Counterfeit Magic by Kelley Armstrong

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Author's Website
Copy obtained: bought it
Series?: a novella set in The Otherworld, just before book #11 Waking The Witch
Rating: 8/10

"The first rule of a supernatural fight club? Don’t kill your opponent.

When the fighters come with lethal spells, werewolf strength and half-demon powers, that can be a lot tougher than it sounds. It’s hard to attract talent if they know they might not leave the ring alive. So when fighters at a California club start dying … it’s bad for business.

Witch detectives Paige Winterbourne and Savannah Levine take the case. Going undercover in the power-heavy arena of the fight club is a welcome change of pace for Paige, relegated to the role of The Wife as her husband struggles to find his place in his family’s Cabal—the corporate Mafia of the supernatural world.

As Paige is drawn deeper into new and dangerous corners of her world, she quickly discovers the greatest threat isn’t the killer in her sights. It’s something much, much closer to home. And this is one fight she can’t afford to lose."

Counterfeit Magic is a limited edition novella that Kelley has written for Subterranean Press, which includes a few, very beautiful, images inside to go with the story as well. This is the second novella she's produced this way, the first being Angelic, which had an even tinier print run. I never bought that one, but as soon as Kelley made mention of Counterfeit Magic back in the summer I ordered a copy. I'm so glad I did!

Counterfeit Magic is narrated by Paige as she and Savannah work to solve their latest case involving a death that seems to be linked to a supernatural fight club. Paige has never been my favourite character or narrator, but she has grown on me with each appearance and I enjoyed her more than ever here. Paige is smart and tough, but she's not a fighter, making her very different to most of Kelley's narrators.

While this is a very good short story on it's own, with a good plot and some nice twists, I enjoy Kelley's shorts more for the extra glimpse of the characters we get. The chance to see how certain people are doing and maybe see little things from a different point of view. That was very much the case here. Counterfeit Magic is set just before Waking The Witch, which is narrated by Savannah. It shows some things Savannah mentioned in more detail, and also gives the chance to see Paige's perspective of Savannah right before she takes the reins as narrator. I love the switch up and seeing the differences in perspective. The relationship between Savannah and Paige kind of fascinates me because it's not quite mother/daughter, not quite sibling, but somewhere between the two. I'm looking forward to seeing more of the two of them together, but from Savannah's POV, in the next full book, Spell Bound (out late July/early August 2011).

As with any of Kelley's books, you wouldn't have to read this to understand events in later books, but it does give that little bit of extra insight which I love. I did enjoy the plot with the case they were working on, although I felt it was left a little bit rushed and unfinished almost. But it did come secondary to getting to know the latest events in the characters lives for me, and in that respect, it's a fantastic novella!

Intertwined by Gena Showalter

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"There's something about the new guy at Crossroads High...

Most sixteen-year-olds have friends. Aden Stone has four human souls living inside him:

One can time travel.
One can raise the dead.
One can possess another human.
One can tell the future.

Everyone thinks he's crazy, which is why he's spent his entire life shuffled between mental institutions and juvie. All of that is about ot change, however. For months Aden has been having visions of a beautiful girl - a girl who carries centuries-old-secrets. A girl who will either save him or destroy him.

Together they'll enter a dark world of intrigue and danger...but not everyone will come out alive."

Intertwined is the first in Gena's YA series. Aden is a guy who has no one. He's been shuffled between mental institutions, foster homes and juvie his whole life. Because he has 4 human souls living inside him and speaking to them means speaking out loud. Apparently to himself. So everyone thinks he's crazy, but Aden knows he's not. The four souls have names and abilities: Eve (yes he has a female in his head too) can time travel, taking them back to a earlier stage in Aden's life. Julian can raise the dead, he can't control it, he just does. Caleb can possess another human, taking them over and controlling them though there is a price to pay for it. And Elijah gets visions of the future, usually when someone is going to die.

Except lately, Elijah has been seeing a girl. A beautiful brunette who Aden gets involved with, but with her comes his death. But for the first time, Aden is meeting someone who doesn't think he's crazy, doesn't want to shove him in an institution, someone who makes him feel normal. And he can't turn away from that.

First saw this book a while ago in the back of another Harlequin Teen book, but while I thought it sounded interesting, I had so many other books to read I decided to wait for the paperback. I kind of which I hadn't. The book starts a little slow, and more than a little strange, with Aden walking on to a cemetery, by mistake, and suddenly having to destroy all the zombies Julian has raised. While busy fighting them, Aden suddenly sees a girl. A brunette who somehow negates his, or his souls', power and the zombies go back to being corpses. Unsure if she's the girl from his vision he follows her and talks to her, discovering that she's not, but convinced he needs to be around her anyway. The girl is Mary Ann and while not Aden's love interest, she gets a fair bit of page time as well.

The book is actually told in third person, both from Aden and Mary Ann's POVs, though Aden gets the lions share. When Aden is around Mary Ann, the souls disappear and he can be 'normal' for the first time in his life. Elijah has a bad feeling that hanging around Mary Ann will end in trouble, but Aden's willing to deal with it on the chance of having a friend for the first time in his life. And before you start to think 'okay, so Mary isn't the love interest, then surely she's interested in him and it's a love triangle' let me assure you it's really not the case. Aden and Mary are just friends, and both have love interests in the forms of Victoria and Riley, who have known each other for years but are also strictly friends. The romantic aspect of the book is pretty strong, but it's tied in with all the mystery and intrigue with plenty of action to keep it from just being a YA paranormal romance.

The book did start out strange, a lot happening, a lot of confusing things linked together and a lot of things popping up from nowhere really making Aden's world a whole lot bigger. And at first I wasn't too keen on it kind of laughing going okay, what's going to get thrown in the mix next. But I stuck with it and ended up well and truly hooked. It picks up maybe a third of the way in and I loved it from then on. It's got some odd twists and some good surprises, although some things can bee seen coming a ways off, but most of it I really enjoyed. There are a couple over sappy/cheesy moments (both guys carrying the girls bags as they walk home from school for instance), but it's easy to get past them.

Aden is a lonely guy, despite having 4 souls in his head. He may love them a certain extent, and certainly get driven a little crazy by them too, but he longs to be normal, to have friends. People he can sit and chat with, hug, run with, kiss. He's never had that and he wants it badly, and now he's got the chance he'll put everything on the line for it, even his life. And you know what? I don't blame him. I liked Aden a lot, although it took a little while, and the more I got to know him the more I saw how he dealt with things, the more I understood his mindset and why he was willing to risk the things he does. And I really liked Mary Ann as well, probably more than Aden at times. In some ways she's a very mature teen, but in others she's got a lot of growing up to do. I loved seeing how she adjusted, learning about the paranormal world. She's strong, standing up for those she cares about even though they may be in a better position to take care of themselves. She doesn't run screaming (well, not much anyway) and she is dealt some huge personal blows along the way, yet still she fights. A lot to like about her.

It built up a good pace and I really enjoyed the ending. There's plenty still left hanging for the next book and I'm really looking forward to it! It did take a little time to hook me and grow on me, but in the end I was loving the characters, rooting for them and very curious to find out where everything was leading. I really want to know what the power draw Aden has is, and where it comes from. There is a lot left unanswered and I'm hoping we get some of the answers in the next book, Unraveled (out August 31st)! 8/10

Waking The Witch by Kelley Armstrong

"Columbus is a small, fading town, untouched by the twenty-first century. But when three young women are found dead - victims of what appear to be ritual murders - things start to get very dark, and very dangerous...

Private investigator Savannah Levine can handle 'dark and dangerous'. As the daughter of a black witch, she has a lot of power running through her veins, and she's not afraid to use it. But her arrival in Columbus has not gone unnoticed. Savannah may think she's tracking down a murderer, but could she be the killer's next target?

Of course, she could always ask her old friend (and half-demon) Adam Vasic for back-up. But Savannah has her own - very personal - reasons for keeping Adam well away from Columbus. And in any case, she can rely on her own powers. Can't she...?"

This is the 11th book in The Otherworld series by Kelley Armstrong. Overall I love this series and it's one of my favourites, but I don't love every narrator. This is the first book told by Savannah and I was looking forward to it. She first appeared in book #2, Stolen, as a 12 or 13 year old witch who's mom had just been murdered. Since then she's appeared on and off as a side character, but now at 21 she's getting her first book. She's always been sassy, smart, determined and just a little dangerous, and I've always liked her, even when she was being a brat. So I figured there was a good chance I'd enjoy her story and I was looking forward to getting to know her better. Turns out, I really love her. This is one of the best Otherworld books of the series to date. For me, it's second only to book #1 Bitten, and possible book #10 Frostbitten, both told by my favourite narrator, Elena.

Savannah's story sucked me in right from the start. She's still the sassy, smart girl she's always been, and hungry to prove herself. Now she wants to take on a case solo and with Paige and Lucas (the people who raised her after her mother's death and also her bosses) on vacation and her associate (and long time crush) Adam away at a conference, now seems like the prefect time. In steps Jesse, a young PI who's worked with Lucas before, and is now looking for some help on a triple homicide case with apparent ritualistic aspects of the supernatural variety. Savannah jumps at the chance and heads to small town Columbus to see if she can solve the case. But it doesn't take long before she's making enemies and with a distinct supernatural possibility Savannah soon realises she may be next on the killers hit list.

All those traits that made her a loud mouth some times bratty kid, she uses to great advantage to work the people she needs information from. She can be brutally honest, but she's also happy to spin some pretty big tales when required. Savannah is a girl who hates to be seen as weak or vulnerable, she won't let it happen, but that doesn't mean she doesn't get scared. And it doesn't mean she doesn't have a softer side, something we've rarely seen until now. I loved getting deeper in to her head and figuring out how she works, how she thinks. She has to make some hard decisions and learns some tough lessons through this book which took their toll on her, maybe more so than we get to see here.

It was also fun getting to know Adam a little better through the eyes of someone who wants a lot more than friendship from him. But he's no the only guy who has Savannah's attention here. There is also Dallas Detective Michael Kennedy. He's the older brother of one of the victims and he arrives in Columbus at the same time as Savannah, hoping to solve the case as well. I loved the way they played off each other, particularly as Savannah's quite often shown great disregard for humans.

The story flows really well, mixing a little police procedural with witchcraft, and throws a few big shocks in along the way. I had a really hard time putting it down. Savannah is a great character to get to know, but like previous books, Kelley does a great job of creating secondary characters to love, or loathe, as well. Another plus point to this book is seeing Savannah's thoughts on some incidents that happened several books ago. She's played some big roles in the series before, despite this being the first book from her perspective, and learning how she's felt and dealt with some of those things adds something to it. There were some surprisingly intense and emotional moments in this book as well, and my heart went out to Savannah on more than one occasion. She's someone who uses a lot of her spunk to cover some pretty big issues at times, more so than I'd first have guessed.

This book has a few firsts for the series in it, but one of the most surprising ones is the ending. It was a great build up and left things completely hanging. None of the previous books have had a cliff hanger ending, but this one sure does! It's very well done and I love it as much as I hate it. The shock and surprise was felt and I'm gutted to have to wait til July next year for book #12, Spell Bound, which is also narrated (thankfully!) by Savannah.

I said it already, but I will repeat myself. This is one of the best Otherworld books to date. Kelley continues to weave great stories with great characters to keep this series fresh. With a series this long it's like settling down with an old friend for a catch up, but there is plenty of new things to keep it really interesting. If you're a fan of the Otherworld books, this is one not to be skipped! If you've yet to try them, I strongly recommend starting with book 1, Bitten, although it's not strictly needed. There is enough explanation given that you don't miss anything big with each new book, only small things, and it doesn't overload readers who've read all the previous books with repeated info. Just enough of a refresher of the most important aspects. A really great read, and I'm very excited for more books from Savannah's point of view.

Rating: 9/10

Tales of the Otherworld by Kelley Armstrong

Tales of the Otherworld is the second collection of short stories from Kelley set in her Otherworld. All but one of these stories first appeared on her website several years ago as free extras for her readers, but then she was offered a deal where the profits when to a charity, so they were taken off and put in to two collections. Men of the Otherworld which has been out for a year, and this one.

I love this collection! Some of the stories are only 15-20 pages long, but even those contain a lot and give some great back ground to some characters we don't see much of. As well as those set before or between her main Otherworld books. A fantastic addition to her series.

The stories:
Rebirth: the story of how Aaron became a vampire. Outside this, don't know much about him, this short story made me really love him.
Bewitched: the all new story for this collection which follows black witch Eve Levine as she meets enemy and potential ally sorcerer Kristof Nast. Brilliant back story for the characters which explains a lot and made me really want to reread the books where both characters appear, even if briefly.
Birthright: Logan discovers his heritage with an...interesting meeting with alpha werewolf Jeremy Danvers. One of the only times we really see Logan, and I love his characters. Wish there could be more of him.
Beginnings: how Elena Michaels meets and falls in love with Clayton Danvers, and his ultimate betrayal. Oh my gosh. Quite possibly my favourite of Kelley's stories full stop. A fantastic addition to the series all on it's own.
Expectations: Lucas Cortez is feeling the weight of his family's name, despite trying to escape it. Set well before we meet Lucas in Dime Store Magic, giving us a decent insight in to some of his motives for how he does things. I liked this story, but not one of my favourites. I like Lucas fine, but don't find him as interesting as some other characters. His interaction with Eve is well worth reading though.
Ghosts: Set during some events near the end of Bitten (1st Otherworld book, I don't want to give away spoilers) from Jeremy's POV. I love the insight to the Alpha's head.
Wedding Bell Hell: Lucas and Paige planning their wedding. Funny and sweet story which again adds to their overall story in the series.
The Case of El Chupacabra: Sean Nast (son of Kristof Nast, half brother to Savannah Levine) brings a case to Lucas and Paige to investigate. Didn't actually read this when it was online, but having read it now, I wish I had. Fantastic short story.

Overall, a must have if you're a fan of the series.

Rating: 9/10

The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong

SPOILER WARNING!! Unavoidable spoilers from the previous two books.

The final part of Kelley's Darkest Powers trilogy.

"My name is Chloe Saunders. I'm fifteen, and I would love to be normal. But normal is one thing I'm not.

For one thing, I'm having these feelings for a certain antisocial werewolf and his sweet-tempered brother - who just happens to be a sorcerer - but, between you and me, I'm leaning toward the werewolf.

Not normal.

My friends and I are also on the run from an evil corporation that wants to get rid of us - permanently.

Definitely not normal.

And finally, I'm a genetically altered necromancer who can raise the dead, rotting corpses and all, without trying.

As far away from normal as it gets."

Chloe, Derek, Simon and Tori have escaped the catches of the Edison Group with the help of Andrew. A former employee of the Edison Group, and a friend of the boys' dad, he and a small group of other ex-employees want to stop the experiments the EG are preforming and feel the kids may just have the information they need to do so. But Chloe and her friends are cautious. They've been through a lot, escaped and been caught repeatedly, and betrayed by those they trusted completely already, is Andrews offer of help too good to be true? And even if it is, do they have a choice about staying with him?

I liked the previous two books in this trilogy, but I didn't love them. I always felt like they were lacking something. But this one I liked a lot more. It felt smoother, like the series really hit it's stride. It's well paced with a fair bit of action and some good twists and turns. A couple things along the way I really didn't see coming.

The love triangle between Chloe and the brothers, Derek and Simon, played out really well and I love how it worked out. Chloe grew up a lot through this book and it really showed. Not to mention she finally learned to stand up for herself. Aside from Chloe, I felt Derek and Tori grew a fair bit through this final book as well making them that bit more 'real' to me. Simon is pretty much the same, but his character serves his purpose just fine, without being forgotten.

Aside from the romantic entanglements, the plot is not so cleanly wrapped up. The biggest things are dealt with, but not everything. Why? Because while this is a trilogy, it's the first part of a series. The second trilogy is titled 'Darkness Rising' and the first book, 'The Gathering' is due out in about a year (I think). The second trilogy follows different characters, subjects of a different Edison Group project. Kelley recently said on Twitter than right now Chloe and her friends are plotted to appear late in the second trilogy, but that it could easily change as it's not written yet. Personally, I really hope they do cause I want more of these characters.

Back to this book. While there are certain things left open ended, the majority of plot threads are tied up in this book, or at least enough to give a satisfying conclusion. I would have liked a little more in some ways, but given this is actually the start of a series, which has at least three more books to go, I can't really expect it to be all tied up. Easily my favourite of the three books, and admittedly not my favourite YA series, but still worth reading. And if you've read the first and second books, you definitely don't want to miss this one! A great read.

Rating: 8/10