordinary guy trying to do extraordinary tasks. The clarity of the portrait helps to add credence to the unlikely premise of hearing other’s prayers. The introduction to a previously unknown sub-culture is met with a realistically cynical response. Mack did a nice job with the characters, including the feisty but terrified, young victim. The storyline flowed well, the gaps were filled in and the plot provided enough mystery to intrigue and motivate continued reading.

I enjoyed the book, I recommend it. It is pretty obvious it will be followed by a sequel which I will make every effort to read as well. ( )