Friday, February 22, 2013

Review: The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong

The Awakening (Darkest Powers #2) by Kelley Armstrong
Format: hardcover
Source: purchased
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: January 10, 2013

Darkest Powers
1. The Summoning
2. The Awakening - Hardcover | Paperback | Kindle
3. The Reckoning
Bonus Pack 1 (#0.5, 1.5, 2.5)
Bonus Pack 2 (#3.5, 3.6)

Related Series:
(find all the books in the series on the 1st book review)
Darkness Rising
1. The Gathering

Kelley Armstrong
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):
If you had met me a few weeks ago, you probably would have described me as an average teenage girl — someone normal. Now my life has changed forever and I’m as far away from normal as it gets. I’m a living science experiment — not only can I see ghosts, but I was genetically altered by a sinister organization call the Edison Group. What does that mean? For starters. I'm a teenage necromancer whose powers are out of control: I raise the dead without even trying. Trust me, that is not a power you want to have. Ever.

Now I’m running for my life with three of my supernatural friends - a chaming sorcerer, a cynical werewolf, and a disgruntled witch - and we have to find someone who can help us before the Edison Group finds us first. Or die trying.
My Thoughts: One of the things that sticks out in my mind from the first time I read this series (and it has nothing to do with anything that happened IN the story, weirdly enough) is how obsessively crazy I got after reading book 1. Seriously, guys, I had to have books 2 and 3 IMMEDIATELY. I'm pleased to say that hasn't changed during the reread. Except, well, now I don't have to wait for the books to be delivered, I just have to grab them off my shelf. *bliss*

I love how hard Derek's trying in this book. Not that he wasn't before, but he's using that big, ole brain of his and he's attempting to explain himself a little better instead of just laying down the law. Chloe is unequivocally one of his to protect at this point. He tells her more than once that there's no way he could hurt her and he wouldn't leave her. He shows her that he's rather put himself in danger than let something happen to her. I LOVE this side of him. He's still dictatorial at times and he can be a grump when he's working things out in his head, but he's the alpha of his little pack and he'll do ANYTHING to keep them safe.

Meanwhile, the twists and turns of who to trust, the bone deep betrayals some of their group experience, and the utterly frightening way their powers appear to be growing make for a fast-paced, completely engrossing read. I loooooove this series. Love it. There's no one thing I can pinpoint as drawing me in, either. It's the characters and their issues and the things that have been done to them and the fact that I love this world to pieces. It's EVERYTHING! It's how things we know about the world from reading the Women of the Otherworld series are just the tiniest bit off kilter because these kids don't have anyone to teach them and they're cobbling together what they think is the truth from bits and pieces that they're picking up. LOVE THAT!

Yes, I am stupidly enamored of the series. What gave it away?

4 comments:

  1. You're kind of making me want to reread this series again. o.O

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    1. My work here is done. In all honesty, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this reread. I think this is the 5th or 6th time I've read the series and I was still all fangirl bubbly over it.

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  2. I have these books but haven't broke into them yet! i will I will!

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    1. Lol! You only have a few hundred waiting for you! They're fast and fun. If you've read her Women of the Otherworld series, they get an extra layer as you fit in what these kids are learning about the supernatural community against what we've learned in the WotO series. I think that was part of why I love this series so much. LAYERS!

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