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4.2 AVERAGE
4.2 AVERAGE
Another end to a series. Not quite what I had in mind for the characters but better than some endings (divergent series and sookie stack house anyone?). It was sad to see this end as it was one if the first PNR/UF series I started.
13 takes off exactly where Spellbound ended, Waking the Witch, Spellbound and 13 are actually the only books from the Otherworld series that don't have a big time gap in between them. Savannah and Jaime get "arrested" while trying to get away from the lab explosion, they get taken to a police station but don't get booked or anything so conclude that it's a trap. After fighting off a crazed werewolf and and escaped hellhound, they manage to get away from the station with Eve. Eve and Savannah find out that there's an anti-SLM group as well. They plan to infiltrate the SLM to take it down from the inside but the plan fails when the Nast cabal get involved and take Eve and Savannah into custody. After getting away from the Nast cabal, they team up with the rest of the Otherworld crew minus Antonio & Nick (*sad face*) and through some helpful demon Lords in the shape of Eve and Adam's fathers, they manage to find out exactly what's going on and stop it - with a lot of magic and action.
So yeah that was a very small recap because so much happens in this book that I'd end up just writing the whole damn story here. Anyone who reads my reviews or knows me personally knows how much I LOVE Kelley's books - it's impossible to not love her writing. For me - and any long time Otherworld fan - this book was a bittersweet read, as much as I couldn't wait to read it I also didn't want to read it 'cos as soon as I did then the series would be over.
So some of my favourite bits or my gasp out loud moments ........ .......
So any of my readers know they aren't going to get an unbiased review from me about a Kelley book - there's no such thing when it comes to Kelley. I freaking loved this book - sad to see the series end but Kelley did it justice. We got to see all of our favourite characters again and she tied off some open storylines while still leaving enough open to warrant novellas at a later date - which Kelley has said will happen.
FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE
Is a very short story purely there for the Alpha hand-off storyline. While 13 was happening, the twins and the rest of the pack were in Russia with the Russian pack so when Elena, Clay, Jeremy and Jaime join them, Jeremy officially hands the pack over to Elena.
I love the way he did it. Traditionally it would be a challenge so Jeremy challenged Elena to a game of chess. Which was already set up so that Elena would win since it was only a formality, everyone but Elena knew what was happening. Then there's a cool little scene with all the pack playing touch football as Elena watches them - and Jeremy is playing - realising they are her pack. As I said, a tiny short but it was only to serve one purpose. Oh and also let us see Xavier one last time.
So yeah that was a very small recap because so much happens in this book that I'd end up just writing the whole damn story here. Anyone who reads my reviews or knows me personally knows how much I LOVE Kelley's books - it's impossible to not love her writing. For me - and any long time Otherworld fan - this book was a bittersweet read, as much as I couldn't wait to read it I also didn't want to read it 'cos as soon as I did then the series would be over.
So some of my favourite bits or my gasp out loud moments ........ .......
Spoiler
Malcolm - yes, Malcolm! He's alive and he's in Nast custody. Karl gets shot - I thought he was dead, luckily he survives - I didn't like that I thought he was dead for a short period. Elena gets in a fight with Malcolm and gets the better of him, she wants to kill him before Jeremy and Clay know he's actually alive but Clay walks in on them and then he fights him, almost kills him too but the Nast cabal intervene. Jeremy reveals he's going to make Elena alpha immediately - OK not that big a shock since it's the last book but still a tingle went through me (yes, I was that happy). Savannah and Adam finally get together properly but agree not to tell Paige and Lucas. Paige and Lucas find out anyway, Paige is fine with it, she's seen it coming for ages apparently, Lucas is most definitely not, he doesn't want Savannah getting hurt.So any of my readers know they aren't going to get an unbiased review from me about a Kelley book - there's no such thing when it comes to Kelley. I freaking loved this book - sad to see the series end but Kelley did it justice. We got to see all of our favourite characters again and she tied off some open storylines while still leaving enough open to warrant novellas at a later date - which Kelley has said will happen.
FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE
Is a very short story purely there for the Alpha hand-off storyline. While 13 was happening, the twins and the rest of the pack were in Russia with the Russian pack so when Elena, Clay, Jeremy and Jaime join them, Jeremy officially hands the pack over to Elena.
I love the way he did it. Traditionally it would be a challenge so Jeremy challenged Elena to a game of chess. Which was already set up so that Elena would win since it was only a formality, everyone but Elena knew what was happening. Then there's a cool little scene with all the pack playing touch football as Elena watches them - and Jeremy is playing - realising they are her pack. As I said, a tiny short but it was only to serve one purpose. Oh and also let us see Xavier one last time.
Like [b:Timeless|11324166|Timeless (Parasol Protectorate, #5)|Gail Carriger|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1327890901s/11324166.jpg|13210557], I didn't realize this book was the end of the series until I read the book jacket. Some series you get a sense they're winding down; I had no sense of that. (I just thought we were starting a new arc...call it [a:Robert Jordan|6252|Robert Jordan|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1175475715p2/6252.jpg] syndrome).
Anyway, I wasn't excited about that. And Savannah isn't my favorite narrator in this series. But....it worked out. Things happened, everything was wrapped up, and while I'm sad to see that series go, I am glad it didn't stay past its natural life, you know?
Anyway, I wasn't excited about that. And Savannah isn't my favorite narrator in this series. But....it worked out. Things happened, everything was wrapped up, and while I'm sad to see that series go, I am glad it didn't stay past its natural life, you know?
I'm sad to see the series come to an end, but I'm glad that it ended the way it did. This might have to be a series I revisit at another time.
Underwhelming, tbh, and I say that as somebody who does actually like Savannah as a narrator.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A great ending to one of my favourite book series. I loved how she brought all the characters back and tied up a lot of the storylines, while still leaving things open for future short stories and even more adventures!
This series is one of my favorites. I’ve reread it several times, and I end up in withdrawal every time, missing all the characters. The world is impeccably built, the characters jump out of the pages and become your best friends for a little while (even after the fifth reread, I still binge read them) and the plot keeps gaining momentum until you can’t stop and don’t really want to stop. I want to be a woman of the otherworld.
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.
Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads
Blog rating: 4.5/5
This final installment in the Otherworld series picks right up where Spell Bound left off. The supernatural world is dividing, there are those who want to keep who and what they are secret and there are others who want to come out to the world. The battle between these two groups is getting so intense, it’s leading to bombings, supernaturals being captured and used for testing, and there’s a virus introduced that mixes elements of multiple supernatural traits (think a mix of vampire, zombie and werewolf) and key humans are being targeted for this virus all as a part of the big coming out this movement wants to have happen.
The action is non-stop and it all surrounds Savannah, Elena, Eve and Company stopping this movement before humans find out, creating mass hysteria. I’m not going into huge detail about the plot. The build-up and suspense is so layered from the first page, it continues to draw in more and more people from the Otherworld and that is what I want to focus on. It’s what made this series unique to me, the way the world and the different characters were all woven together from book 2 , when it became so much bigger than just Elena and her world, which was the jumping off point for everything.
Savannah is a character that grew on me and she went from being a child to a young woman to a fierce fighter in this final book. She couldn’t rely on her magic, which was still very weak, but she made a huge impact in the story and her connection with Adam finally, finally, happened. The romance between them was subtle, with much of it (the good stuff!) happening off page. I was so happy to finally have these two actually take their relationship from friends to lovers. Would I have liked to have had more of their romance on page? Absolutely and it’s my one, very small, issue in an otherwise captivating story. But it’s been a long time coming for Savannah and Adam and it was nice to know they were done dancing around each other.
From the start, there is no holding back. People die. A lot of people die in this story (I wondered at one point if I should have kept a body count), more so than any other Otherworld book. It’s intense and it really drove home the need to have so many characters brought back. The fight they’re up against is huge and it gave Clay, Jeremy, Jamie, Karl, Hope all reason to be there. That’s what made everything click for me. All the characters showed up for specific reasons and had a major impact on the story. I’ll have more thoughts on Clay and Elena later, but I couldn’t get enough of Karl and Hope. To see where their relationship is now, how Karl has changed (and not changed) because of it, and I enjoyed seeing them again. My favorite surprise of the book was Eve. The scenes that we get between Eve and Savannah and later Kristof and Sean tugged at my heart and it’s a huge moment for these characters that’s been building for many books.
As a narrator, Savannah has grown so much over the past three books. The fighting felt so big on page and Savannah more than holds her own, but it was the little moments that had me really invested in her and this story. Moments she had with Lucas, Sean, even a quick moment with Clay and Elena’s twins over a video chat – it’s the little scenes between the characters that draw me in and care.
Thirteen is a satisfying conclusion in that, it doesn’t really end. Yes, we get some happy endings, but the world continues to go on. Savannah and Adam will still be going off on investigative adventures and there is no clear cut ending. Thank God. Kelley left enough loose ends (especially related to Clay and Elena) to have some major things to bring back up in the future should she revisit the series. There is a short story at the very end for Elena. I feel like had this short story not been included, it would have felt like a little something was missing. It’s the perfect full circle moment for the series and I teared up during it. Seeing Jeremy play for the first time, ever, there is something so emotional about that one single moment for him, it was truly the perfect scene to end on.
This world is one that I’ll revisit many times. This series captured me from page 1 of Bitten and Thirteen had me hooked through the final page.
Blog rating: 4.5/5
This final installment in the Otherworld series picks right up where Spell Bound left off. The supernatural world is dividing, there are those who want to keep who and what they are secret and there are others who want to come out to the world. The battle between these two groups is getting so intense, it’s leading to bombings, supernaturals being captured and used for testing, and there’s a virus introduced that mixes elements of multiple supernatural traits (think a mix of vampire, zombie and werewolf) and key humans are being targeted for this virus all as a part of the big coming out this movement wants to have happen.
The action is non-stop and it all surrounds Savannah, Elena, Eve and Company stopping this movement before humans find out, creating mass hysteria. I’m not going into huge detail about the plot. The build-up and suspense is so layered from the first page, it continues to draw in more and more people from the Otherworld and that is what I want to focus on. It’s what made this series unique to me, the way the world and the different characters were all woven together from book 2 , when it became so much bigger than just Elena and her world, which was the jumping off point for everything.
Savannah is a character that grew on me and she went from being a child to a young woman to a fierce fighter in this final book. She couldn’t rely on her magic, which was still very weak, but she made a huge impact in the story and her connection with Adam finally, finally, happened. The romance between them was subtle, with much of it (the good stuff!) happening off page. I was so happy to finally have these two actually take their relationship from friends to lovers. Would I have liked to have had more of their romance on page? Absolutely and it’s my one, very small, issue in an otherwise captivating story. But it’s been a long time coming for Savannah and Adam and it was nice to know they were done dancing around each other.
From the start, there is no holding back. People die. A lot of people die in this story (I wondered at one point if I should have kept a body count), more so than any other Otherworld book. It’s intense and it really drove home the need to have so many characters brought back. The fight they’re up against is huge and it gave Clay, Jeremy, Jamie, Karl, Hope all reason to be there. That’s what made everything click for me. All the characters showed up for specific reasons and had a major impact on the story. I’ll have more thoughts on Clay and Elena later, but I couldn’t get enough of Karl and Hope. To see where their relationship is now, how Karl has changed (and not changed) because of it, and I enjoyed seeing them again. My favorite surprise of the book was Eve. The scenes that we get between Eve and Savannah and later Kristof and Sean tugged at my heart and it’s a huge moment for these characters that’s been building for many books.
As a narrator, Savannah has grown so much over the past three books. The fighting felt so big on page and Savannah more than holds her own, but it was the little moments that had me really invested in her and this story. Moments she had with Lucas, Sean, even a quick moment with Clay and Elena’s twins over a video chat – it’s the little scenes between the characters that draw me in and care.
Thirteen is a satisfying conclusion in that, it doesn’t really end. Yes, we get some happy endings, but the world continues to go on. Savannah and Adam will still be going off on investigative adventures and there is no clear cut ending. Thank God. Kelley left enough loose ends (especially related to Clay and Elena) to have some major things to bring back up in the future should she revisit the series. There is a short story at the very end for Elena. I feel like had this short story not been included, it would have felt like a little something was missing. It’s the perfect full circle moment for the series and I teared up during it. Seeing Jeremy play for the first time, ever, there is something so emotional about that one single moment for him, it was truly the perfect scene to end on.
This world is one that I’ll revisit many times. This series captured me from page 1 of Bitten and Thirteen had me hooked through the final page.