Review: Broken by Kelley Armstrong

Title: Broken

Author: Kelley Armstrong

Series: Women of the Otherworld #6

Publisher: Orbit

Publication date: May 4th 2006

Format: Paperback - 444 pages

Genre: Urban Fantasy

 

 

When the not entirely turstworthy half-demon Xavier calls in a favour, it seems easy enough - steal Jack the Ripper's 'From Hell' letter way from a Toronto collector who had himself stolen it from the British police files. But nothing in the supernatural world is ever as simple as it seems. When Elena accidentally triggers a spell placed on the letter, she opens a portal into the nether regions of Victorian London. Toronto may be looking for a tourism boost, but 'Gateway to Hell' isn't quite the new slogan the city had in mind.

With thieving vampires, killer rats and unstoppable zombies on the loose, Elena and the rest of her Pack have a lot on their hands. 

My thoughts:

When I saw Broken focuses on Elena and Clay again, I got unbelievably excited about it. I love these characters to a huge extent. After reading six books where they're at least mentioned in every single one of them, never mind the ones where Elena is the protagonist, I feel like I know Elena, Clay and Jeremy completely. So I was looking forward to diving head first back into their world.

The characters of this series play a huge part in the books. Most of them are mentioned in each one, even if they don't make an appearance, so if you don't like even a couple of the many characters introduced, you basically won't enjoy the whole series. It's such a big testament to Kelley Armstrong's writing that I really do love every single one of the characters in every single one of the books so far.

The plot for Broken was definitely enthralling to say the least. It twisted and turned every which way possible so I had no idea what to expect at the end. I loved how it involved British history to the extent it did - it felt a lot like a paranormal Sherlock Holmes at times with the whole solving crime part of it. 

Overall I loved every single part of this read. There was never a dull moment and the ending just took the biscuit. I really can't wait for Elena and Clay to reappear in the series and I'm looking forward to what the next book has in store.

My rating: 10/10

 

Kelley Armstrong:

 

Goodreads | Website | Twitter | Facebook

 

 

Women of the Otherworld:

 

1. Bitten
2. Stolen
3. Dime Store Magic
4. Industrial Magic
5. Haunted
6. Broken
7. No Humans Involved
8. Personal Demon
9. Living with the Dead
10. Frostbitten
11. Waking the Witch
12. Spell Bound
13. Thirteen

Review: Haunted by Kelley Armstrong

Title: Haunted

Author: Kelley Armstrong

Series: Women of the Otherworld #5

Publisher: Orbit

Publication date: May 26th 2005

Format: Paperback - 495 pages

Genre: Urban Fantasy

 

 

Eve Levine - half-demon, black witch and devoted mother - has been dead for three years. She has a great house, an interesting love life and can't be killed again - which comes in handy when you've made as many enemies as Eve. Yes, the afterlife isn't too bad - all she needs to do is find a way to communicate with her daughter Savannah and she'll be happy.

But fate - or more exactly, the Fates - have other plans. Eve owes them a favour, and they've just called it in. An evil spirit called the Nix has escaped from hell. She feeds on chaos and death, and is very good at persuading people to kill for her. The Fates want Eve to hunt her down before she does any more damage, but the Nix is a dangerous enemy - previous hunters have been sent mad in the process. As if that's not problem enough, it turns out that the only way to stop her is with an angel's sword. And Eve's no angel...

My thoughts:

I'm a really big fan of Kelley Armstrong, and yet I hadn't gotten round to reading this one until now. Safe to say though, I loved it.

I was a little apprehensive when I read the summary of the book only to find that Eve is the protagonist in this one. She isn't exactly portrayed in the best light in the past books. I thought that maybe she would come across as she did in the previous books in the series, and in that case I wouldn't enjoy the book. I was pleasantly surprised though, she came across as a woman who is desperate to see her daughter again, desperate to help in any way she can and a woman wanting to find a purpose she didn't have before. It was a nice change of pace from the past books.

As all the past books in the series have, Haunted had an amazing plot that really kept me turning the pages. It was full of action, surprises and near misses that had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. There wasn't a moment in the book where I wanted to stop reading for any reason so Kelley was obviously doing something right. It was definitely a page turner, no doubt.

This series is really big on characters. There are so many different characters introduced throughout the books, and each book sometimes has a different character as the protagonist. It's for that reason that if somebody doesn't like the characters in the book, then they won't get along with the series as a whole. I honestly fell in love with Eve as soon as I started reading. She was a strong, well-rounded character with lots of flaws and yet lots of strengths at the same time. I felt for her where I was supposed to and urged her to make the right decision where it was called for. Paige, Lucas and Savannah come into play a little in this book which was all the better since I adore them all. It was great how they all had their parts in the book. 

Overall I can't really fault this book. I can't wait to read the next in the series, especially since it focuses on Elena this time who is my ultimate favourite character.

My rating: 10/10

Kelley Armstrong:

Goodreads | Website | Twitter | Facebook

Women of the Otherworld:

1. Bitten
2. Stolen
3. Dime Store Magic
4. Industrial Magic
5. Haunted
6. Broken
7. No Humans Involved
8. Personal Demon
9. Living with the Dead
10. Frostbitten
11. Waking the Witch
12. Spell Bound
13. Thirteen

Industrial Magic by Kelley Armstrong Review

Summary: (Taken from Goodreads)

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'm writing this review straight after finishing Industrial Magic so I might start rambling a bit! 


If I had any previous misconceptions about Paige's character in Dime Store Magic I'm completely over them now!


In Dime Store Magic I thought Paige was a weak character compared to Elena, but she completely came into her own in Industrial Magic .


Paige was strong as a protagonist, loyal to her friends, selfless in her actions and just generally awesome.


I loved all of the characters in this book - both new and old - and how they interacted with each other.


Lucas is just as smart ever, Lucas's father is actually starting to grow on me, Savannah was as sassy as ever, Clay has started to ease off his obsessive side (just a little) and some of the new characters introduced were absolutely hilarious.


The plot of Industrial Magic was absolutely flawless in it's perfection.


It was so action-packed and exciting that I found myself finishing the book in no time at all.


The last third of the book had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. It was so well written and thought out that at times I was nearly gasping in shock.


I seriously can't get enough of this series and strongly recommend it to anyone!


A thoroughly enjoyable read!


About the 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. 

My Rating: 10/10

Publisher: Spectra

Author: Kelley Armstrong

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Dime Store Magic by Kelley Armstrong

Summary: (Goodreads)

Forget the cackling green hag in The Wizard of Oz, forget Samantha fromBewitched. Real witches are nothing, NOTHING like this. For years real witches have hidden their powers, afraid of being persecuted. They have integrated so well into the community, you could have a witch living right next door and never know about it. Take Paige, for instance, whom we first met in Kelley Armstrong's novel Stolen. Just an ordinary twenty-something who runs her own website design company, worries about her weight and wonders if she'll ever find a boyfriend. Okay, so she's leader of the American Coven and guardian of Savannah, the teenage daughter of a black witch. Really, life is ordinary. But then a telekinetic half-demon, Leah O'Donnell, shows up to fight for custody of Savannah. And although Paige is ready for her, she's not quite so prepared for the team of supernaturals that Leah brings with her, including a powerful sorcerer who claims to be Savannah's father.

When all hell breaks loose -- literally -- and Paige is accused of witchcraft, Satanism and murder, the Coven, fearing exposure, abandons her. Cut off from her friends, Paige is forced against her better judgment to accept the help of a young sorcerer lawyer. And she quickly comes to realize that keeping Savannah could mean losing everything else.

It was so hard to read this book without comparing the characters to Elena and Clay from the first two books in the Women of the Otherworld series. I felt that Paige wasn't as strong of a character and was a pushover in comparison.

I'm still going to try to rate it without relating Dime Store Magic to Bitten or Stolen but it's so HARD!

I loved reading about the history of the witches in Dime Store Magic; especially when it came to the sorcerers getting involved.

I also loved how the romance in this story didn't dominate the plot. It was a great change to be honest because otherwise, I feel like the story-line would have become too messy and all over the place if that makes sense.

What's great is that if a reader started the Women of the Otherworld series from Dime Store Magic they wouldn't be lost at all, simply because it seems like it could be a separate series competely.

I loved Savannah's character. She was so sassy and naive that Paige had to  run around after her like a headless chicken half the time!

I also liked Lucas's character. He was so calm and composed throughout which was great for a little change. You could also see how he would be great for Paige as they're kind of opposites in a way but complement each other.

However, I did find Paige to be a bit irritating; she just did some stupid things at times that didn't have to happen.

The world that Dime Store Magic  is set in is flawless. The idea of the rivalry between sorcerers and witches, covens and Lucas's family story were all brilliant.

Above all though, Dime Store Magic was a really fast-paced and exciting all the way through. I couldn't put it down.

About the author:

Kelley Armstrong is a Canadian author, primarily of fantasy works. She has published twelve fantasy novels to date, most set in the world of Women of the Otherworld series, one crime fiction novel, and the Darkest Powers Trilogy. The latest novel in the Women of the Otherworld series is called Waking the Witch. She lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and two children.

My Rating: 8/10

Author: Kelley Armstrong

Bitten by Kelley Armstrong Review (Book#4 in the SS reading challenge)

Summary (Goodreads):

Ever since her parents were killed in a car accident when she was five, Elena Michaels has longed for a normal family life. Smart, beautiful and engaged to be married, Elena hopes to fulfill that dream when disaster strikes. Not only has her fiancé lied about his secret life as a werewolf, but he's made her one too. She has no choice but to join him at Stonehaven, the upstate New York home of an elite pack of werewolves.


In an attempt to breakaway, she moves to Toronto to lead a normal life. Working as a journalist, Elena now lives with her new architect boyfriend, works out in the basement gym of their high-rise apartment, lunches with girlfriends from the office, and once a week, at four in the morning runs naked and furred through a downtown Toronto ravine, ripping out the throats of her animal prey. But when a band of outlaw werewolves threatens the Stonehaven Pack, Elena's feral instincts drive her back there to join the defense. What follows is a war for territory, for pride, and ultimately for Elena herself.


After being bitten and changed by who she thought to be her human boyfriend, Elena moves to the city to try and live life as humanly as possible.

But when Jeremy, Alpha of the Pack, calls Elena asking for her help Elena has to obey and is thrust back into the life she had previously tried to get away from.

I love Elena's character, she's so relatable to a lot of girls out there I think, trying to be a part of a normal society; trying to fit in and trying to gain more respect as a woman more than anything.

Clay was the perfect bad boy! I loved how he always knew he was wrong whenever he made a mistake and always held himself and no-one else accountable for it, and yet he doesn't regret a thing. I also liked Clay's past which was explained just a tiny bit in this story. It was very...inventive. It made me laugh at times and also made me realise why Clay is the way he is which is what I think Kelley was going for.

Elena and Clay's relationship was different to say the least. Normally I hate it when I don't know where a couple stand with each other in a book but this one was contrary to my normal thoughts on this particular matter. They were perfect together and yet, Elena still hadn't forgiven Clay for what he had done but he still remained loyal to her and waited even if he didn't expect her forgiveness. It just fits somehow...

As for the plot; it was brilliant. The story line was great, as was the pace and flow of the book.

Kelley Armstrong I take my (figurative) hat off to you!!!

My Rating: 10/10!

Author: Kelley Armstrong 

Publisher: Plume