Dark Calling (novel)
Encyclopedia
Dark Calling is the ninth installment in Darren Shan
's Horror
/Adventure
book series The Demonata
.
has been able to see new lights that he cannot move, and which seem to be whispering to the Disciples
, manipulating them. However Kernel realizes that he is unable to tell anyone of his concerns as no-one else can see the lights. When the whispering lights lead them to a ship where the group meet their most terrifying foe yet, 'The Shadow', Kernel guards the portal and is approached by a ball made up of the whispering lights, which tells him to leave his friends and follow it. Kernel is unwilling but is forced through the window by the sphere of lights. The sphere takes the shape of Art (Artery) - the boy Kernel once thought was his brother - to gain Kernel's trust, and reveals itself to be one of the Old Creatures.
"Art" then tells Kernel that he is needed to save the universe and is taken to the point where the Demonata's and humanity’s universe meet. Kernel is told that both universe
s were once a single, chess board shaped
cosmos, the white
squares belonging to the demons and the black
belonging to the Old Creatures, the sections separated by the Kah-Gash. However a war between the two groups broke down the Kah-Gash and its soul split into three pieces. He also learns that the Kah-Gash will not destroy a single universe, but will instead bring both back to their original state. The demons and Old Creatures (being creatures of the original universe) will continue to exist thereafter, but every other living thing will be wiped out.
Having learnt this, Kernel tries to escape, but "Art" is killed and another light sphere appears, taking the form of Raz, another dead Disciple. He tells Kernel that the boy has been chosen to be 'Noah
' and protect 'the Ark', a planet to which the Old Creatures have brought the best of numerous intelligent species from this universe for protection from the demons. Kernel chooses to go back and help Grubbs
and Bec beat "The Shadow" (now revealed to be Death). However before Raz leaves he warns Kernel that Bec's piece of the Kah-Gash may have been corrupted by Lord Loss' possession of it (Bec’s piece was stolen from Lord Loss in the fourth book of the series) and to beware of her.
Kernel returns in the midst of a huge battle between the Disciples (including Bec and Grubbs) and an army of the Demonata. He is initially frightened of Grubbs' newly wolfen form, but soon grows used to it. Everyone exchanges stories, but Kernel senses that Grubbs is hiding something. The band of fighters and mages successfully attempt to use the Kah-Gash to defeat the oncoming hordes of demons.
Bec and Grubbs begin to disagreeing over whether or not to search for Beranabus' soul
, and when Kernel thinks of Beranabus some lights begin to pulse - indicating that his soul can be found. Grubbs is still not happy about the idea, but when Bec reveals that Bill-E Spleen may be trapped in the same place as Beranabus, Grubbs jumps at the opportunity to save his brother. Kernel begins opening a window, but also catches a glimpse of a world where Lord Loss is talking to millions of demons. He shrugs this off and continues to build the window which leads them to a world engulfed in shadow, which they discover is in fact the 'body' of Death. The Disciples realise that their magic works differently in this place, and although sound
does not travel, they can communicate telepathically
thanks to Bec. Kernel can see differences in all the shadows, which then turn out to be the spirits of people, all of which seem to have gone insane
, all screaming "free me!" Kernel locates Beranabus, and they talk about how to defeat Death. They are told by the ancient magician that it is impossible, after which Bec has a private discussion with Beranabus, making Grubbs and Kernel wary of her.
Beranabus tells them how to set the spirits free, thus unravelling death's physical form, but says that it will come back stronger. When Grubbs asks Kernel where Bill-E is and if Kernel could lead him to him, when Beranabus tells them quite flatly that it has taken all his effort for him not to go mad in Death and it is impossible for someone with such a weak mind to stay sane. Death then becomes aware of their presence inside it and begins to attack them, after which the group run to a side of death and begin to claw and attack it. Its body unravels and the spirits trapped inside quickly escape including Beranabus and what's left of Bill-E.
The shadows disappear and the heroes fall into the world Kernel had seen before. They are surrounded by demons, with little hope of escape. Bec, Grubbs and Kernel join to form the Kah-Gash, and create a shield, however Grubbs refuses to give it more power as it would mean he was no longer in control of it. Most of the group fight the demons while Kernel begins working on forming the window back to their universe, defended by Dervish as he does so. Meera Flame is fatally wounded but as her final act, kills herself and Juni Swan, who now has no hope of return as Death is incapacitated. Kernel opens the window and calls to everyone to follow, however Bec is in the clutches of Lord Loss and tells them to leave her.
Before they escape Kernel notices that Bec and the demon master are not fighting as violently as before, and suspects Bec of betrayal. When the remaining warriors return Dervish is in very bad shape, and asks to be taken outside to die. Kernel tells Grubbs he is returning to the ark. Grubbs says he understands and asks if Kernel would save the world "regardless of the consequences", Kernel agrees. Grubbs tells Kernel that he will hate him for what he is about to do, and then destroys Kernel's magically formed eyes and tells him that he needs him to stay. Kernel begins to warn Grubbs about Bec, but Grubbs has taken his uncle outside. The story ends with Kernel blind and alone, imagining Beranabus telling him that this is the end of the universe.
ran a competition in which he asked fans to describe a demon in which he will use in the book. Since that was the first time that was offered to fans, the response was overwhelming. After the submissions were over, the staff at Waterstones and HarperCollins narrowed the entrants down to a shortlist of ten finalists. After Shan himself read through the final ten entries, he chose the winning Demon created by Tom Woodhead. The winner created the Sligstata, which is featured on the front cover of the book.
The runners-up for the competition are:
The signed copy of the book had a typing error in the last few words and has become a collectible together with the first books sold before the error was corrected.Sometimes there can be an error on page 51, saying that the Shadow originated in the Crux, when it should be the Old Creatures.
Darren Shan
Darren O'Shaughnessy , who commonly writes under the pen name Darren Shan, is an Irish author. Darren Shan is also the main character in Shan's The Saga of Darren Shan young-adult fiction series. He also wrote The Demonata series as well as the stand-alone books, Koyasan and The Thin Executioner...
's Horror
Horror fiction
Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...
/Adventure
Adventure
An adventure is defined as an exciting or unusual experience; it may also be a bold, usually risky undertaking, with an uncertain outcome. The term is often used to refer to activities with some potential for physical danger, such as skydiving, mountain climbing and or participating in extreme sports...
book series The Demonata
The Demonata
The Demonata is a series of books by best selling author Darren Shan. It deals with the world of demons . The series is told by three different protagonists: Grubbs Grady, Kernel Fleck, and Bec MacConn, the latter of which is the first female protagonist in a Darren Shan book...
.
Plot
Since rebuilding his eyes, KernelKernel Fleck
Cornelius "Kernel" Fleck is the protagonist of Demon Thief, the second book of the series The Demonata by Darren Shan and Dark Calling, the ninth book in the Demonata series. He is one of the three main characters in the series...
has been able to see new lights that he cannot move, and which seem to be whispering to the Disciples
Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship is a system of training a new generation of practitioners of a skill. Apprentices or protégés build their careers from apprenticeships...
, manipulating them. However Kernel realizes that he is unable to tell anyone of his concerns as no-one else can see the lights. When the whispering lights lead them to a ship where the group meet their most terrifying foe yet, 'The Shadow', Kernel guards the portal and is approached by a ball made up of the whispering lights, which tells him to leave his friends and follow it. Kernel is unwilling but is forced through the window by the sphere of lights. The sphere takes the shape of Art (Artery) - the boy Kernel once thought was his brother - to gain Kernel's trust, and reveals itself to be one of the Old Creatures.
"Art" then tells Kernel that he is needed to save the universe and is taken to the point where the Demonata's and humanity’s universe meet. Kernel is told that both universe
Universe
The Universe is commonly defined as the totality of everything that exists, including all matter and energy, the planets, stars, galaxies, and the contents of intergalactic space. Definitions and usage vary and similar terms include the cosmos, the world and nature...
s were once a single, chess board shaped
Chessboard
A chessboard is the type of checkerboard used in the board game chess, and consists of 64 squares arranged in two alternating colors...
cosmos, the white
White and Black in chess
In chess, the player who moves first is referred to as "White" and the player who moves second is referred to as "Black". Similarly, the pieces that each conducts are called, respectively, "the white pieces" and "the black pieces". The pieces are often not literally white and black, but some...
squares belonging to the demons and the black
White and Black in chess
In chess, the player who moves first is referred to as "White" and the player who moves second is referred to as "Black". Similarly, the pieces that each conducts are called, respectively, "the white pieces" and "the black pieces". The pieces are often not literally white and black, but some...
belonging to the Old Creatures, the sections separated by the Kah-Gash. However a war between the two groups broke down the Kah-Gash and its soul split into three pieces. He also learns that the Kah-Gash will not destroy a single universe, but will instead bring both back to their original state. The demons and Old Creatures (being creatures of the original universe) will continue to exist thereafter, but every other living thing will be wiped out.
Having learnt this, Kernel tries to escape, but "Art" is killed and another light sphere appears, taking the form of Raz, another dead Disciple. He tells Kernel that the boy has been chosen to be 'Noah
Noah
Noah was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the tenth and last of the antediluvian Patriarchs. The biblical story of Noah is contained in chapters 6–9 of the book of Genesis, where he saves his family and representatives of all animals from the flood by constructing an ark...
' and protect 'the Ark', a planet to which the Old Creatures have brought the best of numerous intelligent species from this universe for protection from the demons. Kernel chooses to go back and help Grubbs
Grubbs Grady
Grubitsch "Grubbs" Grady is one of the main character in The Demonata series by Darren Shan. He is the protagonist of the first book , the third , the fifth the sixth , the eighth and the tenth...
and Bec beat "The Shadow" (now revealed to be Death). However before Raz leaves he warns Kernel that Bec's piece of the Kah-Gash may have been corrupted by Lord Loss' possession of it (Bec’s piece was stolen from Lord Loss in the fourth book of the series) and to beware of her.
Kernel returns in the midst of a huge battle between the Disciples (including Bec and Grubbs) and an army of the Demonata. He is initially frightened of Grubbs' newly wolfen form, but soon grows used to it. Everyone exchanges stories, but Kernel senses that Grubbs is hiding something. The band of fighters and mages successfully attempt to use the Kah-Gash to defeat the oncoming hordes of demons.
Bec and Grubbs begin to disagreeing over whether or not to search for Beranabus' soul
Soul
A soul in certain spiritual, philosophical, and psychological traditions is the incorporeal essence of a person or living thing or object. Many philosophical and spiritual systems teach that humans have souls, and others teach that all living things and even inanimate objects have souls. The...
, and when Kernel thinks of Beranabus some lights begin to pulse - indicating that his soul can be found. Grubbs is still not happy about the idea, but when Bec reveals that Bill-E Spleen may be trapped in the same place as Beranabus, Grubbs jumps at the opportunity to save his brother. Kernel begins opening a window, but also catches a glimpse of a world where Lord Loss is talking to millions of demons. He shrugs this off and continues to build the window which leads them to a world engulfed in shadow, which they discover is in fact the 'body' of Death. The Disciples realise that their magic works differently in this place, and although sound
Sound
Sound is a mechanical wave that is an oscillation of pressure transmitted through a solid, liquid, or gas, composed of frequencies within the range of hearing and of a level sufficiently strong to be heard, or the sensation stimulated in organs of hearing by such vibrations.-Propagation of...
does not travel, they can communicate telepathically
Telepathy
Telepathy , is the induction of mental states from one mind to another. The term was coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Fredric W. H. Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research, and has remained more popular than the more-correct expression thought-transference...
thanks to Bec. Kernel can see differences in all the shadows, which then turn out to be the spirits of people, all of which seem to have gone insane
Insanity
Insanity, craziness or madness is a spectrum of behaviors characterized by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity may manifest as violations of societal norms, including becoming a danger to themselves and others, though not all such acts are considered insanity...
, all screaming "free me!" Kernel locates Beranabus, and they talk about how to defeat Death. They are told by the ancient magician that it is impossible, after which Bec has a private discussion with Beranabus, making Grubbs and Kernel wary of her.
Beranabus tells them how to set the spirits free, thus unravelling death's physical form, but says that it will come back stronger. When Grubbs asks Kernel where Bill-E is and if Kernel could lead him to him, when Beranabus tells them quite flatly that it has taken all his effort for him not to go mad in Death and it is impossible for someone with such a weak mind to stay sane. Death then becomes aware of their presence inside it and begins to attack them, after which the group run to a side of death and begin to claw and attack it. Its body unravels and the spirits trapped inside quickly escape including Beranabus and what's left of Bill-E.
The shadows disappear and the heroes fall into the world Kernel had seen before. They are surrounded by demons, with little hope of escape. Bec, Grubbs and Kernel join to form the Kah-Gash, and create a shield, however Grubbs refuses to give it more power as it would mean he was no longer in control of it. Most of the group fight the demons while Kernel begins working on forming the window back to their universe, defended by Dervish as he does so. Meera Flame is fatally wounded but as her final act, kills herself and Juni Swan, who now has no hope of return as Death is incapacitated. Kernel opens the window and calls to everyone to follow, however Bec is in the clutches of Lord Loss and tells them to leave her.
Before they escape Kernel notices that Bec and the demon master are not fighting as violently as before, and suspects Bec of betrayal. When the remaining warriors return Dervish is in very bad shape, and asks to be taken outside to die. Kernel tells Grubbs he is returning to the ark. Grubbs says he understands and asks if Kernel would save the world "regardless of the consequences", Kernel agrees. Grubbs tells Kernel that he will hate him for what he is about to do, and then destroys Kernel's magically formed eyes and tells him that he needs him to stay. Kernel begins to warn Grubbs about Bec, but Grubbs has taken his uncle outside. The story ends with Kernel blind and alone, imagining Beranabus telling him that this is the end of the universe.
Cover Competition and Revelation
In May 2008, Darren ShanDarren Shan
Darren O'Shaughnessy , who commonly writes under the pen name Darren Shan, is an Irish author. Darren Shan is also the main character in Shan's The Saga of Darren Shan young-adult fiction series. He also wrote The Demonata series as well as the stand-alone books, Koyasan and The Thin Executioner...
ran a competition in which he asked fans to describe a demon in which he will use in the book. Since that was the first time that was offered to fans, the response was overwhelming. After the submissions were over, the staff at Waterstones and HarperCollins narrowed the entrants down to a shortlist of ten finalists. After Shan himself read through the final ten entries, he chose the winning Demon created by Tom Woodhead. The winner created the Sligstata, which is featured on the front cover of the book.
The runners-up for the competition are:
- Adam Beaumont - Darmesser.
- Jaspreet Manoor - Abnormula.
- Dennis Wisdom - Scalefang.
- Josh Walker - Grendulamb.
- Elizabeth Dunford - Vaeloch.
- Claire Reeves - Quietus.
- Jacob Baylis - Intestine.
- Amanda Parker - Tourniquet.
- Alessandro Luc Pozzolo - Butterfang.
The signed copy of the book had a typing error in the last few words and has become a collectible together with the first books sold before the error was corrected.Sometimes there can be an error on page 51, saying that the Shadow originated in the Crux, when it should be the Old Creatures.