#69 Spellbound by Kelley Armstrong
The following review has spoilers for previous Women of the Otherworld books (mainly Waking the Witch). There are no 
spoilers for Spellbound.
After her actions caused a young girl to lose her beloved guardian, Savannah Levine was wracked with guilt, even thinking that she would gladly give up her own powers to make things right. She didn't think anyone would actually take her up on her offer. Now, one of the most powerful witches in the Otherworld finds herself completely powerless in a time when she needs magic the most. A witch hunter is still on her trail, and larger problems loom as an organization that wishes to see the supernatural world exposed begins to rise. Now all of the women of the Otherworld must come together in order to discover the truth behind this newest threat.
Spellbound is the penultimate novel in the Women of the Otherworld Series. Well, sort of. While it's true that Armstrong has announced that the next novel is the last planned in the series, she also promises that the characters will still arise in short stories, novellas, and maybe one day another novel. But the feeling that the series is coming to it's natural end permeates Spellbound. Pretty much every major Otherworld character makes an appearance of some sort, and there's the feeling that things are building up to something big. As a result, Spellbound suffers a bit from middle book syndrome (never thought I'd say that about the twelfth book in a series), as there's a lot of build up and not payoff. Still, despite the fact that Spellbound may not be the strongest volume in the series, there's some really exciting stuff going on in this novel that makes it worth reading.
My least favorite part about Waking the Witch is the fact that besides Savannah and Adam, you didn't see that many regular Otherworld characters. This is the complete opposite in Spellbound. Every Otherworld narrator, has a role to play as well as pretty much every major secondary character from past books. It was really fun to get an update on how everyone was doing. It also results in the book feeling a mite overstuffed, but it was pretty much worth it. I also like how the book weaves together events from past books. The Supernatural Liberation Army movement has taken a lot of the events in previous Otherworld books (such as the fact that Elena and Clay were able to have children), and seen this as a sign that it's time for the supernaturals to reveal themselves and become dominant over normal humans. I enjoyed this storyline. Spellbound, much like Waking the Witch, has less romance compared to past Otherworld books, but I enjoyed the sparks that could be found between Savannah and Adam.
Although Spellbound has it's weaknesses, if you're a fan of the series I would recommend picking it up. I am quite curious to see how things will be resolved in 13, the finale of the series
Rating: four stars
Length: 325 pages
Source: Lewiston Public Library
I've read by this author: Bitten, Stolen, Dime Store Magic, Industrial Magic, Haunted, Broken, No Humans Involved, Personal Demon, Living with the Dead, Frostbitten, Waking the Witch, Men of the Otherworld, Tales of the Otherworld, The Summoning,The Awakening, The Reckoning, The Gathering, Exit Strategy, Made to be Broken. I've also read the stand alone novella Angelic, Counterfeit Magic, the novella "Chaotic' from Dates from Hell, the short story "Kat" from The Eternal Kiss, and the short story "The Ungrateful Dead" from Blood Lite.
Next I'll be reviewing Rapture of the Deep by LA Meyer
xposted to temporaryworld, bookish, and goodreads
spoilers for Spellbound.
After her actions caused a young girl to lose her beloved guardian, Savannah Levine was wracked with guilt, even thinking that she would gladly give up her own powers to make things right. She didn't think anyone would actually take her up on her offer. Now, one of the most powerful witches in the Otherworld finds herself completely powerless in a time when she needs magic the most. A witch hunter is still on her trail, and larger problems loom as an organization that wishes to see the supernatural world exposed begins to rise. Now all of the women of the Otherworld must come together in order to discover the truth behind this newest threat.
Spellbound is the penultimate novel in the Women of the Otherworld Series. Well, sort of. While it's true that Armstrong has announced that the next novel is the last planned in the series, she also promises that the characters will still arise in short stories, novellas, and maybe one day another novel. But the feeling that the series is coming to it's natural end permeates Spellbound. Pretty much every major Otherworld character makes an appearance of some sort, and there's the feeling that things are building up to something big. As a result, Spellbound suffers a bit from middle book syndrome (never thought I'd say that about the twelfth book in a series), as there's a lot of build up and not payoff. Still, despite the fact that Spellbound may not be the strongest volume in the series, there's some really exciting stuff going on in this novel that makes it worth reading.
My least favorite part about Waking the Witch is the fact that besides Savannah and Adam, you didn't see that many regular Otherworld characters. This is the complete opposite in Spellbound. Every Otherworld narrator, has a role to play as well as pretty much every major secondary character from past books. It was really fun to get an update on how everyone was doing. It also results in the book feeling a mite overstuffed, but it was pretty much worth it. I also like how the book weaves together events from past books. The Supernatural Liberation Army movement has taken a lot of the events in previous Otherworld books (such as the fact that Elena and Clay were able to have children), and seen this as a sign that it's time for the supernaturals to reveal themselves and become dominant over normal humans. I enjoyed this storyline. Spellbound, much like Waking the Witch, has less romance compared to past Otherworld books, but I enjoyed the sparks that could be found between Savannah and Adam.
Although Spellbound has it's weaknesses, if you're a fan of the series I would recommend picking it up. I am quite curious to see how things will be resolved in 13, the finale of the series
Rating: four stars
Length: 325 pages
Source: Lewiston Public Library
I've read by this author: Bitten, Stolen, Dime Store Magic, Industrial Magic, Haunted, Broken, No Humans Involved, Personal Demon, Living with the Dead, Frostbitten, Waking the Witch, Men of the Otherworld, Tales of the Otherworld, The Summoning,The Awakening, The Reckoning, The Gathering, Exit Strategy, Made to be Broken. I've also read the stand alone novella Angelic, Counterfeit Magic, the novella "Chaotic' from Dates from Hell, the short story "Kat" from The Eternal Kiss, and the short story "The Ungrateful Dead" from Blood Lite.
Next I'll be reviewing Rapture of the Deep by LA Meyer
xposted to temporaryworld, bookish, and goodreads