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Thirteen (Women of the Otherworld #13)

by Kelley Armstrong (Goodreads Author)

4.24 of 5 stars 4.24 · rating details · 4,349 ratings · 678 reviews

A war is brewing—the first battle has been waged and Savannah Levine is left standing, albeit battered and bruised. She has rescued her half brother from supernatural medical testing, but he’s fighting to stay alive. The Supernatural Liberation Movement took him hostage, and they have a maniacal plan to expose the supernatural world to the unknowing.

Savannah has called upo...more

ebook, 464 pages

Published July 24th 2012 by Penguin Group (USA) (first published July 1st 2012)

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Oct 01, 2012 Shelley aka Gizmo's Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-releases, urban-fantasy, last-book-of-series

*Genre* Paranormal Romance
*Rating* 4.0

Full Review shortly

I really liked having a final reunion with most, if not all, of the characters that have played a huge role in the success of this series. We all knew that Savannah and Adam were going to move in a certain direction and I'm kind of glad it ended just the way it did. There's no HEA, rather the possibility that we will see these characters again in Novella's or other stories down the road. Obviously, Armstrong doesn't want to let these chara...more

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Sep 11, 2012 Michelle rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: later-2012-3, kelley-armstrong-d, favourites, books-i-own, idiedofhappiness, werewolves

Seriouly sad this is the last book :( but i cant wait <3 i LOVE kelley armstrong's books, shes so talented :) kinda sad the last book froms Savannah's view, but oh well:)

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Aug 01, 2012 Frankie added it · review of another edition

Shelves: kelley-armstrong

Why does she have to stop the series. I Don't care if she still going to do some short stories for them especially since you can't by them (stupid special edition).

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Mar 15, 2013 Tanya added it · review of another edition

can't wait for this I've read all her books love clay & elana

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Jul 27, 2012 La Mala rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Todo lo que esperaba que fuese y mucho màs .

(Hubo incluso dos o tres momentos en los que saltè del sillòn diciendo : NOOOOO!)

Empieza directamente donde dejò Spellbound , con la explosion del laboratorio y el escape de Savannah , su medio hermano Bryce - quien ha sido inyectado por el Movimiento de Liberaciòn Sobrenatural con una "vacuna contra la mortalidad" y està al borde de la muerte...o de algo màs- y su amor platònico Adam , que la ha besado por primera vez momentos antes.

Ahì comienza la tr...more

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Sep 01, 2012 Susana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kelley-armstrong, 2012, urban-fantasy

A great book that finishes _ for now, right?? _ a great series. Eve, Kristoff, Savannah, Adam, Elena, Clay, Hope, Karl, Jeremy, Jaime, Cassandra, Aaron, Benicio, Sean, they are all here for the conclusion of this series.

The book picks up right after Spellbound _ so if you don't remember Savannah's last adventures, you better re-read it.

The world of the Otherworld is on the verge of disaster and upcoming war. There's factions that defend that their existence should be revealed, and others who do...more

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Jul 31, 2012 Jen (Red Hot Books) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've been a fan of the Otherworld series ever since I picked up Bitten and fell in love with the hot, complicated and largely dysfunctional romance between Clay Danvers and Elena Michaels. Over the years, I have liked some stories more than others. Some had better narrators, others had a stronger story arc, and yet others appealed more to the romance lover in me. But these last two Otherworld books took the series to an entirely different level. Thirteen was everything I wanted... everything I n...more I've been a fan of the Otherworld series ever since I picked up Bitten and fell in love with the hot, complicated and largely dysfunctional romance between Clay Danvers and Elena Michaels. Over the years, I have liked some stories more than others. Some had better narrators, others had a stronger story arc, and yet others appealed more to the romance lover in me. But these last two Otherworld books took the series to an entirely different level. Thirteen was everything I wanted... everything I needed... for a fitting farewell to these characters I have come to care so much about.

I will do my very best to keep from spoiling you on the particulars. In broad strokes, I can tell you that the story picks up where Spell Bound left off. It follows Savannah on her journey to recover her powers and stop the faction of supernaturals trying to out themselves to the human world. This, of course, as she tries to finally snag the man she has loved all her life.

But while Savannah is the anchor of the story, this book belongs in part to everyone we have come to know in the Otherworld universe. We spend time with Elena, Paige, Eve, Hope, Jaime, Cassandra and the men who love them. We get bits and pieces in their POVs --enough for me to remember who I love and why. We see how far everyone has come, the evolution of their lives, but all folded seamlessly into the framework of this current crisis.

And it is a crisis. The action is almost non-stop. The danger is very real. In fact, there is one heart stopping moment, where I felt like Kelley Armstrong stabbed me in the heart with a rusty butterknife. It was that wrenching. It's also a testament to how deeply connected I feel to these characters and their lives.

Armstrong weaves together so many threads from so many of her previous books. We see (or at least hear about) all the major players that have shaped the series. Some, I never thought we would ever see. Some I thought we had seen the last of. They're all connected by our core cast of characters either by blood, by friendship or by feud. It's brilliant.

I wouldn't change a thing. Well, that's not entirely true. I would have liked to see a page or two of payoff on the relationship we have waited on between Savannah and Adam. I didn't need (or even want) the romance to take over the story, but I felt robbed with a love scene that fades to black. Armstrong has given us good love scenes in the past, but here, for whatever reason, she opts not to.

When all is said and done, our characters lives are still a work in progress. But we have enough closure that I was very satisfied. And a little sad. I will miss this series... but at least it went out with a bang instead of a whimper.

*ARC Provided by Dutton(less)

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Jul 26, 2012 sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: authors-i-love, fantasy-paranormal

(IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE SPOILED DON'T READ THIS!

And don't expect good reviews from me because i am not good with words.)

I stayed up until 6am to finish this book, because I could not just stop reading and go to sleep like that. I have been waiting too long for this book, but now I am incredibly sad this wonderful (but, yes, flawed) series has ended. I was actually afraid to be disappointed by 13, because while I actually like Savannah and her story line, Waking The Witch and Spell Bound didn't...more

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Jan 17, 2013 Jenny Delandro rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: author-christine-feehan

July 5th 2012 ......
rereading everything before it comes out....
Gleefully running out of the library clutching this book...Jan 07 2013
Giddy with excitement
Finishing this series from the POV of Savannah makes perfect sense to me.
She has been through all the stories.

So much happens! (view spoiler)...more

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Jul 26, 2012 Kristi rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012

Series FINALE! What? Say it isn't so.

July Update: Well, if this is what the series has come to, I'm glad it's over. This book was all action, no depth. The plot was completely scattered about, as were the main characters... here, there and everywhere. I have enjoyed this series for the characters (except for Eve, I just can't get into her), but this conclusion merely had highlights of the personalities of the wonderful women and men I've been reading about for years. And to finish it off, the en...more

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Sep 14, 2012 Mariachiara rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Narratori vari, ma principalmente, Savannah

Trama: il mondo dei soprannaturali è in subbuglio, e diviso in più fazioni tra chi vuole rivelarsi agli umani e chi invece no. Fatto sta che i pro rivelazione arrivano a veri e propri attacchi terroristici pur di rivelarsi agli umani e viene addirittura creato un virus un misto di geni zombie, vampirici e licantropi per donare l’immortalità ad umani in late cariche per convincerli ad appoggiare il gruppo…tutto questo caos è aiutato dai demoni che improv...more

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Mar 29, 2013 Dck133 rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is very exciting. I was turning the pages and could hardly wait to see what happens next. There is a lot of action and adventure and it seems like there is one mystery to solve after another. I stayed up for hours just so I could see what happened next.

So why am I only giving it 3 stars? Because after I finished reading the book I realized so much of it just didn't make sense. Most of the book was spent with the main characters running around trying to stop a cult from revealing the ex...more

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Mar 28, 2013 Lexxie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

For months I have been horribly disappointed in every new urban fantasy novel I've picked up. The sickeningly over-done romances, especially. The "I hate you but also want to fuck you even though you're a terrible but misunderstood person! You have piercing eyes that see right through me! My panties have disintegrated!"

They're awful. AWFUL!

Kelley Armstrong was one of the authors that made me love this genre, and between this book and the last Kim Harrison, I think I'm just going to give up on U...more

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Mar 11, 2013 Sara rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: women-of-the-otherworld

Thirteen is the final book in the Women of the Otherworld series.

Warning, possible spoilers ahead.

What I Liked:

Alternating narrators - My biggest complaint of "Waking the Witch" is that I find Savannah too obnoxious to tolerate as the narrator of an entire book. Savannah narrated the majority of this one but we also had viewpoints from Jaime, Elena, Paige, Hope, and Eve.

The return of the ensemble cast. Jaime, Jeremy, Elena, Clay, Paige, Lucas, Benicio, Troy, Sean, Bryce, Kristof, Eve, Hope, Karl...more

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Jan 31, 2013 Tawni Jackson rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

SPOILER ALERT!

Sigh* ok. I will start by saying I absolutely love this series. The characters are some of my favorites and I love that not only do they continue to develope throughout the entire series once they are introduced, but the stories are farely interesting and not oversexed. That being said, this was the most disappointing book out of the bunch. I have been rooting for Savannah and Adam from day one. Out of all the couples, they were the one I couldn't wait to read about. Seeing as sthe...more

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Dec 02, 2012 Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: action-adventure, contemporary, paranormal, non-erotic

Originally posted at: http://www.longandshortreviews.blogsp...

I am a big fan of this author and especially this series. I was eagerly awaiting this book and excited to be able to read it but sad that this is the finale chapter in this series. I have come to know and love many of the characters in these books and saying goodbye was a hard thing. Thirteen brings us back into the wondrous world that this author has created. Savannah is our guide throughout most of this book. It's a story of trying...more Originally posted at: http://www.longandshortreviews.blogsp...

I am a big fan of this author and especially this series. I was eagerly awaiting this book and excited to be able to read it but sad that this is the finale chapter in this series. I have come to know and love many of the characters in these books and saying goodbye was a hard thing. Thirteen brings us back into the wondrous world that this author has created. Savannah is our guide throughout most of this book. It's a story of trying to stop the war that could ruin them all; laws are being broken left and right, beings are crossing over, and demons are joining in as well as are so many others. In short total chaos has arrived and the battle has just begun. Can Savannah and her friends and allies stop things before it is to late?

There is so much I want to say but so much of it would be spoilers and I so do not want to spoil this read for anyone. I want you to enjoy this book as much as I did. If you have followed this series from book one you will not be disappointed.So much is going on in this book, everywhere you turn there is something happening. I loved seeing how everyone has grown throughout this series. The bond that they all share makes for a great read. Savannah and Adam are all grown up and I enjoyed seeing them take that step towards a permanent relationship. It was nice to see many of the major players in this world come into play. As a follower of this series I know most if not all of the characters and their personalities and I enjoyed seeing just how each one fit into this story. The main women from this series each get their turn at telling us part of this story. I loved that a short story featuring Elena and Clay is added to the end of the book bringing it all back to the characters that started it all.

This book is fast paced and full of emotion, reminding me why Kelley Armstrong is on my auto buy list. Many questions were answered yet there were still some things left unanswered, hopefully this means that this author might just gift readers with a return to this world some time in the future.
(less)

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Nov 26, 2012 Anne Odom rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

SUMMARY:
-----------------
Like many others, I've read every book in the series. I generally enjoyed this book, but I kind of expected more from the last book in the series. If you're a series fan, go ahead and read this, there's a lot you'll like about it. There may also be some things you don't like, but certainly not so many that you regret reading it.

DETAILS:
-----------------
I heard from others that this book was cool because it really tied together so many elements that Armstrong included in...more SUMMARY:
-----------------
Like many others, I've read every book in the series. I generally enjoyed this book, but I kind of expected more from the last book in the series. If you're a series fan, go ahead and read this, there's a lot you'll like about it. There may also be some things you don't like, but certainly not so many that you regret reading it.

DETAILS:
-----------------
I heard from others that this book was cool because it really tied together so many elements that Armstrong included in other books since the beginning of the series. I think that claim set expectations for me that were inaccurate for the book. It's true that there are characters who come back who were in previous books, and it's true that a few things that happened in previous books come up again in this book. However, it doesn't *really* feel like some grand end to some overarching plot that Armstrong has been orchestrating over 13 novels. It's more a kind of "greatest hits book".

I read a review on this book that lamented how little Paige was in the book. I agree with this. She's pretty much the only female main character who has absolutely nothing to do with the plot. Kind of odd.

And finally, one of the reasons *I* like Armstrong is for her well written sex scenes. The best sex scenes are built on the most robustly developed relationships. In previous romantic relationships in this series, Armstrong has done a really good job of carefully crafting the growing relationship between the lead characters in a way which creates a really satisfying experience when they finally come together.

Savannah and Adam just don't feel as well developed to me. I know their romance has been developing over the last several novels, but there is a lot of their history that is off-screen for the reader. So we're told they have a lifelong close friendship, but we don't really feel it. When Adam finally shows that his interests in Savannah have changed, we only see it coming because we're not idiots and we know they're supposed to get together. I think this is because Adam and Savannah both hide their feelings until Adam is suddenly "Hey, I want you after all!" Then, because they already have this friendship built from their off-screen history, the characters are immediately intimate, but the reader doesn't really get there with them. Ultimately, after all these books of waiting, we don't get any sex scene. We get a few paragraphs of clothing removal and then a fade to black. Anti-climactic if the sexy tone is one of the things that brings you back to Armstrong over and over again. :/

(less)

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Oct 21, 2012 Avery rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Being a readaholic I have faced many of my most favourite series ending, but I just come to realize that I haven't been all that affected by them ending- it's just something I've learned to accept, not giving much thought to it. That is, until it came to this series. These characters, Clay, Elena, Jeremy, Paige, Lucas, Savannah, Hope, Karl, and the likes of have been my friends for a very, very long time (much longer than my current IRL friends). Not only have I seen the characters grow, from Sa...more Being a readaholic I have faced many of my most favourite series ending, but I just come to realize that I haven't been all that affected by them ending- it's just something I've learned to accept, not giving much thought to it. That is, until it came to this series. These characters, Clay, Elena, Jeremy, Paige, Lucas, Savannah, Hope, Karl, and the likes of have been my friends for a very, very long time (much longer than my current IRL friends). Not only have I seen the characters grow, from Savannah at 12 years old to 21 year old Savannah, but the birth of the twins, marriages, and the likes of, but they've also seen me grow. I can remember being sixteen years old and saving my allowance every week so that I could purchase these books. Now, at 22 years old, as you can imagine, I'm having difficulties letting them go (I'm not ashamed to admit that I am totally tearing up while writing this review, not unlike how I did when reading the last couple of chapters). I think that this is a testament to just how amazing of an author Kelley is- that she has created characters that her readers connect to on a level quite unlike what any author has been able to do (and now that I think about it, I can't even recall feeling this emotional when the "Harry Potter" series drew to a close- mainly because I was so turned off by the latter books).

Now onto the book itself. Admittedly I have never been an uber fan of Savannah, my heart has always belonged to the originals- Elena, Paige, and Jamie. However, I really started to come around to Savannah in the previous book, "Spellbound". I think that was in part to her changing relationship with Adam- I have rooted for them almost as much as I did for Elena/ Clay, Hope/ Karl and Jeremy/ Jamie, but also because of her growth, learning that her powers didn't define her (not unlike that now clique saying, "It's not powers that define a person, but what they do with those powers"). As a result of, this book was one of my most favourite in the series (probably ranked around the 5th or 6th- not bad out of a 13 book series).

Another aspect of this book that I enjoyed was the changing perspectives (which is quite shocking as changing POVs usually drives me batty) and seeing all of the characters come back for a sort of last hurrah, of sorts, from the aforementioned characters to Sean, Benico, Kristof- hell, even Troy. That being said, I loved that Kelley didn't just throw in a character for the sake of doing so, to appease her readers, each character played a specific role and they did so to a tee.

All in all, I cannot say enough good things about this book, nor this series. I think that this is one that everyone should experience for themselves (and now you don't have an excuse not to, considering all 13 books are now available ;) ). For me personally this is a world that I continuing coming back to time and time again.(less)

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Oct 09, 2012 Jill rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Thirteen is the thirteenth installment of Kelley Armstrong’s “Otherworld” series, part of the flavor of fantasy genre that emphasizes in-depth character development over the old comic-book style portrayal of superpowered beings.

I read only a few of the twelve preceding books - and loved them, but just never got around to going the whole nine (or in this case, twelve) yards. But jumping to the thirteenth caused some problems: first because I often felt like I was missing some vital pieces of info...more Thirteen is the thirteenth installment of Kelley Armstrong’s “Otherworld” series, part of the flavor of fantasy genre that emphasizes in-depth character development over the old comic-book style portrayal of superpowered beings.

I read only a few of the twelve preceding books - and loved them, but just never got around to going the whole nine (or in this case, twelve) yards. But jumping to the thirteenth caused some problems: first because I often felt like I was missing some vital pieces of information, and second because, in spite of that sense of disorientation, I liked it so much that I wanted to go back immediately and read all twelve. And I didn’t want it to end! I felt almost like I did at the end of Maggie Stiefvater’s “Shiver” series – although the Shiver Trilogy ends on a much sadder note, I experienced the same sense of loss over not wanting to say goodbye to the characters.

Fantasy books feature characters who live on the edge of experience, and who pull us along with them on their fascinating journeys. Every moment is more intense than any experienced by “regular” characters. Even in murder mysteries, for much of the time, the characters are just going about their lives, getting coffee, shuffling paperwork, and trying to juggle jobs and relationships. But for paranormals, a large part of their existence just involves dealing with the fact of their differences and with all the interesting repercussions because of them. And also, since they are paranormals, the stresses and threats and challenges they encounter are unlike any experienced by non-supernaturals. Even when they love, it can be fraught with problems: what if they fall in love across species lines? What if one is immortal and one isn’t? What if they try to have children? What if one dies, after the two of them have spent so many eons together? Or even: what is a simple kiss like, when it happens between two people who aren’t entirely human?

Thirteen is not without action, nor Kelley’s trademark sense of humor, nor explorations of love and loyalty and even a surprising look at Lucifer, but it clearly is a “wrapping up” kind of story. There is also, because we know it is the end of the saga, a generous dose of the bittersweet.

I don’t think anyone who has read the previous books will be disappointed that their favorite characters don’t make an appearance. But the main focus of this book is Savannah Levine, a half-witch with a rather distinguished pedigree. Now 21 years old, when we first met her in the second book she was only 12. My personal favorites, Elena and Clay, play a role in Thirteen, but like everyone else, they are just sort of coming in before the curtain closes to wave goodbye to everyone (metaphorically speaking). Savannah takes some big steps toward growing up in this book, and ends up in a place I think readers will find satisfying.

Evaluation: I love Kelley Armstrong, but before reading Thirteen I recommend reading the preceding volumes (or at least books one, eleven, and twelve) in the Otherworld Series. I’m sad that the author is done with this series, but also I’m thinking she can now devote more time to her Nadia Stafford books, which can only be a good thing!

Rating: 3.5/5(less)

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Oct 01, 2012 Angela Oliver rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

And thus concludes, finally, one of the best Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance series that I have read. It's been quite a journey - from the day I first discovered "Bitten" in our remainder bins at work - bought it and began deovuring my way through the series, then eagerly awaiting the next instalment. Daydreaming about Jeremy and Lucas, or wishing to be Elena. Later in the series, my attention began to dwindle. I could not love Hope, did not really feel endeared to Savannah. Sure, she's a matur...more

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Sep 20, 2012 Arianna rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Fun fact: I didn't realise this was going to be the last book in the series until about the day before I opened it. So I thought there was going to be a WOTO 14 (*cough*jeremy and jaime's caribbean adventure*cough*) and learning that this was the last was a little sad because I always like more adventures, but this wasn't a bad place to end.

Savannah's three-prong adventure weaved itself into a "final" epic battle within the supernatural community, which I liked better than it having be somethin...more

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Evewithanapple jeremy and jaime's (naked) caribbean adventure needs to be a thing that happens. after someone murders malcolm in various painful ways.
Sep 20, 2012 03:08pm

Rawles WELL RE: MORE ADVENTURES

I read an explanation thing from Kelley Armstrong where she talked about how when she was getting to the last three she kept t...more
updated Sep 20, 2012 07:06pm

Arianna Rawles wrote: "WELL RE: MORE ADVENTURES

I read an explanation thing from Kelley Armstrong where she talked about how when she was getting to the last t...more
Sep 21, 2012 11:25am

Sep 15, 2012 Sheyla rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Last Book in the Series

Let me start by saying that I am very sad this series has ended.
This final book starts where the last one ended. Savannah Levine, Adam and Bryce have escaped the lab and the explosion. The police are everywhere and Savannah leaves with Jaime. Unfortunately, the police take them to the station since Savannah's description has been implicated in the explosion. At the station, someone has liberated an evil being and there is a hungry werewolf too. The girls have to escape. Bu...more

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Sep 12, 2012 Aimee rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If I could I'd rate this one four and a half stars. The concluding piece of Savannah Levine's three book arc and the final book for now in the Women of the Otherworld series left me satisfied while still wanting a little more from this world, which I think is a good way for anything to end.
This volume included appearances from more-or-less every main character and a few secondary ones for good measure, tying up enough threads to sate the reader while leaving just enough hanging to suggest that...more

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Sep 09, 2012 Katherine Pocock rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Another brilliant book by Armstrong. I'm sad that it is the last in the Otherworld series but I agree with how she has ended it. Don't worry no spoilers.

The book follows young witch Savannah who is desperately trying to stop the world from turning into chaos as immortality seeker attempt to destroy the precarious balance of their world by revealing the existence of supernaturals to the not so super.

All too soon, drama ensues and blood is spilt. I found myself on the edge of my seat the entire...more

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Aug 23, 2012 Larou added it · review of another edition

So now it is finally over. Kelley Armstrong’s Women of the Otherworld series was the first Paranormal Fantasy I ever read and it has remained my favourite over its now complete run of 13 volumes (plus some novellas). While I respect Kelley Armstrong’s decision to finish the series while it was still going strong, I can’t help but be a bit sad about it because I never had the feeling that the series was going stale or its author growing tired of it – maybe due to the ingenious device of having di...more So now it is finally over. Kelley Armstrong’s Women of the Otherworld series was the first Paranormal Fantasy I ever read and it has remained my favourite over its now complete run of 13 volumes (plus some novellas). While I respect Kelley Armstrong’s decision to finish the series while it was still going strong, I can’t help but be a bit sad about it because I never had the feeling that the series was going stale or its author growing tired of it – maybe due to the ingenious device of having different protagonists for the novels and thus making the series very much of an ensemble thing, it always remained fresh and exciting (helped, of course, by Kelley Armstrong’s talent for creating and handling characters, keeping them plausible and convincing even as she throws them into hair-raising, supernatural adventures).

This also holds true for 13, the final part in the concluding trilogy, like the previous two installments once again told by Savannah as first person narrator. Beside her chapters, though, we also get – an absolute novelty in the series – five (six, if you count the prologue) chapters that are told from the point of view of each of the previous narrators of the series. While those chapters do not appear strictly necessary for this individual novel, they make structural sense when viewed in the larger context of this being the final volume and capstone of Women of the Otherworld. Also, they are great fan service.

I was particularly delighted to find that my personal favourite Eve did not only get two chapters (the prologue being told from her perspective, too) but that she also for a time returns to our world. Also different from most previous volumes, 13 is not standalone, even less so than Spellbound was – it picks up directly where that novel ended, and I had some difficulties get back into the flow of things again because (my memory being what it is) the events of the previous volumes had grown a bit hazy in mind.

Being the conclusion to the series puts quite some strain on 13, and the novel does occasionally buckle under that weight, namely when the author tries to do too many things and let almost everyone who ever played a major part have their moment in the spotlight – sometimes it feels like you’re reading a digest of the whole series, or as if the events from all the previous novels were whizzing past in front of your eyes in fast motion; combine that with our heroes flitting from city to city, and it’s enough to make a reader dizzy. Still, 13 is a very satisfying conclusion that I enjoyed greatly, and not that much of a conclusion to exclude further adventures in this world if Kelley Armstrong should ever feel so inclined (which, needless to say, I am hoping she will). In fact, there is a big, fat thread left ostentatiously dangling in this novel, that just begs to be picked up in a novella, and I would be very surprised if that did not happen at some stage.

Either way, I am curious to what Kelley Armstrong will do next, and hope that she will not completely go over to YA literature but will continue to write for adults. A new Nadia Stafford novel would be very nice indeed…(less)

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Aug 17, 2012 Carey Sabala rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Totally disappointed in this book. I went through the whole series in a few weeks and was ready for a huge payoff but sadly it didn't come. With the last three books building up to a relationship between Adam and Savannah, I was expecting a sweet, romantic, tender....something. I understand that the world was coming down around their heads, I understand that sometimes life doesn't work that way, I understand that you take what you can get but........when you build up a relationship for 3 books a...more

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Aug 12, 2012 YA Reads Book Reviews rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: nichole

Originally posted on www.yareads.com, reviewed by Nichole

I am beyond devastated that The Women of the Otherworld series is over. If I had to pick my all time favorite series, I think that this series would win. I have read almost all of Armstrong’s books, and I devoured every single book in this particular series.
I have to say that the Savannah books (the last three in this series) are my favorite out of all of the books in the series. It’s funny, because I didn’t originally want to read from Sa...more

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Aug 09, 2012 Guilty Pleasures rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: guiltypleasures-ava

Ava's review posted on Guilty Pleasures

Reading the finale to Kelley Armstrong’s Otherworld series is bittersweet. I fell in love with her work after I read Bitten, (book 1). I was looking for a grown-up book centered around shifters/wolves, and I have to say, it’s still one of my favorites. Elena and Clay have this chemistry that can’t be denied. (-Yes, I admit a special place in my heart belongs to Clayton Danvers) In most urban fantasy series, the stories are written in first person point of v...more Ava's review posted on Guilty Pleasures

Reading the finale to Kelley Armstrong’s Otherworld series is bittersweet. I fell in love with her work after I read Bitten, (book 1). I was looking for a grown-up book centered around shifters/wolves, and I have to say, it’s still one of my favorites. Elena and Clay have this chemistry that can’t be denied. (-Yes, I admit a special place in my heart belongs to Clayton Danvers) In most urban fantasy series, the stories are written in first person point of view, and star a central narrator throughout. Initially this is what I expected of the Otherworld series; Elena to lead us through the series. When reading Dime Store Magic (book 3), featuring Paige Winterbourne, a coven witch as the narrator who we’d met in the previous book, I was a bit apprehensive about the departure from the norm. But after a few chapters I fell in love with Paige, and eventually Lucas and realized that Kelley was on to something. Witnessing the Otherworld from the eyes of different players gave the whole ‘world’ more depth. I stumbled on to the series several years into it, I got the joy of reading the first 8 books back to back. (That’s my favorite way to dive into a series, all gluttonous!) :)The prologue and epilogue in Thirteen go a long way in helping the reader understand the vision that Kelley had from the series early on, and I applaud the evil genius at work! This waiting a whole year between releases is HARD!!

I would say each of the books could be read as a stand alone, except these last two. That said, you would enjoy them more if you are familiar with all the books. I felt like the cliffhanger at the end of Spellbound (book 12) straight through to the conclusion of Thirteen, really seemed like one long book. So much so, I was glad I re-read Spellbound just before I started Thirteen.

The last three books feature Savannah Levine as the narrator. We met Savannah early in the series (Stolen, book 2) and we’ve watched her grow up in the ‘family’ of our Otherworld leading ladies since the death of her mother at the young age of 12. She’s an anomaly born to a powerful witch/half demon (Eve Levine) and a high level sorcerer father (Kristof Nast). She’s now a full grown, beautiful, athletic leading heroine, blessed with long raven hair, unbelievably long legs and piercing Nast blue eyes.

Savannah’s magic has always been strong and as much a part of her as breathing, she’s gifted with magic from both parents giving her more power than most and all the dark connections to make it fun. She’s lost her spells in Spellbound and it rocks her to the core. She learns to look at life in totally new way without the gifts she’s always taken for granted. Savannah’s cocky and unfiltered the way teenagers and young adults sometimes are, but losing her power is a dent in her signature bravado. She still hasn’t gotten her full power back, and it’s weakness she never planned on having to cope with.

Her longtime crush and now co-worker at Cortez-Winterborne Investigations, Adam Vasic,(he’s an adorable, sexy demon half-breed with the ability to induce flames right from his fingertips!) has evolved from pre-teen fascination to an adult attraction. Adam has always been fun and sweet and behaved appropriately given the large age gap between them. But in the back of my mind I was always hoping they’d be an item eventually. I think Savannah thought she’d turn 18 and he’d suddenly admit his love for her was more than just the close friendship they’ve shared, and it’d all be cake. She’s had his attention for so long she sort of takes it for granted. She’s been disappointed it didn’t escalate like she planned. I think it’s for the better- Savannah had to really grow up before he took her seriously and I loved watching their relationship evolve amidst all the chaos swirling around the last two installments. Adam too, has grown so much from his initial appearance in the series, and in many ways they have matured together, making them a perfect match with a deep bond built over years of funny banter and harmless flirting.

Thirteen picks up immediately where Spellbound ended. The state of the Otherworld as we know it crumbling and all the metaphysical laws we’ve come to believe are being broken. Lord Demons are orchestrating minions on the surface, celestial beings are crossing over, and chaos ensues at every corner. Savannah is right in the thick of it as usual! The paranormal mystery unfolds little by little and never disappoints.

Kelley's gift for romantic tension and witty dialog are apparent throughout Thirteen. Her characters are so strong you can feel their personality in every scene. I’d be hard pressed to pick a favorite. I will say there were several places that had me in knots and in tears. Every major player we’ve seen in every previous book is here! I am amazed she was able to tie all the stories together so neatly.

Thirteen is an action packed roller coaster and the twists and turns are so enthralling you’ll want to read it cover to cover in one sitting. Of course, getting to the heat between Savannah and Adam, is a big motivator as well, the sexual tension has only been building forever!

I am sad to see the Otherworld close, but I’m hoping for a future series from Kelley Armstrong. She’s a major player in Urban Fantasy and I have no doubt she’ll be back. ~Ava(less)

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Aug 09, 2012 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kelley-armstrong

(Contains some spoilers).

Okay, so it's 4.30 in the morning and I finished the book. I got so caught up in it, I didn't want to wait until tomorrow to finish it.

That right there should tell you how much I love the Women of the Otherworld series. I bought Bitten when it first came out (long before I started to find werewolves almost as over-used as vampires) and I remember getting to the end and being incredibly disappointed that the next book wasn't out until the following year.

I've read all of t...more

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Aug 09, 2012 Marie Malyon rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This final book in the Women of the Otherworld series is all that fans could have wanted... and more! Action packed, fantastically written and some fab character development make this a 10/10!

At 419 pages this is not a short book, but the hard back with a reasonable size font is easy to read. Having read everything published around the series I was also able to skip the first few chapters which were a re-publish of the opening chapter of Bitten, the first book in the series and a preview publish...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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Thirteen (Women of the Otherworld #13)

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