Clayton doesn’t do “unobtrusive” well. Not even when he tries and that afternoon, he was trying his damnedest.
As the sixth book book in a series it helps if you’ve read the previous novels by Armstrong, but it isn’t essential. However, I’ve read them all, and enjoyed them. They aren’t “serious fiction” but they are well-written with humour and good characterisation. Perfect easy reading without being trash.
This is the third of the Otherworld books to focus on Elena and the werewolves, but some characters from other books do show up, or get mentioned. This time Elena has been asked to repay an old favour, by stealing a letter. Jack the Ripper’s From Hell letter, to be specific. And it seems a straightforward job, so, in exchange for some information on a mutt on a killing spree Elena and the other pack members decide it is worth the risk. Or at least Jeremy, pack alpha decides, and the others are happy to obey.
There is however a complication. Elena’s pregnant, and Clay is somewhat over protective. And then it seems likely that they’ve triggered a spell releasing The Ripper onto Toronto. Not only that, but he seems to be fixated on Elena as it was a drop of her blood that let him out.
Like all the other books in this series it isn’t too be taken all that seriously, but it is the characters that are important. And as they’ve featured in previous books we don’t have to spend a lot of time getting to know them, although they are changing a little as the series progresses. Which is understandable and good. They are still entertaining and believable, if you can call vampires and werewolves believable. If I’m totally honest this isn’t as good as the first two, and is a little predictable in places. Especially regarding some of the villains, but I still really enjoyed it. And will be reading more by this author.
KellyArmstrong.com -official site | Book Fetish
I read half-way through one of these– I can't even remember the name– and I thought it was dreadful, sub-Anne Rice nonsense. Vampires should have a bit of mystery about them. Horror is all about mystique. Kelley Armstrong makes the supernatural world seem as dull as an engineering conference.
I thought I would give some new horror writers a go, since the shelves seem so dominated by Stephen King and Cliver Barker. Unfortunately, this and another book I started by a guy called Simon (or Tony?) Clarke convinced me that horror fiction is a dead duck right now.
I think the one I read was called Dime-Store Magic. The first two words of the title were very appropriate, the last was less so.
I don't think these are even horror; supernatural adventure, if anything.
No they aren't horror, they are Chick Horror, which a term I use for books that use supernatural & horror elements but in a chick lit sort of way.
And to compare them to Anne Rice is silly, they are totally different styles of book, all they have in common is the supernatural world. I've read all of them and while I didn't think that Dime Store Magic was great, I still enjoyed it.
Well, I only started one Anne Rice book, Queen of the Damned, and the twenty pages I read reminded me of KA, but you're probably right.
:) Mal do you ever start a series at the beginning. I didn't really like Queen of the Damned. Interview with a Vampire was much better, as was the Lestat one. But after that I just got bored of them all.
God, I never even thought of that…I never do seem to start a series at the beginning. Actually The Great Hunt was the first Robert Jordan book I read, even if I only read a few pages and then left RJ until I read NM's copies. X-Men 2 was the first film I saw. I'm not into this whole beginnings thing.
Another thing I didn't like about Kelly Armstrong was how the plots is just a series of problems…she just seems to be filling up pages, there's no arc. I know you say it's just horror-chic-lit, but everything should be good of its sort.
I think the Anne Rice/Kelley Armstrong comparison was because, in the Queen of the Damned, one of the vampires is a rock star. Vampires have class, they woudn't be involved in rock music. What next, Dracula driving a sports car? It's the whole phenomenon of making the denizens of the otherworld as banal and shallow as us.
X-Men 2 wasn't the very first film I saw, needless to add. It was the first X-Men film I saw.
I can't remember the very first film I saw but the first film I saw in the cinema was Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. I thought Indie was rubbish then and I think he's rubbish now. Even when I was a kid I didn't like action flicks.
But that's beside the point, I suppose.
How could you start reading WOT with book 2? Did any of it make sense?
I have this theory, the reason more women than men watch soaps is because of the longevity of characters. The plots are really fairly unimportant, it is how the characters react that make it watchable. Although in the case of soaps they are never believable. But that is beside the point.
As far as I'm concerned plot doesn't matter, it is only a series of actions that give the characters something to do. Obviously an arc and well thought out plot can make a book or film tighter and help with pacing. But if the characters don't interest me, but the plot is fantastic, then I'm never going to love something as much as I would if it was the reverse.
Dime Store Magic isn't the best of Armstrong's; the first is, Bitten. imo of course.
Me, the 13th Duke of Mal, here, on the internet, at one o' clock in the morning? With my alarm clock set for six? With my need for nine hours sleep a night? Am I quite mad? Or is it just the temptation of my brother's computer being free for once and me being in the family home on a Sunday night? Oh well…
I hadn't a clue what was going in The Great Hunt; I think I gave up after about twenty pages. It was just the earliest volume I could find in Ballymun library.
Hey, maybe I should start putting on my socks before my shoes? Toasting bread and THEN buttering it? So many possibilities are opening up!
I think women ADMIT to watching soaps more than men. Of course, I don't watch soaps…but I APPROVE of them. Or rather I approve of the Coronation Street ones, which are (I presume) about ordinary folk doing ordinary things. Rather than people lusting after some gaudy lifestyle of the rich and brainless.
Why do they never make cinema fillums of soaps? I'd go to them.
If a plot and characterisation are both top notch you can't separate them; the plot proceeds spontaneously from the characters. Carrie is the example I always think of. From the scene in the showers, the rest of that film unfolds so naturally that you couldn't imagine it happening any other way, given those people.
I didn't think Kelley Armstrong's characters were very interesting, though.
I agree plot isn't so important, though. When my small brain gets confused by a plot I stop even trying to follow it. So his wife thinks that he works for MI5 but really he's a plumber except he's hit his head at work and now he thinks he's a spy…whatever…
More importantly, what are you doing getting up at six in the morning?
Why do they never make soap films? because they'd never finish any story. that's the beauty of soaps, they just keep on going. For generation after generation :)
It's a long way from Ballymun to Belfield.
That sounded like a philosophical and sociological commentary kinda comment, stead of an explanation…
I am inferring from the fact that you were in the 'Mun last night that you spoke to your brother about my Buffy DVDs then. I really hope you didn't take them home and leave them there BEFORE asking me if he could borrow them. I hope this because I don't want to hurt you. Doesn't mean I won't…
No, no, no. That was last Sunday. He could have seen them by now actually. I didn't think you were in such a rush to get them back.
He hasn't really borrowed them in the sense that they're in the same house they would be in if I was watching them.
And yes…it is a long way from Ballymun to Belfield, in every sense. It's funny watching tracksuits give way to briefcases.
Rush to not let them get mangled by someone I've never met.
Don't worry. Deep breaths. Think of a meadow with a gurgling stream running beside it. And rabbits. Everything is going to be just fine.
Bunnies? Floppy, hoppy *bunnies*?
Bunnies aren't just cute like everybody supposes. They got them hoppy legs and twitchy little noses. And what's with all the carrots? What do they need such good eyesight for anywaaaaaaaay?
Oh, Mal. You'll never understand. Because you rejected it. Sigh.
Bunnies, Bunnies, BUN-I-IES!
Also, certain wabbits have nasty pointed teeth.