The third installment in her Women of the Otherworld series. This one gives us Paige's story and a great deal of information about the witches and sorcerers of her world. Kept me up well past my bedtime! Although I'm reading these out of order that hasn't been a problem. However some main characters do make appearances in later books and their are readers who don't like even small 'spoilers' and would probably prefer to read them in publication order.

This is the first book narrated by Paige Winterbourne, the witch we met in Stolen. Trouble abounds when Paige starts experimenting with stronger spells, takes in Savannah (daughter of black witch Eve also from Stolen), and is in a struggle with the sorcerer father of Savannah. Add Lucas Cortez, son of the Cortez Cabal, and you've got a wonderful book about love and how it knows no boundaries. Again, this is a definite recommendation to anyone following the Women of the Otherworld series. A do not miss. ( )

If we had half stars I probably would have given this 4.5 simply because I miss Elena and her pack. But it's still an outstanding book with a great story. When Paige showed up in Stolen I didn't think I would care much for her books but I couldn't have been more wrong. I'm really looking forward to the rest of this series! ( )

This is the 3rd in Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Underworld series. Books 3 and 4 are narrated by the witch, Paige Winterbourne, and I like them the best of the five I've read in the series.

At age 23, Paige finds herself head of the Coven of witches and guardian/adopted mother of the powerful young witch, Savannah. The two come into conflict as the rest of the Coven dislikes Savannah and wants no part of her. Meanwhile a powerful sorcerer and a half-demon woman are trying to take custody of Savannah Paige isn't sure where to turn, but the appearance of Lucas Cortez, determined to act as her lawyer, is just too good to be true.

Again lots of suspense and action, but also the building up of good characters. Recommended. ( )

Magically, the best so far...., December 14, 2008
By S. McCullough "pacey1927" (Indianapolis, IN) - See all my reviews


"Dime Store Magic" is the third in Kelley Armstrong's Woman of the Otherworld series. The first two volumes focased on Werewolf Elena, and the two main characters in this story were introduced to readers in Elena's story "Stolen". In "Stolen" someone was kidnapping various supernatural beings for nafarious studying. Paige Winterbourne, a witch, met Savannah Levine, another kidnapping victim. Savannah is a powerful black magic witch who is only thirteen years old. Her mother is killed and Savannah is left orphaned, with powers she doesn't know how to control. Paige takes over guardianship of Savannah, when the group escapes. "Dime Store Magic" takes place around a year after the conclusion of "Stolen". Paige is the leader (in name) of the Coven of Witches but because she believes in stronger spells than they approve of, and because she is mentoring a 'black' magic witch, there are some riffs between her and the other members of the Coven. Now a half demon Leah has found Savannah's father and is threatening to have custody taken away from Paige. Savannah's father is a powerful man and heavilty relies on black magic. Savannah meets up with Lucas Cortez, a powerful man in his own right, who also happens to be a sorcerer and a lawyer. In the course of this "custody" battle, Paige is accused of several increasingly horrible crimes, including murder. I find myself wanting to give away more details of this fabulous tale, but I don't want to spoil it for anyone.

I found Paige to be more likeable than Elena as a main character. I enjoyed reading about her spells and her interactions with Savannah. I also found their relationship completely realistic and beautifully written. Savannah is a typical hormone driven teenager, who just happens to be able to cause extreme chaos when she has her mood swings. Lucas Cortez is charming, funny, and earnest. I would love to learn more about him and his past, as well. The action in "Dime Store Magic" is relentless. These characters hop from one situation to another, almost without pause. (The scene in the funeral home was one of my all time favorites..its creepy and exciting at the same time). A lot of action stories lack good character development but Ms. Armstrong does a supurb job of fleshing out both of those. I feel like this is probably only the tip of the iceburg as far as where the future of Paige and company can go. Kelley Armstrong is smarter than a lot of series authors in my opinion. While some of my favorite series are starting to get stale, she had the smarts to alternate main characters with different powers. This is a great way to stay fresh in today's increasingly peramormal fiction marketplace. This is a must read. ( )