Review: Spell Bound by: Kelley Armstrong

Title: Spell Bound
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Publisher: Random House of Canada
Published: August 2, 2011
Format: EBook ($9.99)
Age Group: Adult
Copy: Purchaced from Kobo

Additional Links: Otherworld Wiki

Synopsis: 

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.

My Review: 


I have been so out of touch with reading for the past year that it has been a struggle as of late to find a book that has captured my attention enough to read it.  Kelley Armstrong has been a favorite author of mine for years and after reading Waking the Witch in August of 2010, I fell in love with the protagonist Savannah Levine. As a character I enjoy her feisty spirit and tenacity, which is balanced by a vulnerability instilled in her due to her chaotic past. I first became intrigued in her character while reading the novel Stolen, featuring Elena Michaels (the only known female werewolf) and my interest only grew while subsequently reading Dime Store Magic and Industrial Magic featuring Page Winterbourne (witch) and Lucas Cortez (sorcerer), Savannah's legal guardians.


My favorite element about the Otherworld series is that though each book has a main protagonist many of the other characters are old friends from previous novels. My favorite female leads from this series include Elena 
Michaels and Jamie Vegas (T.V Spiritualist and Necromancer) who both play a role in Spell Bound.


What I enjoyed most about Spell Bound was the suspense of reading the romantic and sexual tension between Savannah and her long time love interest Adam Vasic. Adam has characteristics that most woman look for/long for in a male protagonist including his protective, stubborn, and flirtatious nature.


My only real disappointment in the novel was that I felt it ended to soon and left to much unresolved.  While I assume the reason for the loss of her powers and other elements of the novel will be resolved in a future novel, I felt there was to many loose ends with the only one plot line coming full circle (which I won't write about for fear of spoiling it for you!).


Props to Kelley Armstrong for writing yet another great addition to the Otherworld series.  As always I look forward to the next installment where hopefully all the loose ends from Spell Bound will be resolved! 

My Rating: 3.5/5

Review: Waking the Witch by Kelley Armstrong

Title: Waking the Witch
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Publisher: Random House of Canada
Published: August 3, 2010
Format: Hardcover ($29.95 CDN)
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Copy: Provided by publisher
Click here to read an excerpt

Synopsis:

The new novel in Kelley Armstrong's bestselling Women of the Otherworld series showcases the fascinating Savannah Levine, a powerful young witch with a rebellious past and a troublesome heritage.

The orphaned daughter of a sorcerer and a half-demon, Savannah is a terrifyingly powerful young witch who has never been able to resist the chance to throw her magical weight around. But at twenty-one she knows she needs to grow up and prove to her guardians, Paige and Lucas, that she can be a responsible member of their supernatural detective agency. So she jumps at the chance to fly solo, investigating the mysterious deaths of three young women in a nearby factory town, as a favour to one of the agency's associates. At first glance, the murders look garden-variety human, but on closer inspection signs point to otherworldly stakes.

Soon Savannah is in over her head. She's run off the road and nearly killed, haunted by a mystery stalker and freaked out when the brother of one of the dead women is murdered when he tries to investigate the crime. To complicate things, something weird is happening to her powers. Pitted against shamans, demons, a voodoo-inflected cult and garden-variety goons, Savannah has to fight to ensure her first case isn't her last. And she also has to ask for help, perhaps the hardest lesson she's ever had to learn.

My Review: 

I been a follower of Kelley Armstrong since I came upon the first novel in her Women of the Otherworld series Bitten about nine years ago.  Each novel is well written and executed with the perfect balance of plot/character description and dialog that enables you to invest yourself in the main characters beyond the duration of each book. In Stolen, the second book in the series, we are introduced to Savannah, when the main character of the novel, Elena, is captured and imprisoned along with other supernaturals. Savannah has periodically been mentioned in subsequent novels in the series, but nine books later she becomes the protagonist as she sets out to solve a supernatural murder mystery.

This book was almost everything I expected of a Kelly Armstrong novel.  Unraveling the mystery alongside Savannah was addictive and as always the mention of other beloved characters in the series had me gobbling up the pages like a book junkie.  The pace of this novel was fairly even keel with a few instances of suspense and anticipation as the plot thickens and the mystery unfolds.  I particularly enjoy Savannah's tough-as-nails outward appearance coupled with hints that she is a much softer person on the inside. Waking the Witch was an excellent story on its own but having an understanding of Savannah's life growing up (as read in other books in the series) enhanced my enjoyment and understanding of the story.

Each of Kelley Armstrong's novels introduces and explores a new love interest for the main character. In this novel Savannah makes it clear that she has been interested in being more then just friends with supernatural half-demon, Adam Vasic, but she believes he still sees her as the young ward of his friends Page and Lucas.  Adam is not the main love interest for Savannah in Waking the Witch, yet I felt that the the display of Adam's over protectiveness hinted that he may be realizing that Savannah isn't a little girl anymore. That dear readers is why Waking the Witch fell just short of perfection for me!  I wanted MORE growth in the romantic department between Savannah and Adam.  With that said the ending of this novel left things wide open for the next novel both in increasing the readers interest in Savannah and in the possibility of something "more" developing between her and Adam.

Waking the Witch was an excellent addition to the Women of the Otherworld series, primarily because I felt that Savannah has deserved her own book for some time now.  If your already a fan of the Otherworld series I think you'll be pleased with this addition, but if this is the first time hearing about author Kelley Armstrong or this series I recommend you check out the first novel, Bitten.  

My Rating: 4/5 

Review: Black Magic Sanction

Title: Black Magic Sanction
Author: Kim Harrison
Publisher: Harpercollins Publishers
Published: February 23, 2010
Format: Hardcover ($33.99 CDN)

From The Publisher:

Rachel Morgan has fought and hunted vampires, werewolves, banshees, demons, and other supernatural dangers as both witch and bounty hunter-and lived to tell the tale. But she's never faced off against her own kind . . . until now. Denounced and shunned for dealing with demons and black magic, her best hope is life imprisonment-at worst, a forced lobotomy and genetic slavery. Only her enemies are strong enough to help her win her freedom, but trust comes hard when it hinges on the unscrupulous tycoon Trent Kalamack, the demon Algaliarept, and an ex-boyfriend turned thief.  It takes a witch to catch a witch, but survival bears a heavy price.

My Review:

Kim Harrison is one of my favorite authors so my anticipation and expectations for a Hallows novel always have me eagerly awaiting the release date with the certainty that I will be in for an entertaining reading experience.  I love Urban Fantasy novels and Kim Harrison does an excellent job of weaving a vast array of supernatural elements into the known world but what she does even better is create dynamic, fierce, lovable and sometimes detestable characters.  In the Hollows series Kim Harrison has created characters that I have become attached to and depending on the direction the plot is going you can find me laughing so hard the tears stream down my face, gripping the book with white knuckled anxiety, holding my breath in anticipation, or biting my bottom lip while softly crying.  Over the course of reading Black Magic Sanction I experienced the full array of the aforementioned emotions and at one point I was so fearful for the direction she was taking a beloved character I was ready to chuck the book across the room. With each addition to the series I feel as though the protagonist, Rachel Morgan is continuing to discover more of herself and in the process she is truly finding her voice.  The plot of this novel really helped to re-solidify the bond Rachel has created between herself and her chosen family as well as question her personal morals and values.  I think lovers of this series will immensely enjoy the plot of the novel, the further development into why Rachel is able to twist demon curses, the new romantic interest, the lovable connection to Bis, Rachel's Gargoyle, and the always entertaining, lovable, laughable Jenks.  As you can tell I have attempted to write this review spoiler free and I hope I have succeeded in gaining your interest in this series without giving anything away.  I hope that if you have not read a Kim Harrison novel you will take the chance on picking one up because I would be very surprised if you didn't like it if you are a lover of the Urban Fantasy genre.  I eagerly await the next novel in the Hollows series which I have heard rumor will be released in Spring 2011.  With possibly a year to wait until the next novel is out I hope to find a new series or two with characters and plots that grip me as much as this one does.

My Rating: The best I have!

Themed Post (Books that take place in a boarding school): Gemma Doyle Series

I think one of the things that set this series apart from other boarding school books is the time in which it was set. The novel is set at Spence Academy for girls in England in the year 1895 where our protagonist, Gemma Doyle is sent to after the tragic death of her mother in India. Starting a new school is always uncomfortable but having visions of the future that often come true is even more so.  These novels are packed full of mystery, love, friendship, old world standards and expectations for women, girls who rebel against them, and otherworldly magic.  When a spirit leads Gemma to find a mysterious hidden diary that unlocks the secrets of a mysterious order they find themselves in another world filled with new possibilities both fantastic and deadly.

Title: A Great and Terrible Beauty (Book 1)
Author: Libba Bray
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: March 22, 2005
ISBN - 10:0385732317
ISBN - 13:9780385732314

From the Publisher:
It's 1895, and after the suicide of her mother, 16-year-old Gemma Doyle is shipped off from the life she knows in India to Spence, a proper boarding school in England. Lonely, guilt-ridden, and prone to visions of the future that have an uncomfortable habit of coming true, Gemma's reception there is a chilly one. To make things worse, she's been followed by a mysterious young Indian man, a man sent to watch her. But why? What is her destiny? And what will her entanglement with Spence's most powerful girls-and their foray into the spiritual world-lead to?

Title: Rebel Angels (Book 2)
Author: Libba Bray
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: December 26, 2006
ISBN - 10:0385733410
ISBN - 13:9780385733410

From the Publisher:
Gemma Doyle is looking forward to a holiday from Spence Academy-spending time with her friends in the city, attending balls in fancy gowns with plunging necklines, and dallying with the handsome Lord Denby. Yet amid these distractions, her visions intensify-visions of three girls dressed in white, to whom something horrific has happened that only the realms can explain.

The lure is strong, and soon Gemma, Felicity, and Ann are turning flowers into butterflies in the enchanted world that Gemma takes them to. To the girls great joy, their beloved Pippa is there as well, eager to complete their circle of friendship.

But all is not well in the realms-or out. Kartik is back, desperately insisting to Gemma that she must bind the magic, lest colossal disaster befall her. Gemma is willing to comply, for this would bring her face-to-face with her late mother''s greatest friend, now Gemma's foe-Circe. Until Circe is destroyed, Gemma cannot live out her destiny. But finding Circe proves a most perilous task. . . .

This sumptuous companion to A Great and Terrible Beauty teems with Victorian thrills and chills that play out against the rich backdrop of 1895 London, a place of shadows and light . . . where inside great beauty can lie a rebel angel.

Title: The Sweet Far Thing (Book 3)
Author: Libba Bray
Publisher: Random House Children's Books 
Published: December 26, 2007
ISBN - 10:0385730306
ISBN - 13:9780385730303

From the Publisher: 

IT HAS BEEN A YEAR OF CHANGE since Gemma Doyle arrived at the foreboding Spence Academy. Her mother murdered, her father a
laudanum addict, Gemma has relied on an unsuspected strength and has discovered an ability to travel to an enchanted world called the realms, where dark magic runs wild. Despite certain peril, Gemma has bound the magic to herself and forged unlikely new alliances. Now, as Gemma approaches her London debut, the time has come to test these bonds.

The Order - the mysterious group her mother was once part of - is grappling for control of the realms, as is the Rakshana. Spence's burned East Wing is being rebuilt, but why now? Gemma and her friends see Pippa, but she is not the same. And their friendship faces its gravest trial as Gemma must decide once and for all what role she is meant for.

I think this is a great series for any YA enthusiast.  This series had many attributes that kept me reading but it was the unfolding mystery that really had me captivated by this series.  I felt as though the main characters as a whole were believable, genuine, and accurate based the historical period in which the novels take place.  I felt as though a lot of emphasis was placed on beauty and money being the most desired and important qualities a woman has or doesn't have however that is still fairly accurate to the period in history.  The magical "other world" created by Libba Bray was very well written and her descriptive words had me clearly envisioning this world with vivid clarity. I think her unique portrayal of an alternate universe is refreshing to the YA genre as a whole where we are currently being bombarded with an overabundance of vampire fiction. 


Links


Check out Libba Bray's website where you will find a few interesting goodies including sample chapters of each of her novels.  Although IMDB still has this book categorized as "in production" with a estimated release date of 2010 I think they need to update their site as according to Libba Bray Icon relinquished the rights to this film and it will not be made into a movie for the foreseeable future (BOOOO).


I posted yesterday a really well done fan made trailer of, A Great and Terrible Beauty but it seems fitting to end this post with it again!

This Week On My Radar

I may love to give solicited and unsolicited (I am a menace at Chapters when I see people browsing my favorite genre sections) advice on what books are good, bad, etc however I just as much love to receive book recommendations.   Now that I am a part of a book blogging community I find new books every day thanks to your wonderful book reviews and recommendations.  I also haunt author web sites looking for authors they read because who better to recommend to me new authors then the authors I already know and love!  I have compiled a list of authors and books that have recently popped up on my radar to share with you.  If you have read any of the books please feel free to comment.

First up is Hex Hall from author Rachel Hawkins.  I was attempting to get to know a little bit about the author but not all the links on her web site or blog were working for me.  Regardless I think shes funny, genuine, and worth checking out!

Title: Hex Hall
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Publisher: Hyperion Books For Children
ISBN - 10:1423121309
ISBN - 13:9781423121305
Author Blog: Reading Writing Rachel
Release Date: March 9th 2010

From the Publisher:  

Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It''s gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie''s estranged father-an elusive European warlock-only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it''s her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters. By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect. As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her.

Why It Hit My Radar

I am a sucker for books that take place in boarding schools, I am obsessed with all things paranormal, and I like a protagonist that you get to go on a journey of self discovery with.  If a book mixes witches, faeries, shifters, etc all together I love to see what the author will do with that combination.  I am usually apprehensive regarding what liberties authors take with the mythology of vampires, faeries, shifters, etc as I prefer to stick as close to the original mythology as possible while still bringing it into the 21st century (while I LOVE the Twilight series I still can't get over sparkly vampires).  I was also reading Rachel Hawkins blog and was really captivated by her blog writing.  She seems to have a great sense of humour and be a little quirky both qualities which I love in authors.

Next....

While checking out Kari Arthurs web site (author of the Riley Jenson Guardian Series) I checked out her books by friends section.  A few of the authors I was familiar with but I the book jacket cover for author Tracey O'hara caught my attention. 

Title: A Night's Cold Kiss (A Dark Brethren Novel)
Author: Tracey O'hara
Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers
Published: August 17, 2009

ISBN - 0061783137
ISBN - 13:9780061783135

I usually include the publishers synopsis but there is a great book trailer for this series that gives a good visual and audio sneak peak into main character and world that Tracey O'hara has created.



If your not yet convinced to check out the series there is a prequel online to Night's Cold Kiss available from her web site.

Onto Carrie Vaughn

I know there are a lot of very loyal fans of Carrie Vaughn out there as I have seen A LOT of blog posts about her Kitty Norville Series.  To be honest I have passed these books many times and could just not get over the titles of the books and the fact that the main character, a werewolf, is named Kitty.  I know I shouldn't judge a book by the title or the cover but I am going to give them a try.  I originally went to her web site to check out The Kitty Norville Series but what really got me interested is her upcoming young adult series called, Voices of Dragons.

Title: Voices of Dragons
Author:  Carrie Vaughn
Publisher:  Harper Collins Publishers
Published:  March 16, 2010
ISBN - 10:0061798940
ISBN - 13:9780061798948
Author Web Site: http://www.carrievaughn.com




From The Publisher:

On one side of the border lies the modern world: the internet, homecoming dances, cell phones. On the other side dwell the ancient monsters who spark humanity's deepest fears: dragons.
Seventeen-year-old Kay Wyatt knows she's breaking the law by rock climbing near the border, but she'd rather have an adventure than follow the rules. When the dragon Artegal unexpectedly saves her life, the rules are abruptly shattered, and a secret friendship grows between them.
But suspicion and terror are the legacy of human and dragon inter­actions, and the fragile truce that has maintained peace between the species is unraveling. As tensions mount and battles begin, Kay and Artegal are caught in the middle. Can their friendship change the course of a war?

If your interested check out the first chapter here.  When I started to read the first few paragraphs I was mildly interested but when dialogue between Kay Wyatt and Artegal the dragon begins, I was immediately hooked.  I am really looking forward to checking out Carrie Vaughn's debut young adult novel this March and I am going to head to my favorite used book store to pick up the first novel in The Kitty Norville series and give it a try.

Happy reading everyone!

"Waiting On Wednesday"

 

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event started by Jill at Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Title: Black Magic Sanction
Author: Kim Harrison
Release Date: Feb 23, 2010
ISBN: 0061138037
ISBN-13: 978-0061138034
List Price: $33.99 CDN but 34% off at Chapters

 
Sometimes waiting for a book to be released is pure torture and its no different waiting for the next book in Kim Harrison's, The Hollows Series, Black Magic Sanction.  Thankfully the book release date is Feb 23rd which seems both to far and not that far from now.  For those of you also waiting eagerly for this to come out you will be happy to know she posted an excellent excerpt from the upcoming book on her web site! For those of you who haven't yet had the pleasure of reading a book from The Hollows Series please check out her website, go to a book store, go to a used book store, or borrow it from someone who has it!  If you need a little more convincing please check out my post regarding the series here .

The Hollows series by: Kim Harrison

As you may have already guessed the vast majority of the books I read would be considered urban fantasy. It is my drug of choice and like any addict I can’t wait to get my hands on the next fix. Kim Harrison’s series, The Hollows, is one of my top five favorite urban fantasy series of all time. Below is a brief teaser that suggests juicer things to come as well as a link to the authors web site.

All the creatures of the night gather in "the Hollows" of Cincinnati, to hide, to prowl, to party ... and to feed.


Vampires rule the darkness in a predator-eat-predator world rife with dangers beyond imagining -- and its Rachel Morgan's job to keep that world civilized.
A bounty hunter and witch with serious sex appeal and an attitude, she'll bring 'em back alive, dead ... or undead.

Click here to go to Kim Harrison's web site.  I HIGHLY recomend that you pick up a copy of Dead Witch Walking the first book in the series.  I promise you won't be dissapointed.

Happy Reading!