Challenge Review: Darkest Powers Bonus Pack 2 by Kelley Armstrong

Title: Darkest Powers Bonus Pack 2
Titles Included: Facing Facts, Belonging
Series: The Darkest Powers #3.5, #3.6
Author: Kelley Armstrong

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Supernatural Fiction

Elements: Sorcerers, Werewolves, Necromancers, Witches, Ghosts
Setting Location: Unknown (they've gone incognito, remember?)

Publisher: Traverse Press
Format: Kindle Edition
ASIN: B009H6XPV4
Release Date: September 25, 2012
Source: Amazon.com
Rating: 4/5

Purchase Here: Kindle

Tagline(s): ~NONE~ 

Summary: In Facing Facts (a short story set after The Reckoning) Tori discovers who her father is, and Chloe deals with a vengeful ghost. Narrated by Chloe. This was previously published in Enthralled.

In Belonging (a novella set after The Reckoning) Derek's werewolf family comes to claim him. Narrated by Derek.

Review:

This Bonus Pack has a short story from Chloe's POV that was originally published in the Enthralled anthology, and a novella from Derek's POV. Both take place after The Reckoning. So we get to see how their life is after the series main story ended.

Facing Facts - Chloe's POV

In Facing Facts, it's been a month since they were reunited with Kit and Lauren. Kit feels this is the time to inform Tori that she's his biological daughter. She doesn't take the news well and storms out of the house. Chloe volunteers to talk to her, but Tori is hurt that Chloe suspected the truth a didn't say anything to her. That friends don't keep that kind of thing from each other. She runs away from Chloe, but Chloe gives chase. Tori runs toward the one place she knows Chloe can't follow her: an abandoned house.

Derek tracks Chloe to the mall where she saw Tori run, but it turns out that Tori really did go into the abandoned house and it was the ghost of her mother, Diane, that lead Chloe to the mall.

Diane is still trying to control Chloe and knows that she still feels guilty for killing her and then using her zombified body to kill Dr. Davidoff.

What I loved most about this short story was how Chloe stood up to Diane, declaring that she will not be controlled and that she's not going to feel guilty anymore for killing her, because it had to be done and Chloe wouldn't want anyone else to shoulder the guilt that came with it. Then she gives Diane a big mental shove, sending her back to the other side. That moment was just really awesome and I liked seeing how strong Chloe's becoming.

Belonging - Derek's POV

In Belonging, we learn that Derek really is Zachary Cain's son and the Cain clan intends to claim Derek as he should have been when he was young. But their motives aren't all for Derek's benefit. They've been told how smart Derek is and how fast he is coming into his powers. If the Cain's have Derek, it would make them a serious threat to the Pack.

Back at the escapee camp, Derek and Chloe's three month anniversary is coming up! Chloe's off at the mall with Tori and Derek is feeling the anxiety of not being there to watch over her. And his anxiety isn't unwarranted this time, Carter Cain is moving in on Chloe!

Once a week, Derek and Chloe go into the woods so he can work on Changing on command. While he's trying to Change, Derek thinks back to the first time Chloe stayed with him when he first started Changing behind Lyle House. It was the first time he saw someone he could imagine as a friend, besides Simon. Now, though he's Changed around others before, it's never as comfortable as it is when it's only him and Chloe. Derek manages to Change, but it's during their hide and seek game that the Cains make their move.

In this novella we see how strong Derek and Chloe's relationship has become. I loved how Chloe didn't let the Cains take Derek without following them back to where they were staying. The only backup she had was Liz, and she's a ghost, although a pretty dangerous one. Derek and Chloe will do anything to protect each other. I was worried for a bit that Derek would want to stay with the Cains, but I was relieved to be wrong. I loved the anniversary gift Derek got for Chloe, although it was kind of disappointing that we weren't told what she got for him.

What I like about both Facing Facts and Belonging is that they take place after the end of the main story. We get to see what's going on with everyone after they escape together. I can only hope that Kelley Armstrong chooses to write novellas like these for the Darkness Rising series too.

About this Author:

Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers' dismay. All efforts to make her produce "normal" stories failed.

Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She's the author of the NYT-bestselling "Women of the Otherworld" paranormal suspense series and "Darkest Powers" young adult urban fantasy trilogy, as well as the Nadia Stafford crime series. Armstrong lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.

 

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Challenge Review: Darkest Powers Bonus Pack 1 by Kelley Armstrong

Title: Darkest Powers Bonus Pack 1
Titles Included: Dangerous, Divided, Disenchanted
Series: The Darkest Powers #0.5, #1.5, #2.5
Author: Kelley Armstrong

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Supernatural Fiction

Elements: Sorcerers, Werewolves, Necromancers, Witches
Setting Location: Buffalo, New York

Publisher: Traverse Press
Format: Kindle Edition
ISBN: 9780987703149
Release Date: November 15, 2011
Source: Amazon.com
Rating: 4/5

Purchase Here: Kindle

Tagline(s): ~NONE~ 

Summary: Contains three companion stories to the #1 NYT bestselling Darkest Powers trilogy.

Dangerous (prequel to The Summoning) The story of how Derek and Simon came to Lyle House, told from Derek's point of view.

Divided (set between The Summoning and The Awakening) Derek and Simon's adventures while separated from Chloe and Rae in the factory. Also told from Derek's point of view.

Disenchanted (overlaps part of The Awakening) Simon and Tori continue their journey after Chloe and Derek are left at the truck stop. Told from Tori's point of view.

Review:

What I love about some novellas is that they can be from the POV of a character that you're just dying to know what they are thinking while you're reading the main storyline. In the Darkest Powers, Derek is that character for me, and most of the novellas are from his POV.

Dangerous - Derek's POV

This novella is the prequel to the main series and it starts 10 years before, when Derek was 5 years old and living in the lab with the other werewolf pups. I really liked being able to read about what Derek's life was like before Simon's dad took him. And even at 5 years old, Derek felt better being around Simon and was just as protective of him.

We read about why Simon and Derek ended up at Lyle House, but it was just a vague explanation given to Chloe. But in Dangerous, we get to read about what really happened. We see how Derek protected Simon from a bully with a knife, which resulted in that bully being put into a coma. We see how people judged Derek by how he looked, assuming he was up to no good. Then we see what happened when they arrived home one day to their dad missing and what they went through to try to find him. Which then led to them being caught an sent to Lyle House. I felt this was a pretty good lead up to the main story when Chloe arrives at Lyle House and meets Simon and Derek.

Divided - Derek's POV

This novella takes place between The Summoning and The Awakening when Derek, Simon, Chloe, and Rae escaped Lyle House and were being pursued in the factory. This is Derek and Simon's side of the story when they end up separated.

Derek is really not happy with Chloe not following the plan and having stayed with him while his Change began. We learn why Derek used Chloe to escape Lyle House: Simon had withdrawn into himself and Chloe was bringing him back to himself. Chloe needed their help and Derek used that to get Simon to leave Lyle House. It wasn't until Chloe confronted Derek about using her and still staying with the plan that he started seeing her as a person and feeling responsible for her.

So when he realizes that Chloe and Rae are nowhere in the factory and that she called her aunt, he begins to feel anxious. Derek and Simon go from library to library trying to find information on where Chloe could be, while still trying to find their dad. It's during this that he notices a paper with the reward notice of $500,000 that her dad is offering for her return. You can imagine this doesn't make Derek very happy. You can also imagine Derek's relief and annoyance when they return to the factory and Chloe's there, but with Tori in tow.

I really liked reading this novella because while Chloe and Rae are hiding in the warehouse and eventually recaptured, we get to see what is happening with the other half of their group. Derek is almost desperate to get to Chloe and you can see small changes in the way he sees and feels about her. While I believe that the true changing point in his feeling for Chloe was when she stayed with him when he started Changing again at the truck stop, I think the beginning of those changes started here.

Disenchanted - Tori's POV, partially Simon's

Now Disenchanted takes place during the time that Chloe and Derek were left behind at the truck stop, but this is the story of Tori and Simon's continued journey to Andrew's.

Simon wants to go back for Derek and Chloe, while Tori wants to continue on to Andrew's place. Tori gets her way and they eventually make it to Andrew's. But along the way, Simon doesn't bother to hide his dislike for her and Tori knows that they don't want her there. When they get to Andrew's house, he's just gone, like Simon's dad was just gone. It's while they are hiding out in the pool house waiting for Derek and Chloe to arrive that Simon tells Tori why he doesn't like her. She's inconsiderate and selfish, only thinking of herself.

I think the moment that really got Tori thinking was when Simon protected her from a perceived threat, someone he doesn't even like. It's after this point that Tori slowly begins to change. Although she can still be a brat sometimes.

About this Author:

Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers' dismay. All efforts to make her produce "normal" stories failed.

Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She's the author of the NYT-bestselling "Women of the Otherworld" paranormal suspense series and "Darkest Powers" young adult urban fantasy trilogy, as well as the Nadia Stafford crime series. Armstrong lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.

 

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Challenge Review: Spell Bound by Kelley Armstrong

Title: Spell Bound

Series: Women of the Otherworld #12
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Genre: Urban Fantasy Fiction, Supernatural Fiction
Elements: Witches, Demons, Necromancers, Sorcerers, Ghosts, Shamans, Zombies, Vampires
Setting Location: Columbus, Washington // Los Angeles, California // Miami, Florida
Publisher: Dutton Books, Penguin Group
Format: Hardcover, 325 Pages
ISBN: 9780525952206
Release Date: July 26, 2011
Source: Borrowed from Wentworth Library
Rating: 5/5

Purchase Here: Kindle // Hardcover

Tagline(s): ~NONE~ 

Summary: Savannah Levine has grown up to become a paranormal-investigating knockout. As a witch endowed with an array of spells, she is a force to be reckoned with. But, in her last case, innocent lives were lost and a family was torn apart. To put right the mess she helped create, she swears she would give anything...even her powers. Little does she know that someone or something has taken her up on that.

Defenseless and on the run from the witch-hunting assassins who are following her every move, Savannah soon stumbles upon a gathering storm that may tear her entire world apart. The danger is real. The whole Otherworld will have to come together to fight the dark force that threatens its very existence.

Savannah has no idea how to restore her powers just when she needs them the most, facing a host of deadly enemies bent on destroying not only her, but the very fabric of the supernatural world. As dark forces gather, Savannah isn't just fighting for her life, but for everything and everyone she loves....

Review:

In Waking the Witch, Savannah lost her powers due to a poison that inhibits spell power, but she got them back after taking an antidote. In her grief and guilt over what happened to Paula and Kayla, she made a wish that she would gladly give up her powers if everything was put right again. Well, someone or something heard her, granted that wish, and Savannah is left without her powers once again. And it couldn't be a worse time to be powerless. Being hunted by a witch-hunter and trying to stop a supernatural rebellion are not easy when you can barely defend yourself. But Savannah needs to learn how...and fast.

Without her powers, Savannah feels useless and out of her element. This keeps her from doing what she actually can do, like when Clay came to help her and ended up having to fight a demon. She just stood there and watched! This upset Clay and Savannah knew she lost any respect he may have had for her. Clay gives her this advice: Grow up. She needs to grow up and be respectful and considerate to those she claims to care about. Because behavior that was okay at 16 is not okay at 21.

This is especially important where Adam is concerned. Everyone knows that Savannah has been in love with Adam since she was twelve years old, except Adam himself. Her lack of respect and consideration for Adam, according to Clay, is going to keep him from ever seeing her as anything more than a friend. I have to agree. The way she treated Adam in L.A. was horrible and it's understandable that he would want some space and take a step back. I'm glad that they were able to work out their differences, and I absolutely loved their little moment at the end of the book.

Savannah's power loss has drawn the attention of both the celestial and demonic. The Fates have Eve investigating who took Savannah's powers. Adam's father, Asmondai, and Savannah's grandfather, Balaam, are on opposing sides on the reveal issue of Savannah's missing powers. What she does learn is that powerful forces are behind what's happening and Savannah is a target. A powerful ally, a tool to be used. And immortality is only a part of a much bigger plan.

"If you want to find your spells, dig deeper. Too much power has made you lazy. Complacent. Dig deeper. Work harder. Fight smarter. A war is coming. Wars need champions."

There are many who believe that the events of the past 10 years are sign and portents of the Phalegian Prophecy coming true. Kate and Logan, Hope and her unborn baby, Jaz and Larsen (Adele's son), Savannah and another witch-sorcerer just coming into her powers (who I believe is Tori from the Darkest Powers) are the signs of something big coming. And the Supernatural Liberation Movement is trying to gather them all together.

Savannah has a lot of growing up to do in a very short amount of time. Will she be able to find her powers in time? With the build up over the past two books, Waking the Witch and Spell Bound, I sure hope she does, because what's coming isn't going to wait for her to be ready. The "end" is coming and it's bound to be explosive. I can't wait to read Thirteen, the conclusion of the Women of the Otherworld series, and see how it all ends.

About this Author:

Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers' dismay. All efforts to make her produce "normal" stories failed.

Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She's the author of the NYT-bestselling "Women of the Otherworld" paranormal suspense series and "Darkest Powers" young adult urban fantasy trilogy, as well as the Nadia Stafford crime series. Armstrong lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.

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Challenge Review: Waking the Witch by Kelley Armstrong

Title: Waking the Witch

Series: Women of the Otherworld #11

Author: Kelley Armstrong

Genre: Urban Fantasy Fiction, Supernatural Fiction

Elements: Demons, Witches, Angels, Ghosts, Necromancers

Publisher: Dutton Books, Penguin Group

Format: Hardcover, 309 Pages

ISBN: 9780525951780

Release Date: August 2010

Source: Borrowed from Wentworth Library
Rating: 5/5

Purchase Here: Kindle

Tagline(s): ~NONE~

Summary: At twenty-one, Savannah Levine-orphaned daughter of a notorious dark witch and an equally notorious cutthroat sorcerer-considers herself a full-fledged member of the otherworld. The once rebellious teen has grown into a six-foot-tall, motorcycle-riding jaw-dropper, with a full arsenal of spells that she's not afraid to use when she gets caught in a bind. There's only one small problem--her adoptive parents, Paige and Lucas, don't always trust her. Of course, she's given them plenty of reasons...but those are in the past. People can change, right?

When Paige and Lucas take off on a romantic vacation alone, leaving her in charge of their detective agency, Savannah is presented with a case that she can't turn down, and one she can finally call her own. Recruited by another supernatural detective, she travels to Columbus, Washington--a small, almost shell of a town. Two troubled young women have been found in an abandoned warehouse, murdered. Now a third woman is dead, and darker forces seem to be at play.

Savannah feels certain she can handle the case, but with supernatural activity appearing at every turn, things quickly become more serious--and far more dangerous--than she realizes. Caught up in a web of lust, false identities, and lies, Savannah must summon strength from her depths and fight like she's never fought before.

Review:

Our favorite pre-teen sorcerer-witch is now a powerful 21-year-old knockout. Savannah Levine has grown into a gorgeous, kick butt member of the Otherworld, and it's finally her turn to take center stage. In Waking the Witch, Savannah is brought a case that she can't turn down. Determined to prove that she can handle a case solo, she travels to Columbus, Washington where three young women have been found murdered. But what should have been a simple case soon becomes deadly when an old enemy returns. Savannah will need to find the strength to overcome a potentially deadly poison inhibiting her spell power if she wants to make it out alive.

Before Waking the Witch, we only got to see small moments of Savannah growing up in the 10 years since she became Paige's ward. We knew her as a young girl who did what she wanted whenever she wanted, no matter how much trouble she caused. Now Savannah has grown into a clever and cunning investigator. She's still sassy and sarcastic, but it's more tempered now. As we find while reading Waking the Witch, the deaths of her parents, Eve and Kristoff, have left their mark.

When Savannah meets Kayla Thompson, the daughter of one of the murdered women, she feels an instant connection with the young girl. Savannah can understand what Kayla is going through and how important it is for her to have her grandmother, Paula, in her life, just as Savannah has Paige and Lucas. As the case progresses and Savannah gets to know Kayla better, she begins to feels obligated and responsible for her, so when something happens to tear Kayla's family apart, Savannah feels at fault. And Savannah will do anything, give up anything, to fix what happened.

As Savannah is investigating, she meets Michael Kennedy, a Dallas detective who came to Columbus to investigate his sister, Claire's, death. Though Savannah has, and probably always will, feelings for Adam Vasic, she takes a chance on Michael. I feel that Michael will have a lasting effect on Savannah. Their short and tragic beginning is really heartbreaking, and he is someone Savannah will likely never forget.

Savannah's magic seems to be failing just when she needs it the most. With Adam's help, she learns that a witch-hunter may be after her. The Benandanti started as demon-hunters, hunting down anything evil, but were wiped out by a group of priestesses claiming they were the very evil they hunted. These priestesses then took the Benandanti's place and switched their focus to hunting witches. No one believes these witch-hunters to still exist, but there is one in Columbus, and she's after Savannah. This is a storyline that continues in Spell Bound. And it's not as simple as this young woman being a witch-hunter. It's much, much more dangerous. This is definitely something to look out for in the next book.

The small town of Columbus, Washington started out with three deaths upon Savannah's arrival. Upon her departure, Columbus is left with five additional deaths, bringing the total to eight people dead. This town has seen a lot of tragedy that could have been avoided had Savannah never gone there, because with her arrival she lead an old enemy with a dangerous and obsessive connection to her into the lives of the people of Columbus. People who would have otherwise lived, ended up dead at the hand of this enemy. But the blame can't be put totally, if at all, on Savannah's shoulders, because the appearance of this person was only the beginning of an even more dangerous plan.

The ending of Waking the Witch will continue right off in the beginning of Spell Bound. If you thought Savannah had it tough in Waking the Witch, her trials don't even compare to what she'll face in Spell Bound. This is the beginning of the exciting conclusion to the Women of the Otherworld series.

About this Author:

Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers' dismay. All efforts to make her produce "normal" stories failed.

Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She's the author of the NYT-bestselling "Women of the Otherworld" paranormal suspense series and "Darkest Powers" young adult urban fantasy trilogy, as well as the Nadia Stafford crime series. Armstrong lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.

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Challenge Review: The Calling by Kelley Armstrong

Title: The Calling
Series: Darkness Rising #2
Author: Kelley Armstrong

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Supernatural Fiction

Elements: Shapeshifters, Psychic Abilities, Demons
Setting Location: Salmon Creek, Vancouver Island, Canada (fictional)

Publisher: Harper Teen, Harper Collins
Format: Hardcover, 326 Pages
ISBN: 9780061797057
Release Date: April 10, 2012
Source: Borrowed from Wentworth Library
Rating: 5/5

Purchase Here: Kindle // Paperback // Audiobook

Tagline(s): ~NONE~ 

Summary: Maya Delaney's paw-print birthmark is the mark of what she truly is -a skin-walker. She can run faster, climb higher, and see better than nearly everyone else. Experiencing intense connections with the animals that roam the woods outside her home, Maya knows it's only a matter of time before she's able to Shift and become one of them. And she believes there may be others in her small town with surprising talents.

Now Maya and her friends have been forced to flee from their homes during a forest fire they suspect was deliberately set. Then they're kidnapped, and after a chilling helicopter crash, they find themselves in the Vancouver Island wilderness with nothing but their extraordinary abilities to help them get back home.

In THE CALLING, the sizzling second book in the Darkness Rising trilogy, New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong pumps up the romance, danger, and suspense that left readers of THE GATHERING clamoring for more.

Review: 

Maya and her friends are being evacuated from a burning Salmon Creek when they notice something isn't quite right. Mayor Tillson is unresponsive and Maya finds signs that he's been drugged. The pilot is acting suspicious, and as the helicopter loses control, a friend is lost. Injured, but having escaped their kidnappers, they find themselves lost in the wilderness of Vancouver Island. As they make their way back to Salmon Creek, secrets and revelations are brought to light, some of which are better left in the dark. 

Project Phoenix is an experiment where the St. Clouds are trying to resurrect extinct supernatural types. Mina Lee had given Daniel a list of terms that included: benandanti, yee naaldlooshii, xana, and sileni. We know that the yee naaldlooshii were an extinct Native American skinwalker, and that that's what Maya, Rafe and Annie are. Sam reveals herself to be a benandanti and that she believes Daniel is one too. The benandanti were an extinct race of demon hunters who evolved into general evil hunters. Like the skinwalkers, the demon hunters hid their powers through intermarriage and the St. Clouds resurrected the genes to bring them back.

SPOILERS AFTER THIS POINT!!

Now, it isn't said in The Calling what the xana and sileni are, but I looked them up and found out what they are. The xana (ha-na) are female water nymphs or fairies. They are extraordinarily beautiful, usually small, slender, with long blonde or light brown hair. Their hypnotic voices can make one feel a sense of peace and love or feel suffocated and driven insane, depending on the purity of the soul. They can be kind, but are territorial. Serena, Hayley, and Nicole all fit this description. It would also fit with Sam's suspicion that Nicole was responsible for Serena's death. Nicole thought of Daniel as her territory and destroyed Serena for invading it.

Sileni were drunken followers of the Greek dog, Dionysus, who ruled over the grape harvest, wine, ritual madness and ecstasy (or possibly followers of his tutor, Silenus, the oldest, wisest, and most drunken of Dionysus's followers). Silenus was believed to possess special knowledge and the power of prophecy when drunk. I feel pretty bad for Corey in this case, because this fits him and the emergence of his powers. Corey is known for his drinking and it seems to help keep his headaches away. It is while he is drunk that his visions come.

There have been some developments in each of their powers, but it'll be interesting to see how much  more they could change in The Rising, especially when those who don't know what they are find out.

The man that held a gun on Maya and looked like her in The Gathering when they were escaping turns out to really be her father, like she suspected. But he's aligned himself with the Nast Cabal to search for her and her friends. He claims to have been searching for her and her brother ever since her mother ran off with them. Do I believe that? I'm not sure. Calvin Antone seems suspicious to me and like he's still hiding something.

Then they made it back to Salmon Creek, the town was completely deserted, their parents believing them to be dead. But the St. Clouds haven't given up on capturing them. Maya, Daniel, Corey, and Rafe split up. Rafe and Corey act as decoys so Maya and Daniel can get away and get help--they end up captured. As they are running, Daniel gets shot with a tranq and tells Maya to keep going. But Maya's not going to leave her friends behind and waits for her chance to rescue them. She Shifts into a cougar and...well...it's really awesome, she was amazing. But while Maya was able to free Daniel and Corey, they didn't make it in time to the helipad to get Rafe, Annie, Sam, and Kenjii.

Before all this happened, Rafe gave Maya a note, and it turned out to be memos on the Buffalo escape and the failed Genesis Project. Rafe left a contact his mother gave him and told Maya to find him and then come back for them. I believe this contact to be Simon and Derek's dad, Kit. The moment I've been looking forward to the most in this series is when the groups from the Darkness Rising and Darkest Powers series come together. I have a feeling it's going to be amazing.

About this Author:

Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers' dismay. All efforts to make her produce "normal" stories failed.

Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She's the author of the NYT-bestselling "Women of the Otherworld" paranormal suspense series and "Darkest Powers" young adult urban fantasy trilogy, as well as the Nadia Stafford crime series. Armstrong lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.

 

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Challenge Review: The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong

Title: The Gathering
Series: Darkness Rising #1
Author: Kelley Armstrong

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Supernatural Fiction

Elements: Shapeshifters
Setting Location: Salmon Creek, Vancouver Island, Canada (fictional) // Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, Canada

Publisher: Harper Teen, Harper Collins
Format: Hardcover, 359 Pages
ISBN: 9780061797026
Release Date: April 12, 2011
Source: Borrowed from Wentworth Library
Rating: 5/5

Purchase Here: Kindle // Paperback // Audiobook

Tagline(s): ~NONE~ 

Summary: Sixteen year old Maya is just an ordinary teen in an ordinary town. Sure, she doesn't know much about her background--the only thing she really has to cling to is an odd paw-print birthmark on her hip--but she never really put much thought into who her parents were or how she ended up with her adopted parents in this tiny medical research community on Vancouver Island.

Until now.

Strange things have been happening in this claustrophobic town--from the mountain lions that have been approaching Maya to her best friend's hidden talent for "feeling" out people and situations to the sexy new bad boy who makes Maya feel...different. Combine that with a few unexplained deaths and a mystery involving Maya's biological parents and it's easy to suspect that this town might have more than its share of skeletons in its closet.

In The Gathering, New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong brings all the supernatural thrills from her wildly successful Darkest Powers series to Darkness Rising, her scorching hot new trilogy.

Review:

Strange and unusual things happen in Salmon Creek, one of them being Maya Delany's best friend Serena drowning. How could a star swimmer have drowned in a lake she swan in her whole life? Maya has never gotten over her friend's death, and she's never forgotten how strangely it happened. She's still looking for answers.

Maya is a half-Native who was adopted by her parents when she was a baby. They moved to Salmon Creek when she was 5 years old. And she has a faded mark on her hip that looks like a paw print. There is a lot that she doesn't know about her birth parents, and therefore herself. And it's never bothered her until an old woman called her a witch.

Through varying sources, but most importantly from Rafe, a new student and resident in Salmon Creek, Maya learns that she's a Skinwalker. That definitely explains why she feels most energetic outside and how she can wield some control over animals, as well as being able to heal them. Turns out that when their mothers found out about the testing being done on them, they went into hiding. Maya's mother's family hid by intermarriage--that's why she's half-white. She even learns that she has a twin brother out there somewhere.

Now the baddies are, of course, the St. Cloud Corporation, better known to the supernatural world as the St. Cloud Cabal. Dr. Davidoff makes annual visits to Salmon Creek, and you can bet that nothing good happens anywhere that man goes. There's even a statue of Samuel Lyle in the town center! If that isn't a clue that these are the same people behind what happened in the Darkest Powers series, I don't know what is.

Mina Lee, a "reporter," was working with someone to get information on the town and the kids that live there, but mostly those who weren't born there--Rafe, Maya, and Sam. There's mention of the Nasts and Cortezes, rival Cabals. The screw up in Buffalo that happened in the Darkest Powers series is brought up, along with Project Genesis and even an Elizabeth Delaney. Someone Maya is related to?

Then the woods surrounding Salmon Creek catch on fire, sending everyone fleeing from the town. But Maya notices that the fire is headed straight for Salmon Creek in an unnatural way, and there are armed men searching the blazing forest. But the most shocking thing is that one of the men who tried to get Maya to follow him looks just like her! Could he really be Maya's father?

I loved the Darkest Powers series, and this first book in the Darkness Rising series was just as exciting. There is so much left unsaid that it leaves you wanting to know what's going to happen next. I can't wait to read The Calling to see how things turn out for Maya and her friends.

About this Author:

Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers' dismay. All efforts to make her produce "normal" stories failed.

Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She's the author of the NYT-bestselling "Women of the Otherworld" paranormal suspense series and "Darkest Powers" young adult urban fantasy trilogy, as well as the Nadia Stafford crime series. Armstrong lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.

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Challenge Review: Frostbitten by Kelley Armstrong

Title: Frostbitten
Series: Women of the Otherworld #10
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Genre: Urban Fantasy Fiction, Supernatural Fiction
Elements: Werewolves, Demons, Shapeshifters, Necromancers
Publisher: Bantam Books, Random House Inc.
Format: Hardcover, 339 Pages
ISBN: 9780553806625
Release Date: September 2009
Source: Borrowed from Wentworth Library
Rating: 5/5

Purchase Here: Kindle // Paperback

Tagline(s): ~NONE~

Summary: Being the world’s only female werewolf has its 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 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 from 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 be only 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?

Review:

Elena Michaels is tracking a young werewolf who ran with two known man-eaters, Liam Malloy and Ramon Santos. She only wants to speak to Reese Williams and warn him about Liam and Ramon's backstabbing tendencies. But with a reputation like hers, Reese isn't going to stop for a chat, so he takes off for Alaska.

Coincidentally, Alaska is where a number of possible wolf kills has taken place, and Jeremy sends Elena and Clay to investigate. With strange wolf behavior, missing friends, mythical shapeshifters, and a pack causing all sorts of trouble, Elena has a lot to handle and she gets a taste of what Alphahood will be like.

The first thing I realized when I read the names Liam and Ramon was that these are the two werewolves that attack Derek and Chloe in the Darkest Powers series. It seems that when they couldn't pin their kills on Reese, they went after a young, not necessarily naive, werewolf.

Being from Minnesota, I was able to really appreciate Elena's remark about the Minneapolis Airport and the Mall of America being traps for the directionally challenged. I've never been in the MSP Airport, but the MOA really is a trap for those who don't know where they are going. I can't even find my own way in that place.

I thought it interesting that Elena may or may not have a familial connection with the Russian Pack. Elena's mother was an Antonov, and there are a few Antonovs in the Russian Pack. It's an old werewolf family in Russia, apparently. Roman Novikov, the Alpha of the Russian Pack, invited Elena, Clay, and Jeremy to Russia to see if there is indeed a connection. I'm really curious about this myself, I would love to know if Elena has family in the Russian Pack. That could possibly help her in the long run when she becomes Alpha of the North American Pack.

One of my favorite moments was when Elena visited Lynn Nygard and saw a painting of herself as a wolf on Lynn's wall. That is way too coincidental that Lynn had a print of one of Jeremy's paintings.

We know Elena's history with her foster fathers and brothers, how they sexually abused her, some even raped her, and that was all brought to the forefront of her memory when she received a letter from one of her foster fathers, asking for forgiveness as part of his therapy. So when she met Travis Tesler for the first time and he tried to rape her (and the numerous times after that first meeting) she was brought back to that little girl who just tried to hide from it all. But Elena, being who she is now, was finally able to fight back. Elena is probably my favorite character in this series, and the strength she showed in Frostbitten just reinforced that.

Then there is the Stillwell family. They were former members of the Pack, but left and moved to Alaska when the Alpha ascension was taking place. Dennis still kept in contact with Jeremy, though, but hasn't made contact when he said he would. This is another thing Jeremy asked Elena and Clay to check out. I don't want to say too much about them, because they play a big part in the Tesler takeover, but in the end the Pack gains a new member from this family. Plus two more possible members if Reese Williams decides to stay, and if Morgan Walsh decides to head south after his experiment in Alaska.

With a mythological shapeshifter race (which one it is, I won't tell) and a rogue werewolf pack close to waging war in the Alaskan Wilderness, Elena must act as mediator and take matters into her own hands before more innocent humans are killed. This is all definitely a great way to get Elena ready to be Alpha.

"So, what do you think of your pack?"

About this Author:

Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers' dismay. All efforts to make her produce "normal" stories failed.

Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She's the author of the NYT-bestselling "Women of the Otherworld" paranormal suspense series and "Darkest Powers" young adult urban fantasy trilogy, as well as the Nadia Stafford crime series. Armstrong lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.

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Challenge Review: Living with the Dead by Kelley Armstrong

Title: Living with the Dead
Series: Women of the Otherworld #9
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Genre: Urban Fantasy Fiction, Supernatural Fiction
Elements: Psychic Abilities, Demons, Werewolves, Necromancers, Witches, Sorcerers, Ghosts, Angels
Publisher: Bantam Books, Randoms House Inc.
Format: Hardcover, 372 Pages
ISBN: 9780553806649
Release Date: November 2008
Source: Borrowed from Wentworth Library
Rating: 4/5

Purchase Here: Kindle // Paperback 

Tagline(s): ~NONE~

Summary: Robyn Peltier moved to Los Angeles after her young husband's sudden death, trying to put some distance between herself and her memories. Though she's still grieving, the challenges of her new life as the PR consultant to Portia Kane--the world's most famous celebutante wannabe--can sometimes be amusing, even distracting. But when her client is gunned down in the back room of a nightclub, Robyn is suddenly on the run as the prime suspect in the murder. And as more bodies pile up around her, it seems like only Hope Adams, Robyn's best friends, and Hope's somewhat spooky boyfriend Karl are on Robyn's side.

Hope Adams follows the kinds of stories whose headlines scream from supermarket checkout lines. But the difference is that Hope's stories are even weirder--and they're all true. Though determined to help Robyn, Hope knows it's only a matter of time before her best friend is caught. But it's not the police Hope is worried about. For Robyn has gotten herself  in the middle of a turf war between two powerful Otherworld cabals who'll spill any amount of blood--human and inhuman--to protect what they consider theirs for all eternity. And the only way Hope can keep her friend alive is by letting her enter a world she's safer knowing nothing about.

Review:

Robyn Peltier took a PR job representing Portia Kane in an attempt to leave the painful memories of her husband's untimely death behind. With help from her best friend, Hope Adams, Robyn is slowly getting back to herself. But when a clairvoyant paparazzo kills Portia for a photo she took on her cell phone, Robyn is accused of the murder and ends up on the run from the police--and the killer.

Adele Morrissey is a clairvoyant and a member of the Kumpania. The Kumpania strongly dissuades interaction with the Cabals, so when Adele discovers that Portia Kane has a photo with Adele meeting with Irving Nast in the background, she'll do anything to get that photo before anyone in the Kumpania can see it. Adele is ruthless--she kills anyone who gets in her way, and she uses and sabotages anyone to get what she wants. I didn't like Adele at all. I think she may be one of the worst villians in the Woman of the Otherworld series so far.

It was pretty funny how everyone thought that Robyn was a supernatural, just because she's friends with Hope. They're all asking, What kind of supernatural is she? Like, is it so inconceivable for a human and supernatural to be friends?

Just like in Haunted with the reference to Eliot Ness and the Untouchables, Living with the Dead has a reference to the policeman in The Fugitive who would not give up trying to capture Richard Kimble. That's who Damon compares Finn to, because of his relentless pursuit of Robyn.

Detective Finn is a necromancer who didn't know he was a "necromancer." Though he's a supernatural, he didn't know anything about that world until this case. Finn has help from Robyn's dead husband, Damon, with the case. He even gets a visit from Eve at one point. Finn was one of my favorite characters in Living with the Dead. I hope we get to see more of him in future books.

Hope and Karl appear in Living with the Dead. Aside from trying to help clear Robyn's name, we get to see how their relationship has developed. With Karl's birthday and their first anniversary approaching, Hope still fears that Karl will leave her, and she also fears how dependent she has become of him. When Hope receives a business proposal from Rhys, a clairvoyant mercenary, she knows she has a tough decision to make--and she has to make it herself. I really liked Karl's show of commitment. The infinity symbol charm for Hope's bracelet, with the engraving "No matter what" was so sweet. I love seeing that side of Karl. What I really want to know is if they ever made it to that cabin in the woods, LOL!

About this Author:

Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers' dismay. All efforts to make her produce "normal" stories failed.

Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She's the author of the NYT-bestselling "Women of the Otherworld" paranormal suspense series and "Darkest Powers" young adult urban fantasy trilogy, as well as the Nadia Stafford crime series. Armstrong lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.

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Challenge Review: Personal Demon by Kelley Armstrong

Title: Personal Demon

Series: Women of the Otherworld #8 
Author: Kelley Armstrong 
Genre: Urban Fantasy Fiction, Supernatural Fiction 
Elements: Demons, Sorcerers, Witches, Werewolves 
Publisher: Bantam Books, Random House Inc. 
Format: mass Market Paperback, 523 Pages 
ISBN: 978-0-553-58820-0 
Release Date: October 2008 
Source: Borrowed from Wentworth Library 
Rating: 4/5

Tagline(s): ~NONE~

Summary: Tabloid reporter Hope Adams appears to live the life of an ordinary working girl. But in addition to possessing the beauty of a Bollywood princess, Hope has other unique traits. For she is a half-demon--a human fathered by a demon. And she's inherited a hunger for chaos. Naturally, when she's chosen by a very dangerous group for a very dangerous mission that will take her through Miami's hot spots, she jumps at the chance. But Hope is a little too good at this job. And soon she's in a little too deep. To save herself, she'll have to unleash her most primal instincts--and open herself, mind and body, to everything she most fears...and desires.

Review: 
 

Being an Expisco half-demon, Hope Adams feels a pull toward chaos. She usually works for the Council to get her fix, but when Benicio Cortez presents her with an undercover job, she can't turn it down. The Cortez Cabal has been having trouble with a local gang of supernaturals and it's Hope's job to infiltrate and gather information on their plans.

When Karl Marsten learns that Hope is in Miami, he pays Lucas Cortez a visit, inquiring about what she's doing there. He had a deal with Benicio that he would call Karl first if he was calling in their debt, and Benicio never contacted him, using the fact that Hope and Karl are fighting to get Hope to do the job alone. So Karl travels to Miami to get Hope out before things get out of control.

But when two gang members are kidnapped, events quickly go down hill, and the Cabal is the number one suspect. But there is more to the kidnapping than anyone ever thought possible.

I loved reading Hope's story. We get deeper insight into her need (?), addiction (?) to chaos. We see her complicated relationship with werewolf jewel thief, Karl Marsten. And her struggle to be more than what her demon makes her.

To be honest, when we met Hope in No Humans Involved, I didn't really like her. She seemed too eager and tag-along-puppy-like, although by the end, a puppy with a potentially vicious side. But when I read Personal Demon, that behavior made more sense to me and I really grew to like Hope very much.

The same went for Karl. We met Karl in the very first book in this series, Bitten, as a member of the rogue group trying to take down the Pack. I didn't like how Karl just stood by and watched as Clay was being beaten. He was too self-absorbed and selfish then, but we see a very different side of him in Personal Demon.

Karl feels no attachment to anyone but Hope, not even the Pack, which he is now a member of. I never thought I'd see Karl Marsten unsure of himself, but when it comes to Hope he feels things he once laughed at others for feeling. The fact the he's feeling the mating instinct doesn't help matters.

Aside from his feelings for Hope, we also see how Karl felt about the Pack as he was growing up. Karl had actually wanted to be a part of the Pack, but his father forbade it. It also turns out that his father was killed by Jeremy's father, Malcolm. So he has mixed feelings about now being a part of the Pack.

Personal Demon actually has two POVs--one is Hope and the other is Lucas Cortez. Because Hope works for the Council and is doing a job for Benicio, Paige and Lucas were brought in as well. This gives insight into the Cortez family and the inner workings of the Cabal.

A family tragedy causes Lucas to be put in charge of the Cabal and the investigation--and, boy, is he good at it. Paige can sense that a change is going to come and I really loved how she reassured Lucas that she wasn't going to leave: "Whatever happens, whatever you decide, now, later...I'm not going anywhere. You're stuck with me, Cortez."

And finally there is the gang Hope investigates. They are totally anti-Cabal and basically do anything and everything to undermine its authority. I can't say much about the gang without giving something away, but I will say that I really liked the members of the gang. As Hope became attached to them, so did I. I was shocked by the cause of the gang's downfall. It was totally unexpected.

The next book, Living with the Dead, is from the POV of Robyn Peltier, a human, and Hope's BFF. So we'll get to see more of Hope and Karl, and meet a new character in the Women of the Otherworld series.

Book Trailer: 



About this Author:

Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers' dismay. All efforts to make her produce "normal" stories failed.

Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She's the author of the NYT-bestselling "Women of the Otherworld" paranormal suspense series and "Darkest Powers" young adult urban fantasy trilogy, as well as the Nadia Stafford crime series. Armstrong lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.

 

 

 

 

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Challenge Review: No Humans Involved by Kelley Armstrong

Title: No Humans Involved
Series: Women of the Otherworld #7
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Genre: Supernatural Fiction, Urban Fantasy Fiction
Elements: Necromancers, Werewolves, Ghosts, Witches, Demons, Sorcerers, Angels
Publisher: Bantam Books, Random House Inc.
Format: Mass Market Paperback, 505 Pages
ISBN: 978-0-553-58837-8
Release Date: February 26, 2008
Source: Borrowed from Wentworth Library
Rating: 5/5

Tagline(s): ~NONE~

Summary: 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's her best shot at the celebrity holy grail: a TV show of her own. Because, unlike her colleagues, who are more style than substance, Jaime is the real thing.

Yet reluctant to upstage her fellow spiritualists, Jaime supresses her talents, as she has always done. But something is lurking in the gardens behind the house: trapped spirits without a voice. And for the first time, Jaime understands what it means to be haunted. When events culminate in a psychic showdown, she must use her darkest power to defeat a shocking enemy--one whose force comes from the last realm she expected....

Review:

Jaime Vegas is a necromancer with power over the dead. Life from death, she can raise the dead and control them as she wishes. The darkest power any supernatural can wield. But the legacy of necromancy is madness, and Jaime has seen this madness in other necromancers first hand.

No Humans Involved begins with a young man named Brendon, who left home to make it as an actor in L.A. Walking the streets at night, Brendon is picked up by a couple who seem to want to give him food and a warm place for the night. But while in their home, he overhears them talking about texts, rituals, and the amount of suffering needed. When Brendan tells them that he wants to leave, the woman drugs him and the group proceeds to set him on fire.

This is the first of many glimpses we have into this group and their atrocious rituals. This group first came to Jaime's attention when a ghost made physical contact with her on the set of a reality TV show she's taking part in. These ghosts have damaged souls that are trapped between dimensions, unable to step into ours or cross over into the other. It doesn't take Jaime long to realize by the ghosts actions that these are the ghosts of children.

Jaime's search for this group overshadows the whole reality show things, as we only really see anything from the set in between the events of Jaime's investigation. She has help from Jeremy Danvers, alpha of the werewolf Pack; Eve Levine and Kristof Nast; eudemon Aratron; and half-demon Hope Adams. Everyone (well, not Aratron) on this team is outraged that this group would kill innocent children for its rituals and in such horrible ways, and this makes them the perfect people to bring this group down.

Aside from Jaime's investigation, we are shown pieces of her past and Jeremy's as well. We learn of Jaime's relationship (or lack thereof) with her mother and the pressures she put on Jaime to make it on TV. Aratron brings up the deal she made with a demon in the past to become famous. Jeremy's past with his father is brought up, how Jeremy had to clean up his father's kills, and how his father tried to mold Clay into the son he always wanted the Jeremy wasn't. There was definitely no love lost between them. There is also the interesting little tidbit about the runes that pop into his head, as well as the visions and sensing no normal werewolf has--Jaime believes these came from his mother. Though we are given these little snippets into their respective pasts, there is still enough mystery surrounding Jaime ans Jeremy to keep it interesting.

If you've read the previous books in the Women of the Otherworld series, you know that Jaime's got it bad for Jeremy. It's been 4 years since they first met and Jeremy is finally showing interest. But Jaime isn't going to give him what he wants without having a little fun first. Jaime has waited 4 years for Jeremy to take notice, so she makes him wait for it and performs a little tease to get him all wound up. Jaime ans Jeremy totally work as a couple and it was great to finally see them together. Jaime can be a firecracker when she wants to be ans Jeremy's reserve off-sets that perfectly. They aren't together for very long in No Humans Involved, but I'm definitely left wanting to see more between them.

Like with Haunted, Eve's story, it was great reading Jaime's story in No Humans Involved and getting better insight into her character. The next book in the series is Hope's story. What little we learn of her in this book has left me curious to learn more about her in Personal Demon.

Book Trailer:



About this Author:

Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers' dismay. All efforts to make her produce "normal" stories failed.

Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She's the author of the NYT-bestselling "Women of the Otherworld" paranormal suspense series and "Darkest Powers" young adult urban fantasy trilogy, as well as the Nadia Stafford crime series. Armstrong lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.

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Challenge Review: Broken by Kelley Armstrong

Title: Broken
Series: Women of the Otherworld #6
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Genre: Supernatural Fiction, Urban Fantasy Fiction
Elements: Werewolves, Demons, Necromancers, Zombies, Sorcerers, Witches, Vampires
Publisher: Bantam Books, Random House Inc.
Format: Mass Market Paperback, 444Pages
ISBN: 978-0-553-58818-7
Release Date: April 25, 2006
Source: Borrowed from Wentworth Library
Rating: 5/5

Tagline(s): ~NONE~

Summary: 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 Rippper. 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....

Review:

Who would have thought a mosquito could cause so much trouble?

Broken brings us back to my favorite narrator in the Women of the Otherworld series, werewolf Elena Michaels. She's pregnant and bored...never a good combination for a woman used to action. So when Xavier calls about the favor Elena owes him for getting her out of a sticky situation is Stolen, she couldn't be more excited.

But what seems like a simple B&E with a little theft quickly turns not-so-simple when a squished mosquito falls on the From Hell letter they stole and opens a portal to Victorian London. Now the famous killer, Jack the Ripper, is loose in Toronto with two zombie goons in tow. And for some reason they are targeting Elena.

What's a werewolf mama-to-be to do when she has to protect, not only her own life, but that of her unborn child? One thing is for sure: The portal needs to be closed, before it's too late.

Elena's fear of Changing while pregnant was very visceral. Any mother-to-be would fear doing anything that could cause their child harm, but it's more so for Elena. Changing is a very painful process, not to mention that her body is contorting to a new shape, so she fears and questions what that could do to the baby. And the fact that there has never been a pregnant werewolf before leaves the entire Pack cautious. But if you think about is in human terms, all new mothers and fathers stress over the new arrival, so for Elena and Clay I'd say their behavior is normal for new werewolf parents.

One of my favorite moments in Broken may not seem very significant, but for Elena and Clay's relationship it is. Nick notices Elena wearing both her engagement ring and her wedding band. The engagement ring isn't much of a surprise since she's been wearing it on and off for years and kept it on for the past five years as a sign to Clay that she's staying for good. But where Clay's wedding band has been on his finger for the past fifteen years, Elena's remained in it's original case, at least until she became pregnant. Nick can't believe that Elena is actually going to keep it on after the baby is born. I loved Elena's reply:

"What? You think I'm willing to have Clay's baby, but not wear his ring? We're even thinking of making it legal."

This small, seemingly insignificant moment really shows how much Elena has grown since Bitten. She's accepted herself as a werewolf, forgiven Clay for biting her, and finally committing herself to Clay completely.

And I say it's about time. Clay made one mistake (though it was a big, life-altering mistake) and suffered for it for fifteen years. It's about time he finally finds happiness, and I don't think anything could make him happier than his mate accepting him and bearing his child.

We reunite with previous characters and meet new additions in Broken. One new addition that really stood out for me was Zoe Takano. Zoe is a vampire and the original thief of the From Hell letter. She has a little crush on Elena that left Elena feeling awkward and me laughing. What is it with Elena and vampires anyway? One wants to be her BFF and the other wants to make out (or possibly more) with her.

I was all over the place while reading Broken. I was rooting one moment, then totally grossed out the next. And let's not forget completely terrified for different reasons, one of which included Clay's injury. And I thought that the birth was such a magical moment! It's one of my favorite moments in the entire series so far. I don't know much about Jack the Ripper, but Kelley Armstrong's use of the killer's story and knowledge of the time made for an interesting and compelling addition to this series. 

Book Trailer:



About this Author:

Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers' dismay. All efforts to make her produce "normal" stories failed.

Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She's the author of the NYT-bestselling "Women of the Otherworld" paranormal suspense series and "Darkest Powers" young adult urban fantasy trilogy, as well as the Nadia Stafford crime series. Armstrong lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.

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