Amy Faulks’s SUMMONERS is a fantasy book that looks closely at change and how people fight it. The story takes place in a world where systems that have worked well for a long time are now under a lot of stress. As the threat grows, the characters have to ask themselves if their old ways of keeping everyone safe are still good enough.
Death does not always mean that a person is gone. Their spirits may stay behind when people die. Some spirits fade away on their own, but others stay around because they are confused or angry. If these spirits aren’t led away, they can become dangerous. This ongoing threat has changed society for a long time.
The city uses strict systems to deal with this threat. The Veil is the most important of these. The Veil is a strong wall that keeps the world of the living and the world of the dead apart. It keeps the city safe by stopping spirits from crossing freely. The Veil stands for order and stability for most people.
The Veil has become an important part of society over time. People trust that daily life will go on, so it does. Families are safe. The streets are still calm. But this reliance also makes them weak. People stop getting ready for failure when they depend too much on one system.
Executors are trained professionals who help support the Veil. After death, executors help spirits move on and keep things in balance. Their job is hard, dangerous, and emotionally taxing. To keep things in order, they have to follow strict rules.
The book is about Terry Mandeville, an experienced Executor who strongly believes in order and discipline. Terry trusts old systems because they have worked before. He thinks that change is risky and that rules are there to keep things from getting out of hand.
Terry’s role is very important to who he is. Being an Executor gives him a sense of purpose and power. He thinks that the best way to keep society safe is to follow the rules. Terry sees tradition as a way to stay safe.
Terry’s belief is put to the test when he meets the spirit of a man named Whip. Whip is not like other spirits. He is still aware, alert, and unwilling to fade away. His spirit doesn’t get led away; instead, it becomes tied to Terry.
This unexpected connection goes against the rules that Terry relies on. His skills don’t work the way they used to. He can’t control some parts of his work anymore. For the first time, Terry has a problem that old systems can’t easily solve.
Whip is the most uncomfortable way to show change. He doesn’t fit into the rules that are already in place. Terry has to face the limits of tradition because he is there. Whip’s story shows how systems can let down people who don’t fit in with what is expected.
A bigger problem is getting worse as Terry tries to deal with this bond. The Veil that keeps the city safe is getting weaker. People start to see small signs of failure, and fear spreads. People are starting to understand that the system they rely on might not last forever.
This makes characters have to deal with hard questions. Should they keep using old methods, even though they aren’t working? Or should they take a chance on change, even if it means not knowing what will happen? The book doesn’t give easy answers.
The change in SUMMONERS is depicted as gradual and excruciating. People don’t want it because it threatens their comfort and control. Leaders are afraid of losing their power. Executors are afraid of losing order. Witches are afraid of making the same mistakes again. Everyone is afraid of the unknown.
The crisis makes people think about the past. A long time ago, strong magic was used to make the systems that control spirits. Iris Westheide, the Witch Queen, is at the center of this history. Her knowledge shaped the Veil and the rules that govern the world.
It might be possible to fix the Veil by calling on the Witch Queen’s spirit. But what she did in the past both helped and hurt her. The book asks if going back to old power is real change or just going back to the same thing.
This problem is a big part of the story. To make real change, you need more than just using old solutions again. It needs to be clear why systems were made and why they don’t work anymore. The book shows how hard this process can be.
Amy Faulks shows that magic is shaped by the past. Rituals are passed down from one generation to the next. We don’t rediscover knowledge; we inherit it. This makes change even harder because tradition is so strong.
The magic in SUMMONERS is not flexible by nature. It does what it was told to do a long time ago. The whole system starts to break down when those rules stop working. This makes safety and progress fight with each other.
The way the story is written supports these ideas. The words are simple and clear, which makes it easy to understand complicated ideas. Readers can see how systems were made and why they start to fail.
The book doesn’t build tension through big action scenes; instead, it does so through making choices. Characters argue, think things over, and have trouble making decisions. These times show that people often fight change before they accept it.
Terry’s journey shows this fight. He doesn’t want to gain power. It’s about letting go of what you know for sure. When systems break down, he has to choose between sticking to what he knows and changing to fit new situations.
Whip’s role shows how refusing to change can hurt people. His life and death show how systems that value order over understanding can hurt people. The book says that change is needed for fairness through Whip.
The city itself shows that people don’t want things to change. The way it is built, the rituals it follows, and the way it protects itself show that it is a society based on habit and fear. People forget that the Veil can fail because it has been a symbol of stability for so long.
Characters have to do things as the story goes on. Not doing anything is no longer an option. The book shows that change usually only happens when there are no other options.
The main idea of Amy Faulks’ book SUMMONERS is change. It shows a world that is stuck between what it was and what it needs to be. People are afraid of change, but staying the same has a high cost.
For people who like fantasy that looks at systems, history, and growth, SUMMONERS is a book that makes you think. It mixes magic with important questions about moving forward and being responsible.
Amy Faulks’s book SUMMONERS reminds us that people make systems, and people can change them. Change is not always easy, but it is sometimes the only way to move forward.