"Made to be Broken" by Kelley Armstrong

This book has a kick-ass hitwoman for a main character, two interesting (and sexy in very different ways) male side characters, and a fast-paced plot full of twists and action.  For an entertaining read, what more could you want?  This is a great book to add a little excitement to your day whether you want something to read on the commute, during your breaks at the office, or waiting on the school run.

Kelley Armstrong's books may not be literary fiction or intellectual, but they are always entertaining.

To read my longer review of "Made to be Broken", click here.
To visit author Kelley Armstrong's official website, click here.

"Waking the Witch" by Kelley Armstrong

You've probably noticed by now that I enjoy Kelley Armstrong's novels.  I've read most of them.  I'd like to read the few books of hers that I haven't gotten to yet.

The Armstrong book that I've read most recently is "Waking the Witch".  Part of the "Otherworld" (sometimes called "Women of the Otherworld") series, "Waking the Witch" centres on the witch and private investigator Savannah Levine.  Savannah takes on her first solo case by travelling to a small town to investigate some murders.  She soon discovers that in this case, nothing is as it seems.

Although it wasn't my favorite book in the series, I did enjoy it and getting to read more about Savannah.  If you're just looking for a stand alone book I wouldn't really recommend it, but it does have its place in the series.

To read my longer review of "Waking the Witch" by Kelley Armstrong, click here.

If you enjoy "Waking the Witch", I recommend:

• the rest of Armstrong's "Otherworld" series.  "Bitten" is the first in the series.  For a similar crime type feeling without the paranormal element, try Armstrong's "Nadia Stafford" series.
• other crime fiction novels with a strong female lead, like Patricia Cornwell's books about Scarpetta.
• other urban fantasy/paranormal novels like "Generation Dead" by Daniel Waters or Rachel Caine's books.

"Living with the Dead" by Kelley Armstrong

I've read and enjoyed most of the books in Kelley Armstrong's Otherworld series.  Somehow I'd never gotten ahold of a copy of"Living with the Dead" though.

The 9th book in the series, "Living with the Dead" stars some familiar characters (chiefly half-demon Hope Adams and werewolf Karl Marsten), and introduces some new ones (so,e just for the purposes of the novel, but also some new characters that I hope will resurface in future books.  There's murder, mystery, supernaturals, romance...it's am interesting book that works well in the series.

If you like "Living with the Dead", I definitely recommend reading the rest of Armstrong's books.  (The Otherworld series starts with "Bitten".)  Click here for a list of books enjoyed by Armstrong fans.  I would also recommend books by P.C. Cast.

"Personal Demon" by Kelley Armstrong

I'll keep this relatively brief as I've written on here about other books by Kelley Armstrong.  We all know that if you're looking for a certain genre of supernatural fiction, then she's the woman to be reading.

"Personal Demon" is the eight book in her "Women of the Otherworld" series, and centers on half-demon Hope Adams.  This wasn't my personal favorite in the series, but I enjoyed getting more story about the side characters from other novels and seeing how other familiar characters popped up in this book.  It's very fast-paced with a detective type element to it.

To read my review of "Personal Demon", click here.
To visit Kelley Armstrong's official website, click here.

"No Humans Involved" by Kelley Armstrong

I've written about Kelley Armstrong books in her "Women of the Otherworld" series before.  This series of books is roughly chronological, but it is about a wide range of characters rather than strictly following one storyline.  The main characters of one book become side characters in another, and the books are all interconnected rather than necessarily following on from each other.  For me, this makes for an enjoyable series.  The variety keeps the "Women of the Otherworld" books interesting.

In "No Humans Involved", the main character is Jaime Vegas.  She's a necromancer, meaning that she can communicate with (and even reanimate) the dead.  Throw in an unsolved murder, ghosts, cults, werewolves, and romance, and you've got "No Humans Involved".  It's a fun book to read.


To read my longer book review of "No Humans Involved" by Kelley Armstrong, click here.
To visit Kelley Armstrong's official website, click here.

"Frostbitten" by Kelley Armstrong

If you like contemporary fantasy fiction, then you're probably already familiar with Kelley Armstrong's books.  She has written both adult and teen fiction (for a mostly female audience, although I think men would enjoy the books as well) about werewolves, witches, half-demons, necromancers, and other fantasy characters.  However, these are all set as a subculture within the real present-day world.  Her books are entertaining and full of action.

I recently read Armstrong's novel "Frostbitten".  It's one of the Women of the Otherworld books, and the main character is werewolf Elena (first introduced in the book "Bitten").  Although "Frostbitten" could be read as a stand-alone book, I recommend going back and reading other books in the series first.  If you've enjoyed the previous books, you'll enjoy "Frostbitten".

For my full review of "Frostbitten" by Kelley Armstrong, click here.