Stolen

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining But Not Engrosing
Review: "Stolen" takes place in a mystic variant of current day. Werewolves, shaman, witches, and half-demons (among other creatures) lead secret lives, hiding their abilities from humans. A secret group of scientists, funded by a rich & rather twisted ecentric, are capturing and studying mystic creatures -- a process that is often fatal. Now they want to study a werewolf ...

This is the first book I've read by Kelley Armstrong, and it can easily be read independently from "Bitten". Kelley's writing style is nicely done, the plot was interesting, but I just wasn't engrosed by this story. Perhaps it just wasn't my cup of tea.

The only flaw I can readily identify is this. Many characters did not behave consistently, and these small inconsistencies bothered me. When free, the main character acts aggressively & protects her independence from her husband to a degree that both doesn't make sense (given her race) and doesn't speak well for her marriage (from a human point of view). But as soon as she is captured, she just ... folds. As another example, there were no rape scenes (good for you Kelley, I abhor rape scenes), but given the personalities of several villians, this just didn't make sense. Too often, the author compromised characters' personalities to obtain the plot outcome she wanted.

Overall, I predict that the average reader would give "Stolen" 4-stars.

Rating:
Summary: Grumble, grumble
Review: After the unforgivable stranglehold that Bitten had on me, I was elated to pick up Stolen, and pick up where Bitten left off. More Jeremy! More Nick and Antonio! And most importantly, more Clay and Elena!

Imagine my disappointment when, rather than delve back into Stonehaven and the warm fur of the werewolves, we are transported into witch-and-shaman land. Sigh.

Nearly all of the newly introduced characters (outside of Adam, who I loved, and Xavier, who grew on me) were annoying, aggravating, or just plain boring. I kept finding myself saying inwardly, "When is she going to eat these people and go back to Stonehaven?!"

Alas, she does not. Instead, she's kidnapped and fondled by lecherous men and prodded by workaholicly psychotic women. And then everything just goes downhill from there.

The only reason I give it three stars instead of two, is the writing style, and the fact that she threw us a few bones with Clay and Jeremy popping in and out of the story. I didn't care about any of the other characters in the book, and I was vastly disappointed when I heard that not only did she not give us enough of the werewolves, she is departing totally from Elena and gang totally. (Thankfully, Elena will play a cameo in Industrial Magic and will get her own book again in book 6.)

The writing style is still excellent, as is the well-done presentation of "just enough information." If I hadn't gotten my hopes up in thinking it was truly another Stonehaven adventure, I might not have disliked it so much.

A definate own for Kelley fans (I've got the paperback and hardback), but personally, my least favorite of all her books.

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Entertaining
Review: Even if you are not a fan of supernatural fiction, this is a fun and enjoyable read. This book is second in Armstrong's Women of the Underworld.
The characters are both fascinating, interesting and likeable. The story is told from the point of view of Elena the only female werewolf. Elena has had a hard time adjusting to becoming a werewolf (the story in Bitten the first book of this series) but by this novel she is coming to accept her role and her "family" which is her pack.
In this novel Elena discovers that werewolves are not the only supernatural creatures out there and some dangerous people also know this. She is kidnaped and taken to a place where other beings have been taken to be studied. We get to see Elena's soft side and her humanity along with her werewolf.
This book has a little of everything. Mystery, intrigue, romance, supernatural and is it just a fun story.
I look forward to more novels in this series and especially ones who star Elena and her pack.
Read Bitten first and by the time you are done you will be hooked.

Rating:
Summary: Casting
Review: Finally a sequel with merit. In short, it was great -- but I won't bore you with another review, just give you my thoughts on the characters. I'm still stuck on Elena. Sometimes I think Kate Bosworth (Blue Crush) would be okay, but at other times that interpretation seems so off it's ridiculous. I deffinitely imagine Clay as a younger Matthew McConaughey (Frailty, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days) and Jeremy as Peter Gallagher (American Beauty, the OC). Savannah seems like a prepubescent Christina Ricci (Now and Then, Casper), I picture Leah as Alicia Witt (Mr. Holland's Opus, Cybill, Urban Legend), Adam as Joshua Jackson (The Skulls, Dawson's Creek), Cassandra as Catherine Zeta-Jones (Entrapment, Chicago), Katzen as Alex Desert (Boy Meets World, Becker), and Bauer as Allison Janney (The West Wing, How to Deal). However, I'm stilled stumped when it comes to Winsloe, Xavier, and, more importantly, Paige.

Rating:
Summary: Great follow-up to Bitten!
Review: Having read and loved Kelley Armstrong's Bitten, I couldn't wait to read Stolen, the second installment of the Women of the Otherworld series. Elena Michaels, the only female werewolf in the world, is back to take on a far bigger challenge than chasing killer mutts. Elena and the pack members don't believe in supernatural creatures and think that werewolves are the only phenomenon on this planet (go figure!) -- that is until she meets witches Ruth and Paige Winterbourne. Elena learns that in addition to werewolves and witches there are also demons, shamans, sorcerers, vampires, and other creatures living among humans. To make matters worse, a top secret scientific lab wants to research every supernatural creature they can encounter. And when Elena is held captive by said lab researchers, she discovers the real motive behind the captivations and witnesses the torturous methods used by lab investor and sadistic millionaire Tyrone Winsloe whenever he gives a prisoner the illusion of escape only to hunt them down and kill them in a bizarre live version of a video game. Elena hopes that her pack will come to her rescue, but will it be possible to get past the tight security of the compound? There are many twists throughout the novel.

Stolen, like Bitten, has lots of action, suspense and interesting twists. But the difference between this installment and the previous one is that, as said earlier, this novel does not center solely on werewolves. There is also quite a big subplot surrounding witchcraft and other preternatural powers. And there are far more gruesome scenes in this offering, especially during Elena's captivation. The gory scene with lab scientists Bauer and Carmichael is one of the most graphic parts. The novel is great, but I have a couple of complaints. One is that the reader doesn't get a lot of interaction between the werewolves -- especially between Elena and Clay -- and some of the supernaturals aren't developed enough. My other complaint is that the whole captivity thing becomes tiresome after a while. By page 300 I just wanted Elena to either escape or be rescued or something. Other than that, Stolen is riveting from beginning to end. I love the scenes with Elena and Clay. I love how they bond while in wolf form. Those parts are very well written and believable. I wish there had been more scenes like that. The characters are great. Paige and Adam are great, and Xavier is hilarious! He is quite interesting, albeit vague. And I love Jeremy and his role as alpha-slash-mediator. I wish Ms. Armstrong had written more scenes with him in them. And Clay! There aren't enough words to describe Clay. He sounds so scrumptious! Kelley Armstrong is a great storyteller. I cannot wait to read Dime Store Magic, the third part of the Women of the Otherworld series with Paige Winterbourne as the narrator. Anyway, I cannot recommend this novel enough, but I urge potential readers to start with Bitten, for you will get a better look into Elena's life as a werewolf and how she became one, her relationship with Clay, and how she comes to terms with her past and present.

Rating:
Summary: Taut, Suspenseful and Very Well Written
Review: Stolen is a credible and fitting follow-up to the debut novel from Kelley Armstrong, Bitten. Like the other reviewers here, I would highly recommend one reads Bitten before picking up Stolen, though it isn't absolutely necessary.

The strong and complex female werewolf, Elena Michaels is back front and center. And her voice comes across stronger then it did in the first book. Also back from the first book are Clayton Danvers, Elena's human hating, overly intense lover/mate. And Jeremy Danvers, pack Alpha, parental figure and voice of reason. Unfortunately Tonio and Nick, other pack members, aren't back for this book. And if you ask me, there isn't enough Jeremy. But thats understandable given the story.

The best thing about this book are the other creatures of legend and lore that we get introduced to. Witches, Shamans, Half-Demons and the ever popular vampires. Armstrong plants the seeds for her proposed "Women of the Underworld" series. I'll be anxious to see where her books will go. I'm not sure she can duplicate the personality of the pack members, but I wish her the best in her effort.

I took away a star for a reunion that seemed too rushed, a love scene that seemed extremely unwise, and a lack of Jeremy.

Rating:
Summary: Avid Reader & Reviewer
Review: Stolen is Kelley Armstrong's second installment in the Women of the Otherworld Series. In Bitten we are introduced to Elena and her fellow werewolves. Stolen introduces us to other supernaturals; witches, vampires, demons, voodoo practitioners, shaman, and so on.

Someone is kidnapping supernaturals and they are never heard from again. Elena, Jeremy, and Clay are invited to a 'United Nations' for the supernatural world in an attempt to stop the kidnappings. Unfortunately for Elena, the council is unable to stop her abduction.

Elena finds herself alone, cut-off from the pack, and held captive for study. An unstable, megalomaniac man with money has decided it would be 'fun' to study supernatural beings and when the study is completed - to have a little hunt. Elena must draw on all her resources to find a way to protect herself physically, mentally, and emotionally. As the hunt draws closer, Elena struggles to free herself and the other captives.

Stolen is one huge adrenaline rush that can be addictive. As the story unfolds, it brings us into the supernatural world deeper and deeper. We learn about demons and their offspring in our mists. While werewolves have many advantages over other supernaturals, they are still vulnerable. Each supernatural has abilities that must be harnessed for survival. This blending of beings evolves into a partnership and friendship between groups that have never cooperated with each other before.

The supernaturals of Stolen are written with a great deal of care. Each being is unique and strong in their own manner. Kelley Armstrong has created a world where everyone is a mixture of good and bad - only a few are truly evil. Elena may be feral and a killer, but she is a moral sentient being. Her outrage at captivity allows the reader to identify deeply with her.

Werewolves have considered themselves too strong to be held captive. Their experiences in Stolen show them just how vulnerable they are. Elena, Clay, and Jeremy are forced to rely on others, in contrast to their nature.

Kelley Armstrong has published three books; Bitten, Stolen, and Dime Store Magic. A fourth in the Women of the Otherworld series, Industrial Magic is to be published late in 2004. She has an extensive website at http://www.kelleyarmstrong.com/ On her website are two novellas from the Women of the Otherworld series.

Rating:
Summary: For Fans of the Supernatural
Review: Stolen starts off like a runaway roller coaster down the side of the Grand Canyon, and manages to maintain that pace for the first 275 pages. The pursuit, capture, and imprisonment of Elena, the only female werewolf is written well with great pacing, suspense, and plenty of humourous dialogue between the characters. The story loses some of its credibility and pacing over the 50 pages detailing the escape of Elena, manages to regain its momentum over the last 50 pages, and overall is an entertaining read that I will recommend to many of my friends.

I'm looking forward to reading Dime Store Magic and Industrial Magic!