Frostbitten by Kelley Armstrong

Title: Frostbitten
Author: Kelley Armstrong

Publisher: Orbit
ISBN: 978-1-84149-775-4
Pages: 405
Series: Otherworld #10
Type: Adult Urban Fantasy
Source: Purchased
Goodreads


Elena Michaels has finally accepted her life as a werewolf after years of internal struggle so when she and Clay are sent to Alaska with the twin missions of tracking down a mutt and investigating a series of gruesome murders she expects a simple job. The truth is a lot more complicated and Elena soon finds herself forced to confront the horrors of her past while realising that there are other, older supernatural races hidden in the frozen terrain that may threaten her very existence.

This is the tenth book in the Otherworld series (which started with Bitten) and not only features the return of Elena Michaels as narrator but also a return to form after a couple of less enjoyable books. If you are a new reader I'd definitely recommend beginning at the start of the series as this book is really the culmination of Elena's adventures over the last nine books.

Coming back to Elena as a narrator means coming back to the relationship between her and Clay which has changed to a more balanced settled family status with their twins. The romance and passion is still there though. It also means that Elena's pre-werewolf past is revisited and she is given the opportunity to deal and move on, a task made more difficult by the revelation that Jeremy expects her to replace him as Alpha of the Pack. Clay is also struggling with the damage left to his arm from a previous installment and is left questioning if he is still strong enough to protect Elena.

The storyline is densely plotted and packed with twists and turns, and the change of setting means that Alaska gets contrasted with the previous locations of the series. It is vastly different and the location is incredibly well developed and described, almost taking on a life of its own. The book is also fast paced and I was glued to the page throughout. I loved how new characters were gradually introduced and how Elena and the Pack formed new alliances, especially with the Russian Pack.

The idea of other supernatural races that the main community doesn't know about has been featured in some of Kelley Armstrong's books (both her adult Otherworld series and her YA trilogies), but the introduction of a precursor race to werewolves is interesting. The creatures are quite scary in how they are introduced and it definitely adds a new layer to the book.

All in all, this was a great read and I'm looking forward to Waking the Witch.

Plot: 10/10
Characters: 10/10
Ending: 10/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Cover: 9/10

Overall: 49/50

Living with the Dead by Kelley Armstrong

Title: Living with the Dead
Author: Kelley Armstrong

Publisher: Orbit
ISBN: 978-1-84149-396-1
Pages: 440
Series: Otherworld #9
Type: Adult Urban Fantasy
Source: Purchased
Goodreads


Robyn Peltier is a completely normal person trying to recover from the loss of her husband. When her new boss is murdered and she finds herself the prime suspect in a murder investigation, Robyn is way out of her depth and turns to her best friend Hope Adams for help. But Robyn doesn't know she's accidentally stumbled into a supernatural turf war, or that Hope is a half-demon and her boyfriend Karl is a werewolf. Now Robyn is forced to accept a whole new reality to save her life.

This is the ninth book in the Otherworld series (which started with Bitten) and sees a change in style. Previously the books had featured one or two narrators, while this one features five giving the story a somewhat disjointed feel. It also continues on from Hope's story in Personal Demon and this means that although this is supposed to be Robyn's book, it never really feels truly hers while the massive cast makes it hard to connect with the new characters.

The plot is cleverly written and well plotted with plenty of twists and turns, and the idea of a human being sucked in to the Otherworld is interesting. The storyline feels darker than the other books, featuring several abusive situations and unsympathetic characters. Even one character who I started the book feeling sorry for ended up being someone I despised by the end of the book. There is also pretty much no romance in the book, except in those scenes featuring Hope and Karl who are toning down their relationship so as not to upset Robyn.

The world building focuses mainly on clairvoyants who haven't received a massive amount of attention in previous installments due to their rarity. It is interesting to see how a group of supernaturals have separated themselves from others in order to protect themselves. It has been made clear in the past that the Cabals are desperate for clairvoyants so to see that relationship from the clairvoyants perspective adds a new dimension.

It does feel that this is setting up the end-game of the series (which will play out in the final three books Waking The Witch, Spell Bound and 13), especially when the book ends with Hope considering all of the unusual events from Broken (book 6) onwards. It does bring these events to the front of the readers mind, but it is another feature that makes this book feel less like Robyn's and more like a gap filler in the series.

All in all, this was an interesting read and I'm looking forward to Frostbitten.

Plot: 8/10
Characters: 8/10
Ending: 9/10
Enjoyment: 7/10
Cover: 7/10

Overall: 39/50

Teaser Tuesdays (38)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.

My teaser:

"Well, no more. It was time to fight."

~ Page 90, Living with the Dead by Kelley Armstrong

Personal Demon by Kelley Armstrong

Title: Personal Demon
Author: Kelley Armstrong

Publisher: Orbit
ISBN: 978-1-84149-397-8
Pages: 476
Series: Otherworld #8
Type: Adult Urban Fantasy
Source: Gift
Goodreads


Hope Adams owes Benicio Cortez a favour, and when he calls it in her hunger for chaos leads her to accept and travel to Miami. Benicio needs her to infiltrate a gang of supernaturals who are causing problems for the Cabal, but Hope becomes intoxicated by the danger and soon finds herself in over her head. When Karl Marsten discovers the shared debt is being fulfilled by Hope alone, he tries to rescue her only for them to discover that the conflict between the gang and the Cabal is deeper and more dangerous than anyone could have predicted.

This is the eighth book in the Otherworld series (which started with Bitten) and sees half-demon Hope Adams take the narration role along with Lucas Cortez. I wasn't sure what to think of the joint narration at first as this is the first time a main book in the series has been written like this, but it soon becomes clear that the complexity of the case needs two viewpoints to explore. There are certain things Lucas can't show as he isn't part of the gang and others that Hope can't show as she is external to the Cabal.

Hope was first introduced in the novella 'Chaotic' featured in Dates from Hell and then appeared in the previous book (No Humans Involved) so her backstory has been partly covered before, although this installment gives more depth and shows things from her perspective. Hope's power is an attraction to chaos, which has the side benefit of allowing her to act as a chaos detector. I really liked how Hope identifies supernaturals by using visions (a storm means a Tempestras demon while running through woodland identifies a werewolf) but I had a hard time identifying with her at times.

I loved that Karl Marsten took a big role in this book as I've wanted to learn more about him since his introduction in Bitten. His backstory is explored a lot more, as are his motivations and choices which gives the romance a different quality. Karl however is not alone in his affection for Hope and she finds herself in a love triangle with gang member Jaz. I'm not a big fan of love triangles and this one did detract from the storyline a bit.

The story itself is cleverly plotted and deceptive in its depth. Changes take place that will echo throughout the future books of the series and the Cabal world-building gets a boost as the intricacies of the Cortez family are explored. Karl's backstory also adds a view of life as a mutt (non-Pack werewolf) which contrasts with the Pack's opinions. There are lots of twists and turns and the ending caught me by surprise, although at times the pacing felt like it was dragging.

All in all, this was a great read and I'm looking forward to Living With the Dead.

Plot: 9/10
Characters: 9/10
Ending: 9/10
Enjoyment: 8/10
Cover: 7/10

Overall: 42/50

No Humans Involved by Kelley Armstrong

Title: No Humans Involved
Author: Kelley Armstrong

Publisher: Orbit
ISBN: 978-1-84149-667-2
Pages: 438
Series: Otherworld #7
Type: Adult Urban Fantasy
Source: Purchased
Goodreads


Three top spiritualists gathered in one house to raise the ghost of Marilyn Monroe sounds like ideal reality TV, and for Jaime Vegas it could be the stepping stone she needs for her own show. Unlike her colleagues, Jaime is the real deal: a necromancer who can really contact the dead...and knows that the house is really haunted. Soon Jaime realises that multiple spirits are trapped in the gardens and calls upon Jeremy Danvers to help her investigate the ghosts horrifying origins.

This is the seventh book in the Otherworld series (after Bitten, Stolen, Dime Store Magic, Industrial Magic, Haunted and Broken) and sees Jaime Vegas take over as narrator. Jaime has been a supporting character in the books since Industrial Magic and it's great to see her take a lead role given how much her character has been developed. Jaime is the oldest narrator so far and it's great to see how that maturity allows her to deal with manipulative TV executives and backstabbing co-stars.

Jaime's crush on Jeremy has been a key part of her character development as she's generally very mature and isn't prone to uncontrollable blushes and stammering. It has always appeared unrequited so it is fascinating to see Jeremy start showing signs of being interested in Jaime while trying to figure out how a potential relationship would work alongside his role as Alpha of the werewolf pack.

The book is mostly set in L.A. on the set of the spiritualist TV show where Jaime discovers some unusual ghosts in the gardens and is soon led on an investigation with Jeremy at her side. There are chapters interspersed from the perspective of the "bad guys" of the book and it soon becomes clear that the ghosts were killed in a shocking and barbaric way unheard of even in supernatural communities. The plot is well-paced and tension packed with lots of twists and turns, although one I did figure out a big one in advance.

The world building allows a closer look at necromancers and also brings half-demon Hope Adams into a main Otherworld book (she was previously the focus of a story in Dates from Hell). Hope is the narrator of the next book and I'm not really sure if I like her yet, although her relationship with Karl Marsten is interesting. The development of Jaime's necromancy continues from the last book, showing that she has one of the scariest gifts of all whilst allowing her to become more accepting of it. Eve and Kristoff also return to help Jaime out leading to some incredibly sweet scenes.

All in all, this was a great read and I'm looking forward to Personal Demon.

Plot: 9/10
Characters: 10/10
Ending: 10/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Cover: 8/10

Overall: 47/50

Shelf Candy Saturday (24)

Shelf Candy Saturday is an awesome weekly meme hosted by Maria at A Night's Dream of Books where each Saturday bloggers defy the saying "never judge a book by its cover" and showcase one that really catches their eye. Covers play a huge role in the books I choose so it's great to have the opportunity to showcase the pretties :)

My shelf candy for this week is the Darkness Rising trilogy (so far) by Kelley Armstrong.

New York City has been decimated by war and plague, and most of civilization has migrated to underground enclaves, where life expectancy is no more than the early 20s. When Deuce turns 15, she takes on her role as a Huntress, and is paired with Fade, a teenage Hunter who lived Topside as a young boy. When she and Fade discover that the neighboring enclave has been decimated by the tunnel monsters—or Freaks—who seem to be growing more organized, the elders refuse to listen to warnings. And when Deuce and Fade are exiled from the enclave, the girl born in darkness must survive in daylight, in the ruins of a city whose population has dwindled to a few dangerous gangs. As the two are guided by Fade’s long-ago memories, they face dangers, and feelings, unlike any they’ve ever known.

 

This is one of those books that I brought online and really didn't think much of the cover until it arrived. It's really pretty and shiny, and its actually a little harder to see the details as not only are the colours in the image above are more defined the shine off the cover means you need to look a lot closer. The cover is raised as well so some details are clearer to make out once you've felt them.

 

The cover really fits with the story of the book too with the crossed swords and the creepy hand really fitting with the idea of Hunters and Freaks, and the metallic circular background looks like something you'd expect to see in the underground tunnels of New York. I love how the title looks like a metal plate attached with screws, again fitting with the book.

 

This also gets massive points from me as it actually managed to scare my Mum. I passed it to her and she didn't spot the creepy hand on the cover until she went to pass it back and shrieked really loudly. I hadn't thought to mention the hand, but it freaked my Mum out. After she calmed down a bit she did admit that it fits really well with the book :)

So what's your shelf candy this week?

Broken by Kelley Armstrong

Title: Broken
Author: Kelley Armstrong

Publisher: Orbit
ISBN: 1-84149-342-2
Pages: 444
Series: Otherworld #6
Type: Adult Urban Fantasy
Source: Purchased
Goodreads


Elena Michaels owes a favour to the devious half-demon Xavier and when he calls it in, the job seems simple. All he wants Elena to do is steal Jack the Ripper's infamous 'From Hell' letter from a private collector. But nothing is as simple as it seems when supernaturals are involved and a simple accident triggers a hidden spell placed on the letter, opening a portal into Victorian London. Elena must shut the portal as soon as possible, or everything she holds dear could be lost forever.

This is the sixth book in the Otherworld series (after Bitten, Stolen, Dime Store Magic, Industrial Magic and Haunted) and returns to Elena as a narrator after a three book gap. If you are new to the series, or haven't at least read the first two books which are narrated by Elena, I wouldn't recommend starting here as you'll have missed a massive amount of backstory.

Elena and Clay's relationship has changed a lot since their introduction in Bitten. They are now happily together and expecting their first child, whilst Elena is willingly wearing her wedding band for the first time ever content in her decision to spend her life with Clay. They've managed to keep the passion and spark in their relationship although Clay is just as protective as always, if not more so due to the pregnancy. I love that their story has continued on whilst the reader was occupied with the other books as it adds a dimension of reality to the Otherworld. Another aspect I enjoyed was that Elena is happy to mix her old life in Toronto with her new life with the Pack, again showing how much she's grown.

The plot is just as densely plotted as usual, packed with twists and turns and allowing the characters to grow and develop even more. As usual the world-building gets a boost, this time focusing on sorcerers and the mechanics of portals while introducing zombies for the first time. The Jack the Ripper angle was something I was looking forward to when I started reading as I really enjoy anything based off the case. This offers a new and unique perspective to the history, allowing it to go in some unexpected directions. The idea of aspects of Victorian London passing into modern day Toronto are especially well-explored as it isn't only Jack the Ripper who transfers. Cholera, syphilitic prostitutes and diseased rats all cause chaos in a modern environment.

Jaime guest stars in this book and her crush on Jeremy is still as prevalent and unrequited as usual. Jaime is increasingly embarrased by it so it will be interesting to see what happens when she takes the narrator role in the next installment. The crush isn't the only focus on Jaime this time as she gets a scary vision of her future and takes her necromancy to a whole new level.

All in all, this was another great read and I'm looking forward to No Humans Involved.

Plot: 9/10
Characters: 9/10
Ending: 10/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Cover: 9/10

Overall: 47/50