The Summoning: The Shadow World, Book 1

College student Adam Parker stumbles over a mysterious artifact during his first archaeological dig in the woods of Scotland. When Adam brings his discovery to Professor Grayling, the dig coordinator, Grayling appears to recognize the object and immediately asks Adam to keep quiet about it. Why is the professor keeping the find under wraps? Why is the artifact so inherently creepy? And what part will Adam and fellow student Jane Dobb play in Grayling’s scheme? Adam is soon bewildered by introductions to two competing secret societies, international intrigue, and a parallel world similar to our own. While Cottam (The Memory of Trees) has created a moderately appealing premise, the slow pace and tendency toward interior monologues make the story slog along painfully. (May)