Waking the Witch (Women of the Otherworld, Book 11) [Hardcover]

Kelley Armstrong (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 27, 2010

One of the most popular writers of paranormal fiction and the #1 New York Times bestselling author returns with a rollicking new novel in her Otherworld series.

At twenty-one, Savannah Levine-orphaned daughter of a notorious dark witch and an equally notorious cutthroat sorcerer-considers herself a full-fledged member of the otherworld. The once rebellious teen has grown into a six-foot-tall, motorcycle-riding jaw-dropper, with an impressive knowledge of and ability to perform spells. The only problem is, she's having a hard time convincing her adoptive parents, Paige and Lucas, to take her seriously as an adult. She's working as the research assistant at the detective agency they founded, and when they take off on a romantic vacation alone, leaving her in charge, Savannah finds herself itching for a case to call her own. (She's also itching for Adam, her longtime friend and colleague, to see her as more than just a little girl, but that's another matter.)

Suddenly, Savannah gets the chance she's been waiting for: Recruited by another supernatural detective, she travels to Columbus, Washington, a small, dying town. Two troubled young women have been found in an abandoned warehouse, murdered. Now a third woman's dead, and on closer inspection small details point to darker forces at play. Savannah feels certain she can handle the case, but with signs of supernatural activity appearing at every turn, things quickly become more serious- and far more dangerous-than she realizes.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Armstrong's 11th Otherworld urban fantasy, her first book for Penguin since 2003's Stolen, sends two paranormal investigators to the small town of Columbus, Wash. Savannah Levine, a 21-year-old witch from Portland, Ore., who's itching to pursue her first solo case, teams up with half-demon PI Jesse Aanes to look into three slayings with supernatural overtones. Savannah, who displays an appealing mix of toughness and vulnerability, figures she can blast her way to the truth, but matters get complicated fast when her powers keep deserting her at key moments and more bodies pile up. Armstrong skillfully juggles her twisty plot, weaving in characters from previous novels as she builds to a fast-paced conclusion. This supernatural mystery is unabashedly aimed at fans of Charlaine Harris and Stephenie Meyer, and may well hit the mark.
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From Booklist

For the eleventh volume in her Women of the Otherworld series, Armstrong shifts to a new narrator—the 21-year-old daughter of a sorcerer and a witch, Savannah Levine—and takes the urban fantasy conceit into rural Washington. Eager to prove herself as a sleuth, Savannah takes up a case brought to her firm by a freelance PI, a suave, telekinetic half-demon. Three young women have been murdered in a small town north of Portland, and there are signs that an occult ritual might have been involved. The two prime suspects are the town's resident golden child and the leader of a commune (or cult, depending on whom you ask) for young runaways. Armstrong writes with page-turningly lucid prose and outfits her heroine with plenty of pluck, which she'll need to navigate the handful of handsome fellas who drop in for potential romancing. Despite the occult angle and all manner of witches, demons, and other supernatural types (no vampires, thankfully), this is first and foremost a mystery, and a pretty decent one, with the magic mostly coming in the form of cloaking spells and energy bolts employed to bolster Savannah's snooping skills. While this story is mostly self-contained, any number of allusions to the massive backstory and cast of characters will likely have newcomers tracking back to flesh things out. Established fans, of course, will gobble it all right up. --Ian Chipman

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Adult; First Edition edition (July 27, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525951784
• ISBN-13: 978-0525951780
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (84 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #484,146 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.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good book if you're a fan..., July 31, 2010

By 

Mei "Check out my blog!" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Waking the Witch (Women of the Otherworld, Book 11) (Hardcover)

Synopsis
Savannah finally gets a chance to her first solo case while Page and Lucas are on vacation. What starts are a simple investigation into the deaths of three women becomes increasingly more complex the more she looks into the little town's secrets. Not to mention that something seems to be getting a little bit weird with her powers...

Review
Not one of my favorite of the Otherworld series, but not my least favorite either. I've always had a bit of a soft spot for Savannah, which is a good thing since pretty much none of the other characters show up in this story besides an occasional name drop. Savannah is certainly still learning the ropes of her chosen profession, no matter how cocky she seems, plus she seems to have the inevitable inability to ask for help when situations get tricky. The book reads quickly, and is fairly involving once you get into the mystery. For me, though, my favorite part was the last paragraph which simply left me salivating for the next chapter...

My Recommendation
If you are an established fan of the Otherworld series, you will enjoy this one. If you aren't I recommend simply starting at the beginning. But I am a huge fan of the Elena/Clay stories as opposed to the witches...
4/5 - Wait for a Sale/Coupon

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Pretty average, July 29, 2010

By 

David M. Norris (Houston, texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Waking the Witch: A Novel (Women of the Otherworld) (Kindle Edition)

I am a Kelly Armstrong fan. Having said that, I found this story to be sadly lacking. It is basically a mystery, but not a good one. It throws out a lot of red herrings but never gives the reader enough information to figure out what is really happening. Too much stuff appears without any reasoning behind it. So, it is a mystery that is not inherently consistent.

The other problem with it is that too much happens that is entirely unplausible. I don't mean the magic. Just everyday things that happen which is just too convenient. So, I guess I rate it pretty average.

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Who IS this Savannah?, September 24, 2010

By 

YA book lover - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Waking the Witch (Women of the Otherworld, Book 11) (Hardcover)

2.5 stars, rounded up to a very, very, very generous 3-star rating.

Waking The Witch is an installment of the Women of the Otherworld series that I don't see myself ever re-reading. This is sad because I had been looking forward to finally reading a Savannah book for a long time.

I remember Savannah a 12-year old spoiled, petulant girl and later a determined, brash, strong, selfish woman and a powerful witch who hates authority, goes after what she wants, can kick ass, despises humans and whose only weakness is her girl crush on Adam. That's who she was as we saw her through the eyes of Paige, Jaime, Elena and other narrators of earlier Otherworld books and that's the way I loved her. The Savannah we get in this novel is pretty much a boring and timid Hope Adams clone who is apparently slightly depressed, has no spunk and no guts to actively pursue a man of her dreams preferring instead to settle for random hookups. Who is this woman? Let me tell you, not someone I care to read about. I expected this book to be about a young woman who would raise mayhem and unleash her super powers. I expected Savannah to go after Adam with all her determination and forces. I expected sparks to fly between the two. No luck here.

Now onto the plot itself. You know, I wonder why Armstrong started writing urban fantasy because it seems she prefers writing mysteries. I have nothing against mysteries per se, but if not grounded in paranormal, hers are weak. This book can be considered urban fantasy only because the main character is a witch. Otherwise, substitute cover spells with hiding in dark corners and knockback spells with a good kick, and there is nothing paranormal left in this story. The mystery itself is mediocre at best, because there is absolutely no way for readers to guess who the villain is. Speaking of the villain, the villain's motivation makes hardly any sense, the final result can be achieved much easier without this convoluted plan and murders.

Some readers also mention the cliff-hanger ending. Yes, there is one, but it is lame and unnecessary IMO. It surely won't make me lose my sleep.

To sum it up, Waking The Witch is a throwaway addition to the series - the mystery is lame, the narrator is boring, and romance is non-existent. But somehow it is written better than the majority of new UF and this is the only excuse for my very generous rating.