Waking the Witch (Women of the Otherworld, #11) in SOS: Serious Overload of Series

Jun 25, 2010 Nairabell rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

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

Savannah Levine is taking on her first case as a private investigator. Three young women have been found dead, apparent victims of a ritualistic murderer, and the small dying town of Columbus has been shaken to its core. Savannah's investigation is hindered by resistance from the locals to her presence in their town, but she quickly discovers that the case is a lot stranger and more sinister than she could have predicted and it's not long before Savannah herself is at risk of becoming the killer Savannah Levine is taking on her first case as a private investigator. Three young women have been found dead, apparent victims of a ritualistic murderer, and the small dying town of Columbus has been shaken to its core. Savannah's investigation is hindered by resistance from the locals to her presence in their town, but she quickly discovers that the case is a lot stranger and more sinister than she could have predicted and it's not long before Savannah herself is at risk of becoming the killer's next target.

This is the eleventh book in the Otherworld series (which started with Bitten) and is the first installment of the three book conclusion to the series, told from Savannah's viewpoint. If you are a new reader I'd recommend starting at the beginning as this book builds on the previous storylines.

Savannah is a character who was first introduced as a twelve-year-old orphan in the second book of the series. Now she is twenty-one and working for Cortez-Winterbourne Investigations. Savannah has been gradually growing up in the background of the books since her introduction so it is great to see her as an adult taking a leading role. She is a lot more mature now and focused on creating a life for herself as well as gaining the respect of her adoptive parents. One thing that hasn't changed about her is her crush on half-demon Adam Vasic, although her expectations as an adult are different to those as a child.

The storyline is cleverly plotted and fast paced, packed with twists and turns. I did manage to figure out one twist in advance which was a little disappointing, however it then twisted again into something I didn't see coming at all. The twists are spread throughout both Savannah's investigation and her relationships with her fellow investigators Jesse Aanes, a half-demon PI, and Michael Kennedy, an off-duty cop whose sister was one of the victims. There is less of a romantic focus than in previous installments, possibly because Savannah is narrating the two books directly after this.

As with the other books in the series the world building is expanded, although by a smaller amount in this installment as the focus is on a longer running storyline. Witches are explored a little more, with a focus on darker magics, and a new supernatural race is introduced. For the first time in this series the book ends on a cliffhanger, another sign that the final three Otherworld books are essentially a trilogy within a series.

All in all, this was a great read and I'm looking forward to Spell Bound.

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

Overall: 48/50 ...more

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Oct 07, 2010 Angi rated it liked it

I enjoyed "Waking the Witch" as I do all of the "Women of the Otherworld" series books. I was excited to read a story that was devoted to Savannah, a character from many books back who was just a child when I first started to read about her. However, it was a bit difficult for me to connect with the characters this time. It could be my own fault because I kept starting and stopping the book. The plot was interesting and unpredictable and this one ended with a cliff hanger, so it will be interest ...more

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May 31, 2010 Samantha wickedshizuku Tolleson rated it really liked it

Shelves: reviewed, 4-stars, title-w, 2012, paranormal, not-manga, read-it-again

Like Rafiki kicking some multi-hyena ass...

Armstrong definitely picked up the pace in the Otherworld series. I really loved the fact that this storyline followed Savannah. The last 4 Otherworld books were really getting bland and boring. ...more

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