Ye Wd Wd itibaren Malyja Sucharevičy, Baltkrievija
When I finished Armstrongs Young Adult series, The Darkest Power, I simply needed 'more'. I found the Women of the Otherworld series and am very happy about giving it a try. (I mean, I met Derek's dad! Probably..) I was so determined to love this book that I'm not sure how to rate it. Despite the one problem I had, I very much enjoyed the book, but the problem isn't something minor and I'm struggling with it and the effects it should have on the rating. The heroine, Elena, isn't a born Werewolf, but she became one when her Ex-fiancee bit her – Against her will, fully knowing that she could die, that even if she survived, she'd have no choice to live the life she wished for since her childhood – one she spent in foster care. I think the problem is that I don't see why he did it the way he did. There would've been other ways and I'm sad about that, although I see how the plot wouldn't have worked out the way it did otherwise. This is something I still ask myself, days/weeks after reading the book. Could I forgive the hero if I were Elena? I didn't know how Clay had known I was coming back today when I hadn't left a message. Nor did I question why he'd spent the entire day waiting at the gate. Clay's behavior couldn't be measured by human standard's of normalcy... or by any standards of normalcy at all. A really good part was the reappearing theme, human versus beast. Elena sturggles with her own 'opinions'. She wants so much the normal, average life and despises her other nature, blaming her werewolf-part for character-traits like her rage. But on the other handside she is fully convinced that only humans are able to be cruel and that the so-called barbarity and inhumanity are traits only humans can actually possess whereas animals only do what needs to be done. They kell to eat, not to sell Bambi to the highest bidder. The truth is, if a werewolf behaved like this psychopath it wouldn't be because he was part animal, but because he was still too human. Only humans kill for sport. It's a critical and – in comparizon to some other novels I've read lately – deep thought. Next to that I loved the way Elena developed. You seriously notice how she deals with her inner demons, how she overcomes emotions like pride or grief. - Talking about grief, I'm sad that the person I really wanted to read more about died before I got the chance to -sniff- I wanted to start critizising the fact that the love triangle isn't realistic. Well, it seriously isn't, because as a reader you don't fall for Elenas human lover, if you feel something at all it might be a guilty conscience. But I realized that he is more like.. the personified question Elena has to force herself to see. Normal, average, quite life? Or Clay? "You forget, darling. I am the local psychopath." The relationships to both of the guys is a very well written metaphor.. or parable of the human struggle, head versus heart/logic versus instincts. And although in this novel it's obvious that for Elena Clay is her 'heart and instincts', Armstrong doesn't make it look like Phil (the human lover) couldn't be the 'heart' of someone else. It's something I also loved in 'The Summoning'. Just because the heroine chooses A doesn't mean you can't decide B is what you'd prefer and be happy with it. Still I wish the triange would have been more believable. I didn't understand why Elena wanted to be with Phil that much.. And I didn't understand, as I said, why Clay did, what he did, when he did it. Ha. Sexual content: Several sex scenes, some graphic, one intense. The plot was good! Elena has to go back to her Pack to help them. Someone's killing humans on their territory and they have to do something about it - read: Find the f_cker who killed the humans and kill him. Since the person who did it is a werewolf, too but not a member of the pack, they have to deal with the most powerfull rogues (how is it called in the Women of the Otherworld-World? I didn't read the novel in English..) they know - which is soo much fun and sometimes very intense/even scary. I like the Karl-character. He's just so damn interesting and reminds me of someone.. :D Awr, Karl. But what is that with his name? I mean, Karl? Kaaaaaarl, what did you do? What happened to his hands? Why are they missing? "I'm suprised he doesn't send Christmas cards," Antonio said. "I can see them now. Tasteful, embossed veilum cards, the best he can steal. Little notes in perfect penmanship, "Happy holidays. Hope everyone is well. I sliced up Ethan Ritter in Miami and scattered his remains in the Atlantic. Best wishes for the new year. Karl." The pack is lovely, really. Elena is the only female werewolf and obviously that makes her something very special for all of them. I loved the guys. How they interact.. Awr, yes. I want more! Definitely!