Bitten (Women of the Otherworld, #1)

Apr 14, 2012 Christina rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Clare, Katharine

Recommended to Christina by: Kaylan

Shelves: fantasy, werewolves, 2008-reads, 2012-reads

You know when you don't really expect to like a book based on the fact that you're prejudiced to its contents? For example, thanks to Twilight, I am completely Team Vampire (and I'm terribly ashamed at having brought Twilight up, trust me) so anything Werewolf-ish automatically sets off some inner resentment. Knowing this book was about werewolves just made me go 'blegh!' but I was suddenly determined to give it a chance, and so I did.

Oh. My. God. FANTASTIC. I was utterly absorbed by this book...more

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May 07, 2010 Kat Kennedy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kat-s-book-reviews

How can I write this review without sounding like I'm about to start stalking Kelley Armstrong?

I loved this book. I loved all the characters in it. It was well written, with engaging, interesting characters. The plot was fast moving and interesting. I never got bored, I never felt like it was dragging and the story was a PLEASURE to read.

This is what reading should be! Turning from page to page, absolutely and completely emotionally invested in the characters and feeling like you're right there,...more

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Nov 14, 2009 Shannon (Giraffe Days) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: shape-shifters, urban-fantasy, 2009, favourite

This one's been hanging around for a while, since it was recommended to me sometime last year. I saw that kiwiria loved it and remembered that I had it, so thought I should get onto it sooner rather than later. To be honest, the fact that it's about werewolves put me off. I greatly enjoyed Kerri Arthur's Riley Jensen Guardian series (the main character is a werewolf), and Kresley Cole has some wonderful lycanthrope characters whom I love, but generally they don't hold the attraction that vampire...more This one's been hanging around for a while, since it was recommended to me sometime last year. I saw that kiwiria loved it and remembered that I had it, so thought I should get onto it sooner rather than later. To be honest, the fact that it's about werewolves put me off. I greatly enjoyed Kerri Arthur's Riley Jensen Guardian series (the main character is a werewolf), and Kresley Cole has some wonderful lycanthrope characters whom I love, but generally they don't hold the attraction that vampires do. Well, I really should re-think that now.

Elena Michaels is an orphan with a horrible past of foster families and abusive foster fathers since her parents died in a car accident when she was little. Meeting and falling in love with Clay, an esteemed anthropologist doing a stint of teaching at the University of Toronto, was the first time she could be more herself, and he was the first person she could be honest and open with. Until she's bitten by a werewolf and becomes the first female werewolf ever, and forced into a life she did not want, with the Pack.

Ten years later, she's carving a human life for herself in Toronto as a journalist, living with her boyfriend Philip, and forcing herself not to Change until she can't help it. When she does, she goes out in the early hours of the morning and chases security guards in the car parks, and rabbits in the ravines. Her attempt at fitting in with humans comes to a jarring halt when the Pack leader, Jeremy, asks her to return to Stonehaven in New York State. There's a killer on the loose in the town who's obviously a non-Pack werewolf, a mutt, leaving the mutilated bodies on Pack territory and bringing the police to their doorstep.

Returning to Stonehaven, Elena finds herself fitting into old patterns without fear of exposure or judgement. She still yearns to be human, or at least, to fit in in the human world, but the situation is becoming more threatening and her Pack-brothers are losing their lives: and the enemy wants her.

While the Prologue was necessary in setting up the main character and narrator, Elena, and it worked well written in present tense - gives it that timeless quality - I found it a bit boring and was worried I wouldn't be able to get through the book. It wasn't long before I was completely riveted though.

It comes down to Elena herself, I think. She's tough, she's bitchy at times, she's smart, yet she has this aloof, lonely quality that adds a touch of vulnerability and really made me feel for her without being told to. The way she describes her past and how she dealt with it, the way she over-thinks her way through the world of humans, concentrating and always thinking, what would a human do? (Even though she used to be human, she's not anymore.)

Then there's her relationship with Clay, which is what really drives the whole story. Clay is an interesting character with at least three noticeable sides: cold killer; eager, childlike boy with a wealth of feeling; and borderline genius. He's moody but predictable, dangerous and lethal but oh so loving and loveable. I just loved the fact that he wasn't easy to sum up, that he was complicated.

More than that, though, the plot was exciting and even though, after the prologue, the rest of the book is written in past tense, it still has that "now" feeling where the narrator, Elena, isn't giving hints as to what happened later, but narrates as if she has no idea either. That gives the story a great deal of suspense and tension.

For a debut novel, this is a bloody good novel. The writing quality is very high, the character development is wonderful, the plot is absorbing, never boring, and the moments of humour are very adult and speak to a level of intelligence that most popular fiction aims below. It's an intelligent, mature book, very hard to put down, and I'm very keen to read the second book featuring Elena, Stolen.(less)

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Jan 27, 2009 Beth F. rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: vampire lovers who think the werewolf can't hack it

Recommended to Beth F. by: Jennifer

Shelves: werewolves, urban-fantasy, canada, 2009, infidelity, 2009-five-star-reads, i-reviewed-this-bad-boy, tnbbc-winter-2008

A lot of authors tend to rely on supernatural abilities to make their fantasy and paranormal characters more appealing to us foolish mortals who seek our escapes amongst their pages. But Kelley Armstrong’s werewolves in Bitten must rely on grit and personality alone, because aside from having the ability to Change their shape, they don’t have any bizarre powers. They aren’t immortal, they can be killed just as easily as any other non-supernatural creature and it doesn’t take a silver bullet to d...more A lot of authors tend to rely on supernatural abilities to make their fantasy and paranormal characters more appealing to us foolish mortals who seek our escapes amongst their pages. But Kelley Armstrong’s werewolves in Bitten must rely on grit and personality alone, because aside from having the ability to Change their shape, they don’t have any bizarre powers. They aren’t immortal, they can be killed just as easily as any other non-supernatural creature and it doesn’t take a silver bullet to do it—they could be gored by a deer, hit by a truck or even strangled or have their throats slit by a human psychopath.

The abilities Armstrong’s werewolves were granted were surprisingly believable, even without that total suspension of reality that is required to read a book about werewolves or vampires or the Fey. They were stronger than the average human, able to run harder longer, bench press more and do more pushups. And they could heal faster, but healing wasn’t an instantaneous process, it still required rest and time. And even though there was a slight psychic connection between the alpha and his pack, it was no more eerie than the close bond between a set of twins or best girlfriends or a married couple so in tune to each other that they frequently find themselves dialing the phone to call the other at the exact same time. It was Armstrong’s ability to subtly draw you into the werewolves’ world that sold me hook, line and sinker.

Like so many others who read urban fantasy and paranormal romance, werewolves have not been my favorite characters. Vampires, yes. Other fantastical beasts, erm, okay, but only if there’s a vampire somewhere in the book. But werewolves??? Eh. Pass. Fortunately, the high ratings this book has received practically forced me into giving this book a shot. And frankly, I loved it!!

Elena Michaels is one of the most intriguing heroines I’ve encountered in quite some time. She is the only female werewolf in existence and in the history of the Pack. She was raised human and after losing her parents in a car crash, was in and out of foster homes for her entire young life. She suffered the unwanted attentions of her foster fathers and grew up wanting nothing more than to have that normal human life: a good career, a caring husband, a home…

But when she was bitten by a werewolf during college, everything changed and her dreams for a normal life were ripped away from her because suddenly she was faced with violent urges, a ravenous appetite and the need to periodically change form and run as a wolf through the night. Obviously the latter is hard to do in a big city like Toronto, but after gaining some control over her other half, Elena tries to make it work.

She takes a job as a journalist with the newspaper, has a wonderful human boyfriend named Phillip who is kind and considerate and buys her flowers, and she quietly appeases the werewolf inside her by sneaking in-between meals at street vendors so her live-in human boyfriend doesn’t notice her above-average appetite and she sneaks out of the apartment at 2 a.m. to stalk and scare local security guards—a sad excuse for an all-out deer hunt, but she makes do.

But then she receives an urgent message from Jeremy, the Pack leader, and Elena can’t ignore it: her Pack is in danger. Elena leaves Toronto and flies to a remote area in upstate New York where her Pack is headquartered. And there she finds Clay, just as she left him, waiting for her, still in love with her.

Like Elena, Clay is also a dark, tortured hero. And the relationship Armstrong weaves for the two is both passionate and painful and oh-so wonderful, and the fact that the relationship was second to the urban fantasy plot of an all-out werewolf battle for territory didn’t make it any less satisfying.

No spoilers here, so I won't say anything else, except that I highly, highly recommend!(less)

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Apr 03, 2012 Gaijinmama rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

#41 Bitten by Kelley Armstrong
rating 4 of 5
436 pp

This is the literary equivalent of eating potato chips. Not terribly filling or nutritious but lots of fun, and it sure is hard to stop once you get started. I have already read the author's third and fourth books, Dime Store Magic and Industrial Magic and I have to say I wish I'd started here, at the beginning.
Note to self: read a series in order! Regardless of when you manage to pick them up at the used bookstore, forbear until you can begin at...more #41 Bitten by Kelley Armstrong
rating 4 of 5
436 pp

This is the literary equivalent of eating potato chips. Not terribly filling or nutritious but lots of fun, and it sure is hard to stop once you get started. I have already read the author's third and fourth books, Dime Store Magic and Industrial Magic and I have to say I wish I'd started here, at the beginning.
Note to self: read a series in order! Regardless of when you manage to pick them up at the used bookstore, forbear until you can begin at the beginning, otherwise you're just plain missing out.

Bitten is pretty unique. There are quite a few books out there with strong, female Witches or demon-fighters or vampire slayers as protagonists, but not many where the heroine is a bonafide werewolf. Actually, Elena is more of an antihero. She's not really a very nice person; that's why I like her! She's funny, grumpy, sarcastic, and has very little compunction about ripping up a rapist or pedophile. She also gets to engage in a couple of pretty hot love scenes (in human form, don't worry). Neither these parts nor the violence are overly graphic. I'd say this series would be OK for a 14 or 15 year old, since they see much worse than this on TV, but parents please use your own discretion with your own kids!
I think what I like best about this book is that Armstrong's take on werewolves is pretty sensible. Their need to Change is a biological function that is either genetic or contracted by being bitten. As one character puts it, it's "about as much fun as having a bowel movement." Well, he doesn't actually say "bowel movement," the vocabulary is definitely PG-13.
No need for silver bullets, either. Armstrong's werewolves can be killed in any manner that would kill any other living creature, including knives, regular bullets, or being run over by a truck. They don't magically return to human form after death, either. A dead werewolf is just roadkill. And human predators (see aforementioned rapists and pedophiles) are far scarier than anything the supernatural can produce.

All in all, a highly entertaining read. I'm in the mood to open another bag of chips and start right in on Stolen, the next book in the series.
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Jun 24, 2011 Elle rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-of-series, 2011-read, did-not-finish, meh, elles-reviews, fantasy-and-paranormal, everyone-loved-it-but-me, own-read

Had any of the characters been even half as cool as this guy:

Teen Wolf

...I may have keep reading.

Or to be more accurate I should say: I may have read it correctly.
Which I didn’t. Instead, I did this:

*notices all the 5star reviews of Bitten*

*clicks ‘confirm order’ button on BookDespository.com*

*waits by mail box for about 40,000 years*

*receives Bitten*

*does happy dance like a happy thing in a happy place with a happy hat*

*begins reading page one of Bitten*

18 minutes later:

“ZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...more

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Apr 13, 2011 Mariya rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: shifters, favorites

Out of all of the shifter books I have read this has got be the be the best one I have ever read. I was starting to think that shifters may not be for me, but wow can Kelly Armstrong write. I was a little worried about this series because I wasn’t too fond of her young adult series. But I can definitely say I will be continuing with the Women of the Otherworld series. I am highly addicted to some Elena and Clay.

"You forget, darling.
I am the local psychopath.” She stared at him. “Oh my God, it’
...more Out of all of the shifter books I have read this has got be the be the best one I have ever read. I was starting to think that shifters may not be for me, but wow can Kelly Armstrong write. I was a little worried about this series because I wasn’t too fond of her young adult series. But I can definitely say I will be continuing with the Women of the Otherworld series. I am highly addicted to some Elena and Clay.

"You forget, darling.
I am the local psychopath.” She stared at him. “Oh my God, it’s scary you noticed that."

We have Elena the only female werewolf in existence. A long time ago she fell in love and was engaged to be married to Clay the love of her life, but while meeting with Jeremy the Alpha of the pack Clay is in. Clay turned into a wolf and bit Elena. And thus turning her into one. And Elena was never the same again. Elena gets called back to the back to help solve a problem that could result in a danger to all werewolves including her.

I absolutely loved this book to death. I loved Elena and Clay. They are like the perfect couple ever! While Elena is back for a while trying to solve this problem for the pack, Clay is making good use of this time trying to win her back. I know we get glimpses into the future of what happened to these two concerning the bite and all of what she went through when she got bitten, but I was a little disappointed to learn that we didn’t get anything about how Elena and Clay first met and what let up to the engagement and bite. But then I learned that there is a book about that. So, yea. can’t wait for that.

"What's this?" Nick said. "Bedtime?"
No one answered him. I kept my eyes closed.
You look positively content, Clayton," Nick continued, thumping down on the floor. "That wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that Elena is cuddled up with you, is it?" "It's cold in here," I murmured.
Doesn't feel cold."
It's cold," Clay growled.
I could start a fire."
I could start one too," Clay said. "With your clothes. Before you get them off."

I loved everyone in the pack. The pack, Alpha is very kind and cold to me at the same time. I know being an alpha you have to maintain control and be cold sometimes because it is a big job, but wow. I think Jeremy is wonderful alpha and I really hope we get to learn more about him as time goes on. He has a kindness towards Elena where you can see him as a father figure for her. We also have Nick, Antonio, Logan, the whole gang. I loved the pack. They’re like such a great family together.

In the book Elena is still having trouble coming to terms with her being a werewolf and I loved her dealing with that, figuring out who she is and by the end of the book finally excepting everything. She has come a long way. My favorite part of the book is Elena and Clay and I just have to say I WANT MORE! I can’t wait to read book two in the series, Stolen and find out what happens next in the Women of the Otherworld Series. If you are a big time shifter fan you will devour this book. I highly recommend this book to any urban fantasy fan.

More of my reviews at Mystifying Paranormal Reviews(less)

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

Shelves: urban-fantasy

I really liked this book. It was a bit slow at the beginning but once I got over that I was completely hooked. We are introduced into a new werewolf world with this series, one that has not been described in any other series I have read so far.

Our heroine is Elena. She was just a normal girl who made the mistake of falling in love with her teacher, a young hot and sexy blonde who had her crazy in love since they first met. I mean, what would you have done in Elena's place? I know if I was in he...more

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Jul 07, 2010 Mel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: re-read, favorites

Re-read dec 2009

Bitten is the first book of the widely popular Women of the Otherworld series by Kelley Armstrong. The series is popular for good reason: Armstrong writes good, solid stories and I find her books to be urban fantasy classics.

Armstrong’s series features a wide range of female (and later on: male) narrators from different supernatural backgrounds. In this book we get introduced to her werewolves through Elena Michaels’ eyes.

Elena is the only female werewolf in the world, who’s det...more

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Jan 09, 2013 JennyJen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, and-it-all-falls-down, blah, disappointing, expected-so-much-more, hero-doesnt-do-it-for-me, i-m-over-it, lackluster-series-start, mc-sucks-ass, meh, no-soup-for-you, overhyped, potential-went-down-shitter, read-2013, series, tstl-heroine, weres, generic-pnr-formula

A lot of people love this book. I am not one of those people.

I think 3 stars is being mighty generous. The first half was 4 stars and the second half 1. An average of 2.5 rounded up. Mighty generous.

In the first pages of Bitten, we meet Elena and her boyfriend Phillip. Their relationship is one of secrets and posturing, as Elena is secretly a werewolf and Phillip is not. It’s painfully obvious that their relationship is strained. Phillip clearly loves Elena and wants to be closer to her, but Ele...more

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Oct 04, 2010 Jenny B rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: all-pnr-uf, 2010-read, 6-series-read, x-reviewed-old, 3-urban-fantasy, 5-read-fiction, 1st-in-series

I really enjoyed Bitten.

Elena Michaels is the only female werewolf in the world. She was bitten and betrayed by her former fiancé Clay and is trying to make a normal life for herself in Toronto with her human boyfriend.

Called back to the pack to help deal with a Mutts problem, Elena hopes everything will be done in a couple of days so she can return to her normal life. However, once at Stonehaven she finds herself immersed in the werewolf way of life, seeming to fall once again for Clay. Elena...more

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Feb 17, 2010 Zeek rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy, shifters

Extremely well written, Bitten ise one of the best werewolf novels out there right now in the Urban Fantasy genre- from a female perspective at least.

Narrated in the 1st person voice, Bitten starts off with the heroine, Elena Michaels, living in Toronto and trying to maintain a normal existence- far from her "pack". Elena has the distinction of being one of the few werewolves "created"- i.e. she was bitten and turned rather than born as one. And too, there aren't many female werewolves as the ge...more Extremely well written, Bitten ise one of the best werewolf novels out there right now in the Urban Fantasy genre- from a female perspective at least.

Narrated in the 1st person voice, Bitten starts off with the heroine, Elena Michaels, living in Toronto and trying to maintain a normal existence- far from her "pack". Elena has the distinction of being one of the few werewolves "created"- i.e. she was bitten and turned rather than born as one. And too, there aren't many female werewolves as the gene is inherited from male to male.

When she receives a message from her pack leader she's wary. If she responds, she knows they will suck her back in and, more than anything, she desires a normal life once again. But when the boys back home don't respond to her return calls, she's concerned enough to leave her live-in boyfriend and go investigate.

When arriving at the isolated pack compound, she's relieved to discover her two main concerns, the pack leader Jeremey and his number 1, Clayton, are all right. Still, she's ready to get the heck out of dodge even though it's the last thing these two men want or will allow:

Jeremy, for one, because he's got a problem that he thinks only Elena can help with. A mutt is on the loose- mutt being a rogue werewolf belonging to no pack- and he's apparently killing close to their home turf. Since they have been living peaceably with their neighbors for years and have been left relatively alone, this is the last thing they need. Elena's old job for the pack was keeping tabs on the mutts which is why she is needed so desperately by the pack leader.

Clay has his own selfish motives for wanting Elena to stay- she's his mate and he's tired of her running from it- even though she has a big VALID reason for wanting no part of him. How it all pans out, as well as what happens when Clay and Elena return to Toronto, made the book even more exciting as far as I'm concerned!

Armstrong has obviously taken a lot of time in research to put in as much authenticity to the world of werewolves she's created. The core of these characters is their animal nature and most of the time they are unapologetic about it- I think that's cool. Because of this, the novel comes off fresh while still retaining a dark, sexy edge.

Good read if you like the paranormal romance/urban fantasy genre!(less)

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Jan 09, 2010 FlibBityFLooB rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2010, love-triangle, loved-the-audiobook-narration, witty-i-am-not, read-more-than-once, shifters, urban-fantasy-or-paranormal, zzauthor-armstrong-kelley

At first I wasn't sure if I would be able to get into this book. I thought it started a little slow, and I kept putting it down to read other books. However, once Elena (the heroine) arrived at Stonehaven to see her old pack of werewolves -- I was hooked.

This book reminded me a lot of the book Stray by Rachel Vincent (another book that I really enjoyed). Happily, they were different enough that I was able to enjoy both of them for their own merits :) I liked how the story was written from Elena'...more

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Mar 17, 2012 Carmel (Rabid Reads) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audio, werewolves, favourites

Reviewed by: Rabid Reads

I finished listening to this audiobook a few weeks ago and have been procrastinating on writing my review ever since. Not because I couldn’t find the words but because, well, how does one critique their all-time favorite werewolf novel without turning into the biggest, squealing fan girl ever? Not to mention, the added pressure of reviewing a story that I’ve been raving about and recommending to everyone who’ll listen since the first time I read it. I’ve concluded that: i...more Reviewed by: Rabid Reads

I finished listening to this audiobook a few weeks ago and have been procrastinating on writing my review ever since. Not because I couldn’t find the words but because, well, how does one critique their all-time favorite werewolf novel without turning into the biggest, squealing fan girl ever? Not to mention, the added pressure of reviewing a story that I’ve been raving about and recommending to everyone who’ll listen since the first time I read it. I’ve concluded that: it’s impossible, so I’m just going to start typing and see where I end up!

The characters in the Women of the Otherworld series, more specifically those of the North American werewolf pack, are some of the most life-like in paranormal fiction. Their distinct personalities, histories and preternatural traits are so far reaching and palpable that you’ll find yourself thinking like a wolf in no time. Kelley Armstrong’s knack for getting inside their heads (both human and animal) will blow you away. Many shifter novels make the mistake of not using were-characters to their full potential. That’s definitely not the case with this book, it screams “wolf”. Reading Bitten is like being front and center to the best National Geographic documentary ever made. Except you get to experience it first hand by seeing the story unfold through the eyes of a werewolf.

I wasn’t big on Urban Fantasy back when this book originally came out in 2001 but I think that it’s safe to say that Armstrong is one of the authors responsible for bringing this genre to the forefront and for making it what it is today. I see glimpses of Elena in so many of the newer heroines and there’s a reason for that. She’s strong, fiercely independent and a natural leader. I adore reading from her point of view. Her snark and wit are unmistakable and really come through in Kelley’s writing. The audiobook amps this aspect up even more so too! I thought the characters in Bitten were lively when I read it the first time around but listening to the story is a whole other experience. I felt like I was there! Literally!

There are also so many underlying themes in this book aside from the obvious werewolf drama. Elena is struggling to keep her humanity, Jeremy is learning what it means to be a true alpha, and Clay well… He appears to be simple minded on the surface but read Armstrong’s anthologies and you’ll quickly realize that that couldn’t be further from the truth. There’s also an undercurrent of sexism in Bitten. Werewolf society hasn’t exactly progressed with the times; they still believe that women are good for making babies, following orders and that’s it. Luckily Elena is just the girl to give all of these wolves the reality check that they need! Only now that I’m going back and re-reading this series am I realizing how connected the overall story really is. Questions that I never knew I had the first time around are resurfacing and being answered.

The plot’s brilliant, the pacing is stellar and the writing is phenomenal. Being the werewolf connoisseur that I am; I’ve often contemplated writing my own book in order to do my wolfish friends justice but who am I kidding? Bitten is that book. I couldn’t write a better story even if I tried. I formally acknowledge Kelley Armstrong as being the queen of the wolves! I will never, ever get sick of this book. Ever.

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Apr 10, 2011 Cat Russell (Addicted2Heroines) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: highly-recommend, favorites

This story will always be one of my favorites because it began my almost obsessive fascination with werewolves. Clay is now and forever will be the only wolf for me ;) He is sexy, charming, with an adorable southern accent and he is fiercely protective of what is his. He could chase me through the woods all night ;)

Elena, the only female werewolf in existence, is a strong, independent heroine who is trying desperately to seperate herself from the pack in hopes of living a normal human life. She...more This story will always be one of my favorites because it began my almost obsessive fascination with werewolves. Clay is now and forever will be the only wolf for me ;) He is sexy, charming, with an adorable southern accent and he is fiercely protective of what is his. He could chase me through the woods all night ;)

Elena, the only female werewolf in existence, is a strong, independent heroine who is trying desperately to seperate herself from the pack in hopes of living a normal human life. She lives far from Stonehaven with her boyfriend, Philip, who loves her and her life with the pack is a heavily guarded secret.

Of course it's not long before she is forced back to Stonehaven and back into Clay's life. I fell in love with Clay from the moment he sat in front of Stonehaven's gate awaiting Elena's return. She battles her feelings for him for the majority of the book, but Clay's pursuit is relentless. Stubborn can definitely be added to his list of defineable traits.

Some reviewers have complained about the ease in which Elena cheated on her boyfriend back home. While I'm not condoning her actions, I can understand her conflicted feelings. She's basically living a double life. She wants the normal life that she has constructed with Philip even though it's difficult to maintain, but she needs the life that she has with Clay and the pack. Her feelings for Clay share equal measures of love and anger in her heart, but the love is definitely still present. Elena doesn't just leave Stonehaven to escape the life of a werewolf that was forced upon her, but to also escape her feelings for Clay. She's always loved him and always will.

Aside from the girly romance stuff, we have Karl Marsten. What a delightful villian he makes! Really. He's devious and conniving, but he also manages to be friendly and fairly likable at the same time. He's one of my favorite "bad guys". I adore basically every character in this book.

I will say that I tried to continue Armstrong's Otherworld series, but I could never really get into the books that didn't feature Elena and Clay. Her stories that were focused more on magic just weren't for me and if you feel the same then you can just skip to the books that feature the werewolves without missing out on anything. Either way, I suggest everyone give this book a try.

"Uh-uh. We've played this game before. I hide. You never seek. I'm a bit slow on the uptake, but I'm beginning to sense a pattern."

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Jul 16, 2011 Krys rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own, need-to-finish-did-not-finish, werewolf-shapeshifter, read-in-2010, medium-length-book, urban-dark-fantasy-paranormal, first-person-narrative, series

Well, I think it's very safe to say that I am not a fan of Kelley Armstrong's writing style. Too bad, she's very popular... but I just could not get into this and I tend to love Urban Fantasy. So what happened?

Well, for starters I think I am starting to tire of the Werewolf plot in books... you'd think it would be the Vampire storyline, but no. I get so bored by reading all of the pack dynamics and posturing. As a result there's only a few shining examples of Werewolf fiction done extremely well...more

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Dec 10, 2008 Elizabeth rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: scifi-fantasy, paranormal, recently-read

So, I came into Bitten having read nearly all of the other books in the Women of the Otherworld series. In fact, the books with Elena narrating are the only ones I haven't read. It was very interesting to read this one, knowing it was the first in the series and already knowing in broader strokes who major players like Elena, Clayton, Jeremy, and Karl, are.

The narration in this book is much darker than in her more recent works, where the women seem more vibrant and infused with personality, and...more So, I came into Bitten having read nearly all of the other books in the Women of the Otherworld series. In fact, the books with Elena narrating are the only ones I haven't read. It was very interesting to read this one, knowing it was the first in the series and already knowing in broader strokes who major players like Elena, Clayton, Jeremy, and Karl, are.

The narration in this book is much darker than in her more recent works, where the women seem more vibrant and infused with personality, and it took me a few chapters to get comfortable. Once I got used to Elena's voice, however, I found that I quite liked that it was not so light in tone. Elena's story is darker, for one thing. She struggles with a difficult childhood and a terrible betrayal as an adult, as well as her dual life as a werewolf, and so the darker tone in appropriate, I think. I remember not liking Paige as much, right away (Dimestore Magic was the first Armstrong I read); I think I actually came to like Elena more quickly, or maybe I just found her easier to relate to than sheltered girly girl Paige.

Elena's first story, which focuses on her return to the Pack when it is threatened by a group of outsiders, is really about her coming to grips with herself, not only as a werewolf, but who she is as a person. She has to learn to accept certain things about her nature, and reconcile her past with her life now. She also has to resolve her feelings for Clay, the wolf who she fell in love with, and who betrayed her in the worst way possible, by making her a werewolf without his consent. I found her personal journey just as compelling as the more action-oriented parts of the plot.

There were a few elements in the book that I struggled with. One, the infidelity. Elena has constructed a human life for herself, living with a human man and holding down a regular job. When she returns to the Pack, her feelings for Clay resurface, and while she struggles with the emotional side, she easily gives in to the physical. I think having suffered infidelity in a serious relationship in own life, I find it very difficult to sympathize with those who commit it. The other issue I had was learning to like Clay. I see his biting Elena without her consent as a form of rape, worse than anything her foster fathers did because she trusted him and loved him, and rather than offering her a choice she might well have taken, he made the decision for her. Elena eventually decides that being a werewolf is a good thing for her, but she was still made one without the opportunity to say yes or no. In the long run, I just had to buy into Elena's way of thinking, and roll with her decisions.

Overall, though, I thought Bitten was excellent. The plot revolving around the Pack was full of action, but Elena's emotional journey was the meat of the story for me. I'm very glad I finally picked this book up.
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Feb 11, 2008 Angie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

Elena Michaels is determined to go it alone. She doesn't need the pack. She doesn't need Clay, the werewolf who misled her, made her believe he loved her, and then turned her into one of them without her permission, without even telling her what he was. To make matters worse, it turns out she's the only female werewolf in the world. That's right. Elena's the Only One and so not interested in dealing with the inevitable "attention" this brings her way. So she leaves the pack and moves to Toronto...more Elena Michaels is determined to go it alone. She doesn't need the pack. She doesn't need Clay, the werewolf who misled her, made her believe he loved her, and then turned her into one of them without her permission, without even telling her what he was. To make matters worse, it turns out she's the only female werewolf in the world. That's right. Elena's the Only One and so not interested in dealing with the inevitable "attention" this brings her way. So she leaves the pack and moves to Toronto where she gets a job as a journalist and finds a nice, normal boyfriend to cuddle with. Problem is, she can't outrun her past and she can't escape the call of the wolf.

Her troubles intensify when the pack needs her help and Jeremy, the Alpha, calls her home to help them solve a string of grisly murders. They suspect some mutts (rogue wolves) of causing the mayhem and Elena's specialty just happens to be tracking mutts. Unable to refuse Jeremy's summons, Elena reluctantly returns to the compound in upstate New York. Gritting her teeth in anticipation of the welcome she'll receive. Turns out Clay's been waiting for her this whole time, insisting he's still in love with her and always has been. Elena's pretty sure she's still in love with him, too. But none of this stops them from bickering like teenagers and snarling at each other every chance they get.

The scenes where members of the pack interact as a motley, roughhousing family are extremely well done. As are Elena's painful transformations from human to wolf form. The undeniable sense of freedom and belonging she feels back with the pack is vivid and tangible and I found myself wrapped up in finding out the fate of these vulnerable, larger-than-life characters. Elena's external and internal conflicts were well-plotted and compelling and the book builds strongly toward an intense showdown between the pack and the mutts. Only in the last few pages is anything resolved and, unfortunately, I felt the internal conflict was wrapped up entirely too quickly. Elena and Clay's relationship was wonderfully messy and complicated, with layer upon layer of distrust and longing. The book itself was almost 400 pages and trying to clean the mess up in just the last six pages left me dissatisfied and upset. I liked the whole tangled web and felt it deserved a more careful treatment in the end. I am currently still wrestling over whether or not to pick up the sequel, Stolen.(less)

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Jun 11, 2011 Jen (Red Hot Books) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: otherworld, urban-fantasy

Bitten is more than just a werewolf book. Yes, it follows the story of a werewolf named Elena and the trials and tribulations of her pack. There's plenty of action and sex. But what is so exceptional about this book is the complex emotions invoked by our main character.

Elena never wanted to be werewolf. She had a miserable childhood, shuffling through the foster system, enduring horrific abuse. She survived, clinging to the idea that she could make a normal life for herself; grow up and create t...more Bitten is more than just a werewolf book. Yes, it follows the story of a werewolf named Elena and the trials and tribulations of her pack. There's plenty of action and sex. But what is so exceptional about this book is the complex emotions invoked by our main character.

Elena never wanted to be werewolf. She had a miserable childhood, shuffling through the foster system, enduring horrific abuse. She survived, clinging to the idea that she could make a normal life for herself; grow up and create the kind of family she never had. But in college, her fiance Clay, took away her dream of normalcy, when he bit her and turned her into werewolf. That was about a decade ago and she still hasn't forgiven him. Instead, she's abandoned her pack and started a new life. She hides what she is and works to pass herself off a normal woman, especially to her live-in boyfriend, Phillip.

But she is forced to return to the pack when her alpha, Jeremy, calls her for help. There is a rogue wolf in pack territory and they need Elena to help sniff him out. Clay is there, making matters more complicated. And as the story progresses and the rogue-wolf plot becomes more dangerous and deadly, we see Elena fighting the pack, Clay, and herself and she tries to figure out where she truly fits in.

Armstrong makes it easy to see both sides of Elena's warring emotions. The hurt and resentment for Clay is understandable in the context of her horrific life. Yet, at the same time, it's so apparent that these two have something epic between them. Clay loves her so much, and that is even more meaningful when compared with how little he values almost anyone else. Elena and Jeremy are his whole world. And it's clear that no matter how hurt Elena was by his bite, her heart will never be free of him. He is an undeniable part of her. Her relationship with Jeremy is almost as fascinating. She is so insecure about his feelings as he remains inscrutable. He gives her orders that on some levels feel cruel, but when you look more closely, you can understand why he makes the decisions he does. And even if it's not clear to her, it's clear to me, that he loves her.

Elena's relationship with Phillip definitely muddies the waters. It's hard not to be a little turned off that she jumps from his bed to Clay's without a shred of guilt. I suppose that shows where her heart lies, but it paints her in an unflattering light. Armstrong makes no bones that Elena is far from perfect, but perhaps that makes her a better heroine.

There is a lot of action in the book. Several people die and not just fringe-characters. I thought the story arc was exciting and took some unexpected directions, which I enjoyed quite a bit. This was a great introduction to the Otherworld series. 4 1/2 stars.

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Apr 22, 2012 Willowfaerie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: werewolf

Sheesh, I don’t know what kind of review to give this book. I get the feeling I’m going to be way too harsh. I’m still angry with this book because it wasn’t even close to being as good as Armstrong’s Darkest Power series. I had such high hopes. I thought I had found my new favorite author. I’m not sure I will continue with this series. . I know this is one of Armstrong’s first books, and for that reason I should give her some slack, but I probably haven’t.

First off, it’s SO slow. There’s so li...more

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Mar 02, 2012 Suzan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone

Shelves: favourite-author-s

Just re-read this book for the umpeenth time! I love and adore this series and Clay and Elena are one of my very favourite couples in the series. Throughout the book anyone knew to the series would be forgiven for thinking the worst of Clayton. Why? Simple, the narration is purely from Elena's point of view and throughout the book we're getting her thoughts on everyone, but at the same time we're also seeing what happens and what's said so reading between the lines you learn that what Elena thin...more Just re-read this book for the umpeenth time! I love and adore this series and Clay and Elena are one of my very favourite couples in the series. Throughout the book anyone knew to the series would be forgiven for thinking the worst of Clayton. Why? Simple, the narration is purely from Elena's point of view and throughout the book we're getting her thoughts on everyone, but at the same time we're also seeing what happens and what's said so reading between the lines you learn that what Elena thinks is not the actual truth. She wants Clay to be the bad guy so she can blame all her own flaws on him and the bite rather then live up the truth that the flaws are her own and were very much there before the bite. She wants to believe that Jeremy can't really care about her for her cause she can't believe that anyone as good as Jeremy could care about someone as damaged as her (quick note, that's care about her in a platonic way not romantic! Jeremy is very much a father figure to Elena!).

She's running from pack life not because it's bad persay but because of her own stubborness. She didn't choose to be bitten and turned therefore she'll fight that life for no other reason then she didn't choose it, despite the fact that regardless what she tries to force herself to think and belive, the life makes her happy.She loves Clay and he's the only man for her but she continues to delude her self otherwise til the very end when she rescues him and finally realises she's not getting him back for the pack but for herself.

I love Kelley's writing style throughout, how she develops the characters and draws you in to the story. There is a lot of humour in Kelley's writing to temper the serious side of the story! The banter between the characters and the lines they use make you laugh, like Nick's line to Elena when they find the shreds of hers and Clayton's clothes in the forest 'Wild dogs? or just Clayton?'. I was always a Clay fan, even when it was the first time I read it, cause I could see the differences between what she thought and said and what we seen him say and do. I could also see how she was only truly herself around him and the pack and they never judged her for it or left her. They accepted her for who she was. That was never the case with Philip. She was hiding a big part of herself and I'm not referring to her being a werwolf. She was modifying her behaviour, her temper, her likes and preferences, everything for Philip, she was presenting a false persona to him that had her subpressing a lot of herself. She wouldn't even make a sarcastic comment around Philip cause he wouldn't approve.

I was happiest when she realised that she could have her dreams with the pack and didn't need to deny herself. She didn't need to pretend to be someone she wasn't to have those dreams. She did however go through hell and back to realise it and I wonder if those mutts hadn't chosen to revolt and attack the pack, how long would it have took her to realise the truth and how deep in the lie would she have been before she realised it could never work and she could never truly be happy lying to herself and everyone around her?(less)

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Apr 01, 2012 Sandy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

BITTEN by Kelley Armstrong

BITTEN is the first book in Kelley Armstrong’s Women of the Otherworld series. With the introduction of Elena Michaels, Clayton and Jeremy Danvers and the Pack, Kelley uses first person narration, in most of her Otherworld storylines, to let the reader into the minds of the characters. Elena is the principle narrator for BITTEN, but through descriptive narration, we can feel the pain and emotion that each characters experiences throughout the storyline.

Elena Michaels is...more BITTEN by Kelley Armstrong

BITTEN is the first book in Kelley Armstrong’s Women of the Otherworld series. With the introduction of Elena Michaels, Clayton and Jeremy Danvers and the Pack, Kelley uses first person narration, in most of her Otherworld storylines, to let the reader into the minds of the characters. Elena is the principle narrator for BITTEN, but through descriptive narration, we can feel the pain and emotion that each characters experiences throughout the storyline.

Elena Michaels is a bitten werewolf, and werewolf lore specifically notes, there are NO female wolves, yet Elena is the only made female wolf in existence. Turned by a bite from her werewolf lover Clayton Danvers, Elena spirals out of control and eventually, after years of fighting and warring with her mate, Elena moves to Toronto, to start a new life away from the Pack. When a rogue mutt (werewolf not belonging to any pack) starts a killing spree, Elena and the others are called back to Stonehaven, home of the Pack leader and Alpha Jeremy Danvers, and his enforcer (and adopted son) Clayton. Not ready to face either man, Elena tries to ignore Jeremy’s phone calls, but truth be told, Elena must return, as she is Pack. Leaving behind a confused fiancé, and a heavy heart, Elena heads back to Stonehaven and the only man, who will ever, truly know and love, the real Elena Michaels-Clayton Danvers.

With so much history between Elena and Clay, the other Pack members, and best friends to Clay and Jeremy, Nicolas and his father, Antonio Sorrentino, are left in the precarious position of watching from the sidelines as tension mounts. Not wanting to continue her relationship with Clay, Elena tries to avoid all confrontation with her mate. But like wolves in the wild, there is only one true mate for each werewolf, and with Elena, the only known female werewolf, there is much rivalry from ‘outside’ wolves, in other areas and packs. Elena must continuously fend off advances from other males, and potential life-threatening situations because of her position in the Pack. But when fellow pack-members Peter Myers, and close friend Logan Jonsen are murdered, Elena makes it her goal to seek justice and retribution, regardless of the directive of the Alpha.

There is much speculation surrounding Logan and Peter’s murders, and different names are mentioned, including former and wannabe Pack members. But when more bodies start to appear on the Stonehaven property, Jeremy and the Pack must go hunting. Karl Marsten, Zachary Cain, Daniel Santos and Jimmy Koenig are a few names suggested as potential suspects, but it isn’t until Elena is forced to move back to Toronto, for her own safety, do the names and suspects begin to add up. Much to her dismay and disappointment, Clay is sent to Toronto as protection for Elena, but she sees Clayton’s form of protection, as interference. When she returns to her apartment after a day at work, she finds her fiancé injured and Clay missing. Her only clue-- is the wedding band Clay has worn for over 10 years (a symbol of his fidelity to Elena), left behind with a note, demanding Elena in exchange for Clayton. The scent belonged to Daniel Santos.

When Elena arranges a meeting with Daniel, she is surprised when wannabe pack wolf, Karl Marsten is present. Not knowing Karl’s true motives, Elena is curious as to his involvement with the former Pack member Daniel Santos. Unbeknownst to the Pack, Elena offers herself up, in exchange for a severely injured and drugged Clayton-only to realize, she wasn’t the true target. Daniel was seeking revenge for his father’s death at the hands of Clayton, and was using Karl Marsten as a means to an end.

Following Daniel’s death, and Clayton’s subsequent release, Elena is compelled to return to Stonehaven to aid in Clay’s recovery. But it doesn’t take anyone long to realize, that Elena is still and always has been, in love with her mate. When she returns to Toronto, Clay follows, fearing she has left him for good. A chance meeting between Clay and Elena, on the sidewalk outside of her Toronto apartment, reveals the reality of the situation. Elena had returned to say goodbye to her ex-fiance, and was heading back to Stonehaven to start a new life with Clay and the Pack.

I love this series. I have looked forward to every new release of Kelley Armstrong’s Women of the Otherworld series. With her many novellas and anthologies, Kelley has revealed plenty of background information and delved into the lives of the werewolves and other supernatural beings throughout her Otherworld series. I was especially thrilled with her Men of the Otherworld collection of short stories, as well as her Tales of the Otherworld. Both of these books were contain ‘prequels’ to the current storyline, and by way of flashbacks and flash-forwards, the story arcs came full circle. Most of the reader’s questions are answered.

FIND ALL OF MY REVIEWS AT: thereadingcafe.com
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Mar 24, 2011 TJ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal, kindle-archives, favorites

4.5/5.0

With the avalanche of paranormal/werewolf offerings on the market today, "Bitten" actually succeeds in the almost impossible, finding a unique twist. Armstrong does this not so much in the plot but in the relationship of the werewolves. Their personalities, their very natures are written with such depth and understanding that the reader not only sympathizes but understands them.

I absolutely LOVE how we see the wolf nature coming out even when in human form, in the playful way Clay and Ni...more

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Apr 18, 2011 ♥ Sam ♥ ~S2~Im made of awesomness rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: shifters, blog-reviews-for-my-wenchy

REVIEWED FOR http://shamelessromancereviews.blogsp...

I wont go over the story line in my review because you can read that in the synopsis. What I will say is that that although some jaws will job at my horrific three star rating, I just did not like it as much as everyone else has made out they did.

I think detail in books are great. It gives you an insight as to the surrounding of the scene, the finer details of the character ( like the yummy *sigh* Clay) but I think Kelly Armstrong just went a...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 has a devoted boyfriend, interesting job and cute apartment but she still sneaks out at night to preserve her darkest secret. Elena is a werewolf, the only female one in the world. Betrayed by someone she trusted and turned against her will, Elena has now broken away from her Pack and is trying to live as normal a life as possible. But when the Pack contact her in need of her help, Elena is faced with a choice - stay away or return to help the only family she's ever known?

This wa...more Elena Michaels has a devoted boyfriend, interesting job and cute apartment but she still sneaks out at night to preserve her darkest secret. Elena is a werewolf, the only female one in the world. Betrayed by someone she trusted and turned against her will, Elena has now broken away from her Pack and is trying to live as normal a life as possible. But when the Pack contact her in need of her help, Elena is faced with a choice - stay away or return to help the only family she's ever known?

This was the first urban fantasy series I ever read, and remains to this day one of my favourites. The plot is brilliantly written and full of intricate twists and turns. The books starts out setting up the idea of the civilised pack werewolves and the uncontrolled mutts who give in to their more animalistic desires. Then the plot thickens and things become more complicated. I liked how the author made it feel as if no character was truly safe, and several scenes caught me completely by surprise.

All of the characters are given an incredible depth of backstory, both as individuals and as a group, and the author manages to avoid info-dumping the reader. I really liked how the author distinguished the werewolves as different to humans, whilst still showing that certain groups within any society will still act in twisted depraved ways.

Elena is a great narrator and her struggle for a normal life is really well written and believable. Clayton is really well written as the quasi-romantic interest. His relationship with Elena is tempestuous at best and it is really fun to read. The other pack members are equally well written, from the calm controlled Alpha Jeremy to the fun-loving flirt Nick. I loved how the bonds between the pack members where shown, translating the concept of a wolf pack into slightly more human tones while still remaining distinct.

The book builds the tension throughout and leads up to an action packed showdown. Had the book ended after the showdown I probably would have been happy, but the author continues the story on showing the consequences and letting Elena choose her own path.

All in all this was an awesome read, and I can't wait to get stuck into Stolen.

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

Overall: 49/50 (less)

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Oct 11, 2009 Natasha added it · review of another edition

Bitten is the first installment in the supernatural women series called Woman of the Otherworld by Kelly Armstrong.
Let me start off by saying I love this series. The moment I started reading this I knew I'd be hooked. I love the way Kelly Armstrong writes and her characters are intriguing and fun to read. Her plots are well written and well-paced.
Elena leads a double life, she has a job as a journalist, has a regular boyfriend but beneath this she's the only female werewolf to exist, turned by...more Bitten is the first installment in the supernatural women series called Woman of the Otherworld by Kelly Armstrong.
Let me start off by saying I love this series. The moment I started reading this I knew I'd be hooked. I love the way Kelly Armstrong writes and her characters are intriguing and fun to read. Her plots are well written and well-paced.
Elena leads a double life, she has a job as a journalist, has a regular boyfriend but beneath this she's the only female werewolf to exist, turned by a previous lover Clayton's bite. The werewolf gene is male with only the females converting by being bitten and almost all die from the Change. Elena does join Clayton's pack in the remote Stonehaven, New York for awhile but decides she wants a more human life, so she moves to Toronto, Canada. (And meets human boyfriend.)
Elena's boyfriend doesn't know she's a werewolf and she finds it really hard to be herself when she lives in an apartment with him in Toronto and has to sneak out at night when she needs to make the change. Not to mention he doesn't like the fact that she's changing in a city when her heart is in the woods of the country. City's just aren't made for werewolfs.
Elena is a strong individual who is used to doing things herself. Shes written in the third person, but I love the change from third person to first when reading from werewolf perspective.

Amazon.co.uk Review
Elena, heroine of Kelley Armstrong's impressive debut thriller Bitten, never planned that a casual sexual encounter would transform her into a werewolf. Neither did Clay, her lover and one of the leaders of the exclusive werewolf clique known as the Pack; women do not generally change or survive if they do. Elena's considerable reservations about her new life come to a head and she walks out on the Pack to return to something like normality, finding herself a boyfriend who turns a blind eye to her occasional disappearances in the middle of the night. She may have done with the infighting of werewolves, but they have not done with her; her former family call her back when they find themselves under threat from those they have excluded and dominated. Kelley Armstrong is very good on the sheer exhilaration of shape-changing, of running on four feet through forests, suburban greenery and urban back alleys; if there is a weakness here, it is that Elena's relationship with the taciturn, untrustworthy Clay is sometimes a little too conventionally romantic--but the dark poetry of the best of the book overcomes this entirely.

Stolen is the next book in the series and it follows the story of Elena the werewolf again which I loved! The third story is Dime Store Magic and it follows the story of Paige Winterbourne, a witch. (but some fo the characters from the previous stories make appearances.
Broken which is book 6 follows Elena again and also book 12 Frostbitten follows Elena!
It's a great series, each woman's story is a great interesting read. I recommend this series, especially to supernatural and shapeshifter lovers!

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May 01, 2008 Teija rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

I'll admit straight off that I am a sucker for supernatural stories with romance in them. This one fits right in. Elena Michaels is the only female werewolf in existence, making her something of a legend in the werewolf world. But she was forced into it, having been bitten by her lover. This book chronicles her struggle in deciding: does she accept what she is and live with the werewolves at Stonehaven, or does she shun her true nature and forge a life for herself outside of the pack?

Within mere...more

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Nov 24, 2007 Kathy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

From a blog post I wrote in 2006:

I found a new author I really dig. Kelley Armstrong has a series of books out with supernatural characters. I whipped through Bitten, Stolen, Dime Store Magic, Industrial Magic, Haunted and Broken in no time at all.

The first two and the last books have as their main character the lone female werewolf in the world. The third and fourth book have a young witch as the focal point and the fifth one features the story of a dead (but ghostly) witch.

These were really go...more

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Oct 14, 2012 Dexter/Persy rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, urban-fantasy, weres-shifters

Elena Michaels is the most idiotic and annoying main character ever. As if it's not bad enough that she's the stereotypical urban fantasy heroine (hates being "different", continually tries to be "normal", etc.), she's also just plain -stupid-. The spends the entire book swearing on her life that she doesn't love Clay (ex-fiance, turned her into a werewolf, blah blah blah), and yet is cuddling up with him and spending time with him the whole time, DESPITE the fact that she keeps saying how much...more

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Mar 19, 2009 Erin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: all the sci-fi girl's kicking butt fans. This whole series should go perfectly there.

Recommended to Erin by: Kimberly Hilton, Jim MacLachlan

Shelves: sci-fi-girls-kicking-butt, at-home-read

Really good read. I can't complain. Not necessarily on the top of my reread list, but definitely not not on the list at all. Theories are all pretty sound. The wolf stuff was all well done with obvious understanding of pack structure. Suspense is good. You'll definitely keep wanting to read, but its not impossible to put down. Its under the at home read list because there is some sex scenes that are a bit more interesting, but noting explicit that will make you blush in public. It just probably...more

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First look-Photos from the Set of Bitten + Feature clip from the set	20	54	1 hour, 48 min ago
women of the otherworld which is your favorite character of this series?	17	57	May 17, 2013 05:37am
Urban Fantasy ser...: Bitten by Kelley Armstrong	5	15	May 09, 2013 02:17pm
Bitten becoming a tv-series!	65	434	Apr 21, 2013 03:28pm
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