Book Review: Bitten

Bitten 
(Women of the Otherworld #1)

By: Kelley Armstrong

Narrated By: Aasne Vigesaa

Published By: Brilliance Audio

Publication Date: July 2010

Length: 12 hours, 59 minutes

Buy it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or IndieBound

Source: Library

Audience: Adult - Urban Fantasy

I was drawn to this series after hearing Kelley Armstrong speak a few weeks ago and hearing so many of my friends gush about her writing. Bitten was my first experience with Armstrong's writing, but if this book is any indicator of her other series then I will love those as well. I opted to snag this book in audio format from the library to dip into Armstrong's writing and see if this was a series worth pursuing. I can firmly answer with a resounding YES that this is a series I plan to read in its entirety.

Armstrong's writing is some of the best I have encountered in the Urban Fantasy genre for adult readers. She crafts compelling characters and a plot full of twists and turns. Also, in spite of this book being about werewolves, it felt inventive. I loved that Elena was the only female werewolf in existence and the conflict between the pack and the mutts. This book has everything I look for in a compelling read - romance, action, intrigue, and comedy. If you haven't started reading this series yet, drop everything as soon as you finish reading this review, and grab a copy of Bitten. I am planning to purchase the other books in the series for my Kindle as soon as humanly possible. Armstrong's writing is addictive.

One of the things that makes Bitten great is Elena. She is a strong, stubborn female lead and she's not afraid to go after what she wants in life. I also loved her relationship with Clay (and Clay in general - he may be my favorite werewolf ever). The two of them have such amazing chemistry; they remind me of Beatrice and Benedick from Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. Their constant banter kept me laughing and their romance is quite steamy. I did appreciate, however, that the romantic elements didn't drive the entire novel. I am not a fan of books where romance trumps plot.

The narrator did a nice job on this one. She was able to distinguish her voice for each of the characters and she read in a way that kept me glued to every word. I would listen to other books she narrated. The only complaint I had was the length of this one. I feel like I forgot key aspects because it took so long to finish the book. I don't want that to happen as I move forward with the series - hence why I am planning to read the rest of the series rather than listening to the books. I also was frustrated when I had to get out of my car because I wanted to keep moving with the story.

One Last Gripe: I don't have any for this read.

My Favorite Thing About This Book: Elena and Clay's relationship

First Sentence: I have to.

Favorite Character: Elena

Least Favorite Character: Daniel

Summary:

Young, beautiful, and successful, Elena Michaels seems to have it all. Her happy, organized life follows a predictable pattern: filing stories for her job as a journalist, working out at the gym, living with her architect boyfriend, and lunching with her girlfriends from the office. And once a week, in the dead of night, she streaks through a downtown ravine, naked and furred, tearing at the throats of her animal prey.

Elena Michaels is a werewolf.

The man who made her one has been left behind, but his dark legacy has not. And though Elena struggles to maintain the normal life she's worked so hard to create, she cannot resist the call of the elite pack of werewolves from her past. Her feral instincts will lead her back to them and into a desperate war for survival that will test her own understanding of who, and what, she is.