Tag Archives: Otherworld series

Driven (Otherworld Series 13.6) by Kelley Armstrong-a review

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DRIVEN (Otherworld Series 13.6) by Kelley Armstrong-a review

Driven

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Hard Cover Release Date January 31, 2016

Cains are known for being big, brutish and not-too-bright. The mutt clan embodies all the supernatural world’s worst stereotypes about werewolves. But not even the Cains deserve to be hunted down and skinned like animals.

When young Davis Cain comes to the Pack for help, Alpha Elena Michaels can’t refuse him. It isn’t about morality or justice. It’s about not letting anyone think they can do this to werewolves and get away with it.

But Elena is also dealing with the Pack’s homegrown monster—Malcolm Danvers, onetime enforcer, full-time psycho. Malcolm is now under Elena’s control, as part of the most difficult decision she’s had to make as leader. But if she has to let Malcolm in, she’s going to make full use of him…and the best person to catch monsters is one who knows exactly how they think.

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REVIEW: DRIVEN is the latest installment (and longer novella) in Kelley Armstrong’s paranormal OTHERWORLD series focusing on the Stonehaven Wolf Pack of New York. For followers of the series Kelley brings together the baddest of the bad-Malcolm Danvers- as the newest and most unwelcome member of Elena’s Pack. Malcolm has been in hiding on the other side of the world, and the psychotic killer wants to rejoin the Pack.

Told from Elena’s first person point of view, DRIVEN focuses on the ritualistic and very personal murders of the Cain family-another familiar name to fans of the series. This time, the Cains are targeted by an unknown source, as their numbers begin to deteriorate very rapidly, and Elena and Clay are called in to investigate. Malcolm will be offered his first official duty with the New York Pack as more bodies begin to pile up. What ensues is the hunt for the people (and wolf) responsible for terrorizing the Cain family, and the reasons for the sadistic killings. Be forewarned, there are numerous graphic scenes focusing on the aftermath of the killings.

DRIVEN reveals the growth and development of some of our favorite wolves. Love, maturity, family and children have altered Clay’s view of the world including his tolerance for Malcolm’s return but that is not to say the Malcolm can ever be trusted. Clay is now the Pack enforcer, and he doesn’t take any crap from the aging wolf. Malcolm, on the other hand, is an old wolf set in his ways, and has a difficult time adjusting to a new leadership, and the Pack’s new way of handling the mutts.

A number of our favorite wolves are front and center including Elena, Clay, Jeremy and Nick as well as Reese and Noah, and Reese’s friend Madison (the daughter of another wolf). Elena and Clay’s children-nine year old Kate and Logan-let Malcolm know they aren’t afraid of the man who has terrorized the Pack. Again, for fans of the series, if you have read most of the recent novellas, we were previously introduced to a half –demon name Vanessa-Nick’s current girlfriend- and the woman he is hoping to claim as his mate. Karl, Hope, Jamie, Antonio and Paige are present byway of mention-only.

DRIVEN is a suspenseful, disturbing and welcome addition to Kelley Armstrong’s OTHERWORD SERIES. The characters are familiar, impassioned and sometimes controversial. With the return of Malcolm in THIRTEEN confusion reigned and Kelley could not let this particular return go without some sort of response. DRIVEN reveals Malcolm’s intent and the reasons for his return to the Pack; I somehow think he may get what he wants.

Kelley has released a number of novellas, short stories and anthologies since the ‘final’ Otherworld installment of THIRTEEN, focusing on the Wolf Pack, and with it comes numerous looks at Elena and the Wolves. If fans have not kept up with the smaller releases, there is quite a bit of story line and history missing-the smaller stories are revealing plenty of information and growth for the Pack-new members, growing families, potential happily ever afters.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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Forbidden (Otherworld #10.1) by Kelley Armstrong-a review

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FORBIDDEN (Otherworld #10.1 ) by Kelley Armstrong- a review

Forbidden

ABOUT THE BOOK: The team-spirit sign by the side of the highway seems a good omen to loner Morgan Walsh, as he drives to what could be the most important visit of his life — a chance to join the North American Pack. Then he wakes naked in the woods, surrounded by wolf tracks and a ring of suspicious cops. The situation only gets worse when he’s bailed out by Alpha-elect Elena Michaels and Clayton Danvers, her terrifying enforcer and mate.

Disappointed that such a promising young werewolf risked exposing them, Elena isn’t expecting anything from the pesky retrieval job except some much-needed alone time with Clay. Instead, she finds a different kind of evil stalking the streets and forests of Westwood, New York. Trapped in town by a snowstorm and sabotage, Elena, Clay and Morgan must find the mysterious threat before it sets its sights on them.

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REVIEW: FORBIDDEN is the latest release (December 31, 2012) in Kelley Armstrong’s Otherworld series. When Kelley’s Women of the Otherworld series ended with THIRTEEN mid 2012, she let her fans know she would continue the series with novellas and short stories. December 2012 saw the release of two novellas from her continuing Otherworld series AMITYVILLE HORRIBLE (Jaime Vegas) and FORBIDDEN (The Werewolves with Morgan Walsh).

Forbidden was an interesting storyline but a familiar one as well. We first met Morgan Walsh, a ‘mutt’ werewolf in Frostbitten, during one of Clay and Elena’s adventures in Alaska. At the time, Morgan was invited back to Stonehaven (the New York Pack Den) to get to know the other wolves. Forbidden focuses on Morgan’s trip to New York and his indecision to join the strongest pack in the United States. Morgan will find himself in the unenviable position as the town’s scapegoat for a series of murders and missing young men.

Now here is where the familiarity falls into play-FORBIDDEN reads so similarly to FROSTBITTEN that I thought –wow, I have read this premise before: cold snow-bound frontier; eerie rituals and strange happenings; dismembered bodies and missing people (this time young males); strange reclusive cabin in the woods; Clay’s anthropology background will come into play with ritualistic drawings and chants; and hunting for mutt or rogue werewolves. There is even the late night snow runs and romping in the great outdoors where the wolves come upon a buried body in the snow and, add Morgan Walsh the reluctant pack wolf, and the premise is almost identical.

I am a big fan of Kelley’s Otherworld series but FORBIDDEN was more of the same. I was hoping for more information about Morgan-his beginnings, his family and his brother Blaine. There is very little in the way of getting to know Morgan-he spends most of his time in custody or trying to find Clay’s good side-if he had one. And yet, Morgan admits, once again, he is not a fighter and does not know if he will bring anything new to the pack-again-same as in Frostbitten.

FORBIDDEN is a quick read and a well-written storyline, but one that does not necessarily add anything new to the series. I am reluctant to be negative because Kelley’s Women of the Otherworld as well as her Otherworld series are one of my favorite paranormal series, especially when the storylines involve the werewolves and FORBIDDEN was all about the wolves. If you are a fan of Kelley’s series, this storyline will be familiar but it is one that we will all want to read.

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Links to Order: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / KOBO / The Book Depository

Reviewed by Sandy

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Amityville Horrible (Otherworld Series) by Kelley Armstrong-a review

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Amityville Horrible (Otherworld Series) by Kelley Armstrong-a review

About the book: “I don’t run from ghosts. ”His voice, right at my ear. “You will.”

Jaime Vegas—spiritualist, entertainer and, unbeknownst to her audience, real-life necromancer—swore she’d never do another reality ghost show after the last fiasco. But when she’s railroaded into a charity gig, she finds herself back on the set, this time with a cast of photogenic college kids, an up-and¬-coming Russian spiritualist, and a tale of missing girls and murder in New England. It’s cheesy, but that’s show business. With her werewolf Alpha lover, Jeremy Danvers, along to keep her nights interesting, it’s not so bad really. Until the bloody ghosts show up. Jaime has never faced spirits like these, and no matter how hard she tries, they won’t be ignored.

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REVIEW: AMITYVILLE HORRIBLE is another new release (December 2012) novella in Kelley Armstrong’s Otherworld Series based on the characters and storylines from her Women of the Otherworld series. Kelley brings back necromancer Jaime Vegas and Werewolf Alpha Jeremy Danvers, as Jaime is once again invited to participate in another reality TV show where the ‘reality’ contestants are wannabes and actors and Jaime is the only person without any hidden agendas or motives.

Jaime is a no-nonsense personality who knows better than to get involved with ‘reality’ television programming but when a producer begs for her participation in a fundraiser using a haunted house as the background for his ‘charity of choice’ Jaime considers backing away. When a fellow ‘necromancer’ is introduced to Jaime, she hopes she has found a kindred spirit, but like all reality programming, something doesn’t add up and Jaime will soon discover that she has become the pawn in a game where ratings and shock value are all that counts.

Kelley writes an entertaining storyline that revisits some of our favorite Otherworld characters if only through telephone conversations and implied presence. Clay, Elena, Savannah and Jeremy all have small roles in Kelley’s Amityville Horrible but we get a little more screen time between Jeremy and Jaime. Jeremy is one of my favorite Otherworld characters, so any time with Jeremy is time well spent.

I am one reader who is pleased that Kelley is continuing her Otherworld storylines with a series of novellas and short stories. I am looking forward to the release of FORBIDDEN at the end of 2012.

ORDER LINKS: Amazon / KOBO / Barnes and Noble

Reviewed by Sandy

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