Waking the Witch by Kelley Armstrong

rating
(Women of the Otherworld, #11)
UBRAN FANTASY


At twenty-one, Savannah Levine-orphaned daughter of a notorious dark witch and an equally notorious cutthroat sorcerer-considers herself a full-fledged member of the otherworld. The once rebellious teen has grown into a six-foot-tall, motorcycle-riding jaw-dropper, with an impressive knowledge of and ability to perform spells. The only problem is, she's having a hard time convincing her adoptive parents, Paige and Lucas, to take her seriously as an adult. She's working as the research assistant at the detective agency they founded, and when they take off on a romantic vacation alone, leaving her in charge, Savannah finds herself itching for a case to call her own. (She's also itching for Adam, her longtime friend and colleague, to see her as more than just a little girl, but that's another matter.)

Suddenly, Savannah gets the chance she's been waiting for: Recruited by another supernatural detective, she travels to Columbus, Washington, a small, dying town. Two troubled young women have been found in an abandoned warehouse, murdered. Now a third woman's dead, and on closer inspection small details point to darker forces at play. Savannah feels certain she can handle the case, but with signs of supernatural activity appearing at every turn, things quickly become more serious- and far more dangerous-than she realizes.



Starting with this one, the last three books of the series are primarily told through Savannah's point of view. We've seen her since the second book of the series, Stolen, first as a young girl and now finally as an adult. In Stolen she meets Elena and works her way into the wolf pack as a friend, while she is adopted by Paige for the third and fourth books. Everyone know her name, and now she finally gets to go out on her own for her first investigative case.

Savannah isn't as compassionate at first as some of the other heroines, but that's understandable and she grows up me. I do like her dark side contrasting with what you typically expect from a heroine. She has some sarcasm that works depending on the situation, but she's a little too stubborn. She's strong for most of the book, but something happens which weakens her. That's annoying for awhile but it ties into the main story eventually.

Armstrong not only switched point of view here, but Savannah is in a completely new small-town setting in order to work the case. Adam comes around, but overall this book is unusually isolated from regular characters. We get mentions through phone calls but that's mainly it.

Adam shows up but doesn't excite yet as a companion, although he's sweet at the end. This was one of the book's biggest disappointments, too. Finally we get Adam, who charmed me in the third book and who has had to wait his turn for over six books. When he shows on page there's nothing other than friendship, little tension, and it just doesn't deliver like I was expecting.

There's a sad turn in this book that keeps the story personal. The actual investigation intrigued me and kept me hooked as there was a legit mystery to solve, even if it wasn't her strongest. I sort of guessed the ending twist with the betrayal, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment.

Not the best of the series, but certainly worth reading. It's a book that shouldn't' be skipped as it lays the groundwork for the final two books and the major ending story arch of the series.


 

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   Book Quotes:

“There are just as many bitches out there as bastards. Equal opportunity asshole-ism.”

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