This is an excellent book !
The world building is complex and well made and the characters are really interesting
I can't wait to read the rest of this series

The synopsis did not do this book justice! I loved the unique magic system in this story and I hope to see more of it in the future. Sandis and Rone were the best characters in this book and I loved that even though Sandis is for the most part, pretty vulnerable and relies a lot on Rone she’s still strong in her own right as well as handy with guns. I didn’t like Rone at first but his character develops more towards the middle and he becomes way more likeable. Another bonus point for me was that while there was romance it was pretty mild and so it didn’t take away from the actual story. The pacing was great and I loved the world building although it could be overwhelming at times. I think the ending left off on a pretty good point and I can’t wait for the sequel!

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Reccomendation: ages 14 & up

FTC DISCLAIMER: I received this book in exchange for an honest review

Smoke & Summons-A World of Magic and Monsters

In the industrial city of Dresberg, survival is achieved through any means. For Sandis Gwenwig that means obeying her master, Kazen’s, orders even if this means committing being condemned by society for the blasphemy of being a vessel. As a vessel, Sandis can channel and transform into the fiery spirit of Ireth -a numia from another astral plane - and do Kazen’s bidding. While the transformations are daunting and painful, Kazen provides food and shelter from the corrupt city so Sandis continues her role as Kazen’s favorite vessel.



However, after a piercing scream awakens her one night, Sandis witnesses the full extent of Kazen’s cruelty and horrifying human experiments. Fearing for her existence, Sandis escapes Kazen’s domain and into the city where she never seems to be beyond the shadow’s grasp.





Rone moves with the rhythms of Dresberg. In order to provide for his mother and himself, Rone takes on jobs dealing with acquisitions. While some may call him a thief, Rone sees his trade as a transference of possessions. That is, until his mother is blamed for his latest acquisition and is sent to the corrupt Gerech Prison where the individuals with the highest financial means control the system.



When Sandis and Rone’s paths cross, they must find a way to stay a step ahead of Kazen and his hired men lest the shadows consume them.



In Smoke & Summons, author Charlie N. Holmberg established the groundwork for the Numia trilogy where you can see hints of what fate has in store for Sandis and Rone. I found this world quite interesting due to the integration of industrialism and ability for supernatural summoning. Sandis and Rone are characters that make an immediate impression on readers. Rone has an easy swagger that disguises his fear of being captured while Sandis’s strength is reined in due to the scars of her past.



Smoke & Summons While majority of the book comprised of chase scenes, I enjoyed the internal dialogue of the characters and how Sandis and Rone began to bond over their experiences. There was a high atmosphere of suspense and readers are distinctly aware of everything that is at stake for the characters. This first installment in the Numia trilogy comprised of excellent world building and set the grounds for Sandis and Rone’s character development.brims with potential and there are many directions in which the story can develop. As the series continues, I am looking forward to learning more about the history of the numia and seeing Sandis take command of her own destiny.

This is a very different feel than Holmberg's earlier works. Dark and ominous, this is not a re-run of The Paper Magician series (which I loved by the way), or her stand-alones (i have read all but one and loved them too!).

Sandis is a human vessel. Sold by slavers into a life where she lives to serve as a host for the evil spirits her master Kazen wishes to summon. Not all vessels are equal though, and Sandis is able to host more powerful spiritis than most others- which makes her very valuable to Kazen. Kazen is ambitious as he is evil though, and Sandis learns of his plans to summon one of the most powerful spirits yet. Success would bring Kazen great power, and failure might cost Sandis her life. In a desperate bid for survival Sandis runs. Kazen will not let Sandis get away easily - she is far too valuable.

While on the run, Sandis meets Rone, a professional thief with a magical artifact that grants him immortality for one minute every day. They have both made some very powerful enemies.

I love Holmberg's imagination! Her ability to create a world and bring the reader into it is a gift to the reader. Yet the human interactions in her stories - no matter how fantastical, always seem to ring true.

Book two of the Numina series - Myths & Mortals will be available April 16, 2019.

DNF at 48%. A well written book I'm sure readers will enjoy. Things that didn't work for me were:
- weak characterization
- wordy descriptions
- unsatisfying pacing
At 48% I just couldn't force myself to continue.

The book had an interesting premise but ultimately didn't offer anything new. The world building was impressive but I was disappointed with the plot construction and characterization.

The main character Sandis is a slave and vessel for a immortal creature from another dimension. There was very little information given on this whole concept which was weird since the major plot of the novel consisted on Sandis trying to escape her master who made her this vessel. I get that its a series and we will get more information in later installments but the lack of any background makes it difficult for me to drudge up any interest in the series.

The characters were okay. They didn't make much of an impression on me. I did not buy into Rone and Sandis' interaction. Sandis apologizing and thanking Rone every two sentences got on my nerves. They didn't have any meaningful conversation. The only upside was that it wasn't insta love. But I preferred them as friends and not lovers.

It was a quick read and I was able to get through it in one day. I might give the second book a try just for the world building and hoping the characters and dialogues improve drastically.

Very interesting book with uncommon concepts. Sandris is a young slave woman that is a physical vessel for an immortal creature named Ireth on another plane of existence being used by an evil man named Kazen as he sees fit. Everything changes when she learns of his latest experimenting with the vessels and a split second decision drastically changes her life. Really enjoyable book and I can't wait to read the sequel.

DNFed this. Maybe I wasn't in the mood for it, maybe it just wasn't my thing. Overall, the magic system and world seemed interesting, but I found it slow and didn't find myself caring for the characters at all. Sorry to give a bad review when Veins of Gold was one of my favorite reads of last year.

Overview:

Charlie Holmberg’s newest creation, Smoke and Summons, brings us into a whole new world of a smog-filled, walled off city, filled with corruption and an all-seeing church. This is a civilization built on the bones of an ancient people that believed in magic and demons from the other plane. Not all of the magic is lost, however – people like Sandis’ master has learned to put the demons into the bodies of virginal vessels, and Rone has found an amulet that grants him one minute immortality. While nominally illegal, it does seem that the rampant corruption in the city allows for a lot more than the laws do.

The Church has characterized the demons as abominations and the vessels condemned to death, but what is they are just misunderstood otherworldly beings that possess great power but do not mean harm on their own? As she gets to know her demon Ireth more, Sandis is not so sure…

What I Liked

The Worldbuild. Holmberg’s ability to create a whole new universe has always been the driving force of her books. The Magicians worldbuild was just as impressive. Here, she creates a claustrophobic city where the only escape is on the rooftops, in the sewers, or with a boatload of gold to get past the walls; a world where the air you breath chokes you, there are so many people that the bodies are pressed together in streets, and only the rich can get out of the grime. It is reminiscent of current-day New York City, with the old-time feeling of soupy London and edgy Venice.

The Magic. Going hand-in-hand with the worldbuild, Holmberg has also brought us a new and interesting magical background – demons possessing vessels after being ripped from the astral plane, and ancient civilizations that harnessed the power regularly. The demons are wonderfully described, and it is crazy to picture little Sandis being transformed into the remarkable Ireth.


What Didn’t Work

The Characters. I am much more of a worldbuild-type reader (see above), but even I could see that Rone and Sandis are not particularly strong characters on their own. The villains are also cardboard and one-dimensional, but I am hoping this is due to first book syndrome. Overall, no one is really likable, which makes it hard to read at times.

Sandis is often given to damsel in distress tropes, which is pretty ridiculous given her overwhelming powers with Ireth. She is used by everyone and remains naive, and is not given much agency. My favorite scene is one where she gets to fool Rone, and it is short-lived.

Rone is weak also, being a typical male antihero that is torn between loyalties and “inexplicably” drawn to the heroine, who is of course ravishingly beautiful. He relies on a device for his “job” and does not show much growth throughout the book.

The Pacing. Smoke and Summons suffers in that every other scene is Rone and Sandis running away from someone or something, to find themselves into another bad situation filled with action, after a brief respite finding themselves running again. It is stop and go, and the running gets old really quick. I can’t help but feel that Holmberg could have said so much more in the pages of this book, but lost steam in places.

Conclusion

Smoke and Summons brings you into a wonderfully dark new world that is begging to be explored. The characters are lacking, but I am still cautiously hopeful that they will blossom in the next couple of books, which seemed to happen in the Magicians series. Don’t discount it!

Sandis is barely better off than a slave, held captive by an occultist mob boss who uses her as a vessel to summon numina - powerful creatures from the ethereal plane. Rone would be nothing but an ordinary thief, hadn't he accidentally come by an amarinth - an ancient artifact that makes him immortal for a whole minute each 24 hours. Then Sandis escapes Kazen's lair and Rone decides to flirt with her - and that's when all hell breaks loose.

That was my attempt at a gripping summary, but there are people much better at those than I, so I will just go on praising everything I liked about Smoke & Summons: it has a vaguely Victorian (?) industrialization setting, Ancient Alien vibes but without the underlying racicm, odd practices of religion and spirituality, lots of gore, body horror, and a healthy dose of fantasy romance, which are all big plus points for me. It is, all in all, a novel that doesn't hold back.

Smoke & Summons admittedly has its weaknesses too. Towards the end, for example, I was getting increasingly annoyed that Kazen's troupe managed to instantly locate Sandis every single time, no matter at which point of her escape. Even organized crime should have its limits. This leads to a certain pattern of action and reaction that plays out over and over again, and that's where the story gets repetitive and even predictable while it tries the most to be unpredictable. Nevertheless, there are certain twists that are nearly impossible to predict after all, and that is something.

But the romance... the romance is actually what makes me want to continue reading this series. The drama gives me life. I feel like both Sandis and Rone are character archetypes that in the past few years have gone slightly out of fashion in favour of the Tough Girl™ and the Serious Boy™, so much that reading about these two particular protagonists being forced to cooperate and slowly developing feelings for each other almost felt like a fresh take again. The truth is, I had missed Soft Girl™ and Idiot Boy™, and in this case there are demonic entities involved, so their tropes got even more exciting.

So... yeah. Let's get the second book.

Smoke and Summons was a very exciting story that I just couldn’t get enough of. Sandis has the ability to become the human vessel for a very powerful entity and she is on the run from the person that tries to control her. Sandis and Rone find one another and he is willing to do whatever it takes to protect this young woman. The only thing is that Sandis has a secret that may put both of their lives in jeopardy.

This book was so exciting and I couldn’t get enough of Sandis’ story. I loved how she was willing to do whatever it takes to protect herself from being used to hurt others and she knew more about her spirit than they thought she did. This book is filled with action, suspense and a touch of romance between these two characters. This is the first book in a new series and shouldn’t be missed!

Smoke & Summons is book 1 in the Numina Trilogy.

I really wanted to read this because I loved the Paper Magicians trilogy! I liked this book too, the numina were quite interesting, but I wish it started off explaining more about them first because I was quite confused when I started the book. Also, the chase seems made it feel like the story was dragging on for too long.

Overall, I liked Sandis' and Rone's relationship and the ending was a little unexpected (although I did suspect that Sandis' other relation might not be too helpful).

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review. I love this author and read everything that she puts out there, so when I heard there was going to be another series I was so excited. I'm so glad that I was able to read this book and experience a new world of Ms. Holmberg's creation because let me tell you when she created a world, it's all-in- composing. The magic, the religion, the history of this world, it's all there. At first, it's a lot to take in but once the story gets going the plot pulls you in. I can't wait to see where she takes us next

I had a hard time following the story line at first, but when it clicked, it really clicked. The premise of possession has been written many ways but this one is really different. The main character is a vessel for a demonic horse held as a slave, with all that slavery entails. She tries to convince herself that at least she gets good food to eat but escapes as she comes to realize that there is worse than being a vessel. Bring in the "hero", a young man with many problems of his own but a few tricks up his sleeve that will help the two of them survive. And survival is tough in the world above ground that has been polluted and destroyed by the inhabitants. Have I lost you yet? I hope not because the book is really a good story line written by a good author that will take the reader out of their every day lives for awhile. Let Sandis and Rone take you away.....

I enjoy reading stories about demonic possession—particularly stuff that departs from the more conventional ones set in our world—and Smoke & Summons approaches possession from a different angle indeed. Charlie Holmberg’s story is about someone who has been victimized and enslaved trying to escape her captor even as she discovers she might be part of a much bigger plot. Set against the backdrop of a somewhat authoritarian and isolationist state, there’s more going on in this novel than meets the eye. Thanks to NetGalley and 47North for the eARC.

Sandis Gwenwig thinks she has lost almost everyone she cares about. She’s a vessel for a powerful spirit—or numina—named Ireth. This isn’t a good thing. It’s heretical, for one. And it’s also a result of being pretty much enslaved by an occult-obsessed criminal named Kazen. At his command, Sandis transforms into a flaming horse that will do his bidding. And the one day, she goes on the run. She falls in with an unlikely ally, Rone, who has his own problems. The two of them try to evade Kazen and his minions, and Sandis desperately seeks the sole living relative she thinks she has. Yet the city of Dresberg is not so easy to get lost in….

This book was pretty captivating, not going to lie. I read it over the course of two days and there were moments I didn’t want to put it down. I don’t want to exaggerate this (because on balance I’d say this book is good but not great), but if you are in the mood for a thriller-type, elude-capture fantasy, Smoke & Summons might give you the goods. If you’re looking more for a fantasy story where the hero masters their abilities and exploits them against their former captors, then I would look elsewhere.

That’s actually probably the most disappointing facet of this book, and it’s where I’ll start before I get into what I liked. Basically, there is something going on between Sandis and Ireth. Vessels aren’t supposed to remember what happens when they are possessed. Yet Sandis occasionally does, and she feels like Ireth is trying to communicate with her. Then, in the middle of the book, she desperately tries summoning Ireth into herself—and it works, kind of. It’s a pretty intense and badass scene. Yet Holmberg doesn’t delve much further into this. Then the book ends on a massive cliffhanger, and I’m not happy about that.

Smoke & Summons is a bit like an episode of Doctor Who: it’s fairly evenly split between exposition and running, with a lot of exposition mixed up with running, and the infrequent confrontation with foes. This works well for a TV show like Doctor Who. For the first book in a trilogy, it’s less enticing for me, especially when paired with the cliffhanger ending. The confrontation with Kazen at the end doesn’t really feel like a resolution in any sense of the word. I already requested the sequel on NetGalley, so I’m going to read it—and probably enjoy it—but I’m going to be a little grumpy about this for a bit.

Grump-mode aside, here’s what I think Holmberg gets right.

First, the romance—or lack thereof. I mean, there’s obviously some tension between Sandis and Rone—and that’s why I’m really pleased Holmberg doesn’t take it any further, at least not right now. They’ll probably end up together by the end of the books, unless Rone does something silly like sacrifice himself for her (roll eyes here). For now, though, I can entertain the happy delusion that their relationship will remain platonic, and that would be enough for me. Indeed, I like how they leave things off at the end of the book, the way their relationship appears to be damaged quite irreparably as a result of Rone’s actions. Although what he does is awful, Holmberg clearly still wants us to sympathize with him, and I do—to an extent.

Second, Sandis is a very determined protagonist. It’s tempting to dismiss her because she never does much with the power inherent in her, nor does she seem to have much of an idea of what to do to find her elusive relative. Yet I’m OK with that. The whole focus of this novel is on being a fugitive and how stressful this is. Moreover, it’s important to recognize that Sandis has spent the last five years or so of her life enslaved and at the mercy of an abuser. She has worked hard to keep her head down and not be defiant so as to avoid punishment. Running is somewhat out of character for her, and it is taking her a lot of time to adjust to these new challenges. What matters more is that she remains so steadfast in her goals despite the obstacles arrayed in her path.

Ultimately, Holmberg succeeds in making me care about this story and what’s happening beyond it. (There’s clearly a wider, more sociopolitical plot here, one in which Sandis is embroiled against her will, and I want to know more about it.) Smoke & Summons uses a lot of the very familiar tropes of fantasy, from the way Dresberg is laid out to the ever-present corrupt fantasy police and the pseudo-papal religious figure of the Celestial. Yet it also jazzes up or refreshes some tropes; I like how Holmberg approaches the whole summoning thing. There are parts of the story that drag, and I like said above, I’m grumpy about the ending. But that’s how it goes.

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This book was a adventurous, thrilling, and creative read. This book left me craving more as each chapter passed. Every time I put it down I couldn't get it off my mind. The idea of summoning creatures to take over a human body is such a unique idea. I really enjoyed seeing the development of Sandis along the way and watching her grow into her abilities. Her connection to Rone was such a slow burn. It made their flow so genuine as they earned each others trust and learned to lean on each other's strengths. The family history and the twists that come with it were a great addition to this story. The ending of this book has me on the edge of my seat and I can't wait to read the next one.

The only thing that I wanted more of was numen history and world building. There is enough written to help you understand the concept but I wish there was more description as to how their world ended up in such a bad state of existence. I also would have liked more history on where the numen originated from, how they were discovered, and why they are now forbidden.

Overall this book provides well established characters, suspense, imagination, and surprise elements that will leave you wanting to read more.

Having recently read a book on myth and folklore related to this story I was intrigued to see what the,author could do to educate and enlighten me, I am very pleased and impressed with this story and look forward to more of this world

Everything about this book is amazing—the plot, the tension, the characterisation, the worldbuilding, the magic system, the relationships, the foreshadowing… You get the picture.
Sandis is an amazing, unconventional heroine that it’s impossible not to sympathise with. She’s no helpless damsel, despite the attempts from the antagonist to bend her in that direction. She grows and learns constantly, and stays firm in her convictions despite the many challenges thrown in her path. With a wholesome, nurturing character it is occasionally difficult for naivety to be read as anything other than weakness, but Sandis’s constant efforts to improve, reach her goals and carry her own weight in whatever way possible neatly sidestepped that issue. Anyone who reads Smoke and Summons and still believes that kindness and weakness are the same thing has missed the point.
Rone is an amazing example of a charming rogue, reminiscent of the most interesting character from too many series to count. Most noticeably Eugenides from Megan Whalen Turner’s Queen’s Thief series. His backstory is compelling, his characterisation is entertaining, and his voice is distinct.
The world built in Smoke and Summons is also amazingly rich. The environment often mirrors the tone of the book, without ever seeming heavy handed or obvious. The city of Kolingrad is fully realised, with a historical depth that intrigues rather than becoming boring. The religious and political systems are only laid out in broad strokes, but will no doubt be explored in greater depth in future novels. Everything in Smoke and Summons is deliberate—several times what seemed like chance comments or casual world or relationship building ended up being foreshadowing skilfully woven into the novel in a natural, incredibly satisfying way.
There were several points in the book that subtly provides commentary on real world issues—most noticeably the discrimination Sandis faces for being something she never chose to be. The corruption of Kolingrad’s prison, political and immigration system was likewise never shied away from, and can stand as an eloquent parallel to issues faced by many people today.
The tone never gets too heavy, however, with comedic situations and lines of dialogue strewn throughout Smoke and Summons. The banter between characters and the sprawling details of the city is akin to Terry Pratchett’s Ankh-Morpork, or Raymond E Feist’s Krondor—from the Discworld series and Midkemia cycle, respectively.
Smoke and Summons was amazing because the whole book felt fresh and intense, plot points were introduced with a rapidity that never seemed rushed or forced, and problems were solved the same way. The only ‘predictable’ part of the novel occurred towards the end, but the twist the novel ends on nicely offsets any potential anti-climactic feelings.
A warning for those with self-control enough not to immediately read this masterpiece—it ends on one hell of a cliffhanger, but you should still read it. Everyone should.

I have read Holmberg’s Paper Magician series and gave this a try. It really pulled me in and I read it in two days. It isn’t like her other series, there are however grafters in this story. How they are made and what they really do is a little confusing, as are some other things about the characters and world. Humans can be used as vessels to demons from the ethereal world, controlled by a summoner.
Sandis is portrayed as being naive and I’m not sure why. She wasn’t kidnapped until she was around fourteen, so she should have more street smarts than she does. She also grew up poor and was on her own raising her brother at an even younger age. She is now a vessel.
Rone is an interesting hero. He does have street smarts, even though it sounds like he grew up with money and an education until he was thirteen. He is about six years older than Sandis is though. I liked their chemistry and watching them open up to each other, a first for both of them.
The very first chapter has a lot crammed into it as the world is introduced and might be a little hard to understand. There is a lot of action (mostly running and fighting) and the romance is very mild. I enjoyed the fast pace.
There is moderate amount of language, unfortunately. Rone has quite the mouth on him. There is also sexual and raping comments along with a man grabbing her breast. Violence is very heavy. I wouldn put this as an older teenage and up age group.
Thanks for 49North and NetGallery for a free ARC.

Holmberg ventures into a darker world in this series than in her previous works. Her characters have more depth and the world-building is deeper (and darker) as well. This is the first book in the series but Holmberg does a masterful job of drawing in the reader and getting them involved in the world and its characters. Can't wait for the next book!