The Calling by Rachelle Dekker {A Tyndale Review}

Back in May of last year, I had the opportunity to review The Choosing by Rachelle Dekker.  Ever since that time, both my son and I have been eagerly awaiting its sequel, and so when the chance to review The Calling finally came up (you know how long it seems when you are waiting for that next book!), I jumped at the opportunity!

About The Calling:

Remko Brant had never been so sure of anything as escaping the Authority City with Carrington Hale. But bravado comes easy when you have nothing to lose. Now a husband, father, and the tactical leader of the Seers, Remko has never had so much at risk.
As he and his team execute increasingly dangerous rescue missions inside the city, they face growing peril from a new enemy. Recently appointed Authority President Damien Gold claims to be guiding a city shaken by rebellion into a peaceful, harmonious future. But appearances can be deceiving. In order to achieve his dangerous ambitions, Gold knows he must do more than catch the rebels—he must destroy the hope their message represents . . . from the inside out.
With dissension in his own camp—and the CityWatch soldiers closing in—Remko feels control slipping through his fingers. To protect those he loves, he must conquer his fears and defeat Gold . . . before one of them becomes his undoing.

About Rachelle Dekker:

 The oldest daughter of New York Times bestselling author Ted Dekker, Rachelle Dekker was inspired early on to discover truth through storytelling. The Choosing was her critically acclaimed debut novel. Rachelle graduated with a degree in communications and spent several years in marketing and corporate recruiting before making the transition to write full time. She lives in Nashville with her husband, Daniel, and their diva cat Blair. Visit her online at www.rachelledekker.com.

Some Q&A with the author:
The Calling is the second book in The Seer Series. Does it pick up right after The Choosing leaves off? No, a year and a half has passed when we rejoin the characters in The Calling.

 In the book you talk a lot about surrendering to fear. What does this look like and how does this help us to not be afraid? I think sometimes the natural reaction to fear is to hide from it, or try and push it away. It’s the idea that if we can’t see it then it must not be there, but we all know that unless dealt with the unseen things often come back to bite us. The only way to face fear is to walk through it; surrendering to Father God and letting Him reminder us of our true identity. Only then do we really see that the light within us is always greater than the fear we face.

What do you hope readers will take away from the story? 
I hope they take a moment to see themselves as children of the Father. I hope they see that true freedom and fearlessness rest in surrendering, and that when they stand with the Father than nothing can stand against them. There is incredible peace in that truth, and I hope, like I am beginning the experience, that readers feel that same peace.

What can readers expect in the final book of the series?
Characters they know and some new ones I hope they’ll love! More questions of identity, and fear, but the characters will also be looking at forgiveness and letting go. I’m really happy with the way the final book played out, and I’m hoping readers will be as well.

OBM says:  I was so looking forward to this next book in the series.  I had really, truly enjoyed The Chosen, and waited almost a year to find out more of the story for Remko, Carrington, and the others.  But almost a year is a long time to be out of a story, and so when I picked up The Calling, it took me a few minutes to re-acclimate. This book was so much about Remko and his struggle to just let go.  He's leading the Seers, but he's not really a Seer himself, at least not in a true believer sense of the word.  But Aaron, their spiritual leader, knows he just needs time, and trusts Remko even when Remko feels like a failure himself.  That struggle is one I believe so many people can relate to.  What I didn't love about The Calling, when I wanted to much to love it, was that it felt like a second novel...a middle book.  It didn't feel resolved, and it doesn't seem like it tells it's own engaging, stand-alone story.  Instead, it leaves me desperate for the third and final novel to see how the story will conclude.  Still, The Calling is a critical part of the story if you began the trilogy, and the third book promises to be full of surprises.

The Calling is available from Tyndale Publishing this month for $15.99.