Review - Frostbitten by Kelley Armstrong

A new review has been posted on the website for Frostbitten by Kelley Armstrong. This is the tenth installment in the Women of the Otherworld series.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/274612.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/43275.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong

New Review posted for The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong. This is book two in the young adult series, Darkest Powers.


The review can be read here:
http://darquereviews.com/12612/99512.html

Please feel free to leave any comments you have about The Awakening here on the blog post. :)

Happy Reading!
Kimberly

Review - Made to be Broken by Kelley Armstrong

Made to be Broken
Nadia Stafford, Book 2
Kelley Armstrong
Bantam Books
February 24, 2009
ISBN# 978-0-553-58838-5

Book blurb:
The author of the acclaimed Women of the Otherworld series returns with her latest novel featuring an exciting heroine with a lethal hidden talent. This time she’s hot on the trail of a young woman no one else cares about—and a killer who’s bound to strike again.

Nadia Stafford isn’t your typical nature lodge owner. An ex-cop with a legal code all her own, she’s known only as “Dee” to her current employer: a New York crime family that pays her handsomely to bump off traitors. But when Nadia discovers that a troubled teenage employee and her baby have vanished in the Canadian woods, the memory of a past loss comes back with a vengeance and her old instincts go into overdrive.

With her enigmatic mentor, Jack, covering her back, Nadia unearths sinister clues that point to an increasingly darker and deadlier mystery. Now, with her obsession over the case deepening, the only way Nadia can right the wrongs of the present is to face her own painful ghosts—and either bury them for good, or die trying. Because in her book everyone deserves a chance. And everyone deserves justice.

My thoughts:
When a young woman she employs at her lodge disappears with her baby, Nadia Stafford suspects foul play. Her past and her work as an assassin are about to play a heavy role in tracking down the girl.

With Jack recovering from an injury, he’s available to keep an eye on her and help in the search. Nadia also has Quinn, a fellow assassin and more, helping by gaining information with his government ties. What they find at the end of the trail may lead to much more than one girl’s disappearance, but it’s the fate of one girl who threatens to tear Nadia apart.

This is the second book in the Nadia Stafford series. Ms. Armstrong shares a suspense filled adventure and shows a deeper look into her heroine. It was July 2007 when we first met the characters in this series, and I was amazed to realize how vividly they’ve remained in my memory. Made to be Broken is well-detailed, packed with danger, and offers up romantic possibilities. Can’t wait for more!

To learn more about Made to be Broken, please visit Ms. Armstrong’s website: HERE

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

Review - Men of the Otherworld by Kelley Armstrong

Men of the Otherworld
A Collection of Otherworld Tales, Volume 1
Kelley Armstrong
Bantam
January 27, 2009
ISBN# 978-0-553-80709-7

Book Blurb:
New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong has captivated readers with her spellbinding Women of the Otherworld series. Now, for the first time, in this collection of four tales she gives center stage to the men who love these sexy, supernatural women—the men who live on the other side of humanity…the wild side.

As a curious six-year-old, Clayton didn’t resist the bite—he asked for it. But surviving as a lone child-werewolf was more than he could manage—until Jeremy came along and taught him how to straddle the human-werewolf worlds, gave him a home…and introduced him to the Pack. So begins this tantalizing volume, featuring three of the most intriguing members of the American Pack—a hierarchical founding family where bloodlines mean everything and each day presents a new, thrilling, and often deadly challenge. For as Clayton grows from a wild child to a clever teen who tests his beloved mentor at every turn, he must learn not only to control his animal instincts but to navigate Pack politics—including showing his brutal archnemesis, Malcolm, who the real Alpha is....

From the nature of fear, weakness, and courage, to the triumph of belonging and the complications of love and loyalty, these mesmerizing tales reveal the trials of a werewolf coming-of-age, and lay bare the hearts and minds of the men strong enough for the women of the Otherworld—and adept enough to take on two worlds.

My thoughts:
Men of the Otherworld is a collection of short stories, and while fans may have read many of them as they were shared on the author’s website, it’s wonderful to have them together in one bound book. The collection is nicely finished with a new Jeremy and Jaime story in the end.

From Jeremy’s birth that was unwanted by his father Malcolm, to his role as adoptive father and mentor to Clayton, the stories provide many answers. Ms. Armstrong solidly establishes the origins of some favorite werewolves, keeps readers engrossed as the tales unfold, and always leaves them wanting more.

Proceeds from Men of the Otherworld are going to World Literacy of Canada.

To learn more about the men and women of the Otherworld, please visit Ms. Armstrong’s website: HERE

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

Review - Living With the Dead by Kelley Armstrong

Living with the Dead
Women of the Otherworld, Book 9
Kelley Armstrong
Bantam
October 21, 2008
ISBN# 978-0-553-80664-9

Book blurb:
They’re smart, sexy, and supernatural. They’re the men and women of the Otherworld—a realm of witches, ghosts, and werewolves who live unseen among us. Only now a reckless killer has torn down the wall, trapping one very human woman in the supernatural cross fire.

Robyn Peltier moved to Los Angeles after her young husband’s sudden death, trying to put some distance between herself and her memories. Though she’s still grieving, the challenges of her new life as the PR consultant to Portia Kane—the world’s most famous celebutante wannabe—can sometimes be amusing, even distracting. But when her client is gunned down in the back room of a nightclub, Robyn is suddenly on the run as the prime suspect in the murder. And as more bodies pile up around her, it seems like only Hope Adams, Robyn’s best friend, and Hope’s somewhat spooky boyfriend Karl are on Robyn’s side. Hope Adams follows the kinds of stories whose headlines scream from supermarket checkout lines. But the difference is that Hope’s stories are even weirder—and they’re all true. Though determined to help Robyn, Hope knows it’s only a matter of time before her friend is caught. But it’s not the police Hope is worried about. For Robyn has gotten herself in the middle of a turf war between two powerful Otherworld cabals who’ll spill any amount of blood—human and inhuman—to protect what they consider theirs for all eternity. And the only way Hope can keep her friend alive is by letting her enter a world she’s safer knowing nothing about.

My thoughts:
Widowed early in her marriage, Robyn Peltier moved to L.A. and took on a public relations job for a young celebrity, Portia Kane. When Portia suddenly turns up dead during a night they’re out clubbing, Robyn becomes a suspect in the murder. With the help of her friend Hope, and Hope’s boyfriend Karl, she’ll have to evade Detective John Findlay long enough to clear her name.

Discovering the truth is far from easy work when someone is out to eliminate Robyn as well, but she soon learns that there’s more than a murder involved. There’s a supernatural world all around her and they’ll stop at nothing to keep their existence a secret.

This is the ninth book in the Women of the Otherworld series. Hope and Karl play a large role in this installment as they help Robyn track down a killer and keep her safe from those who’d like to see her dead. Ms. Armstrong is a talented author and doesn’t disappoint in this latest tale from her meticulously built Otherworld. The characters are believable, and the action they bring to the story is exciting and rarely predictable. New paranormal elements, a well executed storyline and a continued romance all add to making Living With the Dead a great read. I’m looking forward to the next release, Men of the Otherworld.

To learn more about Living with the Dead and the Women of the Otherworld series, please visit Ms. Armstrong’s website: Here

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

Review - The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

The Summoning
Dark Powers Trilogy, Book 1
Kelley Armstrong
Harper Teen
July 1, 2008
ISBN# 978-0-06-166269-0

From the publisher’s website:
My name is Chloe Saunders and my life will never be the same again.

All I wanted was to make friends, meet boys, and keep on being ordinary. I don't even know what that means anymore. It all started on the day that I saw my first ghost—and the ghost saw me.

Now there are ghosts everywhere and they won't leave me alone. To top it all off, I somehow got myself locked up in Lyle House, a "special home" for troubled teens. Yet the home isn't what it seems. Don't tell anyone, but I think there might be more to my housemates than meets the eye. The question is, whose side are they on? It's up to me to figure out the dangerous secrets behind Lyle House . . . before its skeletons come back to haunt me.

My thoughts:
Chloe Saunders is your average teen until her school’s hallway becomes the scene of an extreme episode with a ghost. The adults in her life, her dad and aunt, decide it’s best to send her to Lyle House, a place where she can work on recovering from whatever has caused her hallucinations. The doctors quickly diagnose her as a schizophrenic and add medication to help her deal. Chloe assures them that she’s going to get better and attempts to ignore her ghostly visitors.

Lyle House has other residents, each with a surprising tale of their own and it’s clear that the group home is more than a half-way house for troubled teens. The house has its own share of ghosts, and some are willing to share its secrets with Chloe. It’s a dangerous risk, but if she and her new friends don’t dig up the truth soon, they could all be calling Lyle House their permanent home.

This is the first book in the new Dark Powers Trilogy, a young adult urban fantasy featuring Chloe Saunders. The plot is filled with paranormal elements, intriguing characters, and action that keeps up a fast pace. Ms. Armstrong is an all-around fabulous storyteller and The Summoning is no exception. This is a story that’s easy to follow, well-detailed as events unfold and easily enjoyable by both teens and adults alike.

To learn more about the Dark Powers Trilogy, please visit Ms. Armstrong’s website: Here

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

Personal Demon by Kelley Armstrong

Personal Demon
Women of the Otherworld, Book 8
Kelley Armstrong
Bantam
March 25, 2008
ISBN# 978-0-553-80661-8

Hope Adams is a tabloid reporter and an Expisco half-demon who can never get enough chaos in her life. Owing Benicio Cortez a favor is never really a good thing, but when it’s time to pay-up, Hope has little choice. Asked to take on an assignment infiltrating a gang who’s causing trouble for the Cortez Cabal, Hope transforms into a young woman with the ability to detect chaotic thoughts that’s sympathetic to their cause.

Karl is a rebel werewolf and a man who once was close to Hope. When he discovers that Benicio has put her in danger, he flies in to remove her from the life threatening position. When Hope refuses to leave, Karl finds himself embroiled in the deadly drama playing out.

Members of the gang have gone missing, and the Cortez Cabal has become a larger target than Benicio originally thought. The arrival of his youngest son Lucas is a welcome sight, but the danger continues to escalate. It will take combined skills and power to stop their enemies, but discovering who they’re up against will be the most difficult task.

Personal Demon is the eighth book in the Women of the Otherworld series. Told from the viewpoint of both Hope and Lucas, readers are given the advantage of seeing the story play-out from within the gang as well as the Cabal. With a well-built fictional world, fabulous characters and a solid plot, the talented Ms. Armstrong shares the next action-packed installment to her Women of the Otherworld series of books. A strong paranormal romance and a well-planned mystery, make Personal Demon a story that readers won’t want to miss.

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews