Spell Bound (Otherworld, Book 12) [Hardcover]

Kelley Armstrong (Author)

Book Description

Release date: July 26, 2011

At last, in the novel every Kelley Armstrong fan will need to own, all the major heroines and heroes of Otherworld are united.

It's been ten years since Bitten, the first novel in Kelley Armstrong's New York Times bestselling Otherworld series. In that time hundreds of thousands of fans have ravenously devoured the adventures of Armstrong's witches, demons, and werewolves. Now, in Spell Bound, she brings them all together for her most sweeping tale yet.

Savannah Levine is in terrible danger, and for once she's powerless to help herself. At the heartbreaking conclusion of Waking the Witch, Savannah swore that she would give up her powers if it would prevent further pain for a young orphan. Little did she know that someone would take her up on that promise.

And now, witch-hunting assassins, necromancers, half-demons, and rogue witches all seem to be after her. The threat is not just for Savannah; every member of the Otherworld might be at risk. While most of her fellow supernaturals are circling the wagons at a gathering of the council in Miami, Savannah is caught on the road, isolated from those who can protect her and unable to use her vast spell-casting talent, the thing she counts on most. In a story that will change the shape of the Otherworld forever, Armstrong gathers Elena, Clay, Paige, Lucas, Jamie, Hope, and other beloved characters, who soon learn that the greatest threat to supernaturals just may come from within.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Kelley Armstrong has long been a favorite of mine."
-Charlaine Harris, New York Times bestselling author of the Sookie Stackhouse series

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Kelley Armstrong lives in rural southwestern Canada with her husband and three children.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Dutton; First Edition edition (July 26, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525952209
• ISBN-13: 978-0525952206
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (85 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #333,837 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I'm married with three kids and live in rural Ontario, Canada. After graduating with a degree in psychology, I switched gears and studied computer programming. Currently, I'm a full-time writer and parent. Could I make this section any more dull? Probably not.

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#71 in Books > Teens

#71 in Books > Teens

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 38 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars A trilogy in disguise July 27, 2011

By Kai

Format:Hardcover

If you're familiar with Mrs. Armstrong's Otherworld series, you'll probably be in for a surprise. The first eleven books are self contained: they might leave a teaser at the end, but they finish up what they start.

This book reads like the beginning of a trilogy, and while still good it's rather disappointing that the main plot threads are unresolved. In fact, I'm not really positive than ANY plot threads were resolved in this book. Instead, it reads more like a character building book where the author gave Savannah a good kick in the butt towards maturity and self discovery, while the background is filled with conspiracy theories and baby steps towards fulfillment of a prophecy. We don't learn much about it - but we know there's trouble coming down the road. Unfortunately, none of that trouble takes place in this book and the 'action sequences' are few and far between. At least something happens with Adam and Savannah's relationship?

Overall, I liked the book. I liked getting to know Savannah better and all the hints at what's coming are intriguing. But this book also frustrated me. With a series this big, you come to expect that certain things won't change: every other book can be read by itself. It's a series in the same 'world' - not an extended plot arc. And that's what this book is - it gives you a taste of what will happen in the next book, but doesn't really do anything else.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A little slow, but fans will still be pleased July 26, 2011

By A Book Obsession.. TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover

At the end of Waking the Witch, Savannah lost her powers. In Spell Bound she is trying to come to terms with this, but really not succeeding. Her spells feel as important to her as breathing, so losing them was quite devastating. It doesn't help that trouble keeping coming up, putting her in situations that make her miss the lost firepower even more. It seems all supernatural are a target for some sort of nefarious scheme. While everyone else meets in the Cabel strong hold in Florida, Savannah and Adam are out on the front lines trying to get to the bottom of things. They'll need to get to the bottom of things quickly or run the risk of their world being forever changed.

At times while reading this I felt more as if I was reading a YA novel than an adult. It just didn't have the feel to it that Kelley Armstrong's other adult novels have. Perhaps it is because Savannah still seems so immature despite her age. She continually makes poor decisions, which in itself is not the issue. The problem is that she doesn't step up to the plate and admit her mistakes, she just runs off at the first sign of confrontation. She also threw several "temper tantrums" because things were not going her way. At one point in the book she talks about how she was always respectful and helpful whenever she visited the werewolves growing up, but was completely lazy and constantly disobeyed Paige and Lucas when she was home. It is obvious that she really cares for her guardians, so why treat them with less respect than the werewolves? Clay did seem to give her a wake up call in Spell Bound, so perhaps we will start to see some major progress in her behavior.

I am a very impatient person when it comes to relationship progression, so the issue with Savannah and Adam is driving me nuts. I was really hoping for some relationship progression in this book, but it just felt like things were one step forward and two steps back. Yes, I understand that this is only Savannah's second book, but things really started many books ago when she first met Adam. Of course the age difference was an issue at the time, but it just isn't anymore. I understand her hesitation to admit her feelings to him, as she is afraid he will turn her down. However, Adam would have to be blind not to have figured it out by now, considering the fact that everyone else has. Besides, I really think he cares for her too, so I'm not sure why he hasn't spoken up, unless it is due to her immaturity. As the next book is supposed to be the last one, I can only hope to finally get some satisfaction about these two characters coming together before the series is over.

While Spell Bound read very quickly, there just didn't seem to be a lot of action or real plot development. It felt more like a set up for a final battle in the next book as we don't even get a real picture as to who or what the "bad" guys are. As I am a huge Kelley Armstrong fan, the slow movement and lack of progression did come as a little bit of a disappointment. However, I do have a feeling that the final book will definitely pick things up so this great series can go out with a bang. All in all, while Spell Bound may be a bit of a slower installment than the previous Women of the Otherworld books, it still is a pretty enjoyable read that fans of the series won't want to miss.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars I'm underwhelmed September 1, 2011

By Beach Reader

Format:Hardcover

Unlike the other reviewers, I have mixed feelings about the Otherworld books. Some are marvelous (Bitten & Stolen). Some are annoying (Dime Store Magic). Spell Bound is tepid.

I enjoyed WTW and was looking forward to concluding Savannah's adventures and Adam love-crush. Obviously I missed the memo that this was the 2nd book in a trilogy. The story could not hold my attention as Savannah and Adam scrambled from one difficult situation to another without any real direction or plot development. There were a few exciting segments that gave me hope for a good battle or sex scene or something! My hopes were unfulfilled.

As the story stumbled along, each Otherworld character from prior books made a brief (and contrived) appearance. Their background story would be explained in a paragraph or two. I would struggle to remember the character and then *poof* they would exit stage right, never to reappear. Needless to say, none of these "guest appearances" (I stopped counting at 16) added to the plot.

The ending was anticlimatic and ... not really an ending. The story just stopped. I kept examining the final pages to make sure I hadn't missed a crucial paragraph or two that would explain the meadering point of the story. Savannah was still without her powers. The "real" enemy was still unknown. The "real" threat was still undefined. It took 324 pages to get to one kiss and one additional page to confirm that this book was over and this aimless story would be continued......