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.

Kelley Armstrong's Living With The Dead

Kelley Armstrong’s Living With the Dead

I have to be honest and say that I discovered Kelley Armstrong by accident, but it was a happy one. She was the introduction to a new genre that had caught my eye and am thrilled to explore now. Kelley has become one of my favorite authors, one of whom has not disappointed her readers so far.

Living with the Dead is book number 9 in the Women of the Otherworld series. It’s a paranormal story that involves a demon, a werewolf, a necromancer and an assortment of other supernatural beings. Just another gripping tale of those who live amongst us that we are totally unaware of.

A dead celebutante, a PR Consultant, a half demon. An odd mixture of characters brings this story to life. Robyn moves to L.A. in an effort to hide from the grief of losing her husband. She soon becomes the number 1 suspect in the murder investigation of her celebutante client. Hope has come to L.A. on an assignment from her job as weird news journalist, and to see how her longtime friend Robyn is doing. Her concern grows when she discovers that her friend has become L.A.’s most sought out fugitive. Through misguided good intentions, a deep desire to keep secrets well hidden, this friendship goes on a journey of discovery; one of themselves and of each other.

            A cop that can see the ghost of dead people, a werewolf that feeds chaos to his girlfriend, and a father trying to right a wrong he stumbled onto over ten years ago.  These are the people that come to the aid of Robyn and Hope. Not knowing who to trust and whom to fear twists the paths of each person together, away from each and back again.

            I was not disappointed with the book. From the beginning where the action takes off, through all of the twists and turns that was intriguing as well as satisfying, on to the end that leaves you wanting more. Though I met Hope and Karl in Personal Demon, it was nice to see their story continued. It’s also nice that despite being book number nine in the Women of the Otherworld series, this story was complete and strong enough to stand on its own.

            I am looking forward to continuing this series and learning more about the women that lead these adventures. If you want to know more about Kelley Armstrong, check out her website at kelleyarmstrong.com. It is a great website and very user friendly. Kelley has another adult series that follows Nadia Stratford a female assassin, and a young adult series (the Darkest Powers Series) that follows Chloe Sauders, a young teen who is able to see dead people. Waking the Witch just came out and the series continues with Spellbound, which is due out July 2011. Both of these are a part of the Women of the Otherworld Series.  The Darkest Powers series continues with The Gathering, which is due out in April 2011.