Review and Giveaway: Thirteen

Thirteen (Women of the Otherworld - Book 13) by Kelley Armstrong

Publication Date: August 6, 2013
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Plume
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal
Pages: 480
ISBN-10: 0142196746
ISBN-13: 978-0142196748

(Received for an honest review from Plume)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, IndieBound

Kelley Armstrong on the WEB: Website, Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads

Books in the series:

Bitten (2001), Stolen (2002), Dime Store Magic (2004), Industrial Magic (2004), Haunted (2005), Broken (2006), No Human Involved (2007), Personal Demon (2008), Living with the Dead (2008), Frost Bitten (2009), Waking the Witch (2010), Spellbound (2011), Thirteen (2013)

Coverart: Click the image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series.

Excerpt from Thirteen, courtesy of Amazon's Look Inside feature.

Synopsis:

The gripping, epic finale to the bestselling Otherworld series 

A war is brewing and the first battle has already been waged. After rescuing her half brother from supernatural medical testing, Savannah Levine—a young witch of remarkable power and a dangerous pedigree—is battered, but still standing. The Supernatural Liberation Movement took him hostage, and they have a maniacal plan to expose the supernatural world to the unknowing.

Savannah is fighting to save her world as witches, werewolves, necromancers, vampires, half-demons, and all the forces of good and evil—including the genetically modified werewolves known as hell hounds—enter the fray. Uniting Savannah with Adam, Elena, Clay, Paige, Lucas, Jaime, Hope, and other denizens of the Otherworld, Thirteen is a thrilling conclusion to this blockbuster series.

Thoughts:

It's hard to believe that Kelley Armstrong is wrapping up her epic urban fantasy series, Women of the Otherworld. But, there are glimpses of hope that readers haven't seen the end of the Otherworld. Thirteen is the projected final book in this unbelievably successful series. Armstrong has been building to the final battle almost from the beginning and readers will be glued to their favorite reading chairs until the final page is read. With non-stop action and the return of all of the previous characters readers have grown to love, this is a must read for Otherworld fans!

Kelley Armstrong was one of the first authors in the urban fantasy genre that I started reading. Had a started with an author who did not have a solid background or who didn't know the in's and out's of the genre, I may never have become an urban fantasy fan. Luckily, I started with one of the best. Kelley Armstrong is a mainstay in the genre and undeniably popular. The Women of the Otherworld series is classic urban fantasy with the romantic undertone. Readers of romance would not be disappointed with Armstrong's books, as their is always a bit of romance thrown in with the epic battle between good and evil themes.

Thirteen is the final book in the series and readers will be really sad to see it go. I generally look at the ending of series in two ways. It gives readers closure with characters they have grown to love over the course of the series. But it also frees up the author for something new. I cannot wait to see where Kelley Armstrong goes next. She ties up a lot of loose ends in Thirteen but she doesn't give the reader a nice tidy box with a bow on top. She leaves a few breadcrumbs which gives the reader a chance to speculate on their own, where the characters go from here. Armstrong also alludes to the fact that the Otherworld will still live on in short stories and other side avenues.

I will have to say as a fan of this series. I was excited to read this final book. There was so much that I felt like I didn't know. I know there has been some speculation on whether Armstrong should have had Savannah as the final narrator as opposed to Elena who started out the series in the first book in 2001. From my own point of view, I think Armstrong was right in making Savannah the lead. She practically grew up in this series and readers have seen the development of the character over several books. I was happy to see her come into her own and really lead the final books in this series. Though some may not like her catty attitude and the way she handles herself, I believe she was perfect. That's how young adults act. They haven't gotten the experience and the wisedom that they will learn along the way. And Savannah personified a young woman finding her way in a very complicated world.

The action in this one was pretty much non-stop. The characters were thrown into one situation after another, without much time to rest in between. It's one of those books that will have you biting your nails and sitting on the edge of your seat. You'll probably get that anxious feeling that readers get when they really get into the plot. Armstrong has a knack for making the reader feel like they are a part of the action. Like they are right there in the fight. I found myself reading late into the night with this one and I wasn't disappointed. It packs a punch and readers are sure to love it!

Thirteen is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

About the Author: 

I’ve been telling stories since before I could write. My earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, mine would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to my teachers’ dismay. All efforts to make me produce “normal” stories failed. Today, I continue to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in my basement writing dungeon.

Giveaway Details:

The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of Thirteen by Kelley Armstrong.

~ You must be an email subscriber to participate.
~ US Addresses only.
~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST, August 13th.

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