Title: Counterfeit Magic
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Series: Women of the Otherworld #10.4
In: Otherworld Secrets (Kelley Armstrong)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Paranormal fantasy, Strong women
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Orbit
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: Not Lucas.

The first rule of a supernatural fight club? Don’t kill your opponent.

When the fighters come with lethal spells, werewolf strength and half-demon powers, that can be a lot tougher than it sounds. It’s hard to attract talent if they know they might not leave the ring alive. So when fighters at a California club start dying — it’s bad for business.

Witch detectives Paige Winterbourne and Savannah Levine take the case. Going undercover in the power-heavy arena of the fight club is a welcome change of pace for Paige, relegated to the role of The Wife as her husband struggles to find his place in his family’s Cabal–the corporate Mafia of the supernatural world.

As Paige is drawn deeper into new and dangerous corners of her world, she quickly discovers the greatest threat isn’t the killer in her sights. It’s something much, much closer to home. And this is one fight she can’t afford to lose.

Paige and Lucas have been a solid and sweet couple since they first got together in Dime Store Magic. Of all of the couples throughout the series, they’re the one that I most want to be – supportive of each other, yet independent of one another and able to pursue their own interests. Yet, things become a little bit more rocky now that they’re both taking a more active role in the Cabal. The very independence that makes them such a wonderful couple makes it hard for Paige when she isn’t treated with the respect and individuality that she is used to.

Although Paige and Lucas continue to try and keep ‘business as usual’, they find that slowly a wedge is being driven between them. The fact that there are external influences and a case to help this along doesn’t occur to them until the very end of this novella. These treacherous undertones lead to big trouble, and actually made me cry towards the end. After all, they’re the most similar couple to myself and my partner, and the fact that there are cracks in their relationship made me concerned about my own.

Counterfeit Magic may be mostly about Paige and Lucas’ relationship, but it also puts Savannah back into the spotlight. She is now 21, and although her school girl crush has been outgrown, her friendship with Adam has blossomed. To the point that this is a great precursor for their eventual get together. Or so I predict anyway.

Image source: Subterranean Press

Title: Forbidden
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Series: Women of the Otherworld #10.3
In: Otherworld Secrets (Kelley Armstrong)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Paranormal fantasy, Strong women
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Orbit
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: It still wasn’t easy.

The team-spirit sign by the side of the highway seems a good omen to loner Morgan Walsh, as he drives to what could be the most important visit of his life — a chance to join the North American Pack. Then he wakes naked in the woods, surrounded by wolf tracks and a ring of suspicious cops. The situation only gets worse when he’s bailed out by Alpha-elect Elena Michaels and Clayton Danvers, her terrifying enforcer and mate.

Disappointed that such a promising young werewolf risked exposing them, Elena isn’t expecting anything from the pesky retrieval job except some much-needed alone time with Clay. Instead, she finds a different kind of evil stalking the streets and forests of Westwood, New York. Trapped in town by a snowstorm and sabotage, Elena, Clay and Morgan must find the mysterious threat before it sets its sights on them.

Morgan’s introduction to the Pack was certainly an interesting one – after all, he’s the first known werewolf to choose to spend all of his time as a wolf. But, now he’s decided to join the human world again and in doing so, is considering joining the Pack. But, as with everything in Kelley Armstrong’s world, nothing happens easily and nothing is as it seems.

Elena and Clay’s attempt to escape cabin fever and their over enthusiastic toddlers leads to their intersection with Morgan and a serial killer. Life in a small town just got a lot more dangerous. Although, eventually, it can be seen that the small town mentality is probably what caused the spate of ritualistic, weird, weird, weird killings.

Ultimately, this is a great test for Morgan’s ability to join the Pack. He is forced to accept Clay and Elena’s dominance and work in a team. Both things which he just isn’t used to doing. The fact that Clay is grouchy and unable to gentle him into the role just makes it all the more entertaining to watch their relationships evolve and unfold.

Image source: Goodreads

Title: Angelic
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Series: Women of the Otherworld #9.3
In: Otherworld Secrets (Kelley Armstrong)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Paranormal fantasy, Strong women
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Orbit
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: Another example of the language for my research?

As a half-demon master of the dark arts, Eve Levine isn’t what anyone would call angelic. That’s exactly why the Fates chose her for the job. She’s their secret weapon against the forces of evil. However after five years, Eve is tired of being the designated rebel of the angel corps, expected to break the rules, then penalized for it. When the leaderless djinn stage an uprising, Eve sees the perfect chance to get herself fired. As she plunges deeper into the demon world, though, she realizes she’s in danger of losing a lot more than her job.

Every time I read a new Eve story, I fall a little more in love with her character. Although at the beginning she seems like nothing more than a Black Witch, the more her journey is revealed, the more the cracks in this façade appear. She is nothing like what she originally appeared to be in Stolen, and Angelic just brings her further from the image that is quickly built up by others’ descriptions.

As with all double standards, Eve is constantly both rewarded and penalised for her choices in life. Even in death. Although this chafes, it also helps to liberate her from certain expectations (and punish her at the same time). These juxtapositions between her acceptance and dismissal by the Fates, and even the other angels are an interesting reminder of the double standards that often occur in our own lives. We can be both stroked and slapped for doing exactly the same thing, sometimes even by the same people. It is impossible to please everyone, but it is even more difficult when someone’s preconceptions about who and what you are colour everything you do. If someone thinks that you are a bad sort, then no matter what you do, they will still view your good acts through a negative light.

Although Eve primarily deals with these double standards throughout Angelic, she also is forced to concede to her feelings about her role in the afterlife. Being an angel comes with a variety of responsibilities and perks – but, in Angelic, Eve must decide what she really wants in life. Or in this case, the afterlife.

Image source: Abe Books