Thursday, August 30, 2012

Thirteen to End It All

Thirteen
Women of the Otherworld
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Hardcover: 464 pages
Publisher: Dutton Adult
First Edition (July 24, 2012)
Available for the Kindle
 
Summary: A war is brewing—the first battle has been waged and Savannah Levine is left standing, albeit battered and bruised. She has rescued her half brother from supernatural medical testing, but he’s fighting to stay alive. The Supernatural Liberation Movement took him hostage, and they have a plan to expose the supernatural world to the unknowing. Savannah has called upon her inner energy to summon spells with frightening strength, a strength she never knew she had, as she fights to keep her world from shattering. But it’s more than a matter of supernaturals against one another—both heaven and hell have entered the war; hellhounds, genetically modified werewolves, and all forces of good and evil have joined the fray. Uniting Savannah with Adam, Paige, Lucas, Jaime, Hope, and other lost-but-not forgotten characters in one epic battle, for a grand series finale.
 
Thirteen by Kelley Armstrong is the final book in her Otherworld Series.  Let's be honest, there is no perfect ending to a loved series of books, because we ALWAYS want more.  We tell ourselves it's okay because we can read the books again from start to finish, but there is always that nagging thought that we want to know MORE.  Sometimes we get it, sometimes we don't, but it never takes away from the love of the author and their writing.  Thirteen is a great last book, bringing together past characters to battle the bad guy with the author's wonderful wit and heartfelt emotion. 

I don't want to give spoilers, but after waiting so long for Adam and Savannah to come to their senses, I will say the interaction between them was extremely satisfying.  Yes.  Extremely.  That said, the story is so much more than the relationship between the two of them.  There are heartwrenching moments throughout the story as sacrifices are made, and the fighting escalates.  Winning this battle isn't easy, and doesn't come without a price.  It wouldn't have been as good of a story if the end came easily.

Fans will not be disappointed in this final book, but like me, I'm sure they'll wish for a short story or novella in the future.   That's okay though, because that's what fans do, even as they smile and close the pages of the last book. If you haven't read Kelley Armstrong's series I highly recommend starting with Bitten, the first in the series, to get a feel for the world she's created.
 
Women of the Otherworld
1. Bitten (2001)
2. Stolen (2002)
3. Dime Store Magic (2003)
4. Industrial Magic (2004)
5. Haunted (2005)
6. Broken (2006)
7. No Humans Involved (2007)
8. Personal Demon (2008)
9. Living with the Dead (2008)
10. Frost Bitten (2009)
11. Waking the Witch (2010)
12. Spellbound (2011)
13. Thirteen (2012)
 
Otherworld Tales
Witch Magic(2004)
Angelic (2009)
Men of the Otherworld (2009)
Counterfeit Magic (2010)
Tales of the Otherworld (2010)
Becoming (2011)
Hidden (2011)
Chaotic (2012)
The Hunter and the Hunted(2012)

You can find out more about Kelley's Otherworld series, plus her other books, on her website: http://www.kelleyarmstrong.com

~Brenda