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Stolen (Women of the Otherworld #2)

by Kelley Armstrong (Goodreads Author)

4.14 of 5 stars 4.14 · rating details · 21,035 ratings · 894 reviews

It was in Bitten, Kelley Armstrong's debut novel, that thirty-year-old Elena Michaels came to terms with her feral appetites and claimed the proud identity of a beautiful, successful woman and the only living female werewolf.

In Stolen, on a mission for her own elite pack, she is lured into the net of ruthless Internet billionaire Tyrone Winsloe, who has funded a bogus sc

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Mass Market Paperback, 468 pages

Published September 28th 2004 by Plume (first published December 24th 2002)

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Nov 21, 2010 Lady Valee rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

Not what I expected, which is good as I thought I would not like this book much. I did like it more than the first installment in this series though. Still, I need more. Something was just missing, but the series is really good, definitely worth to read.

In Stolen we get to read about Elena again, the heroine from book 1. Elena is a werewolf, and the only female werewolf that has ever existed. In book 1 we see how she struggles to understand her wolf and accept it. It took her a while but she did...more Not what I expected, which is good as I thought I would not like this book much. I did like it more than the first installment in this series though. Still, I need more. Something was just missing, but the series is really good, definitely worth to read.

In Stolen we get to read about Elena again, the heroine from book 1. Elena is a werewolf, and the only female werewolf that has ever existed. In book 1 we see how she struggles to understand her wolf and accept it. It took her a while but she did. She also accepted Clay, the werewolf she fell in love with and the one who turned her into one without her permission. While in book 1 it got a bit annoying to see them fighting and Elena trying to avoid him, in this installment we see them extremely in love with one another and totally comfortable with it, which was a very positive change. Clay is super hot, I just love him, he is this super strong and powerful werewolf who is more wolf than human. He also is extremely overprotective, jealous and narrow-minded, qualities I usually hate but Clay made me love them. I just love this couple. It's like they could be very annoying analyzed separately buy by being together they get the best of themselves out for us to see.

But this is not a romance at all, actually there is almost no romance in it as Elena spends 70% of the book in a prison. I know it sound bad, but it isn't. It took me such a long time to get to read this book because many had told me this and I thought it would be totally lame, but it wasn't, not at all. I loved the plot. We see Elena imprisoned by a crazy multimillionaire who wants to study and torture supernatural beings. It sound like a stereotype but it isn't, because the whole time you get new info to understand things and you get to know the characters and sympathize with them a lot more.

Now I'm not giving 5 stars to this book because I needed a much more shocking and powerful ending, one which was as good as the rest of the book. But we do not get that. It is as if the author got without any more pages left and decided to finish the book with a closing phrase. Not good. I need more. I will be reading more books in the series, although I am extremely disappointed to see they are not about Elena and Clay, but about Paige, a character I did not care at all.(less)

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Mar 24, 2011 TJ rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, paranormal, romantic-suspense

3.5/5.0

"Stolen" continues the story of Elena Michaels, a young woman turned werewolf, where the book, "Bitten" left off. The relationships between Elena and her pack, especially Clay are just as real and engaging as in the former book. Ms. Armstrong shows an amazing gift in painting life as it would be as a half human/half werewolf with incredible depth and understanding. The downside in this book is the inordinate amount and graphic nature of the violence. It's not the generic "they killed the...more

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Jul 19, 2009 Brownbetty rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the seventh girl-werewolf book I've read in the last seven days. I swear I didn't plan this, I just have no sense of self-preservation when it comes to books. I think I'll need werewolf detox after this, although I'm not sure what would do it. Someone's autobiographical account of the summer they spent in Ireland, learning to love the peace and quiet.

Here's what I love about Elena; she's an unreliable narrator, and a sociopath. She doesn't know she's a sociopath. She talks about how, unl...more

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Jan 11, 2009 Shannon (Giraffe Days) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of Keri Arthur

Shelves: urban-fantasy, paranormal, shape-shifters, vampires, 2009, favourite, romance

A wonderful, wonderful sequel to Bitten.

Elena is investigating someone selling info about werewolves but finds her contacts to be a pair of witches instead, wanting to warn her about a secretive organisation who are abducting creatures of the otherworld: witches, shamans, half-demons, who want a vampire - and a werewolf.

After dealing with her incredulity (for some reason, despite being a werewolf herself, she never considered the possibility that there'd be other supernatural races around), she...more

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Apr 03, 2012 Suzan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Paranormal romance and Werewolf fans

I love this book as it's pivotal in expanding Kelley's Otherworld. Elena narrates again and I love all the little nuances and themes in it, how everything serves to build her character and history. For example when she gives her reasons for not usually telling Clay she misses him or never saying she loves him outside of the bedroom cause she see's it as giving him too much power to hurt her like others have done. she knows it's stupid and says so herself but it's something she still has to overc...more I love this book as it's pivotal in expanding Kelley's Otherworld. Elena narrates again and I love all the little nuances and themes in it, how everything serves to build her character and history. For example when she gives her reasons for not usually telling Clay she misses him or never saying she loves him outside of the bedroom cause she see's it as giving him too much power to hurt her like others have done. she knows it's stupid and says so herself but it's something she still has to overcome. Also the way Ty Winsloe's treatment of her scares her not because of the power he holds in the story or because of him but because of how it reminds her about her bad childhood experiences in the foster homes she was in. All these things build her to a truly substantial character.
One of my favourite parts in this story (apart from her reunion with Clay and her revenge on Ty) is when she's just sat with Jeremy and he's telling her antedotes of Clay's childhood, through her we learn a little more about Clay and Jeremy's past's and childhood's. We also see the introduction of new supernatural races in this, the witches, half-demons, shaman's, vampires and sorcerers. I will admit that in this book I wasn't fond of Paige when I first met her but towards the end she was really growing on me, espeacially when she threatened to cut off and box a certain part of Adam's anatomy! She's a character that in future books becomes a favourite of mine alongside Elena. I also love Adam's character, he's so boyish but (being a half-demon) has a dangerous edge. Cassandra has never grown on me like the rest of the characters but the male vampire we meet briefly at the end does.
Again, parts of the book made me sad as characters I liked were killed but alot of it made me laugh, like Xavier's antics, he was definetly a fence character, neither truly on one side or the other.
This book had a few twists in it that when I first read it I didn't really see coming but it kept me hooked from start to finish with everything going on in it and the new characters being brought in to the series. Elena only had me mentally berating her a couple of times when her insecurities came into play making her think things that weren't true and overreact to a couple of things. She has come along since Bitten in that she has 100% accepted that she belongs with Clay and the pack, she hasn't given up her independant streak but nor is she running away anymore. She's accepted her life even if she hasn't yet forgiven Clay but she still has a lot more ground to cover. She still has to overcome alot of her insecurities and learn to be open with Clay. Learn to NOT be afraid to tell him outright that she misses him when they're separated and that she loves him, afterall Clay has more then proved he's never going to abandon her or leave her for any reason. She has to learn to believe and trust in that. I also love the fact that at the end Clay has now got the idea of kids in his head much to Elena's horror! Lol, I laughed when she made the comment about hiding her birth control pills from now on! This book is an amazing sequel to Bitten and well worth picking up!(less)

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Sep 29, 2010 Mel rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Stolen is the second book in the Women of the Otherworld series by Kelley Armstrong. Armstrong writes good stories and this was no exception.

The plot was in thriller form and it kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the book. I liked getting to know the other races in the supernatural community and I loved seeing Elena and Clay together; their relationship was beautifully portrayed. Those two really complete each other and it was great to see their mutual respect and love for one another.

Th...more

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Apr 16, 2012 Mags~CVAddikt~Chaos defies imagination! rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, favorites-2011-2012, magic-n-stuff, killer-instinct, urban-fantasy, weres, deserted-island, bewitched-wizard, catalina-creel-evil

4.5 stars

I've never hated a villain so much as Tyrone Winsloe ... and he was not the kind of evil that will destroy the world and stuff like that ... no he was simply a sick spoiled rich pervy bastard... whatever that means. And really, I enjoyed the end of the book so much ... those scenes ... Oak Tree + Elena + Winsloe hanging from her hands ... it was perfect. He just wants to have fun hunting and experimenting with the lives of others just because he can ... he's an asshole that believes he...more

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Jul 29, 2010 Catherine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, fantasy-paranormal-sci-fi, demons, halfbreed, magic-mystical-ability, read-2010, series, vampire, were-shifter

This is a really hard one to review. I think my opinion was skewed because of unmet expectations. I think if I gone into this book cold I would have enjoyed it a lot more. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it, but my opinion teeter-tottered throughout it. I finally decided on a four star grade because the end did pick up and once I was able to put aside my reasons for reading it immediately after Bitten I got caught up in it. I'd say that Bitten is a high four star while this one is a low four st...more This is a really hard one to review. I think my opinion was skewed because of unmet expectations. I think if I gone into this book cold I would have enjoyed it a lot more. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it, but my opinion teeter-tottered throughout it. I finally decided on a four star grade because the end did pick up and once I was able to put aside my reasons for reading it immediately after Bitten I got caught up in it. I'd say that Bitten is a high four star while this one is a low four star.

When Bitten ended we left Clay and Elena on a hopeful note. Nothing was really worked out, but the promise that they would try was given. I was so excited to pick up this one and watch their relationship heal itself. For me, that's half the fun of reading about a couple. I don't just want to see them together, I want to watch them get together and strengthen their relationship.

When I started this book I was shocked to find out that approximately six years had passed since the last book. I was pretty pissed off about it too. All my expectations about watching them build their relationship collapsed. I was pretty surprised to see that even though she was still with the Pack and still with Clay, she wasn't really with Clay the way that a six year commitment implies to me. They're still in basically the same spot spinning their wheels. It was actually kind of sad for both of them. I guess I didn't miss as much as I originally thought...

The beginning of this book was very slow going. My attention kept wandering and I had to struggle to make myself focus. The attention is no longer focused on just the werewolves. For a good chunk of the beginning half there's barely any werewolf interaction at all. The focus is all on the new type of supernatural creatures we meet and the organization hunting them. I did enjoy learning about the different groups, but what caught me most in the first book was the feel of the "otherness" of the werewolves and their interactions together. I felt that that aspect was really toned down in this book. Yes, there were gruesome moments, but the mentality of it felt different.

Around page 200 is where the pace started to pick up for me. We were still focused on only Elena, but her personal demons started to come into play. It seemed like her captivity and isolation dug beneath her skin enough to break through her persona. We got to see the despair and the insecurities and the depression. It was great getting that raw view. I loved how Elena admitted she wasn't over her past and probably never would be.

When Elena was back with Clay I found it extremely irritating that they never talked through anything. Their mode of operation seems to be to ignore everything and move on. It drives me nuts. You'll get to see how they solved the issue of his betrayal of her 12 years ago, and you'll see why I feel that way. I don't understand how they could have been back together the last 6 years and never have sat down and talked these things through.

I loved the glimpse we got of Clay's point of view (sort of). I felt it added nice perspective for that time period. I loved Clay in this book. Even though we saw him infrequently his presence was still felt. I hear the next book is about Paige. I hope, for both her sake and mine, that she isn't as irritating in that book as she was in this. I was on Clay's side about her and I loved the nickname he gave her. Xavier and Adam seemed like interesting characters and I hope to see more of them in the series. (less)

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May 08, 2012 Alkyoni rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy, the-howling, the-blair-witch-project, say-anything

These books are hard for me to rate.

I really like Armstrong’s writing. I like how she finds room for the little things that help the reader understand the nature of her characters. It was something that I appreciated in the previous book and it’s in this one as well. I liked how she worked with the suspense in Bitten but I liked even more what she did with Stolen. For the most part of the book, Elena is imprisoned by a group of people that kidnap preternatural creatures in order to study them....more

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Sep 01, 2012 Nairabell rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 5-star, urban-fantasy, read-in-2011, read-in-2012

Elena Michaels is just beginning to come to terms with her life as a werewolf when a pack assignment immerses her in a supernatural world she never knew existed. Werewolves aren't the only creature to go bump in the night, and soon Elena learns that supernaturals are disappearing. When Elena herself is captured she realises a group of moneyed individuals are creating a collection of supernatural beings to study...and to hunt.

This is the second book in the awesome Otherworld series (after Bitten...more Elena Michaels is just beginning to come to terms with her life as a werewolf when a pack assignment immerses her in a supernatural world she never knew existed. Werewolves aren't the only creature to go bump in the night, and soon Elena learns that supernaturals are disappearing. When Elena herself is captured she realises a group of moneyed individuals are creating a collection of supernatural beings to study...and to hunt.

This is the second book in the awesome Otherworld series (after Bitten) and continues with werewolf Elena Michaels as the narrator. While you can read most of this series out of order, I'd recommend at least keeping the narrators in order (i.e. read the Elena books in order) to avoid massive spoilers.

After choosing to stay with Clay and the pack in the previous book, Elena follows a possible information leak to a woman called Paige Winterbourne and stumbles onto the larger world of supernaturals. As a result Elena has to deal with a lot of her preconceptions, and then ends up stolen away from the life she's just chosen.

A massive cast of characters are introduced along with the introduction of multiple supernatural races. Until now only werewolves have been featured, but this book introduces witches, sorcerers, half-demons, demons, shamans, voodoo priests and more. Although the majority of characters are well developed, the witch Paige in particular, a few come of as slightly cookie cutter although with a cast this big it is understandable.

I really liked the introduction of witches and Paige is a great character. She actually takes over the narration role for the next two books in the series (Dime Store Magic and Industrial Magic) and although she is presented as being young compared to most other characters I'm really looking forward to reading her perspective.

The pacing of the storyline is generally good, although it has a bit of a slow start until Elena is kidnapped. From that point on there is a huge amount of tension added as the narration shows both Elena in the compound and the actions of her friends outside trying to get her back. Clayton's actions are great to read and show how much he cares for Elena, while Jeremy has to balance trying to get Elena back with protecting Clay from himself.

All in all this was an awesome read and I can't wait to read Dime Store Magic.

Plot: 10/10
Characters: 9/10
Ending: 10/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Cover: 10/10

Overall: 49/50 (less)

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Sep 15, 2009 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2009, paranormal-romance

I was thoroughly entranced by Bitten and could not wait to devour Stolen. While I was initially hoping for more of the same, i.e., Clay, Elena and The Pack, I knew that the Were world would not be the main focus of this story. I have to admit, at first I was a bit put out. Who cares about witches, demons, vamps and the lot? I want to run, and hunt and drool over Clay! Regardless of my hopes, I sat down with Stolen and attempted to put my pre-conceived notions aside, after all, Kelley Armstrong h...more I was thoroughly entranced by Bitten and could not wait to devour Stolen. While I was initially hoping for more of the same, i.e., Clay, Elena and The Pack, I knew that the Were world would not be the main focus of this story. I have to admit, at first I was a bit put out. Who cares about witches, demons, vamps and the lot? I want to run, and hunt and drool over Clay! Regardless of my hopes, I sat down with Stolen and attempted to put my pre-conceived notions aside, after all, Kelley Armstrong hadn’t failed me yet, and after having finished Stolen, I wondered if she ever will. It was superb!

Bitten fans be warned, Stolen is nothing like it’s predecessor, I wouldn’t even consider it a sequel, as Bitten was written to be a stand alone novel and it is obvious from the start that Stolen was written with the intent of it being the beginning of a series. Therefore, I offer this advice, as you read Stolen, try to think of it as the first book of a series that just so happens to include your favorite characters from Bitten. Rest assured, Clay and Jeremy are still present. There are still chemistry filled moments between Clay and Elena, their relationship still evokes butterflies and laughs, though thankfully, they have moved beyond their troubles that plagued them in Bitten. Elena continues to narrate and provide us with her snide, aloof comments and preconceived misconceptions; however, the world as Elena knew it is gone.

As Stolen opens, Elena is following a lead about a potential werewolf killing. What Elena finds; however, is an intent pair of witches desperately attempting to contact her with the hopes of enlisting the pack's assistance in tracking down a scientific group who is capturing people for an occult menagerie. Initially skeptical, Elena becomes a true believer when she herself is stalked and ultimately captured. What follows is and action filled story, overflowing with new and intriguing characters that will leave your heart racing and your adrenaline singing as you gobble up every last word.

(less)

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Jul 10, 2008 danny rated it 3 of 5 stars

Not quite as good as the first book, but still worth reading. I think forming a series out of it somewhat lessons the impact of the story. One of my favorate things about the first book was that it said that there were only a handful of werewolves in the world. There are so many supernatural stories that imply that there are hundreds or thousands of Vampires or werewolves or whatever, so much that they have their own complex societies. But to propose that there were only a few werewolves denounc...more

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Dec 26, 2010 Jade rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010

Really a 3.5. I loved this book, even though it strayed from the format of number 1. I felt that I got to know Elena a ot better and started to understand some of the full wolfie pschology/physiology. I'm a little disappointed that Elena didn't admit to whether and Clay 'do it' in wolfie form - they soooo would - but I suppose beastiality isn't really a good theme for a book :)

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Apr 05, 2010 chucklesthescot rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, 5-star-reads, urbanfantasy

Elena is approached by 2 witches who know that she is a werewolf,wanting her to attend a supernatural meeting to discuss a dangerous common enemy.Elena ignores the warnings and finds herself imprisoned in a private lab where supernaturals are tested and killed.Can the inmates find a way to escape or can Jeremy's pack come to her rescue in time?
I like strong female characters and this is a good example. The wolves are back(I'm a big Jeremy fan!)and we are introduced to other interesting supernat...more

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Jan 03, 2010 Beth_jj rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Once again, Kelley Armstrong has done her readers proud.

Elena is the member in the pack who is left to trace anybody/information that could out her pack's secret to the world. She stumbles across a website that claims to sell 'real info' on supernaturals. To Elena and the pack, there isn't anything else out thereas unique as her, little does she know.

She meets up with a young lass in Detroit, claiming to be selling real information on the wereabouts of a real werewolf. This woman is called Paige...more

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May 01, 2013 Levian rated it 4 of 5 stars

when Elena came across Paige who claimed to be a witch, she ignored her warning of humans kidnapping the supernaturals. she couldn't find herself believing that there were other supernaturals out there other than werewolves. however, she was soon forced to confront the truth when she was kidnapped and thrown into a transparent cell that allowed her to be studied by her captors. not only witches, there were sorcerers, half demons, even vampires. the terror didn't start with the amount of supernat...more

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Apr 22, 2013 Cecilia Quick rated it 4 of 5 stars

I 'm not familiar with this author, but I enjoyed this book and will read more in the series. The book is a cross between "Most Dangerous Game" and "Island of Dr. Moreau" involving paranormal beings caged for experiments and subjected to being the prey in organized hunts. The heroine, Elena, is the only female werewolf. She's more brawn than brain, bashing her way around like a bull in a china shop, but she has heart to go with that muscle. The premise was interesting, and I liked most of the ch...more I 'm not familiar with this author, but I enjoyed this book and will read more in the series. The book is a cross between "Most Dangerous Game" and "Island of Dr. Moreau" involving paranormal beings caged for experiments and subjected to being the prey in organized hunts. The heroine, Elena, is the only female werewolf. She's more brawn than brain, bashing her way around like a bull in a china shop, but she has heart to go with that muscle. The premise was interesting, and I liked most of the characters. The hero, Clay, doesn't seem quite fully developed and their relationship is ambivalent. I did like that of all the stories involving werewolves I read, this is the first where the characters actually act wolflike when in their wolf form, especially with how they play and chase with each other as part of mating, running, nipping, one-upping. That seems very alpha behavior to me, as opposed to simply asserting they are the alpha pair, without any illustration of why, which is a common failing in other romances of this kind. I also liked that they could change voluntarily, rather than being forced to change at full moon and having no control over their behavior in wolf form, which I always found tragic in the original Wolf Man movie. The side characters were interesting, the villains were interesting and I liked that the female villains were complex. I also liked that I was surprised by the identity of at least one villain who hid in plain sight. I loved the two male half demons; I hope to see more of them in the future. Minor gripe-it took the heroine too long to believe there were other supernatural beings and wasted a good 20 pages slogging through that pointless subplot. She's a werewolf; why wouldn't she believe there were other supernatural races? And this is a silly nit, but the hero keeps calling her "darling" which seems archaic and out of character; she's not some Victoria heroine who's going to swoon. Still, overall I enjoyed this and am on the hunt for more books in the series.(less)

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Oct 24, 2012 Guillaume Jay rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Suite des aventures d'Elena, la louve-garou. Ce coup-ci, elle est faite prisonnière par un milliardaire adepte de chasse exotique et ses acolytes savants (plus ou moins) fous, qui se sont constitués un petit zoo de créatures surnaturelles.
Bien entendu, la prison souterraine ne convient pas du tout à sa nature lycanthropique, sa meute (et son compagnon) la recherche, et certains des autres pensionnaires ne sont pas très catholiques, pour ne pas dire (demi-)démoniaques.
J'ai moins aimé ce livre que...more

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Jul 31, 2012 Anna rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal

Very similar to Bitten and for me that was a bit of a problem. The first section is essentially marking time for those new to the series - with no progression in the characters or world set up - so although I really liked Bitten, I started to lose interest.
Once events got under way it was more engaging and pacy although the plot line was a little predictable. (Hero/heroine captured by psychotic baddie and trying to escape. The interest lies in how the story is told and who we met upon the way....more

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Jul 22, 2012 Eccentrika rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adult, series, fantasy, my-favorites

Succede spesso, anzi, quasi sempre, che i sequel delle serie deludano le aspettative rispetto al primo libro. Su "Stolen" (attesissimo secondo libro della serie "Women of the Otherworld" per il quale qui in Italia abbiamo dovuto aspettare ben un anno e mezzo) le mie aspettative erano veramente alte, dato che avevo adorato "Bitten", e il timore che il sequel non sarebbe stato all'altezza c'era. Sono invece contentissima di affermare che "Stolen", non si è rivelato una delusione, tutt'altro!
La tr...more Succede spesso, anzi, quasi sempre, che i sequel delle serie deludano le aspettative rispetto al primo libro. Su "Stolen" (attesissimo secondo libro della serie "Women of the Otherworld" per il quale qui in Italia abbiamo dovuto aspettare ben un anno e mezzo) le mie aspettative erano veramente alte, dato che avevo adorato "Bitten", e il timore che il sequel non sarebbe stato all'altezza c'era. Sono invece contentissima di affermare che "Stolen", non si è rivelato una delusione, tutt'altro!
La trama di "Stolen" è sorprendentemente originale, quasi un cambio totale di registro. L'autrice è stata bravissima e reinventare tutta la storia, mantenendo gli stessi personaggi a cui eravamo ormai affezionati, ma inserendo delle importantissime novità che danno l'impressione di leggere un romanzo diverso, una ventata di aria fresca. Sarebbe stato infatti banale e un po' noioso se la storia fosse stata in linea con la precedente e avesse visto i protagonisti nuovamente alle prese da dispute varie tra licantropi. Invece no, in "Stolen" il pericolo non arriverà più dai nemici del branco, ma da esseri umani comuni. La protagonista Elena credeva che il segreto del suo branco fosse al sicuro e che nessuno sospettasse della loro esistenza. Sarà un duro colpo quando scoprirà che le cose non stanno esattamente così, ma che alcuni umani esaltati hanno costruito una prigione sotterranea per catturare e studiare gli esseri paranormali. Già, perché i licantropi non sono le uniche creature paranormali esistenti, ma ne esistono parecchie. E in questo romanzo impareremo a conoscere streghe, stregoni, vampiri e semidemoni, in una carambola tale che il lettore non avrà davvero modo di annoiarsi. Non starò qui a farvi un riassunto della storia, quella è meglio che la scopriate da soli, preferisco esporvi le mie impressioni generali.
Come al solito trama risulta convincente, molto ben articolata e ben descritta. Tutto appare molto chiaro nella lettura, l'autrice scrive talmente bene che l'idea è quella di guardare un film, ma con il vantaggio di riuscirsi ad immedesimare maggiormente. Nonostante l'ambientazione del romanzo sia per tre quarti all'interno di un complesso carcerario di massima sicurezza, e quindi un ambiente molto chiuso e limitato, di avvenimenti ne accadono moltissimi e le pagine scorrono via l'una dietro l'altra senza il minimo sforzo. Non rimpiangerete ambienti sconfinati in giro per il mondo, in questo romanzo non se ne sente la mancanza! I nuovi personaggi che vengono introdotti sono tutti capaci di destare interesse, sia in positivo che in negativo. Le scene di azione sono moltissime, alcune anche un po' splatter, ma non manca anche qualche pizzico di romance, fortunatamente inserito in modo ben calibrato, da non risultare eccessivo e da non prevaricare sulla trama. Ecco, io sono una che odia quando la storia si compone per la metà di scene di sesso, e per la seconda volta sono felice di appurare che in questa saga non accade così. I punti focali del romanzo sono ben altri! Per me si è rivelata una lettura piacevolissima, scorrevole, avvincente, adrenalinica, intessuta da interessanti rivelazioni e colpi di scena. Per ora è la saga urban fantasy migliore che mi sia capitato di leggere. Spero che verranno pubblicati presto i seguiti, non vedo l'ora!(less)

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Jun 14, 2012 Aishwarya Hariharan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-of-the-awesome-kind

If I had to describe this book with just one word : insanity.

Definitely darker than its predecessor, Stolen moved from its werewolf only world to mixing their world abruptly with all supernatural races. A megalomaniac, some very psychotic scientists and one crazy business woman team up to capture supernatural race members and study them, attempting to find out what makes them tick and whether they can replicate it.

The point at which it descended into madness was when Sondra did the nasty (her ra...more

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May 01, 2012 Maya rated it 3 of 5 stars

Better pacing than Bitten - hooray! Still not in love with Elena (though she did improve dramatically), but Clay and Jeremy remain great, Adam is hilarious, Ruth is (was?) everything one could hope for in a bossy older witch, Paige shows promise, and Cassandra is.... well, she's there. She had one funny line. I don't love vampires, but I'll give her that much.

I had a hard time wrapping my head around some of the actions taken by the kidnappers - it was on the one hand deadly serious but on the o...more

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Mar 12, 2012 Fangs for the Fantasy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Elena has an important role in the werewolf pack. She hunts down Mutts that would threaten them all – and investigates humans who would expose them. And, if necessary, silence them. Which is what she was doing when she agreed to meet 2 women with proof that werewolves existed.

What would have been routine is surprisingly derailed when the women turn out to be not human themselves – Witches with powers beyond the normal who introduce her to a world of vampires, shamans, sorcerers and half-demons....more Elena has an important role in the werewolf pack. She hunts down Mutts that would threaten them all – and investigates humans who would expose them. And, if necessary, silence them. Which is what she was doing when she agreed to meet 2 women with proof that werewolves existed.

What would have been routine is surprisingly derailed when the women turn out to be not human themselves – Witches with powers beyond the normal who introduce her to a world of vampires, shamans, sorcerers and half-demons. Suddenly the world isn’t nearly so simple or so easy any more.

She – and her pack – have little time to adapt to this barely suspected new world when they have to deal with a threat that has brought the supernatural community together – an organised and heavily resourced gang of humans is hunting supernatural beings, capturing them and studying them. This goes far beyond a couple of humans risking their exposure.

And it only gets more seriously when the group hunts for a werewolf – and end up capturing Elena. Elena now has to free herself, perhaps rescue her fellow captives, find out who is behind this whole mess and try to end it. A tall order for a werewolf separated from her pack

I do occasionally like a genuine villain – and Ty Winsloe is certainly that. There’s something wonderfully satisfying about seeing a hated, reviled villain built up through the book, page by page and then cut down so completely at the end of the book. It’s nice to see some bad guy vanquishing.

It’s also impressive how ruthless and gritty the book ended. Now, high body counts are not uncommon on in Urban Fantasy (though often fluffier methods like memory wiping are used to cover their secrets) but it’s usually of a “ha-ha, I stand as a conquering hero over a pile of corpses of nameless extras!”. Here, not so much – some of the people killed had names and we’d seen them, some were relatively blameless and even with the nameless guards both Paige and Adam are disturbed by the killing – even Elena and Clay. The deaths are brutal and ruthless – yet at the same time not written off as just an extra-kill.

I think you can definitely see by this book that the series is transitioning. I think Bitten was intended to be a stand alone novel, it took off and Kelley Armstrong had this brilliant, wide, varied world ready for it – but to get from a stand alone novel to the diverse world of the Otherworld series needs a bridge. And this book not only does it very well, but does it while not being boring. It’s an original and clever idea to introduce us to the greater world without resorting to reams and reams of info-dumping, convoluted revelations or dubious coincidences or discoveries. It lacks any kind of contrivance – these different supernatural groups come together naturally and understandably.

The plot itself is interesting and tense. Now it’s hard to build tension for a protagonist because, usually, you’re pretty sure they’re going to survive. You can’t rest your tension on “will she get out of this?” because we know she will. But there is a lot of tension in how she will survive, how she will get out of it and – ultimately – how she will not only rescue everyone but properly extract revenge. This, coupled with the revelation of several very real, interesting characters (Paige, Cassandra and Adam were very real characters with pretty strong personalities) and whole new sections of the world opening up made it a good, well paced and interesting book.

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Nov 25, 2011 Lynn rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, series

Kelley Armstrong is one of my favorite authors and I adore the Otherworld-series very much. Bitten was the first book I read of that genre and I loved it and was very much looking forward to the next volume.

When I finally gotten hold of it and read what it was about, I was a little bit disappointed at first: A prison-break-story? :-(
Well, there wouldn't have been need to worry. It is well-plotted and well narrated just like the first one (well it's Kelley Armstrong after all!), and it has my f...more

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Apr 12, 2011 kellz rated it 5 of 5 stars

A definite page turner; I couldn't put it down! Elena just might be my favorite character in the series. I have to say, I didn't think I would dig the whole werewolf thing, not exactly my favorite supernatural race (I tend to prefer the more 'mystical' characters like casters) but Armstrong has converted me.

I enjoyed the story, and I like how each book in the series takes characters we know into a unique adventure, rather than sticking to a formula. The continued characterization is what makes...more

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Jul 07, 2010 Erin Mc rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 30, 2010 Angela (Reading Angels) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Elena is finally coming to terms with being a werewolf and with her relationship with Clay. When she makes a trip to Pittsburg to check out a possible werewolf sighting she meets a witch. Now the so-called witch is telling her that there are other supernatural beings, and that they are all being hunted.
Now, Elena can believe in werewolves, she does turn into one often. But witches, shamans, demon and vampires?? That's hard for even a werewolf to believe. When Jeremy shows up and they go to a mee...more

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May 14, 2010 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2010, books-i-own-print

When Elena is sent to investigate someone who is selling information on the existence of werewolves she gets a lot more than she bargained for. She meets Paige and her aunt Ruth who not only know more than they should about werewolves but who also claim to be witches. Elena is sceptical to start with but when they start talking about sorcerers, demons and vampires she really knows they are crazy. When Paige and Ruth tell Elena that the supernatural community is in danger she doesn't know what to...more When Elena is sent to investigate someone who is selling information on the existence of werewolves she gets a lot more than she bargained for. She meets Paige and her aunt Ruth who not only know more than they should about werewolves but who also claim to be witches. Elena is sceptical to start with but when they start talking about sorcerers, demons and vampires she really knows they are crazy. When Paige and Ruth tell Elena that the supernatural community is in danger she doesn't know what to think. People have been disappearing and it seems they are being held prisoner but no one has been able to discover why.

When Elena becomes the next kidnapping victim she finds herself in a whole heap of trouble. But her captors didn't take Elena's determination into account. She will do whatever it takes to make her escape and her Pack are equally determined to help her.

In Stolen, the second book in the Otherworld series, we get to re-visit Elena, Clay and Jeremy but we are also introduced to a whole host of new characters and species which made this a really interesting read. Although we didn't see as much of Clay and Jeremy as I'd have liked (I love both characters from the first book Bitten) this was understandable due to the circumstances. I wasn't sure at first if I was going to like Paige but by the end of the book she had really grown on me and I'm looking forward to reading the next two books that are written from her point of view. I also liked new character Adam and I'm hopeful that he will be making appearances in future books.

Kelley Armstrong did a fantastic job of raising the tension levels when Elena was held captive, I was completely absorbed in the story and couldn't put the book down. There were a lot of great twists that I wasn't expecting and the action had me on the edge of my seat. Although this book is quite different from Bitten I think overall I enjoyed it even more. I would recommend reading them in order to get the most enjoyment from the story and I'm sure if you liked Bitten you will love Stolen.(less)

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Jan 31, 2010 Kalyn rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: series

The second book of the Women of the Otherworld series. Elena Michaels, the only female werewolf, is the narrator for this one as well. The general plot is well done, but the details in filling the plot out pushed it a little for me. We meet members of other supernatural races (you didn't think werewolves were the only ones, right?) such as demons, witches, sorcerors, vampires, and others. It's got good action to keep things moving and the new characters are intriguing - I'm excited to see more o...more

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Oct 29, 2009 Mishel Zabala rated it 4 of 5 stars

The second installment of The Otherworld, Stolen takes readers further into Elena Michael's world, which encompasses more than she could ever imagine. Witches, shamans, half-demons, and vampires are things Elena never knew existed even if she is otherworldly herself. She has finally come to terms with being the only female werewolf and she has found her place as a journalist scouting the internet looking for misbehaving mutts that could put her race in jeopardy.

When she comes across a post on be...more

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About Kelley Armstrong

Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers' dismay. All efforts to make her produce "normal" stories failed.

Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked a...more

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Quotes from Stolen

“I was very strict on that point. No devouring classmates." Jeremy rolled his eyes. "Other parents warn their kids not to talk to strangers. I had to warn mine not to eat them.” — 238 people liked it

“Murder? You mean he's dead?"
"No. He's resting comfortably," I said. "People always sleep best with their heads at a ninety-degree angle. He looks comfortable, doesn't he?"
(Paige & Elena)” — 195 people liked it

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Stolen (Women of the Otherworld #2)

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