In this novel, Kelley Armstrong goes back to the characters that started it all in her Women of the Otherworld series: Elena Michaels and Clayton Danvers. Bitten and Stolen were the first two books I read by her and are what got me hooked. This series has been a great read overall but the novels that revolve around the American werewolf pack are by far my favorite. I’m happy that Elena is back and as bad-ass as ever!
Elena finds herself in Anchorage Alaska investigating a rogue werewolf pack. Her husband Clay is not far behind and together they start piecing together the story behind the recent murders of women and hunters in the area. They team up with an ex-pack member who ends up causing more harm than good thanks to his secret agenda. Elena goes from dealing with one sticky situation to the next all while trying to come to terms with the fact that the entire pack has unofficially accepted her as their future alpha and she was the last one to know about it. Michaels is already the only known female werewolf, enforcer to the pack alpha, mother of twins and married to crazy Clay… (she might as well be the boss too!) She’s forced to put her doubts aside and temporarily step into the role in Jeremy’s absence. The situation quickly becomes more than they bargained for between the mutts, the never before seen beastly shapeshifters and the unexpected betrayal from Stillwell, their ex-pack member.
The book ends in an all-out werewolf showdown: the American pack VS the rogues. Bones are broken, hell is raised and lives are lost. I won’t tell you who emerges victorious, you’ll have to find that one out for yourself!
One of the reasons why I enjoy Armstrong’s interpretation on werewolves so much is that hers are closer to real life wolves than others in this genre. When the characters change shape; they don’t morph into these ugly, hairy, half-human monstrosities. They shift into beautiful, deadly wolves with killer instincts. I enjoy her take on pack mentality, how they rely on their sense of smell for tracking and of course their animal sex drives make the r-rated encounters all the more primal and juicy. I have been eagerly awaiting the next chapter in Elena’s story and this book does not disappoint. If you’re a fan of the series and have been procrastinating like I have, STOP!
Women of the Otherworld Series:
Bitten (2001)
Stolen (2002)
Dime Store Magic (2004)
Industrial Magic (2004)
Haunted (2005)
Broken (2006)
No Humans Involved (2007)
Personal Demon (2008)
Frostbitten (2009)
Waking the Witch (2010)
Spellbound (2011 release)
About the Blogger
I review Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance books with a focus all things werewolf. Based out of Ottawa, Canada
Owner, designer and main blogger behind Rabid Reads. Avid book reader, snowboard bunny, video gamer and Supernatural fan. I love all things paranormal, werewolves especially. Oh, and I’m Canadian, eh!
The book and the whole series sounds pretty good.
Samantha Jo
YA Enthusiast
It is! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂