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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Much better than I expected, I didn't like Paige in the last book but the plot of this one moved fast enough that it carried her through.
It really, really bugs me to read a series out of order, but I started with this one because it seemed to not heavily feature the characters in the first two books. I may revise this opinion later, when I catch up.
I liked most of this story; I thought it was enjoyable, well-written and an easy read. I really enjoyed the world-building aspect, which is something I don't usually comment on in a review but I feel like it was so well done that I have to make an exception. I am not sure it even counts as world building since it's supposed to be a secret society type thing hidden in our society, but I had no problem coming into it, which I think is a good sign since I'm coming into the middle (or late beginning, anyway) of the series.
I docked the star because I didn't like Paige. She was too dumb to live half the time and annoying the other half and Savannah was kind of bratty too so that's pretty much my whole reasoning for docking the star. If she'd just been a little less obnoxious, I could have felt justified giving it the full five stars.
I liked most of this story; I thought it was enjoyable, well-written and an easy read. I really enjoyed the world-building aspect, which is something I don't usually comment on in a review but I feel like it was so well done that I have to make an exception. I am not sure it even counts as world building since it's supposed to be a secret society type thing hidden in our society, but I had no problem coming into it, which I think is a good sign since I'm coming into the middle (or late beginning, anyway) of the series.
I docked the star because I didn't like Paige. She was too dumb to live half the time and annoying the other half and Savannah was kind of bratty too so that's pretty much my whole reasoning for docking the star. If she'd just been a little less obnoxious, I could have felt justified giving it the full five stars.
I grabbed this book because I needed something to read for the long flight from Toronto to Tokyo, and because I had heard good things about the author - another type to try and fill the void left by [author: Laurell K. Hamilton]. And also, because the author is a fellow Ontarian. This book fails on so many levels, and I only finished it because I really didn't have anything else to do on the flight, especially factoring in the 20 hour delay in Chicago, and I was angry enough that I spent the money on it that I was determined to finish it.
The characters are largely unlikable and the plot highly predictable. Paige is annoying and makes only minorly less stupid decisions then her young ward, Savannah. Even Cortez, one of the few characters I did enjoy, sometimes comes off as a caricature of himself when his unique style of speaking is so horribly overdone. The only other thing this book going for it are the "world" elements the author has come up with - the war between sorcerers and witches, and how magic is set up in this world are kind of interesting. With another protagonist I might have liked to follow along to where the series seems to be aiming - with Paige creating a newer coven and bringing the witches into the 21st century. I might give the series another chance, perhaps with the werewolf, Elena.
The characters are largely unlikable and the plot highly predictable. Paige is annoying and makes only minorly less stupid decisions then her young ward, Savannah. Even Cortez, one of the few characters I did enjoy, sometimes comes off as a caricature of himself when his unique style of speaking is so horribly overdone. The only other thing this book going for it are the "world" elements the author has come up with - the war between sorcerers and witches, and how magic is set up in this world are kind of interesting. With another protagonist I might have liked to follow along to where the series seems to be aiming - with Paige creating a newer coven and bringing the witches into the 21st century. I might give the series another chance, perhaps with the werewolf, Elena.
I haven't yet read Armstrong's "Bitten" or "Stolen" so had to pay very close attention to the first few chapters to get the feel of this world and figure out who was who and what they had to do with the current story but now that I've got most of it figured out the pages are flying. Paige is tough and gutsy and vulnerable as well. And I'm digging the gore, the suspense, the wise-a*s humor and the tension (sexual and otherwise). Kind of reminds of very early Laurell K. Hamilton before she became sex obsessed to the point where a coherent plot was no longer an option ;)
The action is pretty much non-stop and the secret world of witches and cabals working behind the modern day world is well done and a nice take on things. The fact that they have to hide their abilities from normal folks is a nice touch and adds a touch of realism to the plot but I'm a little annoyed at the author for taking such obvious joy at poking fun at modern day Wiccans in the "They Aren't Naked, they're Skyclad." chapter. Her Wiccans all seem to be a bit loony and stereotypical . . .
This was an enjoyable read with some great action, humor, romance and characterization but at times I feel like I was missing something when past events were mentioned in passing and probably should have read this series in order.
The action is pretty much non-stop and the secret world of witches and cabals working behind the modern day world is well done and a nice take on things. The fact that they have to hide their abilities from normal folks is a nice touch and adds a touch of realism to the plot but I'm a little annoyed at the author for taking such obvious joy at poking fun at modern day Wiccans in the "They Aren't Naked, they're Skyclad." chapter. Her Wiccans all seem to be a bit loony and stereotypical . . .
This was an enjoyable read with some great action, humor, romance and characterization but at times I feel like I was missing something when past events were mentioned in passing and probably should have read this series in order.
I read the first two Women of the Underworld books almost 5 years ago and was so disappointed that the rest were not available at the library. Now, with my interest rekindled by finding the show Bitten on Netflix, I was super happy to finally get my hands on the next ones. I miss Elena and Clay - they were a fantastic love story that I am sad is relegated to extra characters now, but so far Paige and Savannah (and now Lucas) have been as good of replacements as I could expect. The intrigue here continued over so cleanly from the last book, but also branched off well. I'm excited to see what comes next for the three of them, now that the Coven has kicked Paige out, Savannah has her full powers, and the final threat from Leah and the previous storylines are gone. This was an exciting adventure to read and as the witches discover the full extent of their powers, it'll be interesting to see what other supernatural creatures get added to the mix (and maybe there'll be that promised visit to Bear Valley too). And as always, the female power in the series is just spectacular ~ exactly what I want without being too over the top or unrealistic, with a splash of romance thrown in there. Perfect fun.
I was not expecting to like this book!!!!!
My friend got me into this series. With Bitten I fell in love with Elena, Jeremy, Clay and the pack in general. Book two in the series, Stolen, still focuses on Elena. The third book? It took me forever to give it a serious go as it follows the story of Paige. At first I was cranky and missed the werewolf drama. By persevering I was met with a witty thriller that continuously had me guessing. Armstrong is dark and twisted while at the same time is able to be hilarious. Great characters and story. I liked it so much I went and read the fourth book in the series before writing this review.
My friend got me into this series. With Bitten I fell in love with Elena, Jeremy, Clay and the pack in general. Book two in the series, Stolen, still focuses on Elena. The third book? It took me forever to give it a serious go as it follows the story of Paige. At first I was cranky and missed the werewolf drama. By persevering I was met with a witty thriller that continuously had me guessing. Armstrong is dark and twisted while at the same time is able to be hilarious. Great characters and story. I liked it so much I went and read the fourth book in the series before writing this review.
The first time I read Dime Store Magic, I thought the pace was too slow, and after having the kick-ass fighter Elena Michaels narrating the first two books, it took me some time to adjust to the decent-but-not-asskicking, way-in-over-her-head Paige Winterbourne, who abhors violence and is quite idealistic. Also, she is not a werewolf, so the story took us away from the Pack and into the feuding world of cowering Coven witches and mostly power-hungry sorcerers. Then there's the unfair-things-happening-to-the-main-character thing, which I hate.
But the spellcasting world with its background and limitations are as interesting as the werewolf one, and Dime Store Magic makes a great reread, especially as I grew to appreciate Paige and her tumultous relationship with her 13-year-old ward, Savannah.
But the spellcasting world with its background and limitations are as interesting as the werewolf one, and Dime Store Magic makes a great reread, especially as I grew to appreciate Paige and her tumultous relationship with her 13-year-old ward, Savannah.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes