Sisters of Isis #1: The Summoning by Lynne Ewing

Description: Meri, Sudi, and Dalila are three girls who live in Washington, D.C., but have little else in common. Or so they think. When an ancient magic is revealed, so are their true identities as Sisters of Isis.

Sudi is thrilled when she finds a mysterious invitation in her locker. Only one person could have invited her to dinner at Sky Terrace -- her not-so-secret crush, Scott. But when she shows up to meet him, things don't go as planned. Instead of Scott, she finds a strange guy named Abdel, with two girls she's never met before. Abdel claims Sudi and the other girls are the descendants of Egyptian pharoahs, powerful ancestors who have given them magical gifts and powers of transformation.

At first, Sudi refuses to buy any of it. But when evil forces begin to threaten her world, she has no choice but to believe.

Review:
The Summoning is an impressive start to the Sisters of Isis series. Ewing has obviously done her research, embedding the story with specific details over the Egyptian mythos and culture, but it is how she so convincingly weaves it into a modern day setting that truly draws me in. This story is also more atmospheric than most, for her writing is so descriptive that it utilizes all of the senses, painting it with more than just imagery. This writing style hooks you in and then never lets go because, despite the fantasy, it really does feel like a story plucked out from the real world. This is largely because of the characters: the protagonist for book one, Sudi, is fleshed-out and relatable. The flirty, skeptic teen is not a character I usually find myself drawn to, but her perspective shows more depth and makes her instantly likable. And, even though Sudi is now burdened with an ancient destiny, she has normal, everyday problems which are still an important part of her life even if not quite as dire as they had been. As quoted from the book, “she [is] only a teenager who love[s] to dance and flirt with guys and [has] trouble conjugating French verbs.” The other characters are also very distinct and likable as well. (And some enjoyably not as likable.) The plot is intriguing and has you madly reading till the satisfying conclusion. I look forward to reading the future volumes and seeing where Ewing takes these characters and her well-developed world.