Spell Bound

June 6, 2011
In the 12th and penultimate entry in Armstrong's bestselling Otherworld series (after 2010's Waking the Witch), someone has cut off the powers of headstrong young witch Savannah Levine and there's a witch-hunter out to kill her. Savannah, who just tackled her first murder case as a private investigator, now has to rely on mundane skills and her half-demon best friend, Adam, to turn the tables on her would-be killer and recover her magic. In the course of the investigation, she uncovers a group of Supernaturals who plan to wield their powers openly among humans; soon a confusingly large cast of werewolves, vampires, and demons enter the picture. Armstrong keeps the focus on hip, impulsive, and likable Savannah, building suspense with plenty of plot reversals and betrayals. Fans of the series won't want to miss what is clearly the first battle in an Otherworld war.

July 1, 2011

Book 11 of a 12-volume urban fantasy series is merely preparation for what promises to be an epic climax.

At the end of the previous installment (Waking the Witch, 2010, etc.) witch/sorcerer Savannah Levine thought to herself that she'd do anything, even give up her magic, if she could reunite an orphaned girl with her grandmother, imprisoned for killing two women. Unfortunately, someone heard Savannah's desperate wish and granted it, even as a witch hunter, demons and a cult of supernatural immortality (and publicity) seekers attempt either to kill her or win her to their apocalyptic cause. Entirely unused to operating without her powers, and still struggling with her feelings for half-demon Adam Vasic, 21-year-old Savannah must grow up quickly and prepare for battle (although against what it's not quite certain). Before the many strands of the plot resolve into a single story line, readers may have some difficulty keeping track of everything. This is definitely the wrong place to jump into the series, which, despite the substantial supply of action sequences and copious exposition, is clearly an extended buildup for the final volume, which will, no doubt, be a supernatural smackdown of amazing proportions.

Unable to stand on its own, but fans should be happy enough.

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

March 15, 2011

Bad news for the witch Savannah Levine. Having sworn off magic, she's pretty helpless when a bunch of witch-hunting assassins and half-demons strike while she's stuck on the road. Ten years after debuting with Bitten, Armstrong gathers favorite characters from her No. 1 New York Times best sellers--among them Elena, Clay, Paige, Lucas, Jamie, and Hope--for a grand bash-up (but not, it seems, a grand finale). Buy multiples where Armstrong is popular.

Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2011
In the next to last novel of the Women of the Otherworld series, Armstrong brings together beloved characters from all the previous stories, reuniting them just in time to face a danger to the Otherworld that may change their lives forever. Savannah is still recovering from the events in Waking the Witch (2010), but she and Adam have little time to rest after she realizes that her witching powers have disappeared, possibly as a the result of an ill-timed wish, and that there is new threat in the form of a group, the Supernatural Liberation Movement, that not only has plenty of followers but also seems to involve demonic and celestial powers. Armstrong produces another engaging, fast-paced read that will thrill her devoted fans. Readers new to the series should start with one of the earlier novels, such as Bitten (2001), so as to fully appreciate everything that Armstrong brings together in this novel. A must for urban-fantasy and romance fans.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)