Weddings are always difficult (at least, that’s what I would imagine), so add in the complications of the supernaturals and a pushy, interfering father… and it’s the potential for a wedding from hell. I genuinely feel for Paige and Lucas as they attempt to walk down the aisle. Savannah’s usual sass and sarcasm help to offset the frustrations that quickly trinkle through with the countdown to the wedding.
Although Benicio’s desire to get involved in the wedding is all-encompassing and immensely frustrating, it is not in and of itself unique. There are many horror stories of interfering in-laws attempting to make the Big Day their Big Day, so it is completely in character that Paige and Lucas are forced to suffer through this indecency too. It is a reminder that although Lucas is part of the supernatural mafia, he also has a father that does indeed love and care for him.
I’m still in two minds about Armstrong killing of Eve Levine so early in the Women of the Otherworld series. Yes, it was necessary for everything that Savannah (and even Paige and Lucas) to experience afterwards. And yes, even though she was killed, she still manages to partake in the adventures of the series. But, she was such a fun character alive, and, honestly, part of me misses that in my reading of the series – she becomes more two dimensional in her interactions with the others when she is a ghost. Mostly because she can’t actually interact with the majority of the series’ cast.
Having mentioned all of that, it was quite fulfilling to have a short story that detailed the events leading to Eve’s death. She is killed shortly before Elena’s kidnapping in Stolen, yet, the details are vague. After all, they are mostly mentioned as an aside to Savannah’s presence in the story and a source of pity for the young witch. And, after getting to know Eve better in Haunted, it was hard to imagine how foolhardy she must have been to be killed by a group of mercenary thugs. Which meant, that although I still mourn the killing off of such a fun character (even though it is completely necessary to the storyline), finding out how she made such a blunder left me with a feeling of acceptance about the entire ordeal… finally.
Jeremy is having flashbacks from the past while Clay and Elena are in Toronto (event in Bitten).
Jeremy’s role in protecting Elena after she was turned is something of an enigma. He banished Clay, and helped Elena through the change. But the impacts of this are only ever seen through Elena’s eyes, years after the fact. Thus, it is immensely difficult to understand the impact that it had upon Jeremy – after all, he is a quiet and withdrawn character. One who Elena admires and adores, but is often confused by. Ghosts helps to give insight into his thoughts and feelings on Elena’s turning, and the important place which she gains in his heart.
Ghosts is a very reflexive piece that takes place in the middle of Bitten. Although it takes place after Elena and Clay travel back to Toronto, he flashes back and forth between that decision and the one to banish Clay. The pain of Elena’s change and her vulnerability at the fact act as depressing counterpoints to an already difficult situation. As does Jeremy’s constant insecurity that he is making the right decision. That he made the right decision in the past, as he reflects upon the ghosts of his house.
Having met Karl and realised more about his character, it is hard to align this image with the man who causes so much havoc in Bitten. However, his initial meeting with Daniel Santos in Territorial and his feelings of abandonment and injustice finally help to highlight his motives. It also explains some of his fascination with Elena – although it is not romantic, there is certainly a feeling of appeal in his relations with the only female werewolf. Although, most of this is simply due to selfish requirements.
I really enjoyed this glimpse into Karl’s selfish nature before he met (and fell for) Hope. His outlook on life and his drivers for every single interaction he has have one goal – to further his own ends. Whether this is to gain his own territory, or find more income, he doesn’t speak with, or interact with anyone unless it is somehow beneficial.
Here I first created the character of Elena. If you’ve read Bitten, you may recognize some aspects of the story, which were briefly recounted there. The events were the impetus (or excuse) for Elena deciding to leave the Pack–a resolve which she must break at the start of Bitten.
On a theoretical level, the idea of removing all threats to Elena’s family and wolf pack makes complete sense. However, how this actually occurs and the impact that it has upon Elena’s psyche are completely at odds with the rationale which the Pack makes to justify these actions. In Savage, Jeremy is forced to cross this line, and now it is Elena’s turn and the consequences for this had a ginormous snowball effect.
Truth and Consequences is one of the most well-named short stories in the Women of the Otherworld series. There are always consequences for telling the truth – sometimes it’s a good thing, you tell someone how you feel and they return the feelings. Sometimes the truth will set you free. However, other times, it is not such a positive thing – the truth can do serious harm, and both Elena and Carter are forced to face up to this unforgiving reality.
Title: Expectations Author: Kelley Armstrong Series: Women of the Otherworld #0.11 In: Tales of the Otherworld (Kelley Armstrong) Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!) My Bookshelves:Dark fantasy, Paranormal fantasy, Strong women Pace: Medium Format: Short story Publisher: Orbit Year: 2010 5th sentence, 74th page: I hid my jacket, helmet, and boots, and changed into flat shoes, then walked to the nearby strip mall, from which I purchased an oversized floral arrangement and affixed a large card with Congrats! scrawled across the front.
A very short story around Lucas Cortez and Eve Levine.
It is impossible to imagine Lucas Cortez going up against Eve Levine when it is first mentioned in Dime Store Magic. He is such a sweet, geeky boy with a sense of justice. Eve on the other hand is tough, independent and not scared to make some tough choices when it comes to her own protection. The fact that Savannah is now an aspect of her life… she is an incredibly terrifying adversary for an untried young sorcerer.
Although this short story is primarily about Lucas and Eve’s first (and only) meeting, it was more so an insight into the drivers of Lucas’ removal from the Cortez Cabal. His motivations and drive to find justice lead to a constant war in his head – one which his father’s voice tends to intrude upon often. Even his act of breaking and entering was instigated by a wish to protect Eve from the rest of the Cabal – although even he has a moment of temptation throughout this episode.
Eve’s willingness to harm Lucas, yet, not kill him is yet another reminder that although she has an incredibly dark and terrifying reputation, she does have a moral system. Yes, it is amoral in some ways, but it still is a reminder that no character within the Women of the Otherworld universe is either good or bad.
I loved this insight into Paige and Adam as teenagers. They are just as rebellious, individualistic and strong-willed as I expected. Adam’s slight crush on Paige also helps to answer a few questions that I had when meeting them both in Stolen – not an unrequited love, but a crush nevertheless. It is also a great reminder of the state which the supernatural council was in at the beginning of the Women of the Otherworld series.
Robert’s manipulations of both Paige and Adam indicate a far more intelligent and shrewd man than I had previously envisaged. Likewise, his acceptance in the flaws of the methods employed by the council to maintain order hint at the beginnings of change in the world. The changes which begin to spark and flare with Elena’s changing and continue to gain traction throughout the series.
This graphic novella tells the story of Elena’s “becoming” a werewolf—that dark period from the time Clay bites her through her escape to Toronto.
I can understand why Armstrong didn’t want to turn the tales of Elena’s turning into a short story. Whilst I was always curious about those months, even year after she was bitten, reading the story would have been depressing in the extreme. However, displaying this story as a graphic novel not only helps to impart the violence, anguish and confusion of the time, it also allowed a window into the experiences of Elena and helped to explain some of her actions throughout Bitten.
Displaying Becoming as a graphic novel not only assisted in highlighting the violence and emotional turmoil that Elena went through in her change, but it also helped to wade through a lot of the heady repetition that such a tale would have required. I spent an amazing hour reading this again and again as I looked through the amazing artwork. Every time I glanced over an image, I was able to find another aspect of the artwork that I had missed.
Title: Beginnings Author: Kelley Armstrong Series: Women of the Otherworld #0.8 In: Tales of the Otherworld (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: Medium Format: Novella Publisher: Orbit Year: 2010 5th sentence, 74th page: Any holiday that revolved around family saw me sitting in my dorm room alone, keenly aware of the empty halls, afraid to even turn on the television, knowing I’d be confronted with images of the holiday, even the commercials leaping out to remind me that normal people were home with their families.
It’s the story of how Clay and Elena met and the start of their relationship.
Elena and Clay’s romance is definitely not what I would call a typical literary romance. Clayton has some of the hallmarks which we are all warned against in a budding relationship (possessiveness, jealousy, inability to accept your significant others’ friends…). Yet, maybe because Armstrong is able to show his genuine care for Elena, it doesn’t seem like an unhealthy relationship. Just a very, very odd one. But it still begs the question – how do two such people find each other, meet, and eventually, fall in love? Beginnings finally answers those questions. It also helps to explain Clay’s rash selfishness in turning Elena into a werewolf and all of the subsequent drama and pain which followed. For both of them.
Reading about Clay and Elena’s slowly blossoming relationship, the loss of both of their virginities and the confusion that they both feel at the depth of their emotions was a sweet journey. Yet, it was also kind of frustrating, Clay is so incredibly stubborn and naïve to the intricacies of relationships. Constantly he puts his foot in it and finds a way to leave not only Elena, but the rest of the Pack isolated. Elena on the other hand, is so insecure about herself and her worth that it is only the inklings of her stubborn, sassy self that we first meet in Bitten which can be seen throughout the tale. Her willingness to go along with Clay’s many moods and attempts to make him happy are sweet, if not misguided. At least for me, who absolutely loved her constant pushing back when he becomes overbearing.
Logan’s demise in Bitten didn’t truly impact me when I read the story. After all, he was barely a presence within the story. Yet, after reading Beginnings(and even Birthright), his presence and downfall are so much more depressing. His friendship with Elena is the most genuine and caring relationship that she seems to have had in a long time. Yes, Clay loves her more than anything else in the world, but Logan tries to protect her from the very first moment. He stops and thinks about what she wants and needs, something that Clay may try to do, but is never quite fully capable of.
Logan’s induction into the werewolf Pack was difficult, his acceptance of who he is was a big part of why he and Elena were so quickly bonded. Yet, I didn’t truly understand the difficulties of his birth into this world until I read Birthright. Reading this not only helped me to understand his relationship to the others, but also the idea of suddenly discovering a more sinister aspect to one’s heritage. Logan’s outlook and surprise at his father’s genetic lineage is a great parallel to taboo diseases such as AIDS – it is impossible to talk about, affects the rest of your life and is shrouded in a specific set of stereotypes which prevent education and acceptance in many circumstances.
This short story also helped to highlight the antagonism between Clay and Logan. From the very first moment, Clay is aggressive towards his soon-to-be Packmate, and Logan is confused by this. Likewise, Logan’s rage at Clay’s turning of Elena reflects his own frustration at never being told of his own genetic heritage. He never had a choice, and, ultimately, Clay removed that choice for Elean too.
Earth and Skye 