Broken


4 Stars


When Elena Michaels is called upon to return a favor, she has no inkling that she is about to unleash one of the most despicable murderers of all time upon an unsuspecting world. Given the task of stealing Jack the Ripper's "From Hell" letter, Elena inadvertently activates a dimensional portal, allowing zombies, plagues, and even the infamous killer to materialize in modern-day Toronto.

The story is fast-paced and action-packed, with excellent world-building and solid character development. However, the Ripper lore is not fully exploited.

"Broken" once again showcases Armstrong's masterful construction of a world filled with numerous supernatural beings existing secretly alongside humanity. Werewolves, demons, vampires, zombies, witches, and sorcerers are all seamlessly integrated into the storyline.

In terms of the romance, Elena and Clay's relationship has improved significantly. Unlike the childish, bickering couple in the first two books of the series, they have finally become a unified team. Elena has clearly matured (perhaps her pregnancy has had a positive impact on her) and is much less whiny. Similarly, Clay has realized that he cannot protect Elena too much and now supports her choices instead of constantly arguing with her.

Although Jack the Ripper is a favorite theme of mine, he is not well utilized in the narrative as the zombies take center stage. The explanation for the Ripper's original killing spree is unoriginal and unclear. Moreover, the identity of the main villain is blatantly obvious, and one wonders how Elena and her allies could have missed all the clues.

Overall, it is an entertaining addition to the series, and the hints that Jeremy is finally beginning to view Jaime as more than just a ditzy necromancer are fascinating. Their book is next, and it cannot come soon enough. Hopefully, it will meet expectations.

In this thrilling new novel by the author of Industrial Magic, a pregnant werewolf finds herself in a terrifying situation.

Elena Michaels, upon discovering she is pregnant, has been on edge. After all, she has never heard of another living female werewolf, let alone one who has given birth. But her expertise is needed to retrieve a stolen letter allegedly written by Jack the Ripper.

As a distraction, the job seems simple enough. However, the letter contains a portal to Victorian London's underworld, which Elena inadvertently triggers. This unleashes a vicious killer and a pair of zombie thugs.

Now Elena must race against time to find a way to seal the portal before the unwelcome visitors get what they're looking for – which, for some unknown reason, is her.

Heather's Notes

I liked this book, despite its length. It didn't lag at any point, and the story maintained a good pace throughout. I was fond of all the characters and hope to see some of them again in future installments. I was able to figure out the identity of the bad guy fairly quickly and wasn't surprised. I will definitely continue reading this series.

I have long been an ardent fan of Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Underworld series. Armstrong's forte lies in her remarkable ability to conjure up astonishing visuals of her urban fantasy world.

She also crafts strong female characters, and the premise is interesting as the protagonist changes with each book, featuring a different supernatural woman. However, not all of her books are on par, and this one, unfortunately, fell short for me.

This is my second time reading this book (as I'm slowly re-reading the entire series), and all I recalled was that it centered around werewolves Clay and Elena, my favorites. Regrettably, the plot wasn't as captivating as I had hoped.

What the book did have going for it was its Toronto setting. I adore being able to envision the locations in a book when I've walked those very streets myself. I also appreciate it when Canadian authors write about Canadian locales instead of automatically setting a book in the U.S. just because. It's a pet peeve of this Canadian reader.

One of the major issues I had with this book was its excessive focus on Elena's pregnancy. I suppose it was somewhat expected, but quite frankly, I didn't find it all that engaging. Having been through pregnancy three times myself, it was hard to believe that a woman in the final trimester, even if she's a werewolf, could do all the things Elena did. She couldn't tie her shoe but could kick zombie butt? Umm, okay. And the reason for her continuously putting herself and her pregnancy in danger (because she was bored) didn't ring true to me. During this pregnancy saga, Clay and Jeremy lost a significant amount of their toughness as they adopted the roles of overly worried mother hens due to her 'condition'. Don't get me wrong, I liked that Elena and Clay's relationship was evolving, but I would have much preferred it to be in the background with more emphasis on the mystery plot.

The mystery... hmmm. I wasn't a fan of the zombies and Jack the Ripper/time portal plot line. It was weak at best and not described in sufficient detail to interest this reader. I did enjoy seeing the Pack back in action and the addition of the Torontonian vampire, Zoe (whom I hope makes more appearances in future books). She added some vitality to the sluggish plot.

Overall, this wasn't a terrible read, but it definitely wasn't one of the stronger books in the series either. I loved that it was set in a Canadian locale and advanced the personal aspects of Clay and Elena, but unfortunately, I found the general plot lacking.

** This book review can also be found on my blog, The Baking Bookworm (www.thebakingbookworm.blogspot.ca)

This is the second werewolf book by the author that I have read. I read "Stolen" several years ago, but I can't remember much about it, so I had no background knowledge of any of the characters.

In this book, the protagonist, Elena, is heavily pregnant, which is a significant event as she is the only known female werewolf. Her partner, Clay, and pack leader Jeremy, are extremely solicitous, to the point where they are driving her crazy with boredom. To relieve the tedium, she persuades them to take on a commission to steal the "From Hell" letter, which was allegedly sent by Jack the Ripper and stolen from Scotland Yard in the early 20th century. It is now in the possession of a man who inherited it from his great-grandfather. This is a favor for someone named Xavier, who is apparently a semi-demon and appeared in a previous book. Xavier has a human client who will pay a large sum of money for the letter, and if they steal it for him, it will cancel a debt Elena owes him.

The theft goes smoothly, but Elena can't resist looking at the letter. In the process, a mosquito that had already sucked her blood ends up on the letter. Her blood opens a trans-dimensional portal attached to the letter. A couple of Victorian zombies promptly escape and come after her for reasons that later become clear. Additionally, a typhus outbreak affects the water supply of Toronto, where most of the novel is set, and rats infected with an unspecified disease start attacking people. All of these events are apparently triggered by the portal.

There is a lot of running around in the novel as the characters try to follow clues and interview people. However, quite a bit of it seems pointless, making the pacing very slow. There is also a lot of emphasis on Elena's pregnancy and how it hampers her from her normal "kick ass" demeanor. Yet, she still manages to do a fair amount, which, even for a werewolf, is not entirely convincing for someone so heavily pregnant.

The style is "easy read," but another issue for me was the large number of characters who kept appearing, phoning in with information, etc. Two characters had similar names - Rita and Anita - and I sometimes got them confused when one was mentioned. None of these characters were developed enough to be memorable, even the one who turned out to be the villain. The villain's identity was obvious for several chapters before they decided to confess, making the supposedly intelligent characters seem rather dim. Similarly, there is a misunderstanding towards the end of the book concerning a new character, which again makes them seem completely stupid.

The good aspects of the book were the setting of Toronto, the easy style, and the interaction between some of the characters. The character of Zoe was also interesting and had a bit of an edge. However, the overemphasis on pregnancy, when it wasn't dealt with realistically, and the large cast of mainly undeveloped cardboard characters were drawbacks. The whole "Jack the Ripper and zombies" idea also seemed muddled, with unclear motives and connections. Overall, for me, the book only merits a 2-star rating.

(Audio) Ahhhhh, Clay and Elana are pregnant! Extra Alpha Clay is truly the hovering dad-to-be of the century. He really deserves a gold medal for his overprotective nature. However, Elena is not on the same wavelength. She craves adventure and excitement. Her pregnancy is a completely new situation for all, as female werewolves are extremely rare and there are no records of pregnancy.

So, along comes what appears to be a simple and easy case to take the edge off. But in the world of the supernatural, nothing is ever easy. Elena had me shouting at her to "just let it go and take care of the babes!" Sadly, she didn't listen. The situation got worse, people died, and others got hurt. There were some I liked and some I even wanted to hurt myself.

This story, aside from the pregnancy aspect, is all about magic, the dead, the rotten, and the smell. Ick, ick, ick! There is so much talk of the nasty smell that I found myself holding my breath along with the characters. You'll see, it fills the second half of the story, as werewolves hunt by smell. The whole magical side of the story wasn't as interesting as the relationship between Elena and Clay. They have come such a long way. I found myself focusing more on them than on the mystery. I thought the end of the mystery was a bit rushed to a conclusion. It was a far-fetched but twisted and well-told tale.

Love the ending!!!

5 stars. We're back with Elena as the main character, and I couldn't be more delighted. She and Clay are my favorite couple in this series, and I have an immense love for them. Elena and Clay embark on a wild adventure to capture Jack the Ripper, who has been transported into the 21st century. It's a zany yet highly enjoyable journey. On top of that, Elena is pregnant! She and Clay are expecting twins, even though a child between wolves has never occurred before, adding to all the craziness. It was such an entertaining read as nearly every character joined forces to assist. What a thrilling ride. The next book is about Jeremy and Jaime! I'm eagerly anticipating getting my hands on it.

I truly would have awarded this a 4.5-star rating instead of a mere 3.5 if the protagonists had been as perceptive as I was and had immediately identified the extremely obvious villain. ;)

It's a fun addition to the series, and it's a welcome return to Elena's point of view.

The story has its moments of excitement and intrigue, although the fact that the protagonists seem to be a bit slow on the uptake when it comes to the villain does detract slightly from the overall experience.

Nonetheless, it's still an enjoyable read, and fans of the series will no doubt appreciate the chance to see things from Elena's perspective once again.

Hopefully, in future installments, the protagonists will be a bit more astute and able to solve the mysteries and challenges that come their way without relying so much on the reader to figure things out for them.

Snowflake Book Reviews: Title Broken/Otherworld

In the world of literature, there are many unique and captivating works. One such work that has caught the attention of readers is "Broken/Otherworld". This book takes readers on a journey through a different realm, filled with mystery and adventure.

The story follows the protagonist as they navigate through this strange and wonderful world, facing various challenges and obstacles along the way. With its vivid descriptions and engaging plot, "Broken/Otherworld" keeps readers on the edge of their seats from beginning to end.

The author's writing style is both beautiful and accessible, making it easy for readers to immerse themselves in the story. Whether you're a fan of fantasy, science fiction, or just a good adventure story, "Broken/Otherworld" is definitely worth checking out.

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Broken is the sixth book in Kelley Armstrong’s Women of the Otherworld series. It serves as a prime example of why Armstrong swiftly made her way onto my favorite author list. Just like all the books of hers that I have read, this one held my attention throughout.

I adored the characters and relished in the storyline. I simply can't wait for more.

In Bitten, the first book, we were introduced to Elena. I instantly fell in love with the werewolves and had a great time with the characters and their surrounding story. In Stolen, we got more of Elena and were also introduced to the rest of the world, going beyond the werewolves and meeting other supernatural creatures. In Dime Store Magic, I was initially disappointed by the change in perspective, fearing I wouldn't enjoy Paige, but was pleasantly surprised when I ended up liking her more than Elena. Industrial Magic, which also followed Paige, took us even deeper into the witch arc. However, Haunted was a bit of a letdown for me as I wasn't a fan of Eve. I'm not sure what it was, but it was my least favorite of the series so far. I was glad to learn that Broken would not be following Eve and that we would be returning to Elena. I would have preferred a return to Paige (I know it's an unpopular opinion, but I really do enjoy her character), but Elena was still a better option than Eve.

To be honest, Broken reminded me just how much I enjoyed Elena. I had been selling her short and failing to remember how much I liked her as a character. Elena is so much fun to follow, and the werewolves make things even more enjoyable. I had forgotten how much I loved all the characters, each adding something special that makes you love them. I'm glad we went back to Elena in this book, allowing me to remember how much I like her stories.

The story itself hooked me from the moment I read the synopsis. I love Jack the Ripper stories, and I knew this one would be completely different from what I usually read (especially since it's usually crime thrillers I pick up when reading a Jack the Ripper book). While I found the mystery element of this story to be predictable early on, I did enjoy how it was a different kind of Jack the Ripper story than what I knew and expected. I may have been able to figure things out, but I was still given an interesting tale.

I also feel that the events in this book have added a lot for the rest of the series. At least, I hope so. Elena's role as a female werewolf surrounded by males has been emphasized throughout the series, and with this book focusing on her pregnancy, I can only imagine what's to come in the future books following this new detail. I'm crossing my fingers for lots of drama.

I'm also really excited for book seven, No Humans Involved, as I came to enjoy Jamie even more in this book. Since she appeared in the series, I've been enjoying her character, and with her playing a slightly larger role in this book, I found myself excited to see how her story unfolds.

Once again, I can't wait to get my hands on the next book in the series. I really need to work on picking them up sooner rather than waiting a long time between each book. These are definitely binge-read books, a series that you can power through.

This book had a rather cumbersome and dull beginning. It seemed to take an eternity to reach the point that would really hook the reader.

The first part dragged on and on, making it a bit of a struggle to get through.

However, things started to pick up in the last third, or perhaps even the last half.

That's when the story really began to shine and show its potential.

I'm a huge fan of Urban Fantasy, and I absolutely adore Kelley Armstrong's latest series, Rockton.

But for some reason, this particular book is just okay so far.

I'm aware that the current world situation with Covid-19 might be making me more impatient than usual.

Also, it's important to remember that this was Armstrong's first series, and one of the first UF series of its kind.

So she was really pioneering and growing as she wrote.

Despite all that, I'm still only giving it three stars.

Maybe with time and a second read, my opinion will change.

But for now, it's just an average read for me.

This is the sixth book in the Women of the Otherworld series and the third to feature Elena Michaels as the main protagonist and narrator.

When half-demon Xavier Reese calls in the favour Elena owes him, it initially seems like a straightforward task. She has to steal Jack the Ripper's 'From Hell' letter from a Toronto collector who had himself stolen it from the Ripper evidence boxes. However, in the supernatural world, nothing is ever as simple as it appears.

Elena accidentally triggers a spell placed on the letter, which opens a dimensional portal into Victorian London. This unleashes zombies, disease, and perhaps even the notorious serial killer himself.

I absolutely loved the exploration of werewolf shapeshifting while pregnant. It was fascinating to see Elena navigate this perilous story as the protagonist while carrying a child. I also liked seeing Clay and Elena explore the idea of becoming parents.

The Jack the Ripper storyline was engaging, and the way it was integrated into the story was well done. This book series does an excellent job of reintroducing a cast of characters from previous books and weaving a new story with them.

The romance in this book wasn't my favorite, but I do like Elena and Clay as a couple and as individual characters. As always, I adored the mythology of this book series, and it is always interesting to watch these different supernatural characters and elements interact with one another.

I enjoyed Jaime and Zoe in this book as well. The vampires in this series aren't as interesting or a central focus as in many other paranormal and supernatural book series, but I think that's part of what makes this series unique.

Although this wasn't my favorite book or storyline in the series, it was still enjoyable. I would recommend this book to fans of the other Women of the Otherworld books in the series.

Reading "Broken" and "Men of the Otherworld" simultaneously made me realize something I had long suspected. I read Armstrong for the men of her Otherworld, specifically the Werewolf men. I'll admit that I skipped some books to get to "Broken". I liked the inclusion of other supernatural races in some of her books, but it was the werewolf lore that hooked me. I thought "Broken" would be great since it had many of my favorite characters, but it wasn't. Maybe writing so many non-Pack focused books before "Broken" made Armstrong lose sight of what made her books special. The story was somewhat entertaining, but far-fetched and in the realm of wish fulfillment. I don't like babies in my smut and hope Armstrong omits excessive mentions of the twins from "Frostbite". I like Elena, but she became a Mary Sue in this installment. The characters all became shells of themselves. Clay and Jeremy were overly protective mother hens, which didn't seem right for Clay. Despite all the flaws in "Broken", I still enjoyed it. A sub par book by Armstrong is still better than most other Urban Fantasy. And she can write some steamy scenes!