Jun 11 2006

Broken

Published by Fence under Books

Author: Kelley Armstrong
ISBN: 1841493422
DDC: 813.6
#6 in the Otherworld series

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

Tags: 6 Stars, 813.6, Broken, humour, Kelley Armstrong, Otherworld series, reread, romance, series, sff, urban fantasy, werewolves

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Aug 30 2005

Haunted

Published by Fence under Books

Author: Kelley Armstrong
ISBN: 1841493414
Book 5 in the Otherworld series
DDC: 813.6

Eva Levine is a half-demon half-witch who also happens to be dead. She’s not in heaven, not in hell, just in the afterlife. Or at least the one that supernatural beings go to after they die. She is also a little preoccupied with keeping an eye on her daughter, Savannah, although being dead she has no way at all of protecting her, talking to her, or ever getting in contact.

And now she has to repay a favour to The Fates by tracking down an escapee known as The Nix.

This is a very enjoyable read, full of humour it is a quick, light read. It is almost a standalone, and could be read without any knowledge of the previous books in the series. Although events in the other books are refered to, so having read them will help your understanding.

Personally I still prefer the two Elena-centred books, but this is every bit as good as the Paige ones and well worth a read.

Armstrong’s official site | My mother is a fish review | SF site’s review

Tags: 6 Stars, 813.6, demons, ghosts, Haunted, humour, Kelley Armstrong, Otherworld series, quick read, witch

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Apr 01 2005

Bitten

Published by Fence under Books

Author: Kelley Armstrong
#1 in the Otherworld series
DDC: 813.6
You know I was a bit doubtful when I first saw this book, after all the first line of the blurb says “Elena Michaels is your regular twenty-first century girl: self-assured, smart and fighting fit. She also just happens to be the only female werewolf in the world…”
Hmmm, I thought to myself, I’ll leave it

But then someone recommended it in Fantasy Favourites and I found it for only €2. Well I figured it couldn’t hurt.

And I really enjoyed it. In a way it is a cross between good chick-lit and fantasy. It has humour and werewolves, but it also has believeable characters and emotions. I won’t go all out and say it is the best book ever written, it isn’t. But it is well worth a look at.

As the blurb states the book is about Elena Michaels. And in Armstong’s mythology she is the only female werewolf for two main reasons. First off, most werewolves seem to be hereditary ones, and it is passed along the male line only. Therefore no females werewolves are born. And as for bitten; well as Elena puts it, when a werewolf bites you, normally it’s trying to kill you. Plus all the other werewolves seem to regard women as good for only one thing: sex.

But ten years before the book starts she was turned, even became part of the Pack. Now she is trying to make a lfe for herself away from werewolves. A normal life, among humans. Bet you can guess that things don’t go to plan.

Armstrong does a good job of revealing the backstory without forcing it, and neither does she provide too much information. Enough for you to understand why her characters react in certain ways, but not enough to explain everything about them, which, imo, is a good thing. After all who wants to know everything about someone?

Reread 1st April 2005: Grabbed it and Stolen from the shelves when I was home. Basically it is the story of the world’s only female werewolf. Sounds crap I know, but it is a fun read. And has good characters, the most important thing in my reading.
This is the first book in a series that now has 4 novels, with a fifth and sixth in the pipeline. Not all deal with the same characters but they are all set in the same ‘verse. I’m partial to the werewolf two, but the others are still entertaining.

For those interested Armstrong also has a website where she posts short stories every month, and has a couple of novellas in the archives. Kelley Armstong .com

Tags: 8 Stars, 813.6, Bitten, chick-lit, humour, Kelley Armstong, Otherworld series, romance, sff, werewolves

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Mar 01 2005

Stolen

Published by Fence under Books

Author: Kelley Armstrong
DDC: 813.6
#2 in the Otherworld ‘verse

Finished Bitten last night, and moved on to Stolen the second in this ‘verse created by Kelley Armstron.
In it we are introduced to a wider supernatural world. Bitten only had werewolves, now Elena learns that there are witches, demons, vampires and others out there, and of course runs in to trouble. This time with those in the normal human world who want to learn the supernatural world for a variety of reasons. Some see it as a research opportunity, others just want the excitement of a hunt.

This is the book which introduces the character of Paige Winterbourne, the witch who goes on to narrate the next two novels. I don’t like her as much as Elena, but she is still an interesting read.

Tags: 7 Stars, 813.6, Kelley Armstrong, Otherworld series, Stolen, vampires, werewolves

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Feb 05 2005

Industrial Magic

Published by Fence under Books

ISBN: 1841493406
Author: Kelley Armstrong
DDC: 813.6

This is the fourth in Kelley Armstrong’s Otherworld series. The first two dealt with Elena Michaels, the world’s only female werewolf, the second two deal with Paige Winterbourne, a witch.

I’ll admit that I out of all the books I preferred the first, and like the character of Elena and the werewolves much more than the wider supernatural world of the other books. Still enjoy them, and will continue to read and, hopefully, enjoy them all.

All the books follow on from one another, and while the stories don’t relate directly to each other the relationships that form in one book follow on to the other, often with past characters turning up again. So while they can be read as stand-alones I’d say try to read them in order.

I don’t want to spoil any of the previous books, so I’m not sure exactly how much plot detail to give away. I suppose the story is about mystical murders, a whodunit with Paige as one out to solve the mystery. But in reality the plot is not what I read these books for. Sure, it is important but Armstrong’s real strength is in her style of writing. It isn’t what you might call “high literary” style, but it certainly grabs your attention, and more than does its job. Armstrong mixes humour along with emotion, and well-drawn characters who act as people, not 2-D things simply used to force the plot along.

Funny, light and always entertaining

Tags: 6 Stars, 813.6, Industrial Magic, Kelley Armstrong, Otherworld series, sff, witch

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