Bitten (Women of the Otherworld, Book 1)

448 pages

English language

Published Sept. 7, 2004 by Plume.

ISBN:: 978-0-452-28603-0

(1 review)

An addictive, deeply enjoyable thrill ride on the frontier of the feral and feminine...a debut novel of astonishing imaginative power from the future queen of suspense.Elena Michaels slips out of bed, careful not to wake her boyfriend. He hates it when she disappears in the middle of the night, and can't understand why any normal woman would crave the small hours of the morning, the dark unsafe downtown streets. But Elena's skin is tingling, the pent-up energy feels like it's about to blow her muscles apart — she can't put it off any longer. She loves to run at the edge of the city, but she doesn't have time to get there. She has to slink into an alley, take off her clothes and hide them carefully, and make the Change.Elena's trying hard to be normal. She hates her strength, and her wildness, and her hunger for food, for sex, …

An addictive, deeply enjoyable thrill ride on the frontier of the feral and feminine...a debut novel of astonishing imaginative power from the future queen of suspense.Elena Michaels slips out of bed, careful not to wake her boyfriend. He hates it when she disappears in the middle of the night, and can't understand why any normal woman would crave the small hours of the morning, the dark unsafe downtown streets. But Elena's skin is tingling, the pent-up energy feels like it's about to blow her muscles apart — she can't put it off any longer. She loves to run at the edge of the city, but she doesn't have time to get there. She has to slink into an alley, take off her clothes and hide them carefully, and make the Change.Elena's trying hard to be normal. She hates her strength, and her wildness, and her hunger for food, for sex, for running in the night, for the chase and the kill. She wants a husband, children...even a mother-in-law. Or at least that's what she tells herself.And then the inevitable happens. The Pack needs her. The Pack she loves and hates is under siege from a bunch of disreputable and ruthless mutts who are threatening to expose them all, breaking all the rules that have kept them safe. The loyalty of her nature calls her home, and into the fight, which tests just who Elena is: the wild woman or the wistful would-be human.

2 editions

Thom reviewed Bitten (Women of the Otherworld, Book 1) by Kelley Armstrong

Review of 'Bitten (Women of the Otherworld, Book 1)' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

A decent werewolf book that became a Canadian tv show; more romance novel than I expected and 2d characters make for tougher reading.

This was on my to-read pile, but I don't remember why or who recommended. The friends I expect to have read it haven't. I didn't read any blurbs, just dove right in on a transatlantic flight.

I really liked the werewolf aspects - the changing, the healing, the pack vs outsider mutts, and scent tracking. I get the idea that there are two forms - dog like and big powerful monsters. Emotions play a strong part in controlling the abilities. A partial change is mentioned, but not in great detail. This is a series, so maybe more is revealed later. That goes also for some of the aspects that seem a little goofy - pancakes and ham steaks?

Of course the series could go away from the …

A decent werewolf book that became a Canadian tv show; more romance novel than I expected and 2d characters make for tougher reading.

This was on my to-read pile, but I don't remember why or who recommended. The friends I expect to have read it haven't. I didn't read any blurbs, just dove right in on a transatlantic flight.

I really liked the werewolf aspects - the changing, the healing, the pack vs outsider mutts, and scent tracking. I get the idea that there are two forms - dog like and big powerful monsters. Emotions play a strong part in controlling the abilities. A partial change is mentioned, but not in great detail. This is a series, so maybe more is revealed later. That goes also for some of the aspects that seem a little goofy - pancakes and ham steaks?

Of course the series could go away from the werewolf aspect and towards the romance. Not a regular reader, I find it hard to judge this form, but the characters irritated me. They say each others name frequently and they seem fairly flat. Elena professes her love for her human boyfriend in Canada, but her ex- in New York is too tempting. Maybe this is all trope.

For a series book, this one does come to a definitive end. Unfortunately, that ending is very quick. Head and shoulders over the last werewolf book I read ( [b:Rage of Lions|11253988|Rage of Lions (Wereworld, #2)|Curtis Jobling|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327901006l/11253988.SY75.jpg|16180613] ), this far more adult book is likeable, but not loveable (or amazing). 3½ stars.