Hidden

This is a novella in Kelley Armstrong’s Women of the Otherworld series and has werewolf Elena Michaels as narrator and protagonist. There is a mystery plot here, and while that is very deftly handled and provides a thrilling finale, it’s really only a secondary thread – what Hidden mainly is about is Elena and Clay and their twins spending their Christmas holiday. And it’s quite wonderful.

It is basically fan service, though, and there is a good chance that if you have never read any of the series you will not be getting much out of Hidden. On the other hand, Kelley Armstrong is still great at characterisation, and so the twins are quite believable (though rather precocious) and the parent-children relationship are realistic on show more both the human and the wolf pack level. I have not read every single werewolf novel out there, but I doubt there is anyone who can pull off as plausible werewolves as Kelley Armstrong’s. Carrie Vaughn comes very close, but I don’t think she pulls off the integration of pack mentality into everyday life quite as convincingly, and this novella in particular is a splendid example of that particular aspect. It’s just a delight to observe Elena’s joy in her children as well as her continued worries about whether to tell them that their parents are werewolves, watch her relationship to Clay and their attempts to squeeze in the occasional sex when the kids are distracted, follow her her first, still often insecure steps as alpha-elect of the pack… There is quite a lot to delight in for such a slim volume, and part of the enjoyment comes without a doubt from having known the characters for so long and having accompanied them on many adventures, but it’s also due to Kelley Armstrong’s skill in making her creations appear so real and making us care for them.

As with all Subterranean Press releases I have seen so far, this is a beautifully designed and crafted hardcover book, although I have to say that this time the illustrations do not do much for me - they’re rather a bit too bright and cartoonish for my taste, which might work for a comic but not for book illustrations. But that’s just even more a matter of personal taste than what I usually write here, and your mileage may vary considerably. show less

Very interesting. I've been avoiding Kelley Armstrong - I got her Women of the Otherworld mixed up with another series with a similar name. This is - well, it's well on in the middle of the story, which I usually avoid, but I read the first few pages and got hooked. I've now picked up the first two of the series to read as well. The thing I like about these werewolves is the - prosaicness? - of their lives. So, yeah, they're werewolves, and they're hunting a possible man-killer - but they're much more interested in giving their kids a good Christmas, and talking with each other and their friends, and just being people. There's considerable discussion of how the wolves do it - the Pack, and the 'mutts' outside the Pack; the lines of show more authority within the Pack; how werewolves change, how their senses work in human form as well as in wolf...but all of that is just the structure of their normal lives. It's hard to express, but I really enjoy books where werewolves (and other fantastic creatures) make sense, rather than being mystical whatevers. And this one has that in spades. I'll definitely check out the rest of the series, to see if it's as well-done as this book. One thing - the language here is very...simple, somehow. It reads just a little like a YA book in terms of vocabulary and grammar. This didn't in any way obscure the story, but I did notice it - I don't know whether this is the way the series reads or whether this novella-published-as-a-book was simplified. Something I'll be keeping an eye on as I read the rest. The illustrations are pretty - though I wish the other cover (which I only saw here on LibraryThing) had been included within the book, I'd have liked to see (better) the artist's take on Clay as a human. They reminded me rather of Elfquest in style - strong, clear, slightly cartoony images. Definitely an abstraction rather than a true representation of people. show less

MY REVIEW

I downloaded the kindle version of this novella from Amazon.co.uk, and at over £3 thought it quite expensive for a novella. I am not so keen on the "comic" style cover even though it depicts Elena in human form and Clay in wolf form, with his penetrating blue eyes.
As always with Kelley Armstrong, this novella is well written with a great balance of suspense, mystery and pack/family life. I really enjoyed the novella, we, the readers got to concentrate on Clay,Elena, Kate and Logan as prime characters. We learn more about the twins. We also learn that Clay and Elena have different views on when the twins should be told of their true heritage. Are the twins displaying secondary powers are they just bright kids?
As always Clay show more and Elena's quiet family time is interrupted by a rogue mutt. They have to investigate two brother's, but which if either of them is guilty and who can be trusted? They have to call in back up to help keep the twins entertained, but as the novella unfolds it seems keeping the twins entertained is the least of their problems.
A really good novella that I read in one go, only disappointment was that I thought the price was a little expensive for a novella! It made me want to read more of the Women Of The Otherworld series and want to know even more about Clay and Elena and their family and pack.
So did I enjoy this novella? Yes, would I read more novella's? Yes but truthfully only paid the almost £4 as it was a Clay and Elena novella! Wouldn't want to pay that price again really. Would I read more by Kelley Armstrong? Hope to! Would I recommend Kelley Armstrong books? Yes and I have recommended her lots of times.

Available from Amazon.co.uk show less

As you’ve probably guessed from my participation in the Women of the Otherworld series challenge, I’m a big fan. Huge fan! I adore these books and think Kelley Armstrong is an exceptional author, which is why I shill out the big bucks when she releases a novella through Subterranean Press (even though I know it’ll come out as an e-novella eventually, though that wasn’t the case for the first couple when they were first released). I love how special they are and I always enjoy her writing so I figure it’s worth the extra money. Groceries are over-rated, right? (FYI: I have the bottom cover on mine but I wanted to show both because I love how both versions show Clay and Elena together, just changing who’s in wolf form.)

In any show more case, the most recent novella to come out is Hidden. Narrated by Elena, it takes place after the events in Frostbitten so you shouldn’t read it unless you’re at least that far in the series, unless you don’t mind the spoilers. (There are characters in Hidden who are introduced in Frostbitten and they reference events from that book.)

Elena and Clay have two main issues in Hidden: 1) what to do with the mutt they meet, and 2) whether or not they should tell their kids that they’re werewolves. You’d think it’d be a lot to squeeze into a novella but Kelley Armstrong’s done a fabulous job once again. The plot unfolds in a well-paced manner and there’s just enough story to be satisfying. I particularly enjoyed the Christmas backdrop since Christmas is a particularly special holiday for Elena and Clay. I also loved getting another glimpse into the Danvers/Michaels family dynamic and seeing how Kate and Logan are growing up.

I adore these Otherworld novellas because they give readers an extra glimpse into the lives of our favourite characters. It's such a delightful window into Elena and Clay's family and I loved it. I can only hope that Kelley Armstrong continues to write short stories and novellas now that she's wrapping up the series so that we can continue to visit our favourite characters in this amazing world.

http://ireadgood.wordpress.com show less

This short novel was still a great glimpse into the lives of Elena and Clayton and their children. I liked that we got to see more of the personalities of the twins. Kate is impulsive and empathetic and artistically talented; Logan is quiet and serious and frighteningly bright. They are off to have a quiet Christmas as a family.

But the quiet is disrupted by the strange werewolf they meet on arrival and by the potential of a man-eating werewolf in the area. Elena and Clayton are trying to investigate while keeping that part of their life secret from their kids.

One of the big issues in this story is Elena's indecision about whether or not to tell the kids that their parents are werewolves. Clay is all for telling them but Elena doesn't show more want to place an extra burden of secrecy on the children. But she also doesn't want to lie to them. It is a big decision for her.

This is a nice addition to the Women of the Otherworld series which also has a few full color plates for illustrations. I wasn't really that fond of the pictures though because they seemed too "manga" to me and almost cartoonish. I prefer the images I have in my head for Elena and Clayton and the kids.

Avid fans will have to have this one. show less

Hidden is different from the other Clay and Elena stories in this series, but I feel that it is the perfect goodbye story for them. This novella wraps up their story and leaves the reader feeling as if no matter what happens, Clay, Elena, and the twins will be okay. There is not much action or suspense in this story, but there is quite a bit of mystery. Armstrong throws in a twist at the end that I didn't see coming. All in all, this is a must read for all of the fans of the Otherworld series.

I put off reading this book for a long time because I simply did not want to say goodbye to Clay and Elena. They are my favorite Otherworld couple, and I apparently thought avoiding this book would mean that there would be more Clay and Elena show more stories. However, the book did not leave me feeling sad. Instead, I feel hopeful that Clay and Elena will have a good, yet adventurous, life.

It was interesting to see how Clay and Elena's relationship has evolved over the course of this series. They went from being at each other's throats (specifically Elena wanting to kill Clay) to being happily married with twins. There are mentions of memories and the past in this book, and we get to learn that Elena and Clay have been together off and on for twenty years.

This book focuses mainly on Clay and Elena trying to find a balance with Elena's new title as alpha-in-training or whatever the official title is and Elena wanting to protect her children from the type of childhood she had. Both of these things lead to extreme personal growth on Elena's part, but there isn't much action or steamy romance, which Armstrong's previous Elena and Clay books are known for.

The pacing is spot on, and while the plot isn't as suspenseful as some of the previous Armstrong books, I still couldn't put the book down. I read it all in one sitting. It's a quick read... it only took me about 2 hours to finish. The ending ties up all of the questions left about Clay and Elena's relationship, but leaves room for the reader to imagine where Clay and Elena may go from here.

Even though this book had a different feel to it, I still enjoyed it. It's a definite must-read for any fan of the Otherworld series. If you haven't checked out the Otherworld series yet, you are missing out on a captivating set of books. It's my absolute favorite series of all time. Armstrong is a fantastic author, and she does not disappoint with this final Clay and Elena story. If you'd like to read this book, buy it now before there are no copies left. As far as I know, it's a limited edition like the other novellas were, so you don't want to wait on this one. show less

Clay and Elena take the twins to a cabin near Algonquin Park to celebrate Christmas as a family. Unfortunately they discover that there is a mutt wolf living in town and he poses a threat to their family. Elena discovers that there was an accident with a young man and wolves ate parts of him after his death. Elena must work quickly to find out if it was real wolves or if they have a man-eating mutt on their hands.

I just love Clay and Elena and this novella was pretty good.