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4.2 AVERAGE
4.2 AVERAGE
Oh My Word, I loved it, I loved how the series ended. I loved the pace, the characters how it all unfolds. I just LOVED it... Did I mention I LOVED IT?
LOL. Not but seriously you get a little of everyone and how they are all being affected by what is going on, how they all come together for the cause. It really was a great way to end a series I don’t even feel like I listened to 13 books. I want more and thank goodness a few novella’s and anthologies are in audio because you dang right I will be listening.
Clay and Elena are my Jam but really I loved all the characters in their own way and I don’t think it would have been the same without them all.
I really enjoyed Joanna Parker’s narration in these final books.
LOL. Not but seriously you get a little of everyone and how they are all being affected by what is going on, how they all come together for the cause. It really was a great way to end a series I don’t even feel like I listened to 13 books. I want more and thank goodness a few novella’s and anthologies are in audio because you dang right I will be listening.
Clay and Elena are my Jam but really I loved all the characters in their own way and I don’t think it would have been the same without them all.
I really enjoyed Joanna Parker’s narration in these final books.
Given the build up over the last two books, I was expecting 13 to be a spectacular conclusion full of world-threatening cataclysmic events and an epic battle between good and evil.
WRONG.
It was familiar territory that has been trod many times in this series and it was frustrating for the lack of ambition on display. As with previous books, Savannah trundles from one episode to another, handling everything with a reader-alienating stoicism and none of the emotions rang true for me. The threat was unremarkable and easily thwarted and the whole thing was lacking in urgency or tension.
I was really disappointed with this book - by the end, reading this book was an endurance test, not a breathless race to the conclusion. SUCH a shame to leave the Otherworld this way.
WRONG.
It was familiar territory that has been trod many times in this series and it was frustrating for the lack of ambition on display. As with previous books, Savannah trundles from one episode to another, handling everything with a reader-alienating stoicism and none of the emotions rang true for me. The threat was unremarkable and easily thwarted and the whole thing was lacking in urgency or tension.
I was really disappointed with this book - by the end, reading this book was an endurance test, not a breathless race to the conclusion. SUCH a shame to leave the Otherworld this way.
🎧 Audio Review 🎧
What a great ending to this series! I loved this book! It was so full of action, adventure, chaos and growth! Having all of the paranormal's working together to fight against evil was exactly what this series was all about for me! Everyone is the hero! Now I am looking forward to listening to the Anthologies (which I normally don't enjoy) because I NEED the back story for everyone, especially Jeremy and Clay!
The narration was great, Joanna Parker is an amazing narrator. At first I had a hard time not hearing Sookie because that series was my first experience with her but by the end of this book, she WAS Savannah!
What a great ending to this series! I loved this book! It was so full of action, adventure, chaos and growth! Having all of the paranormal's working together to fight against evil was exactly what this series was all about for me! Everyone is the hero! Now I am looking forward to listening to the Anthologies (which I normally don't enjoy) because I NEED the back story for everyone, especially Jeremy and Clay!
The narration was great, Joanna Parker is an amazing narrator. At first I had a hard time not hearing Sookie because that series was my first experience with her but by the end of this book, she WAS Savannah!
A very disappointing conclusion to a much loved series.
Earlier books in this series have caused all night stake outs (with or without having to work in the morning). This one did not suck me in. The author has a dozen well developed characters to play with and she doesn't fully utilize any of them. A part of my dislike could be that she tells much of this story from Savannah's point-of-view; she has never been one of my favourites.
In particular, the way the relationship between Adam and Savannah (which has been built on for a number of novels) doesn't make sense for either character.
Kelley Armstrong remains an amazing writer, her dialogue is priceless. I'm hoping her next story is more engaging.
Earlier books in this series have caused all night stake outs (with or without having to work in the morning). This one did not suck me in. The author has a dozen well developed characters to play with and she doesn't fully utilize any of them. A part of my dislike could be that she tells much of this story from Savannah's point-of-view; she has never been one of my favourites.
In particular, the way the relationship between Adam and Savannah (which has been built on for a number of novels) doesn't make sense for either character.
Kelley Armstrong remains an amazing writer, her dialogue is priceless. I'm hoping her next story is more engaging.
I think this book nicely ties up the loose ends in the series and I really enjoyed seeing all the Otherworld characters again. There's definitely room to come back to this world if the author chooses to.
This was a fast read, lots of action and some intense moments. There are quite a few twists and turns and some real surprises. For the most part the series is from Savannah's POV, but at times we're put into past narrators' POV. I really enjoyed getting to revisit their different voices.
I read a lot of series, and many times the end of a series will feel flat and disappoint (The Harper Connelly series by Charlaine Harris comes to mind), but Kelley Armstrong's finale was wonderful. It exceeded my expectations and it truly delighted. This was truly a book written for its fans. The Otherworld series will remain one of my favorite series.
This was a fast read, lots of action and some intense moments. There are quite a few twists and turns and some real surprises. For the most part the series is from Savannah's POV, but at times we're put into past narrators' POV. I really enjoyed getting to revisit their different voices.
I read a lot of series, and many times the end of a series will feel flat and disappoint (The Harper Connelly series by Charlaine Harris comes to mind), but Kelley Armstrong's finale was wonderful. It exceeded my expectations and it truly delighted. This was truly a book written for its fans. The Otherworld series will remain one of my favorite series.
I had no idea how Kelley Armstrong was going to wrap up her long-running The Otherworld series in one book, but she managed the impossible!!! I've hesitated a few days over reviewing this book. I've been with this series nearly since the beginning, and I'm so proud of how it has grown over the years. This was a good book, but not what I expected.
Despite all indications to the contrary, this is NOT the end of the series. It is just the end of the series novels, for the foreseeable future. In an unusual move, Kelley says in her Final Note that there will be Otherworld short story anthologies, at least two, with the happy prospect of more novels in the future. The world that Kelley has created is an intriguing one that is always interesting to visit, and I really hope she decides to write in The Otherworld again some day.
As such, this is a Happily For Now ending, not a Happily Ever After. Which does suit the series. Although the ending is satisfactory and fitting, I have struggled with the feeling that something is missing. I didn't get the "wow" feeling I was hoping for. I expected this ending to be truly epic and yet despite the solid writing I feel a little let down, more like "well, that's it for now, I guess". A shrug instead of a fist-pump of victory. I can't pinpoint exactly why I feel that way either.
Perhaps its that the majority of the narrative is still carried by Savannah. While this is natural following the last two books and it lets us see her continued personal growth, it does mean that there are a lot of blind spots. The other Women of the The Otherworld - Jaime, Elena, Paige, Hope and Eve - all get one short chapter from their perspectives, which is neat - although I wished they were longer, especially Elena and Paige. With Paige and Lucas, especially, it would have been nice to see them have the same closure Elena and Clay get in the bonus short story - instead, Paige's chapter is related to her relationship with Savannah. Maybe that will be one of the future shorts.
Remarkably, Armstrong does manage to bring back all the major players, in a believable way. It's a large cast of characters, and hard to juggle. Clay and Elena, Jeremy and Jamie, Hope and Karl, Paige and Lucas, even Eve and Kristof - they all have parts to play, and I really loved that.
As the ultimate proof of his power, the cult leader of the Supernatural Liberation Movement kidnaps a very pregnant Hope as a bargaining chip to contact her father, Lucifer. In the afterlife, Eve and Kristof do what they can to help while the Cabals - led in unprecedented cooperation by Lucas on behalf of Benecio Cortez - use their resources to track down the threat.
Jaime is the messenger for Eve and Kristof, while Clay and Elena (who have sent their twins with the rest of the Pack to Russia for safety) help Adam and Savannah take lead, since Savannah is the most familiar with the group due to her previous kidnapping.
More thoughts: (SPOILERS)
1. The Celestial vs. Demon battle is something I would have liked to see more of. The Eudemon who takes Savannah's powers is cryptic; his kind are rarely involved in human affairs and usually only intervene to restore the "Balance". Why he intervened in Savannah's case is a mystery, and his motivation would be interesting to know.
2. Savannah - impetuous, brash, go-getter Savannah - suddenly trusting in a divine Providence (based on a strange message from a random homeless guy, no less!) instead of trying Adam's ritual to restore her powers is frankly out of character and puzzling. Sure, the lack of her powers has taught her a valuable lesson, but having learned that she took them for granted and relied on them too heavily, you think she would have been anxious to have them back for the Final Battle. And, indeed, it seems the fight would have been much easier if she had her witch powers back.
3. Nobody dies! Which is amazing. But also a little unrealistic? I was really hoping no one would, although it looked a little iffy for Karl for a while.
While I can recognize and applaud the huge achievement of wrangling such a large cast of characters together, having them all successfully fight an apocalyptic Big Bad Battle, and leaving room for future adventures - I just feel that the heart wasn't in the story the way it usually is in Armstrong's writings.
The bonus short story included with this hardcover edition is "From Russia, With Love", and shows Elena and Clay returning to the Pack in Russia after the events of 13 are concluded. It's a nice look at their future, even if the ill-fated surprise "mystery" was lame. It's so good to see that after all these years Elena and Clay have finally found some happiness together.
Bottom line: If you are an Otherworld fan, this is a must-read. If you are new to Kelley Armstrong, it's best to start at the beginning. And if you are hoping for a definitive end to the series, this is not it - and I'm really glad that is the case
Despite all indications to the contrary, this is NOT the end of the series. It is just the end of the series novels, for the foreseeable future. In an unusual move, Kelley says in her Final Note that there will be Otherworld short story anthologies, at least two, with the happy prospect of more novels in the future. The world that Kelley has created is an intriguing one that is always interesting to visit, and I really hope she decides to write in The Otherworld again some day.
As such, this is a Happily For Now ending, not a Happily Ever After. Which does suit the series. Although the ending is satisfactory and fitting, I have struggled with the feeling that something is missing. I didn't get the "wow" feeling I was hoping for. I expected this ending to be truly epic and yet despite the solid writing I feel a little let down, more like "well, that's it for now, I guess". A shrug instead of a fist-pump of victory. I can't pinpoint exactly why I feel that way either.
Perhaps its that the majority of the narrative is still carried by Savannah. While this is natural following the last two books and it lets us see her continued personal growth, it does mean that there are a lot of blind spots. The other Women of the The Otherworld - Jaime, Elena, Paige, Hope and Eve - all get one short chapter from their perspectives, which is neat - although I wished they were longer, especially Elena and Paige. With Paige and Lucas, especially, it would have been nice to see them have the same closure Elena and Clay get in the bonus short story - instead, Paige's chapter is related to her relationship with Savannah. Maybe that will be one of the future shorts.
Remarkably, Armstrong does manage to bring back all the major players, in a believable way. It's a large cast of characters, and hard to juggle. Clay and Elena, Jeremy and Jamie, Hope and Karl, Paige and Lucas, even Eve and Kristof - they all have parts to play, and I really loved that.
As the ultimate proof of his power, the cult leader of the Supernatural Liberation Movement kidnaps a very pregnant Hope as a bargaining chip to contact her father, Lucifer. In the afterlife, Eve and Kristof do what they can to help while the Cabals - led in unprecedented cooperation by Lucas on behalf of Benecio Cortez - use their resources to track down the threat.
Jaime is the messenger for Eve and Kristof, while Clay and Elena (who have sent their twins with the rest of the Pack to Russia for safety) help Adam and Savannah take lead, since Savannah is the most familiar with the group due to her previous kidnapping.
More thoughts: (SPOILERS)
Spoiler
1. The Celestial vs. Demon battle is something I would have liked to see more of. The Eudemon who takes Savannah's powers is cryptic; his kind are rarely involved in human affairs and usually only intervene to restore the "Balance". Why he intervened in Savannah's case is a mystery, and his motivation would be interesting to know.
2. Savannah - impetuous, brash, go-getter Savannah - suddenly trusting in a divine Providence (based on a strange message from a random homeless guy, no less!) instead of trying Adam's ritual to restore her powers is frankly out of character and puzzling. Sure, the lack of her powers has taught her a valuable lesson, but having learned that she took them for granted and relied on them too heavily, you think she would have been anxious to have them back for the Final Battle. And, indeed, it seems the fight would have been much easier if she had her witch powers back.
3. Nobody dies! Which is amazing. But also a little unrealistic? I was really hoping no one would, although it looked a little iffy for Karl for a while.
While I can recognize and applaud the huge achievement of wrangling such a large cast of characters together, having them all successfully fight an apocalyptic Big Bad Battle, and leaving room for future adventures - I just feel that the heart wasn't in the story the way it usually is in Armstrong's writings.
The bonus short story included with this hardcover edition is "From Russia, With Love", and shows Elena and Clay returning to the Pack in Russia after the events of 13 are concluded. It's a nice look at their future, even if the ill-fated surprise "mystery" was lame. It's so good to see that after all these years Elena and Clay have finally found some happiness together.
Bottom line: If you are an Otherworld fan, this is a must-read. If you are new to Kelley Armstrong, it's best to start at the beginning. And if you are hoping for a definitive end to the series, this is not it - and I'm really glad that is the case
While this is easily my favourite series, the ending could have been a bit better. That's not saying it wasn't good, I just think that if Savannah had her powers there would have been more action. Though I was glad we got to see some characters from earlier in the series. Still a great ending and I highly recommend this series!