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3.5 �

Armstrong alternates the main characters in her Otherworld series. I opted to skip ahead to Broken #6 because I wanted to continue Elena's story from Stolen #2. Broken could be read as a standalone but I believe that it would be more appealing to those already familiar with Elena and Clay's idiosyncrasies. History is being forged as werewolves Elena and Clay are expectant parents after debating for three years whether to try for kids.

Jeremy sighed.
I looked at him. "And you thought we were ready for kids?"
"No, I just thought one more wouldn't make much difference."

Already a product of a traumatic childhood with fears of abandonment, Elena finds herself beset by additional concerns during her pregnancy. Will the painful physical change into her wolf form injure or even kill her baby?

Next, the tougher moves - the wolf maneuvers. I crouched, wiggled my hindquarters, then leapt at an imaginary mouse. As I hit the ground, I wheeled around, teeth bared as I snapped at an unseen foe... I chased my tail -

A wheezing sound erupted behind me and I froze, the tip hairs of my tail still caught between my teeth. There, across the clearing, was a huge, golden-haired wolf, his head between his forepaws, his eyes closed, hindquarters in the air, body quivering with that strange wheezing noise... He was laughing at me.

Clay tries to support Elena and, more importantly, to reduce her stress levels. But Clay can't always help himself stay out of trouble.

Clay bounced back, grinning as he brushed himself off. "Live dangerously, that's my motto."
"It'll be your epitaph, too."

Midway through her pregnancy, Elena feels enormous and quite stifled due to orders to confine herself to their home territory. She jumps at the chance to exchange favors with the half-demon Xavier, who went from hunting her to assisting her during the intense events in Stolen. How were they to know that Xavier's request, to steal a spell-protected Jack the Ripper memento, would unleash plagues and pestilence upon Toronto?

Toronto plays a large role in this story, and I especially liked the focus on the Victorian Cabbagetown neighborhood. Additional characters are introduced as Pack alpha Jeremy calls in supernatural reinforcements. For an alpha, Jeremy is very even-keeled and measured in temperament, but he still expects compliance.

“That's the problem dealing with nonwerewolves," I said. "They lack that critical 'you are Alpha, you are right' gene.�

Broken is entertaining, but I was less engaged than with the previous two books featuring Elena. The main plotline seemed to meander a bit. Or it could be a reminder that the ability to become a werewolf doesn't turn an artist, an anthropology professor, and a journalist into stellar private investigators. I believe though that existing fans will be pleased with it because of Elena and Clay's family situation. Trying to keep a very pregnant Elena safe amid the apocalypse, complete with zombies, was a major source of dramatic tension.


#1 Bitten 3.5 �
#2 Stolen 3.5 �
#7 No Humans Involved 3.5 �
#10 Frostbitten 4 �

Men of the Otherworld #1 3.5 � rounded up
Tales of the Otherworld #2 3.5 �
Otherworld Nights #3 3.5 �