December 1, 2008
Armstrong expands her Women of the Otherworld series (following 2008's Living with the Dead
) with these tales of the male werewolves of the American Pack. In “Infusion,” Malcolm Danvers tracks down a Japanese sorceress who seduced him in 1946. When he kills her and attempts to kill their young son, Jeremy, his father insists the boy be raised with the pack. Armstrong's stories then focus on Jeremy's son, Clayton, as he matures into full werewolfhood. Closing the volume is “Kitsunegari,” a tale of encounters between a fox spirit and Jeremy during his time as pack leader. The intriguing tales, originally published as serials on Armstrong's Web site, unfold so fluidly that they read almost like a novel, providing a good introduction to new readers and a real treat for fans.
January 15, 2009
Three of the four stories in this companion to Armstrong's "Women of the Otherworld" series ("Living with the Dead") were first published as free fiction on Armstrong's web site (www.kelleyarmstrong.com) both as a thank you to her loyal readers and in response to reader requests for backstories of several of the key werewolf men in her novels. Armstrong is donating all proceeds from this and a planned second volume in 2010 to World Literacy of Canada. Kudos to her for so generously providing these stories, first to her fans and now as a second gift to a worthy literary cause. While fans of the series will be eager to devour the stories, those unfamiliar with "Otherworld" will be somewhat lost as to their significance. Through Armstrong's trademark flair for storytelling, fans learn more about Jeremy's birth in "Savage," and a lengthy novella ("Infusion") describes how Clayton joins the pack. Highly recommended; essential for any fan of the series. [See Prepub Alert, "LJ" 10/1/08.]Crystal Renfro, Georgia Inst. of Technology Lib. & Information Ctr., Atlanta
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