Book review: 'Bitten,' Kelley Armstrong.

[seanan_mcguire]

Bitten, by Kelley Armstrong.
Plume, paperback
448 pages, dark urban fantasy/supernatural romance, werewolf-centric awesome
Currently in print

***

Kelley Armstrong is one of my favorite authors currently publishing (the others who dependably make that list are Stephen King and Terry Pratchett). With the latest entry in her Women of the Otherworld series coming out later this month, this seemed like an excellent time to go back and review the series from the beginning. Because yes, I am just that much of a fan. That being said, like every fan, I have opinions and biases relating to the series, and will try to mark them clearly.

Bitten was originally written as a stand-alone novel. Armstrong didn't know she'd be going back for a sequel, much less an entire series. Consequentially, when we meet Elena -- the world's only female werewolf, our cranky and critical heroine, and our first-person narrator for the first two volumes -- we meet her as a representative of the only supernatural species in the world. It's refreshingly straightforward. Me werewolf, you potentially dinner (except that good girls don't do that sort of thing). Elena grew up human, only to be betrayed and bitten by someone she trusted with her life, and has been fighting to adjust to life as a werewolf by...not adjusting. She's doing her damnedest to suppress all those pesky werewolf urges, which can be a bit of a problem when changing forms isn't just a choice, it's a physical need.

Trouble arises fairly shortly after the book begins, and Elena is summoned from her human life in Toronto back to Stonehaven, where the werewolf Pack has been waiting for her. Not just the Pack; her Alpha, who still refuses to acknowledge that she doesn't want to be a part of that world anymore, and worse yet, the man who bit her...

Elena is an interesting, engaging narrator, and brings a refreshing lack of bullshit to the table. Even when she's clearly wrong in her assumptions, they're clearly defined, and it's easy to see how she got from point A to point B. Despite this being a first novel, Armstrong doesn't over-complicate things or clutter up the scene with an excess of characters; if anything, her cast is smaller than I would have liked it to be at certain points. I would really have loved to see certain of Elena's relationships shown a little more clearly. At the same time, the pacing of the book is just about perfect, making that sort of extra material unnecessary.

Is there plot? Yes, and the plot is excellent. Is there porn? There are a few sex scenes, but they're short, plot-essential, and actually interesting to read. Armstrong is one of the few authors whose sex I greet with 'oh, cool, sex,' rather than 'dammit, not again.' This is a tribute both to the approachability of her characters, and to the quality of her writing.

If you're looking for a place to start reading the Women of the Otherworld, Bitten remains your best bet: it's the first book in the series, and provides a foundation that makes everything else all the more enjoyable. Plus? How often do you get werewolves with a Southern drawl? Comedy gold.

Eight re-reads, and my love remains undimmed.

Comments

[lysystratae.livejournal.com]

oh, cool, I'm looking forward to your reviews of the rest of her work (I adore her)

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

Me, too! She was an accidental discovery -- I found an ARC of Bitten in a charity shop in London -- and I've been following her rabidly ever since.

[beckyh2112.livejournal.com]

As a random thing, thank you for these book reviews. They're getting me into books I would never have looked at before.

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

That's a lot of why I'm doing them! As long as I only review books I like, I know I won't be steering people wrong. ;)

[scholarinexile.livejournal.com]

I actually started on Armstrong with Dime Store Magic, recommended by someone who apparently didn't care about spoilers and knew I liked witches. That said, Elena captured my heart pretty quickly, and I'd say this review is spot-on about the reasons why. But I'm still patiently awaiting another book from Paige's perspective.

Not sure you know: Armstrong's next adult Otherworld novel is slated to be a Clay and Elena story, set in Alaska, and dealing with a deeper glimpse into werewolf culture. Or so Kelley told me at a signing in Pittsburgh back in April.

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

I did not know that! I know she's said that book eleven is going to be Savannah.

Perhaps I am a bad person, but while I adore Elena, I really, really want a) another Paige book -- she's my favorite of the narrators -- and b) a second Jamie book. She just grew into such an awesome character, it's a shame not to use her.

[scholarinexile.livejournal.com]

Totally with you on both counts; Paige and Jaime remain my favorite narrators. I always felt like, in previous volumes, Jaime never really got the respect she deserved, and she proved herself in a big way in No Humans Involved; I sincerely hope we see another book in her voice soon. And Paige...well, she's where I cut my Otherworld teeth, and more about her will always be welcome.

I guess we've traded insider info today...I didn't know about the Savannah novel, although I'm not surprised or unhappy to see it coming. Kelley also told me she's had a shaman narrator and story rattling around in her head since early in the series, but other characters keep demanding more immediate attention.

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

(I love how carefully we're all avoiding spoilers here. Ten points team us!)

The nature of this series means we never get exactly what we want -- I'm sure there's some passionate Eve fan out there who spits nails every time Elena gets another book -- but boy oh boy do I hope we get a little more of what we're hoping for. :)

Also, Men of the Otherworld is gonna be awesome.

[mirrorred-star.livejournal.com]

Bitten and Dime Store Magic are my favourites of the Otherworld books I've read so far (I've gone back and read from Bitten to Haunted, which was really interesting but really random). I started off when I bought DSM because it sounded awesome. But got spoilered for Bitten, which was made of fail :(

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

I didn't like Haunted much the first time, I think because Paige is my favorite, and that was the first non-Paige narrator (after she hit the scene, that is). Adored Jamie's book, didn't like Hope's as much (but then, I don't like Hope).

[mirrorred-star.livejournal.com]

I've read the first couple of pages of No Humans Involved, and it sounds really awesome from that, but it's only the prologue...

I'd like to like Hope, the whole Chaos demon thing sounds really interesting. And that book has Lucas narrating as well, and his speaking voice is made of win.

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

The fact that Lucas is a narrator in that book absolutely saves it for me. I adore Lucas beyond all sense or reason.

Why haven't you read Personal Demon yet?

[jodimuse.livejournal.com]

I've loved every single one of these Women of the Otherworld books. I've read every one she's put out and as others have said, your review of Bitten is spot on. (Thank you!) It's also really cool that the first two books were set in what is basically my home town. :D I still find Elena to be my favorite of the women she writes about (though Jamie is a close second). I actually found Bitten kind of by accident in the local library here several years back ... What a great find it was!

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

This really is one of those series that I'm constantly amazed to discover isn't topping genre best-seller lists. It's a crying shame.

[jodimuse.livejournal.com]

It is indeed. Do you think it has anything to do with the author being Canadian? Or do the best-seller lists not have a bias? (Or is it just that these books aren't as well-known as they should be? After ... what is it now ... going to be 11 books? Something like that ... You'd think they'd be at least making money...) I'm curious about your thoughts on that. And Tanya's for that matter...

Incidentally, are you watching True Blood? The books that series is based on are absolutely wonderful too. :) (Charlaine Harris. I can't recall if you've mentioned you've been reading those...)

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

I don't think it's related to the author being Canadian, except in that -- possibly -- she doesn't get to 'hit the street' as much down here at the American conventions. I don't actually know how much impact that has on book sales, but it seems like one of the factors that could potentially hurt Canadian authors in the American market. Setting the first two books in and around Toronto didn't really make them 'foreign' in a way that would bother most readers; given the amount of American television filmed in Canada, I think most people have a better mental map of Toronto than they realize!

Her lack of porn-driven plot may be a factor, sadly. The series that go huge are either a) fluffy (like the Undead and Un____ series, or Don't Talk Back to Your Vampire), b) porn (Laurell K. Hamilton anyone?), or c) much more oriented towards the romance side of the market. (This isn't one hundred percent, but it still seems to be a serious trend.) Being darker and more serious isn't going to help her with the 'looking for the hot sexy true love with the sexy' crowd, and her lack of sex isn't going to help her catch the Anne Rice spill-over.

Which then brings her to an issue I've been discussing with several people lately: assumptions made about female authors. It's very likely that Newsflesh will be published under a pseudonym, just to prevent confusion with the Toby books, and it's also likely that the pseudonym will be gender neutral, if not male. Why? Because women only write 'sexy' horror. Newsflesh isn't sexy, but print it with a woman's name and the assumption will be made. So that assumption, combined with her covers, may be driving readers away, since they're assuming that she's just doing Anita Blake all over again.

I am loving my weekly dose of True Blood. Truly, it rocks me hard, rocks me easy, and rocks the pain away. I like the Charlene Harris books, although I sadly lost interest after the fifth or so.

[jodimuse.livejournal.com]

Very good points. I hadn't considered the 'female author being assumed to write sexy romance more than anything else' factor. I can see why you'd want to publish under a pseudonym though, if that's the case. I'm SO waiting for your books to come out. :) Looking forward to reading them! As for the Sookie Stackhouse novels, I think I just so love that character that I'll keep reading those books until she stops publishing them. There's just SO much interesting stuff for them to cover in the True Blood HBO series though. It's a very rich tapestry and I'm looking forward to seeing where they go with it. Actually, if you at all liked the book where Eric plays a big part (and I loved that book myself. I won't say any more for fear I'll spoil it for anyone who might be thinking of checking it out but hasn't yet), I'd *highly* recommend you keep reading. The latest one especially deals a little more with that plotline and that was a plotline that was severely left hanging. But then again, I *am* a big fan of romance myself. Kind of a guilty pleasure. Even if it has a rocky road to get there. Part of why I loved Elena so much, actually. ;)

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

I did enjoy that book, but I really don't like Quinn, and...I don't know, it started to feel like she was just stretching things out, y'know? Still, I'll take another look, on your recommendation.

And don't get me wrong -- I love a good romance, and I've even written a few. But when I pick up a Meg Cabot, it's because I want the romance, and when I pick up an urban fantasy, I don't want stealth porn, y'know?

[jodimuse.livejournal.com]

If there's one thing about the Sookie Stackhouse novels, they are ... not particularly predictable. Understanding your likes and dislikes, you really do need to read the latest novel. Harris' book is more about Sookie the character than Sookie the woman who always needs to have a man around (even if that's usually how it turns out for her). Things change. I'm just sayin'. ;) As mentioned, TONS of fodder for the HBO series.

And yes, I totally understand what you mean. I'm a total sucker for Edwardian romance. And I know which authors to read for that. But if I'm looking for that, those authors are where I go. I stopped reading Laurel K a while ago.

Jane Eyre is my favorite romance of all time. Probably says something about me. ;)

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

I'll take a look!

[dormouse-in-tea.livejournal.com]

*raises a hand* I thought she was doing Anita Blake all over again. But then, I spent quite a while avoiding the genre like the plague, because I didn't trust anyone not to be doing Anita Blake all over again.

I had to be strongarmed into reading the first Mercy book, and I love Patricia Briggs as an author. I should have known she wouldn't be doing Anita Blake over again. But...I didn't even trust a known quality.

I'm really glad you're doing these book rec posts, because they encourage me to pick up things I'd basically been hissing and making signs of evil to avert for no damn reason.

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

I think a lot of people assume that she's doing Anita Blake all over again, which is tragic. Yeah, there's sex and romance and all that fun stuff, but it's driven by the plot, instead of driving the plot.

Book reviews are fun, especially with my stated 'only books I like' policy keeping them nice and positive. If I recommend it, it's because I want you to read it. So there.

[tibicina.livejournal.com]

Well, also the sex to plot ratio remains about the same for each book (with slight differences based on the narrators), instead of Anita Blake which went from LOTS of plot and a little sex to I can not find the plot because the sex keeps getting in the way in just a couple of books.

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

And sadly, the plot happens during the damn sex, so you can't even skip the sex. Curse you, kinky bondage sex taking up half my book. Curse you twice.

[yolandasfetsos.livejournal.com]

I love this series, and BITTEN was an awesome book. It really sucked me in, that's for sure. :)

[seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com]

I just finished my re-read of Stolen this morning. I do love the werewolves.