Kelley Armstrong never ceases to amaze me. She has written yet another novel that is intelligent, mysterious and fascinating. Betrayals has answered so many questions about the Cainesville world yet there's still so much we don't know.

Olivia was living a pretty normal life up until a few months ago. Ever since learning she was adopted and that her birth parents are in jail for murder, life hasn't been the same. Now she's living a life full of supernatural intrigue and visions. Working as a private investigator for lawyer and friend Gabriel Walsh, trouble seems to follow her around. Through one of her visions, she finds out that two girls were murdered and she makes it her duty to investigate. Because these girls are a type of fae, their bodies disappear soon after their death so Olivia is really their only hope for justice. Solving the mystery is even more important since someone is trying to pin an associated murder and disappearance on Ricky, Olivia's lover and the future leader of a biker gang.

I don't even know where to start when it comes to describing Cainsville. It's not a secret town but you can only find it if it wants to be found. It's a town built by Welsh fae, for the Welsh fae and their progeny. Almost like a safe haven in disguise. Olivia was drawn to the town for a reason, because the elders of the town believe she is a sort of reincarnation of Matilda, a maiden from one of their myths. It is said that Arawn and Gwynn, the princes of the Hunt and the Welsh fae, respectively, were both attracted to Matilda. Their story ended badly, but in our modern world, according to the town elders, Arawn is Ricky and Gwynn is Gabriel. Apparently Olivia must choose a side and the winning side would get the ultimate power to survive in the modern world.

Olivia, Gabriel and Ricky have decided to live out their lives as normally as possible, ignoring the "prophecy." However, Olivia is torn between Ricky and Gabriel. She is definitely attracted to Ricky and their physical relationship isn't suffering despite Olivia being stabbed and almost drowning. However, Olivia's strong feelings for Gabriel is unavoidable. Their calm and unassuming friendship isn't enough for Gabriel, and despite his jealousy of Ricky, he doesn't let it show. He does, however, try to win Olivia in his own way. Most of the time, I'm not a big fan of love triangles, but in this case, it's a drama you don't want to miss.

In my mind, Kelley Armstrong can do no wrong. This series is very different from her previous books but it's so original it makes me crave more. Betrayals is my favourite book of the series so far because of the drama unfolding between Olivia, Gabriel and Ricky. It has also answered many questions yet left us in the dark about so many other things. I can't wait to see how the series unfolds. I feel like the end is near yet I don't want this series to be over.

I absolutely love this series. Anything written by Kelley Armstrong is usually pretty good but Deceptions and the rest of her Cainsville series is amazing. It's creepy and gothic, yet the characters are intriguing and intelligent. I hope this series goes on for a while still because it's fascinating and I feel like there's a lot more to tell.

What's exceptional about this book is that deep down, it's a murder mystery novel with so many paranormal elements. At times, you even start to doubt the heroine, Olivia, wondering if she's imagining everything, wondering if her so called visions are just hallucinations. With her fae blood, she has the ability to read omens and apparently recall long ago event through a collective memory and visions. Her importance to the Cainsville elders was slowly revealed in this book but there's still a lot of mystery surrounding her early childhood and her serial killer birth parents. After three books, we still don't know the whole story behind the murders that happened more than two decades ago but at least we do learn some of the motives behind the killings.

I love the fact that this series doesn't have any werewolves, vampires, witches or zombies. Kelley Armstrong has veered away from the typical paranormal approach. Instead, it has gargoyles, kelpies, hounds, bogarts, fairies and so much more. But these fae are unlike anything we've seen before. They're not all bright and shiny vs dark and spooky, like we've seen in some of the more popular fairy books. These fae are enigmatic, creepy and sometimes dangerous. They all have a second agenda and don't necessarily work together. It's hard to keep track of who's who and their ultimate goal is still unclear. However, one thing is for sure: they have no problem using humans as puppets in their quests.

Kelley Armstrong has perfectly melded Welsh, Cornish and Irish mythology and used its stories to create her own. Her characters have said it themselves; their story isn't a reincarnation or a retelling of the mythological characters. They have been born to play the roles of Mallt-y-Nos, Gwynn Ap Nudd and Arawn. Whether they follow in the originals' footsteps is completely up to them. Like in so many mythologies, cycles must repeat and Olivia, Gabriel and Ricky are stuck in this one, for better or for worse. The three of them form a weird love triangle that I wish a could explain in a few words but it's best if you discovered it on your own. The interactions between the three are so intricate and I admire the author for spending so much time on these little details that don't seem to matter but reveal so much about the characters.

The little town of Cainsville is almost a character on its own and plays an integral part in this series, but it wasn't as important in this book compared to the previous two. However, I love how everything always links back to Cainsville and its fae inhabitants. It might seem like a quaint little town, the Stars Hallow of the supernatural world, but it's creepy and sometimes dangerous. I honestly hope to spend more time in Cainsville in the next book. I feel like it holds the answer to everything.

Kelley Armstrong is a phenomenal writer, keeping you engaged from beginning to end. I'll admit this series isn't made for everyone but I still highly recommend it. Keep an open mind and see for yourself how amazing this story is. It's just too unique to pass up and the secrets are just too seductive to ignore.

While I thought the first book of this series, Omens, was a pretty awesome book, Visions surpassed my expectations. In Visions, many of the questions we had in Omens are answered, yet even if I'm really satisfied where that leads the series, I'm going crazy because I really want to know more about these characters and where they come from.  

When you undress the book of it's protective sleeve, on the actual hardcover of the Canadian edition, there appears to be a howling wolf. (And then after finishing the book, I realized there was also a shadow of a four legged beast for the cover art.) At first, I thought, 'What is Kelley Armstrong thinking!? Werewolves shouldn't make an appearance in this series! Crossovers are not welcomed! Keep it original!' Okay, so there may not have been that many exclamation points in my head, but I honestly didn't want this series to go that route even if I absolutely adore Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series. This Cainsville series is all about mysteries, and uncovering the truth little by little, if you have the guts to ask the right questions. Supernatural elements are definitely there, but they're not as obvious as werewolves. The story is about omens, visions and portents, not shapechanging or ritualistic magic. I was definitely relieved when I realized that the story was in fact not about werewolves, but featured hounds. I'm not going to say more on that subject because I think I'm already saying too much by revealing the presence of hounds. Readers are not going to be disappointed with the direction of this story.

Olivia and Gabriel, the two main characters, are surrounded by mystery, and death follows Olivia whether she likes it or not. Someone is sending her death threats through body parts and suffice to say, she's not happy about it. As she delves into the murder of the owner of these body parts, she unravels new mysteries surrounding her origin and her birth parent's murder charges. Not even a month has gone by when she learnt that she was adopted, and her birth parents were incarcerated for the ritualistic murders of four couples. Gabriel is in the process of appealing two of the murder charges because he and Olivia proved that someone else was the murderer of one of the couples. Appealing  is proving difficult because of set backs in the system, like Olivia being unable to visit her birth father because of "lost paperwork" and bureaucracy.

"All roads lead to Cainsville" (p. 331) since the murder they are investigating has unexpected ties to Cainsville. Cainsville is turning out to be even more mysterious and supernatural than I expected. I love how Kelley Armstrong reveals so much by telling us very little. A lot is revealed through omens and visions and we have to deduce the truth, or accept that there might not be an immediate explanation. I could say a lot more about what we learn of Cainsville in this book, but then that would be too spoiler-ish.

I'm pleased that the author decided to add romance to this series. While Olivia and Gabriel definitely have a curious relationship, I can't really see it going toward romance. Ricky, Olivia's love interest, is everything her ex-fiancé James isn't and could never be. James is a future Senator candidate, while Ricky is the future leader of a biker gang. James is all about appearances and fancy parties, while Ricky is more about earning his spot in the gang, and proving himself a worthy member, and possible leader. While not overly descriptive, there are some steamy scenes featuring Olivia and Ricky. And sometimes Ricky's motorcycle. While they don't come from the same background, the two of them just seem to fit, and their relationship effortless. I don't know if it's jealousy or envy, but when Gabriel finds out Olivia and Ricky are seeing each other, he's not too pleased. He says it's because of conflict of interest, since both are his clients, but we get the feeling that there's something else there.

I'm very pleased where this series is going. As far as sequels go, this is the best one I've read in a long time. I'm not disappointed, that's for sure. It did not fall into the sequel death trap. The only thing I regret is waiting so long to actually read it. If you read Omens and was disappointed, do not make the mistake of letting go of this series. This sequel surpasses its predecessor, and if definitely worth checking out.



 

Moria and Ashyn are twin sisters with a most crucial role. They are respectively the keeper and the seeker on the Forest of the Dead and their role is to keep the population safe from the angry spirits roaming its depth. Each year, on a specific night, the seeker walks into the forest with a small group to seek the bodies of the exiles (criminals and such) and give them a proper burial to bring them peace. This year, Ashyn will go into the forest alone, without her mentor, and nothing could've prepared her - nor Moria- for what awaits them in the shadows.

What an amazing read! I'm a fan of Kelley Armstrong (I'm currently reading her Woman of the Otherworld series and have read both her YA trilogies, Darkest Powers & Darkness Rising), and this book is honestly completely different from anything else I've read from her. The tone is actually very dark despite some humor here and there, and I have to confess the novel gave me the creeps. I even had trouble falling asleep one night after reading a particular scene at around 20% of the book. This novel is honestly bordering on horror, especially at the beginning, but the scary factor was brought down a bit once both girls set out on their respective quests.

I truly enjoyed the very unique lore Armstrong brought to the table. In the girls' kingdom, there are three pairs of twin sisters holding the role of keeper & seeker: One at the palace, one at the forest of the dead, and one is roaming around. Their role is of the utmost importance in this world where spirits hold great powers and those honored girls are chosen in a rather gruesome way. Each of them also have a bonded pet and I thought it was a really nice touch, especially considering their important to the plot. This world is also filled with magic and mythical creatures the likes you've never heard of and it was amazing, and sometimes scary, to discover them.

An aspect I particularly liked is how different Moria and Ashyn are despite their being twins. Moria is a big-mouthed arrogant fighter with a passion for story-telling and a weak spot for children. Her vision of boy-girl interaction is also very technical, especially compared to Ashyn's who as a very romantic spirit. The latter is also soft spoken and of a much more intellectual type, let's say she much preferred healing classes to combat ones. Both of them are amazing in their own way and their opposite personalities are balancing each other perfectly.

The girls were split after a tragic event and spend most of their journey apart, each paired with a boy. Gavril, Moria's partner, is a brooding secretive and sexy soldier with an attitude to rival Moria's. I actually really liked him and after their journey, he is the biggest mystery I can't wait to discover in the following novel. Ronan, Ashyn's companion, is an exile who survived the winter in the forest of the dead and he also is very secretive. He appears and disappears as pleases him, but he is always there when Ash needs him. I had a soft spot for him and I want to see more from him as well.

In this novel, the characters are facing one long journey filled with mysteries and dangers and while the novel was a real page-turner, I feel like it's an introduction for what's to come. The chess pieces have been set in place and I honestly can't wait to see the big battle unfold. I was really dumbstruck by the cliffhanger conclusion and I just feel there is a lot more to discover than the bits Armstrong gave us. I don't know when book 2 will release, but I hope I'll get an early copy because the wait might just kill me.

 

Oooh, the first trailer for Bitten, the Space Channel's adaptation of Kelley Armstrong's Otherworld series. I wasn't sold on Laura Vandervoort as Elena when I heard she was cast but the trailer has changed my mind. What do you think?

To tell you the truth, I was kind off afraid to read OMENS, this first book of Kelley Armstrong's new series. At first, when I got it on release day, I was going to jump right in but something made me hesitate. I don't know. Maybe it was a sign that I should read the book leisurely instead of rushing into it? One thing's for sure. As a fan of Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series, I really wanted to love Omens. And you know what? I actually ended up really liking it.

Fans of hers were probably as weary as I was of this series. After ending such an amazing series last year, I just didn't want this new Armstrong book to fail. So what I did is read it with an open mind. I made sure not to compare OMENS to Armstrong's other books, like so many people compared J.K. Rowling's Casual Vacancy with the Harry potter series. (I'm not trying to compare J.K. Rowling and Kelley Armstrong. I'm just using Rowling as an example.) What you have to understand, though, is even if OMENS doesn't contain werewolves and witches, it does still contain a lot of supernatural elements. They might be more subtle but I think that's what makes the book so interesting. You need to keep reading to find out what it's really about (or you can cheat and use the Easter eggs Armstrong embedded in the text as a cheat code, if you're too impatient). What's more, unlike J.K. Rowling, the audience is the same and you're not shifting from a MG/YA book to an adult book. I think what Armstrong did, is simply take a genre that she both loves and appreciates, changed the general themes, and expanded a little by adding suspense/thriller motifs.

It's a suspense/thriller under the guise of a paranormal book. Or vice versa. I'm not exactly sure how to describe the genre. If you're not a fan of either genre however, obviously you won't be compelled to read it, but if you're remotely interested in either, you're in for a treat. Personally, the mish-mash if genres works well for me because I'm a fan or both and to say the least, it makes quite an original novel that might just defy categorization. I think Armstrong is holding back and isn't revealing much at this point, but as the series progresses, I believe more paranormal elements will surface.

Cainsville is a mystery onto itself. As a small town, about an hour's drive away from Chicago, it's home to some peculiar characters. While most of the book is spent away from Cainsville, everything seems to gravitate back to it. There's obviously still a lot to learn about the small town and I can't wait to find out more in the sequel. I think it's the air of mystery that surrounds the town that makes it so attractive.

I wasn't too crazy about the main character, Olivia, at first because her reaction when she learns that she's adopted was little over the top. I'm not exactly sure how I would react if I learnt that my biological parents are actually serial killers, but I know I wouldn't necessarily run away from my life, like Olivia did. In the end, I think moving to Cainsville is actually the best thing she ever did because it allowed to find herself and to stay clear of the Chicago press that might want to take advantage of her. Olivia's true strengths are her intelligence and her ability to conform to different situations. She isn't afraid of the new and that came in handy quite often during the book, especially as she was investigating the murders her parents allegedly committed 22 years before.

My favorite character of the book is probably Gabriel. The no-nonsense lawyer that forces his way into Olivia's investigation becomes an important asset in her quest to find the truth. As a native of Cainsville, he's a mysterious character himself, but as the story progresses, we realize that even if he's just looking out for his best interest, I think he really learns to care for Olivia. The two of them form a strange working relationship, but it works. And the scenes with them together are always more enjoyable.

After the book, you're left with many mysteries and Armstrong is probably holding back on purpose. I can't wait to find out more about Cainsville and what's next in Olivia's quest to clear her biological parent's names from the gruesome killings. I'm also anxious to see if Olivia will always be the main character of the books, or if the narration will switch from book to book like in her Women of the Otherworld series. Although I really enjoyed OMENS, I suspect it's not a book for everyone.

Read and excerpt

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The Calling by Kelley Armstrong

Book Stats:
Reading level: Young Adult
Genre: Paranormal
Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins US / Random House Canada
Release date: April 10, 2012

Series: Darkest Rising #2

Source: Random House Canada

Reviewed by: Tynga

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

On the heels of the wildly popular The Gathering comes the second in the "Darkness Rising" YA trilogy from NYT bestselling author Kelley Armstrong.

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.

Maya’s life was turned upside-down in The Gathering and things aren’t getting better in The Calling. Maya and her friends were shipped off their island to escape a forest fire, but the pilot isn’t heading to main land as he should. When the teens realizes the mayor was drugged they freak out and cause an helicopter crash. Something is wrong – really wrong- and so the teens flee the site and try to reach their parents, pursued by who knows who…

Finally some answers! The Gathering was all about questions, and The Calling finally brings some answers to the table. In the mist of a very traumatic event, the teens realizes someone is hunting them and they start to put one and one together. Daniel has always been able to rally people to his opinions, but what if there is more behind it? Sam gets weird vibes from some people, what is it about? And what of Corey’s migraines? Well, The Calling will give you the answers to almost all of those questions.

My favourite aspect of this second instalment was the fact that the teens took matters in their own ends. They are isolated in the forest, it’s freezing cold and they have to get back to civilization to get help.  Easier said than done and Maya’s and Daniel’s leadership was the only thing keeping them together. Maya is having a very hard time mentally though. Rafe fell off the helicopter minutes before it crashed, so she has to deal with this loss on top of everything. I was really proud of her for holding on and Daniel was simply amazing supporting her along the way.

Happening over the course of 3-4 short days (which seemed like a small eternity for our heroes), the plot really flew by. It was all about survival and finding answers in the process so the pace was fast and furious. I was really engrossed in the story and the different ambushes our young protagonists faced seemed very plausible in the midst of everything happening.

Kelley Armstrong included some reference to the events happening in the first trilogy (Darkest Powers) which makes me think we might re-visit some of those characters in the third and final book. It was nice to have a link to this first series and maybe Chloe and friends can help Maya and hers shed light on their remaining interrogations.

By the end of the novel I was totally breathless and I’m really anxious for The Rising. The teens aren’t out of trouble yet – far from it- and I must know what happens next. Some of them were captured, will we see them again? And what’s up with Nicole? I need to know!

The Darkest Rising trilogy is a great fit for younger teens, but adults will enjoy it too. Fans of the Darkest Powers trilogy will love this spin-off and if you haven’t read the first series, worry not, there’s no need to read it first. I strongly suggest you give Kelley Armstrong’s young adult books a try!

Read an Excerpt

Saturday was a really awesome day for me. Not only did I travel to Montréal to meet Tynga and many other Montréal bloggers, but I also got to meet these lovely ladies:

Yes! Those are the Smart Chicks (or les poulettes intélligentes as Margaret Stohl would say) from the Smart Chicks Kick It Tour. Their stop in Montréal might not have been as huge as some of their other stops (I mean, it had to compete with cities like Las Vegas!) but it was a chance of a life time I could not pass up.

The Pointe Claire Chapters was nice enough to host the event and I think they did a pretty good job of it. I mean, they had to deal with us book bloggers, taking over their area. Look at how much room we took. You can see Cindy from Cindy’s Love of Books (left), Tynga (middle) and myself (right) surrounded by piles of books, ready to be signed. It was practically a fire hazard!

Unfortunately, the authors told us that we weren’t able to take any video or audio recordings of the event because they sometimes say things that they shouldn’t. And of course, they didn’t want people to actually have proof of their “bad behavior.” One author (she will remain nameless because I don’t want to get her into trouble), even said that that if you’re an new author and you want to get published, the first step is getting an agent. Because an agent is a monster you keep on a leash whom you can unleash on the publisher or someone else when things go bad.

The authors also shared some of their book news, and some of their books-to-movies news. Of course, Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl was filmed this summer and is coming out February 13, 2013 (awesome release date, right?).

And even more exciting news is from Kelley Armstrong who told us that the first book from her Women of the Otherworld series, Bitten, will be made into a 13 episode TV series by Space! Personally, I think TV series are way better than movies because it allows so much more of the story to make it to the screen. According to Kelley, casting should begin early 2013 and the show will premiere sometimes in the fall of 2013. You can find out more about it here. Yay for Canadian television!

During the event, many books and Chapters Indigo gift cards were given away. But I was lucky enough to get this prize pack from Rosemary Clement-Moore since I travelled almost 10 hour to get to the event. Usually it takes me about 8 hours and a half to travel from my small town near Sudbury to Montreal but on Saturday, took me about an extra hour to get there. Problem was, I decided to leave really early in the morning (like at 3 am), which in theory would have been good to avoid as much traffic as possible. Unfortunately, there was an area of the highway they were repaving and I got stuck waiting for about 20 minutes. And then, sometimes after the sun rose, it truly hit me that I only go 3 hours of sleep so I decided to stop for a little break and have a good breakfast (and a quick nap). Oh, and then there’s the fact that I went to the wrong place when I got to Montréal. I had a hard time finding the Chapters that hosted the event but hurray! for my Iphone that guided me to the right place! So, for all this extra trouble, I go a Texas themed prize. I have to say, that Texas Two-Step chocolate was awesome! If I ever visit Texas, I’ll have to make sure to stock up! Thanks Rosemary!

I was really happy to get all my books signed (see image on the right). The authors were nice enough to sign all our copies. Of course, most of my books were from Kelley Armstrong. She was probably the most popular author there, since she is Canadian. I won’t bore you with pictures of all the signatures. You’ll just have to take my word for it. =D

I also bought a few books, including Enthralled, which is an anthology written by many of the authors of the tour. Melissa Marr explained to me that since this a tour organized by authors and not their publishers, the travelling expenses must be paid by the authors themselves. That’s where the idea for an anthology came from. It was published more or less to help pay for the Smart Chicks Kick It tour. I thought it was pretty genius idea.

This will definitively be a day I never forget. I’m glad we took many pictures including some with the authors. I was actually surprised how warm and friendly they all were. And I must say, Margaret Stohl was a riot! She had a quirky and hilarious comment for everything.

Thank you again to all of the people who organized this tour, especially Kelley Armstrong and Melissa Marr. Also, this event would not have been possible if it weren’t for Chapters Indigo, so thank you!

To finish off my post, here are a few more pictures!

From left to right: Lucy from Moonlight Gleam’s Bookshelf, Kelley Armstrong, Melissa Marr, Kami Garcia, Tynga, Cindy from Cindy’s Love of Books, Rosemary Clement-Moore, Emilie from Emilie’s Book World Ciara from Lost at Midnight Reviews, Stéphanie (me), and Rachel Caine.

 
Left: Tynga and myself.  Right: Kelly Armstrong and Tynga with her stack of Kelley books.

Book bloggers rule! Top (left to right): Myself, Ciara (Lost at Midnight Reviews), Tynga and Cindy (Cindy’s Love of Books). Bottom: Emilie (Emilie’s Book World), Lucy (Moonlight Gleam) and AH (Bad Ass Book Reviews)

As part of her Women of the Otherworld reading challenge, my good friend Lucy at Moonlight Gleam’s Bookshelf decided to host mini challenged every month for extra entries.

April’s challenge is to take a picture of all the Kelley Armstrong books we own and so here are the ones that I own! I might have missed an anthology or two, sorry!

The YA Books:

The Adult Books (sorry it’s a bit off focus)

I’m still missing a few, but I’m almost done collecting them all ^^

How many Kelley Armstrong book do you own?

Stolen by Kelley Armstrong

Book Stats:
Reading level: Ages 18 and up
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Mass Market Paperback: 576 pages
Publisher: Plume (US) / Random House (Canada)
Release date: December 24th 2002

Series: Women of the Otherworld #2

Source: Personal shelf

Reviewed by: Tynga

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

It was in Bitten, Kelley Armstrong’s debut novel, that thirty-year-old Elena Michaels came to terms with her feral appetites and claimed the proud identity of a beautiful, successful woman —and the only living female werewolf.

In Stolen, on a mission for her own elite pack, she is lured into the net of ruthless Internet billionaire Tyrone Winsloe, who has funded a bogus scientific investigation of the “other races” and their supernatural powers. Kidnapped and studied in his underground lab deep in the Maine woods, these paranormals—witches, vampires, shamans, werewolves—are then released and hunted to the death in a real-world video game. But when Winsloe captures Elena, he finally meets his match.

After her adventures in Bitten, Elena Michaels decided to stay with her pack once more. Doing so implies having some duties and it’s during one of those “errands” that she will run into some serious trouble. Getting-you-kidnapped-and-locked-up kind of trouble. Elena faced a lot of challenges in her short life, and this one is kind of new, but she is determined to get out, and make them all pay the high price.

Stolen is the second book in the Women of the Otherworld series, and also the second book featuring Elena the werewolf. While I enjoyed the first book, the world building and back story, even though essential, weighted down the story for me, but in Stolen, I was blessed with the full impact of Kelley Armstrong’s great storytelling.

Now that we know Elena and her past, it was amazing to follow her adventures and witness her progress. She was center stage in this installment because she finds herself alone, in some kind of research facility, locked-up in a cell, with no one to count on but herself. Her wits and personality gets to shine brightly in this stripped-bare environment and I really enjoyed it. Of course she’s not completely alone, there are other supernatural prisoners around her and her interactions with them were quite a show. Whom to trust? Who can she use to get out? Can she save to poor teen witch also sequestered? How far is she willing to go, bending her morals, to get out of there alive? The psychological element was important and while it could sound boring, let me tell you that nothing is ever boring with Elena Michaels!

I truly enjoyed the plotline for this novel. You, of course, have the main plotline around Elena, her capture and her attempts at freedom, but on the other side of this same line, if I may say, there’s Clay working on the outside, trying to locate and rescue her, working with a wide range of diverse supernatural creatures even though it doesn’t please him and he doesn’t trust them. The 500ish pages book could scare away some readers, but the magic with Kelley’s writing is that everything is flowing and fast-paced and you really don’t realize there are so many pages because you are simply enthralled.

The direction Armstrong took with this book introduced a whole new world to the readers. The first book, Bitten, was all about werewolves, but in Stolen, we realize there are many other races out there. The races we met in this installment were introduced smoothly, if briefly, and I think it sets the table for the following books, as the narrator won’t be Elena anymore (at least not for a couple of books, I gathered).

The conclusion was really exciting, which is always to be expected from Kelley Armstrong. The main plot line tied-up nicely, yet there are still a few loose threads that might catch-up onto our characters in the coming books. I find myself looking forward to the next installment, Dime Store Magic, which features Paige, a witch we just met.

Kelley Armstrong is a head figure and a leader in the Urban Fantasy world and I would strongly suggest you pick up her books. The Woman of the Otherworld series is coming the an end this summer, so there’s no better time to read all the books without all the painful waiting between releases! Also, her YA series are definitely worth a shot if you like this genre as well. 

Read an excerpt

The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong

Book Stats:
Reading level: Ages 13 and up
Genre: Paranormal
Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins // Doubleday Canada
Release date: April 12, 2011

Series: Darkest Rising #1

Source: Personal Shelf

Reviewed by: Tynga

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

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.

 

Maya lives in a very small town – a less than 200 habitants small town- and things have been hard on her since her best friend drowned the year before, but lately, things are getting worst. She lives in a very remote house in the park (aka forest) and cougar sightings are fairly frequent for her, but she’s seeing them more and more. Not only old Marv but new ones too. There’s also the weird fact that the animals she nurses back to health are healing impossibly fast, but nothing beats the intense dreams and weird visions she’s been having recently. Is she going crazy?

The Gathering is the first book in the Darkness Rising trilogy, a series set in the same world as Kelley’s Darkest Powers trilogy. I really liked the first trilogy so I was excited for more of this one, but be warned, you won’t see any of the teens starred in Darkest Powers.

The Gathering really felt like a big intro for what’s to come and here’s why: Kelley really slowly set the table in this book and you don’t see any paranormal elements until the last third of the book. It’s not a bad thing though, and worry not, the books isn’t boring! The author took her time to introduce the characters and really set the small town atmosphere: The gossips, the interactions between a small circle of teens, the way the town handles the fact that there’s a medical research lab as central element in town, how outsiders aren’t really welcome, etc.

Once you are really engrossed in the small town routine, Armstrong throws in some mysteries in the mix, on top of friendship/love interactions between the characters. I won’t lie to you, The Gathering almost feels like it got its name because you collect questions the whole time, and you don’t get many answers. It’s not frustrating though, because I really felt like this book was a wake-up call to the teens in town and now that they are aware some weird stuff are happening, they will seek answers in the next book.

I think the main reason I wasn’t frustrated with the lack of action in the first two-third of the book is because the characters were so enjoyable. Maya is a nice and lovable girl and she is quite the pair with her best friend Daniel. Contrary to so many books, their relationship isn’t revolving around a potential love story, it’s true friendship, and it was refreshing. There’s a bit of romance of course, because Maya falls for Rafe a pretend-to-be bad boy and I liked to see them evolve together. There are many secondary characters, but Sam is really the one who caught my attention. She is frustrated, anti-social and quick with her fists, but the most important is that she feels off. Something is wrong about her and I can’t wait to discover more!

Most of the book was slow-paced as I mentioned, but the end was action-packed. Events unraveled in a quick series of revelations – and more questions- to really set the pace for what I think is going to be an intense second book. The Calling is due April 10th and I can’t wait to get my hands on it. Oh and yay for a series set in Canada ^^

Read an excerpt

*The only thing bothering me in this trailer is the scene where Rafe & Daniel fight, because it’s not accurate.

Bitten by Kelley Armstrong

Books Stats:
Reading level: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Plume
Release date: December 31, 2002

Series: Women of the Otherworld #1

Source: Personal Shelf

Reviewed by: Tynga

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

Elena Michaels seems like the typically strong and sexy modern woman, She lives with her architect boyfriend, writes for a popular newspaper, and works out at the gym. She's also a werewolf.

Elena has done all she can to assimilate to the human world, but the man whose bite changed her existence forever, and his legacy, continue to haunt her. Thrown into a desperate war for survival that tests her allegiance to a secret clan of werewolves, Elena must recon with who, and what, she is in this passionate, page-turning novel.

Elena Michaels never had an easy life but she’s a proud woman holding her head high against adversity. Her parents died when she was young, she was ill-treated in foster care and was betrayed in her teens when her boyfriend bit her, turning her into a werewolf. She is determined to leave her past in the past though, and moved to Toronto to create herself a very human life, with her very human boyfriend, working as a journalist. Her little island of peace will be disturbed though when Jeremy, alpha of the pack she’s trying to stay away from, calls her for help. Little did she know, her decision, in that particular moment, would change her life forever – again.

My good friend Lucy from Moonlight Gleam’s Bookshelf has been pushing me to read this series for months not, because it’s one of her favorite, and I finally gave in and picked up the first book. First, Bitten is quite thick (520 pages) and I have to admit I wasn’t very impressed at first. Don’t get me wrong, I love Kelley’s writing (read and loved her YA series), but the world building was a bit in the first 200 pages or so and while it wasn’t boring (mind you!) it wasn’t taking my breath away either. At some point in the book though, Elena and her on-and-off werewolf boyfriend Clay, headed back to Toronto seeking safety in Elena’s apartment, where her very human boyfriend is waiting for her… I will let you imagine the drama it caused, and that’s when I really got into the story. From this point on it was all action, drama and fight-for-life scenes and I truly enjoyed myself!

Armstrong also create a great collection of characters which I quickly grew fond of. Elena is a though girl, yet has her flaws and the mixed worked really well – see fireworks and passion – with Clayton, the Alpha’s adopted son. Clay is model hawt but he is more animal than human and makes for some really awkward – yet delicious- human interaction scenes. Jeremy – the pack’s alpha- is a silent yet powerful father figure and I would totally want this kind of guy to take me under his wing if I were in trouble. The rest of the pack is also amazing and I was sad some of them died so early in the series.

Bitten is the first book to a 13 books series, featuring different females along the way and even though this book is focused on werewolves, more creatures will be introduced has the series progress. I think this first installment sets the pace for an action–packed series and I can’t wait to pick the following titles and discover more of The Women of the Otherworld.

Read an excerpt

Kelley Armstrong is a super amazing Canadian author so I really wanted her to be part of this event. Unfortunately, her schedule is way to busy to participate (gotta write those books we love so much!), So I invited my good friend Lucy, who is a huge fan of the series, to cast Spell Bound’s characters for us! Please welcome her warmly!

-----------------------

Hello everyone!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Tynga for having me here today! I am so excited to be invited to guest post a character casting for my favorite series, The Women of the Otherworld by Kelley Armstrong!

For those who have not yet read the series,
Women of the Otherworld is a MUST READ!!!

 

Each novel alternates narrator, keeping you on your toes and in suspense as to what will happen next! The first two novels begin with Elena Michaels, the only female werewolf, a witch named Paige Winterbourne for the following two, half-demon Eve Levine for Haunted, back to Elena for Broken, necromancer Jaime Vagas for No Humans Involved, half-demon Hope Adams for Personal Demon, a human named Robyn Peltier for Living with the Dead, back to Elena for Frostbitten, and finally a young witch named Savannah for Waking the Witch & Spell Bound.

Books:

                                                                                         Bitten  | No Humans Involved 
                                                                                        Stolen  | Personal Demon 
                                                                Dime Store Magic   | Living with the Dead 
                                                                   Industrial Magic  | Frostbitten 
                                                                                   Haunted  | Waking the Witch
                                                                                             Spell Bound

Otherworld Novellas:

Men of the Otherworld
Tales of the Otherworld

There are so many characters in this series and I thought I would mention those who
often make appearances and play important roles.

Here are my picks:

The Pack – Werewolves

Jeremy Danvers (Alpha)
Matt Davis

                                                    Elena Michaels                                Clayton Danvers 
                                                         Sarah Foster                                     Chad Michael Murray

 

                                                Antonio Sorrentino                           Nick Sorrentino
                                                          Gerard Butler                                               Chris Pine

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

                                   Paige Winterbourne (Witch)                Lucas Cortez (Sorcerer)
                                                 Jordana Brewster                                         Jay Hernandez

 

                                     Savannah Levine (Witch)                    Adam Vasic (Half Demon)
                                               Vanessa Huggens                                            Stephen Colletti

 

                                      Eve Levine (Half Demon)                       Kristoff Nast (Sorcerer)
                                                   Angelina Jolie                                                  Paul Walker

 

 

Jaime Vagas (Necromancer)
Scarlett Johansson

 

                                          Hope Adams (Half Demon)              Karl Martzen (Werewolf)
                                                    Leighton Meester                                         Chris Evans

 

                                           Robyn Peltier (Human)             Cassandra DuCharme (Vampire)
                                                 Elisha Cuthbert                                             Rachelle Lefevre

 

Thank you again Tynga for inviting me to guest post! It was really exciting putting this
post together and watching some of the characters come to life!

For those of you who have already read the series, what do you think? I would love to
know who you would choose for each of the characters!

Happy reading everyone! J

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Random House Canada was nice enough to offer us one (1) copy of Spell Bound, Kelley’s latest release, to giveaway!

Savannah Levine is in terrible danger, and for once she’s powerless to help herself. At the conclusion of Waking the Witch, Savannah swore that she would give up her powers if it would help a young girl. Little did she know that someone would take her up on that promise.

And now, witch hunting assassins, necromancers, half-demons, and rogue witches all seem to be after her. The threat is not just for Savannah; every member of the Otherworld might be at risk. While most of her fellow supernaturals are circling the wagons at a gathering of the council in Miami, Savannah is caught on the road, isolated from those who can protect her and unable to use her vast spell casting talent, the thing she counts on most. In a story that will change the shape of the Otherworld forever, Spell Bound gathers Elena, Clay, Paige, Lucas, Jaime, Hope, and others, who soon learn that the greatest threat to supernaturals just may come from within.

Purchase: Amazon |  Book Depository

One (1) copy of Kelley Armstrong’s Spell Bound is up for grab!

• Open INTERNATIONALY

• To enter, leave a comment answering Lucy’s questions

You can earn one (1) extra entry for spreading the word, please provide a link in a second comment

Tweet: #FantasticFables Win Spell Bound by @KelleyArmstrong http://www.tyngasreviews.com/2011/08/ffgiveaway-spellbound-by-kelley.html @DuttonBooks #giveaway # urbanfantasy pls RT

Ends September 7th, 2011.