Men of the Otherworld (Otherworld Stories, #I)

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Men of the Otherworld (Otherworld Stories I)

by Kelley Armstrong (Goodreads Author)

4.23 of 5 stars 4.23 · rating details · 8,440 ratings · 459 reviews

A curious child, Clayton didn’t resist the bite, he asked for it. But surviving alone is impossible, until Jeremy teaches human-wolf balance, gives him a home, and welcomes him to the Pack - hierarchical founding family where bloodlines are all, and members face deadly challenges. Clayton narrates 3 tales, "Infusion," "Savage," "Ascension", and Jeremy tells "Kitsunegari."

Hardcover, First Edition, 369 pages

Published January 27th 2009 by Spectra

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Men of the Otherworld by Kelley Armstrong

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Mar 11, 2010 Tatiana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: existing fans of the Otherworld series

Shelves: 2010, urban-fantasy, short-stories, series-dropped-lost-steam

This anthology is a treat for the fans of Clayton, Jeremy and the Pack. Although the title implies that the stories are about all kinds of Otherworld men, they are about werewolves exclusively.

What I like the most about this anthology is that it gives an insight into Jeremy Danvers' past. Although the majority of this collection is written in Clay's POV, this book is about Jeremy more than anyone else.

"Infusion" tells us how Jeremy was conceived and from whom he inherited his slanted eyes and a...more

9 likes · like · see review

Jan 31, 2009 Julie (jjmachshev) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009-reads

I ended up staying up WAY too late just to finish "Men of the Otherworld" by Kelley Armstrong. It was worth every bleary-eyed, short-tempered moment I spent at work today! This is mostly Clayton's story. There is a bit about Jeremy, but the focus is on Clayton. For everyone who's ever wondered about Clayton's past...you must go RIGHT NOW, TODAY and pick up this book. Armstrong has done a fantastic job of making snarly, anti-social Clayton real; and the story of how he got the way he is will have...more

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Aug 03, 2010 Kat Kennedy rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of the Women of the Otherworld series

Shelves: romance-romance-romance, kat-s-book-reviews

Okay, so I only read the first three stories surrounding Jeremy's birth and Clay's childhood. I started on the fourth which was Jeremy WITH A WOMAN! But since I never read past StolenI couldn't deal with a) the spoilers and b) the fact that Jeremy was getting it on... with anybody...ever.

As with most anything Armstrong writes, these stories were well written and intriguing with great characters and complicated relationships. The story provided greater insight into Clay and Jeremy's relationship...more

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Apr 11, 2009 Jamie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-urban

I liked the older stories of Clayton's childhood. They read like the early books in her Otherworld series, which I enjoyed much more than her newer books. In keeping with this trend, I didn't like the newest story very much.

This book includes:
Infusion - a short story, written from Malcom's point of view, telling how Jeremy was conceived. Begins in 1946.

Savage - a novella, beginning in 1967, written from Clay's point of view, that begins when he becomes a werewolf and covers his childhood.

Ascensi...more

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Jan 19, 2009 Jodi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: authors-armstrong-kelley

This is a collection of 4 short stories about the men of the Otherworld. More specifically, they are short stories about Jeremy and Clay. Two, Savage and Ascension, had been on Armstrong's website until she decided that the interest was strong enough to publish. Except for the last story which should provide fodder for a future novel, these are all back story. We learn about Jeremy's birth, Clay's arrival in the pack, Jeremy's ascension to Alpha and lastly, more about his mother's people. The re...more

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Apr 30, 2010 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, paranormal-romance

I absolutely adore Armstrong’s werewolf lore. Unlike Armstrong’s Women of the Otherworld, the men of the Pack can carry a story all on their own. Not a drop of smut or estrogen in sight, still I was riveted.

Having fallen in love with the Pack in Bitten, I pretty much read any mention of them I can get my mitts on. I don’t know what it is, but Armstrong dazzles and delights with her wolfy men. They are clearly humanized while retaining the very essence of being a wolf. Their human form and wolf...more

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Feb 26, 2010 Jael rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: shape-shifter, own

Fans of Kelley Armstrong rejoice!

*rejoices*

It only seems like yesterday that I stumbled across Armstrong's book Bitten. One of the things that endeared me to this author was her online fiction. Yes, I have a weakness for author's who have online fiction on their site.

Finally Armstrong has put into bookform the short stories. Fans may have already read these, but included in a bonus new story.

Men of the Otherworld basically centers around Clayton's story. So, yes, this is his origins story. It...more

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Jan 24, 2009 Epeeblade rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-read, read_in_2009

I liked this. Although it's really a misnomer, calling it "a collection of otherworld tales." It's mainly Clay's story, which is fascinated by itself, bookended with two tales relating to Jeremy's origins, both which relate very well to the middle novella.

I hope Armstrong gets back to the kind of writing she did here, and not the kind that's shown up in her latest releases.

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Jan 26, 2009 Lady Danielle aka The Book Huntress marked it as to-read

Shelves: favorite-or-autobuy-author, part-of-a-series, urban-fantasy

That's great that this book goes into Clayton's backstory. I really fell for him hard when I read Bitten.

3 likes · like · see review

Sep 25, 2012 Steven R. rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book contains three related stories about Kelly Armstrong's characters. The first and third were three star, but the middle story (most of the book), was amazing. It chronicled the life of a werewolf as he grows from boy/animal to college student. What makes it interesting is the elaborate way Kelly works through the implications of his werewolf nature.

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Mar 13, 2009 Robin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Most of this book has been published on Armstrong's webpage, so it isn't new to a lot of people. It was mostly new to me, though. While I consider myself a HUGE fan, I hadn't spent a lot of time on her webpage so I missed most of this the first time around.

The background info on characters is always interesting to me. You seem them progress from a certain point forward, but, if you're really into the world the author has created, you're curious about everything that happened before. I went into...more

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Apr 10, 2013 Levian rated it 5 of 5 stars

as a curious child, Clayton wasn't accidentally bitten, he approaching a werewolf and asked for it. he survived the transformation, becoming the only child-werewolf, living off scraps in the alley. Jeremy came along and gave him a home, trained him and brought him back to the human-werewolf world. Clayton grew from a wild child to a smart teen who admired Jeremy and vowed to protect him, even if he was forced to control his animal instinct.

having read the Women of the Otherworld (2001-2012) seri...more

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Jan 25, 2013 Annie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Words can't describe how much I loved this book. One thing I really appreciate about Kelley is her willingness to write short stories about the world she's created, and from what I've read, she does it very well, too. This book contains four stories about two of the most important men of Otherworld: Clayton and Jeremy.

Infusion - Told from Malcolm's POV, this is the story of Jeremy's conception and birth. I'd read the stories about Clay first, and one of the things that they reemphasized for me...more Words can't describe how much I loved this book. One thing I really appreciate about Kelley is her willingness to write short stories about the world she's created, and from what I've read, she does it very well, too. This book contains four stories about two of the most important men of Otherworld: Clayton and Jeremy.

Infusion - Told from Malcolm's POV, this is the story of Jeremy's conception and birth. I'd read the stories about Clay first, and one of the things that they reemphasized for me is how different Jeremy is from his father, Malcolm. I'd kinda wondered how Jeremy turned out the way he did, but after reading this story, it's obvious that his personality matches his grandfather, Edward. To be honest, this isn't a happy story, but it is interesting.

Savage - Told from Clay's POV, this is the story of how Jeremy rescued and domesticated Clay, who was running around the Bayou as a child werewolf. Several of the scenes depicted in this story (which is more like a novella) have been mentioned in other books. I very much enjoyed seeing them fleshed out. You really get a sense of why Clay is the way he is, but you learn just as much about Jeremy. Out of everything I've ever read, this non-traditional father/son relationship is one of my favorites.

Ascension - Told from Clay's POV, this is the story of how Jeremy became Alpha. There's a lot of Pack politics in this story. Plus, the Jeremy-Clay-Malcolm dynamic is very interesting. It's easy to dismiss Clay as some sort of psycho killer (which, as this story indicates, is a rep worked very hard to establish), but to do that is to make the same mistake as Malcolm. Malcolm kills mutts/humans because he likes it - it's a selfish impulse. Clay kills because he's eliminating a threat - it's a necessary act to protect Jeremy and the Pack. Malcolm assumes that just because Clay is as an effective killer as him, then they must be alike in all other areas. In doing so, he completely underestimates Clayton's loyalty. No one is more important to Clay than Jeremy. He will die to save his Alpha. Period. This is also a trait he exhibits later on with Elena. He is a character with multiple levels that, given how he's written, are easy to overlook in the full stories. It's hard to walk away from these two stories without a deeper appreciation and understanding of Clay (and Jeremy).

Kitsunegari - Told from Jeremy's POV, this story gives us some insight into his mysterious abilities and his mother's people. We also get to learn more about his relationship with Jaime. There are two things that I particularly loved about this story: 1. Jeremy refers to Jaime as his lover, partner, and mate. I can remember Elena saying almost the exact thing about Clay, which seems to be Kelley's way of saying "hey, these guys are a seriously hot, seriously committed couple even if they don't get as much page time as Elena/Clay" and 2. At one point, Jeremy says that he, for the first time, understands how Clay feels and acts when Elena is threatened - I love the idea of rational, calm, polite Jeremy kicking into action mode and blowing off propriety when it comes to his mate. (less)

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Dec 23, 2012 LG (A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 4-star, read-2010, format-print, acquired-library

I loved this book. A lot. It gave me a powerful urge to reread Bitten, now that I can see Clay from a different perspective. I don't remember liking Clay very much when I read that book, and I think it's been a few years since I last read it. I never really noticed Jeremy much until he and Jamie got together, so I should actually probably reread all of the Women of the Otherworld books that feature the werewolves.

Malcolm's story didn't excite me all that much, beyond the intriguing mystery of Je...more

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Jul 19, 2012 Anna rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal

I picked this up from the library as Kelley Armstrong had been recommended on Goodreads not realising that this was a 'fill in' backstory of her main series. I am reviewing this as a standalone book, not as a 'fan'-apologies if I hit spoilers in here but since I don't know the Otherworld series at all I'm not sure what to avoid.

There are 3 sections to this: Jeremy's conception, Clayton's childhood and friendship with Jeremy and Jeremy discovering a little about his birth history in New York as a...more

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Apr 10, 2012 OpenBookSociety.com rated it 5 of 5 stars

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Katlyn

As a huge fan of Kelley Armstrong’s “Otherworld” series, this book was an absolute MUST for me to read. We met Clay and Jeremy in the first book, “Bitten”. But we saw them from Elena’s point of view which was skewed by the fact that she resented them for what they were and what Clay did to her. I really wanted to know how Jeremy became Alpha and how Clay became the rough but sweet (only to her) werewolf Elena fell in love with.

The first part of this book was...more Brought to you by OBS reviewer Katlyn

As a huge fan of Kelley Armstrong’s “Otherworld” series, this book was an absolute MUST for me to read. We met Clay and Jeremy in the first book, “Bitten”. But we saw them from Elena’s point of view which was skewed by the fact that she resented them for what they were and what Clay did to her. I really wanted to know how Jeremy became Alpha and how Clay became the rough but sweet (only to her) werewolf Elena fell in love with.

The first part of this book was ‘Infusion’, a short story about Jeremy’s biological mother, and how she was not from the “normal” world. Malcom saw this as weakness in his son, Jeremy, so he wanted nothing to do with him. Fortunately the Pack took Jeremy in when Malcolm did not. This was a great introduction to Malcolm and how ruthless and selfish he was, and also the fact that Jeremy had other special traits than just being a werewolf, ones that made him a bit more supernatural than most.

The second part of the book was ‘Savage’, a novella about how Clay became a werewolf. This story completely absorbed me from the start. Young Clay comes across a werewolf and tells him he wants to be bit. The man agrees, knowing that this child will die before turning. But Clay does not die and he turns more into a savage creature always looking for food and not getting enough. Jeremy rescues Clay and adopts him as his son, much to Malcolm’s discouragment. This book made me laugh out loud because of the crazy antics Clay performed while Jeremy wanted to assimilate him to the human world. We finally learn what happened with the dissection of the class guinea pig.

The third part of the book was ‘Ascension’, a novella about Clayon’s coming of age and the Pack choosing its new Alpha. Jeremy and Malcolm were up for the new Alpha which basically split the Pack. This book showed the dark side of these men. When fighting for control and power within the Pack many lives were lost and friendships broken. This was a pivotal starting point to the ‘Women of the Otherworld’ series. We understood how Jeremy got to become Alpha and what it cost everyone in the Pack.

The last part of the book was ‘Ghosts’, a short story that takes place in 2007. Jeremy and Jamie are together traveling for her show, and Jeremy comes upon a strange woman with strange requests. The strength of Jamie and Jeremy’s love is tested and the whole other world of Jeremy’s mothers past is revealed that will leave you wanting more!

http://openbooksociety.com/article/ke...(less)

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Jun 20, 2011 Jen (Red Hot Books) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: anthology, otherworld, urban-fantasy

Men of the Otherworld is one of the two collections of short stories that Kelley Armstrong wrote as gifts to her fans. And they are, indeed, exciting for those of us who have followed the series and fallen in love with her characters. All but one of these stories are prequels, set before the main novels. But I wouldn't necessarily tell someone new to the series to read them first. The stories come first chronologically, but I think you'd have a better appreciation for them at least after Stolen....more Men of the Otherworld is one of the two collections of short stories that Kelley Armstrong wrote as gifts to her fans. And they are, indeed, exciting for those of us who have followed the series and fallen in love with her characters. All but one of these stories are prequels, set before the main novels. But I wouldn't necessarily tell someone new to the series to read them first. The stories come first chronologically, but I think you'd have a better appreciation for them at least after Stolen. (And the last story in the mix takes place after No Humans Involved.) You don't have to read these stories to keep up with the series, but they are fantastic and fans really won't want to miss them.

"Infusion" - narrator: Malcolm - This is the story of Jeremy's conception. We've known from the beginning that he is different and special. This gives us a little insight into why. We meet his Japanese mother and learn that she approached Malcolm on purpose, to infuse his werewolf blood into her own supernatural bloodline. This is also our first look at Malcolm and we get an idea of what a jerk he is... although the true breadth of that isn't seen until later stories.

"Savage" - narrator: Clay - This is the meatiest story in the bunch. Here Clay tells us the story of how he became a werewolf and how Jeremy took him into the Pack. We see firsthand the events that turn Clay into the man we know... why he cares so little for human conventions, why he is so loyal to Jeremy, and even how he became friends with Nick. We get the oft-mentioned "guinea pig" story and see the events that turned Clay and Daniel into enemies... a pivotal development that lays the foundation for Bitten. The story also gives insight into Jeremy and his early relationships with both his father and the other members of the Pack. It's definitely a switch from the reverence the other wolves hold for him now. This is a great story and it's worth getting the book, even for this novella alone.

"Ascension" - narrator: Clay - This story feels almost like an extension of the one before. It picks up with Clay at 11 years old and shows, through his perspective, Jeremy's rise to pack Alpha. It's a process that spans more than a decade. In that time, we see how Clay becomes the Pack enforcer; how he gained the reputation as a psychotic killer; even what's in those pictures of his dirty-work that we've heard reference to. The story shows how the Pack has come to be in its current form and why its numbers have dwindled... and most importantly, how Malcolm was finally defeated. Really good stuff.

"Kitsunegari" - narrator: Jeremy - In "Infusion," we learned that Jeremy came from a line of supernatural women, but it's in this story, we finally find out what they were. Jeremy is with Jamie, attending one of her shows, when he is lured away by an Asian woman. She tries to seduce him, but with no luck. Jeremy is able to eventually determine that she is one of an ancient race of fox-shifter deities and they want Jeremy to help them repopulate, since he is descended from the worshippers infused with their powers. This was probably the least thrilling of the four stories, though I did like the little bit of backstory Jeremy gives about how and when he started falling for Jamie.

I really enjoyed this collection of short stories... and wouldn't hesitate to recommend the collection to any Otherworld fan. 5 stars.(less)

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Apr 09, 2011 Nath rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: all-time-favorites, urban-fantasy, read-2009, anthology

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 5/5 (A+)

Infusion is more of a short story and is basically about the origin of Jeremy, the werewolf we know as the Alpha. Although quite short, the story still gives us great insight into Malcom - Jeremy's father - and Jeremy's background and origins. I mean, reading about Jeremy, who didn't wonder about his grandfather and father? However, this is not my favorite story, probably because I dislike Malcom. Still, it is very interesting.

Savage and Ascension are two lengthy novellas and cover Clay'...more

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Dec 03, 2010 Mel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Being a fan I loved getting some back ground into the werewolf pack and Clay’s upbringing. What Kelley always seems to do with her stories is remind you that this story you’re reading is just an episode of those characters lives – they have a past (that doesn’t necessarily impact on the present unlike some characters), plans for the future – they have a life. This book covers some of that past only mentioned in passing before in other books concentrating especially on the life of Jeremy Danvers...more

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Aug 01, 2010 Lisa (Harmonybites) rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Lovers of Urban Fantasy

Shelves: contemporary, fantasy, horror, fiction, novels, short-stories

These are four connected stories rather than a novel set in Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series. As that title for the series suggests, those books, a baker's dozen to date, are almost all told from a female perspective, and usually first person at that. The series is in a connected universe, though with different protagonists and perspectives, although each novel generally following the earlier one's events.

This book is different. The four stories are not just written from a male perspe...more

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May 24, 2009 Roxie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Okay, I am a HUGE fan of Kelley Armstrong. She is the only authour I've come across so far who can make me totally love her werewolves. I'm not a werewolf fan, really, but hers are irresistable, and the reason THIS particular book is rated a wee bit higher than the others (despite the fact that it's actually two short stories and two novellas) is because the novellas in question feature one of my favourite characters of all literature: Clayton Danvers. Yeah, yeah, yeah, there are a million femal...more

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Feb 18, 2009 Tez rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Families in the American Pack have deadly agendas in Kelley Armstrong's collection of werewolf tales, Men of the Otherworld.

Out of the two novellas and two short stories here, I'd already read three in previous incarnations, when they were available free on the author's website. Now they can only be found in this anthology, with the proceeds going to World Literacy of Canada.

"Ascension" is a fine short, focusing on Jeremy Danvers's birth. The racist, unlikable Malcolm Danvers manages to attract...more Families in the American Pack have deadly agendas in Kelley Armstrong's collection of werewolf tales, Men of the Otherworld.

Out of the two novellas and two short stories here, I'd already read three in previous incarnations, when they were available free on the author's website. Now they can only be found in this anthology, with the proceeds going to World Literacy of Canada.

"Ascension" is a fine short, focusing on Jeremy Danvers's birth. The racist, unlikable Malcolm Danvers manages to attract a quiet Japanese lass, but she has a definite plan to keep the resulting baby from his father.

Though Malcolm is a character you'll want dead, or at the very least slapped, he at least has somewhat of a unique voice. I've read the Otherworld novels and short stories - Clay Danvers, Lucas Cortez and Jeremy all have very similar voices. And when these are written in first person, it becomes even more obvious. The same with the female characters, though when we first met Jaime Vegas as a secondary character, she at least seemed to be drunken and clumsy. But once she starred in her own novel, her distinguishing characteristics faded. I love these books' intriguing plots, but the characters aren't quite standing out as different from one another.

"Savage" traces Clay's back story - how he was bitten, and became Jeremy's "son". I still don't understand why Clay wanted to become a werewolf, and why Malcolm bit him instead of just killing him. It's kind of tedious.

"Ascension" tells of how Jeremy became Alpha. There's a lot of political faff, bitchiness, and killing people to raise your own status - and that's just Malcolm, let alone his followers. This has a more engaging plot than "Savage", but still seems to plod along.

Then there's a new short story, "Kitsunegari", where we learn the mysterious origins of Jeremy's ancestors. It deals with paranormal beings I hadn't heard of before, so yay for something new and interesting. But see above for character notes. I preferred Jeremy and Jaime when they were both single. Now a lot of scenes end with a saucy sentence, and closed-door shagging. Gets old fast.

Whilst World Literacy of Canada is a worthy organisation, I still wouldn't recommend paying hardcover price for this anthology. Luckily for those in the UK and Australia, this is being released first as a paperback. Those in the US and Canada will have to buy the hardcover now, or wait months for a paperback.

I still very much plan to follow any and all of Kelley Armstrong's works, but reading the Otherworld series (adult, not the YA's Darkest Powers) doesn't seem to enthuse me as much as it once did. I've become far too picky in my old age...(less)

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Jan 09, 2012 Nikki rated it 5 of 5 stars

New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong has captivated readers with her spellbinding Women of the Otherworld series. Now, for the first time, in this collection of four tales she gives center stage to the men who love these sexy, supernatural women—the men who live on the other side of humanity…the wild side.

As a curious six-year-old, Clayton didn’t resist the bite—he asked for it. But surviving as a lone child-werewolf was more than he could manage—until Jeremy came along and taught...more

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Mar 06, 2011 Bekah Crozier rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: booktalks-middle-and-high-school, my-favourite-ya-reads

This was my first read by Kelley Armstrong... and I'm happy to say that I am now an addicted fan. I look forward to reading everything else by this author.

This particular book was about werewolves. Seeing as Twilight is all the rage right now, I picked this up as another series to share with teen fans.

We are introduced to a number of different werewolves in this read, including a young male, Clay, who becomes a wolf not through his genes, but rather by being bitten by another werewolf (bitten w...more

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Jul 08, 2010 Kelly rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2010, 2010-favorites

I completely loved this set of short stories. Completely. Absolutely. Focusing on the men of the Werewolf Pack, namely Clay and Jeremy, each story gives us a bit of insight into the things that made them the men we grew to love in the Otherworld series.

Infusion sheds some light on Jeremy's parentage. Not much light, mind you, but enough that those teasing hints that were dropped about the non-werewolf side of his heritage in earlier books begin to take on more meaning.

Savage jumps us forward 20+...more

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Apr 09, 2011 Nichole rated it 4 of 5 stars

*May contain spoilers*

I've read almost all of the Kelley Armstrong books, and I've loved each and every single one in their own unique way. However, this was the best one I have read so far. Absolutely amazing!

I loved reading about Clay. I don't think I can express that enough. In fact, I wish that there would have been a little more. Don't get me wrong, thre was plenty of detail, but I wish the book extended a bit more. I would have thrown in a few more chapters to cover a few more of his ear...more *May contain spoilers*

I've read almost all of the Kelley Armstrong books, and I've loved each and every single one in their own unique way. However, this was the best one I have read so far. Absolutely amazing!

I loved reading about Clay. I don't think I can express that enough. In fact, I wish that there would have been a little more. Don't get me wrong, thre was plenty of detail, but I wish the book extended a bit more. I would have thrown in a few more chapters to cover a few more of his earlier years, which happened to be my favorite, and a couple more for his later years. I also really would have loved to have him meet Elena in this book. I didn't like how it jumped to the present at the very end, when it didn't introduce Elena anywhere else in the book. That upset me a lot. I also would have liked to have more about his career mentioned.

One thing that I didn't like in this book as Malcom's fate. I wished that Armstrong would have let him alive so that in later books Clay could have killed him. However, I was very impressed that she made it possible for me to hate him so much in this book, with im being a main character and all. I also got confused at one point in the book. At one time Clay was around 8 or 9 years old. Then there was a 5 year gap...and he ended up being only 11. I'm sure it was an editing process, but it really through me for a loop. One last complaint: I got really confused over Joey's character. In Frostbitten he seemed as if he hated everything about the pack, and even clay himself, but in this book he seemed to love being in the pack. Also, Frostbitten made it see as if Clay and Joey got in this huge fight when he left the pack with his dad, but that wasn't the case.

I would love to read more about Clay's memories in later books. I think it would be in Armstrong's best interests to create anthologies about him and the other pack members. And Whle I loved the last little short story with Jamie and Jeremy, I wish Armstrong would have used that space to talk more about Clay. I would love another JJ story but I just wanted more Clay in this book!

Loved it! (less)

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Dec 05, 2010 Shelley aka Gizmo's Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

Plot line: As a curious six-year-old, Clayton didn’t resist the bite—he asked for it. But surviving as a lone child-werewolf was more than he could manage—until Jeremy came along, taught Clayton how to straddle the human-werewolf worlds, and introduced him to the Pack. So begins this tantalizing volume featuring three of the most intriguing members of the American Pack—a hierarchical founding family where bloodlines mean everything and each day presents a new, thrilling, and often deadly challen...more Plot line: As a curious six-year-old, Clayton didn’t resist the bite—he asked for it. But surviving as a lone child-werewolf was more than he could manage—until Jeremy came along, taught Clayton how to straddle the human-werewolf worlds, and introduced him to the Pack. So begins this tantalizing volume featuring three of the most intriguing members of the American Pack—a hierarchical founding family where bloodlines mean everything and each day presents a new, thrilling, and often deadly challenge. For as he grows from a wild child to a clever teen who tests his mentor at every turn, Clayton must learn not only to control his animal instincts but to navigate Pack politics—including showing his brutal archnemesis who the real Alpha is.

It's actually nice to read a story from the perspective of the male (Jeremy and Clayton) that we have been reading about since Bitten came out. The story starts off in 1946 featuring the character Malcolm Danvers, Jeremy's father.

The stories in order are:
Infusion - a short story about Jeremy's biological mother, and how she was not from the "normal" world.

Savage - a novella about how Clay became a werewolf. Young Clay comes across a werewolf and tells him he wants to be bit. The man agrees, knowing that this child will die before turning. But Clay does not die and he turns more into a savage creature always looking for food and not getting enough. Jeremy rescues Clay and adopts him as his son, much to Malcolm's discouragment.

Ascension - a novella about Clayon's coming of age and the Pack choosing its new Alpha. Jeremy and Malcolm were up for the new Alpha which basically split the Pack. This book shows the dark side of these men. When fighting for control and power within the Pack many lives were lost and friendships broken.

Ghosts - a short story that takes place in 2007. Jeremy and Jamie are together traveling for her show, and Jeremy comes upon a strange woman with strange requests. The strength of Jamie and Jeremy's love is tested and the whole other world of Jeremy's mothers past is revealed.

(less)

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Dec 17, 2011 Janina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, shifters

Men of the Otherworld is a collection of stories of the men from Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherwold series. This book basically focuses on Clay, from a lone child werewolf to a teen. This story also focuses on the issues Jeremy had to deal with and Malcolm, Jeremy's father, who wants to take over the pack.

I'm going to start off saying that I love Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series and Clay and Elena's books are by far my fave! This book was amazing. I loved Clay as a child....more

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Sep 18, 2011 Cassandra rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, fiction, uf

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

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Mar 22, 2011 Dharma Kurlind rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Courtesy of Lost Art Audiobook Review http://literaryurbanfantasyreview.blo...

Summary:
Among the humans live werewolves. Men only, who are born with the gene that manifests after puberty. They exist under the radar, living longer than humans, their aging slowed by the werewolf gene. Their society is loosely policed by the American pack – a singular, barely functional group that is dedicated to keeping the existence of werewolves a secret by killing all mutts (non-pack werewolves) whom they happen...more Courtesy of Lost Art Audiobook Review http://literaryurbanfantasyreview.blo...

Summary:
Among the humans live werewolves. Men only, who are born with the gene that manifests after puberty. They exist under the radar, living longer than humans, their aging slowed by the werewolf gene. Their society is loosely policed by the American pack – a singular, barely functional group that is dedicated to keeping the existence of werewolves a secret by killing all mutts (non-pack werewolves) whom they happen to cross.

In the 1940’s, Malcolm, a werewolf, is seduced by a strange Asian woman who gets pregnant after one night and runs away with their son, Jeremy. The son is a wolf, but not completely. Unlike Malcolm, he is quiet, almost a pacifist, and Malcolm can’t seem to beat the werewolf back into his boy. But Jeremy sees the bigger picture when, for the first time, a young boy turned werewolf is discovered by the pack living by himself, abandoned in the Bayou of Louisiana. Clayton was seven, or so about, when Jeremy found him living in the swamp, socialized him, and took him home to upstate New York. Clayton survives as the only child werewolf, growing into a passable human, and takes Jeremy’s side as father and son clash over who will take over the American pack.

On Narration
This audiobook is read by Charles Leggett. I haven’t listened to his narration before, but he’s very competent with the voices, which are almost exclusively male in this collection. His Cajun accent seems alright, but I’m not very familiar with the way it’s supposed to sound. His general reading is sincere and believable. My only criticism is that I had a hard time between the external and internal dialogue from Clayton’s point of view. For example, when Jeremy takes Clayton to the airport, Clayton recognizes a plane, but I did not realize he said it out loud until Jeremy responded. Kind of makes you wonder how much of the internal dialogue was really internal.

Domestication of Wolves to Men
There are three parts to this collection. The first starts with a third-person narration of how Malcolm met Jeremy’s mother. It reminds me of Bitten, the first Women of the Otherworld books in that it’s rather brutal and very reflective. The listener doesn’t empathize with any character in this part of the collection, but the story line is interesting.

The best part of the collection was definitely the second – Clayton’s story told from his point of view. It’s very engaging. As hard it as it is to empathize with Malcolm is how smooth it is to slip into Clayton’s story. At the point where Clayton fears Jeremy will abandon him in the Bayou, I logically understood that the fear was unfounded because of the way it was written (and because I’ve listened to the whole series), and I still got teary-eyed. Oh, and it’s humorous, like when Clayton first observes Jeremy talking on a cellphone but he forgot what cellphones are, so he assumed Jeremy liked talking to plastic, and that’s fine. Jeremy likes to talk to plastic, Clayton likes to catch and eat the rats that run into the hotel room. “We all have our eccentricities.” That humor continues to Stonehaven in New York, when Jeremy enrolls Clayton in public school. There is a lovely double entendre where the kindergarten school teacher notices the Clayton is interested in the class’s rodent farm and, at a parent-teacher night, suggests Jeremy get Clatyon a pet. She says something like, “My friend’s cat just had kittens. Would you like that, Clayton? Would you like a kitten?” and Clayton, the constantly starving, mostly feral werewolf child replies, “Yes. Yes, I would love a kitten.”

The third part is Jeremy’s discovery of his mother’s people. Even though the cover of the collection hints at sex, and man-on-man at that, this is actually the only section that has it, and really only hints at it at that. If you’ve listened to the Women of the Otherworld series, you know there’s plenty of graphic adult scenes. The closest we get is the relationship between Jeremy and Jaime, which is nice, but not quiet as explosive as Clayton and Elena’s relationship in the series. This is actually the part I missed most about the collection – not the sex, but the relationship between Clayton and Elena from Clayton’s perspective. If you’re familiar with the series, Clayton turned Elena basically against her will. The more we know of Clayton throughout the series, including in this collection, the less that particular moment makes sense. I was hoping to get that moment from Clayton’s perspective, but that’s not in the story.
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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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“Kids who don't eavesdrop on adult conversations are doomed to a childhood of ignorance.” — 338 people liked it

“At school, our classroom had a small rodent zoo consisting of two
rabbits, three hamsters, a litter of baby gerbils and a guinea pig. At first, I’d
thought the teacher was raising snack food, which impressed me, being the
first sign of intelligence she’d shown. Soon, though, I’d figured out the
animals’ true purpose and left them alone, though I would never understand
the appeal of petting and coddling perfectly good food.” — 96 people liked it

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