Kelley Armstrong's Frostbitten

Frostbitten

If the only female werewolf in North America who happens to be married to the most vicious and feared second in command, protector of the Alpha was chasing after you, chances are you would run as far and as fast as you could as well.  All Elena wanted to do was to warn the runaway that his life was in danger, but not because of her or her pack. She wanted to protect him and catch the ones that were after him. Her chase leads her and her fearsome husband, Clay to Alaska. That and the fact there are some questionable deaths that need to be investigating. When they arrive in the Alaskan wilderness they soon discover that they are not the only predators there.

The deaths could have been caused by wolf or werewolf. As Clay and Elena investigate they find that not only are they not the only new werewolves in the area, but the ones who came before them have caught the attention of a creature that no one even knew about. A creature that is stronger than the werewolf and has only been known through myths passed down.  In the midst of this, Jeremy has chosen his Alpha successor. Both Clay and Elena must stay focused on the task at hand and evaluate if their hidden fears and weaknesses will allow them to do the job that’s been asked of them.

Elena’s character is one of strength and vulnerability, and this makes her come to life in the story.  Her relationship with Clay rotates from undiscovered sappiness to the constant strength one finds in the person who has always been there when you needed them the most. It’s hard to see their story as romantic, not just for the reader but for them as well.  This book was fascinating because Elena was more fragile in this one than in any of the other books.  This fragile state did not detract from the image of a strong werewolf. It highlighted her strength all the more.  While Clay has always been a little less civilized in his interactions, this book brings him a little closer to that then the others.  His rugged civilization is humorous to read and makes you think that maybe he was right to not want to conform too much.

The rest of The Otherworld series continues with Waking the Witch and Spellbound. Armstrong’s YA Darkest Powers series spinoff continues with The Calling that is tentatively due out April 2012. If you would like to know more about Kelley Armstrong or her books (both adult and YA), check out her website http://www.kelleyarmstrong.com.