Group Review of Otherworld Nights by Kelley Armstrong

Publisher: Plume
Series: Otherworld Stories#3
Format Read: ebook
Source: Netgalley
Release Date: October 28, 2014
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | OmniLit* | Barnes & Noble | 
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Blurb from goodreads:

This short story collection will include many brand-new tales and others only previously available on Kelley Armstrong's website. Most of the stories will feature the werewolves of the Otherworld, Elena and Clay, Jeremy, Karl and other members of the American Pack. These are some of Kelley Armstrong's best-loved and most enduring characters, from bestselling books such as Bitten, Stolen and Frostbitten.

1) Demonology - Adam's mother discovers what he is
2) Stalked - Clay/Elena honeymoon story from "My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon"
3) Hidden - SubPress 2012 Elena/Clay novella
4) Twilight - a Cass story from "Many Bloody Returns"
5) Chivalrous - Reese's backstory from SubPress's long sold-out "Tales of Dark Fantasy 2" (the Dec'14 SubPress graphic novella picks up this storyline)
6) Lucifer's Daughter - Hope/Karl story from "Blood Lite II: Overbite"
7) From Russia with Love - Elena bonus story included with hardcover of "Thirteen"
8) Vanishing Act - brand-new Savannah/Adam novella set after "Thirteen"

Jax's Thoughts:

Seeing as how Bea, Steph and I met on Kelley's forum, it's safe to say I'll happily read and reread her stories, especially from this series. I had actually read all but the new tale, Vanishing Act. I love that Kelley collects and publishes the harder to find stories like this. Yeah, I own all the other books they were in, but it's so nice to have them in one place.

Otherworld has a great cast of characters, and they grow throughout the series. One of the best things about these shorts is seeing some of the backstories, or side stories that give a greater glimpse into the personality of each one. Kelley has a great talent for writing strictly from the point of view of the main character of the story. So when she writes from Elena's point of view, nothing of Savannah's perspective colors Elena's reactions. Being able to read and learn of their world from so many different aspects gives it a richness that is hard to find in series are seen through just one set of eyes. I would say this is a nice way to step into Kelley's Otherworld, since it gives you a variety of characters to read about, but definitely check out the rest of the books.

Steph's Thoughts:

I had read many of these previously but loved having them all in one place. One that I had not read (or don't remember reading) was Chivalrous and it centers around the Australian wolves and Reese. I loved getting a feel for how other Packs work. I also liked reading Karl Marsten's story (excuse me while I go hide from John, a board member who passionately hates Marsten). I have always thought Marsten was a pretty interesting character and I like seeing this side of him. My favorite Kelley books have always been the ones with the werewolves, so I love those stories better. The only story I didn't actually read was "Vanishing Act". I'll await the hate mail as I say.... I really dislike Savannah so I skipped the story with her but I really enjoyed all the rest of the stories. It was fun to read them again. (But, but, but, it has ADAM! And Paige and Lucas. And, and, and things happen! ! Bea)


Bea's Thoughts:

It was so nice to re-read these stories. I've missed them since they were taken down from Kelley's site. Well, not all were the site but several were. There was one story I hadn't read yet and there were two I'd read only once and of course, there was one new story. I liked them all.

While some focused on main characters others focused on secondary characters and that was a joy for me as they happened to be characters I like. The nice thing about short stories is that authors can shine a light on secondary characters, give them more page time without detracting from the main story. We learn more about them and get to spend time with them. My only real gripe about any of the stories had to do with the setting for "From Russia with Love"; I just don't see why it had to occur in Russia. It could have been set anywhere, the setting was irrelevant. But, I liked how Jeremy handled a certain matter (I can't say more without spoiling it for those of you who haven't read it yet); it was classic Jeremy. In all, a wonderful collection of stories set in the Otherworld over a wide range of time featuring a range of characters.

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