If stories steeped in fantasy and adventure in exotic locations, featuring a gorgeous jinn, plenty of sarcasm and lots of action are your cup of tea, you should definitely read Summoned by M A Guglielmo.

This is an okay YA story written very simply. I really wanted to like this because the premise was interesting. Unfortunately, I didn't really like the characters very much. Zahara is an annoying party girl/djin with little substance. She says she's evil but we don't really see it. Daniel is a clueless and naive kid dragged into a conflict by his dead grandmother. He is tasked with stopping two fallen angels from destroying the world. Bubbe, as the grandmother is annoyingly called, died over a year ago. I found it difficult to believe that if she knew so much about supernatural creatures such as djin, why is Daniel so clueless. Zahara calls him a powerful warlock but we don't see that either. Zahara describes Zaid as being someone who wants to fight evil but he doesn't do much. This story does address mythology and religion but it was not enough to hold my interest. The story is flat and it just bumbles along. It wasn't for me. It is simplistic. It might interest a young YA reader but anyone with any maturity will find the characters annoying. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I like a man who listens to his grandmother! Summoned has Daniel who is as Zahara calls him “a do-gooder” and a great grandson to boot. I was so pleasantly surprised to read Summoned by M.A. Guglielmo. I wasn’t sure if it would take a comic book approach in the plot but stayed true to paranormal/fantasy.

Without a doubt, Summoned has an original story-line of good verses evil with unique characters that are interesting, far from perfect but are still likable. The beginning of the story is captivating but wanes after about halfway. This is an author who is still perfected the craft but overall it is a worthy read.

Tule Publishing has been branching out to include paranormal fantasy books by authors that I am unfamiliar with reading. This inclusion seems to be authors that are new to me. Finding new authors with creative imaginations is always a good thing for me.

Summoned is the debut novel of M.A. Guglielmo, and it is a memorable one. Fans looking for a slightly different take on jinn should check out Zahara's tale, as it's one they'll find themselves enjoying greatly.
Two completely different characters have been forced into a contract with one another, all with the hopes of stopping a fallen angel from wreaking revenge on the world. Oh, and did we mention it was the ghost of one of the character's grandmothers that warned them of the threat?
Zahara is a quirky jinn, to put it lightly. She's a nymphomaniac at heart, though she can also be distracted with shopping, which is something. She doesn't want to be on this quest, but she's bound by jinn laws to help.
Daniel is just doing what his grandmother told him to. His dead grandmother. She warned him of the fallen angel threat, and even told him that he had to summon a jinn to get the job done. This isn't what he wanted to do, but he can't ignore what's happening either.

“'I don't want money,' he said. 'I called up a jinn because my bubbe told me I had to save the world before two fallen angels destroy it.'”

Summoned was a fun an exciting escape from reality. This was a strong novel, before taking the whole debut novelist into account. M.A. Guglielmo knocked it out of the park.
The characters were quirky, unique, and silly when needed. They were atypical heroes, with a jinn that just wanted to party, and a goody two shoes who's still listening to his late bubbe. But it's better than nobody, right? To be honest, it was really refreshing to see such unique characters. They were built on tropes, yes. But then they were completely flipped on their heads.
Sometimes Zahara did annoy me, but once I got to know her it wasn't nearly so bad. So if you're put off by her behavior, in the beginning, give her a few more chapters before you make up your mind. Hopefully, you'll find it worth it!
I'll confess that it was the cover that originally brought my attention to this piece. But in my defense, who can resist something as pretty as this cover? I know I can't! The description sold me. And thankfully, the pages inside were just as much fun as I was hoping.
This novel will make a perfect escape for any reader looking for a light and distracting read. It's cute and funny, which lots of quips and banter. I'm glad I gave it a chance, and will be keeping an eye out for any more of Guglielmo's works.

Hmm, on the one hand, this isn't really my preferred niche of fantasy, but this was a fun read if you don't come in expecting high literature. Fans of the particular genre will not be disappointed.

I should be a little more circumspect with my choices. I picked this up as being urban fantasy with djinns and angels, and while that is true, this leans strongly on the paranormal romance side of things. Nothing tragic, rather lots of funny quips and wordplay. And very inclusive in terms of representation. There are several non-traditional romances but then love triangles with djinns, angels, mermen, and humans in the mix are pretty non-traditional to begin with.

The plot is well crafted, mixing mythologies and religions reflecting both the past and current state of the Middle East's mixing pot of religions and traditions. The world-building isn't too bad either, but I do have issues with some of the characterizations. Daniel is relatable enough, but Zahara is not believable, her actions are completely incongruent to the situation and the trouble she is always in, and hardly reflects what would be expected of a demoness (even a young one with possible angelic blood). Thinking about it again, too often in the novel we have a character having a near brush with death while only thinking about getting laid.

Fans of the Kate Daniels books will definitely find this enjoyable.

ARC from #Netgalley

An interesting start to a new series, I enjoyed the cast of characters and the world building, I think it does need a little work and it would be so much more, it lost me a few times, but it was worth persevering, I think a little work and this could be a fabulous series, I will still look forward to the next.


Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Thank you for allowing me a preview of this title. It was not my cup of tea. I didn't care for Zahara and Daniel just wasn't dynamic enough for me. I got about 12% into the story and had lost interest.

The beautiful cover and blurb caught my interest from the get-go and I immediately grab it. The beginning chapters were funny, wellpaced and showcased the blossoming friendship between Daniel and Zahara . As the story progress and additional characters were added, my interest in the read started to diminish. It wasn't bad enough to drop and I'm not gonna lie I did end up skimming through a few pages/chapters at the 3/4 mark and overall can understand why some readers were be drawn to this type of story. Sadly enough it just wasn't for me but I will notate that I will definitely keep the author on my radar for future releases.

Two jinns, a human and a fallen angel, lots of magic and adventures around the world. What a good experience was to read this book.

I really need to thank Netgalley and Tule Publishing for the opportunity to read this book. I can’t wait to read the next part.

Summoned by M.A. Guglielmo, A fun read, Zahara is a jinn one of the evil ones who grants a wish and takes your soul, but when a naive young man summons her to save the world, well what can she do...

I received a free copy from the publisher through Netgalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

When I saw that cover and read the blurb I knew I had to read this one. I loved the sound of it and I was happy when I got approved on Netgalley and started reading the book shortly after. I think the world the author has created in this series is very well done and I really liked the set-up and parts of the plot, but sadly it failed to entertain me as completely as I had hoped.

The start of this book was brilliantly done, that first chapters was so funny and I enjoyed the dialogue between Daniel and Zahara. It has a bit of that vibe you have in those buddy movies, although sadly I felt like it wasn't as strong in later parts of the book.

I liked the set-up and was hooked from the start, but somehow as the story progressed I started to lose interest. Where the beginning was pretty fast paced, the pace now seemed quite slow. And on the one hand quite a lot happened and the pace felt slow, but at the same time big events and reveals almost lacked impact. There were also some parts where I would've liked a bit more information or explanation as in some cases there was just one line that revealed things and as the reveals didn't really got the impact I had expected it was easy to forget certain details and who was responsible for what. The intricate plot lines and reveals fell flat for me because of this. There was one twist that was so obvious to me I didn't get why the characters thought something.

The plot was mostly entertaining, I just would've liked the pace to speed up a bit, but the story was interesting to follow, it just felt like the story didn't progress in a way I found interesting and it felt like it took a long time with less interesting events before they got further. I was curious to find out how they were going to defeat this fallen angel as they seemed so much weaker than him, but still determined. There were also parts where they are fighting those on the same side and this happens multiple times, which felt a bit frustrating as you know they are on the same side.

The characters were likable and or interesting. Zahara probably was one of my favorites with her love for clothes and sweet things and how her whole family are these evil jinn and she doesn't quite fit in. I enjoyed seeing her slowly change throughout the book and do some good deeds as well. I would've liked a bit more insight in her motivations. Her relationship with her mother also was quite interesting. And I liked how she interacted with Daniel.

Daniel is a typical American guy until one day his dead grandma send shim a letter to save the world and call up a jinn, which is how he gets involved in this whole plot line. I actually kinda liked how normal he was. He was very determined, although at times I was unsure why he was so determined to follow this quest.

While the characters were all interesting, I wouldn't have minded a bit less focus on the plot and a bit more on the the characters, their emotions, their relationships and interactions and what they're going through. Now it lacked a certain emotional depth at times. Even with the big things they're going through, it just felt like they just shrugged and continued on.

I also have to admit I expected way more romance based on the blurb than the book actually had. I wouldn't classify this as a romance book, but an urban fantasy with a hint of romance. As for the romances there are two potential romances. Daniel and Zaid who seem to have mutual attraction, although I couldn't figure out why they fell for each other. And there are only a few scenes with just the two of them and only one scene plus the end that even felt a bit romantic in nature. I just didn't feel their romance at all and I would've liked to see their relationship build a bit and see why they liked the other.

Then there is Zahara and Hurat. Zahara's attraction to Hurat was clear and I am glad their romance doesn't really progress much beyond that as I felt like it fit the plot. They start off as enemies and slowly grow a bit closer and have a bit of mutual regard. The pace which with this progressed was well done.

So with how both those romances progressed or didn't, it did make this book very light on romance and I had hoped for more romance. And at the same time it makes sense it's light on romance as they are trying to save the world, I guess I still would've liked some more romance as those feelings and emotions don't always wait for a convenient moment. And I went in expecting more romance, so that didn't quite mash with what I got.

I did really like the whole idea of jinn, the different factions and powers and everything we learn about them. It did feel a bit confusing at times, but that's mostly because I know very little about the jinn and while there is world building and explanations it still didn't quite feel like enough. Or maybe that's just because I wanted to know more. There were some interesting dynamics and rules here. They also felt a bit demonic here, but not sure if all jinn were that way or only some of them. Then there are the angels or fallen angels and we actually learn almost nothing about what angels are and how they fit into this world. So that was a bit weird.

The setting in Morocco also was quite interesting and there are some scenes and references that make it obvious the author knows quite a bit about the setting. I would've liked some more description at times so the setting would've come more alive.

To summarize: Summoned has a great concept and I liked learning about the fascinating world of the jinn. The story and the set-up were great, but somewhere along the way I kinda lost interest in the story. The pace felt slow and big reveals lacked impact. I would've liked a bit more focus on the characters, their motivations, emotions and relationships. The romance was quite limited with Daniel falling for the jinn Zaid, but there isn't really any build-up or romance scenes. I didn't feel their romance sadly. Zahara and Hurat had a mutual attraction, but I actually was kinda happy it didn't go further than that as this fit the characters and plot better. I liked Zahara's character with how she was supposed to be evil, but had a soft side too and slowly changes a bit throughout the book. Daniel was just a normal guy, which was interesting to have as a main character. He was very determined to see this quest through, but I had trouble understanding why he was so motivated to do this. I liked the world building and it was interesting to learn more about the jinn, it's just that I wanted to know even more. The setting in Morocco was fun, although I would've liked some more descriptions so it would come alive more.

Interesting premise. Description was what drew me in. The actual story was a little flat. Zahara is written like every "party girl" cliché wrapped into one person. Daniel's so ignorant of how to interact with the jinn and what a contract means. It doesn't stop to ask questions about what the contract means. If Zahara wasn't written as such a bubble head and Daniel took the whole thing a little more serious.. And what was Zaid's roll again?

An interesting, entertaining and engrossing start for a new series.
I liked the cast of characters, the world building and the plot.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Upper YA and mature readers will enjoy this supernatural wild ride as one human and two jinn race to save the world from fallen angels with questionable motives. This was a quick, fun read full of sarcasm-laced dialog and humorously inappropriate antics.

This was a pretty good first chapter in the series, the characters are well-developed and I enjoyed the plot itself. Overall this was a really good read and I'd recommend this to fans looking for a good fantasy novel.