The complex characters cope with racism and sexism in Victorian Edinburgh. Highly recommended for fans of Julie McElwain’s “Kendra Donovan” time-travel series.
Armstrong gives her cop-with-baggage backstory a twist, making Casey a singularly skilled but humanely flawed protagonist, adrift in a quirky utopia that's as dangerous as any big city. [See Prepub Alert, 8/15/16.]
Armstrong fans will be delighted to be immersed once again into her fabulous and fantastical world with these stories that spotlight high drama, humor, and intelligence.
With each new series entry (Omens; Visions), Armstrong's characterizations grow richer, especially with Gabriel, who is showing some cracks in his armor. The long game of the repeating patterns of Huntsmen and Tylwyth Teg with Olivia in between means that there is plenty of story left to tell. This work is less action-oriented than most urban fantasies, and the elements of magic are an undercurrent to emotional entanglements rather than taking center stage. [See Prepub Alert, 2/9/15.]
This substantial novella will be a welcome addition for fans of the series who want more of Elena, the only female werewolf (last featured in 2009's Frostbitten). Our heroine continues to struggle to get respect from those who don't believe she should exist, especially as alpha of a pack. Although motherhood has changed Elena, she's still a formidable predator.
Readers of the "Otherworld" series will enjoy this anthology, although serious fans will have already read most of the stories. This title is too specialized to attract new readers. Armstrong plans to release two additional volumes.