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Broken (Women of the Otherworld #6)

by Kelley Armstrong (Goodreads Author)

4.16 of 5 stars 4.16 · rating details · 15,686 ratings · 498 reviews

In this thrilling new novel from the author of Industrial Magic, a pregnant werewolf may have unwittingly unleashed Jack the Ripper on the twenty-first century — and become his next target…

Ever since she discovered she’s pregnant, Elena Michaels has been on edge. After all, she’s never heard of another living female werewolf, let alone one who’s given birth. But thankfully...more

ebook, 480 pages

Published April 25th 2006 by Bantam

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Oct 06, 2010 Kat Kennedy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: the-great-shelf-of-meh, kat-s-book-reviews

So I can't say I wasn't warned... realistically speaking I was warned once I was already three quarters of the way through it, but I was warned none-the-less!

Broken revolves around Elena and Clay as they go through their pregnancy while fighting evil and solving mystery and generally proving, yet again, that they're in love.

I love this couple. Absolutely love them to pieces. Bitten remains one of my favourite urban fantasy books to this day.

My problem was that the mystery in this book was painfu...more

4 likes · like · see review

Feb 08, 2011 Lady Valee rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

OMG! I just can't believe how freaking amazing this book was. I loved every page of it! It just kept getting better and better. Definitely the best book in the series so far. Much better than the rest, actually. I was expecting an amazing read but never one such as this one, with drama, adventure, suspense, and so much more. The best Urban fantasy book I have read in a while.I have been hooked with this series since book 1 and have not been able to stop reading it since then; one book right afte...more

9 likes · like · see review

Mar 22, 2010 Tatiana rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of Women of the Otherworld series

Shelves: 2010, urban-fantasy

As much as I hate to say it, but "Broken" is the weakest "Women of the Otherworld" installment so far. My dislike has nothing to do with the main characters (I remember not really liking "Dime Store Magic" strictly because I didn't really care for Paige or Lucas), but has a lot to do with the fact that "Broken" has a wish-fulfillment/filler quality about it. Allow me to elaborate.

The focus of this novel is... Elena's pregnancy. That's right, not a zombie outbreak accidentally caused by Elena whe...more As much as I hate to say it, but "Broken" is the weakest "Women of the Otherworld" installment so far. My dislike has nothing to do with the main characters (I remember not really liking "Dime Store Magic" strictly because I didn't really care for Paige or Lucas), but has a lot to do with the fact that "Broken" has a wish-fulfillment/filler quality about it. Allow me to elaborate.

The focus of this novel is... Elena's pregnancy. That's right, not a zombie outbreak accidentally caused by Elena when she opens a Jack the Ripper's old letter, but her growing stomach. I am all for babies and weddings and such fluff, but not in so much detail. The constant clutching of Elena's stomach, the vitamins, the eating, the buying of baby furniture, Clay's and Jeremy's relentless hovering over her, it just gets annoying very, very quickly. Even more, the way both guys act in this novel totally emasculates them IMO, they behave like two middle-aged aunts instead of paranormal hunks I've known them to be. I think Elena's pregnancy should have been completely edited out of this book, with the exception of a couple of flashbacks maybe. It has a place in the Otherworld universe, but it should have been realized as a short story/novella (a la "Beginning" and "Savage"). As a part of the novel, it overpowers the story in a painful similarity to "Breaking Dawn."

My second complaint is the story itself, or rather lack of it. Normally Armstrong's books are filled with fresh mythology and engaging mystery of some sort. Not here. No new mythology is introduced. The zombie lore is paper thin and evasive and even Elena's strange pregnancy is never explained (it is accelerated and what happens during the Change is still a mystery to me). The case itself is convoluted, there is a lot of running around and reuniting with various familiar characters from other Otherworld book for no other reason than to help fill the pages because they obviously add very little to the investigation. And finally, the bad guys are just a joke. Two zombies who can be killed with no efforts and the main guy (whom I will not name) who wants to get to Elena for some stupid reason.

After this assessment you'd think I totally hated the book. That's not the case. It is somewhat enjoyable. I still love the characters, the old ones (Elena, Clay, Jeremy, Jaime, Antonio and Nick) and the new ones (Zoe Takano). There is some great dialog and overall the story is fast-paced and a quick read. But I just expected Elena's and Clay's novel to be much better. "Broken" is nowhere nearly as good as "Bitten" and "Stolen." Although I am disappointed, I am however not giving up on the series yet. I've already flipped through "No Humans Involved" and there is quite a bit of hot Jaime/Jeremy action. Something to look forward to!(less)

10 likes · like · see review

Aug 29, 2007 Wendy Holcombe rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own, urbanfantasy

I'm impressed by Kelley Armstrong's ability to change her style of writing to match the character she is writing through.
However, I was disappointed in this book. I think it may be because I don't like Elena's character as much as the other Women of the Otherworld. Also, the story line was very predictable.
Since Elena used to be a reporter I did not understand why during their investigation she didn't pick up on obvious clues.
I'm also disturbed by how little she seems to be aware of her own bod...more

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Apr 30, 2010 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Armstrong Pack Lovers

Shelves: 2010, paranormal-romance

Reading Broken and Men of the Otherworld simultaneously allowed me to realize what I had long been suspecting, I read Armstrong for the men of her Otherworld, not the women. Strike that, I read Armstrong for the Werewolf men of her Otherworld, not the women.

I’ll admit that I shamelessly passed over Dime Store Magic,Industrial Magic and Haunted to get right down to business with Broken. I appreciated, even enjoyed inclusions of other supernatural races in Stolen, but it was Armstrong’s werewolf l...more

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Jan 10, 2009 Christina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, 2009-reads, werewolves

3 stars for the disconnected, slightly mundane beginning of the novel; 5 stars for the amazing Armstrong-style ending.

I won't lie; as much as I fangirl over Kelley Armstrong, Elena, Clay, and the whole werewolf world... I was initially disappointed over Broken. I skipped from Stolen to Broken (shamefully, I wish I'd had enough patience to read the three in-betweens first) and just felt like Armstrong had lost her touch to the werewolf world. Suddenly, Elena's POV wasn't about the werewolves, it...more

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Mar 14, 2009 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2009, kelley-armstrong, werewolves, paranormal

A very pregnant Elena is going stir crazy and wants out of the house. When a contact calls and offers her a deal - the location of a mutt (which is generally a Werewolf who is not in a pack and who hunts man)for the retrieval of the Jack the Ripper "From Hell" letter - Elena jumps at the chance. She manages to convince Clay and the Alpha Jeremy and they are off to her old stomping grounds in Toronto.

Of course nothing is ever as easy as it seems and nothing is exactly as it seems either. A tiny...more

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Sep 13, 2007 Loren Harway rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Readers of this author

Once more Armstrong scores points for hilariousness, gore and sex rolled into one great novel.
However as i have previously pointed out she seems to be heading for a more diluted kind of story (the staple of this series are the werewolves and she doesn't deem it necessary to concentrate on them as much as she used to).
For the second book she deviated from the werewolves trend and it seemed to be good but for the this book she looks at zombies for the antagonists.
Come on. Zombies? Really?
Okay sh...more

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Sep 09, 2012 Jennifer Bielman (Reading and Writing UF and PNR) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed, wereanimals, zombies, vampires, adult

From http://readingandwritingurbanfantasy....

At a Glance
I did enjoy reading Broken, but I feel like it was a filler book. It really wasn't needed to move the series along. But I was excited to get another story about Elena and Clay.

The Good
We finally get another book with Elena and Clay. They are my favorite characters in this series. I loved them in Bitten and Stolen, which are the best books in the series so far. And I loved them in this book as well. Elena is 5 months pregnant. Being the onl...more

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Jun 27, 2012 Uriah rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The only thing Broken here is my faith in this author and my willingness to continue reading these books.

I sat on this review for two days, debating whether to give it one star or two. Truly, when I first finished the book, I wished there was an option for a .5 since it was just that bad. However, it didn't turn me off entirely for the series, leaving me willing to make one last ditched effort with it, so it gets two.

Plot wise, there was great potential. When I picked it up and realized we were...more

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Jun 13, 2012 Fangs for the Fantasy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Elena, Clay and Jeremy are contacted by an old acquaintance – Xavier, the Half-Demon guard from Stolen. When she was in the compound he did her a further, the debt remains unpaid. Of course, Xavier knows better to hold the debt over a werewolf so he offers them a deal – he helps them again in finding a rogue werewolf and they help him steal a letter – the From Hell letter connected to the Jack the Ripper case that is in a Sorcerer’s private collection.

It seems like a simple snatch and grab, albe...more Elena, Clay and Jeremy are contacted by an old acquaintance – Xavier, the Half-Demon guard from Stolen. When she was in the compound he did her a further, the debt remains unpaid. Of course, Xavier knows better to hold the debt over a werewolf so he offers them a deal – he helps them again in finding a rogue werewolf and they help him steal a letter – the From Hell letter connected to the Jack the Ripper case that is in a Sorcerer’s private collection.

It seems like a simple snatch and grab, albeit one that requires the werewolves’ unique abilities. But when they get the letter free, they find it is far more than it seems, with portal placed within it. From out of the portal a little of Victorian London comes through – including cholera, aggressive rats, and possibly Jack the Ripper himself – and a couple of zombies. All unleashed on an unsuspecting and unprepared Toronto.

The pack has no ties here, but is faced with a disaster they are responsible – but how much do they risk to fix it, especially with Elena being heavily pregnant?

I actually like the fact that this story is based on the characters screwing up. Seems odd to say since I often rail against character foolishness. But their screw-up isn’t based on (much) foolishness, there was no way, with their state of knowledge, that the characters could possibly have known the consequences of their actions. Even if they did know about Sorcerer magic, there’s no way they could have guessed or reasonably have expected the From Hell letter to be a part of that. It shows characters who are not perfect, are faced with major consequences that are their fault – and that they have both guilt and responsibility for. And it shows that sometimes, even with the best intentions, shit happens. It shows that characters can actually get it wrong and be flawed WITHOUT being Too Stupid To Live. Even when it’s character like Jeremy, renowned for his near perfect intelligence and planning, he can still be caught off guard by his own ignorance – no character is perfect, no-one knows everything and everyone can screw up without us having to shatter believability.

I also think they did a very good job of covering both reasonable guilt and responsibility without everyone curling into a small ball and wailing at the angst of it all.

The story was well paced, which is something I love about this series. They’re never rushed but never does the down time feel like it’s dragging or dull – which is especially hard to do in an investigation. Though there are leads that don’t go as far as expected (because no investigation does) each adds its own twist to the story and advancing the plot. We were introduced to some new characters including Zoe who is pretty fleshed out – and we ship Jaime in who is always a favourite of mine. With all these books just seeing all these characters we’ve come to know interacting with each other is great fun and seeing the full story and relationships develop really adds to the world. And through their helping each other we learn more about ther abilities, more about how the structures work without ever having to resort to info dumping or lecturing.

It was also interesting returning to the werewolf pack after the break with Paige, Lucas and Eve, so much time has passed and it would be interesting to see what had changed and evolved. And I do like Elena and Clay as characters when Clay isn’t playing Neanderthal man and epitomising the Hauptman Effect, which, to be fair, he didn’t in this book beyond the hovering over Elena’s pregnancy. The problem is I don’t think a lot did change and evolve from Stolen – yes there’s a lot easier relationship between Clay and Elena but, at the same time, everything is eclipsed by the huge great spectre of the ZOMG!PREGNANCY meaning that relationship, and the wider relationship with other pack members doesn’t get much showcasing.

The main glaring problem I have with this book is, well, the entire concept. Which is basically “pregnant woman is so helpless and weak and incapable”. Even the title of the book – “Broken”. She’s pregnant, not injured! There’s a mosquito – zomg she could get the pregnant lady lurgy – get her away! Argh the enemy has syphilis, save the pregnant lady! Is that water bottled? NOOOO THE PREGNANT LADY! And she waddles and stumbles and can barely move and we’re constantly reminded that she could do X, Y, Z if only she weren’t pregnant!

It’s not just the fussing of Jeremy and Clay, as inexperienced, worried menfolk going over the top to shelter the poor, delicate pregnant lady – no, she is presented as being objectively helpless and incapable.

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Apr 15, 2012 Gail rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, adult, werewolves, canadian-author

Broken is the sixth book in the Women of the Otherworld series and has Elena as the narrator.

In Broken, Elena is called for an favor that she owes the half demon Xavier, who had helped her escape from the research facility when she was captured. The favor is simple, steal the letter sent by Jack the Ripper that went missing back in the twenties. The job seems simple enough until Elena accidentally unlocks the spell on the letter releasing a dimensional portal. To make matters worse, Elena is pre...more

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Jan 22, 2012 Megan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: werewolves, young-adult, urban-fantasy, not-mine-library

Kelley Armstrong's books are becoming more and more difficult for me to rate and review. On one hand, her characterization and world building are some of the best I've read. But on the other hand, she apparently wants to be a mystery writer, and her plots have become formulaic. Le sigh.

Here is what kicks ass about this book: The Otherworld is amazing. Armstrong's strength as an urban fantasy writer definitely lies her her ability to create a believable, well defined, and engrossing world withou...more Kelley Armstrong's books are becoming more and more difficult for me to rate and review. On one hand, her characterization and world building are some of the best I've read. But on the other hand, she apparently wants to be a mystery writer, and her plots have become formulaic. Le sigh.

Here is what kicks ass about this book: The Otherworld is amazing. Armstrong's strength as an urban fantasy writer definitely lies her her ability to create a believable, well defined, and engrossing world without ever overwhelming the reader with info dump. In Broken the story revolves around Elena, Clay, Jeremy and the other werewolves. We also are confronted with sorcerers, ghosts, zombies, necromancers and vampires (oh my!) There may be a few others I am missing. But my point is that Armstrong is able to weave so very many beasties and mythologies into an amazingly complex and enjoyable story.

Another strength is Armstrong's characters. Whether I love them or hate them, they are all incredibly well rounded, authentic and have distinct voices. So many urban fantasies rely on secondary characters who are defined by their paranormal type. The people we meet in this series are fairly unique in addition to their Otherworldly persona.

Here is what is not-so-awesome about this book: Speaking of characters, I would love to see them grow and change a little bit. One of the things I loved so much about Bitten is seeing Elena struggle to accept her wolfiness and the pack lifestyle. Since then, Armstrong has written stories with protagonists who face external struggles rather than internal ones. Not really a big deal, but when we are seeing the same characters over and over again (granted, not all books feature the same protagonist) I would love to see… I want to say character development. But that really isn’t the right word because they are already so developed. I just want to see characters change some as a result of their experiences.

Regarding those character experiences… at the beginning of each novel the protagonists and her partner are faced with a mystery. One that seems quite simple and straightforward but becomes more convoluted as the quest to solve it continues. At this point in the series, I know to expect lots of Scooby Doo type chases down different pathways, old fashioned detective work (you know, based on finding the right clue or talking to the right person rather than scientific evidence) and introductions to lots of new and old people, and lots of new and old mythologies.

Here is where Armstrong’s books leave me so conflicted. I’ve read through bad urban fantasy plots when I am in love with the characters and want to see where they are headed. *cough* Charlaine Harris *cough* And of course so many urban fantasy books are dependent on awesome plots without a lot of character growth. Unfortunately at this point in the Women of the Otherworld series I know what to expect from the plot. And the characters. The result is a reading experience that doesn’t make me feel nearly as much as I would like to. The twists and turns while mystery solving become annoying and the life-threatening situations are lacking intensity. All in all, I am faced with a skim-worthy, blah book.

If any of my local libraries happens to get the rest of this series on audio, I will continue with it. After all, I love Armstrong’s writing style (mystery stuff and weak plot aside) as well as her Otherworld. This series is great to listen to as I am driving to work or completing errands. But as far as sitting down to read a novel? I’m moving on to books with a little more surprises in store for the reader.
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Nov 25, 2011 Meike rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, series

Another installment in Kelley Armstrong’s Otherworld-series, and this one about Elena again. YEAH!!!
I was so looking forward to it because Elena is my very favorite Otherworld-character and one of my most beloved heroines in modern fantasy-literature. And I missed her terribly! :-)

…Bad news first?
I merrily started reading Broken, and as almost every time when your hopes are too high, I was a little bit disappointed. The mystery didn’t do that much for me…
It was okay-ish, but left me rather u...more

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Jun 17, 2011 Jen (Red Hot Books) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: otherworld, urban-fantasy

Kelley Armstrong returns to her Otherworld roots, in this sixth installment of her series... by bringing back Elena as her narrator. We've only seen sporadic glimpses of our favorite werewolf over the course of the last few books. Those cameos were enough to assure us that she and Clay were going strong. And now they're closer than ever... Elena is pregnant.

Of course, she's a bit worried. After all, she's the only female werewolf, making her pregnancy unprecedented. But on top of her concerns, s...more

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Jun 12, 2010 Jenn rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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

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Jun 08, 2010 kelly rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was fairly disappointed with this installment in the Otherworld series; I missed the action and excitement that usually seems to follow Elena. I found Broken had wayy too many references to Elena's pregnancy (I got that her stomach was getting in the way the first couple times it was mentioned; I didn't need to keep having that fact shoved in my face). The absence of Clay's sarcastic dialogue (with whomever was annoying him), and his frequent temper tantrums had me forgetting that he was a con...more

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May 12, 2010 Paula rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

'Broken' is the sixth book in 'The Women of the Otherworld' series and it is now my favourite book of the series. 'Broken' marks the return of our favourite female werewolf, Elena Michaels. this time around her and her partner, Clay lives have taken a dramatic turn in the form of Elena's pregnancy, a miracle in itself because it had always been a concern of Elena that she might not be able to become pregnant because she is a werewolf. The book begins with Elena's concerns about her pregnancy unt...more

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Jan 03, 2010 Beth_jj rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Xavier, a half demon, who appeared in the 'Stolen' book, reappears, calling in a favour that Elena owed him. What does he want? For Elena and her pack to break in and steal the infamous Jack the Ripper 'From Hell Letter', from it's current owner in Toronto, Canada. Xavier knows the pack won't do this for free, so he has his bargaining chip..........the wereabouts of a rogue werewolf mutt on a killing spree.............the pack agrees to steal this letter, Xavier gives them the much needed inform...more

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Sep 23, 2010 (´*•.¸ღBexღ¸.•*´) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own

'Broken' is book six in the Otherworld series by Kelley Armstrong and proved to be another very satisfying installment. In this edition, the author brings back the protagonist introduced to her readers in her outstanding debut novel 'Bitten'.

Elena Michaels is the only known female werewolf and has finally settled into a satisfying domestic life with her lover/husband/mate Clayton Danvers and the Pack's alpha, Jeremy. Big changes are in store since Elena is pregnant and no one has a clue what so...more

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Jul 29, 2009 Stella rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: paranormal, urban mystery lovers

Shelves: paranormal, urban-fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. As another reviewer also stated, I'd give 3 stars for the plot and 5 for the Armstrong storytelling (so that's how the final 4 stars came).
I haven't skipped any books, read them in chronological order, so I wasn't lost when some newer characters or other supernatural species, entities (cabals, interracial council) were mentioned. Still, Bitten is the novel I remember loving and being amazed by it the most, I don't know if that is because it was my first Kelley Armstrong book, or because I love E...more

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Dec 30, 2011 Cherise rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-paranormal, paranormal-fantasy-romance

In this, the 6th book in the Women of the Otherworld series, Elena Michaels makes a return as the main character. Elena, the only female wolf in the Otherworld series, hasn’t taken the lead role since the books Bitten and Stolen. She’s always a strong presence, but I have missed her and Clay. I was really excited to read about them again.

Broken starts off with a pregnant Elena struggling to accept the changes in her body and her lifestyle. She is a strong female lead who is used to a fair share...more In this, the 6th book in the Women of the Otherworld series, Elena Michaels makes a return as the main character. Elena, the only female wolf in the Otherworld series, hasn’t taken the lead role since the books Bitten and Stolen. She’s always a strong presence, but I have missed her and Clay. I was really excited to read about them again.

Broken starts off with a pregnant Elena struggling to accept the changes in her body and her lifestyle. She is a strong female lead who is used to a fair share of action and adventure in her life. But because of her pregnancy and the uncertainties and dangers that come along with it, she has to be extremely cautious and this is making her a little stir crazy. But just when she is about to perish in the land of boredom she receives a call asking her to return a favor and recover a historical document. It seems like a simple assignment and with the help of her hunky hubby Clay and pack leader Jeremy it goes off without a hitch. That is until she inadvertently opens a portal to Victorian London.

Elena’s life of boredom, relaxation and worry about her baby are replaced by trying to kill off zombies and close the portal. With the help of some friends like Jamie Vegas, Necromancer, and new to the series Zoe the Vampire, they are trying to find the source of the portal creation before anymore destruction can come to Toronto.

Kelley Armstrong has an incredible ability to write such fanciful tales and make everything seem not only completely plausible, but extremely believable. Like in the previous book, Haunted, she weaves a little real life history into her story this time in the form of Jack the Ripper and the infamous From Hell letter. I love the bits of history; it adds a little validity to the story. Plus, I always find myself researching the people she mentions and in this case, the letter too, replenishing my memory a bit.

What I love about this series is every female lead is strong in her own right, without the author having to beat you over the head with descriptions of their physical prowess or mental abilities. The author is smart enough to know her readers are smart enough to get it. She writes her characters so you feel like they are everyday ordinary people, when in truth they are anything but. This is a series about women that I think most male fans of contemporary fantasy would enjoy. It’s edgy, sexy, gripping and there is a whole lot of action to keep you entertained. With each book it gets better and better.

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Jan 02, 2011 Yolanda Sfetsos rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy, werewolf

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

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Dec 10, 2010 Amy A rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I really enjoyed this book. It was definitely a book about Elena's pregnancy. Even throughout the conflict of the zombie's it was less about the zombie's and what they were doing to Toronto and more about how Elena's pregnancy was effecting her "work" with the pack. To me, that's alright. I really enjoyed reading about her experience and about the growth of the characters. Elena and Clay's relationship seemed really solid as it should be since they finally deceide to have children. Whereas in Bi...more

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Jan 24, 2010 Susan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-fantasy, contemporary-romance, dark-fantasy, do-you-believe-in-magic, family-relationships, fiction, friendship, own-in-book-format, paranormal, paranormal-romance, read-in-2010, shapeshifters, time-travel, urban-fantasy, vampire, women, young-women, zombies

In Kelley Armstrong's 5th installment in the Women of the Otherworld series, we are re-united with Elena Michaels, the only living female werewolf in the world, and the werewolf pack of Stonehaven. In order to find a dangerous non-pack wolf, Elena makes a deal with a half-demon named Xavier to acquire an ancient stolen letter. In the rush to get their hands on the letter, Elena and her pack accidentally open an unknown time portal to 19th century England, unleashing zombies, disease and destruct...more

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Aug 21, 2012 Julija (Ju) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: already-missing-the-protagonists, all-things-pnr-romance, complex-brilliantly-built-world, kickbutt-action, girl-you-are-adorable, handsome-heartthrob, otp, women-kicking-some-ass, ruthless-and-dangerous, hero-completely-smitten, urban-fantasy-addiction, shapeshifters-suck, bloodsuckers, friends-to-die-for, magic-witchcraft-and-druidry, shelf-of-awesomeness, zombies-ghosts-etcetera, this-is-what-true-love-looks-like, smart-girls-are-awesome, gimme-that-man-so-i-can-eat-him-up, this-scrumptious-boy-just-melts-me, this-body-deserves-some-drooling

Broken had my attention at words Jack the Ripper. Elena accidentally releasing a nasty killer from Victorian era into modern time? Any time, any place! Except the book isn't really about the guy. In fact, it doesn't have nearly enough stuff related to him, which is understandable. Yet the book doesn't disappoint. Probably because the plot is filled with new characters who rise the question of who's the friend and who's the foe, perfect amount of plot twists, some of which are foreshadowed and so...more Broken had my attention at words Jack the Ripper. Elena accidentally releasing a nasty killer from Victorian era into modern time? Any time, any place! Except the book isn't really about the guy. In fact, it doesn't have nearly enough stuff related to him, which is understandable. Yet the book doesn't disappoint. Probably because the plot is filled with new characters who rise the question of who's the friend and who's the foe, perfect amount of plot twists, some of which are foreshadowed and some leaving you with a WTF expression, and it all happens at an even pace, with romance, humor and suspense mixing in a perfect combination. And through it all, Elena keeps showing her amazing growth as a character. I love Elena kicking some mutt butt, but I equally like Elena going against her nature and her personality to keep her baby safe. For once, she does not make any foolish decisions.

Her relationship with Clay has also progresesd. Both truly put an effort to make their relationship work and things have certainly changed since Bitten and Stolen. They still have their issues, that's a given, and they are still uncertain at times, but they will work it out and they will fight whatever comes their way. Because not only do they love each other, but they also trust each other completely. Or well, almost completely since apparently Clay can't trust Elena not to throw him off the balcony if she's pissed off enough. But they try, they really do and that's why they leave you with a huge smile on your face and a warm feeling in your heart after having finished the book.

While reading Broken I also finally came to discover why I hadn't enjoy Eve's and Paige's stories as much as I should have. The reason is the Pack. For the most part, Eve and Paige go through their journey with only their significant others at their side while Elena enjoys the company of her chaotic, noisy, overprotective, hilarious and sometimes annoying family. I handn't even realized I was missing these guys until Nick and Antonio finally showed up Broken. And dear God, do they make the book enjoyable! Not that it wasn't before, but let's face it, Nick is one sexy sidekick that provides readers with dirty humor and at the same times shows what true friendship looks like, which is what Haunted and Dime Store Magic lack severely.

I also have to confess that despite all these lovely things I've mentioned above, what I enjoyed the most is Jaime and her relationship with Jeremy. I've been shipping them since the moment he caught her attention and each book after that has been teasing me with glimpses of one very dense werewolf and one very adorable necromancer. Words cannot describe how excited I am to finally read No Humans Involved.(less)

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Jul 04, 2012 Kami (WickedKarma) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

***SPOILER ALERT***

To get a bad guy off the streets Elena, Clay & Jeremy have to make a deal with a half-demon to steal the Letter From Hell, thought to be written by Jack the Ripper. Sounds easy, steal a letter, track the bad guy, what could go wrong. Everything.

They get the letter & all Hell breaks loose, leterally. Elena & Clay unknowingly open a portal & release some yucky zombies & the spell caster that cursed the letter in the 1st place.

Now they most kill the spell cast...more

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Feb 07, 2010 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have liked Broken the least so far however it is primarily because of the inclusion of the Jack the Ripper premise. I can't stand the commercialisation of a brutal serial killer from the umpteen television specials, books, movies etc. So thats entirely a personal thing and not even the paranormal twist can erase that irritation for me.
I also am unsympathetic to a pregnant woman putting herself at risk because she is bored. Pregnancy is not an illness but Elena's actions contradict her professe...more

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Feb 12, 2009 Donna rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Although I usually would rate Armstong's books as a 3.5-4.5, this book is holding on to the 3 by its fingernails. The story is convoluted and weakly developed. Although her main characters are interesting and fully developed from other books, the minor ones in this story are much weaker.
Elena is pregnant. She is one of the few female werewolves and the first remembered one to become pregnant so her pack is quite solicitous.
The pack steals a letter labeled "From Hell" only to have a killed mosq...more

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May 26, 2011 Judy rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2011, adult, fantasy

I really shouldn't read books of a series so close to one another. The storyline has become fairly predictable, similar to her YA series. Like I said before, Elena isn't my favorite character. I do not find her sympathetic, and I find her often whiny and irritating and sometimes self-righteous. She became even more annoying while pregnant. I thought how the pregnancy = no sex part was addressed in a ridiculous manner, as if the only thing important was the actual sex act, and that nothing could...more

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About Kelley Armstrong

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

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

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“We scarified a mosquito. I bet that's what did it. It was probably a virgin too.” — 103 people liked it

“I moved up beside Jamie."I have to go."
She frowned at me. "Where?"
I pressed a hand to the bottom of my belly. "My bladder.It-"
Ah." She gave a small laugh. "We interrupt this life-or-death situation for a pregnancy pee break. Don't see that in the movies, do you?” — 71 people liked it

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Broken (Women of the Otherworld #6)

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