Stolen – Book Review

I enjoyed the second book in Kelley Armstrong‘s Women of the Otherworld series far more than its predecessor. Bitten was a lot of fun, but I didn’t jam with the love interests, and the lack of other female characters was a little off-putting for me.

Stolen, by contrast, is full of interesting female relationships to test Elena’s social skills. Paige, Bauer, Cassandra, Leah, Savannah, Carmichael, and Ruth were a brilliantly colourful cast that I loved to read about. I’m certainly looking forward to reading Dime Store Magic in November next month!

But before I get ahead of myself, let’s consider Stolen… There will be spoilers throughout the review!

Less Raunchy Than Bitten?

We’re in the 18+ reviews section of this blog, and it’s not for the gore that Armstrong’s Women of the Otherworld finds itself here!

Now, this isn’t to say that Stolen has no sexy scenes—there are plenty—but either there are fewer of them or I was simply less intimidated. It’s possible that it’s a personal experience; I certainly found Clay less oppressive and more of a romantic hero in this book, which would also make the sexy times less affronting.

One of the reasons that I found Clay less of a sexual threat in this book is that Elena isn’t failing to repel him in Stolen. Instead, they are an easier boyfriend and girlfriend/ husband and wife duo. There’s some conflict, but there’s no trauma and it’s all consensual. This made a huge difference for my reading of their relationship, as I really did not enjoy it in Bitten.

Aside from Clay’s presentation, the premise of the book being that Elena is quite literally stolen away from her pack also means separation from her lover, which literally reduces the possibility of sexy times—this meant I could read a lot of the text unthreatened.

For a moment, I did wonder whether Elena would be seducing her way out of the compound, but author Armstrong was quick to silence that line of thought, and I’m glad of it. I’ve already read one book with a werewolf heroine achieving exactly that (ask me for the title in the comments section if you’re curious!).

Instead, the ever present sexual threats in Elena’s life are instigated by the main villain, Ty Winsloe, and his two cronies. I found Ty’s scenes particularly effective and lavished in his downfall (literally) at the end of the book.

A Great Use of Space in Stolen

As an aspiring writer, and so someone who studies the art of writing always, there was a lot to appreciate about Stolen. In the writing workshop that I host once a month, we often end up discussing ‘space’ in writing, and how to effectively describe or use a space in a scene. To that end, I think Stolen‘s compound is a brilliant example of space used well.

Armstrong excels in describing a place I can picture and in giving it plot significance. She builds the compound up (or down, since it’s an underground bunker), plots Elena’s exciting escape through it, and then carries the momentum into a reverse expedition as our heroes tear it down.

The outdoor grounds surrounding the compound are also described, but I was surprised when I reached the final pages and the bear trap never actually made an appearance; it’s mentioned more than once!

Chekhov’s Guns

The concept of Chekhov’s gun is that every element of a story is necessary. If a gun is shown, it will be fired.

This wasn’t true for the bear pit, but it was true for Curtis/Katzen and Leah. The absence of the mysterious Katzen throughout the book solidified my conviction that the equally mysterious Curtis would turn out to be one and the same—and I was correct.

With Leah, it was just constant bad vibes, and her obsession with Savannah was another red flag. I wasn’t quite sure what her role in the telekinesis would be until it was revealed, but I knew there would be some connection.

Speaking of these two, while I foresaw a final battle against them early into my reading, I thoroughly enjoyed said battle nonetheless. It was especially well positioned against the backdrop of how expertly Elena and Clay dispatched the compound guards. It’s a good reminder that our heroes are not unbeatable, which keeps the tension up for future novels in this series.

The Hunter Becomes the Hunted

One of the best themes in Stolen is that of the hunter. Armstrong approaches it from all angles. The book opens on a shaman, hunted by Ty Winsnloe’s dogs. He is prey, and he fails to escape.

Then later, we have Elena and Clay tormenting a military-type who sought to capture Elena; The werewolves delight in the hunt and the kill.

Next, we see Elena forced to hunt her own kind, as Ty threatens her against Patrick Lake, and later Armen—a friend. This is a reluctant hunt, and there is no joy in it.

Then we see Elena as prey, as she escapes the compound successfully.

Finally, Elena and Clay agree to a hunt that endangers them, as Ty Winslow is more wiley prey than either wolf could have imagined, leading to a thrilling finale that completes the conversation on the hunt.

Final Thoughts

There’s so much about this book to enjoy, I’ve barely touched on why the new female cast were so exciting, but I’m sure I’ll have plenty more on that note once I’ve read Dime Store Magic (subscribe for an email to be the first to read that review!). What I will say, is that Savannah was very cute and I will continue to root for her future! Paige and Cassandra were also very interesting, or more precisely, Elena’s shifting interpretations of these two women was illuminating for her character as well as theirs.

I’m still amazed that all of how heroes survived, with the exception of Ruth which was very sad.

Leah survived! I wonder when she’ll return to the series and in what capacity…

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Interested in wolf books? I recently reviewed Folk Tales of the Wolf and will soon be offering my final review on Robin Hobb’s Farseer Trilogy!