Top Ten Tuesday: Trick or Treat

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's is a Halloween freebie, so we can post whatever we like, presumably at least Halloween related. However, I haven't been reading anything particularly Halloweeny recently as I am all about the feel good reads at the moment,

Bearing that in mind, my post this week is called Trick or Treat, and the books will all start with the letters of those words.

TRICK

These Old Shades by Georgette Heyer 

Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells

Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

Cracklescape by Margot Lanagan

Kitchen by Banana Yashimoto

TREAT

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Exit Strategy by Kelley Armstrong

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

The Tolstoy Estate by Steven Conte

We don't really do Halloween but I can say it anyway......   

Happy Halloween!

Sunday Salon: Two author events!

Over the couple of weeks I have been lucky enough to go to two author events, both featuring well known international authors. The first one was Maria V Snyder who appeared at our local library (organised by our local bookstore) and the second was Kelley Armstrong who appeared at an event in a city bookstore!

In order to get to the Maria V Snyder event I had to leave work early (I know, such a hardship) but I just made it along with about 25 others. It was a very cold and rainy night, and after a couple of disparaging remarks about Melbourne weather (which she had obviously been fed by Sydney people *wink*) it was on to the talk. Most of Maria's talk was about where her ideas come from. She talking about her background as a meteorologist and her husband's job which indirectly led to ideas for the Study series, about learning to fence and blow glass so that she could be confident that she knew what she was talking about when she was writing and more! There was quite a lengthy question and answer session, including one question that had everyone in the room gasping "spoiler, spoiler, spoiler"...whoops!

This year I have read both Inside Out and Outside In in ebook form, but I already owned Fire Study and Storm Glass so I took them to get signed. Because I wanted to support the bookstore I also bought the other two books in the Glass trilogy to get signed. I loved that when the author signed them, she obviously has set greetings that she used for each different book that was relevant to the book. For example, in Fire Study her greeting was "The danger heats up".

Attending this signing made me really want to finally read Fire Study, which is the third book in the Study trilogy. I can't tell you how shocked I was when I realised that it is has been sitting on my bookshelf unread for 3 years and that it has been 4 and a half years since I read the second book! Whilst I still remember the basics, I think I am going to try and reread the first two books just to refresh my memory a little!

I really like the fact that the local library and bookstore are working together to bring these kinds of events to our local area. It actually works really well for a couple of reasons. From the bookstore's point of view it means that they have a room which can fit a number of people in without it being cluttered or crowded and I think it really looks good from the library perspective as well. I was glad to hear from the librarians that they are working hard at embracing modern technologies and trying new things!

A fun thing that the library does that I haven't seen done before is that they provide a small selection of drinks and snacks at the end of the event. This time they had some biscuits that I hadn't tried before and they were so delicious both Bree from All the Books I Can Read and I have been chatting about them on Twitter ever since, and we may have both bought more than one packet since! After the talk it was great to have dinner with Bree, Jacqui from Collins Werribee and Bookworm Rebel from Bookaliciousness! Lots of enthusiastic book talk ensued!

Another cold night saw about 30 people attending a talk and signing by Canadian author, Kelley Armstrong at Dymocks bookstore in Melbourne itself. With the demise of Borders, I think Dymocks is probably one of the biggest stores we have left.

Kelley started by telling us how we weren't really having winter - something along the lines of if there isn't 5 foot of snow to trudge through, it isn't really winter! All of us shivering Aussies would probably have to agree to disagree. I guess it is all about what you are used to!

This talk was once again strong on the question and answer component, but the author started with a run down on where each of her current series is going. Not too long ago it was announced that The Otherworld series is going on hiatus after the next book, which will be the thirteenth book in the series, and will be titled Thirteen. The spin off young adult series set in the same world will be continuing. I am a big fan of the Otherworld series, so I was really surprised to hear that Kelley didn't achieve New York Times bestseller status with any of those books, but rather it was the young adult books which achieved that level of success. I  also really liked the Nadia Stafford books that she wrote which are not paranormal, but rather feature a female hit woman, so it was interesting to hear her plans for a third e-book only release in that series. She also talked about plans to continue to publish collections of short stories that she has written about characters in the Otherworld series that have been previously published in various anthologies around the world.

There were lots of questions about various characters, and about writing. I was really struck by how many projects Armstrong was juggling. She talked about just doing copy edits, and just finishing writing, and writing the Nadia Stafford book during her time off, and that is on top of a trip to Australia and more! She talked about not being discouraged if you see your idea that you think is unique being written because even if someone else does have a similar idea it will likely still be a very different book to the one that you write. When asked what the best advice is for a struggling writer - just write!

I have to tell you two stories though. As with the Snyder signing, I like to support the stores that are hosting these events so I knew that I was going to buy a couple of books to get signed but I wasn't sure which one, not least because with the exception of the last couple of books this is one series that I have read only from the library. When I get ready for work every day I do the checklist - have I got the keys, my purse, train ticket. Check, check, check. Unfortunately after I had done my checks, the boy took some money out of my purse and left it on the cupboard instead of putting it back in my bag and I didn't realise until later in the day. I really need to say thanks to the staff at Dymocks who let me get my books signed and then put them on hold and I went and picked them up yesterday!

The last two books in the Otherworld series are ARCs that I had received, so I was a little worried about taking those for signing, but in the end it was all good! So now I have signed copies of the first two and the last two books in the series!

The second story relates to my always deplorable photography! I have learnt lessons from my previous attempts and so this time I chose to sit somewhere quite close to the stage (not that the room was huge, it was actually very intimate in terms of space) so that I could get some better photos than normal.

Before Kelley Armstrong got up to speak, the organiser asked everyone if they could please turn the flashes on their cameras off. I was very surprised that I actually knew how to do this. The only problem is, I actually have no idea how to turn it all back on again, and I wasn't the only one who tried! I have also changed one of the other settings so everything is a bit out of focus. Might need to let the boy play with the camera and try to get all the settings right again before I go to any other events. So here is a very blurry photo of Kelley and I (for posterity's sake only!)

With the Melbourne Writer's Festival kicking off next week, I am going to quite a few events over the next couple of weeks. Need to sort out the camera situation asap!

Teaser Tuesday: The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

Kelley Armstrong is one of favourite authors. I love her Nadia Stafford books, and her Otherworld books, but I hadn't yet read her YA trilogy, but I am rectifying that at the moment. This book, The Summoning, is the first book in the Darkest Powers trilogy.

My teaser comes from page 48:

As traumatic experiences went, the last few days were my best film fodder ever. But what genre would it be? Straight horror? Or psychological suspense? Maybe a combination of elements, surprising the viewer with - 

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading. Head on over to find out all about it, and how to join in!


Speaking of Kelley Armstrong, if you are a fan of the Otherworld series, did you realise that she has recently put up a graphic novella on her website called Becoming, which tells the story of Elena, after she was bitten.

Frostbitten by Kelley Armstrong: A discussion

Smart, sexy, supernatural - the men and women of the Otherworld live and love, fight and die, among us. Unseen and unsuspected, this realm of witches, ghosts, and werewolves is now threatened with exposure by a brutal series of bizarre murders that has left even the supernatural world baffled - and cold with terror.

Being the world's only female werewolf has the advantages, such as having her pick of the Otherworld's most desirable males. And Elena Michaels couldn't have picked a more dangerously sexy and undyingly loyal mate than Clayton Danvers. Now their bond will be put to the ultimate test as they follow a bloody trail of gruesome slayings deep into Alaska's frozen wilderness.

There's nothing the werewolf community dislikes more than calling attention to itself. So when a pair of rogue man-eaters begins hunting humans, it's up to Elena and Clayton to track down the predators. but any illusions that their task would be simple are quickly dispelled. For even in werewolf terms, there's something very disturbing taking place in the dark Alaskan forests. A werewolf more wolf than human and more unnatural than supernatural is on the hunt - a creature whose origins seem to spring form ancient legends of the shape-shifting Wendigo. 

And if that wasn't bad enough, Clayton and Elena find themselves confronting painful ghosts from their pasts - and an issue neither of them is eager to discuss. For one of them has been chosen to become the new Pack leader, and as every wolf knows, there can only be one Alpha. They've always been equals in everything. Now, when their survival depends more than ever on perfect teamwork, will instinct allow one of them to lead... and the other to follow?

Kelly from the Written World and I realised that we were just finishing the same book at the same time, and so a joint review was born! Having said that it turned to more of a discussion than a true review! You can read the first half of the discussion at Kelly's blog. Once you have read it, come back for the second half here! Kelly's thoughts are in purple and mine are in black.

**********

What did you think about the title?


I don’t know. It fit the book okay I guess, but lacked a little something to my mind. How about you? Again, I was watching an interview with the author and she mentioned that there were going to be some more -den titles. I think the next one is Forbidden and it seems to be something which ties the werewolf books in particular together.

I like the title in the sense that if I have never read the series before I would probably give it a second glance at the bookstore, but I am not sure what I thought about it as a title for Armstrong’s novel. I understand the book takes place in Alaska, so I guess she was trying to envision the cold! Still, I actually thought vampires when I saw the title without knowing anything about it. I suppose upon reading it you would understand, but still....

One thing that I did think wasn’t as well done as it could have been in this book was the talk about the various mythologies. Clay and Elena started exploring some of the myths like the Wendigo for example, but then that sort of got lost in the more action oriented part of the novel. Did you notice that?

Yes, I did. It didn’t really bother me, though. It might be the bookish-mood I was in, but I enjoyed the action. I had read a few books lately that were a bit detail-oriented and I was actually happy to see Elena and Clay kicking butt. From knowing you for years and reading your blog, we actually sort of seem to read the same book for different reasons, though. When I read a novel I want action, but you are a bit more happier with romance and detail than me. It’s not that I don’t like mythology and related topics, but for whatever reason I didn’t need a lot of detail this time around. I was more interested in the action. It could be because we were experiencing a heat wave and the action took place in the snow... Actually, that’s probably a lot of what it was! I want cold weather lately!

Mild **SPOILERS** coming up!

One thing I think we both wanted to talk about was the whole issue of alpha. I am happy that you included it in your notes because I wanted to address it, too. I think it shows a progressive mind when Armstrong actually believes that women have the potential to be alpha. I also read the Mercedes Thompson series by Patricia Briggs. and while I love it, the werewolves in that series are still in the ‘olden’ days when women had no power and, therefore, wolves didn’t either. I like Armstrong’s series because it gives women power, but that does not mean it is practical in animal cultures. It is more a human thing and the need for women to have a place in the world. I entirely agree with that, but do you think that a woman werewolf having the power is practical from a wolf perspective?

There are certainly going to be drawbacks, but I think that Kelley Armstrong managed to address most of those within this book, and I think maybe that is why I have come around to Clay a little more. I like the comparison that we saw between Clay’s role with Jeremy as Alpha, and also the role he would likely play if Elena becomes Alpha.

Despite Jeremy grooming Elena for the Alpha role, it would certainly mean a big shakeup, not so much within the limited group of the Pack) but certainly in the mutt world. Elena seems to be proving that she is capable of being the Alpha, but I don’t think I am quite ready to say goodbye to Jeremy as Alpha of the pack just yet, and for me, this book ended on the perfect note in relation to this particular thread of the storyline.

I don’t want to see the end of Jeremy, either! He is my favourite male werewolf!

As an aside, I really, really need to go back and read more Patricia Briggs.

And, yes, you do!

One thing we haven’t talked about yet is the other creatures that we meet in this book. Did you end up getting a clear grasp of what exactly they were, and do you think we will see them again?

I suppose we really should talk about the addition of even more supernatural ‘creatures’. One thing about them is that they are not as well-known as the other characters in Armstrong’s book. When someone says witch, werewolf, necromancer, etc, I get a relative idea of what we are dealing with. The creatures that Clay and Elena discover in Alaska is something else entirely. I understand that they might have some basis in mythology, but they are not well-known at all and I think this is the first time that Armstrong has moved out of the comfort zone. (Unless there is something I am not thinking about). I live in Canada and even though Alaska is part of the US, we are dealing with a lot of unclaimed land and it stands to reason that there are species present that we have never heard of before. I like that Armstrong touches on this subject. The fact that they have a tie to people and wolves, while still being something else, was fitting, too. What did you think of them as I essentially avoid your question?

I think that Armstrong regularly moves onto new types of paranormal creatures - vampires, demons, angels etc etc - but this did seem to be something that was more obscure than normal.

For a while during the book I wasn’t exactly sure what it was that we were dealing with. I did find the fact that they were much hardier and seemed to be more suited to the wilderness compared to being ‘city wolves’ quite interesting. And it was an interesting turn of events with Ely, the younger guy in the pack.

Yes, she is very good at working most paranormal creatures into her books. It is all so natural, too, so I am usually impressed. Everything she has talked about before, though, I had a clear picture in my mind because you find them mentioned in many other books or know them really well from Halloween costumes. This, though, I had to actually think about, but I think in the end I had a clear picture of what we were dealing with. There are many communities up north that are very sheltered from the rest of the world and it stands to reason there is a lot that could be going on that no one would know anything about unless they stumbled on it.

Overall, I think this was another really great addition to the Otherworld series. When a series goes this long, I believe this is book 10, you start to worry that it will lose something along the way. Armstrong, though, has made a series where she is also adding to it and that has kept it fresh. I think it puts less pressure on her, too, so she is able to explore things that would not be possible if the series centred around just a couple characters. I am looking forward to more from the series! Frostbitten came out last year and then this year she released Tales of the Otherworld and Waking the Witch.

I agree that this was a great entry to the series, and that Kelley Armstrong writes consistently good books. Not every author is able to maintain that strength and quality over a long series. To me, it is a sign of how good an author she is to be able to keep the series going, but also to keep changing the focus without losing that sense of series-ness, if you know what I mean!

Yes, and she was good from the very beginning. As far as I know this was where she ‘started’ and she has managed to be strong all the way. She improves, of course, but she didn’t have to really and people would still love her books. I am glad that I sporadically bought this series a couple years ago thanks to bloggers and have actually read them!

Do you think this was a standalone book though? Could someone new to the series start with this book?

You should know that’s a terrible question to ask me. ha ha! I read the first couple books, jumped a bunch, and then went back to read some of the books I skipped, and then read some of the later ones. Actually, I read Waking the Witch before this book. Reading this as a first book you would have a general idea of what the series was about, I think, but it would hopefully make someone very curious about the later books. That being said, you can skip around in this series because there are different characters in each books. I read all the werewolf books, for example, but I still have one more witch book to read earlier in the series... What do you think?

I think that you could start with this book, because there is enough background information, but I would never recommend that to anyone because reading a series in order is something I am a bit pedantic about at the best of times.

Having said that, you are right about it not being quite so important in this series because really what you need to make sure is that you have read all the werewolf books in order (and in that I would include Jaime’s book) and the all the witches books as well in order. It’s almost like there are two sub series within the one overarching series.

I was going to disagree with your last sentence, but it’s true. Even when the women are not werewolves or witches the men are. On what you said, I would include... the one that is with Karl? She has a book, too, or was that just a short story...

Hope, yes, I would include her with the werewolves as well, because it moves the werewolves story forward more than the other side.

Yes, Hope. I started to type that, but then I wasn’t sure if that was her name. Anyways, there is just so much we can talk about with this series! I think we should buddy review Armstrong’s books more often! It was a lot of fun not just talking about the book, but talking about the series in general!

It is a lot of fun! Especially chatting in real time to do it! Thanks again Kelly.

Yes, I like that we review books in real time. Although, I think that is probably why this ‘review’ is so long! ha ha! It was fun! I look forward to our next review!

This was my first read for the RIP challenge this year.

Rating 4/5

Teaser Tuesday: Frostbitten by Kelley Armstrong

When I started reading Kelley Armstrong, I wasn't really sure that I would be all that interested in the urban fantasy world. Little did I know that she would quickly become one of my favourite authors, so it is always a pleasure to immerse myself in her world again.

I love the fact that there are multiple characters who are all strong enough to lead the stories, and that there are all sorts of different paranormal characters meaning that some times the book might focus on werewolves, other times on witches and warlocks, or something else! You never quite know.

My teaser this week comes from page 151 of Frostbitten:

And of course every car had to end...in a fifteen-foot drop over ground whizzing past fast enough to make my stomach lurch. That leap between shaking cars set my stomach plummeting every time, no matter how much clearance I had. My first foot would land and it always slid a little, just enough to rip an "oh shit" from my lips before I found my balance.

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading. Head on over to find out all about it, and how to join in!

Kelley Armstrong giveaway

I have previously named Kelley Armstrong as one of my favourite authors! I really enjoy her books, and now there is a chance for us to win one of two copies of her books (one signed and one unsigned). In order to win you just need to leave a comment about your favourite Armstrong book over at Amberkatze's Book Blog!

Many Bloody Returns: Tales of Birthdays with Bite edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni L P Kelner

Never-before-published vampire stories by Charlaine Harris, Jim Butcher, Kelley Armstrong, and many others.

Suspenseful, surprising, sometimes dark, sometimes humorous-these all-new stories will ensure that readers never think of vampires (or birthdays) in quite the same way again.

In New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris's "Dracula Night," Sookie Stackhouse is the only human at the annual commemoration of Dracula's birth. But this year, the Prince of Darkness actually shows up-and finds Sookie to be a tasty-looking present.

New York Times bestselling author Jim Butcher's crime-solving wizard Harry Dresden, of the Dresden Files novels, heads to a role-playing party to give his vampire brother a birthday present in "It's My Birthday Too," only to discover there are some bloodthirsty party crashers who don't share their brotherly love.

In "Twilight," Cassandra DuCharme, who appeared in New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong's Dime Store Magic, knows she has to kill to live as a vampire another year-but finds herself disturbingly disinterested in the hunt.

Plus ten more bloody good birthday stories that take the cake.

Dracula Night by Charlaine Harris - Sookie Stackhouse finds herself invited to a celebration of the birthday of Dracula being hosted by Eric. This was a bit of a let down to me. I loved seeing this overly eager side of Eric, but there was too much time spent on backstory. When you only have twenty pages of story telling, you need to get the story going quickly.

The Mournful Cry of Owls by Christopher Golden - A young girl is about to celebrate her 16th birthday, and to find out about the truth of who she really is. I really liked this story, despite the fact that it had a more sombre tone to it that some of the others included in the collection.

I was a Teenage Vampire by Bill Crider - When a young girl in 1950s smalltown America thinks that it would be great to invite the local vampire to her birthday party, no one realises that the consequences will last forever. This was a lot of fun from a new to me author.

Twilight by Kelley Armstrong - The whole reason why I even borrowed this book was to read another Otherworld story while I wait for the next full length book. Vampire Cassandra needs to kill at least one person per year or else she will die forever. Sounds like a good enough incentive to get it done, but she finds herself strangely reluctant to do so. Loved the interaction with Aaron in this story.

It's My Birthday Too by Jim Butcher - a short story feature Harry Dresden, wizard extraordinaire. I really enjoyed this one too. I have a feeling that I might have spoiled myself for some pretty big reveals in future books though, especially seeing as I have only read the first two. Never mind.

Grave-Robbed by PN Elrod - Undead detective Jack Fleming is approached by a young girl to help unveil a charlatan medium who is targetting her recently widowed sister. I could definitely see myself reading more by this author.

The First Day of the Rest of Your Life by Rachel Caine - As far as I can tell this is like an introduction to the Glass House series. Whilst I have read nearly all of her Weather Warden books, I haven't started on this series yet, but after reading this I definitely intend to.

The Witch and the Wicked by Jeanne C Stein - When witch Sophie is contracted to cater a vampire birthday party, little did she realise that things were going to take such a dramatic turn. With the guest of honour burned to a crisp, and Sophie left with the ashes, she decides to have a go at making a youth cream with very interesting results. Not a bad read.

Blood Wrapped by Tanya Huff - I have heard lots of mentions about Tanya Huff's books over the last few years. It's hard not to have especially seeing as there was even a TV series made based on her books. I had not really been all that interested in picking up her books though. I am now! I cannot wait to get the first book in the series and find out more about Vickie, and most particularly about Henry.

The Wish by Carolyn Haines - Apparently this author has published more than 50 books, but I don't remember hearing of her before. This story didn't really do much for me.

Fire and Ice and Linguini for Two by Tate Halloway - Garnet is a witch, and her boyfriend Sebastian is a vampire. Sebastian has assured her many times that he does not want to celebrate his birthday because he is cursed. The events that follow probably lend some credence to this theory when the two of them are forced to fight for their lives against a demon. This story was pretty entertaining. I might look up the previous books in the series at the library at some point.

Vampire Hours by Elaine Viets - A woman who is in an unhappy marriage meets Michael - a man who is offering her a whole lot more than just mundane living. I liked the idea behind this one, wasn't quite so keen on the execution. This was her first vampire story.

How Stella Got Her Grave Back by Toni L P Kelner - Another first time effort. After spending years away from her home towne vampire Stella bring her lover Michael back to her home town, only to find that there is someone else buried in her grave. She is a Jane Doe, and Michael and Stella are determined to find out who she is, and who killed her.

Personal Demon by Kelley Armstrong

Hope Adams, tabloid journalist and half-demon, inherited her Bollywood-princess looks from her mother. From her demon father, she inherited a hunger for chaos, and a talent for finding it. Like full demons, she gets an almost sexual rush from danger - in fact, she thrives on it. But she is determined to use her gifts for good.

When the head of the powerful Cortez Cabal asks her to infiltrate a gang of bored, rich, troublemaking supernaturals in Miami, Hope can't resist the excitement. But trouble for Hope is intoxicating, and soon she's in way too deep.

With a killer stalking the supernatural hot spots of Miami, Hope finds herself dangerously entangled, and has no choice but to turn to her crooked werewolf ex-boyfriend for help. What started as a simple investigation has spiralled into chaos. And Hope finds chaos irresistible....

For a woman who didn't know what she was getting into, there's only one way out: it's time for Hope to unleash her most potent primal instincts and open herself, mind and body, to everything she most fears - and desires.

After starting out reading this series two years ago, I now have a problem. I am all caught up and that means that now I have to wait for each successive full length book to come out! Fortunately at this time it is only a couple of months, but it is going to get worse as the wait between each book gets longer. I did however discover that I have missed a couple of short stories so that should tide me over for a little while.

We first met Hope Adams in a short story in the Dates from Hell anthology. She is a half demon whose special talent is the sensing of chaos. If she walks into a room where something bad has happened, or is going to happen she feeds off of the chaos vibes. Given that she was raised away from other supernaturals she is still trying to understand her nature.

As a result of the events that occurred during the previously mentioned anthology, Hope and werewolf Karl Marsten owe cabal leader Benicio Cortez. When he decides that it is time to call in that debt, Hope finds herself adopting a new identity, and trying to infiltrate a young gang of non-cabal supernaturals who are giving the established cabals (think mafia families with supernatural powers) some trouble. When Hope's friends Lucas Cortez and his wife Paige Winterbourne find out what is going on, they too become involved. Lucas is Benicio's semi-estranged son, despite the fact that he has long been named the heir of the Cortez cabal, much to his older brothers' distaste.

Disguised as society girl Faith Edmonds, Hope finds herself involved in some petty criminal acts with her fellow gang members, and also finds herself drawn to Jaz, a charismatic man whose initial supernatural skills seem relatively tame. It is only when Jaz and his friend Sonny appear to have been kidnapped by the cabal that things start to really heat up.

By this time, werewolf Karl Marsten has turned up, determined to protect Hope from herself and from any other events that might cause her to be placed in danger. Karl is somewhat conflicted when it comes to Hope. Whilst he is extremely protective of her as well as possessive, he doesn't really appear to have known what he wants in relation to her in the past as he had disappeared from Hope's life leaving their relationship somewhat unresolved. When he sees Hope canoodling with Jaz he is determined to get her out of the situation she is in for a number of reasons, but Hope is equally determined to see things through to the end, albeit with additional levels of protection.

The chaos gene/skill/talent is quite interesting. It can help Hope to identify if something has happened, or is going to happen, but it also can drive Hope over the edge to the point where she can't necessarily control her thoughts and, perhaps, her actions as she is feeding on the chaos around her.

As Hope must learn to understand her nature, Hope and Karl and Lucas and Paige must do everything they can to stop the killings, and to learn exactly who it is that is targetting the cabals in Florida, and why.

I must confess that I have a soft spot for Karl, despite the fact that he was in effect one of the bad guys in one of the earlier books. In my mind I kind of imagine him as a Sean Connery as Bond kind of figure - suave and debonnair - and yet he is a thief. I loved the explanation that he gave for why he hunts his prey as he tries to help Hope to understand how to use her skills without having them overwhelm her.

There was a pretty major change in this book compared to the other Otherworld books in that there were two narrators throughout the novel. Now that might not necessarily be that different from other books, but the fact that Lucas (i.e. a man) is one of those narrators is unique to this book in the series so far. Hope is the other narrator, and for the most part this dual narrative works, especially as it enables us to be in two places at the one time throughout the story. The fact that Lucas did narrate this book, opens the doorway for the Men of the Otherworld book which will be out next year.

I did like the ending of this novel, especially as it appears to add in some new elements for future books in terms of who the bad guys can be. The conflicts between Lucas and the cabals will no doubt still be a part of the future books but the options are expanded to include at least one more possibility.

Whilst this wasn't my favourite Otherworld book, it was once again a very entertaining entry in one of my favourite series.

This book is my first completed book in the RIP III Reading Challenge.


Other Blogger's Thoughts:

Romance Rookie

No Humans Involved by Kelley Armstrong

In her acclaimed Women of the Otherworld series, bestselling author Kelley Armstrong creates a present day in which humans unwittingly coexist with werewolves, witches, and other supernatural beings. Now, in this spellbinding new novel, a beautiful necromancer who can see ghosts must come to terms with her power—and with an evil she never thought possible.

It’s the most anticipated reality television event of the season: three spiritualists gathered together in one house to raise the ghost of Marilyn Monroe. For celebrity medium Jaime Vegas, it is to be her swan song—one last publicity blast for a celebrity on the wrong side of forty. But unlike her colleagues, who are more show than substance, Jaime is the real thing.

Reluctant to upstage her fellow spiritualists, Jaime tries to suppress her talents, as she has done her entire life. But there is something lurking in the maze of gardens behind the house: a spirit without a voice. And it won’t let go until somehow Jaime hears its terrible story. For the first time in her life, Jaime Vegas understands what humans mean when they say they are haunted. Distraught, Jaime looks to fellow supernatural Jeremy Danvers for help.

As the touches and whispers from the garden grow more frantic, Jaime and Jeremy embark on an investigation into a Los Angeles underworld of black magic and ritual sacrifice. When events culminate in a psychic showdown, Jaime must use the darkest power she has to defeat a shocking enemy—one whose malicious force comes from the last realm she expected. . . .

In a world whose surface resembles our own, Kelley Armstrong delivers a stunning alternate reality, one where beings of the imagination live, love, and fight a never-ending battle between good and evil.

It comes as a bit of a surprise to me, as this feeling has kind of just snuck up on me a little, but I think that Kelley Armstrong may well be one of my favourite authors. In some of the earlier books, I felt as though I had forgotten that I enjoyed her books, so I learned all over again how much I enjoyed them. I don't think I had that feeling this time, because I really hadn't forgotten, and despite the very dark subject matter, I really enjoyed this one too.

My main reason for enjoying this is definitely the development of the relationship between Jaime Vegas and Jeremy Danvers. Jaime is a forty something celebrity necromancer, who is trying to catch a break so that she can get her own TV show. Jeremy is the alpha of a werewolf pack. Whilst he is older than Jaime, it's not that squicky because werewolves age much slower than humans and therefore he is from all appearances in his late 40s. So, there is your first point of difference in this book - an older couple!

Jaime has agreed to take part in a celebrity reality TV show, featuring two other clairvoyant type characters who also both want to get their Hollywood break. The aim of the show - to find out who killed Marilyn Monroe. Unfortunately for Jaime, there are some other ghosts who want her attention, and soon she becomes involved in an investigation into what appears to be a group of humans who are experimenting with human sacrifice (most specifically child sacrifice) as a way of powering their spellcasting. I do think that this book, and Broken have been a lot darker than some of the earlier books in the series, but Armstrong manages to balance that darkness against the other plot elements within the book, with the result being that it is not overwhelmingly dark or dismal.

Luckily Jaime is not alone in investigating. There is assistance from Eve and Kris (who featured in the book Haunted), Hope, and later in the book Karl (from the novella Chaotic ), although for Jaime this is a double edged sword type of assistance, because she really wants to be self sufficient in the supernatural world and doesn't want to always be rescued or protected by someone else. The most important person she wants to impress is Jeremy. She has had feelings for him for going on four years, and with him coming to visit her is Los Angeles, and assisting her, she is beginning to think that there could be hope of something more with him or perhaps she is just thinking this way because it is what she wants to see. Let's just say the chemistry between these two was smokin' hot!

We also got to know Jeremy a lot better in this book. In previous books he has always been the alpha, the one always in control, and sometimes a little aloof and reserved, but in this book he has moments of sharing with Jaime his thoughts about what it is like to be the alpha, and his thoughts about the future.

All in all, this was another enjoyable entry in this fantastic series.


Other Blogger's Thoughts:

Rhinoa's Ramblings
Romance Rookie



**Have you reviewed this book? Leave a comment with your link, and I will add it to my review.**

Bookworms Carnival - 11th Edition

While there may have been 11 editions of the Bookworms Carnival, this is actually only the first or second time I have participated! (I thought I had participated once before, but I am not 100% certain of that!)

The Carnival was being hosted by Scott this month, and the theme was Urban Fantasy.

It was a little bit of a surprise to me to find that I had read quite a few books that fell into this genre, because I don't normally count myself as a fantasy reader.

In the end, for my submission, I chose to put up a link of all the Kelley Armstrong books I have read so far, which are all part of the excellent Otherworld series.

Be sure to check out the Carnival page, as there are some really interesting sounding reads. I am looking forward to participating in future Bookworm Carnivals as well.

Broken by Kelley Armstrong

In this thrilling new novel from the author of Industrial Magic, a pregnant werewolf may have unwittingly unleashed Jack the Ripper on twenty-first-century—and become his next target. Ever since she discovered she’s pregnant, Elena Michaels has been on edge. After all, she’s never heard of another living female werewolf, let alone one who’s given birth. But thankfully, her expertise is needed to retrieve a stolen letter allegedly written by Jack the Ripper. As a distraction, the job seems simple enough—only the letter contains a portal to Victorian London’s underworld, which Elena inadvertently triggers—unleashing a vicious killer and a pair of zombie thugs. Now Elena must find a way to seal the portal before the unwelcome visitors get what they’re looking for—which, for some unknown reason, is Elena.

The focus in this novel turns back to Elena and Clay much as it was in the first two books of the series, Bitten and Stolen. The other supernatural/paranormal characters that we have met through the later books are mentioned, but not really at the forefront of the story as they have been. Also introduced is a new vampire, and Jaime's (the celebrity necromancer's) plays a fair role in this book as well.

Elena and Clay's relationship has moved into a pretty content and settled place, very unlike the Elena and Clay that we were introduced to. Elena is pregnant, and so everyone in the pack is jumpy to say the least. With Elena being the only female werewolf, and no one having had pure werewolf babies, everyone is on high alert. With Elena and Clay being so settled, any conflict is going to have to come from outside of that relationship, and it comes in the form of rotting zombies, infected rats and possibly, Jack the Ripper. It soon becomes clear that whoever it is that has escaped from a time portal possible held within the From Hell letter allegedly written by Jack is targeting Elena. The questions to be asked are why, and how to protect her and her pregnancy.

I did like the fact that we got to see the members of the Pack in this book, and I am hopeful that before too long we get to see Nick find a mate for himself.

Whilst the story in itself was entertaining, this wasn't one of my favourite books in the series. I don't really know why that is - maybe because the action was very dark this time around. These books often are quite dark, but whereas there have been some moments of genuine amusement in most of the books, this time the gruesomeness felt more consistent and to a certain extent overwhelming. What few lighter moments there were came early in the book and mostly featured Jaime.

I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series, which I think features more of Jaime and Jeremy. I think I only have that book and then one more and I am all caught up with this series. I can tell you that I will definitely be waiting impatiently for each new book in the series!

Dates from Hell anthology

She thought her date was out of this world.
Actually, he was not of this world . . .

We've all been on bad dates, nightmare dates, dreadful experiences that turned out to be uniquely memorable in the very worst way. But at least our partners for these detestable evenings were more or less . . . human!

Now Kim Harrison, Lynsay Sands, Kelley Armstrong, and Lori Handeland -- four of the very best writers currently exploring the dangerous seduction of the supernatural -- offer up dating disasters (and unexpected delights) of a completely different sort: dark, wicked, paranormally sensual assignations with werewolves, demon lovers, and the romantically challenged undead. Sexy, witty, chilling, and altogether remarkable, here is proof positive that some love matches are made someplace other than heaven.

I originally picked this anthology up because it had the next story in the Otherworld series by Kelley Armstrong included (it follows Haunted) . Two of the other authors seem to be authors that I only read in anthologies, and the third was new to me!


Undead in the Garden of Good and Evil
Kim Harrison takes us to the Hollows, where living vampire homicide cop Ivy Tamwood, investigating a string of very nasty murders, finds herself caught between two different men, who put every dating principle she holds dear to the ultimate test.

Kim Harrison is the new to me author in this anthology. I have had her Hollows series on my TBR list for a while now, with the intention of getting to it eventually. When I saw that this was a prequel to that series I thought it would be a fair introduction to the series. I really hope this story wasn't a good representation of what the series is like because I really didn't like it. What I suspect is that this prequel was written a fair way into the existing series, because there was little coherent world building, full of vampire politics, and I suspect a lot of assumptions made in terms of what the reader did and didn't know.

It also didn't help that I didn't really like Ivy as a character. Given that each of these novellas is around 100 pages long, I normally would have got through one of these stories in just over an hour - this one took my three nights. Ivy was meant to be this kick-ass heroine living vampire, but she ended up coming off as alternating between whiny and needy, and distant and aloof. The other strange thing is that the blurb says that she is caught between two men, but I counted three - the one who was the date from hell, the one that seemed to control her and she had a really unhealthy relationship with, and then the third man who she seemed to dominate (although he at least seemed to have genuine feelings for.

I will still give the series a go, but I wouldn't necessarily think that this is a good starting point for anyone else reading the series.

The Claire Switch Project
Lynsay Sands gives the power to shape-shift to a most resourceful woman, who uses it to her wickedly sexy advantage at her high school reunion.

I have read one book and one novella by Lynsay Sand previously, and it is fair to say her writing didn't really do it for me on either occasion, so I was a little sceptical when it came to reading her contribution to this book.

A young lab assistant works in a laboratory where they are doing testing on animals for molecular destabilisation. Due to the antics of a really bad guy, instead of the bunny getting stung by the ray gun, Claire gets zapped. Once her boss, who happens to be her best friends brother, and the (unrequited) love of her life since the time she was a teenager, finds out that she has been zapped he takes her home for the weekend. Her best friend has just been dumped and when she finds that Claire just has to look at a photo of someone and then she can shape shift to appear to be that person, she asks her to be her date to the school reunion that night, and take on the form of Hollywood heartthrob Brad Cruise (yes, really). Matters are complicated when Kyle (said boss) he then asks her out to the same school reunion (because she is the unrequited love of his life since he was a teenager). Of course, she agrees to go with both of them and much hilarity ensues.

Actually, I probably shouldn't have written the summary quite like that, because up to a point, this was an entertaining story with a fun premise, but instead of leaving it be, the author decided to take the hilarity a couple of steps too far in my opinion. Of course, humour is completely subjective, and so there are probably some that loved those extra couple of extra laughs, but for me it pushed it from the realm of amusing to silly.

I think it is time I just accepted that Lynsay Sands humour isn't for me.

Chaotic
Kelley Armstrong enters the Otherworld to help a beautiful half-demon tabloid reporter escape a disastrous blind date by giving her a hot lead...that leads to an even hotter werewolf jewel thief.

My main reason for reading this anthology and the best story out of the four!

Hope is a half-demon whose talent is for finding chaos. She can see it, smell it, taste it when there is any kind of chaos nearby, and she loves it! Craves it in fact. Having been raised outside of any kind of demon community, she was grateful when she was found, and given the task of assisting the Interracial Council by identifying when things are happening that shouldn't be.

Hope's blind date from hell is with a particularly arrogant and selfish man at a crowded museum gala, a man determined to belittle her chosen profession, and who doesn't even notice when she disappears having sensed something a little out of the ordinary going on in another part of the museum.

Having tracked her prey, she comes across a particularly debonair werewolf who is helping himself to a couple of the most priceless items from the museum. Little does Hope know but the chaos is really just beginning for her. The werewolf is Karl Marsten, who in some of the earlier books was something of a bad guy, but who seems to be mostly reformed now, and he is pretty sure that Hope really isn't working for who she thinks she is working for. Hope has to decide whether to trust him or not.

Let me tell you just one of the reasons why I liked this story so much. The whole story covers the event of just one night. There is no happy ever after, although there is a hint of a future happiness. Hope and Karl meet, are thrown into a situation, are attracted to each other, and to a certain degree they act on that attraction, but this is no hasty meet on page 1, kiss on page 50 and live happily ever after. Because the author is not trying to cram a whole relationship into a shorter than normal novel, you manage to get to know each of the characters better, and to get a well written story of the events of one momentous night. I am really hopeful that we will get to see more of the development of Hope and Karl's relationship during other books in the series.

Dead Man Dating
Lori Handeland gives the term "dating hell" a whole new meaning, when a Manhattan literary agent out on her first date in months, is forced to choose between a sexy devil, and the rogue demon hunter who's out to destroy him.

I have only read one other Lori Handeland story, and that was another novella in the Stroke of Midnight anthology. This one had a completely different premise and feel to it.

Kit Marinelli is a literary agent who is looking for love. Having given up on meeting a man any other way, she places an ad in the personals and is completely surprised when she gets a response, especially when he is a totally gorgeous man. Kit has been saving herself for true love, and therefore can't believe her sexual response to this man, and it is only when she is at the point of giving it up in a dark alley, and she is stopped by a rough looking demon hunter, that she starts to think there might be something strange going on. Her date is actually dead, and his body has been inhabited by an incubus who needs to sacrifice a virgin to sustain himself.

The incubus isn't really playing fair, in that he keeps on changing bodies, and almost getting to Kit before she can be rescued. She isn't totally helpless for her particular skill is ancient language and research and so while Chavez (the demon hunter) tries everything he can think of to kill the demon and not being very successful, Kit is able to contribution at least something to the puzzle, and that is not only the due to the fact she has to sacrifice her virginity. After all, if a incubus is desperate for a virgin, one way to keep her safe is to make sure she isn't a virgin any longer right! (Highlight for spoiler)

I did enjoy this one, even though it did have a couple of eye-rolling worthy elements in it! It could be an interesting premise for an urban fantasy type series.

Two Kelley Armstrong reviews

Another two reviews in one post! If nothing else it means I will get caught up on the reviews for series I am reading!

Meet the smart, sexy — supernatural — women of the otherworld. This is not your mother’s coven...

Kelley Armstrong returns with the eagerly awaited follow-up to Dime Store Magic. Paige Winterbourne, a headstrong young woman haunted by a dark legacy, is now put to the ultimate test as she fights to save innocents from the most insidious evil of all.. . .

In the aftermath of her mother’s murder, Paige broke with the elite, ultraconservative American Coven of Witches. Now her goal is to start a new Coven for a new generation. But while Paige pitches her vision to uptight thirty-something witches in business suits, a more urgent matter commands her attention.

Someone is murdering the teenage offspring of the underworld’s most influential Cabals — a circle of families that makes the mob look like amateurs. And none is more powerful than the Cortez Cabal, a faction Paige is intimately acquainted with. Lucas Cortez, the rebel son and unwilling heir, is none other than her boyfriend. But love isn’t blind, and Paige has her eyes wide open as she is drawn into a hunt for an unnatural-born killer. Pitted against shamans, demons, and goons, it’s a battle chilling enough to make a wild young woman grow up in a hurry. If she gets the chance.

I am not 100 percent sure why, but I always seem to forget exactly how much I enjoy these books. Even as the books start I find myself wondering why I am continuing with the series, and yet by the end of the book I am really eager to get the next book and see what happens. These two books proved to be no exception to that.

Paige and Lucas are now living together in Portland, Oregon and Paige is trying to create a new coven of witches - women who are willing to learn more powerful magic and who are willing to be part of something less structured and formal than the more traditional witches coven. The fact that Paige is living with a sorcerer (mortal enemy of witches) who also happens to be the estranged son of one of the most powerful cabal families (think organised sorcery instead of organised crime)) and she has almost no hope of getting her new coven off of the ground.

As always Lucas' father Benicio is trying to be a part of his life - and now that that includes Paige he is definitely interested in meeting her as well. Unfortunately, other family members are not so keen on seeing either Paige or Lucas. When someone, or something, starts killing the children of the various Cabal leaders, Benicio asks Lucas to investigate and to get justice for the murdered kids.

Many of the characters from earlier books are back including Elena and Clayton, the vampire Cassandra and others, and also what seems like a major new character by the name of Jaime Vegas. I know that she featured a lot in Haunted, and I am very much looking forward to reading her book!

Whenever I finish one of these books I am almost surprised by how much I enjoyed them, and this one is no exception. Paige and Lucas are great as a couple, and despite a slow beginning to their relationship in the previous book I totally see them together now!

Former supernatural superpower Eve Levine has broken all the rules. But she's never broken a promise - not even during the three years she's spent in the afterworld. So when the Fates call in a debt she gave her word she'd pay, she has no choice but to comply.

For centuries one of the ghost world's wickedest creatures has been loosed on humanity, thwarting every attempt to retrieve her. Now it has fallen to Eve to capture this demi-demon known as the Nix, who inhabits the bodies of would-be killers, compelling them to complete their deadly acts. It'a mission that becomes all too personal when the Nix targets those Eve loves most - including Savannah, the daughter she left on earth. But can a renegade witch succeed where a host of angels have failed?

One of the smartest things that Kelley Armstrong has done in relation to this series is that she doesn't limit the characters to just any one type of paranormal group - we've had books on werewolves, we've had a bit of focus on witches and sorcerers, and this time the focus is on ghosts, angels and demons, with undercurrents of witchcraft and sorcery as well.

This time there was another level to that variety - with the vast majority of the action taking place in the ghost realm, and not on earth, there really were not too many rules that had to be followed in terms of the characters actions. For example, do you want your characters to have to dress up as pirates in one scene and then not long after send them to Alaska - go right ahead. There's nothing to say that you can't do that! Want to have your main characters scare the crap out of some mean boy ghosts - absolutely! Want to send your main character to a really creepy village filled with crazy homicidal killers and have her be chased by said killers - sure....why not. And yet, with all this freedom Armstrong never seemed to forget the purpose for putting her characters in these places. They were fun interludes within the book (well maybe not the homicidal village) but they definitely moved the story forward.

Eve has always been the kind of witch who did things her way. Not for her the minor magic practiced by the covens - she had gone dark, and had learned many of the much more powerful spells of sorcerers. She always was a bit different from the other witches anyway, given that she was a half demon as well. After death, she really was no different. She was not the kind of ghost who would spend time studying to understand the world that she had now become part of. Her main goal was to be able to have some meaningful interaction with her daughter Savannah and most importantly to try and protect her. For three years she has been unsuccessful but that doesn't mean that she won't keep on trying.

Then the Three Fates decide to give Eve a task to complete - she needs to catch the Nix - a demon that can inhabit human bodies and encourage or drive them to commit heinous crimes. The Nix has almost been caught before, and the Fates think that Eve is just the woman to try again - despite enormous risk to herself. Suddenly Eve has to take a crash course in the ways of the ghost realms. Luckily she has Kris to help her as well as an angel called Trsiel - I really hope that we see more of him in future books! What the Fates haven't told Eve is that there is another agenda behind giving her this task, and that the price of success may be one that she is not willing to pay.

At first, I was a little nonplussed by the relationship between Eve and Kris. I understood that they had a shared past on Earth, and that Kris already knew that he wanted Eve back, but for a large part of the book he seemed a little bit like a lapdog (imagine how horrified a sorcerer who comes from one of the biggest cabals in the world would be to hear me say that!). Eve would need assistance, and Kris would come running. Gradually though, I understood that Kris really wanted Eve to get to the point where she would come to him. Kris has his limits though - and one of these is that Eve really needs to let go of her obsession with Savannah.

I did think though that the very end was a little bit of a cop-out in that as the Fates were slowly divulging more and more information about their proposed plan for Eve that Armstrong found herself painted into a corner with no way of getting a resolution for Eve and Kristoff and getting the ending that she wanted. What will be interesting is to see whether the compromise that was reached is used in future books!


Other Blogger's Thoughts:

Romance Rookie

Dime Store Magic by Kelley Armstrong

Paige Winterbourne is a witch. Not that you'd notice - no warts, no green skin, no cute little wiggle of the nose whenever she casts a spell. No, most of the time she's just a normal 23-year- old girl; works too hard, worries about her weight, wonders if she'll ever find a boyfriend. Okay, so she does have an adopted teenage daughter, Savannah, who wants to raise her black witch of a mother from the dead. And who is being stalked by a telekinetic half-demon and an all-powerful cabal of sorcerers. But other than that, Paige has a really ordinary life. That is, until the neighbours find out who she is, and all hell breaks loose. Literally...

Whoops! Made a mistake! Normally I am pretty careful to ensure that I write a review for an earlier book in a series, before I read the next book, even if that means bumping the earlier book up the review queue, because that way I can be sure that no details from one book slip into my memory of the next book! For some reason though, I didn't realise that I hadn't written this up before I read Industrial Magic. We'll have to see how it goes!

Paige Winterbourne had previously appeared as a secondary character in a couple of the earlier books in this series, but in this book she comes to the fore! Paige is a young witch, who on the death of her mother, has become the coven leader. In addition to this responsibility, she is also bringing up Savannah, a teenage witch. The other witches aren't keen on Savannah because her mother was a black witch, and they are sure that Savannah has some of the same skills. Paige would love to get her teeth into some of the stronger spells that are no longer available to witches, but she knows that the coven will be very unhappy if they found that out!

When Paige is framed for devil worship, a young lawyer by the name of Lucas Cortez enters the picture. Actually, to call Lucas just a lawyer is probably a bit of an understatement. He is also a sorcerer and estranged son of one of the most powerful cabal bosses in the paranormal world. Now, in case you aren't up with your paranormal rules, witches and sorcerers are enemies, and so Paige is determined that Lucas isn't going be become her lawyer, but he has other ideas, and before long the three of them (Paige, Lucas and Savannah) have become a team.

This does cause more issues with the coven and, before long, Paige not only finds herself accused of demon worship, but the coven are not prepared to back her up in any way either. In fact, it seems that they are determined to get her out of town sooner rather than later. Somehow, though, there are others who are part of this whole strange series of events, and they are looking for Savannah. Paige and Lucas must fight to protect Savannah...any way they can.

I did really enjoy this book - the action was fast paced, and there was very definitely a romantic element between Paige and Lucas. I didn't feel the chemistry at first, but by the time I finished this book and then I read Industrial Magic I couldn't imagine the two of them not being together! This series is one that I am determined to keep reading!

Rating 4/5

Stolen by Kelley Armstrong

Elena Michaels is a wanted woman. She hasn't done anything wrong. Well, not recently, anyway. But ten years ago her lover turned her into a werewolf: the only female werewolf in the world, in fact.

And now, just as she's finally coming to terms with it all, a group of scientists learns of her existence. They're hunting her down, and Elena is about to run straight into their trap. But they haven't reckoned on Elena's adoptive family, her Pack, who will stop at nothing to get her back. They haven't reckoned on Elena herself, either, and that's a very big mistake.

When I first read Bitten, it took me a long while to get really drawn into the story, and in the end I enjoyed it, but I have to say that this book was so much better. Having read the synopsis from all of the book that are out in this series, I couldn't quite see how we were going to get from a completely werewolf centred story in Bitten, to a book about witches in Dime Store Magic, but it all makes perfect sense now and I am very much looking forward to reading it!

One of Elena's jobs in the Pack is to keep track of any news that might be making it into the public realms about werewolves, thereby making sure that no mutts are making a nuisance of themselves. When following a lead down, she meets two witches who set a trap to try and get Elena's attention, and thereby to be able to talk to the leader of the Pack (insert tv ad jingle here) Jeremy. The two witches are part of a coalition of paranormals (vampires, witches, shaman, half demons, amongst others) who are meeting to try and work out what to do about a common threat to all of them. Various individuals with paranormal tendencies have been disappearing - and it appears as though someone is trying to "research" their paranormal abilities.

Elena is one paranormal that the researchers really want to get hold of due to her unique position as the only female werewolf in the world. When she is captured and taken to the facility, she is put into a situation where she is regularly endangered, humiliated, and lonely. Elena doesn't lose faith though that her partner Clay will not do everything he can to save her, but she knows that she has to do whatever she can to help herself, and the other captives, including a very young witch named Savannah. As Elena fights to maintain her dignity and to obtain her freedom, the body count piles up big time. Lots of death in this book!

The author is really very clever, to bring all those different types of paranormals into the books this early in the story. To me it didn't feel like a forced attempt to broaden the width of the series, but a natural development, but it definitely has the effect of broadening the interest in the series, and more than likely extending the life of the series.

Whereas there was a strong focus on the relationship between Clay and Elena in Bitten, so that you could possibly have called it a paranormal romance, this book is definitely not a romance in my opinion. It is almost like the relationship between Clay and Elena is so settled now that they are ingrained in each other and therefore it is still part of the book, and still romantic, but just there in another way. This would be more horror/paranormal in my opinion....you have no idea how surprising it is to me to be reading horror!

I was so eager to get the next book in this series, that I accidentally requested the fourth book in the series instead of the third one....whoops!

Rating 4.5/5

Bitten by Kelley Armstrong

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.

It has some good points. When she walks down a dark alleyway, she's the scary one. But now her Pack - the one she abandoned so that she could live a normal life - are in trouble, and they need her help. Is she willing to risk her life to help the ex-lover who betrayed her by turning her into a werewolf in the first place? And, more to the point, does she have a choice?

Having not read any paranormal books before starting to read The Sookie Stackhouse books not too long ago, I now realise that they are like eating a fresh green salad - tasty, healthy and mostly satisfying, but there are actually paranormal books out there that are like huge T-bone steaks - something you can really get your teeth into and rip to shreds with your razor sharp teeth. And yes, there is definitely a place for both types of meal!

Bitten is definitely steak - there's blood and gore, complex plot lines and relationships and ultimately takes a little while to digest.

Elena has been trying to live her life as a normal human. She lives with her boyfriend Philip, who has NO idea that she is actually a werewolf. In order to meet the demands of her nature, she sneaks about at night, taking long runs, not realising how much she misses true nature and hunting.

When the pack that she left behind summons her for assistance, she knows that it must be for a good reason, so she returns to Stonehaven, and there has to deal with her ex, Clay...the man who turned her, and with whom she has a very complicated relationship. When other pack members start turning up dead, the Pack realises that they are in for the fight of their lives and that they must work together in order to survive.

I was kind of torn at times about whether I was enjoying this book or not. I really liked the time that the author took to develop her world - explaining the hierachy and the history of the pack, and why the mutts who appear to be attacking the Pack would be doing so. Having said that though, there were times particularly in the first 150 pages or so where I was getting a little frustrated with the length of time that was spent describing the Change that Elena went through each time that she transformed from human to werewolf. I thought that the scenes that were written from a werewolf point of view were very well written, although I have to admit that I did cringe over the ease and lack of guilt that there was relating to the killing of humans. I thought it was very interesting that the author chose to bring new blood into the werewolf strain by turning human killers into werewolves - certainly made it easy to dislike the mutts (werewolves who are not part of the Pack). Without those new werewolves I have to admit that I did feel a little sorry at first for the mutts because the Pack is all controlling and the other werewolves who are not Pack have to make do as best they could.

What else....I really liked Elena as a heroine. She was smart and strong, yet fragile and emotionally exposed, particularly when it came to Clay and also as she tried to figure out whether or not she could truly live in the human world and keep her true nature hidden. In the early stages of the book I was a bit worried that with Elena being the only female werewolf that we would have a situation where she was actually going to be having sex with the other wolves as well, but it seems as though there was just a bit of rough housing with some of the other younger werewolves. I was happy with that because I did like Elena and Clay together - their relationship seemed like the ultimate in animal attraction, and I was sure that Clay did really love her, and yet I don't think that I ever really got to understand Clay. His background was explained, his connection and his role within the Pack was clear, and yet I don't think that I understood why he decided to turn Elena into a werewolf, with all that meant. There was some explanation, but I guess it just wasn't enough for me.

This book took a while to get going for me, but once it did, I was completely drawn into the world of Stonehaven and the werewolves, so much so I nearly missed my train stop, and was extremely disappointed when I had to put it down with only 30 pages to go once I did make it in to work!

With Stolen on the request list at the library, I will definitely be reading more of the Otherworld series by this author.

Rating 4/5

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