Title: Thirteen
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Series: Otherworld (aka Women of the Otherworld) book 13
Publication Date: July 2012
Publisher: Dutton
Source: Publisher for review
Available formats: Hardcover,
eBook, Audio
Reading Challenge: 2012 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge
Thirteen is the final book in Kelley Armstrong's Otherworld series. It also concludes a trilogy of books focusing on Savannah, a young witch, that includes
Waking the Witch and
Spell Bound. While there have been threats to the supernaturals in previous books, those threats were localized and focused, requiring only a few of the familiar series characters to neutralize. The trilogy that ends the Otherworld series takes the threat to a whole new level and every major character from the series makes an appearance to work together for the future of supernaturals and humans. Even the demons and angels show up for this fight, although it isn't always clear which side they fall on.
The Otherworld series was originally called the Women of the Otherworld until Armstrong felt constricted by the limitation to only female narrators. She worked some of the men into other books in the series and gave them their own short story collection,
Men of the Otherworld. In true Women of the Otherworld form though the focus of the final books is on Savannah, a character we have watched grow up throughout the series.
The action in
Thirteen is fast paced as Savannah and the others start out a step behind the group of supernaturals who wants to reveal themselves to the world by infecting those in positions of power with a virus giving them supernatural abilities. This is a book that goes full tilt ahead without stopping to let anyone take a breath. All of our favorite characters from past books make an appearance and we get to hear from many of them in their own chapters.
Thirteen is an emotional roller coaster as the confrontations are intense and various characters lives hang in the balance. Armstrong wraps up the series with a very satisfying conclusion that still leaves the door open a crack for the possibility of more. I love how the entire series is tied together with the book beginning with the prologue from
Bitten and ending with a short story centering on Elena, the female werewolf who started it all.
If you haven't read the Otherworld series yet, I would highly suggest starting at the beginning. Although some of the books can be read as stand alone novels or read out of order, the build up to this final book will be better if you see the characters develop over time. The Otherworld series has been one of my favorite series and I'm very sad to see it end. But endings also mean new beginnings and I'm curious to see what Armstrong will be writing next.
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