Stolen

Transferred from my spreadsheet to Goodreads

It's odd reading this book after having read the subsequent books first. I didn't like the focus on the witch in book #3, and this book shows that I still don't like her. I enjoy Elena much more. Her point of view and reactions are so different than I would expect, making her more intriguing. I don't know that I believe her whole passive routine, but it kind of worked in the context of the story. ( )

Good book, lots of fun! Loved how the characters are being developed (Elena is awesome!) and love how new characters are being introduced. It was a bit long in parts, which is why I didn't give it a higher rating. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series, but not right now - I need a little break before I continue! ( )

Interesting! The werewolf universe we were introduced to in the first book, Bitten, suddenly expands with a whole bunch of other supernatural creatures - witches, sorcerers, half-demons, vampires - all of whom are being attacked by a mildly insane bunch of experimenters. Elena and most of the werewolves weren't even aware of the existence of the other 'races'. The bad guys' motivations vary - from scientific experimentation to wanting personal power to wanting a real-life video-game-style hunt - but they're sufficiently similar that they're working together and have captured a whole bunch of supernaturals, and killed off quite a few after studying them. Elena is kidnapped by this bunch, and undergoes some rather nasty events, including having to babysit a newly-'bitten' werewolf (not really bitten, she injected herself. Idiot) and being brought along on a hunt of another werewolf (hunted by men). Excessive complications - telepathic communication that doesn't work very well, Elena's response to a mistake by Clay, enemies hiding in plain sight - make this a little hard to follow sometimes, but overall it's an interesting addition to the story. There's quite a lot of sex in the beginning and end; the first lot is somewhat gratuitous, the second lot feels like it fits the story. And while there is the threat of rape several times, it's never carried out - all the sex is consensual. There's also quite a bit of gore, particularly at the end; however, our big bad heroes are quite thoroughly sickened by it, they don't revel in it in the least. Well, not most of it. Elena does some elegant (psychological) torture on the worst of the bunch. Interesting expansion - I do want to read the next one. ( )

Reviewed by: Rabid Reads

This book is one of the most important installments of this series in my opinion. Kelley Armstrong's world grows by tenfold with the introduction of the various preternatural characters that'll make up the Women of the Otherworld universe. Most of these werewolves, witches, demons and sorcerers get their own books or at the very least, make appearances throughout this series. Elena, my favorite female werewolf, is once again front-and-center as the narrator of this tale and the villain is the kind of guy who you just love to hate.

Elena is forced to rely on her wits and cunning after being kidnapped and separated from her pack. This bare-bones environment allows her personality to really shine through. It's refreshing to see a female character actually grow stronger as a result of being separated from her mate. Clay's awesome in his own right but Stolen proves that Elena is equally as impressive if not more so. Michaels plays mind games with her captors and fellow prisoners in order to identify ally from foe. I really enjoyed watching her mind's cogwheels turn while she pondered her best course of action. This werewolf is tested on all fronts in this novel. Her decisions sometimes go against her morals but when the prize is freedom, sacrifices need to be made.

Kelley Armstrong couldn't have picked a better way of introducing her cast of supernaturals. The various breeds are literally put on display in glass "showcases". The resident scientists are studying these abnormalities and as a result, we learn their findings as the story progresses. I found that this was a clever way of listing each preternatural's traits; instead of a dull information dump, it's entertaining and helps the story to move forward. We meet two important characters in this installment: Paige Winterbourne and Savannah Levine. Book three, Dime Store Magic, features the first witch while the latter makes appearances throughout this series but doesn't actually get her own story until book eleven in Waking The Witch. Re-reading these novels is allowing me to pick-up extra details that I missed the first time around. I'm falling in love with the Women of the Otherworld all over again!

Tyrone Winsloe is a rich, powerful tycoon with an ego to match but all of these traits also make him an excellent villain. He's beyond warped which made his character all the more fun to read. Just when you think that you've seen it all, Tye pulls something completely unexpected and heinous out of his bag of tricks. I was happy that he got his just deserts in the end but I enjoyed the ride all the same. Clay plays a much smaller role in this book but I couldn't write my review without mentioning him in some way. Danvers is caught between a rock and a hard place; on one side he must obey his alpha but on the other he'll do anything to get Elena back. Tough call. On a good day, Clay's not exactly the most stable person so it was interesting to watch him trying to stay cool under pressure and use his brain instead of his muscles. Even when Elena was in her darkest hour she knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he would come for her. This is just one of the many reasons why I love this power duo.

Bitten and Stolen are two of my all-time favorite werewolf books. You won't find an author who's more capable of capturing the true essence of what it means to be a wolf in human clothing than Kelley Armstrong. ( )